Chapter 97 - 93 Cannot Pick

Qiao Yuxian’s bedroom. Gu Yanjing finished applying medicine to her right wrist and reached for her left hand. Qiao Yuxian had been silent for five minutes since a while ago. With her head down, she was slowly drying her hair. Gu Yanjing glanced at her left hand, which was in a similar condition to the right. But the red marks covered a larger area. It seemed that the ropes binding her hands had wrapped around the Peace Pendant, leaving a shape of the pendant on her wrist. Gu Yanjing moved her Peace Pendant up to apply more medicine. But as soon as he moved it up, it slipped down again. He moved it up again, and it slipped down once more. Gu Yanjing decided to take it off first. Just as he touched the knot on the red string, Qiao Yuxian suddenly grabbed his wrist. Gu Yanjing stopped, looking up at her. Seeing her frown slightly, he asked, "Can’t take it off?" Qiao Yuxian felt her reaction was a bit excessive and released his hand, saying, "Yes. Don’t take it off." Gu Yanjing moved his hand away from the red string. The red string was dry; it had been taken off when she showered. He glanced at the Peace Pendant again, then held Qiao Yuxian’s hand, instructing her to hold onto the pendant to prevent it from falling. Qiao Yuxian obediently held it in place. After applying the medicine and massaging it in, Gu Yanjing left her room. ... After dinner. Qiao Yuxian returned to her room, and Gu Yanjing went back to the study. At around eight in the evening, Su Qi and Shang Chen returned, bringing back Qiao Yuxian’s phone and a thermal food container. The two of them went straight to the study. They placed the items on the desk, and Gu Yanjing took a longer look at the thermal food container. He received daily reports on his mother’s situation. No one had mentioned to him that Qiao Yuxian had visited. So, Qiao Yuxian had gone to the Sixth Hospital, personally bringing cooked food to visit someone else. Su Qi noticed his glance at the thermal food container but remained silent. If it were before, as soon as Gu Yanjing took a longer look at the food container, Su Qi would have reported everything related to it the next second. But now... he had nothing to report. Because Gu Yanjing had said not to investigate Qiao Yuxian. She had her own life, friends, and social circle. No need to report everything back to him. As long as she was safe, there was no need to overly focus on her. So Su Qi hadn’t looked into whom she had met at the Sixth Hospital. After all, today’s incident was simply because a scalper had been reported at the hospital entrance. It had nothing to do with whomever she had met. And Gu Yanjing only glanced at it before looking away, without asking further. "Everyone has been sent to the police station," Su Qi reported, "It’s going to take a while to process some of the cases they’re involved in. Feng Chuanbai will certainly try to obstruct the investigation and clear his own name." "Then make him disappear," Gu Yanjing said calmly. Su Qi and Shang Chen remained silent. To be one of the three major powers in the Capital City, Feng Chuanbai’s foundational influence must run deep. Moving against him isn’t a simple task. It’s time-consuming and labor-intensive... And there will surely be interference from other forces, both openly and covertly. With Ghost Street being targeted, others will undoubtedly try to take advantage, or even target the Gu Family. Most importantly, with three powers involved, if the Gu Family wants to annex Ghost Street, the Yunzhong Building won’t sit idly by. This is also why after Feng Chuanbai approached them previously, they delayed taking action. Su Qi understood that Mr. Gu was still considering the situation. But now that Feng Chuanbai’s people had targeted his wife, Ghost Street couldn’t escape its fate this time. Gu Yanjing glanced at the thermal food container again, his expression cold: "Before next spring, make sure Ghost Street changes its name." "Yes," Su Qi and Shang Chen responded together. Once the instructions were given, Su Qi and Shang Chen left. As they reached the door, Gu Yanjing called them back, asking Su Qi to remove that unsightly thermal food container. ... Shortly after they left, Qiao Yuxian came with her computer. She said at the doorway, "I have homework to do." Gu Yanjing looked at her and then said, "Come in." Qiao Yuxian, carrying her computer, happily entered the study. The chair in front of the desk was still in its place, always reserved for her. However, Qiao Yuxian didn’t want to sit there anymore. She approached, picked up the chair, and moved it around to Gu Yanjing’s side of the desk. Gu Yanjing watched her. She carried her computer, glanced at the files on his desk, then gave him a look. The expression said: Move the stuff, make room for me. The face was not at all polite. Gu Yanjing didn’t move, and she frowned. Gu Yanjing had no choice but to move the files away and tidy the desk space she needed. Only then did Qiao Yuxian sit down satisfied, opening her computer: "I told my advisor I’d submit the opening report by tomorrow." Hearing her, Gu Yanjing paused when reaching for her phone. He retracted his hand and looked at her. Seeing his skeptical expression, Qiao Yuxian raised her chin slightly and said, "Don’t doubt me. Today, I’ll show you what efficiency is." Gu Yanjing said nothing. With him watching, Qiao Yuxian worked seriously for a few lines on her computer. Then... the minute he looked away, she started checking her nails. The wounds on her left index and middle fingertips had long healed. But the nails had yet to grow back, leaving them barren. After checking her nails, she typed a few lines of English. While typing, she thought her nails looked too ugly. So, she switched the computer page to browse for nail art. Gu Yanjing was working seriously, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw her hands repeatedly reach towards the computer screen. After two minutes with no signs of stopping, he looked at her screen. Gu Yanjing: "......" Seeing him look, Qiao Yuxian asked, "Which one looks better?" Gu Yanjing looked at her. Qiao Yuxian met his gaze for two seconds before minimizing the window and properly sitting up to start her report. Like watching a child do homework, Gu Yanjing observed her for a while. Only when he saw that she was truly focused, did he start handling his own work. Qiao Yuxian had changed into a white long-sleeved pajama top, the fabric soft. She had tied her hair up in a bun. Sitting in the chair, looking at the computer screen, she appeared simple and relaxed, yet obedient and attentive. But her focus lasted less than half an hour. When researching, she rolled up her pajama sleeves, revealing the red marks on her wrist, and her thoughts drifted again. Seeing the red marks on her wrist, she began contemplating what to wear to school the next day. Something that could cover her wrist and still suit her style. Thinking this, she began using her computer to look at clothes. She looked at clothes, and Gu Yanjing looked at her. Because she was so focused, she didn’t notice Gu Yanjing. Gu Yanjing raised his hand and pressed it on her small head. Qiao Yuxian’s shoulders shook, and she turned her head to look at Gu Yanjing, showing a sweet smile, then she showed him her wrist. "Does it hurt?" Gu Yanjing asked. "It doesn’t," Qiao Yuxian said, "but it’s too obvious, and I have to cover it when I go to school tomorrow. Otherwise, someone might spread the rumor that I have a binding fetish." Gu Yanjing: "......" Mr. Gu’s expression froze for a moment. Qiao Yuxian also fell silent after speaking, then said, "This isn’t going away anytime soon. I only have clothes for tomorrow, and I’ll have to buy more for the day after, the day after that, and even the day after that." "Write first." "Shop first," Qiao Yuxian argued, "Shopping gives me motivation to write." "If you stay up late writing, I’ll confiscate your computer." Gu Yanjing warned. "I’ll buy it only after I finish writing," Qiao Yuxian proposed as a compromise. They had a brief staring contest before she brought up the opening report again and quickly started writing in earnest. ```