Wen Shouyi saw Gu Nianzhi, and instantly knew why He Zhichu had suddenly decided he “did not feel like attending” the meeting.
She suppressed the uneasiness within her, and shook her head to clear it. She gestured to Dou Aiyan. “Wait here, I’ll be back in a minute.”
Dou Aiyan and her two friends stopped in their tracks. Unable to hide their curiosity, they watched Wen Shouyi walk over to Gu Nianzhi.
“Nianzhi? Are you looking for Professor He?” Wen Shouyi stopped before Gu Nianzhi, a friendly smile on her face.
Gu Nianzhi turned to look at Wen Shouyi, entirely unfazed. She returned the smile. “Hello, Miss Wen. Yes, I’m here for Professor He.”
Dou Aiyan and her friends were standing close enough to hear what Gu Nianzhi had just said.
Dou Aiyan suddenly felt as though a swarm of bees had gotten into her head. She could not get the loud buzzing out of her ears. Gu Nianzhi was here for Professor He? That couldn’t be right. All at once, her resentment for Gu Nianzhi and her guardian, Huo Shaoheng, surged to the forefront of her mind.
She recalled how General Huo, Gu Nianzhi’s guardian, had ignored her sister and caused her to get into so much trouble. She recalled how Gu Nianzhi had pointedly ignored her at the school gate. Her anger at the two of them threatened to overwhelm her.
Dou Aiyan pressed her lips together. She casually walked over to Wen Shouyi; by the time she reached her, she had already plastered a fake smile on her face. She cheerfully slid a hand around Wen Shouyi’s arm as she looked Gu Nianzhi over. “I bet you remember who I am now.”
Gu Nianzhi arched an eyebrow. She wondered what connection Dou Aiyan had with Wen Shouyi.
Gu Nianzhi was still keenly aware of the fact that Wen Shouyi had saved her life; she had vowed to try her best to be courteous and polite before Wen Shouyi ever since. Instead of lashing back at Dou Aiyan, Gu Nianzhi merely looked away and said indifferently: “I’m sorry, but I still don’t remember you.”
“You don’t remember me? Really?” Dou Aiyan gave a wry laugh. She snuck a glance at Wen Shouyi out of the corner of her eye.
She had expected to see a frown of disapproval on Professor Wen’s face, but was surprised to see a small smile instead…
Dou Aiyan was an expert at deciphering the body language of the people around her. She grew even bolder now that she knew Professor Wen was on her side. She crossed her arms, and snorted derisively at Gu Nianzhi. “Drop the act. Everyone knows about my sister and General Huo. How can you not know who I am?”
Gu Nianzhi was momentarily caught off-guard. She had not expected Dou Aiyan to bring up her sister’s scandal just to force her to admit she knew who she was.
If it had been Gu Nianzhi’s sister who had been involved in a similar scandal, Gu Nianzhi would never willingly bring it up in front of a stranger. In fact, if anyone had so much as breathed a word of it in conversation, she would immediately change the topic. How desperate was Dou Aiyan, to resort to such shameless tactics?
Besides, Gu Nianzhi had interrogated Wen Shouyi and He Zhichu for the Special Ops during the investigation into Dou Qingyan’s crimes.
It did seem a bit of a stretch for Gu Nianzhi to pretend not to know Dou Aiyan.
Gu Nianzhi hesitated.
If she were entirely honest, Gu Nianzhi had only pretended not to recognize her because she did not like Dou Qingyan’s arrogant way of speaking to her.
Dou Aiyan saw Gu Nianzhi’s hesitation, and assumed that she had grown timid in front of Wen Shouyi. “Stop pretending! Admit it!”
That was enough to stoke Gu Nianzhi’s rebellious spirit. She smiled pleasantly as she said, “Who’s your sister? I don’t keep tabs on the women around Huo Shao, so I don’t know your sister.”
Gu Nianzhi’s meaning was clear: I don’t know your supposedly “famous” sister, so why on earth would I know a nobody like you?
“You don’t know my sister? Okay, now I know you’re definitely lying.” Dou Aiyan sneered as she flipped her hair. “Whatever, you can keep on insisting you don’t recognize me, it’s not like I care, anyway. Professor Wen, how about we go up to your room?”
Wen Shouyi nodded cheerfully. She turned to Gu Nianzhi to ask: “Do you want to come with us?”
Gu Nianzhi was about to shake her head when Dou Aiyan, who was feeling resentful, spoke up: “What business do you have with Professor He? If you’re looking to transfer to this university, you should be talking to the people in the administration building. And you should get General Huo to speak on your behalf, no one’s going to listen to you…”
She was convinced that Gu Nianzhi was looking for Professor He for the exact same reason she was looking for Wen Shouyi: to try to ingratiate herself with the two professors.
But Dou Aiyan had not been able to get close to Professor He, only his assistant, Wen Shouyi. Gu Nianzhi wasn’t even a student at the university, and her father was definitely not the Prime Minister; all she had was General Huo, and he was her guardian in name only. There was no way Gu Nianzhi would be able to get close to He Zhichu.
Dou Aiyan did not believe it, not even for a second.
Gu Nianzhi was tired of listening to Dou Aiyan brag about being a student at B University. Her gaze swept coolly over Dou Aiyan’s face as she said indifferently: “I don’t have to transfer. I’m already a student here at B University.”
“…You’re a student here? Which department?”
“Law.” Gu Nianzhi smiled pleasantly, but deep down she was already sick of the conversation. She did not want to spend another minute in a pointless argument with Dou Aiyan.
“You’re a law student? Oh dear, I think you chose the wrong person to lie to.” Dou Aiyan burst into laughter. Her earlier frustration with Gu Nianzhi melted away, now that she was convinced she had the upper hand. “I’m a law student too, a freshman. I know all of my fellow freshmen, and quite a few of the sophomores, juniors, and seniors, but I’ve never seen you around.”
Gu Nianzhi smiled. “That’s because I’m not a college freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior. There, are you satisfied?”
Dou Aiyan blinked at Gu Nianzhi. She could not wrap her head around it. “You’re not a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior? So which year are you in, then? You’ve just turned 18, right? Or did you just graduate from high school, and have just gotten your acceptance letter?”
“This isn’t the season for college entrance examinations.” Gu Nianzhi could not take it anymore; she rolled her eyes. Prime Minister Dou’s eldest daughter had turned out to be an idiot, and her sister seemed to be just as stupid. How was it possible for two people with so few brain cells between them to be so conceited? “I graduated from college last year, and I’m now a postgrad student at B University Law School. Professor He is my mentor. Is that enough information for you, Miss Busybody?”
Dou Aiyan’s face colored. In the next instant, her reddish blush had turned into a shade of angry purple. She seemed ready to blow up. She glowered at Gu Nianzhi. “Y-Y-You… You’re only 18?! Did you change your age on your records?! How is it possible for you to be a postgrad student at your age? Do you take me for a fool? I don’t believe it!”
Gu Nianzhi suddenly thought of Bai Jinyi, the “prodigy” who had gone so far as to change her “official” age just to retain her title instead of giving it up to Song Jinning. She could not resist laughing as she shook her head. “I’m just an orphan, I don’t have the necessary connections, influence, or money to change my age on my official records. You overestimate me.”
Wen Shouyi watched them attentively, but did not say anything. Her only contribution to the conversation so far was to give Dou Aiyan an encouraging smile whenever she was flustered.
Dou Aiyan recalled the car Gu Nianzhi had arrived in. She said with a sneer, “That isn’t necessarily true. I don’t have a chauffeured car to drive me around town, but Miss Gu here apparently has one, even though she’s an orphan.”
“A chauffeured car?” Wen Shouyi was suddenly curious. “Nianzhi, did General Huo arrange the car for you?”
Gu Nianzhi was immediately on guard. She shook her head. “Of course not. That was just a car I hired through Uber, I had to pay the driver. Why, what’s wrong? Why are you watching me like I’m an ant under a magnifying glass?”
She turned to look at Dou Aiyan, her eyes flashing. “As for you, I don’t even know your name, so why are you being so nosy? Do you want me to give you my birth date and horoscope, too? I’m warning you, this is an invasion of my privacy. I can send you a lawyer’s letter too, you know.”
Pfffffft!
The two girls beside Dou Aiyan burst into laughter. They jabbed a finger at Gu Nianzhi. “You’re going to send her a lawyer’s letter? Oh my god, that is hilarious! I guess you weren’t lying—you truly have no idea who you’re talking to…”
They looked at Dou Aiyan. “Aiyan, you shouldn’t talk to people who are beneath you. They’ll just drag you down to their level and make you look cheap.”
Gu Nianzhi nodded. “I couldn’t agree more—which is why I’ve decided to excuse myself from your company. Please, knock yourselves out.” With that, she stepped aside to let them pass.
Wen Shouyi smiled beatifically. She was about to say something else when she suddenly noticed, out of the corner of her eye, a slender, elegant figure standing before the entrance to the faculty building. She did not know how long he had been standing there, but she could tell from his cool, aloof expression that he was upset. It was He Zhichu.
Wen Shouyi felt a chill run down her spine. She quickly collected herself, and smiled pleasantly at Gu Nianzhi.
She was about to put on a motherly act and say a few gentle words to Gu Nianzhi, but He Zhichu had already strode over to them. He put his hands in his pockets as he shot Gu Nianzhi a look of open displeasure. “Come upstairs with me. How long do you plan on keeping me waiting?”
Gu Nianzhi quickly said, “Hello, Professor He. I called you just now, but your line was busy.”