Chapter 10

Gu An’an hadn’t meant to speak up. But with the four main characters surrounding her, their eyes drilling into her, it felt like her brain was being sucked dry. Was Lu Xingyu out of his mind, reaching out to trip her?
She closed her eyes and silently repeated “Don’t get angry” ten times. Telling herself not to argue with someone whose mind was blinded by the female lead’s aura.
But still, she was so damn angry!
Damn it. The original protagonist might have been hopelessly love-struck for over five years, chasing Lu Xingyu relentlessly. But flipping through the memories, Gu An’an realized... she hadn’t really done anything truly evil. Fetching water when Lu Xingyu played basketball, covering for him when he raced around, bringing him breakfast when he got into trouble with his family... even if Gu An’an provoked his goddess, had she really crossed a line today?
And from the moment she arrived until now, had she even said a single word to assert her presence? Not a single word! Tell me, had she?
So! Why was she being targeted?! If his legs were too long, they could be sawed off and donated, but why use them to trip her?!
The protagonist couldn’t make a fool of herself, but the cannon fodder had to serve as the comic relief!
Wasn’t the fight between Shen Shan and Su Ruan?
So why,
“Legs too long? Chop ‘em off!”
Gu An’an didn’t care about the male lead or the male supporting character. She was already scraping by, and now this?! Fine. She snapped, letting loose her rage on everyone.
She lifted her foot and stomped on Lu Xingyu’s AJ.
Hard. Crushing it so intensely that even the idol’s soul seemed to rise from the logo.
Gu An’an’s sudden outburst shocked everyone.
Lu Xingyu’s smirking expression froze, Shen Shan, who had been holding Gu An’an’s arm, looked at her in disbelief, a mix of “Wow, you actually did it” and “What’s happening? Did she go rabid?” Even Su Ruan raised her head in surprise.
Everyone in school knew how humbly Gu An’an had once served Lu Xingyu.
He hadn’t expected that a simple kick could provoke her so fiercely. He hadn’t even meant it. He just saw Gu An’an acting strangely today, noticed Su Ruan nearby without reacting, and casually extended his leg. Who knew it would nearly make her fall?
Feeling guilty, he looked at the furious Gu An’an. The little girl had stripped away her flashy makeup, her skin white as tofu, cheeks puffed out, eyelashes trembling rapidly. She tried to intimidate him, but clearly it wasn’t working.
He felt awkward, his toes hurt, and he muttered, “Gu An’an, are you sick?!”
“You’re the sick one! You’ve got the real disease!”
Gu An’an’s hair was too long; she jumped, nearly catching someone’s buttons behind her. She tugged at it, letting a few strands fall, red-eyed from the pain, swearing she’d cut it once she got home. She indiscriminately targeted Lu Xingyu with her fury.
“You chased a girl and fried your brain?”
“She's a staff member, so why don't you just let her work? She's getting paid for nothing to look at handsome guys! And she wants to learn surfing? A temporary worker making 500 yuan a day isn't contributing to her job, but is going off to learn surfing with a rich young man. Is she crazy!?”
“Exactly!” Shen Shan immediately cheered in support. Too bad her tongue was clumsy and she couldn’t argue, “She’s a green tea bitch!”
“If you want to fight, go to the boxing ring! Or the octagon, sign a death match contract! You two fight to the death!” Gu An’an held her head, “Using me as a shield, no conscience!”
Xie Jinxing, the handsome guy whose button was just tugged, lowered his lashes and used his fingers to untangle the hair.
Su Ruan, being pointed at, stood up, her face suddenly pale. She looked at Xie Jinxing and whispered a couple of ‘It’s not... it’s not...’ but her voice was so soft it might not have been heard. Her fingertips were pale from gripping so hard.
Gu An’an continued yelling, “Someone like her, taking money without working, if I were a capitalist, she wouldn’t get a cent! If you insist on defending her, go confront the one at fault! Tripping me, what kind of skill is that?!”
Shen Shan: ???
Gu An’an: “...”
Exactly. That’s you.
The shouting Shen Shan finally fell silent.
Xie Jinxing rubbed his throbbing temple. Kids nowadays really had no respect. Ignoring Gu An’an’s hands reaching for him, he said to Lu Xingyu, “Apologize to her.”
His voice was low and magnetic; it made Gu An’an’s spine tingle instantly.
A crisp breeze brushed over her, carrying the vibration of his voice.
Gu An’an turned her head and her eyes nearly popped out. Sht, sht, sh*t... She jumped aside like the floor was on fire, shutting her mouth immediately.
Careless!
She had accidentally spoken near the tyrant boss, sweating cold from fear.
Lu Xingyu’s face flushed dark red, frozen under her rapid-fire verbal attack. He hadn’t thought so much when extending his leg. Who knew the usually mild-mannered Gu An’an would break like this?
As for Su Ruan, she had been dragged along because they were in the way. She hadn’t refused, so it wasn’t her fault. But facing the unyielding Xie Jinxing, Lu Xingyu dared not speak. After all, by resort recruitment standards, a temp like Su Ruan shouldn’t even be allowed in. He had quietly arranged it with the manager.
“Uncle...”
With all eyes on him, Lu Xingyu, the eldest son, had no choice but to explain, “Don’t blame Su Ruan. She’s always conscientious. I asked her to join because we’re classmates. Don’t dismiss her; her mother needs money for medical treatment...”
Su Ruan looked both dazed and innocent, and she started crying again.
“I was absent from my post. I did make a mistake. Don't blame me, senior. It's all my fault. I just felt sorry for my mother's serious illness and that I had no time to play because I was working part-time. I was always dragging me along. I couldn't help myself. I don't usually get to play like this, and I'm really envious. It's my own fault. I'll resign from my supervisor soon... Mr. Xie, please don't be angry...”
Xie Jinxing glanced at her.
Strangely, the previously delicate-looking girl now seemed very ordinary.
Without the spotlight, her pure, healthy skin and innocent features seemed plain next to the angry, sharp-faced Shen Shan. Her figure... well, let’s not discuss that.
“Is this how you apologize?”
Xie Jinxing withdrew his gaze, brows slowly furrowing. Those keen eyes, which could intimidate even seasoned business veterans, flicked toward his nephew, now being scrutinized.
He then looked at Gu An’an, calmly saying, “Lu Xingyu, if you continue this nonsense, I’ll consider sending you back to the Lu family.”
“Send me back?”
Everyone froze. Shen Shan’s face went pale.
Growing up in the upper class came with survival rules. No matter how reckless Shen Shan was, she understood them. Xie Jinxing’s words caused cold sweat to break out across her back.
First thought: the Xie family inheritance.
It wasn’t that Shen Shan intended to ignore Xie Jinxing, the rightful heir. Upper-class society is a small circle, everyone knows each other’s family matters. The Xie family, being influential in Jing City, always had half-truth rumors floating around. One such rumor: Xie Jinxing had a strained relationship with his grandfather. As soon as he came of age, he was kicked out, and his maternal grandson was raised personally. Everyone speculated the grandfather intended for the grandson to inherit.
Though the Lu family was wealthy, they weren’t in Xie’s league. Lu Xingyu hadn’t returned to his family home for nine years, staying at Xie’s old residence.
If Lu Xingyu were abandoned over this small matter... Shen Shan’s gaze toward Su Ruan grew even more terrifying.
Su Ruan shivered, looking pitiful. Her small face pale, tears streaming. The precision of her teardrops rivaled even Qiong Yao’s filming standards.
“You’re crying again!” Shen Shan, irritated, shouted, “The most wronged in the world, skipping work to surf, still the most wronged! Everything else, you’re bullied? You’re never at fault!”
No wonder the mindless, venomous female supporting character couldn’t compete with Su Ruan at this level.
Xie Jinxing, uninterested in the girls’ quarrel, half-smiled at Lu Xingyu. What they were talking about wasn’t inheritance. The Lu family had assets, and this wasn’t for public discussion.
What Xie Jinxing implied: his grandfather wanted Gu An’an betrothed to Lu Xingyu. Outsiders assumed it was one-sided, but it wasn’t. The grandfather intended to take care of the orphaned Gu An’an.
Grandpa truly planned to bring her into the family.
In his youth, the old man had wronged his first love, promised to marry her, but was forced into a match with the Liang family’s eldest daughter, Xie Jinxing’s mother. After marriage, frequent quarrels ensued. But human hearts aren’t made of stone; the Gu family matriarch was kind, and Xie’s mother wasn’t bad either. Despite conflicts, Grandpa still loved his wife.
Feeling guilty, he never stopped caring for Gu An’an’s grandmother.
That’s why he took an interest in Lu Xingyu, same age, growing up together. If his nephew continued acting out, his attention would shift. Xie Liang, Xie Mingjia, and a few other boys were no less than Lu Xingyu.
“Are you in elementary school, Lu Xingyu?”
Xie Jinxing coolly added, “If you’re wrong, apologize. Stubbornness only makes you look foolish and childish.”
Lu Xingyu’s face instantly flushed crimson. He wanted to glance at Su Ruan but couldn’t while Gu An’an was nearby. Nervous, he didn’t dare look at her.
Xie Jinxing truly couldn’t tolerate his foolish nephew. He had wasted enough time today. Dealing with these uncomprehending kids would ruin his rare day off. His patience exhausted, he commanded, “Apologize and leave.”
The uncle’s face darkened. Lu Xingyu held back.
Turning away from the wide-eyed girls, he shouted reluctantly, “I’m sorry! Happy now?!”
Then he grabbed his phone and ran.
The atmosphere instantly turned grim. Shen Shan shivered. The social media girl group had slipped away cleanly. Only a few remained; it was ruthless and cold.
Shen Shan gritted her teeth in fury.
She grabbed Gu An’an’s wrist and stormed off. Gu An’an had been looking for her exit line anyway, so she went along without complaint.
“Uncle, we’re leaving.”
They left, leaving Su Ruan clenching her fists at her sides. She watched Xie Jinxing disappear toward the elevator and encouraged herself, running after him.
She ran hurriedly, but Xie Jinxing’s long stride outpaced her by three steps. She tripped, left foot catching her right, crashing to the floor.
He turned and saw her struggling, tears welling up, nose red.
That intense gaze returned.
He walked over, carefully lifting the little girl.
Noticing scrapes on her knees and elbows, he carried her to the medical room personally.
Xie Jinxing didn’t know where his patience came from. Using his experience tending injuries from fights, he skillfully cleaned and bandaged her wounds. She sniffled, apologizing, explaining she hadn’t meant to abandon her post.
“Don’t worry,” he said, doing a good deed. “Continue your work. No one’s asking you to quit.”
Later, returning to his lounge, Liang Chengli lounged on the sofa, legs crossed on the coffee table, engrossed in something.
Seeing Xie Jinxing return, he tilted his tablet, “Hey, you’re back? The second-generation heirs are gone?”
Xie Jinxing tossed the keys on the table, ignoring him.
“Check this out, quite interesting,” Liang Chengli smirked oddly, “That girl Su Ruan... quite capable.”
Xie Jinxing paused unfastening his buttons, glancing at him.
“Xingyu, that little tyrant from the Zhou family, and the darling from the Lu family... they’re both interested in her. These kids, whose families spent fortunes to control them, behave like little lambs around her.”
Earlier, Liang Chengli had watched the spectacle for a bit, not taking it seriously. The resort manager, wary of responsibility, had sent footage of the two young masters’ fight. Liang Chengli watched some of it and found it amusing.
“Looks like she’s underage, yet has a knack for handling people.”
Xie Jinxing licked his lips, an odd expression forming.