Naughty Puppy Will Be Eaten by a Bad Woman - Chapter 13

When did these two become so close?

Gu Xianyue and Lu Zhao stared at each other through the door for a few seconds.

For some reason, despite the warmth of the room, Lu Zhao felt a chill run down her spine.

Gu Xianyue had come to discuss future collaboration with Wei Ning.

Although Lu Zhao would be the one handling the specific execution, as Wei Ning was her direct supervisor, Gu Xianyue needed to follow protocol and coordinate with Wei Ning first.

Previously, Wei Ning had sent Gu Xianyue a sincere apology via WeChat, promising to bring Lu Zhao to Yunqing to personally apologize and discuss future cooperation, demonstrating her sincerity.

But Gu Xianyue had insisted there was no need, saying she could come over herself.

This back-and-forth left Wei Ning feeling quite embarrassed.

When Gu Xianyue expressed her willingness to continue collaborating, Wei Ning was overjoyed. She had assumed that after Lu Zhao’s stunt, Gu Xianyue and the Yunqing Group would never associate with the Provincial Television Station again.

But then Wei Ning realized the underlying strategy. Yunqing’s reputation had plummeted at the Provincial Television Station. If they wanted to restore it, there was no better endorsement than the station itself and Lu Zhao personally.

Most people wouldn’t have the magnanimity of Gu Xianyue, able to take things in stride and let them go.

From this perspective, Wei Ning genuinely admired Gu Xianyue.

Wei Ning had also discussed the matter privately with Lu Zhao. Lu Zhao assured her that there were no quality issues with Yunqing’s prosthetics; the problem lay solely in the inappropriate marketing campaign.

At the time, Wei Ning couldn’t resist scolding Lu Zhao again: “If you didn’t approve of their methods, you should have just refused. Look at the mess you’ve made now! It’s only thanks to their generosity that they’re not holding you accountable…”

Lu Zhao simply smiled and remained silent.

After the conversation had run its course, Wei Ning apologized to Gu Xianyue, the major client, on Lu Zhao’s behalf: “Look at this mess… She didn’t even communicate with the station beforehand…”

The implication was clear: Lu Zhao’s actions were entirely her own, with no connection to the Provincial Television Station. If anyone were to pursue legal action or harbor resentment, it should be directed solely at Lu Zhao.

Gu Xianyue smiled, assuring them she wouldn’t hold it against them. In her heart, she grew even more convinced that Wei Ning and Lu Zhao’s relationship was purely professional—so pure, in fact, that they immediately distanced themselves when trouble arose.

With the conversation now focused on Lu Zhao, Gu Xianyue casually inquired, “What has she been busy with lately?”

“She’s probably busy selecting new hosts,” Wei Ning said. “The process should be wrapping up soon. Want to go take a look?”

According to their colleagues, Lu Zhao had rarely lost her temper, apparently due to a blunder by the HR department.

Wei Ning wanted to see what was going on and, incidentally, show Gu Xianyue Lu Zhao’s serious work ethic to strengthen their collaboration prospects.

Gu Xianyue readily agreed, and they headed over together.

When they arrived, they saw the woman in the new Chinese-style dress all over Lu Zhao, intimately feeding her a red date.

Gu Xianyue frowned, while Wei Ning’s eyes widened in shock.

At the same moment, Wei Ning felt the air pressure around her plummet.

Glancing sideways, she saw Gu Xianyue’s face darken, her usually gentle eyes now blazing with undisguised emotion.

Damn it, Wei Ning thought. She’d meant to boost Lu Zhao’s image, but it seemed to have backfired spectacularly.

She stammered, “HR really dropped the ball… Lu Zhao even lost her temper today. There’s no way she’ll be hired now.”

Gu Xianyue remained silent, her gaze fixed on the two figures inside the room.

Contrary to expectations, Wei Ning was horrified to realize that Lu Zhao seemed to have genuinely hired the woman. The two talked for a long time, and eventually, the woman emerged, beaming, and greeted them:

“Director Wei, President Gu, hello~” The woman’s smile was radiant, her demeanor calm and composed.

Wei Ning, ever the gracious professional, returned the smile and offered a polite, “Hello, thank you for your hard work during the interview.”

Since Lu Zhao had made the decision, Wei Ning couldn’t voice her reservations. After all, Lu Zhao herself was overseeing the matter.

Gu Xianyue, however, offered no reaction whatsoever.

Undeterred, the woman pressed on, replying, “You’re welcome. I’m Yu Longyan. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other at the station from now on.”

She cast a meaningful glance at Gu Xianyue, who still refused to acknowledge her, and strode purposefully into the live broadcast studio.

“You let her through?” Gu Xianyue demanded as soon as she entered, her tone sharp.

Lu Zhao sensed her displeasure, her expression puzzled but still answering, “Yes… her skills were quite remarkable.”

Moreover, she’s decisive, principled, and adaptable. Gu Xianyue needs someone like her to manage situations and hold down the fort when she’s absent.

Gu Xianyue remained silent, her gaze fixed on Lu Zhao.

Lu Zhao felt a chill run down her spine under that intense stare. Her mind, which had just begun to relax, started racing again. Could it be…?

“She was just… doing a test broadcast. There was no other meaning behind it…”

Does Gu Xianyue think I’m foolish and naive, surrounding myself with morally questionable people?

This won’t do. I need to explain myself clearly, or it will severely damage our future collaboration.

Hearing Lu Zhao’s hurried explanation, the tension in Gu Xianyue’s jaw eased slightly, and the displeasure in her alluring eyes softened a fraction.

Seizing the opportunity, Lu Zhao asked, “Gu Xianyue, you came here to discuss a partnership with Director Wei, right? What did she say?”

Gu Xianyue’s tone softened further. “She agreed, but…”

“Hey, Lu! Let’s grab dinner together later, the three of us!” Wei Ning called out, having finished saying goodbye to Yu Longyan.

“But we should all eat together.”

“Huh?” Lu Zhao was stunned.

Gu Xianyue had originally planned to discuss business with Wei Ning and then grab a meal with Lu Zhao afterward, but she couldn’t resist Wei Ning’s enthusiastic invitation.

Wei Ning winked at Lu Zhao. “Didn’t you say you wanted to treat her to dinner last time?”

She had already booked a restaurant in advance, so Lu Zhao would only need to pay the bill later.

Lu Zhao recalled the conversation and immediately understood Wei Ning’s meaning. “Oh, right! I did!”

Wei Ning wasn’t aware of their private agreement. It seemed she wanted Lu Zhao to demonstrate her sincerity through action, as an apology to their benefactor.

Lu Zhao remembered she did owe Gu Xianyue a meal.

But the three of them together… something felt off, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

She glanced at Gu Xianyue, whose expression seemed to darken again.

Lu Zhao’s heart skipped a beat. Could she still be upset about what happened earlier?

But… no matter how she explained it, it would sound the same. She was out of options.

Lu Zhao switched off the livestreaming equipment and locked the door, her mind heavy with worry.

Gu Xianyue’s thoughts were becoming increasingly difficult to decipher, and her moods seemed to shift more frequently.

Usually adept at reading people’s expressions, Lu Zhao felt strangely clumsy around Gu Xianyue, as if she were constantly, unintentionally provoking her anger.

The short walk to the basement was silent, with only Wei Ning chattering about trivial matters to lighten the mood. Gu Xianyue occasionally murmured a response, and Lu Zhao chimed in with a few words now and then, preventing the atmosphere from becoming too awkward.

Sometimes Lu Zhao truly admired Wei Ning’s seasoned social skills. While she could also initiate conversations, she couldn’t yet achieve Wei Ning’s effortless naturalness.

Upon reaching the basement, Lu Zhao faced another dilemma: ride with Wei Ning or Gu Xianyue?

Under normal circumstances, she would have chosen Wei Ning’s car without hesitation. But…

Gu Xianyue remained silent, holding her car keys and gazing steadily at Lu Zhao.

Meanwhile, Wei Ning had already reached her parking space. Turning around, she noticed Lu Zhao still standing there, locked in a silent staring contest with Gu Xianyue.

What an awkward atmosphere.

Drawing on her years of social experience, Wei Ning made a quick decision. “Hey, Lu Zhao, why don’t you ride with President Gu? I’ve sent the location to your phone.”

Hearing this, Gu Xianyue unilaterally ended her subtle standoff with Lu Zhao and got into her car.

Today, Gu Xianyue had driven an SUV with automatic sliding doors. The doors swiftly opened, revealing a spacious back seat.

Lu Zhao hesitated for a moment before settling into the front passenger seat.

Gu Xianyue fastened her seatbelt and glanced at Lu Zhao. “Address.”

After Lu Zhao gave the address, silence returned to the car.

The vehicle merged onto the main road, joining the glittering stream of traffic under the night sky.

Gu Xianyue turned on the music.

Despite her natural aversion to ambiguous art forms and her forced study of music solely to appease her mother, she cherished playing classical music, particularly Baroque-era piano pieces.

Beneath their seemingly ornate melodies lay a rigorous logic, the notes arranged in patterns that created a harmonious beauty.

The current piece was a suite by Bach, its cyclical patterns soothing Gu Xianyue’s mind. The rigid rationality of the music helped her regain control over her emotions, allowing her to relax.

Lu Zhao, however, was growing drowsy.

She recognized Bach’s composition immediately, but she’d never encountered anyone who genuinely enjoyed his works.

While she appreciated classical music—Mozart, Chopin… even Liszt—each composer was far more romantic and engaging than Bach. Listening to Bach only bored her.

The person who devised the twelve-tone equal temperament… was undoubtedly remarkable, but also terribly dull.

The drive wasn’t long, but it wasn’t short either. Lu Zhao fell asleep to Bach’s suites.

She even had a brief dream: a little girl sat upright on a piano bench, playing Bach’s pieces over and over.

Even in her dream, she felt overwhelmingly tired and closed her eyes.

“Asleep again? Do you dislike Bach that much?”

The piano music stopped, and the little girl’s voice grew closer, as if she had crouched beside Lu Zhao.

Lu Zhao opened her eyes and found Gu Xianyue silently watching her from the driver’s seat.

Rubbing her eyes, Lu Zhao unbuckled her seatbelt. “Sorry, I fell asleep. Did I keep you waiting long?”

Gu Xianyue continued to gaze at her, her eyes deep and unreadable. “No, I just got here.”

In truth, she had arrived quite a while ago but had sent Wei Ning ahead to order.

She had initially intended to wake Lu Zhao, but when she noticed the dark circles under Lu Zhao’s eyes, stark against her pale skin and barely concealed by makeup, the long list of diagnoses from the medical report resurfaced in her mind.

Never mind.

She abandoned the idea of waking her.

She pulled out her phone, handling Yunqing Group matters while waiting for Lu Zhao to wake up.

Lu Zhao still felt a bit apologetic. She hadn’t expected to fall asleep in the passenger seat—it felt rather impolite.

“Sorry, I guess I’m just really tired today,” she said.

In truth, she hadn’t been sleeping well for days. The phantom pain in her missing limb had returned with increasing frequency, often keeping her awake at night.

The brief nap she’d taken in Gu Xianyue’s car had been the deepest sleep she’d had in days.

As Gu Xianyue stepped out of the car and walked with her toward the elevator, she remarked, “Bach’s music is quite hypnotic, isn’t it?”

Lu Zhao was surprised by the sudden comment.

“Yes… a little. Maybe I just lack taste.”

Gu Xianyue pressed, “Do you prefer Chopin or Schubert?”

Lu Zhao’s eyes lit up. “Exactly! How did you know?”

Gu Xianyue smiled faintly. “Just a wild guess.”

Of course, it wasn’t a wild guess at all.

Finally, Lu Zhao had found a common topic to discuss with Gu Xianyue, easing the awkwardness. She began chatting about classical music.

Though their tastes were completely opposite, she could still find common ground while respecting their differences.

Sure enough, Gu Xianyue’s expression softened, losing its earlier coldness.

Lu Zhao sighed inwardly, realizing that trying to get closer to someone could indeed be effective.

As they continued chatting, she noticed that Gu Xianyue’s preferences shared a distinct pattern: they all possessed a strong rational quality, mirroring Gu Xianyue’s own personality.

Once Lu Zhao grasped this, she felt she could finally understand Gu Xianyue’s tastes.

Wei Ning had arrived at the restaurant earlier and was already seated, flipping through the menu, when she saw Lu Zhao and Gu Xianyue walking in side-by-side, chatting and laughing, occasionally exchanging glances.

Gu Xianyue’s gaze toward Lu Zhao, in particular, held an indescribable strangeness.

Wei Ning felt puzzled. Hadn’t these two been awkward just moments ago? How had they reconciled so quickly?

Wait… what do you mean “reconciled”? I set this up! Why do I feel like a third wheel?

It wasn’t until the pair sat down that Wei Ning realized with shock that her adopted daughter had chosen to sit next to Gu Xianyue.

She stared across the table, her eyes widening in surprise.

When did these two become so close?