EBE Chapter 130 A Slap in the Face! Xie Jiaoyue Meets Gu Huaizhou
Chapter 130 A Slap in the Face! Xie Jiaoyue Meets Gu Huaizhou
In front of the side gate of Gu Family Manor No. 3.
Xie Jiaoyue wrapped her camel-colored coat tightly around herself, carrying a bulging backpack, shivering from the cold.
When she fled her home that morning, she only had time to take her ID, expensive jewelry, and all the cash in the house.
But he wasn't even wearing a warm down jacket.
The Gu Family Manor is nestled halfway up Longyang Mountain, where temperatures plummet on winter nights.
The cold dew was biting, and the chill hit Xie Jiaoyue, making her limbs stiff and cold, and even her teeth chattered.
Xie Jiaoyue has been standing here waiting for two hours.
She knew that today was Gu Huaizhou's succession celebration, and many important figures would be coming and going at the front gate of the manor. As a fugitive suspect, she dared not show her face at the front gate.
So Xie Jiaoyue came through the side door.
Two hours earlier, she had asked the Gu family's guards to contact Gu Han's housekeeper, expressing her desire to meet Gu Huaizhou.
She knew it was risky.
If the Gu family doesn't care about past relationships, they can just arrest her and send her to the police station.
But Xie Jiaoyue was strangely confident, firmly believing that the Gu family would not do something like betraying their benefactors.
She is the great benefactor who saved the heir of the Gu family!
Although Li Xi was the one who truly saved Gu Huaizhou, she had already been hypnotized. How could she prove that she was the one who saved Gu Huaizhou?
Even if Li Xi regains her memory and remembers what happened 12 years ago.
But what does that matter?
Li Xi's words were unsubstantiated; how could Gu Huaizhou and his grandfather easily believe her?
Gu Han promised to report it, but two hours have passed and there's still no reply from Gu Huaizhou.
Xie Jiaoyue was so cold that she couldn't stand it anymore.
Xie Jiaoyue walked to the gate, took off her mask and said to the guard, "Sir, could you please call Gu Han's housekeeper again and ask if Mr. Gu has responded?"
The guard didn't say anything, and in front of Xie Jiaoyue, he called Gu Han again.
After exchanging a few words, the guard hung up the phone and said to Xie Jiaoyue, "Come in with me, I'll take you to see Butler Gu Han."
Xie Jiaoyue was overjoyed, and even the chill emanating from her body seemed to have lessened.
"Thank you!"
Once inside the Gu family's car, the warm air enveloped Xie Jiaoyue, and she felt completely revitalized.
Xie Jiaoyue quickly took out a small mirror to touch up her makeup.
Even though they were prepared not to even see Gu Huaizhou in person, what if...?
Xie Jiaoyue still needs to be well-prepared and strive to present her most perfect self.
The guard took in Xie Jiaoyue's subtle movements through the rearview mirror, and his expression was somewhat inscrutable.
"arrive."
Xie Jiaoyue quickly put away her lipstick and powder compact, slung her bag over her shoulder, and got off the bus. When she looked up, she saw Gu Han standing with his hands at his sides in front of the Lakeside Villa sign.
Xie Jiaoyue tried her best to appear composed and gracefully bowed to Gu Han, saying politely, "Thank you for making this trip, Butler Gu."
Gu Han glanced at Xie Jiaoyue's outfit tonight.
She wore a camel-colored coat, belted at the waist, with only a thin cashmere undershirt underneath. She wore black high-heeled boots with several scratches on the surface.
Despite the arduous escape, Xie Jiaoyue's makeup remained exquisite, and even her hair was neatly combed.
"Thank you for your hard work, Miss Xie." Gu Han's words had a double meaning.
Xie Jiaoyue's smile froze upon hearing this.
Xie Jiaoyue, being a shrewd person in the entertainment industry, was perfectly capable of understanding Gu Han's mockery of her.
To avoid the crowds, she wandered through Xiangyang Mountain like a thief, taking only mountain paths and trails.
That's why there are several scratches on her leather boots.
It's true that a tiger is bullied by a dog when it is in trouble.
"Butler Gu, is Huaizhou available to see me now?"
Being neglected and left out in the cold wind for two hours, Xie Jiaoyue kept comforting herself that Gu Huaizhou must be too busy to find time to see her.
After all, tonight is Gu Huaizhou's succession ceremony and celebration, so it's normal for him to be busy as the protagonist.
Gu Han's lips curled up slightly as he said, "Huai Zhou was busy before, but he has some free time now."
"Miss Xie, please come with me."
Upon hearing this, Xie Jiaoyue finally smiled.
Sure enough, Huai Zhou was too busy to see her.
Xie Jiaoyue quickly slung her bag over her shoulder and followed Gu Han along the oak-lined path toward the lakeside cottage.
After dark, the lakeside pavilion is brightly lit, like a luminous pearl inlaid on the lake.
Upon arriving at the small building, Xie Jiaoyue couldn't help but look up towards the living room, only to see a young man dressed as a bodyguard, but not Gu Huaizhou.
"Huaizhou is in the study. I'll take you to see him."
"...good."
Xie Jiaoyue followed Gu Han into the lakeside pavilion.
Upon entering the familiar living room, Xie Jiaoyue noticed a stack of fashion magazines on the coffee table, along with juice drinks.
No matter how you look at it, these are things that girls like.
Xie Jiaoyue stared at the things on the table, her eyes filled with jealousy.
How could there be traces of a woman in Gu Huaizhou's room!
Gu Han observed Xie Jiaoyue's reaction, then subtly pursed his lips and asked Chu Xu, "Is Huaizhou in the study?"
Chu Xu respectfully replied, "The boss just went in."
Gu Han then led Xie Jiaoyue to the study.
It was still the same open-plan study next to the living room, with the familiar Shu embroidery screen in the middle.
Xie Jiaoyue consciously walked to her usual sofa chair and sat down.
She put her bag down beside her and peered behind the screen, vaguely seeing two figures behind it.
Two people?
Is Gu Huaizhou hosting a banquet for his friends today?
Xie Jiaoyue looked closely and judged from the figure that it should be a woman wearing a down jacket.
Who is that?
Wasn't Gu Huaizhou supposed to be averse to women?
Did Grandpa Gu introduce him to a marriage partner?
Xie Jiaoyue's heart sank.
For a moment, I forgot why I came here.
It wasn't until a middle-aged woman in a nanny uniform came over with a cup of hot tea and gently interrupted her, saying, "Miss Xie, have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up."
"Thank you."
Xie Jiaoyue was indeed cold and thirsty.
She picked up her teacup and drank the entire cup of tea in a small, quick motion.
The nanny was somewhat surprised, as it was the first time she had seen Xie Jiaoyue so out of control.
She refilled Xie Jiaoyue's teacup before bowing her head to remind the person inside, "Sir, the guest has arrived."
Xie Jiaoyue noticed that Gu Huaizhou shifted his posture and turned to look at her.
"Miss Xie, it's been a long time." It was still that same cool and aloof voice.
The sound that once reached Xie Jiaoyue's ears was heavenly music, a lover's whisper. But tonight, it sounded like a piercing knife, chilling her to the bone.
"Mr. Gu."
Xie Jiaoyue quickly got up and stood in front of the screen.
She bit her red lips so hard that they were chapped and bleeding.
The bodyguard named Chu Xu stood beside the screen, watching her very warily, clearly remembering the time she almost smashed the screen and broke in last time.
After Gu Huaizhou explicitly rejected Xie Jiaoyue's confession last time, and realizing that it was all just wishful thinking on her part, Xie Jiaoyue no longer dared to fantasize about marrying Gu Huaizhou and becoming the matriarch of the Gu family.
She came today only to beg for a way to survive.
"I know Mr. Gu is very busy tonight, but Jiao Yue really has no other choice but to shamelessly come to Mr. Gu for help."
After Xie finished speaking, she didn't hear a reply from Gu Huaizhou, so Xie Jiaoyue couldn't help but steal a glance behind the screen.
They then noticed that Gu Huaizhou hadn't even changed his posture; he was still looking down at the screen, seemingly indifferent, or perhaps lost in thought.
The woman sitting opposite him was slumped over the desk, seemingly either asleep or watching the commotion.
Knowing that Gu Huaizhou was deliberately ignoring her, Xie Jiaoyue felt both angry and upset.
Gu Huaizhou, we've known each other for 12 years!
How could you be so heartless!
Xie Jiaoyue clenched her hands into fists, her manicured nails almost digging into her palms.
But she doesn't want to go to jail!
Xie Jiaoyue could only suppress her pride and kneel down abruptly.
Chu Xu glanced down at her, his gaze turning mocking.
"What are you doing, Miss Xie?"
Gu Huaizhou's voice was stern as he said, "I hate it most when people kneel before me."
Did she think that kneeling would win a man's sympathy?
Little did they know, Gu Huaizhou hated it most when someone knelt down.
Twelve years ago, Gu Huaizhou knelt until his knees were swollen and his forehead was bleeding from kowtowing, all to beg that psychopathic killer to spare his loved ones.
But the assassin showed no mercy.
"Mr. Gu!"
Suppressing her grievances and humiliation, Xie Jiaoyue cried out through tears, "Mr. Gu, please help me this once."
"Those crimes I committed online were mistakes I made when I was young and ignorant. I already know I was wrong!"
"Mr. Gu, please help me this time."
"If you're willing to help me out, I'll retire from acting tonight, leave Dongzhou City, go abroad, and never come back!"
After those things were exposed, she became a pariah, and there was nowhere for her to hide in the country.
Going abroad and living under an assumed name is the best outcome.
"Xie Jiaoyue, do I look like a vengeful person?" Gu Huaizhou couldn't help but reflect on what he had done to make Xie Jiaoyue have the illusion that he would clean up her mess.
"Just because you risked your life to save me 12 years ago, does that mean I have to cover for you?"
Xie Jiaoyue was startled for a moment by Gu Huaizhou's stern tone.
Realizing that Gu Huaizhou might not care about her life or death, Xie Jiaoyue quickly said with tears in her eyes, "Mr. Gu, I know you don't love me, but we have known each other for 12 years after all."
"Please, considering that we've known each other for a while and that I saved your life, help me settle this matter today."
"As long as you are willing to help me resolve this crisis, I swear to you that the Xie family will never have any further connection with the Gu family."
"The debt of gratitude for saving my life 12 years ago is now considered settled."
Having said all she wanted to say, Xie Jiaoyue believed that Gu Huaizhou would help her this time out of consideration for the life-saving grace he had shown her years ago.
"..."
After a moment of silence, Gu Huaizhou finally spoke.
"Jiaoyue".
Hearing the intimate "Jiaoyue," Xie Jiaoyue thought that Gu Huaizhou was reminded of the past and was moved by her.
Xie Jiaoyue was overjoyed and deliberately softened her voice, calling out in a pitiful tone, "Mr. Gu, Jiaoyue is here."
Xie Jiaoyue's voice was choked with sobs.
When a beauty sheds tears, I feel pity for her.
Gu Huaizhou seemed to have truly softened his heart. He sighed and said, "Do you still remember what promise I made to you when you brought me out of the cellar back then?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Jiaoyue immediately felt alarmed.
Gu Huaizhou couldn't remember what happened back then, could he?
Why did he suddenly think of these things?
Xie Jiaoyue shifted her gaze slightly.
She lowered her head slightly and answered cautiously, "Mr. Gu, have you forgotten? After I saved you back then, I developed a high fever and can't remember what happened in those seven days."