Accidentally Sold Myself (Rebirth) - Chapter 7

7: The Gu Family

Gu Xi brewed tea, filtered out the tea leaves, added a small amount of milk and a touch of sugar, and promptly made two cups of milk tea. The tea was rich in flavor, with a refreshing aroma wafting from it.

Gu Xi handed one cup to Luo Ningshuang and said, “Drink this.”

Luo Ningshuang looked up again, eyeing the mixture of tea and milk with some disdain. “What’s this? I’m not drinking it.”

Seeing her return to work with her head lowered, Gu Xi pouted, pulled a stool over, and sat across from Luo Ningshuang. She slumped onto the table listlessly, staring at her pitifully.

A grumbling sound came from Gu Xi’s stomach. Luo Ningshuang finally gave in, picked up the milk tea, and took a sip. Surprisingly, it tasted good—the tea was robust with a hint of milky sweetness. She took another sip, pursed her lips, and said, “Biscuits.”

Gu Xi gleefully opened a bag of biscuits, her entire demeanor radiating joy, as if she’d just won a battle. Her cheerful mood was infectious, and Luo Ningshuang’s lips unconsciously curved into a slight smile.

What an easily satisfied person. But suddenly, Luo Ningshuang’s smile flattened because Gu Xi had only given her one biscuit.

Under Luo Ningshuang’s icy glare, Gu Xi picked up her own cup of milk tea—loaded with extra milk—and returned to her seat, happily munching away.

Ignoring Luo Ningshuang’s murderous stare, Gu Xi’s actions only fueled her irritation. Luo Ningshuang angrily grabbed the lone biscuit, treating it as if it were Gu Xi herself, and stuffed it into her mouth, biting down with a loud crunch crunch.

Gu Xi glanced over at the sound, noticing Luo Ningshuang’s bad mood. She smirked, continued eating, and opened her laptop. Logging into her Jinjiang account, she checked the comments under her latest update, all urging her to post more chapters.

Pouting, she twirled her hair around her finger, feeling a bit stumped. She didn’t know how to continue the plot, and the characters felt like they were falling apart—her story was on the verge of collapsing!

Glancing at Luo Ningshuang, inspiration suddenly struck. Wasn’t this a perfect character template right in front of her? Giggling, she tweaked the day’s events slightly and began furiously typing away.

The taptaptap of the keyboard caught Luo Ningshuang’s attention. She glanced over, realizing Gu Xi was writing. Her curiosity about Gu Xi’s pen name grew, and her fingers unconsciously tapped the desk as a faint smile appeared on her lips.

That smile vanished when Jiang Wenxi entered the room. Luo Ningshuang’s voice turned cold. “That’s enough. Get ready for the meeting. Gu Xi, you’re with me.”

Gu Xi looked up, bewildered, at the measly few hundred words she’d written. She was just getting into the groove!

Reluctantly, she followed Luo Ningshuang. The meeting room was on the 26th floor, and all the major shareholders were already present.

Some were company veterans, to whom Luo Ningshuang had granted shares because of their talent. Others had invested early, betting on her potential during her university days, while some joined later for profit. And then there were those who had joined to take advantage of the company’s struggles.

Luo Ningshuang’s cold gaze swept over the room, silencing everyone instantly. Gu Xi nervously followed her, sitting down beside her only after Luo Ningshuang took her seat.

“This meeting has two announcements,” Luo Ningshuang began, observing the room’s reactions. “First, we are officially terminating our contract with Nuan Zhen. She will no longer be the spokesperson for LS. As for the new spokesperson, we’ll decide later.”

Before she could move to the second matter, someone couldn’t hold back. A shareholder, a slick-looking man with a powdered face whom Gu Xi instantly disliked, stood up to object. “I have an opinion. Setting aside the penalty for breaking the contract, Nuan Zhen’s androgynous, striking appearance and her rising fame in the entertainment industry have brought us a significant female consumer base over the years. It’s just one mistress scandal, isn’t it? We can hire a PR team to suppress the news.”

Luo Ningshuang paused, her fingers tapping the table. Each tap tightened the tension in the room. Given her unpredictable temperament, no one dared breathe too loudly.

“First, Nuan Zhen’s contract is nearing its end, and I see no need to renew it. Second, her reputation in the industry may be rising, but it’s infamy. Hiding behind a pretty face, she’s likely deceived plenty of people. This mistress scandal is just the beginning. Third, Qi Minglü, don’t think I’m unaware of your fling with Nuan Zhen. I’ve kept quiet because exposing it would harm the company’s reputation. I suggest you cut ties with her immediately, or I won’t hesitate to clean house.” Luo Ningshuang’s icy gaze pinned Qi Minglü, each word striking him like a blow. He lowered his head and sat down, no longer objecting.

“As for the second matter…”

Everyone tensed, fingers poised over their laptops, ready to take notes.

Pleased with their attentiveness, Luo Ningshuang’s lips curved slightly. She pulled Gu Xi to her side and announced solemnly, “The second matter is that I’m married. And my wife is her—Gu Xi.”

“What…” A man shot to his feet, slamming the table in disbelief.

Whispers erupted. Some were intrigued by the gossip, but most were watching the drama unfold, knowing the man was Luo Ningshuang’s fiancé, sent to monitor her.

“Zhen Yuhua, are you deaf? Didn’t hear me? Let me repeat: Gu Xi is my wife, Luo Ningshuang’s wife. Clear enough now?” Luo Ningshuang stared coldly at Zhen Yuhua. In the past, when her wings weren’t fully grown, she’d been forced into an engagement with him to protect the Luo family. Now, she wanted to see what Xiao Feng would do next.

“You haven’t forgotten your engagement to the Xiao family, have you? This is betrayal! And marrying a woman? Even though same-s3x marriage is legal now, most people still don’t accept it. You’re the one truly ruining the company’s reputation!” Zhen Yuhua hadn’t expected Luo Ningshuang to pull such a bold move. He didn’t know how to explain this to Xiao Feng. Glaring at Gu Xi, he couldn’t fathom where this random woman had come from.

Gu Xi squirmed under his stare, her temper flaring. She glared back defiantly. Seeing this, Luo Ningshuang’s lowered eyes betrayed a hint of indulgence. She curled her fingers, lightly scratching Gu Xi’s palm.

The tickle sent a jolt through Gu Xi, as if it had scratched right into her heart. Is she flirting with me?

Gu Xi turned to catch Luo Ningshuang’s expression, but all she saw was a fake smile. Gripping the mischievous hand, Gu Xi, ever the dominant one, thought, If anyone’s flirting, it’s going to be me.

“Oh, so you’re one of those homophobes, huh? Sorry to inconvenience you, having to face a lesbian like me every day. To make things easier for everyone, effective immediately, Zhen Yuhua is stripped of all duties and removed as an LS shareholder. As for your pathetic 2% stake, I’ll buy it back.” Luo Ningshuang didn’t care about his accusations. Company reputation was just an excuse.

“Wait, I’m not selling my shares! On what grounds are you firing me?” Zhen Yuhua made a final stand.

Luo Ningshuang sneered. “On what grounds? Look around. Is any other shareholder speaking up for you?”

Zhen Yuhua glanced at Qi Minglü, who kept his head down, silent. Only then did he realize why Luo Ningshuang had started with Nuan Zhen’s contract termination. He was the next chicken to be slaughtered, a warning to the others.

Luo Ningshuang continued, “You know Xiao Feng. Instead of clinging to those shares, you’d be better off cashing out and running.”

Defeated, Zhen Yuhua slumped into his seat. The Xiao family was too powerful. His only option was to flee abroad, beyond their reach. “Fine. I’ll go to the legal department later to transfer the shares. But I want to know—how much will you pay?”

“1.5 billion. That’s double the value of your shares. More than enough for you to live comfortably.” Luo Ningshuang had secured his surrender. The money didn’t matter—she wanted the shares, even if it was just a small percentage.

“Deal.”

With the matter settled, Luo Ningshuang ended the meeting.

Gu Xi admired Luo Ningshuang’s prowess. So young, yet so wealthy. But herself? How many words would she have to write to earn that kind of money? She felt a bit down.

Noticing Gu Xi’s low spirits as they left, Luo Ningshuang didn’t understand. “What’s wrong? Hungry? Come on, I’ll take you to eat.”

Gu Xi wasn’t hungry—she hadn’t even digested the biscuits yet. She was just melancholic, recalling the moment she was hit by a car and died. What exactly was her connection to the Gu family?

Looking at Luo Ningshuang’s back, slender yet reassuring, Gu Xi knew she couldn’t shake the Gu family on her own. But borrowing Luo Ningshuang’s strength made her hesitate. She shouldn’t drag her into this. Now that her identity was public, would the Gu family track her down? Should she warn Luo Ningshuang?

As Gu Xi wrestled with her thoughts, Luo Ningshuang ushered her into the car. “Stop spacing out. What do you want to eat?”

“Anything’s fine.” Gu Xi replied, distracted. Should she tell Luo Ningshuang? But how?

Luo Ningshuang didn’t press, but she noticed Gu Xi’s silence on the drive, assuming it was worry about the public announcement. “Don’t worry. The Xiao family won’t dare act for now. I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you know about the Gu family?” Gu Xi suddenly asked.

Luo Ningshuang frowned, puzzled by the question. Noticing Gu Xi’s surname, her fingers tapped the steering wheel. “The Gu family? Gu Beichen used to be a local thug in G City, stepping on plenty of toes. Later, he turned over a new leaf and started a liquor business, doing quite well. But about a decade ago, after Gu Jize was killed, Gu Beichen handed the company to his eldest son. Then, for some reason, he passed it to his daughter. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, nothing, just curious. So, compared to the Gu family, is your family stronger?” This was what Gu Xi really cared about. If the Luo family was weaker, she’d need to find another way instead of dragging Luo Ningshuang down.

“Before, our Luo family was definitely stronger than the Gu family. Now? They’re about equal.” Luo Ningshuang answered honestly after a moment’s thought. “But that might not be the case in the future. I’m not one to settle.”