Hot Search Incoming: The Yandere Heiress’s Wife-Chasing Livestream - Chapter 41

Qiao Zhiyue froze, stammering as if on the verge of tears.

“President Gu, is… is there anything else?”

Gu Zhichou moved her lips, about to demand that Qiao Zhiyue return every penny she had ever taken from her.

But her mouth felt as if it had been sewn shut.

She cursed inwardly. Of course, the moment money is involved, the author starts protecting his precious daughter again.

After all, heaven would never allow the protagonist to become penniless.

So Gu Zhichou smiled, her phoenix eyes radiating warmth.

“Would you like an apple?”

The word “apple” immediately brought to Qiao Zhiyue’s mind the smashed apple core from the hospital.

Painful, wet, and utterly disgusting.

Her entire body shuddered with revulsion.

She trembled and waved her hand. “Thank you for your kindness, President Gu, but I prefer bananas.”

“Oh~” Gu Zhichou chuckled. “Banana peels have a rather satisfying feel when you throw them, too.”

Qiao Zhiyue bolted, not even daring to offer polite farewells.

Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced Gu Zhichou’s chest. She braced herself against the desk and groaned softly.

“Zhizhi, what’s wrong?”

Xia Zhaoxun looked worried and reached out to steady her, but Gu Zhichou unconsciously pulled her hand away.

“It’s nothing,” she said.

Just a little payback for bullying the author’s beloved daughter, she thought.

Every time she mocked the characters too harshly in the story, her heart would ache.

Gu Zhichou knew that if the author truly wanted to harm her, he could easily orchestrate a few “accidents.”

But according to the bullet comments, she was a popular character.

The author couldn’t kill her off casually; otherwise, readers would send him razor blades to his doorstep.

Night after night, she couldn’t sleep, haunted by ghostly complaints at her bedside:

“Why did she have to die? Why did she have to die…?”

“You damn author, answer me!”

“Look at my eyes. Tell me, why? Why, baby, why?”

Gu Zhichou nearly laughed herself to death just thinking about it.

That’s why she dared to act so recklessly. But this time, the pain was unusually severe and prolonged, making her deeply uncomfortable.

Gu Zhichou knew this must be a side effect.

After all, as a supporting character, she had clearly overstepped her boundaries.

But if she couldn’t even endure this minor pain, how could she ever claim to be the protagonist? What right did she have to Shi Mi’s identity?

Gu Zhichou dismissed the thought entirely. She turned and sat across from Xia Zhaoxun, her expression stern.

“Now, do you still think this ‘friend’ is a good influence?”

“Actually… it’s not a big deal, Zhizhi. You’re being too aggressive.”

Xia Zhaoxun couldn’t shake her unease. Sending their daughter back to the old residence like this felt wrong…

Gu Zhichou scoffed, flipping a strand of her curled hair.

“Where were you when she was being aggressive towards me?”

“What?”

Xia Zhaoxun frowned. She had thoroughly investigated Qiao Zhiyue before asking her to accompany Gu Zhichou.

Of course, she found nothing.

After all, how could the author allow the protagonist to be hindered by a dark past?

I hate this woman. All her talk about caring for Zhizhi is just empty words.

Is that absent father any better?

If the female lead goes to the Xia Residence, she’ll probably try to cozy up to the Old Madam. What will happen to Zhizhi then?

Gu Zhichou tapped her fingers lightly on the table. She genuinely felt little affection for her parents.

If anything, she was already disillusioned.

But she also disliked outsiders commenting on her family.

My parents are mine to criticize, she thought.

Besides, materially, they had never deprived her of anything.

Gu Zhichou’s cold, sharp gaze swept upward, and the bullet comments instantly quieted down significantly.

Even though they couldn’t possibly know she could see them, they inexplicably reined themselves in.

Gu Zhichou couldn’t be too explicit, couldn’t point directly at anything.

She could only offer subtle hints.

In truth, she did have friends—Shi Mi, for example.

A very, very good friend.

Gu Zhichou’s cheeks flushed slightly. Friends… friends who kiss?

She shook her head, realizing she really couldn’t dwell on such thoughts.

One wrong turn and she’d lose herself completely.

Fortunately, Xia Zhaoxun seemed preoccupied with her own thoughts and didn’t notice Gu Zhichou’s odd behavior.

Gu Zhichou had no desire to stay, but the author wouldn’t let her leave.

She could only sit there blankly until she spotted a familiar figure at the door.

“Cousin?”

Ren Qingwen raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself that it was time for her to make her entrance.

Though this scene wasn’t originally meant to include her, crashing the ending was perfectly acceptable.

Authors often favored twists and abrupt changes.

As long as she timed it right, she could get Gu Zhichou out of here.

“Ah, it’s Xiao Wen,” Xia Zhaoxun said, thinking how crowded the shop had become today.

“Come sit down. Would you like something to eat?”

Ren Qingwen coughed lightly, moved closer, but didn’t fully enter the scene.

“No, I’m taking Zhizhi to the company. She still has so much to learn.”

“Aunt, you’re busy too. I don’t want to trouble you.”

Xia Zhaoxun finally noticed the time, glanced at them, answered a call, and hurried away.

Gu Zhichou felt like Xia Zhaoxun still had something to say, but she opened her mouth and closed it again, not trying to stop her.

There’s no point. No matter what I say, Xia Zhaoxun never stays.

Ren Qingwen put her arm around Gu Zhichou’s shoulder and said with a smile, “Your aunt really loves you.”

Gu Zhichou shrugged, offering no response.

Ren Qingwen lowered her gaze and remained silent as she led Gu Zhichou to her car.

“Young Miss, aren’t we going home?” Ning Yiyuan had been waiting outside for a long time.

Gu Zhichou shook her head. Whether she went home or not didn’t matter.

Walking around outside might even help her find her Little Mute.

She didn’t know why Ren Qingwen had suddenly appeared, but at least she wouldn’t harm her.

“How did you know I was here?”

“Of course, Chief Butler Ning called me. He said you couldn’t find the ice cream you wanted and were crying and throwing a tantrum. Poor thing…”

Gu Zhichou: ……

Really? I don’t believe it for a second.

And you’re clearly enjoying my misfortune.

I, the dignified heiress of the Gu Group, would cry and throw a tantrum over ice cream?

I’d only do that because…

Gu Zhichou’s voice caught in her throat, and she lowered her head in disappointment.

I’d only cry and throw a tantrum inwardly because I can’t find my Little Mute.

Gu Zhichou pursed her lips and glared fiercely at the heavens.

What are you looking at us for? We can’t stop you from crying and throwing tantrums~

At this point, it’s still uncertain whether the female lead will go to the Xia Residence.

Exactly! Zhizhi only drove her away temporarily. Mother Gu didn’t completely refuse.

Gu Zhichou sat in the passenger seat, her chin propped in her hand as she gently stroked her cheek.

She didn’t refuse, but she didn’t fully agree either.

Xia Zhaoxun thinks I have no friends? Then I’ll just make some.

“Cousin, I feel like drinking.”

Ren Qingwen glanced at her and immediately knew she was up to no good again.

She turned the steering wheel.

“Then it’s the usual place.”

Gu Zhichou didn’t remember it but nodded casually.

For some reason, ever since awakening, she felt her past experiences were increasingly empty.

She needed to constantly fill the void to satisfy her emptiness.

She chuckled self-deprecatingly.

You’re just like a cotton-stuffed doll, Gu Zhichou.

And someone’s already torn out all the cotton.