Chapter 63: So You Want Me to Be a Spy?
Nothing Yu Peishang did would surprise him, but his actions just now were truly something he hadn’t anticipated.
This was perhaps the starkest difference between the uncle and nephew. Yu Xiuqing never left any room for negotiation, always forcefully imposing his own thoughts onto others.
He was a complete and utter megalomaniac!
Thinking of the man who had sold him out, Gu Lanxiao was seized with anger and kicked the sofa heavily.
He didn’t know if Old Master Yu had ultimately kept his promise to give one hundred million and the subsidiary company to Shen Yuan.
However, the little fool probably had no interest in those things anyway. Besides, he had only helped Shen Yuan because he simply couldn’t stand the sight of those people’s faces, and he despised Su Huaiyao’s brazen self-centeredness.
“Sigh…”
Gu Lanxiao let out a heavy sigh. Tilting his head back, he scanned the resplendent, luxurious decor surrounding him. In his eyes, these things had long become as disgusting as dirt.
At that moment, a maid suddenly walked in and said respectfully, “Madam, President Yu has asked me to show you to your room.”
“Is your President Yu in such a rush to lock me up? This is his territory, where could I possibly run to?”
Gu Lanxiao shot her a cold glance. Even though his voice was mild, the disgust, contempt, and resentment on his face were continuously intensifying.
If that man hadn’t forcibly imprisoned his younger brother, Gu Di wouldn’t have lost his memories and forgotten him!
The maid was a new hire and hadn’t witnessed Gu Lanxiao’s temper before. She only offered an awkward smile and said,
“We merely follow orders. As for President Yu’s intentions… as servants, we dare not speculate.”
Gu Lanxiao let out a huff of laughter. Stepping forward with his long legs, he turned and headed straight toward the staircase he was all too familiar with.
Behind the living room wall, Gu Di shrank back, his fists clenched tight, his teeth grinding audibly.
The image lingering stubbornly in his mind was that of Yu Peishang pressing down on Gu Lanxiao just moments ago, kissing him so deeply!
He had never seen his Yu-gege kiss anyone. Even he was only permitted kisses on the cheek.
Let alone that Yu Peishang was the one initiating it this time!
Who exactly was that person?!
Why would Yu Peishang allow him to move into the villa?! He himself hadn’t even earned all of Yu-gege’s affections, yet this youth walked right in and immediately received the man’s love!
He wasn’t resigned to this…
He definitely had to drive Gu Lanxiao out!
This villa was only meant for him and Yu-gege.
The maid pushed open the door and made an inviting gesture inside. “Madam, this is the room you will be residing in from now on. President Yu ordered all the furnishings to be replaced with brand-new ones. You truly are so fortunate!”
Gu Lanxiao stood in the doorway with his arms crossed. He looked at the spotless furniture inside, then turned to ask the maid:
“If this ‘fortune’ was given to you, would you want it?”
The maid was stunned by the abrupt question. Lowering her head shyly, she murmured, “I am just a servant, how could I be worthy of a tall, rich, and handsome man like President Yu…”
It seemed this young girl had also been thoroughly bewitched by that man. She was blushing furiously just saying it.
Gu Lanxiao’s lips twitched, but he said nothing more. Stepping into the room, he said, “You can go. I’m tired and want to sleep for a bit. No need to monitor me, I can’t escape.”
“Alright then…”
The maid looked somewhat awkward. It seemed her role as a spy had already been seen through.
She could only scratch her cheek in embarrassment, resting her hands on her maid apron as she called out into the room, “My name is Lin Jiu! Madam can call for me whenever you need anything!”
With a bang, the heavy door was shut tight.
Gu Lanxiao leaned his back against the door panel, remaining perfectly still. Tilting his head back, he stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time.
Then, his eyes drifted downward, taking in the expensive yet understated decorations.
His heart, originally like a pool of stagnant water, inexplicably rippled for a fleeting moment before returning to calm.
The bedroom’s layout was exactly the same as when he had left three years ago. Even the bedsheets and quilt covers hadn’t been changed.
So Yu Peishang had kept this room exactly as it was all this time?
The man was absolutely certain that he would return!
As Gu Lanxiao realized this, his brows knitted tightly together. The fury radiating from his eyes could practically ignite the surrounding air.
Just then, the phone in his pocket began to ring.
The sudden ringtone sent a jolt through his heart.
Gu Lanxiao hurriedly fished it out. Seeing the unfamiliar number flashing on the lock screen, he hesitated over whether to decline the call.
Out of professional habit, he pressed the answer button and brought the phone to his ear. “Hello?”
“It’s me.”
Yu Xiuqing’s deep voice filtered through the speaker.
Gu Lanxiao’s expression changed drastically, his grip on the phone tightening. “You still have the nerve to call me?”
The person on the other end acted as if he hadn’t heard his anger, instead sounding surprised: “He didn’t confiscate your phone?”
“He stripped away my freedom, but he respects my privacy,” Gu Lanxiao said coldly. His long-suppressed emotions suddenly became unusually agitated in this moment:
“But you—you only ever force your own thoughts onto others! You’ve utterly destroyed me!”
However, the man on the other end was clearly impatient with his complaints. Clearing his throat, he said in a deep voice, “Listen to me. I know you hate me to the core right now, but there’s a reason I sent you back to Yu Peishang’s side.”
“Heh, what are you trying to use me for this time?”
Gu Lanxiao laughed coldly. He had truly never met anyone in his life more hypocritical and sickening than Yu Xiuqing!
Yet the man on the phone continued speaking:
“I suspect my father’s death fourteen years ago is connected to Yu Peishang. I need you to find evidence of the filthy crimes he’s been hiding all these years. I want to bring him down and investigate the truth behind what happened back then.”
Hearing these words, Gu Lanxiao couldn’t help but freeze. The emotion in his eyes became complex and difficult to read.
Was the other man saying that Yu Peishang had committed many heinous crimes in secret over the years?
“So you want me to be a spy?”
Gu Lanxiao asked in disbelief.
Tampering with things right under Yu Peishang’s nose was unquestionably a suicidal act. Was this guy sending him to his death?!
“Exactly.”
Yu Xiuqing’s response was calm, yet decisive.
“As long as we gather even a single piece of evidence regarding his crimes, it will be enough to completely crush Yu Peishang.”
Even a single piece?
Gu Lanxiao frowned, his lips trembling slightly.
It seemed everything Yu Peishang had done were offenses worthy of direct imprisonment or even a firing squad. No wonder the man had been able to build his empire from scratch so quickly, becoming someone no one in the Northern business circles dared to cross.
Hearing his silence, the man on the phone softened his tone in a rare display and asked, “How about it? Do you agree? When the time comes, I will personally rescue you and your brother.”
Gu Lanxiao’s lips curved into a contemptuous smile. He didn’t answer immediately; instead, he cast a wary glance at the tightly shut bedroom door. Only after stepping out onto the balcony did he voice his question:
“Yu Shao, are you really that confident in me? Confident that I can get Yu Peishang’s criminal evidence? Aren’t you afraid I might defect? I could completely turn around and throw my lot in with your uncle.”
“You and I executed espionage missions in the military for so many years. Add to that Yu Peishang’s feelings for you, and you definitely have the ability to get it. Besides, I also believe you wouldn’t do that. You long for freedom and familial bonds more than anyone else.”
Yu Xiuqing methodically answered each of his sharp questions before asking cryptically:
“I suppose you’ve already seen your brother by now, haven’t you? Weren’t his changes enough to break your heart?”
Hearing this, Gu Lanxiao finally snapped. Tears spilled over instantly as he roared in anger:
“You… you knew Gu Di had amnesia from the very beginning? Why didn’t you tell me? Why wait until now, turning my own brother and I into bitter enemies? !”
“Even if I had told you, what could you have done?”
The other’s tone carried a mocking undertone. Gu Lanxiao was instantly choked into silence.
It was true, what could he have done…
He had no power or influence. Aside from blindly following Yu Xiuqing’s orders to barely scrape by for three years of peace, he was absolutely nothing.
Then, Yu Xiuqing’s unhurried voice came through: “If you want to take your brother away from the North, do exactly as I say. I will guarantee your safety.”
Gu Lanxiao crouched down in agony, directly collapsing onto the floor. The expression on his face was one of absolute despair and pain.
He shed silent tears, staring blankly at the blue sky beyond the balcony—the freedom that was separated by a mere window.
After a long while, amidst his numb thoughts, he slowly lifted his phone and choked out a single sentence:
“Alright… I understand…”
“Mm. Be careful.”
Having said that, the person on the other end immediately hung up the call.
Even the phone number was instantly deregistered.
Gu Lanxiao sat blankly on the floor, his eyes swollen like walnuts. Unmoving and unspeaking, he just stared at the sky outside, as if something had drawn away his entire soul.
That “be careful” was truly ironic.
He simply had no power to choose.
He could have very well refused just now. Yu Xiuqing would merely have to spend a few more years gathering evidence, while he…
…would be imprisoned in this gilded cage forever.
…
The Yu Family Manor.
Yu Xiuqing placed the darkened phone to the side. Pinching the tired space between his brows with his fingers, he exhaled a long breath.
The study door was knocked softly. He slowly opened his eyes, sat up straight, and said a single, “Come in.”
Qi Yunzhao walked over to the desk holding a stack of documents. Sliding them over to the man, he reported:
“Sanye, the Chairman’s subsidiary company is now under your name. This is the equity transfer contract.”
“Mm.”
Yu Xiuqing flipped through the documents briefly. Interlocking his fingers on the desktop, he looked at him with a stern expression:
“That batch of goods we intercepted from Yu Peishang’s hands—just put it in the subsidiary company’s warehouse. Since this was independently spun off by my grandfather, no one will notice.”
“Understood.”
Yu Xiuqing looked at his bodyguard calmly, though his tone of voice still unabashedly radiated an oppressive authority:
“Have someone guard this batch of goods properly. It is extremely important; it’s one of the pieces of evidence that will bring down Yu Peishang in the future. If these items are lost or stolen, the consequences will be extremely severe.”
Gazing into the man’s pitch-black, gloomy eyes, Qi Yunzhao paused, then replied in a very serious voice:
“Rest assured, Sanye. I’ve already dispatched men to guard the warehouse. There will absolutely not be any slip-ups.”
Outside the door, Su Huaiyao stood pressed tightly against the wall, holding a tray with milk and a midnight snack. It was not hard to see from his expression that he was extremely nervous.
He had heard the conversation inside the room loud and clear.
The batch of goods in the warehouse? Extremely important?
Su Huaiyao continuously muttered these two key phrases in his heart. His eyes darted around, and the corners of his delicate lips curved upward as a trace of dark malice quietly surfaced on his brow.
He glanced at the items in his hands, no longer planning to bring them in, and tip-toed away.
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