Campus Ace Girl-Chapter 281 - 282: I’m Single, I Need Healing!

One of the guards finally said, "You’re lucky Dr. Bo even bothered to explain. Go home. You can’t see the patient. Mrs. Bo has made it clear that no one is allowed to disturb her precious child while they recover."

These were Mrs. Bo’s exact words, which the sincere guard had accidentally let slip. Realizing his mistake, he immediately clammed up, his face stern as he stood ramrod straight.

Four guards stood rigidly, the dark muzzles of their weapons creating an intimidating presence. Even if Principal Shen and his group wanted to insist, they didn’t dare stay any longer.

"Let’s go back to the university and discuss it there," Principal Shen decided, making the final call.

Chairman Tang, however, couldn’t just blindly follow their lead. He handed the trophy to Principal Shen, saying, "I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t get involved in your internal affairs."

All things considered, it really was a convoluted mess.

Principal Wang of Qing University was no pushover. He was likely already plotting to confront Principal Shen. After all, his prized student had come to their university as an exchange student—a phoenix traded for a mere sparrow. Were they now planning to keep the phoenix?

Chairman Tang shook his head and departed.

Principal Shen and a group of professors returned to the university. The important meeting lasted until 8 p.m.

Fang Ming had left early. He was just nearing his car in the parking lot when Gu Mingzhu called out, "Fang Ming."

Fang Ming paused. "Why haven’t you left yet?"

Gu Mingzhu walked over to him. "How are your injuries?"

Fang Ming looked down. "They’re almost healed."

"Gu Anxi plays rough," Gu Mingzhu said, lowering her eyes. "Fang Ming, you should keep your distance from her. I heard she often got into fights back at Qing University."

Fang Ming stared at her. "Mingzhu, what are you trying to say?"

Gu Mingzhu looked up at him, holding his gaze for a long moment before whispering, "Fang Ming, your visit to the hospital today... you haven’t... you haven’t fallen for Gu Anxi, have you?"

She added, "She’s living with the Bo family now."

Fang Ming thought of Dr. Bo. Could he be... Gu Anxi’s boyfriend?

He remained silent for a long time, Gu Mingzhu watching him intently.

Fang Ming managed a smile. "How could that be? I’m not particularly fond of girls who fight."

Gu Mingzhu took a step back. "Then what kind of girl do you like, Fang Ming?"

Fang Ming turned his face away. "Gu Mingzhu, surely you know?"

Gu Mingzhu walked towards her car. "Fang Ming, I really don’t."

Fang Ming didn’t leave the campus immediately. Instead, he sat on the same flower bed where Gu Anxi had sat before, even mimicking the way she dangled her legs.

She had seemed so carefree then, as if she could take flight at any moment.

Fang Ming felt a sense of confusion. Raised in a household like the Bo family’s, shouldn’t she feel constrained? Why was Gu Anxi different?

He knew she now drove her own car to school, a vehicle worth over twenty million, used casually for commuting. In class, she spent all day doodling on her laptop. She clearly seemed to be slacking off, so how could she still win international awards? Fang Ming didn’t understand.

「Gu family study.」

Gu Yuanshan was talking to Gu Ning.

Gu Ning was visibly distracted. Rabbit is ill, she thought. I wonder if there’ll be an update tomorrow. I heard Rabbit is in Beicheng right now.

Gu Ning hesitated, wondering if she should send a private message to check on Rabbit. Noticing his workaholic sister’s lapse in attention, Gu Yuanshan rapped on the coffee table. "Gu Ning, what’s gotten into you lately?"

Gu Ning collected herself. "Nothing, I just went to bed late last night."

Gu Yuanshan chided her, "I heard you’ve become obsessed with a comic recently, constantly chasing after it. Gu Ning, you’re the General Manager of Gu Corporation, a person of status. Don’t let it become a joke that you’re unmarried and instead infatuated with some fictional wolf character."

Gu Ning replied lazily, "Brother, you’re overthinking it. It’s just a way to kill time. Nowadays, eight out of ten women in Beicheng’s high society are obsessed with it. There are ’wife fans’ of the male protagonist, Da Hui, and ’mother fans’ of Miss Rabbit... It’s a fan culture you wouldn’t understand, brother."

Gu Yuanshan sipped his tea. "I may not understand, but you could at least support Mingzhu by reading her book, ’Pain of Youth.’ If her own aunt doesn’t support her, who will?"

Gu Ning sounded impatient. "Oh, brother, I’m too old for ’Pain of Youth.’ What youth do I have left to speak of? People already call me an iron lady; how could I still feel pain?"

Gu Yuanshan was rendered speechless. "Then tell me, why is someone of your age watching things like the Big Bad Wolf and the Little White Rabbit, like a child!"

Gu Ning’s eyes sparkled. "It’s healing! For a single, female titan of industry like me, it’s therapeutic. You, with your happy family of three, wouldn’t understand my kind of heartache, brother."

Gu Yuanshan shot her a look.

At this, Gu Ning suddenly remembered something. "I think I heard earlier that the Bo family’s child is sick and staying at Yunxi Hospital. Brother, why don’t you and sister-in-law go visit?"

She paused, then added, "Even if you can’t stand her, she’s still your own flesh and blood. This cold indifference is practically a sin!"

Gu Yuanshan clutched his teacup, his gaze lowered. "Your sister-in-law and I heard about it. We discussed it and decided not to go. We’ll let Changqing go instead."

Gu Ning scoffed. "In this family, Changqing is probably the only one who treats her like actual family!" With that, she stood up to leave.

Gu Yuanshan called out to his sister, his expression troubled. "Gu Ning, you know my situation! How can I acknowledge her? How can I bring her back?"

Gu Ning’s scoff was even colder. "Brother, you’re simply weak! You don’t even dare protect your own child. You’re too easily swayed; Tang Yuan favors Mingzhu, and you just go along with whatever she says because it suits you. You’re both just selfish parents, each with your own calculations. Stop the hypocritical act; I can’t stand it!"

Gu Ning had always been outspoken, and Gu Yuanshan was often at a loss as to how to handle her.

When Gu Ning reached the main hall, Tang Yuan politely invited her to stay for dinner. Gu Ning offered a faint smile and declined, "No, thank you. I’m feeling a bit stifled."

Tang Yuan watched Gu Ning leave, her eyes tinged with resentment. "Yuanshan," she said, "your younger sister has always been prejudiced against me. And by extension, she’s unfair to Mingzhu too."

Gu Yuanshan stepped forward and gently squeezed her shoulder. "Mingzhu is a good child. No one can deny that."

Tang Yuan smiled softly. "Yes, she is the best."

The two talked for a while longer before Gu Yuanshan seemed to recall something. "Right, Gu Ning mentioned Jing earlier... Have you informed Bo Jin about it yet?"

Tang Yuan’s heart began to pound, but she maintained a calm smile. "I’ve already arranged for someone to find Jing internationally. I’ve procured 2,000 mL, so there’s no need to worry for now."

Tang Yuan was the procurement manager at Gu Corporation, a lucrative and leisurely position.

This time, to acquire the Jing, she had paid twenty percent above the market price—a truly substantial investment.

She worried that the astute Gu Ning might discover this, so she had been on edge for the past few days, terrified that Gu Ning would cause trouble for her.