To be honest, if Gu Wan’er hadn’t been standing right there, Yu Xiaoduo would have had a few choice words for the guy.
So Yu Xiaoduo simply responded with a curt “Mm.”
Fu Yangxue was familiar with Gu Wan’er’s personality, so he kept smiling and said, “Wan’er, are you free this evening? How about dinner together?”
Yu Xiaoduo looked puzzled and glanced at Gu Wan’er, his expression asking, Well, do you want to have dinner with him or not?
Fu Yangxue frowned deeply. What was the meaning of this? She needed this man’s permission to have dinner with him? What was this guy’s background?
“What are you looking at me for?!” Gu Wan’er said coldly and got straight into the BMW.
“Not going. I’m busy.” Yu Xiaoduo mimicked Gu Wan’er’s tone and then sat down in the passenger seat.
Fu Yangxue stood there dumbfounded, watching the car’s taillights disappear into the distance. What on earth was going on? Wan’er had actually gotten into that man’s car. Could he be a relative of hers?
After getting in the car, Yu Xiaoduo held out his hand. “Give me your phone.”
Seeing Gu Wan’er stay silent, Yu Xiaoduo said, “Don’t tell me you left your phone back at the house.”
“I was in a rush. I forgot it.”
“Then how are you supposed to guide me remotely? Let’s go to my place and pick it up.”
Gu Wan’er sighed and drove toward Yu Xiaoduo’s apartment complex. Twenty minutes later, she pulled over and parked by the curb near the entrance.
“What are you spacing out for? Go get it,” Yu Xiaoduo urged when Gu Wan’er didn’t get out of the car.
“Why should I go get your phone?”
Yu Xiaoduo was exasperated. “How would I explain things if I went? Use your brain a little, okay? Don’t waste time.”
Gu Wan’er shot Yu Xiaoduo a fierce glare. Me, the eldest daughter of the Gu family, reduced to fetching your phone. She yanked the car door open, got out, and slammed it shut.
“Hey! Take it easy! Just because it’s not your car doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care!” Yu Xiaoduo yelled from the passenger seat. My poor baby. This woman is way too rough. I’ll rub the pain away for you.
Watching Gu Wan’er walk into the complex, Yu Xiaoduo snorted. Just because she was the boss didn’t mean he couldn’t handle her.
He looked down and patted his own exquisite, beautiful legs. The visual effect was absolutely stunning. The only downside was that it was a bit warm. He felt like he could probably wear something a little cooler.
A few minutes later, Yu Xiaoduo suddenly spotted a familiar figure appear at the entrance of the apartment complex.
Mom!
Oh crap.
Yu Xiaoduo immediately looked like a thief with a guilty conscience, ducking his head down and trying not to be seen.
At the complex gate, Tang Ling was about to head to the market to buy groceries when she noticed a familiar car. “Hey? Isn’t that Duoduo’s car? What’s it doing parked here?”
Curious, Tang Ling walked towards the vehicle. When she saw that her son wasn’t inside, and instead there was a girl in the passenger seat who seemed to be hiding her face, Tang Ling’s interest was instantly piqued. That rascal was hiding a girlfriend in his apartment!
Knock, knock, knock.
Hearing the tapping on the car window, Yu Xiaoduo thought, I’m done for. He stole a glance and saw his mother smiling cheerfully at him.
He rolled down the window and, resigned to his fate, blurted out, “Mom.”
The beaming smile on Tang Ling’s face froze into shock. This stunning girl just called her “Mom” right off the bat. What was the situation? Had that rascal gotten her pregnant? That would be wonderful!
But this girl looked awfully familiar. Where had she seen her before? She couldn’t quite place it right now.
Yu Xiaoduo silently cursed himself. Calling her that was just a force of habit. “Sorry, ma’am. You look so much like my own mother.”
Tang Ling didn’t mind at all. She smiled and asked, “Young lady, I’m Yu Xiaoduo’s mother. And you two are…?”
“I’m just his co-worker,” Yu Xiaoduo quickly fabricated.
Tang Ling laughed inwardly. This girl was telling a barefaced lie. Look how flustered she was, like a kid caught red-handed. As if she didn’t know what tricks young people got up to these days.
Tang Ling didn’t expose her, respecting the girl’s shyness. “Oh, just a co-worker. A close co-worker, I imagine?”
Just then, Gu Wan’er jogged back from the apartment complex entrance and got straight into the car.
Tang Ling looked at her son, puzzled. The brat was acting like she was invisible. Yu Xiaoduo frantically signaled Gu Wan’er with his eyes: This is my mom, you idiot!
Gu Wan’er finally registered that the woman beside the car was Yu Xiaoduo’s mother. A smile replaced the usual coldness on her face. “Mom, what are you doing here?”
Yu Xiaoduo breathed a sigh of relief.
“Duoduo, and this young lady is…?” Tang Ling asked with a mischievous grin.
“She’s… my friend.”
Tang Ling chuckled knowingly. “One says ‘co-worker,’ the other says ‘friend.’ You two didn’t even get your story straight. Your mom has watched plenty of spy dramas; I can see right through your little act.”
Yu Xiaoduo and Gu Wan’er both froze. You’re right, we are acting, but not in the way you think!
“Mom, I have to get to work. We’ll talk later.”
“Young lady, come visit us at home sometime. Do you have WeChat? Let Auntie scan your code.” Tang Ling had already pulled out her phone.
Yu Xiaoduo shot Gu Wan’er a desperate look: Drive away! What are you waiting for?! You want to end up as my mom’s daughter-in-law? Are you crazy?!
Gu Wan’er hurriedly started the car and drove off.
Tang Ling watched the two young people make their hasty escape and chuckled softly. So grown up, yet still too shy to meet the parents. That boy had some skills, landing such a beautiful girl.
But come to think of it, where had she seen that girl before?
After a few steps, Tang Ling stomped her foot. I remember now!
She was the general manager of the Gu Corporation in this region! She had seen her on TV just last night. She had even joked about her with her son then. And to think he was secretly involved with that female CEO! He really was quite capable. No wonder he’d been talking so big lately. She’d have to interrogate him properly tonight.
Wait a minute. He was supposed to go on a blind date tonight. Was that rascal trying to two-time someone?!
Inside the car, Yu Xiaoduo let out a long breath. “My parents are definitely going to interrogate me tonight. Be careful.”
“Mm.”
“Oh, right. I have a blind date tonight. You absolutely have to help me land this one.” Yu Xiaoduo had just remembered. Even though he was currently a woman, he would switch back eventually.
Gu Wan’er’s brow furrowed. “I have to go on a blind date too?”
“Of course! This is a major life event for my future.”
Gu Wan’er gritted her teeth and agreed. “Fine.”
Hearing her tone, Yu Xiaoduo warned, “Don’t you mess this up. Right now, we’re in a mutual assistance pact. I’m doing everything I can to help you, and you need to do the same for me, no holding back.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t ruin your romantic prospects.” Gu Wan’er rolled her eyes. He’d been turned into a woman and he was still fixated on that. Unbelievable.
“So tell me what I’m supposed to do next.”
Gripping the steering wheel, Gu Wan’er said seriously, “You’re about to meet someone. This person has connections in both the legal and underground circles in Longhai City. They rarely appear in public. I need to pay my respects and, ideally, establish a partnership.”
“Really? It sounds like a Hong Kong gangster movie. Do people really ‘pay their respects’ like that?” Yu Xiaoduo exclaimed in a hushed tone.
Gu Wan’er sighed. “If you want to get ahead in business, there are certain things you have to do.”
“Is this person a man or a woman?”
“I don’t actually know. Probably a man. Everyone calls him ‘Master Bai.'”
Yu Xiaoduo’s heart sank. Anyone who went by the title “Master Bai” couldn’t be a saint. An image of a menacing, scarred face involuntarily popped into his mind.
