Chapter 597 — The Dejected Young Lady

"Oh, oh, now we can squeeze through the fence for fun whenever we want!" Shen Yushu added eagerly, right on the heels of his words.

"..." Wei Zhao nearly drove the car straight into the drainage ditch at the roadside.

"From now on, whenever you and Tang Zhi get intimate, you have to report it to me in advance!" Gu Mengyao said, for reasons she herself could not quite explain.

"Uh... surely that's not necessary? I have a private life too, you know..." Wei Zhao broke into a cold sweat.

"Of course it is!" Gu Mengyao said firmly. "What if you're with Tang Zhi and I'm in danger over here, and you can't pull yourself away? You have to report it in advance!"

"***?" Wei Zhao managed a wry smile. "That too?"

"Of course! First, to keep an eye on your private life. Yushu and I are both such pure, innocent people — if your private life turns out to be too decadent, I'll have to consider firing you!" Gu Mengyao said with a perfectly straight face.

"All right..." Wei Zhao nodded. The young lady was in a foul mood today, and Wei Zhao had no desire to provoke her. Better to just agree first and sort it out later.

"Then Sis Yaoyao, are we still going home to play three-way?" Shen Yushu asked, a little disappointed to see Gu Mengyao backing out at the last moment.

"Play? What play?" Gu Mengyao glared at Shen Yushu. "Why are you so eager to play? Go play by yourself!"

"I can't very well play by myself!" Shen Yushu said, looking troubled. "Sis Yaoyao doesn't keep her word."

"All right, Yushu, stop talking about it. You're still too young to play like that. When you grow up, then you can — okay?" Gu Mengyao felt a headache coming on from Shen Yushu's antics.

"Oh, okay then! When I grow up, you'll play with me?" Shen Yushu finally broke into a smile.

"Deal!" Gu Mengyao replied, rendered almost speechless.

Wei Zhao could only smile ruefully. This was one conversation he certainly had no business jumping into.

"Is Uncle Chu at home?" Wei Zhao steered the conversation in a new direction, having absolutely no idea how to engage with the previous topic.

"Daddy invited you to dinner, and you've made him wait over ten hours!" Gu Mengyao pointed out the car window. "It's almost dawn!"

"Heh, I really am sorry about that. I'll explain when we get back." Wei Zhao offered an apologetic smile.

"Hmph!" Gu Mengyao snorted. "Drive faster. There's still a banquet waiting at home."

Wei Zhao said nothing, but he did press down on the accelerator. Gu Mengyao's Audi S5 was quick off the line to begin with — it was, after all, a sports car — and in the dead of night with hardly another vehicle on the road, Wei Zhao pushed the car straight up to its limit in an instant.

"Ah!" Gu Mengyao hadn't seen it coming and jumped in fright.

Shen Yushu, by contrast, was flailing her arms and legs with glee. "Oh, this is awesome! Roller coaster..."

"..." Gu Mengyao was at a loss for words. Was there simply no fear gene in Shen Yushu's nervous system? Did she not understand the meaning of terror?

Before long, Wei Zhao had parked the car in front of Gu Mengyao's villa. Hearing the engine at the gate, Gu Pengzhan and Uncle Qing both came rushing out. Earlier, Uncle Qing and Gu Pengzhan had followed as far as Fatso Lai's villa, waited a while, then phoned Gu Mengyao to confirm the severity of Wei Zhao's injuries before heading back home to wait.

After all, it would hardly have been appropriate for Gu Pengzhan to wait around at Fatso Lai's house.

"Xiao Yi, you're all right?" Gu Pengzhan stared in some surprise at Wei Zhao, who had just stepped down from the driver's seat. Gu Mengyao had said Wei Zhao's injuries were severe, that he had even coughed up blood — yet now, apart from a vivid patch of blood on his shirt, Wei Zhao's face was ruddy and healthy. He did not look injured at all.

Were it not for that stain on his clothes, Gu Pengzhan would have thought Wei Zhao had never been hurt in the first place; only the blood remained as proof that something had happened.

"I'm fine. I'm a doctor myself." Wei Zhao shrugged. "Thank you for your concern, Uncle Chu. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Waiting is no matter, so long as you're all right!" Gu Pengzhan said earnestly. "I was worried sick earlier. Elder Lin may have sent you to help our family, but if anything had truly happened to you, how would I ever answer to him?"

"This time I was rash, and I've put you to trouble, Uncle Chu," Wei Zhao said, embarrassed. Yet for all his apology, he made no promise that it would not happen again — because if he could go back to the moment before he went looking for Zhao Qibing, he would do the very same thing.

"Think nothing of it. The meal is ready, only it has gone a little cold. Let the two of us have a drink to settle your nerves, and to thank you for saving Yao-yao and Xiao Shu," Gu Pengzhan said.

The group went into the villa. Wei Zhao showered and changed into casual clothes, while Uncle Qing had already reheated the food. Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu were seated in the dining room, and when Gu Pengzhan saw Wei Zhao come out, he drew him over to sit with them.

Gu Mengyao sat quietly by the table, staring into space, replaying her own strange behavior that day. Was this really her? She had actually gone and competed with Tang Zhi for a man's favor — and proudly declared to her that she meant to pursue Wei Zhao?

How could that be? Absolutely impossible! She must be dreaming! But when Gu Mengyao pinched herself, she found she was not asleep at all, but wide awake in reality.

Thinking back on scene after scene, Gu Mengyao felt her cheeks grow hot... Her, pursue Wei Zhao? It would be more like Wei Zhao pursuing her! And if he did pursue her, would she agree? Refuse him outright, or give him a chance?

Gu Mengyao felt a faint stirring of anticipation, a touch of shyness, and more than anything else, utter confusion. Today's events had exceeded the eldest daughter's capacity to bear; everything she had done and said had been said in a fit of anger, without a thought in her head.

Now that she thought of it, Gu Mengyao's face flushed again...

"Yao-yao, Xiao Shu, for this first cup, you two should drink to Wei Zhao, to thank him for saving you," Gu Pengzhan said to Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu once he had taken his seat.

"Oh, okay!" Shen Yushu raised the drink before her.

But Gu Mengyao was still staring into space, as though she had not heard Gu Pengzhan at all.

"Yao-yao?" Gu Pengzhan frowned. What was wrong with his daughter? She had been somewhat distracted since a moment ago, and who knew what she was thinking about.

"Huh? Daddy, what is it? Is something the matter?" Gu Mengyao came back to herself and looked at Gu Pengzhan, perplexed.

"You and Xiao Shu should drink to Wei Zhao, to thank him for saving you!" Gu Pengzhan had no choice but to repeat himself. It was very late, after all, and Gu Mengyao had gone a whole night without sleep — a little absent-mindedness now and then was only natural.

"Oh, all right." Gu Mengyao's face reddened slightly. She picked up her glass, yet did not quite dare to look at Wei Zhao. A little vexation rose in her heart: Would you go to such lengths for me too? If one set aside the matter of employer and employee...