Chapter 46: A Society of Relationships

Chapter 46: A Society of Connections

In truth, these things didn't even qualify as cyberbullying; it only felt different because she cared.

As she quieted down, Gu Lanxi looked at her delicate and aggrieved reflection in the mirror and felt she was being quite melodramatic.

She didn't know what had gotten into her at the time, but she just couldn't help it...

She clearly wasn't that fragile of a person.

But to be fair, this feeling of "having someone to listen to your grievances and someone to understand your anger" felt quite good.

She had once played a daughter in a drama.

After her mother passed away, her father quickly decided to remarry.

There was a scene where the father sat on the sofa in a dimly lit living room, explaining to his daughter the reason why he was remarrying

"When I was young, marriage was often about love. But at my age, what I care about more is companionship. Sometimes, after a long, tiring day, I come home and see the light in the window from a distance, knowing someone is waiting for me, and I feel a little better."

The daughter, both aggrieved and furious, burst into tears

"I come home on time every day, I never play around outside, is there a single day I haven't been home waiting for you? Even if you're going to make an excuse, at least pick a better one! Have you forgotten my mother so quickly?!"

The father looked helpless: "You're still young, you don't understand yet. The companionship a child brings is different from the companionship a wife brings. You'll grow up and leave this home sooner or later. I am very sad that your mother passed away, but I can't live in the past forever. We were very happy in the past, and we must strive to live happily in the future."

The daughter slammed the door as she left.

"No! That's your happiness, not mine! And it can never be ours!"

In the play, the daughter didn't understand her father's thoughts, and neither did Gu Lanxi.

Because she couldn't fathom why a father would think that having a stranger waiting for him at home would be something to look forward to.

In such a situation, she would only feel the rage of having her territory invaded!

But suddenly, she understood a little bit now.

Having an extra person in one's life truly makes a difference.

In the past, if she had encountered this, she would have only felt a silent heartache and processed it herself.

Gu Lanxi composed herself, applied eye patches, put on a full face of makeup, and changed into a professional skirt suit. The moment she opened the door and stepped out, she felt like a fully armed soldier, devoid of any weakness.

Lu Nanting, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, slippers, and baggy shorts, was eating breakfast. Seeing her looking so spirited and imposing, he suppressed a laugh, pretending not to notice her awkward little mood.

"We're having wonton noodles this morning. Come sit down, I'll bring them over to you."

Gu Lanxi was wearing a quite mature, deep red lipstick today, exuding a powerful aura.

Feeling a bit embarrassed about what had happened earlier and not quite wanting to face him, she lifted her chin and let out a soft, nasal "Hmph."

Ultimately, she was just feeling self-conscious and wasn't truly angry with him, so she added sheepishly

"I'm running out of time, I have to head out now."

As she spoke, Auntie Wang brought out a paper bag.

"I guessed you were in a hurry, so I made you a sandwich. I cut it into small triangles so it's easier to eat. I also brewed a cup of coffee and poured it into a cup with a straw so it won't spill. It's your favorite flavor."

Auntie Wang was always this thoughtful. Gu Lanxi took it readily, but before leaving, she didn't forget to instruct

"I have things to do today and might come home late. Auntie Wang, please keep an eye on the door. If a stranger knocks, call property management immediately."

The neighborhood had been restless these past few days.

Paparazzi and sasaeng fans were all trying to squeeze their way in, and drones were like flies—as soon as one was shot down, another appeared.

Even though Lu Nanting had released news that he wasn't here, it was still useless.

There were too many paparazzi and sasaeng fans; people were staking out every possible place he might live.

Fortunately, many entertainment industry professionals lived in this complex, so the property management was very experienced in handling such situations. They had immediately arranged a reasonable security plan, implementing 24-hour strict defense.

Even so, the day before yesterday, a paparazzi had used connections with another resident to try and sneak in.

If Lu Nanting hadn't arranged for bodyguards to keep watch in the hallway at night, they might have been able to reach his doorstep.

Gu Lanxi wasn't sure what the situation would be like today. Fearing that something might happen while she was away, her heart felt unsettled and anxious.

Seeing her ostensibly instructing Auntie Wang while actually looking at him, Lu Nanting quickly promised: "Don't worry, I'm not the type who can't stay home. Go handle your business with peace of mind!"

In his view, this wasn't even much of a scandal. No matter how much the trending searches blew up, it would last at most three or four days, no more.

Seeing that he understood her concerns, Gu Lanxi finally grabbed her bag and entered the elevator.

It was Monday morning, and the elevator was quite crowded. Seeing Gu Lanxi enter looking spirited, the people exchanged a few pleasantries before going their separate ways after exiting.

Gu Lanxi had lived here for a few years and quite liked it.

Because she was young, capable, and had a good temper, she had always maintained a good relationship with her neighbors.

Sometimes, she could even use these connections to bring convenience to her work.

Unfortunately, while someone low-profile like her was suited for this place, someone with high traffic like Lu Nanting was not.

Once something happened, it would bring inconvenience to the neighbors' lives.

In just the past few days, she had already heard people complaining several times, feeling that Lu Nanting had brought them trouble.

Because of the secret marriage, although it was just neighborhood gossip and not specifically targeted at her, it still made her feel uncomfortable.

Therefore, she now felt a strong urge to move away with Lu Nanting.

This made her value today's transaction even more.

Aside from a bit of traffic, the morning rush hour had no other issues.

Gu Lanxi was patient; she ate her breakfast while stuck in traffic and took the time to rinse her mouth and touch up her makeup.

Upon arriving at the destination, Gu Lanxi parked and first contacted Fei Yunxiao, learning that they had already arrived and that Li Jingxiu had also arrived with his team.

As she got out of the car and was about to walk in, she heard someone honking.

Turning around, she saw Liang Shizhao calling her.

Gu Lanxi hurried to a stop and waited for him to approach before asking, "Uncle Zhao, why aren't you going in? I thought you hadn't arrived yet and was just about to call you!"

The reason Liang Shizhao was waiting here was simply to tell her about the Money Tree matter.

Walking up to her, he couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.

Knowing time was tight, he didn't waste words and got straight to the point

"As soon as I heard that your Money Tree is so expensive, that boss didn't want to go to jail. He came to the firm last night to beg me, wanting to settle this with you privately."

Gu Lanxi was surprised. "His company is right across from mine; why did he come to beg you instead of me?"

She suspected that Liang Shizhao had a connection to this person and was trying to interfere with official business due to personal ties.

He had been so righteous on the phone yesterday, insisting on sending the other party to jail, yet his attitude had changed so much today; he was far too inconsistent.

Liang Shizhao didn't deny it and sighed softly. "Sigh! It's a society of connections. He didn't come alone..."

Gu Lanxi frowned. "Then who did he ask for help?"

Heaven knows how many Money Trees she had lost over the years!

With a major deal about to be discussed, Liang Shizhao had arrived early but hadn't gone in, instead stopping her outside to talk about this. Gu Lanxi couldn't help but wonder if he was taking advantage of the fact that she needed him and had always respected him, intentionally acting like an elder to interfere in her affairs through their relationship.

If that were the case, no matter how much they were fellow provincials, she would have to reduce her future cooperation with him...

Just as she was thinking this, she heard Liang Shizhao sigh

"It's Vice President Gao from Qiyue. He said that man is his brother-in-law and asked me to mediate!"

*And then you actually came here to mediate?*

Gu Lanxi was almost laughing from anger.

Regardless of which Vice President Gao's brother-in-law he was, he wasn't *her* brother-in-law.

She lifted her watch to check the time. "President Li is still waiting. We can chat about this later."

Her attitude was incredibly cold.

If he thought she was easy to bully just because she was young, he was wrong.