Mr. Li changed his tone and quickly straightened his clothes.
Ling Yan searched all the rooms in the house but didn't see Gu Zhong. Finally, her gaze settled on a bathroom with running water.
She pulled on the door, but it was locked from the inside.
Who's inside?
Ling Yan then turned to President Li and asked.
"This... one, a minor celebrity..."
Mr. Li looked embarrassed; it wouldn't look good to bring up something that everyone knew the truth in public.
"It seems they're not very willing..."
Ling Yan gave a cold laugh and softly called out towards the bathroom, "Gu Xiaozhong?"
After calling out several times, a muffled, hoarse reply came from inside, "Sister Yan?"
"Yes, it's me..."
The door clicked open, and Ling Yan hurriedly pushed it open and went in. As soon as she stepped into the bathroom, she was met with a hot, soaking wet body. She pressed her face against Gu Zhong's wet forehead, which was burning hot, while the person in her arms was trembling and squirming restlessly.
"Sister Yan, it's so hot... so cold..."
Having been drugged, Ling Yan tenderly embraced Gu Zhong, her piercing gaze sweeping towards President Li outside the door.
Mr. Li, who was standing to the side, had already been pulled aside by the manager for a whispered conversation, and he had also begun to consider Ling Yan's identity.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Ling... I didn't know this person was yours. Please forgive me, please forgive me..."
At this moment, General Manager Li, just like a manager, had a smile plastered on his fat face. He bowed awkwardly to apologize, eager to distance himself from the situation, and repeatedly claimed that he was wronged.
"But I really didn't do it. She was already here when I arrived. I thought it was a gift from someone down below... so..."
Lingyan felt disgusted by these men who didn't take women seriously and only used the number of women they had slept with as a source of pride, but she still managed to suppress her anger.
Gu Zhong was ambushed today, but wasn't President Li also being used? The person who set this up must have a backup plan, so she can't easily touch him.
However, he had already made up his mind to deal with Tianchen after he had completely resolved tonight's matter.
"I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Li. There may be some follow-up matters that require your cooperation. I'll use this room for tonight."
Lingyan wrapped the dazed Gu Zhong tightly in a large bath towel from the bathroom, picked him up horizontally, and carried him to the bedroom.
"Sure, sure..."
Mr. Li smiled apologetically and agreed. He then quickly packed up and left the room with the manager.
Seeing Gu Zhong's condition, there was no time to lose, but they couldn't go to the hospital either, so Ling Yan could only ask her private doctor to come to the hotel as soon as possible.
While waiting for the doctor to arrive, Gu Zhong impatiently hugged her and rubbed against her several times. Ling Yan massaged her hands and feet like she was playing whack-a-mole, a thin layer of sweat appearing on her forehead. She wished she could press her into the quilt and keep her completely covered up.
"Sister Yan..."
Gu Zhong continued to nuzzle her neck, seemingly oblivious to the pressure, as if only in this way could he calm the rising restlessness in his heart.
Lingyan pushed her away again without any mercy, picked up a towel soaked in cold water and pressed it to her forehead, earning Gu Zhong a dissatisfied glare in return.
Feeling somewhat guilty and ashamed, Lingyan turned her head away, thinking that her current state might be even worse than Gu Zhong's.
The pent-up impulse, after being suppressed for so long, was gradually lured up by the sweet bait of today.
If she doesn't forcefully suppress it, given Gu Zhong's behavior, Ling Yan can hardly guarantee that nothing will happen.
Just before her rationality was about to snap, the doctor finally appeared and rescued her from her dire situation.
As the injection to dissipate the effects of the medicine was slowly injected into the bluish veins on the back of his hand, Gu Zhong gradually calmed down, and his eyes began to clear.
"Injection can only suppress the effects. To completely eliminate the drug's effects, you still need to speed up metabolism and drink more water."
Leaving only one instruction, the doctor picked up his medicine box and left quickly. It was truly unlucky to have such an unscrupulous boss who woke people up in the middle of the night. Perhaps he could still go back to sleep before dawn.
Lingyan stood on the spacious terrace, exposed to the cold wind for quite some time, before slowly making her way back to her room.
Gu Zhong had already sat up, curled up at the foot of the bed, buried his head in his knees, and remained silent.
She turned off the bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness.
"Gu Xiaozhong?"
Lingyan took two steps closer with some concern, but then stopped not far from the bed.
"I'm fine... Thank you, Sister Yan."
Gu Zhong still didn't raise her head, but her nasal sobbing betrayed the fact that she was crying.
Why are you crying?
Lingyan eventually walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, sinking into the soft mattress.
"I don't!"
Gu Zhong stubbornly retorted, burying his head even deeper.
"Okay, okay, you didn't."
Lingyan affectionately ruffled the fluffy head, then stopped talking and sat quietly beside her. In the stillness of the night, they freely expressed all their love and tenderness without worrying about being noticed.
Composing himself, Gu Zhong raised his head and wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.
"All done?" Lingyan pulled out a tissue from the bedside table and handed it to her.
"Um."
Gu Zhong's voice became hoarse due to the effects of the medicine and crying, but it had a different kind of alluring charm.
"Ge Tan, what do you want to do?"
Lingyan sighed. She didn't blame Gu Zhong for not listening to her, which led to their current predicament. She simply asked this question, leaving the solution entirely to her.
"He wasn't like this before."
Gu Zhong was silent for a moment, then blurted out this sentence.
She was simple-minded but not stupid, and she naturally had her own guesses as to why this happened tonight.
It was just a momentary shock that her loving boyfriend turned around and sold her off like a commodity to someone else. How could a person change so much in just two months?
"People's hearts are prone to change, let alone the entertainment industry, which is a big melting pot."
Lingyan has a clear understanding of human nature, just like Gu Zhong's unchanging childlike heart. How many people can have such a quality? It makes her all the more rare.
"Sister Yan, he destroys whatever he wants."
Gu Zhong was not some saintly bodhisattva; she couldn't repay evil with kindness or hold a grudge. This was her final judgment on Ge Tan's betrayal.
If you want to stand out from the crowd and have a bright future, and you're willing to sacrifice your dignity, love, and moral principles for it, then you won't get any of that, and you'll end up with nothing.
That was truly the cruelest form of revenge.
"good."
Ling Yan readily agreed; it was just a matter of blacklisting a small star whose career was just starting out, and she could afford to waste that little bit of resources.
"Sister Yan, I will definitely listen to what you say from now on."
After much painful reflection, Gu Zhong realized that his agent was the most reliable person, and he solemnly assured Ling Yan.
"Little darling, you've finally figured it out?"
Ling Yan raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but reach out and flick Gu Zhong's forehead again, who had a cute expression on his face. She was both amused and exasperated. Gu Zhong had hit a wall, felt the pain, and knew to turn back.
"..." Gu Zhong grabbed her hand with dissatisfaction, pulled it to his mouth, opened his white teeth, and bit down hard.
"Hiss... Gu Xiaozhong, are you a dog?"
Ling Yan gasped in pain, her mind completely devoid of any romantic thoughts.
"Yes! I was born in the Year of the Dog!"
Gu Zhongyang raised his face smugly, his expression clearly saying, "Come and bite me if you dare."
"You'll have to pay me back if you bite it!"
Ling Yan was furious. This person was so sure that she wouldn't hurt her badly; such arrogance and indulgence were the worst kind of behavior.
"Hmm, Sister Yan, your hands are very beautiful."
Gu Zhong still held her left hand, slipping his equally long and strong fingers between Ling Yan's fingers, and raised their joined hands between them, saying, "Mine isn't bad either~ I can afford to pay for it!"
After saying that, he nodded seriously.
Lingyan's face flushed red all the way to the roots of her neck. The warmth of their palms touching felt like a playful cat tickling her heart.
Fortunately, the clouds outside the window obscured the full moon, and the silvery light couldn't reach the shyness on her face, allowing her to hide her little thoughts for a little longer.
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Author's Note:
For tree planting, we've found the perfect little helper to water our nutrient solution! Thank you, little angel of blossoming flowers!
I've been working like crazy overtime these past couple of days, and I'm in terrible shape QAQ
I have absolutely no idea why this level of code would be locked.
Chapter 33 Agent and Movie Queen (Part 5)
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"Gu Xiaozhong, you really have no heart."
Lingyan withdrew her hand seemingly naturally, put it behind her back, and subtly changed the subject.
The absence of any accusations left Gu Zhong utterly bewildered.
"Being betrayed by your boyfriend would probably make most people cry their eyes out. Aren't you upset?"
While asking in a teasing tone, Ling Yan was nervously waiting for an answer.
—Perhaps Gu Zhong didn't really like Ge Tan that much.
Even though Ge Tan is now out of the picture, Ling Yan still feels uneasy about the fact that Gu Zhong had dated him. If she could be even slightly certain of that, it would make things a little easier for Ge Tan in the future.