護花近衛 - 第906章 婚姻大事 - 翰墨軒

"Daddy..." Gu Mengyao wanted to cry, but with Xiaoshu present she had to maintain her image as the elder sister. She drew a deep breath, reined in her emotions, and told Gu Pengzhan everything that had happened, from beginning to end.

But Wei Zhao himself had not gone into much detail, so Gu Mengyao was only repeating his words to Gu Pengzhan—and Gu Pengzhan, too, sank into thought.

"Mm... from what Xiaoyi said, I have a rough idea of what he's thinking!" Gu Pengzhan pondered for a moment, then said, "First, Xiaoyi wants to leave because he's lost his strength and fears he can no longer fulfill his duty to protect you. That part is nothing—an attendant doesn't necessarily have to protect anyone; I can hire another bodyguard. The real issue is Wei Zhao's attitude. Whether he's willing to stay—that's something I'll have to discuss with him myself."

"Mm." Hearing her father say this, Gu Mengyao nodded, relieved.

"Yao-yao, I seem to recall that back then you were dead set on driving Xiaoyi away?" Gu Pengzhan could not resist teasing her. "Now Xiaoyi offers to resign of his own accord—why are you the one refusing?"

"Ah—that... that... things were different then and now! He's our lifesaver now, mine and Xiaoshu's. How could we be ungrateful?" Gu Mengyao said, then glanced at Xiaoshu and asked, "Right, Xiaoshu?"

"Yes, yes, Yao-yao-jie is already planning to give herself to him in gratitude!" Shen Yushu nodded.

Gu Mengyao nearly exploded with rage. I ask you to back me up—just say "yes" and be done with it! What did you have to go and add that nonsense at the end for?

"Yao-yao, come with me a moment." Gu Pengzhan suddenly fell silent for a beat, then stood and beckoned to his daughter.

"Huh?" Gu Mengyao was taken aback. What was there to say that could not be said in the living room? The only one there was Xiaoshu—she was hardly an outsider.

But seeing her father already striding toward Wei Zhao's room, Gu Mengyao had no choice but to follow.

Gu Pengzhan entered Wei Zhao's room, and once Gu Mengyao was inside, he reached out and closed the door. "Yao-yao, have a seat first."

"Oh—Daddy, what is it? Something you have to hide from Xiaoshu?" Gu Mengyao looked at her father, puzzled. She also worried Xiaoshu might feel hurt—because in the past, nothing had ever been kept from her.

Shen Yushu was not hurt in the least—only curious. After Gu Pengzhan and Gu Mengyao went into the room, she tiptoed to Wei Zhao's doorway, pressed her ear to it, and listened carefully to the goings-on inside...

"Yao-yao, tell me the truth—have you fallen for Xiaoyi?" Gu Pengzhan looked at his daughter, hesitated, then asked.

"Huh?" Gu Mengyao was stunned, staring blankly at Gu Pengzhan, her face flushing at once. "Dad, what are you saying? Why would I like Wei Zhao?"

"Heh heh..." Gu Pengzhan looked at his daughter's expression, her flustered face, and laughed. "Then—do you want Xiaoyi to stay?"

"I... do!" Gu Mengyao faltered. "But what does that have to do with liking Wei Zhao?"

"If you want Xiaoyi to stay, you need a presentable reason, don't you?" Gu Pengzhan smiled. "Xiaoyi has backbone. He's injured and can no longer carry out his duties, so he offered to resign! Think about it—if we say we'll support him and keep him at the villa, would a man of Xiaoyi's character accept that?"

Gu Mengyao was taken aback, but she slowly shook her head. Wei Zhao might act thick-skinned at times, but his principles seemed firm. Getting him to stay would likely be very difficult. "Probably not... otherwise he would have stayed before..."

"Which is why, if we want Xiaoyi to stay, we must give him a reason to stay!" Gu Pengzhan said. "But Xiaoyi is neither kin nor friend to us—why should he stay?"

"That..." Gu Mengyao was beginning to understand her father's meaning. If Wei Zhao were her boyfriend, then perhaps he would stay. But was he? He was not!