For the 0820 Gu Xizhou, revenge was not as simple a matter as “sending Su Nanfeng to prison.”
It began in her senior year of high school when Su Nanfeng, drunk driving, struck a pedestrian, leaving them paralyzed from the waist down. Yet Su Tianyu paid money to sweep it under the rug and quickly had Su Nanfeng enlisted in the military to avoid accountability. From that moment, Gu Xizhou understood that relying solely on the law and social systems would not bring her the justice she deserved.
Enduring humiliation for years, she learned one particularly important thing from Su Nanfeng: the best way to destroy a person is to tear them up by the roots.
The foundation that allowed Su Nanfeng to act lawlessly, evading legal consequences, was the colossal Su Corporation. So, she would claim it.
What Su Nanfeng valued most was her younger sister’s care and trust. So, she would slowly erode it, until the other was forsaken by everyone.
As for those fair-weather friends…
Heh, once she seized power smoothly, what couldn’t be dismantled?
She simply wanted Su Nanfeng to experience everything she herself had gone through back then: being trusted by no one, cared for by no one, valued by no one; being violated, toyed with, living like an isolated island.
Only when Su Nanfeng suffered the same harm, and tasted humiliation a hundred times worse and a lifetime of regret, would it truly count as revenge.
Just letting Su Nanfeng die would be far too easy on her.
To execute this plan, Gu Xizhou deliberately got close to Su Zhiyi, enduring her disgust at the other girl’s perceived “hypocritical” kindness, staying by her side for many years.
After that restaurant date, opportunities for Gu Xizhou to work alongside Su Zhiyi increased.
Su Zhiyi was beautiful and lived a privileged life. Wherever she went, admirers flocked like carp in a stream.
She was always good-natured. When people asked for her contact information in person, she never refused.
But when those who got her contact info asked her out, they often received a rejection.
On the eve of New Year’s Day during their freshman year, Gu Xizhou and Su Zhiyi were out giving a speech together, and they ran into a student from another university who asked for Su Zhiyi’s contact details.
Later, while eating, Gu Xizhou saw Su Zhiyi decline that person’s New Year’s invitation and politely state she wasn’t interested in dating anyone before deleting and blocking them. Curious, Gu Xizhou asked, “If you didn’t like that person, why did you exchange contact information with them?”
Su Zhiyi looked up from her phone screen, a little surprised.
Gu Xizhou put on an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to look. I just happened to notice, and curiosity got the better of me…”
Su Zhiyi smiled warmly, graciously accepting her awkwardness. “Ah, it’s fine. It’s not like it was something you couldn’t see.”
She put away her phone and gave Gu Xizhou a gentle smile. “Because there were many people present at the time. She was brave enough to come up and ask; it would have been rude not to give her face, wouldn’t it?”
“If it were me, being asked for my contact info in public by someone I was interested in and being rejected, I’d definitely be embarrassed and blush.”
“So it’s better to reject them privately.”
Su Zhiyi was a well-mannered, poised young lady from a good family. Gu Xizhou understood this was simply her nature, yet thought to herself with disdain: “Hypocrite.”
The devil’s sister is a hypocritical angel.
She mentally reaffirmed this definition of Su Zhiyi, solidifying the image in her mind.
Despite her countless swirling thoughts, Gu Xizhou kept her face expressionless. After a pause, she asked Su Zhiyi, “Actually, she wasn’t bad. Good-looking, the Student Council President at A University, and responsible, too.”
“Maybe you could have given her a chance.”
Su Zhiyi glanced up at her, somewhat surprised. “Are you going to start pressuring me to date, too?”
Gu Xizhou answered without thinking. “Not really. I just think youth is so wonderful; you could find a relationship to add some spice.”
Su Zhiyi understood. She replied slowly, deliberately, “Since we know how wonderful youth is, we should study even harder, shouldn’t we?”
“A young idler, an old beggar,” as they say.
Gu Xizhou admitted she was amused. She curved her eyes, smiling brightly as she looked at her. “So you have no plans to date right now?”
Su Zhiyi nodded. “Mm.”
What’s so great about being in a relationship anyway? Better to do something meaningful for society.
Gu Xizhou understood. She sat opposite her, looking at her seriously, eyes calm. “So is it just ‘not now,’ or are you planning never to date?”
Su Zhiyi was taken aback. She thought for a moment before answering. “I haven’t thought about that question.”
Gu Xizhou pressed on. “Then if you met the right person, would you consider dating?”
The question was ambiguous and subtle. Su Zhiyi straightened in her seat and countered, “What defines ‘the right person’?”
Gu Xizhou considered her words carefully. “By conventional standards, it should be an alpha whose pheromones match yours and whose family background is compatible.”
This preface piqued Su Zhiyi’s interest. Leaning her chin on her hand, she looked at Gu Xizhou with a smile. “And by unconventional standards?”
Gu Xizhou sat upright in her armchair, legs crossed, her posture quite elegant. “That would be someone who resonates with you on a soul level.”
“Alpha, Beta, Omega… any gender would do, as long as you feel completely at ease with her, happy doing anything together, and never bored even talking about meaningless things.”
“You’d be willing to share everything about yourself with her and spend the idle hours of a lifetime together.”
“That, I think, would be ‘the right person.'”
A light flickered in Su Zhiyi’s eyes. She looked at Gu Xizhou with wonder. “That’s rare. You sound like you don’t mind things like same-sex relationships.”
Gu Xizhou smiled faintly, speaking casually. “Our club works with youth companions. Haven’t we learned a thing or two from those bullied kids?”
“Regardless of gender, love is love. There’s no hierarchy of superior or inferior.”
“Soul-deep happiness is the highest sensation in life, isn’t it?”
Su Zhiyi nodded in agreement. “Indeed, it is.”
Gu Xizhou knew this sentiment had pleased the other girl. She chuckled lightly and circled back to the topic. “So, if you met someone like that, would you want to date them?”
Su Zhiyi considered the answer, taking a long moment before replying. “If I met such an ideal type, I suppose I would.”
Gu Xizhou revealed a teasing smile. “So there is an ideal type after all, isn’t there?”
“Were all those people you rejected just not your ideal type?”
Su Zhiyi: …
She fell silent, her ears burning, unsure what to say for a moment.
Gu Xizhou, sensing the maidenly shyness, deliberately teased her further. “Then can you tell me what kind of person you like?”
“Maybe if I come across someone similar, I can keep an eye out for you.”
Su Zhiyi suppressed the heat rising in her cheeks, a bit embarrassed and flustered. “Why are you asking this? Something like an ideal type, you only really know it when it appears.”
“How can you describe someone you’ve never met?”
Gu Xizhou nodded sagely. “I see. So if you ever fall for someone in the future, that person will definitely be your ideal type.”
Su Zhiyi couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Facing Gu Xizhou’s teasing gaze, she said, half-annoyed, “Gu Xizhou, I’ve discovered you’re really good at mocking people in that backhanded way.”
Gu Xizhou just smiled without speaking, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
After that, they never broached the topic again, instead maintaining a tacit rapport.
During winter break, Su Zhiyi, under her mother Su Tianyu’s arrangement, took an internship as a clerk at one of the family’s subsidiary companies.
Gu Xizhou, after some indirect probing, learned of her whereabouts and found a part-time job at a cake shop near Su Zhiyi’s company.
One day at noon, Gu Xizhou was delivering an order at Su Zhiyi’s company, and they happened to run into each other in the hallway.
At the time, Su Zhiyi was carrying a large stack of documents. Seeing Gu Xizhou emerge from an office, empty-handed and wearing a beret with bunny ears, she was very surprised. “Gu Xizhou.”
Gu Xizhou herself wasn’t very surprised but still put on a shocked expression. “What are you doing here?”
Su Zhiyi’s eyes curved. She explained softly, “Found a part-time job. I’m interning here.”
Gu Xizhou looked puzzled. “Here? Shouldn’t it be a hospital?”
Su Zhiyi smiled without offering further explanation. After greeting her, she hefted her stack of documents slightly. “I’m still on the clock. I’ve got to run.”
Gu Xizhou knew her personality. She didn’t act like a fake gentleman, offering out of politeness to help her carry the files.
She simply clenched her fist in a cheering gesture and silently mouthed two words: “Go get ’em.”
The next day, when delivering another order, Gu Xizhou asked around for Su Zhiyi’s workstation and specifically brought her a slice of her favorite cake.
When Su Zhiyi returned to her desk and saw the small cake, she instantly knew who it was from.
She took a moment to send Gu Xizhou a message. “You shouldn’t have! Let me transfer the money to you!”
She directly sent the payment to Gu Xizhou’s account. Without a good reason, she wasn’t comfortable accepting gifts from Gu Xizhou.
Gu Xizhou’s reply came that evening. “No need, consider it an afternoon tea treat.”
When Gu Xizhou saw the money transferred back, she didn’t immediately return it.
The following day, she bought a cute, simple little penguin plushie and placed it on Su Zhiyi’s desk along with another slice of cake. She sent Su Zhiyi a message. “I’m working part-time at that ‘Dian Yue’ shop downstairs from your office. The cake is an employee perk.”
“I don’t actually like cake much, but Nanfeng does. This shop’s cake tastes great. I think you should try it.”
“Don’t transfer money to me again. If you do, I’ll just buy a bunch of plushies and pile them on your office desk.”
Su Zhiyi: …
She stared at the line of text on her phone screen, her expression a bit helpless. After a long moment, Su Zhiyi bit her lower lip and sent a “cat sighing.jpg” emoji. “Gu Xizhou, I’ve discovered you’re a little bit bossy.”
Gu Xizhou replied: “Yes, I am very bossy.”
Righteous, utterly unrepentant, and clearly planning to continue.
Su Zhiyi had no choice. After finishing her work and returning to her desk, she opened the elegantly packaged Red Velvet Cake. She scooped a spoonful and put it in her mouth.
A thread of sweetness bloomed on her tongue. Distractedly, Su Zhiyi thought, if this was just once or twice, it’d be fine, but if this went on the whole vacation, she’d definitely gain weight.
Ah, forget it, never mind. She could burn off the extra calories when she got home. Right now, it was sweet afternoon tea time!
