In the afternoon, at NTN, the discussion regarding the "maritime transportation control" project went very smoothly. Thus, the entire meeting ended in less than two hours.
Originally, Gu Shao was invited to an exchange meeting later.
However, seeing that Gu Xi was starting to get distracted, Gu Shao ultimately rejected the other party's invitation and took Gu Xi home.
—
When they got home, Gu Xi had already forgotten about it. However, Gu Shao handed her a very exquisite box.
"What is this?" Gu Xi's eyes lit up as she looked at the box.
"This is the prize for this competition," Gu Shao said.
Obviously, this prize had been prepared by Gu Shao in advance. The single box was so beautiful that it made one look forward to it.
Gu Xi took the box from Gu Shao's hands and opened it. The first thing that came into view was a very beautiful hair clip. It was small but exquisite. It looked simple, but it made one's eyes light up.
Furthermore, this hair clip was the same color as Gu Xi's usual school uniform.
— They seemed to match quite well.
Gu Xi muttered to herself. She took the hair clip out of the box with some surprise and examined it over and over again.
Gu Shao, who was standing beside her, looked at Gu Xi as she held the hair clip and examined it carefully. His expression remained the same.
However, if one took a closer look, one would notice that Gu Shao's eyes actually carried a hint of nervousness at this moment.
— Speaking of which, this was the first time Gu Shao had bought something small for his daughter.
The hair clip was custom-made, but the style and color were chosen and determined by Gu Shao.
Gu Shao had never done any research on what girls this age liked and what was suitable for them. Thus, Gu Shao was actually unsure whether Gu Xi would like it or not.
However, Gu Xi obviously did not notice Gu Shao's nervousness. After holding the hair clip and inspecting it, Gu Xi carefully put it back into the box. Then, she held the box and grinned at Gu Shao. "Thank you, Daddy!"
Seeing the smile on Gu Xi's face, Gu Shao's expression softened a little.
However …
Why did he feel that this girl's happiness when she received the gift was completely different from when she received the money?
Gu Shao thought to himself.
He was sure that if she had received cash of the same value as the hair clip, Gu Xi would definitely have jumped with joy.
"Do you like it?" Gu Shao asked.
Hearing this, Gu Xi immediately shook her head. "No, I love it!"
It would be better if it could be converted into cash …
Gu Xi muttered in her heart.
However, she did not dare to say this to Gu Shao.
Then, she looked at Gu Shao. Gu Xi suddenly smiled embarrassedly and said, "Um, Daddy, can you give me another reward?"
"…" Is she asking for money?
Gu Shao's temples throbbed as he thought to himself.
Fortunately, this time, Gu Xi's request was for money.
"I want to go to NTN," Gu Xi said.
She had done her research. The "Qingcheng Competition" was a youth competition that NTN paid attention to. Previously, several contestants had even been given the opportunity to study at NTN after the competition.
Gu Xi also wanted to go. It would be even better if she could enter NTN's talent training reserve list.
Gu Shao did not know that Gu Xi's current efforts were all for the sake of entering NTN officially and participating in NTN's security system project in the future. Thus, when he heard Gu Xi's request, Gu Shao was stunned at first. The next second, he smiled calmly.
"Sure," Gu Shao said as he raised his hand and rubbed Gu Xi's head. He said, "I'll take you there during the holidays."
Gu Xi was on holiday. He could not bring her to work at the center.
Gu Shao thought to himself.
Thinking of something, Gu Shao looked at Gu Xi with a serious look in his eyes.
"You're very concerned about Lisa?" Gu Shao asked. Although it was a question, it sounded like a statement.
Upon hearing Gu Shao's sudden question, Gu Xi was stunned.
"No …" Gu Xi subconsciously retorted.
After thinking about it carefully, she seemed to be a little too concerned about Lin Yize's white moonlight. It was no wonder Gu Shao found it strange.
"Actually, I'm very concerned about her …" Gu Xi said softly. She subconsciously lowered her head and said, "It's just that Auntie Lisa looks a little like Song Er and my mother, so I paid extra attention to her."
"I just find it a little strange. Why do they look so similar?" Gu Xi added, trying to downplay her concern.
Gu Xi's explanation was simple, but Gu Shao took her words to heart.
— — So, Gu Xi is using Lisa to get close to Song Kexin?
Gu Shao looked at Gu Xi, and his gaze flickered slightly.
He remembered an article he had read a while ago about how important a mother's appearance was in a child's growth.
So, no matter what, as a child, Gu Xi should have some expectations for her biological mother, right?
Unfortunately, Gu Shao could give Gu Xi the best of everything, except for this.
"Do you miss your mother?" Gu Shao looked at Gu Xi and asked seriously.
As if she could hear the nervousness and apology in Gu Shao's voice, Gu Xi's heart skipped a beat. She quickly shook her head and denied, "No."
As if to prove that she was not lying, Gu Xi emphasized again, "I don't miss her at all."
This was a lie, and it was not to reassure Gu Shao.
What Gu Xi said was true. If it had been in the past, she might have really looked forward to Song Kexin's occasional concern. However, after being sent to Zhang Qiang's house and being transferred out of her household register, and after knowing the plot of the novel, Gu Xi understood.
She no longer had any expectations for Song Kexin.
The reason why Gu Xi still cared about the Lin family was also because of the plot.
Thinking about the plot, Gu Xi's expression suddenly became nervous.
"Dad." Gu Xi looked at Gu Shao and subconsciously tugged at his sleeve.
"What?" Sensing Gu Xi's nervousness, Gu Shao softened his tone.
Gu Xi wanted to remind Gu Shao to be careful of Lin Yize, so she said, "That Lin Yize is not a good person. He has a lot of bad intentions behind our backs, and I think he wants to harm us."
Hearing Gu Xi's evaluation of Lin Yize, Gu Shao was not surprised. However, he frowned slightly and said to Gu Xi, "These are adult matters."
As a child, Gu Xi should be worried about these things.
However, Gu Xi was worried that Gu Shao did not take her words to heart. She tightened her grip on Gu Shao's sleeve and said somewhat anxiously, "It's true. Believe in Dad. You can investigate. He really has done a lot of bad things." Perhaps some of these things were targeted at the Gu family.
"Also, also …" Gu Xi gritted her teeth and said, "I often have a dream. In the dream, Lin Yize's power will become very great. Then, he will come to harm Grandpa and the others, and harm our family! He will use some things that are not true to frame you! He wants to harm me … "
Gu Shao's gaze deepened as he looked at the young girl who was talking non-stop. The expression on his face also became more and more serious.
Dreams, foresight, plot … Gu Shao did not believe in these fantastical things, but he believed that Gu Xi would lie.
Therefore, the dream that Gu Xi spoke of must have been something that she had really dreamed of.
As for the reason, Gu Shao believed that it was her experience in the Lin family and her impression of Lin Yize, Song Kexin, and the others that had left a deep psychological shadow in Gu Xi's heart. Therefore, Gu Xi had such a dream.
Gu Shao did not tell Gu Xi that ever since he had followed Gu Yaobai's actions to investigate the Lin family, he had already become suspicious of the Lin family and had always sent people to keep an eye on Lin Yize's movements.
Seeing Gu Xi's anxious and scared expression, Gu Shao assured her, "I will investigate the Lin family and will also be on guard against Lin Yize. Don't worry."
"Yes, yes." Gu Xi nodded. "Then you have to arrange a few more people to keep an eye on him."
"Okay."
Gu Shao nodded seriously. Seeing that Gu Xi seemed to have calmed down, he spoke again.
"Now, tell me one thing." Gu Shao looked at Gu Xi and tried his best to speak in a calm tone. He asked, "When you were in the Lin family, or should I say, Lin Yize, did they do anything good to you?"
Gu Xi's rejection and vigilance against the Lin family was too deep. If the Lin family did not care about her when she was in the Lin family, would she have developed such strong feelings and a sense of self-protection?
When Gu Shao asked this question, he felt that it was extremely difficult.
However, as a father, it was difficult for him not to care about this.
Gu Shao secretly clenched his fists. He was also sure of what he would do if he heard what Gu Xi said in the next second.
"No …" Gu Xi shook her head. She did not seem to be deliberately hiding it.
"They just don't like me. Daddy, you know those things …"
As for Lin Yize, his attitude towards her was as if she was a dirty thing. When she was younger, Gu Xi understood these things. She simply wanted to be like Lin Anxin and be held by her "daddy" and be patted on the head by her "daddy". However, every time she got close to Lin Yize, he would wave her away with a look of disgust.
When she was younger, Gu Xi understood what that expression meant. It was only when she grew older that she slowly realized that Lin Yize did not like her that she gradually got closer to him.
Occasionally, when Lin Yize saw her in the Lin family, he would anxiously avoid her or ask her to go somewhere else. Instead, he would repeatedly size her up with a meaningful gaze.
Recalling Lin Yize's gaze, Gu Xi did not know what it meant. However, she still felt her hair stand on end and could not help but shudder.
"Oh, it's nothing. I like them anyway," Gu Xi raised her head and proudly raised her head at Gu Shao as she snorted.
"Anyway, you must be careful of him. With Gu Yaobai around, he's not a good person." This was the main point. Thus, Gu Xi emphasized it again.
After she emphasized it, Gu Shao nodded. Only then did Gu Xi feel reassured and say "Goodnight" before returning to her room.
Behind her, Gu Shao watched Gu Xi return to her room. After a few seconds, he rubbed his brows and sighed inwardly. He really did not know if this girl had a hunch or if Gu Xi had overheard him when he was handling some matters.
—
On the other hand, Gu Xi felt much more at ease after she had given her all the reminders she needed to.
After returning to her room, Gu Xi opened the box and took a look at the hair clip inside. Then, she happily hugged the hair clip and ran to the mirror. She repeatedly clamped the hair clip on her head and tried it out several times.
Looking at the hair clip on her head, Gu Xi giggled. She could not hide the joy on her face. The joy on her face was much stronger than when she was in front of Gu Shao.
After fiddling with the hair clip for a while, Gu Xi reluctantly put the hair clip away and carefully placed it in the cabinet.
Then, she went to bed.
Five minutes later, Gu Xi opened her eyes. She jumped off the bed, ran to the cabinet, and took out the hair clip box. She brought it back to the bed and placed it beside her pillow. Gu Xi stared at the box for a while and giggled. Then, she pressed her hand against the box and fell asleep contentedly.
—
Gu Shao, who was outside, went to the study room.
After dealing with some documents, Gu Shao received a call from Wang Wu.
Wang Wu's first sentence was to tell Gu Shao about the situation at Qiao Luo's banquet today. "Lin Yize went to the banquet."
"In addition," Wang Wu paused and said, "Lin Yize saw Mr. Qiao's secretary at the banquet and recognized her."
They had investigated what happened 15 years ago and also investigated the past of Lin Yize and Song Kexin. Naturally, they did not miss the relationship between Lin Yize and Meng Zixin before Song Kexin.
Hearing Wang Wu's report, Gu Shao was not too surprised. He responded coldly, "Is that so?"
"At the banquet, Lin Yize lost his composure when he saw Meng Zixin. However, Meng Zixin and Mr. Qiao quickly calmed him down and did not affect the banquet. After that, Lin Yize left with Meng Zixin. The two of them went to a clubhouse next to the hotel … "
In the clubhouse, the contents of the conversation between the two were found out by his subordinates. Therefore, Wang Wu could only make a brief report.
"In the last part of the conversation, Lin Yize seemed to suggest that Meng Zixin work for him. He also hoped that the two of them would work together to stop the 'Transportation Control' project from continuing."
After that, Wang Wu said with some worry, "This Meng Zixin doesn't seem to be very reliable. Sir, do you think we should contact Mr. Qiao and change the person?"
After all, Lin Yize and Meng Zixin did have a relationship. Although the two of them had not interacted in recent years and Lin Yize had married Song Kexin, people's hearts were unpredictable. It was hard to say whether Meng Zixin would really work with Lin Yize on account of their old relationship.
Qiao Luo thought highly of this assistant. Currently, Meng Zixin was handling many domestic affairs. Once Meng Zixin and Lin Yize reached some kind of cooperation or leaned towards Lin Yize, they would be in a passive position.
Wang Wu's consideration was unreasonable. However, Gu Shao was not in a hurry.
"There's no need to rush to change the person," Gu Shao said calmly.
So far, Meng Zixin had taken Lin Yize away to affect the banquet. Meng Zixin did not deliberately hide the fact that the two of them had left. It was also a kind of statement.
"After that …" Wang Wu asked.
"After that, it's up to her."
For someone to be chosen by Qiao Luo, she had her professional principles.
Most importantly, in Gu Shao's opinion, Lisa was stupid. On one hand, it was her career and career. On the other hand, it was just a memory of her first love. He believed that any normal person would choose which was more important.
After that, Gu Shao recalled how Gu Xi had nervously told him to be on guard against Lin Yize. He added, "Keep a close eye on her."
"Yes, Sir," Wang Wu answered over the phone.
— —
Gu Shao's attitude towards Lin Yize and Meng Zixin's encounter was calm.
However, at the Lin residence, Song Kexin was completely stunned when he heard that Lin Yize had gone to attend a banquet and had left with a woman before the banquet had even ended.
"How could he do that! What kind of woman could make him do that … "Song Kexin sat on the sofa with an ugly expression on his face.
Zhang Cui saw this and hurriedly comforted him, "Maybe it was just a normal business discussion."
Zhang Cui's words did not comfort Song Kexin. Instead, it made Song Kexin even more anxious, "Business discussion? How could a business discussion reach this point? And it was a man and a woman alone. Even the bodyguards weren't allowed to follow them in! "
What made Song Kexin feel the most at risk was that Lin Yize was actually not picking up her calls. From the moment she heard the news until now, she had continuously called Lin Yize more than 30 times. She had also sent him messages and WeChat messages. However, he did not pick up a single one of them, nor did he reply to her.
If it was just a business discussion, how could it be like this?
Song Kexin tightened his grip on his phone. He resisted the urge to make another call.
Lin Yize still did not pick up.
"Okay, I'm going to look for him." Song Kexin stood up from the sofa with an ugly expression and prepared to leave.
— — Song Kexin could find out which clubhouse Lin Yize and that woman had gone to from the bodyguards and the driver. However, because Lin Yize had instructed them not to, the bodyguards did not follow in.
Song Kexin planned to go by himself.
Seeing this, Zhang Cui was shocked. He hurriedly pulled Song Kexin back and advised, "Don't be anxious. It's happened a few times before. Didn't it prove that it was a misunderstanding? If you go in like this, what if it is? Won't it affect Yize? "
"What if Yize is unhappy when the time comes? Just bear with it a little longer. It must be … "
Hearing this, Song Kexin shook his head. "But this time, I don't know why, but I feel very safe."
As he spoke, Song Kexin's phone received a message from the bodyguard: [Madam, the chairman and that woman are out.]
Song Kexin's heart tightened. He hurriedly sent a message to ask: [Who is that woman? What's the state of the two of them right now?]
The bodyguard on the other end of the line knew how to describe the situation. He secretly took a photo and sent it to Song Kexin.
The photo was sent over. In the photo, Lin Yize and another woman were walking side by side. There was a distance between the two of them. They didn't look intimate, and it was obvious that the woman was deliberately keeping a distance between them.
However, when Song Kexin saw the woman's face in the photo, his expression changed.
The woman in the photo looked too much like her. Almost at first glance, Song Kexin already knew who the other party was through his sixth sense.
"It's her …" Song Kexin's legs went soft and he fell onto the sofa. His face was deathly pale.
Zhang Cui, who was next to him, understood what had happened. He anxiously went forward to support Song Kexin.
"Kexin, what's wrong? What happened to you?" Zhang Cui asked.
Song Kexin only shook his head and repeated, "It's her, why is it her …"
"Who is it? Kexin, tell me clearly. Don't scare me. "
"Meng Zixin …"
Back then, when Lin Yize asked Song Kexin to be his lover, he didn't say that she was a substitute. It wasn't until later that Song Kexin accidentally saw a photo when she was helping Lin Yize tidy up his room. When she saw the photo of a woman who looked like her, she realized that she was just a substitute. She also finally realized that when the two of them were doing it, Lin Yize wasn't calling her 'Xin Er', but Meng Zixin.
However, at that time, Song Kexin had already fallen in love with Lin Yize. She also needed his money, so she chose to play dumb.
Even though Song Kexin was in extreme pain every time she heard the man she loved hug her and call another woman 'Xin Er,' she believed that her love could change everything and heal Lin Yize's pain.
Later, after experiencing countless pain and misunderstandings, Song Kexin finally did it. She replaced Lin Yize's first love in Lin Yize's heart and made Lin Yize fall in love with her.
Originally, everything was perfect. Why did Meng Zixin have to appear again?!
Song Kexin bit her lower lip tightly, her eyes filled with hatred.
—
On the other hand, Gu Xi slept very soundly, perhaps because she had recalled too much about the Lin family and the plot of the novel before she fell asleep.
The dream that Gu Xi was most afraid of appeared again.
In the dream, Gu Xi fled in a panic, screamed for help, cried and begged those people to let her go … but it was all to no avail.
In the dream, Gu Xi felt pain, but she also felt endless fear and helplessness. Her body hurt so much that it felt like it was being torn apart.
Gu Xi looked around with great effort. In a certain direction, behind those demon-like figures, Lin Yize's face became clearer and clearer.
He looked at her with that familiar, chilling look in his eyes.
Under the control of fear, Gu Xi's consciousness once again sank into darkness. She couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality. Because the dream was too scary, she sealed her consciousness in order to protect herself.
In the darkness, Gu Xi felt someone walking towards her.
She felt a hand on her face. It was warm. What a familiar feeling …
However, Gu Xi couldn't remember.
…
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