Chapter 971: Zhang Mei Fell Sick

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

As Gu Zi spoke, she handed a cup of tea to Gong Xin.

Gong Xin accepted it, her face turning noticeably red, though she maintained her usual haughty tone. “Marriage? Please. Who wants to get married? I want to stay a little girl forever.”

Gu Zi took a small sip of her tea, her eyes lifting to meet Gong Xin’s defiant gaze. With a playful lilt, she teased, “Oh? Someone might be heartbroken to hear that. Anyway, what brings you here today? Out of snacks already and looking to restock?”

Gong Xin set her teacup down, her expression indignant. “Do you think I’m that kind of person? Coming to you just to beg for food? Actually, I heard from Jin Long that the swine fever has been causing a lot of trouble, making it hard for pig farms to operate. I was worried about you, so I came by. Oh, and I brought back your snack box—I’m not the type to keep something that isn’t mine.”

Gu Zi found her little haughty tone amusing, her lips curving into a soft smile as she picked up the returned snack box. “Ah, yes, this is indeed mine. But wait, you ran into Jin Long again? What a coincidence.”

“It wasn’t a planned meeting,” Gong Xin replied, her voice tinged with nonchalance. “The other day, my colleagues and I were entertaining a client at the Golden Sun Hotel, and guess who we bumped into—Jin Long! You won’t believe it, but he’s the young master of the family that runs the Golden Sun business empire. I was shocked! I always thought he was just some countryside guy who rose to manage a pig farm under Su Shen. Turns out his family’s been in business all along.”

Gu Zi nodded knowingly. Of course, she was aware of Jin Long’s true identity. Still, she couldn’t resist probing further, sensing a budding connection between Jin Long and Gong Xin. “That’s something Su Shen mentioned to me, too. He also said Jin Long returned to take over the family business. Rumor has it his family’s already arranging a marriage for him. They’re even scouting potential matches.”

Her tone was casual, but her eyes watched Gong Xin closely. Sure enough, at the mention of a marriage alliance, Gong Xin’s pupils dimmed ever so slightly. For once, her usual quick wit failed her, and she fell silent.

Gu Zi understood perfectly. She’d long suspected that Gong Xin harbored feelings for Jin Long, even if the two were still in the ambiguous stage of mutual attraction. Under normal circumstances, their relationship might naturally evolve. But with Jin Long back in his family fold, facing inevitable interference from his elders, their progress seemed doomed to stagnation.

Jin Long, now burdened with managing the Golden Sun’s affairs, was likely drowning in responsibilities. He probably didn’t even have the time to contemplate personal matters, let alone nurture his budding connection with Gong Xin.

Gu Zi decided she might need to subtly nudge Jin Long. After all, she wouldn’t mind playing matchmaker for this pair—though, of course, the final decision lay with them.

Lost in thought, Gong Xin suddenly snapped out of her daze, scrambling to divert the topic. “Well, he does need to settle down eventually. But that’s not why I came today. Did you know your foster mother, Zhang Mei, has been in the hospital for a while now? Lin Miao’s been by her side, studying while taking care of her.

“Everyone in the old neighborhood is singing Lin Miao’s praises—about how filial she is, how devoted she’s been to her biological mother. But honestly, I don’t see what’s so impressive. Those same people are bad-mouthing you, saying you’re heartless for not visiting Zhang Mei even once, even though you live in the city. It’s obvious to me Lin Miao’s been stirring the pot, trying to make you look bad. She’s such a schemer.”

Gu Zi wasn’t surprised. Lin Miao had always been this way—endlessly antagonizing her in petty, underhanded ways. Now, fresh out of prison, Lin Miao was clearly trying to deflect attention from her tarnished reputation by making Gu Zi the scapegoat.

Unbothered, Gu Zi shrugged. “Let them talk. People can say whatever they want—it doesn’t bother me. I have no desire to reconnect with the Gu family or to deal with Lin Miao. I’m perfectly content with my life as it is.”

Gong Xin studied her, a flicker of sympathy crossing her face. Gu Zi’s life wasn’t easy. Her husband was neck-deep in handling the swine fever crisis, while she juggled exam prep and constant gossip. But Gong Xin couldn’t fault her approach. The Gu family was like a stubborn stain—once involved, it was nearly impossible to extricate oneself.

“You’re right to keep your distance,” Gong Xin agreed. “Look at my family as an example. My brother was all set to divorce Lin Miao, but after several fruitless negotiations, her family used her college entrance exams as an excuse to delay things. They claimed the stress of a divorce would hurt her chances. It’s so infuriating!”

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