Chapter 25: Showing One's Weakness

Walking side by side, the two followed the waiter toward their reserved courtyard.

It was the height of summer, and the scenery along the way was exquisite, blooming with vibrant flowers.

As Gu Lanxi admired the view, Lu Nanting admired her.

She knew he was looking at her, but she simply refused to turn around and meet his gaze.

The two of them were practically radiating pink bubbles of romance. Led by a waiter wearing an "auntie smile," they arrived at their destination to find Li Jingxiu and his wife already waiting.

After checking the arrangements and seeing that the appointed time had arrived, Li Jingxiu was just about to lead his wife out to greet them when he saw Gu Lanxi walking through the courtyard gate, arm in arm with Lu Nanting.

"Mr. Lu, a pleasure to meet you!"

"Miss Gu, long time no see!"

The couple hurried forward to greet them with handshakes.

Li Jingxiu's wife was named Su Ying. She had a dignified appearance and a rather frank personality; upon meeting them, she immediately complimented how well they suited each other.

Gu Lanxi nodded reservedly, thanking her for the compliment without saying much more.

Su Ying had put a lot of effort into her appearance today, looking radiant and in excellent spirits.

However, Gu Lanxi possessed strong observational skills and was highly sensitive to emotions. With a single glance at their body language, she could tell that there were indeed issues in the couple's relationship, making it impossible for her to offer a sincere compliment in return.

In contrast to the exhaustion radiating from Su Ying's very core, Li Jingxiu carried an air of triumphant satisfaction.

In the struggle between the two brothers, he had gained a slight upper hand. With Gu Lanxi's support, he would be able to take down his brother and gain absolute control over Su Cha.

It was indeed something worth celebrating.

The four of them washed their hands and took their seats. After a few pleasantries, the dishes were served one after another.

The food was delicious, but no one was here for the meal.

The two couples sat across from each other politely, engaging in superficial small talk while they ate.

Because Gu Lanxi never drank in public, those who invited her to banquets never provided alcohol for fear of making her uncomfortable.

Thus, the only thing on the table was a pot of winter melon and old duck soup, meant to relieve heat and dispel dampness.

The soup contained lotus leaves, giving it a unique, refreshing fragrance.

Southerners living in the North often felt discomfort due to the dry climate.

Gu Lanxi had always enjoyed soup, and since coming north, she liked it even more.

Before she could even reach for the ladle after finishing half a bowl, Lu Nanting took it from her and refilled it halfway.

Gu Lanxi naturally accepted it and continued drinking.

The two of them did not exchange a single word throughout the process, yet their every movement was perfectly synchronized.

Su Ying, currently suffering from the pain of her husband's betrayal, felt that after eating such a piece of "cloying candy," even the smoked quail in her mouth no longer tasted good.

"You two are certainly low-key!"

As they finished eating, Su Ying began looking for an opening to steer the conversation toward the main topic, teasing them with a smile.

Anyone seeing them would assume they had intentionally dressed in matching outfits today, rather than having traveled from two different locations.

Gu Lanxi smiled faintly. "We indeed don't care much for being high-profile."

Su Ying felt as though there was a hidden meaning in her words, yet she couldn't quite grasp it.

Li Jingxiu tilted his knee slightly, gently brushing against his wife's leg.

"Due to Miss Gu and Mr. Lu's professional reasons, they don't plan to go public yet. Being low-key is the right choice."

Having finished, he didn't beat around the bush and went straight to business

"Miss Gu mentioned the matter of the shares last night. I was wondering how much you intend to sell them for?"

When negotiating, Gu Lanxi never allowed herself to be led by the nose.

Maintaining her signature faint smile, she avoided answering directly. Instead, she spoke softly about the reason she was selling her shares

"My mother passed away early, so I had to prepare my own dowry. I recently set my sights on a property, and my funds are a bit tight at the moment..."

Gu Lanxi's tone was exceptionally sincere.

Her reasoning was flawless.

The way she phrased it left one unsure whether to pity her or envy her.

Upon hearing this, Li Jingxiu's heart sank slightly.

"May I ask which property Miss Gu has taken an interest in?"

Gu Lanxi acted as if she hadn't noticed his wariness.

"The lakeside detached villa at Oriental One. The view is beautiful; I plan to move there in a while to use as a wedding house. When the housewarming banquet arrives, I hope you both will grace us with your presence."

Su Cha had not been around for many years. To buy back the shares and achieve absolute control, the couple would not only have to empty their savings but also take out loans.

A house at Oriental One was something Li Jingxiu wouldn't even dare to dream of right now.

Gu Lanxi hadn't answered the question, but the answer was hidden within her words.

For a moment, a trace of bitterness appeared on Li Jingxiu's face.

Although he wanted to reclaim Gu Lanxi's shares, he did not want her to sell them all.

Doing so would send the wrong signal to those with keen senses—that Gu Lanxi did not have a positive outlook on the future of Su Cha.

Li Jingxiu gently nudged his wife's leg, signaling her to cooperate.

Su Ying understood her husband. She knew he didn't want to take the lead but also didn't want to offend Gu Lanxi, so he was pushing her out to stall for time, intending to mess with the other party's mindset before negotiating.

Thus, she laughed heartily and spoke up

"My son is growing up day by day, and we'll need to prepare a wedding house for him in the next few years. I haven't looked into it, though—how much is the price per square meter over there?"

While Su Ying was subtly reminding her husband not to forget their son, she was also attempting to seize the initiative to lead the upcoming conversation.

She wanted to know how much money Gu Lanxi needed for the house to gauge her psychological expectations.

Clearly, she was not as shrewd as her husband.

Li Jingxiu had already guessed the answer, yet she was still working hard to try and extract it from Gu Lanxi.

Gu Lanxi acted as if she hadn't caught on, looking innocent. "It's my cousin's house. She's moving abroad to settle down and is selling it to me at a much lower price than the market rate. It's about two hundred million!"

After speaking, her smile vanished, and she gave the couple opposite her a cool, indifferent look.

As expected of someone from the entertainment industry, her eyes seemed to speak: *[For a luxury estate like this, one doesn't talk about the price per square meter.]*

On the surface, they were discussing real estate, but in reality, she was ruthlessly reprimanding Li Jingxiu: *[If you have no sincerity, then fine, but what kind of behavior is it to have your wife come out to play the joker?]*

She was here to do business, not to discuss housing prices and children with his wife while playing riddles.

No matter how destitute Gu Lanxi had been as a child, she was still a daughter of the Gu family.

There were countless wealthy people in her family. Every time there was an ancestral sacrifice, the helipads outside the old estate would be packed full. She had seen countless luxury cars and mansions.

While other girls might have gone crazy with excitement over having a thousand yuan at thirteen, when she went out to collect rent, the amount was often so heavy she couldn't carry it, requiring her uncle to send an assistant just to carry her bags.

No matter the amount, she only needed to run her hands through the money quickly to know how much was counterfeit; her ability to count money was even more accurate than a money-counting machine.

Su Ying was merely an ordinary person who had become wealthy through hard work. A single sentence had exposed her lack of depth, proving that the two were not on the same level.

Whether in public or private, she had no right to lead this negotiation.

To Gu Lanxi, Li Jingxiu pushing her forward was a sign of disrespect toward her.

Technically, she had met Su Ying a few times at various business banquets, but this was their first time interacting privately.

Therefore, Su Ying did not realize that this girl—who looked soft, harmless, not much older than her son, and spoke so sweetly—was actually so fierce. With just one sentence and a single look, she had made Su Ying afraid to speak recklessly again.

In the business world, once you show weakness, you lose a third of your psychological advantage.

Su Ying was a stubborn person and didn't feel particularly embarrassed, but Li Jingxiu had nearly stepped on her foot hard enough to cause swelling.

If she let her temper ruin things, there would inevitably be another earth-shattering argument later.

Seeing her fall silent, Gu Lanxi finally smiled with satisfaction. She turned to place a piece of charcoal-grilled ox tongue on Lu Nanting's plate, appearing as though she had no intention of speaking further.

It wasn't that she insisted on making Su Ying feel awkward; after all, they had no personal grievances. Why should one woman make things difficult for another?

It was just that this person was used to being dominant at home and wanted to meddle in everything.

Although the shares under Li Jingxiu's name were marital property, the parties involved in this transaction were her and Li Jingxiu.

Originally, the two had not planned to bring their spouses to the meeting. Since she insisted on coming, Gu Lanxi had politely brought Lu Nanting along, giving her more than enough face.

Yet, she refused to return the courtesy.

Didn't she see that Lu Nanting was quietly acting as a wallflower on the side?

If she were the one in charge, it would be one thing, but the one making the final decisions was her husband.

The previous pleasantries were fine, but now that business had begun, Li Jingxiu wanted to hide in the background and let his wife stall and linger, hoping that once Gu Lanxi grew impatient, he could step out for a two-on-one. Gu Lanxi, naturally, was not willing to play along.