flstandardbreds Chapter 396 - 381: Crisis
Chapter 396 - 381: Crisis
Gu Yalan’s delicate, pale fingertips slowly caressed the strong, powerful arm wrapped around her waist.
She tilted her head to look at the handsome young man beside her—so considerate and gentle, yet exceptionally powerful. A look of sated contentment appeared on her slightly drowsy face.
Many in her social circles said it was a real pity. After years of being incredibly selective, she, the pampered Eldest Miss of the Gu Family, had ended up marrying a brash military man of common birth.
But Gu Yalan was quite satisfied with her current life.
’After all, during my years as the Eldest Miss of the Gu Family, others only saw my glamorous exterior. How could they know the truth... What kind of "Eldest Miss" was I, really?’
The real Eldest Miss of the Gu Family had been missing for many years.
And she... she was just a substitute, a pawn chosen from many candidates to be used by the Gu Family.
’No one would believe it if I told them, but I, the Eldest Miss of the Gu Family, don’t even know where the Gu Family’s true stronghold is!’
’Growing up, I never even met the Gu Family Head—my nominal grandfather.’
’What kind of Eldest Miss is that?’
For years, this so-called Eldest Miss of the Gu Family was nothing more than a mascot, left at the Central Base by the Gu Family’s Mr. Gu to represent their presence.
She had played the part of this "Eldest Miss" for over twenty years, always walking on eggshells, never daring to take a single misstep.
Fortunately, her luck was good.
—The zombie era was over, and an age of peace was on the horizon. The Gu Family, wanting to continue pulling strings from behind the scenes, urgently needed support from the military.
Thus, Liu Minghui, a rising star in the military, became her fiancé.
Liu Minghui himself was handsome and a capable, high-level ability user. With the Gu Family’s covert assistance, he rapidly accumulated illustrious military achievements, quickly establishing a firm foothold in City A. In just a few short years, he became a powerhouse holding significant authority.
Later, with great pomp and circumstance, she married Liu Minghui. For a long time, their grand wedding was the talk of the town.
Before and after the wedding, Liu Minghui was truly good to her, pampering her endlessly and catering to her every whim. She seemed to have become a "winner at life," envied by all.
’But I know very well that Liu Minghui didn’t marry me; he married the status of "Eldest Miss of the Gu Family."’
’All his kindness toward me is only because I am the Eldest Miss of the Gu Family!’
’If I ever lose that status, I will be nothing!’
So tonight, after Dr. Qi and Tang You had gotten drunk and spouted that nonsense, Gu Yalan felt more fear than anger.
She knew that for years, people had been questioning her identity, whispering behind her back that she was a fake Gu Family heiress who had stolen the real one’s place.
But because the Gu Family had always been evasive and never made a clear statement on the matter, those people only dared to gossip behind her back, never confronting her directly.
But tonight, Dr. Qi and Mr. Tang must have truly been drunk. Their words... undoubtedly stirred Gu Yalan’s deepest, most hidden fears.
In that moment, she clearly felt the way everyone was looking at her change.
Even the look in her husband’s eyes, a man who had always catered to her every whim, had become subtly different.
Gu Yalan’s heart pounded with anxiety and fear. She immediately feigned anger and stormed out.
After leaving the banquet hall and returning to her room, Gu Yalan looked at her panicked, disheveled reflection in the mirror and had a sudden realization... After so many years as the pampered Mrs. Liu, she seemed to have forgotten what her life had been like as the Eldest Miss of the Gu Family!
An icicle in Gu Yalan’s hand instantly pierced the mirror. Irritable and restless, she simply summoned Xv Shen.
Xv Shen had been with her for eight years and was her favorite of her eight personal assistants. He was a Strength-type ability user—young and handsome, with a tall, powerful build. He was full of tricks, skilled with his mouth, and knew just what to say to please her.
’A man who is both a fierce wolf and a devoted puppy—what woman could possibly dislike that?’
’As for my husband, Liu Minghui... I have to admit, he treats me very well. He’s completely obedient and caters to my every whim. His only flaw, perhaps, is that he’s a bit of a lecher.’
’Of course, heroes from humble beginnings tend to have that sort of flaw.’
But Gu Yalan wasn’t angry.
To be precise, she didn’t consider it a big deal at all. Carnal desire was only human. If Liu Minghui could have many women, then she could certainly enjoy herself as well.
’A mutual understanding where we don’t interfere with each other—isn’t that perfect?’
So when Liu Minghui kicked her door open and appeared before her with a face full of fury, Gu Yalan was genuinely startled.
But she wasn’t flustered.
’—No matter why Liu Minghui is here, it can’t be to catch me cheating.’
’He isn’t innocent himself. He has even more personal assistants than I do, all of them young, beautiful girls. What right does he have to catch me in the act?’
Gu Yalan raised an arm and gave a lazy yawn, her soft tone holding a hint of displeasure. "Liu, what is the meaning of this...?"
She thought they had a tacit understanding about these things. For him to come over at this hour was rather inappropriate.
Liu Minghui’s face was dark, and he said nothing.
’That bitch,’ he thought. ’At a time like this, she still has the nerve to be in here fooling around with her boy toy?’
But for reasons they both implicitly understood, Liu Minghui didn’t explode on the spot. He gave his wife a long, hard look, and his gaze then fell on the pretty boy beside her.
"You, get out."
Xv Shen didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he looked up at Gu Yalan. Only after she gave a slight nod did he gather his clothes and leave.
"Alright, what is it?" Gu Yalan asked unabashedly, throwing off the covers and grabbing a nearby bathrobe to wrap around herself.
Dressed in the loosely tied bathrobe, Gu Yalan sat down on a nearby lounge chair, her gaze brazenly falling to the area below her husband’s waist.
Liu Minghui’s expression instantly turned even uglier.
"Yalan, there’s been an incident on the back mountain," he said, his face grim. "All the test subjects... are dead!"
"What did you say?" Gu Yalan was stunned for a moment before the words registered. She shot to her feet. "All dead?"
"Impossible," she said instinctively. "There are so many guards on the back mountain..." If there had been any sign of trouble, it was impossible for them not to have known.
"It’s true." Liu Minghui’s face was ashen. The test subjects being kept in the valley on the back mountain all belonged to the Gu Family; he was merely responsible for guarding them.
Now that all the test subjects were gone, he had no idea what the Gu Family would...
Liu Minghui knew very well that without the Gu Family’s support, he was nothing.
It was precisely because he was worried about the Gu Family’s reaction that he had rushed over to find Gu Yalan after the incident.
...No matter what outsiders suspected or gossiped about, right now, Gu Yalan was still the Eldest Miss of the Gu Family!