Drama Queen Reborn as a Top Student!-Chapter 930 - 439: A Blow to the Head

Gu Bichen watched from a distance as Shen You’an and the other four people left the studio in close companionship, chatting and laughing, a shadow passing over his eyes.

Leng Yunyang patted his shoulder, "Stop looking. There’s no place for you. Come on, I’ll treat you. After all, you’re the third place winner; let’s celebrate."

The words "third place" were so harsh in Gu Bichen’s ears.

He turned to glance at Leng Yunyang, recalling how many times Leng Yunyang helped him during the competition, and felt a blockade in his heart, not wanting to see his face at all.

"No need. I have something else to do. You guys go ahead."

With those words, regardless of Leng Yunyang’s expression, he turned and left.

Ren Chong walked to Leng Yunyang’s side, frowned, and said, "Why do I feel like he’s changed a lot?"

Gu Bichen used to be a gentleman as polished as jade, but now his whole being exuded a gloomy vibe, always looking preoccupied.

"Who knows? Ignore it. We can’t let him affect our mood."

Gu Bichen was in a gloomy mood. He didn’t know why, but ever since he learned about his true family background, he couldn’t focus on studying anymore, and his grades inevitably fell. Most importantly, he lost his confidence.

It turned out he didn’t lack the Gu family’s academic genes; he wasn’t even a member of the Gu family.

Everything made sense suddenly, but it also cornered him into a dead end.

The revelation seemed sudden and overwhelming.

The titles of "genius" and "prodigy" he earned through years of tireless effort now seemed like a joke.

Compared to those real prodigies, he was nothing.

The sudden realization shattered his worldview from the past sixteen years and destroyed all his self-esteem.

He felt like a mouse hiding in a sewer, burdened with a huge secret, living in constant fear every day.

"Young master?"

Someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind, and Gu Bichen jumped violently, like a startled bird.

The intense reaction frightened Gu Rui.

He had seen Gu Bichen hiding alone in the hallway in the shadows, and approached out of concern, not expecting such a big reaction. What kind of shock had this child endured?

Gu Rui recalled Gu Bichen’s performance on the show just now. It wasn’t outstanding. In some parts, he seemed rather sluggish, overshadowed by a group of academic elites.

But it shouldn’t be this way. He was supposed to be the Gu family’s most excellent successor, who had been groomed with everything for this generation.

Could it be that he’s not used to the recording style of reality shows? Too nervous in front of the camera?

"Young master, what’s wrong? Are you not used to the recording style of the show?"

Gu Bichen calmed down, furrowing his brows, and said tiredly, "I haven’t rested well these past few days, my mind is a mess, today’s performance must have disappointed you."

"Not at all, you are the young master of the Gu family, destined to be in the spotlight. How can those people compare to you? Go home and rest well; you’ll be back in shape for the next episode."

Gu Rui had unwavering faith in Gu Bichen’s abilities.

Gu Bichen frowned slightly, hesitated, and asked, "Can I quit the show?"

Gu Rui was shocked: "You want to quit? Why?"

Gu Bichen sighed, "Grandmother’s health hasn’t been good lately. I want to spend more time with her."

"But the old lady should look forward to seeing you shine on the show, right?"

This seemed like a battlefield tailor-made for inheritors of the Gu family. How could he retreat at this moment?

Gu Bichen wore a troubled face, "Besides wanting to be with Grandma, I have other projects to work on lately. I truly can’t spare the energy to reinforce myself, and I’m afraid if I don’t perform well in the next round, I’ll fall short of the Gu family’s reputation, making me a sinner of the Gu family."

"Young master, how can you think like that?"

Gu Rui thought Gu Bichen lacked confidence, but observing Gu Bichen’s recent performance, Gu Rui indeed noticed some changes in him.

Gu Bichen continued, "Moreover, the scope of these questions far exceeds my imagination. I’m afraid my capabilities might not be enough to carry on, and rather than making a fool of myself, it’s wiser to step back willingly."

Gu Rui’s eyes widened in shock.

He indeed lacked confidence. However, he was honest. This competition was genuinely tough. If Gu Bichen didn’t perform well, it wouldn’t reflect well on the Gu family. But to quit halfway was even worse.

At last, Gu Rui understood why Gu Bichen appeared so burdened.

The pressure from the genius peers was too immense, threatening to crush his confidence and possibly leave him broken for good.

This won’t do, he is the future hope of the Gu family.

Gu Rui gritted his teeth, as if secretly making some decision. He turned his head cautiously to open the fire escape door and peeked outside. After confirming no one was eavesdropping, he closed the door and said solemnly, "Young master, don’t worry, allow me to think of a solution..."

The plan was already forming in his mind, but implementing it would be very challenging and risky; he had to plan carefully.

Gu Bichen looked at Gu Rui in surprise: "What can you do? To not disgrace the Gu family, my automatic withdrawal is the best way."

"Don’t rush, let me think it over," Gu Rui said with a furrowed brow, deep in thought.

"Young master, you should go back and rest, gather your energy, and wait for my call."

Gu Bichen opened the door and walked out, and the deeply contemplative Gu Rui did not see the enigmatic smile that appeared on the young man’s lips when he turned away.

——

Shen You’an’s group of five arranged to meet at a hot pot restaurant for a gathering. Due to the high-profile celebrity status of two of them, they specifically chose a private room.

The five of them sat around and had a delightful hot pot meal.

Yan Lu, being from the south, couldn’t handle the spiciness, but she was in high spirits today and didn’t want to dampen everyone’s mood. She ended up eating more and more enthusiastically, her mouth nearly getting swollen from the heat, and she desperately drank water.

In front of her idol, she lost all her image, but after spending just one day with Rong Xianning, Yan Lu realized his gaze was almost entirely fixed on Shen You’an, and he probably hadn’t even remembered what she looked like.

Yan Lu glanced at Liu Runxi across the table, then again at Shen You’an sitting beside her.

Clearly, the Six Gods CP is the best to ship. Little Rong, you’re too young, better stick to being a little brother.

The three academic elites were discussing problems, and Gao Yuyue was browsing her phone, looking at handsome men. Feeling bored, Yan Lu opened her phone and prepared to browse Weibo.

What she saw was unbelievable. She suddenly stood up: "OMG, Little Rong, quickly check Weibo! Someone exposed that your dad went to Australia to gamble and owes billions in debt, and he got caught by the mafia who filmed him, threatening you to pay up."

Rong Xianning’s smile instantly froze on his face, as his complexion turned ashen.

Shen You’an’s brows knitted tightly, and she immediately took out her phone to surf the internet.

The revelation had just come out, and it hadn’t spread widely yet. But with Rong Xianning attracting so much attention, in less than ten minutes, the news would explode.

Luckily, Yan Lu spent every day following gossip online and had followed numerous diverse bloggers, allowing her to discover it before it fermented.

Shen You’an disregarded revealing her identity, immediately calling Deep Sea Group’s responsible person, Shan Wei, asking him to intercept the news as soon as possible.

Rong Xianning silently took out his phone, realizing at some point it had run out of battery and shut down.

Xiao Hu walked in, handing a phone to Rong Xianning: "President Ding is looking for you."

Rong Xianning quietly glanced at it, took the phone, and put it to his ear.

The phone transmitted Ding Meng’s furious voice: "Damn it, your gambling-addict dad got you into trouble again; why doesn’t he just die...?"

She thought that after the last incident, the man learned his lesson and became honest, but who knew he could cause such a big mess.

Heaven, after the news spreads across the internet, Rong Xianning’s star career would be ruined by that gambling-addict dad.

Ding Meng calmed down after venting and said, "You hurry back, let’s discuss how to handle this properly."

If money could solve it, it would be great, but Ding Meng’s years of industry experience told her that it might not be that simple this time.

Rong Xianning hung up the phone expressionlessly.

"Sorry for ruining everyone’s mood, but I must immediately return to the company to handle it."

Rong Xianning raised his steps to leave.

Yan Lu looked at him with pity; how tumultuous her idol’s life was. Just as dawn arrived, a sudden blow struck.

Shen You’an stood up, "I’ll go with you."

Rong Xianning gave her a deep look, and Shen You’an stopped the words that were about to come out of his mouth before he could speak.

"It’s not the time to talk about these things; solving the issue is what matters now."

With that, she grabbed Rong Xianning’s sleeve and walked out without looking back.

Yan Lu cautiously glanced at Liu Runxi, who was messaging someone on his phone, looking rather calm. One couldn’t tell what God Liu was feeling inside.

Gao Yuyue also started making phone calls to her uncle, preparing to use her contacts in the entertainment industry to minimize the impact on Rong Xianning.

Yan Lu thought for a moment, then said, "I’ll find my aunt, she knows many big shots in the entertainment industry; she should have a solution."