The college entrance exam loomed closer each day, the calendar sheets on the classroom wall torn off one by one until the big day finally arrived. Until now, Gu Qianran had spent every day shuttling between the library and home with Bai Ziyuan, leaving "Li Junyao" no chance to act.
But today, Gu Qianran deliberately dismissed the bodyguards she had hired months ago. She preferred to create opportunities and strike first.
Bai Ziyuan had no idea about any of this. After finishing the morning subject, she walked out confidently, grinning.
"Ranran, I think I nailed it! I'm pretty sure I can get a perfect score in history! I even remembered every detail of Hero Li Su's story! Beijing University Law School, here I come!"
Gu Qianran, who still remembered Li Su was a civil official: …?
Right. People's brains cannot be compared equally.
"Ranran, Ranran, since I did so well today…" Bai Ziyuan's eyes sparkled mischievously.
Gu Qianran chuckled. "Alright, you can buy whatever you want today. My treat. Just don't get too carried away, you still have exams tomorrow."
"Yay!" Bai Ziyuan cheered, planting a kiss on Gu Qianran's cheek before bouncing away toward the milk tea shop.
Watching her sweetheart hop along happily, Gu Qianran touched her cheek and allowed a faint smile to soften her expression.
This was the person she vowed to protect for a lifetime.
Her girl deserved to be this bright and cheerful, not dragged into some foolish plotline's abyss. With that thought, she lit up her phone. A message from Li Junze appeared on the screen.
Gu Qianran's eyes narrowed slightly. "System, you couldn't hold back anymore, huh?"
A Li My Wife (Li Junze): Boss, boss, teach me how to win at mahjong, please. I wanna play at noon.gqr: Gambling gets you arrested.A Li My Wife: No way. That mahjong parlor is top-tier, lots of people go. It's safe.A Li My Wife: And I'm not betting money. Just teach me some tricks to win, maybe a few cheats.A Li My Wife: You coming?gqr: No. We're going to X Street, Y Alley for lunch, just the two of us. Private time. No outsiders.
Gu Qianran got the confirmation she needed. She smirked and switched off the screen.
So the System even roped in the Hu family? Mahjong tips? Obviously, "Hu" is to "win" (hu). Did it really think the Hu family could take her down?
How naive.
She slipped the phone back into her pocket, having already scheduled a timed call, and walked over to pay for her milk tea-loving sweetheart's haul.
Meanwhile at the Li household, Li Junze eagerly turned to "Li Junyao."
"Brother Yao, I got her schedule out of her. They're just the two of them today. Lunch at X Street. Perfect time to move."
"Li Junyao" studied him for a moment, lips curling faintly. "You're actually useful for once."
Li Junze grinned even more sycophantically. "So, Brother Yao, at noon I—"
"Get lost, go play your game, don't get in my way."
The curt dismissal froze Li Junze's grin. He left the room quietly, but as soon as he stepped outside, every trace of color drained from his face.
This Li Junyao had definitely been replaced. He could even monitor their chats! Thank goodness Boss Gu had predicted this…
Back in the bustling mall, Bai Ziyuan happily munched her way through snacks while Gu Qianran carried the shopping bags. Her eyes glinted with amusement as she checked the time.
It was almost showtime. She wondered what the Hu family was feeling right now.
Hu Mantian's feelings could be summed up in one phrase: "utterly screwed."
He had marched into a narrow alley with his men and a full kit of crime tools, ready to act… only for a group of grinning police officers to appear out of nowhere.
Caught red-handed, there was no excuse. He was swiftly escorted into a police van. Worse still, he had no idea that the goods Li Junyao had supplied him were all "top-tier" contraband from the System's inventory. Getting caught with that stash meant a lifetime sentence.
Hu Mantian's regrets were endless.
As the arrested man thought bitterly: Who the hell ratted me out?!
He was a well-known big boss, and yet he got played like this—nabbed before committing the crime! And with no wife or kids, who would bail him out?
"Li Junyao" was equally puzzled. Every single person connected to Gu Qianran was supposedly under his surveillance, so who tipped off the police?
Li Junze? No, it couldn't be him. "Li Junyao" shook his head. That profit-driven opportunist would never betray him—it offered him no gain.
Could it have been an internal betrayal within the Hu family?
He massaged his temple, irritation flashing in his lifeless eyes. It seemed… it was time for Plan B.