Yang Qin hadn't anticipated that a girl like Gu Wenxuan, with her prestigious family background and stunning looks, would get dumped so quickly and publicly. A faint smirk appeared on her lips, involuntary but undeniably satisfied.
Xiao Xiao noticed Yang Qin's subtle expression and, with a mischievous grin, reached out and jabbed her in the arm. "Are you seriously laughing at your friend for getting dumped? What kind of 'plastic friendship' do you two have?" she asked, her voice loud enough for Gu Wenxuan to hear every word.
Gu Wenxuan's gaze snapped toward Yang Qin, her eyes icy and filled with murderous intent. She looked as though she was ready to tear Yang Qin apart on the spot.
"Wenxuan, don't listen to her! I wasn't laughing at you!" Yang Qin stammered in defense, panic rising as she realized Gu Wenxuan might actually believe Xiao Xiao's taunting.
But Gu Wenxuan had no time for Yang Qin's excuses; her full attention was focused on the boy in front of her. The same boy who had agreed to be her boyfriend one second and dumped her the very next.
Without warning, Gu Wenxuan grabbed Gu Yining by the collar, her eyes flashing with rage. "You dare dump me? Do you honestly think you can get away with this? I can make you disappear from Lingcheng with just one call."
Feigning fear, Gu Yining widened her eyes and put on a childish, pitiful expression. "Wow, you're so scary, big sis! Come on, it's just a breakup. Don't be so ruthless. You're scaring me," she whimpered, voice dripping with mock terror.
Gu Wenxuan scoffed, narrowing her eyes. "Now you're scared? What about a moment ago? Let me tell you something—nobody crosses me and gets away with it. You'll regret this, Gu Chen. Just wait and see," she spat through gritted teeth, her lips curling into a sneer.
With deliberate care, Gu Yining gently pried her fingers off and took a step back, creating a safe distance. "Oh, by the way, have you heard of Fu Hanyan? He's my uncle," she said nonchalantly. "He told me that if anyone ever messes with me, I should let him know. I doubt he'd allow me to 'disappear' from Lingcheng."
"Fu Hanyan? Your uncle? What kind of nonsense is this?" Gu Wenxuan was already furious, and now she thought Gu Yining was just spouting lies to save face. "I've never heard that Fu Hanyan has any relatives like you! Stop trying to fool me."
Gu Yining, sensing that Gu Wenxuan wasn't buying it, casually pulled out her phone. "Well, if you don't believe me, I'll just call him. How about that?" she said, her voice light, but her eyes daring Gu Wenxuan to challenge her.
With that, she scrolled through her contacts and dialed Fu Hanyan's number, which she had previously blocked. She hesitated for a second, noting that she had saved his name in her phone as "Fu the Dog." Not wanting to draw attention to the nickname, she covered the screen with her hand as she hit "call."
Meanwhile, at Fu Corporation's headquarters...
Inside a sleek boardroom, Fu Hanyan sat in a high-stakes meeting with his top executives. The phone on the table vibrated softly, displaying a number that immediately caught his attention. His lips twitched into a nearly imperceptible smile.
So, she finally couldn't resist calling me, huh?
He let the phone ring a few more times, enjoying the moment before standing up. "We'll take a break," he announced to the stunned room.
The room was filled with shocked expressions. This was the company's most important meeting of the year, rescheduled to the weekend because of its urgency, and here was their CEO—known for his strict work ethic—interrupting it to take a personal call?
Everyone exchanged incredulous glances, wondering who on earth could be important enough to make Fu Hanyan stop such a critical meeting.
Fu Hanyan, oblivious to the speculations, left the room with his phone in hand. Once in the privacy of his office, he answered the call.
"What is it?" he asked, his deep, baritone voice carrying a slight edge.
On the other end, Gu Yining could barely contain her excitement. She quickly put the call on speaker, letting everyone hear. "Hey, Uncle," she chirped, using a deliberately playful tone. "I just wanted to confirm something. We're related, right?"
Uncle? Related? Fu Hanyan's eyebrows shot up in confusion. What on earth was she playing at this time? His face darkened as he tried to make sense of her antics.
Back at the tea shop, the crowd froze. Gu Wenxuan, in particular, felt the color drain from her face as the unmistakable voice of Fu Hanyan echoed through the speaker. There was no mistaking it—this was the man everyone in Lingcheng feared and respected.
Half of Gu Wenxuan's previous arrogance melted away instantly. If Gu Yining really had connections to Fu Hanyan, she wasn't someone Gu Wenxuan could mess with lightly.
Clearing her throat, Gu Yining continued, "Just making sure we're still family. You know, it's nice to have someone watching my back," she said, the implied threat clear.
Fu Hanyan, still confused but not about to let on, remained silent for a moment before finally responding, "...Yes. We're family. Now, what exactly are you up to?"
Hearing his confirmation, Gu Wenxuan's last shred of bravado disappeared. Messing with Fu Hanyan's people was a risk she simply couldn't take.
Unbelievable, Fu Hanyan thought to himself. What kind of scheme is this woman cooking up this time?