Chapter 39

The summer break of their senior year of high school was mostly taken up by supplementary classes, leaving less than a month of actual vacation.
Qiao An brought Gu Ting back home.
After nearly a month abroad, during which he had received treatment and care from four different specialists, Gu Ting's condition had improved significantly. Though he was still somewhat withdrawn, he was now adapting to the world as quickly as a five- or six-year-old child.
As long as he didn't face any major shocks or setbacks that could worsen his condition, he would naturally continue to recover.
Now, the Gu family treated him like a precious flower, speaking to him gently and always coaxing him.
Under their "love me, love my dog" protection, Qiao An also lived quite comfortably.
When supplementary classes for senior year began, she was placed in the elite class for top universities. On the first day after class, she passed Bi Jiabei in the hallway. The girl who had been sarcastic and mocking during the final exams two months ago now averted her eyes awkwardly when she saw Qiao An.
She couldn't beat Qiao An in a fight, and she could no longer mock her grades. There was nothing left to say, so it was best to just avoid her.
Instead, Qiao An deliberately greeted her, "Hi, Bi Jiabei."
After the class reassignments, the original class roster had changed significantly. Bi Jiabei's former followers had been left out, and she had acquired new ones. One of them asked curiously, "Sis, do you know someone from the elite class?"
Bi Jiabei flushed red and snapped, "We were in the same class before, okay?"
The girl shrank back and forced a dry laugh.
Lei Xiao had also made it into the elite class, just barely scraping by with a rank of 30th. On enrollment day, Lei Xiao hugged Qiao An excitedly and burst into tears. It was said that when she returned home that day, her parents were so thrilled they wanted to invite Qiao An over to their house and cook her a feast.
Later, Qiao An went over and indeed ended up eating and taking some snacks home. Lei Xiao bit her handkerchief and tearfully complained that her parents had given all her snacks to Qiao An.
Qiao An couldn’t stop smiling and treated her to a hotpot meal.
Having a friend in an unfamiliar class was a good thing. Their recent efforts hadn’t been in vain, which was why they could get along so well. To stay in this class long-term, Lei Xiao and Qiao An worked even harder.
After that, their grades never dropped again and instead steadily improved.
Not long after the official start of the school year, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived.
Qiao An was completely absorbed in her studies and taking care of Gu Ting, so busy that she didn’t pay much attention to the Gu family’s affairs. Suddenly realizing the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, she felt a chill in her heart and finally understood what the Gu family’s happy occasion was.
Gu Ting’s second uncle’s eldest daughter, also the eldest daughter of the Gu family, had just graduated from university. After several months of matchmaking during the summer, she was getting engaged during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Gu Ting was the eldest son, but his second uncle had married much earlier, so the Gu family’s eldest daughter, Gu Yue, was actually a few years older than Gu Ting.
According to the original story, it was during this engagement event that almost all the Gu family members attended, leaving Gu Ting alone. That was when Gu Ze secretly locked him in a dark room. Unexpectedly, Gu Ting had the courage to escape and encountered the female lead, who had just been reborn.
But this time, things shouldn’t turn out that way. Not only would Gu Ze not dare to do such things, but the Gu family wouldn’t allow it either. Gu Ting was now a treasure.
Thinking this, Qiao An looked at the lazy young man basking in the sun beside her and felt reassured. Nothing bad would happen.
But why would the Gu family suddenly arrange a marriage alliance?
Yes, a marriage alliance.
The groom-to-be was Liu Cheng, a notorious playboy in their social circle. However, the Liu family was currently thriving, while the Gu family…
Qiao Yi couldn’t share too many details with Qiao An, but she guessed it was likely because Gu Chi’s incident had left the Gu family without their most capable member, who was now in prison. Gu Xun couldn’t handle everything on his own, and the elderly Gu patriarch was willing but unable to manage it all. Even Qiao Yi had taken on many responsibilities.
But his abilities had limits, and his status was different. Perhaps because of this, the Gu family had been declining rapidly recently, or they might have encountered problems in a certain project and needed the Liu family’s support.
A marriage alliance was the best option.
Qiao An sighed but couldn’t say anything.

On the day of the engagement.
Qiao An also attended as Gu Ting’s companion. Early in the morning, a professional team came to help them dress and prepare. Under their skilled hands, Qiao An looked at herself in the mirror and almost didn’t recognize her reflection.
Wearing a light blue gown, she lifted her skirt and stepped out. The young man waiting at the door in a tailcoat took a step back in surprise.
Qiao An glared at him, feeling a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.
Gu Ting stared at her in astonishment, his eyes darting left and right cautiously until he confirmed it was indeed Qiao An. Only then did he relax, his eyes curving into a smile as he praised, “An An, you’re so beautiful!”
The young man’s smile was pure, his eyes clear as he slightly lowered his head to look at her, his words sincere and heartfelt.
Qiao An blushed, her earlier annoyance vanishing instantly. She smiled back, her expression mirroring his. “Thank you, you look very handsome too.”
Gu Ting’s lips curved upward as he remembered what his teacher had taught him. He turned slightly, raised his left arm, and straightened his posture. “An An, take my arm.”
“Okay.” Qiao An nodded with a smile.
The venue for the banquet was a hotel owned by the Liu family. This floor was specifically reserved for guests to freshen up and adjust their attire, while the banquet hall was located downstairs.
Qiao An and the others were not the hosts, so they entered quietly, found a random spot to sit, and observed the engagement ceremony. Afterward, they planned to dance together to complete their task.
Yes, there was a system-assigned task.
Gu Ting had recently learned ballroom dancing, and Grandpa Gu hoped he would showcase his skills. The damned system had promptly issued this task.
Even a small reward was better than nothing, so Qiao An accepted it.
Once the dance was over, the two of them each grabbed a sweet, delicious cupcake, sat in a corner with their drinks, eating and drinking as if they were outsiders.
Meanwhile, everyone else was busy chatting animatedly, networking, and building connections.
Halfway through their snacks, Qiao An suddenly noticed a shadow falling over her. She looked up to see the star of the banquet, Liu Cheng, dressed in a white suit and looking every bit the dashing playboy, unexpectedly sitting down beside her.
Beside Liu Cheng was Gu Yue, wearing a gentle smile on her face. But upon closer inspection, one could tell the smile didn’t reach her eyes, instead, there was a hint of sorrow and distress.
Liu Cheng leaned back against the sofa, a smirk playing on his lips as he tried to exude charm. "Hello, Miss Qiao," he said.
He subtly rested his right arm on the back of the sofa, his gaze carrying a hint of aggression as he eyed the girl beside him. She looked pure and innocent, with a figure that perfectly matched his preferences, almost as if she were tailor-made for him.
Her status wasn’t impressive either, just a servant accompanying the Gu family’s fool.
His eyes darkened slightly.
Qiao An frowned slightly and shifted away, nodding politely. "Hello."
Liu Cheng’s actions weren’t overtly inappropriate, but they made Qiao An uncomfortable. No one else seemed to notice, this young master was known for his unrestrained behavior. Moreover, the most senior members of both families had already left after the initial engagement ceremony.
However, Qiao An’s avoidance irritated the proud Liu Cheng. "Miss Qiao, you seem a bit out of sorts. Or perhaps you don’t want to see us?" he remarked.
Gu Yue forced a dry laugh and interjected, "How could that be? A-Ting isn’t used to such occasions. She needs to take care of my brother."
Qiao An curled her lips into a strained smile and nodded perfunctorily. Turning to Gu Ting, she noticed cake crumbs at the corner of his mouth and wiped them away with a handkerchief, feeling an urge to leave.
But the banquet wasn’t over yet, and they were supposed to return later with Second Uncle Gu.
Liu Cheng glanced at the girl who completely ignored him, his expression darkening. "Is that so?" he said in a tone laced with sarcasm.
Gu Yue lowered her eyes, a flicker of annoyance passing through them. The atmosphere grew momentarily chilly.
Then, in the next moment, Qiao An abruptly stood up.
Liu Cheng raised an eyebrow, his smile turning even more roguish. "Miss Qiao, what’s the matter?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
Qiao An felt a bit disgusted. Her waist had just been touched, but this was someone even the Gu family had to tread carefully around for now. She took a deep breath, shook her head, and said, "It's nothing. It just felt like I was bitten by a bug, a little uncomfortable."
"Let's move somewhere else." Qiao An pulled Gu Ting up to leave.
Gu Ting naturally followed, still somewhat dazed. His gaze briefly swept over Qiao An's waist, then fell on Liu Cheng's hand, which hadn't been withdrawn yet, or perhaps was deliberately left there to disgust them. He lowered his head and let Qiao An lead him away.
The two moved to a corner to sit. Qiao An frowned unhappily, glaring at Gu Ting as she said irritably, "I'm telling you, I'm never coming to a place like this again!"
If it weren't for the mission and her concern for Gu Ting, afraid something might happen to him, she wouldn't have come at all!
She was fuming, her big eyes practically spitting fire.
Gu Ting vaguely sensed something, but his mind wasn't clear enough to process it quickly. Still, he knew Qiao An had been wronged and quickly tried to soothe her softly, "I'm sorry, An An. Here, have this."
He ingratiatingly offered her a dessert.
Qiao An reluctantly hummed in acknowledgment, took a bite, found it a bit too sweet, and drank a few sips of water. She began to feel the need to use the restroom. Scanning the banquet hall, she saw Liu Cheng still with Gu Yue. Gu Yue seemed to be in a bad mood, while Liu Cheng was playing on his phone. Hmm, probably nothing's wrong, she thought.
She took Gu Ting with her to the restroom.
As usual, Gu Ting waited outside the door. After she finished, they headed back together.
The restroom was a short walk from the banquet hall. Qiao An washed her hands and was walking back with Gu Ting when suddenly two men in black suits rushed over. With swift, practiced movements, they covered their mouths and noses. A pungent, irritating smell hit them.
Qiao An was stunned. Instinctively, she tried to dodge and scream, but the assailants were too fast. Before she could make a sound, as quick as a flash, the two were thrown into a room. Overwhelmed by the smell, they barely had time to resist before collapsing weakly onto the carpeted floor.
Qiao An, being physically weaker, was the first to close her eyes, drifting into a dazed, voiceless state.
"An An" a barely audible voice murmured.
Gu Ting was still struggling, but his eyes were nearly shut, like an exhausted baby fighting sleep. His arms strained as he crawled over, trying to hold Qiao An.