Chapter 269: Miscalculation, Interested
’That Zhao Nuanyue is just a country girl with a mind full of vulgar ideas. I can’t let Li Gongming agree with what she said.’
"Zhao Nuanyue, don’t talk nonsense. Don’t you dare project your own petty, rustic way of thinking onto other people," Guo Dongmei said coldly. When she turned to look at Li Gongming, however, her eyes became gentle and full of affection.
But the neck brace she was wearing clashed jarringly with her tender, adoring gaze.
Li Gongming had indeed been displeased by Zhao Nuanyue’s words, and the look in Guo Dongmei’s eyes only made him feel more weary of her. But while the Li family’s prospects seemed bright, they were facing many underlying problems. Moreover, the Guo Family’s position was extremely delicate, so he couldn’t afford to have a falling out and break up with Guo Dongmei just yet.
However, Zhao Nuanyue’s words had served as a reminder.
’What was done with Guo Dongmei was done, but he couldn’t let it turn into a shotgun wedding!’
Li Gongming smiled and said softly, "Alright, don’t be angry. Get some rest. Let them go."
His words were superficial, showing no real concern.
Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue glanced at Li Gongming. ’This man is as amorous as ever.’
’Still, that’s none of my business. As long as I can leave, that’s all that matters.’
The two bodyguards stepped aside, and Zhao Nuanyue turned and left, holding the Little Red Carp in her arms.
"Zhao Nuanyue, you just wait! I won’t let you have an easy time of it," Guo Dongmei shouted at Zhao Nuanyue’s retreating back. ’She might not have been able to reach her in a place like Nianqiao Village, but here in Jincheng City, it would be incredibly easy to stir up some trouble for a down-and-out girl like her.’
Zhao Nuanyue couldn’t be bothered to deal with Guo Dongmei. She had already offended her, so there was no point in a verbal spat. It was better to head back early so the Little Red Carp could cultivate. She didn’t have time to waste on someone like Guo Dongmei!
Li Gongming watched Zhao Nuanyue walk away. Her floral padded jacket looked rather rustic, but as she moved, he could glimpse the graceful lines of her slender waist.
’A woman like that would definitely look good in a dress.’
Furious, Guo Dongmei watched Zhao Nuanyue leave. When she finally looked away and turned to Li Gongming, she found his gaze fixed not on her, but on Zhao Nuanyue’s back. A fresh wave of anger flared inside her.
’Damn it, how could I have forgotten? That vixen Zhao Nuanyue is an expert at seducing men!’
’Wasn’t Hua Yusen completely bewitched by her, utterly head over heels?’
As much as Guo Dongmei hated Zhao Nuanyue, she had to admit to herself that the girl was gorgeous. It was a pure, innocent kind of beauty, like a delicate little flower—the type that most aroused a man’s protective instincts, and his lust!
’Li Gongming is a refined, amorous man, always polite and gentle with women, with eyes that seem to see right into their hearts. Now that he’s seen a beauty like Zhao Nuanyue, how could he not be tempted?’
’I wanted to teach Zhao Nuanyue a lesson, but I couldn’t do it myself. I’d thought about using Li Gongming’s bodyguards, but they couldn’t make a move in a busy hospital with so many people around. And now, Li Gongming has seen what Zhao Nuanyue looks like and seems vaguely curious about her.’
’Big mistake!’
’If I’d known this would happen, I would have just let her go. Why did I have to stop her? There will be plenty of opportunities to teach her a lesson later. Why the rush?’
"Gongming, my neck is hurting. Could you take me to see the doctor?" Guo Dongmei said softly. "I feel a little cold, too."
Hearing this, Li Gongming nodded readily and smiled gently. "Of course!"
With that, he took the scarf from his own neck and wrapped it around Guo Dongmei’s before pushing her wheelchair back to the hospital room. After she saw the doctor, Li Gongming made an excuse about having other business and finally left the hospital.
Once he was in the car and had left the hospital, Li Gongming finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sir, where to now?" one of the bodyguards asked. In truth, the Young Master had no other plans for the day besides visiting Guo Dongmei at the hospital.
Li Gongming thought for a moment, then said, "Home. Oh, and find out everything you can about that woman we ran into today."
"Yes, Sir," the bodyguard replied.
’The Young Master really is a romantic; he gets interested the moment he sees a pretty girl.’
’He’s the very picture of a dashing, romantic gentleman.’
Zhao Nuanyue took the Little Red Carp back to their home by Qingya Lake.
The Little Red Carp went to the backyard, near Qingya Lake, sat on a stone table, and began to cultivate.
Meanwhile, Zhao Nuanyue went fishing, setting out baskets to catch fish and shrimp.
The sky was gloomy and gray; it looked like it was about to snow.
By the time Zhao Nuanyue finished cleaning the fish and putting away her tools, the Little Red Carp had also finished cultivating. "Big Sis, I’m done," she said. "Let’s head back. It looks like it’s going to snow any minute."
"Okay," Zhao Nuanyue nodded. "I just finished up, too."
However, just as Zhao Nuanyue left the house, a basket hanging from her bicycle’s handlebars and the Little Red Carp sitting on the back rack, she saw a car parked not far from her gate.
The people who lived here weren’t ordinary, so a car wasn’t a strange sight.
As Zhao Nuanyue rode away, the man inside the car was revealed to be none other than the same man who had been with Li Gongming earlier.
They had acted with incredible speed. One bodyguard had already traced her here, while the other had dug up information on Zhao Nuanyue’s past in Nianqiao Village, even locating her stepfather’s family at the Du Xi Unit.
’The file is mostly complete. I can take this back and report in.’
On the bicycle, the Little Red Carp had, of course, sensed the man’s presence.
"Big Sis, I think that car is here to investigate us. The driver is one of the bodyguards who stopped us today," the Little Red Carp said in a small voice. "That Li Gongming seems polite and refined, but his eyes hold ill intentions. Big Sis, you should stay far away from him."
Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue was slightly startled. "You’re right," she said. "He’s definitely not a good person!"
But as much as she disliked Li Gongming, Zhao Nuanyue was more worried about Guo Dongmei. She was afraid Guo Dongmei would drag her stepfather’s family into the mess, and that would be a disaster.
Back at Immortal Grass Hall, Granny Sun was delighted to see the fish Zhao Nuanyue brought. For lunch, she made delicious sweet and sour fish and braised fish chunks, saving a large fish head to make fish head and tofu soup for dinner.
That evening, after Zhao Nuanyang came home and they had finished dinner, Zhao Nuanyue sought him out to discuss how to handle the potential trouble from her stepfather’s family.
"If Guo Dongmei arranges for Zhao Jinghai, Wang Lianhua, and Zhao Huilan to be transferred to Jincheng City, they might try to move into our house, claiming they have nowhere else to stay," Zhao Nuanyue said. "They might not show up themselves, but if Mother is the one who asks, it would be very awkward for us to refuse."
Zhao Nuanyang thought for a moment. She was right. It would be a huge pain if that family showed up.
He could give Zhao Jinghai and Wang Lianhua the cold shoulder and speak to them bluntly, but he couldn’t bring himself to do the same to his own weak-willed mother. That was why he agreed with his sister; renting out the house was the best solution.