Naughty Puppy Will Be Eaten by a Bad Woman - Chapter 15

At those words, Lu Zhao’s back stiffened momentarily.

She continued pouring Gu Xianyue a glass of water, her tone perfectly normal.

“Why are you saying this all of a sudden?”

Gu Xianyue rose and took the glass herself, facing Lu Zhao directly.

Lu Zhao lowered her gaze, refusing to meet Gu Xianyue’s eyes. The bar’s overhead light cast a shadow beneath her lashes, obscuring her expression.

“Your medication… it fell into that coat.”

Lu Zhao said nothing, using her crutches to move past Gu Xianyue and settle back onto the sofa.

“I was just a little anxious from work stress lately,” Lu Zhao said, leaning back against the sofa and smiling gently at Gu Xianyue.

In truth, Lu Zhao had suspected afterward that the bottle had fallen into her coat. But she had clung to a sliver of hope that Gu Xianyue would pretend not to notice, preserving her last shred of dignity.

Both her expectations were dashed. Gu Xianyue had torn away her final pretense.

“You have severe post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and somatic symptoms. Medication alone won’t cure you; you need external intervention, Lu Zhao…”

Gu Xianyue took a deep breath, finally choosing to confront her.

“You’ve been investigating me?”

Lu Zhao stared fixedly at Gu Xianyue. The usually gentle and obedient face was now devoid of any warmth, as cold and detached as if she were a completely different person.

She had anticipated Gu Xianyue might investigate her, but she never imagined Gu Xianyue would uncover her history of psychiatric treatment.

Gu Xianyue was momentarily taken aback by Lu Zhao’s sudden transformation, but she quickly regained her composure. “I need to know the full picture of my partners.”

Lu Zhao closed her eyes, as if suppressing some powerful emotion.

Objectively, she knew Gu Xianyue was right—she did need counseling.

But her past failures had instilled a deep-seated resistance. She believed that therapy, beyond forcing her to relive painful memories and exacerbating her suffering, offered no real help.

In fact, she had experienced several panic attacks during sessions.

So she kept putting it off, never making it a priority.

What she found even more unbearable was Gu Xianyue’s knowledge of her mental illness itself.

It felt like her last shred of dignity had been torn away, completely stripping her of the pretense of normalcy in Gu Xianyue’s eyes. All her ugly flaws lay exposed.

She had always tried to present her best self to Gu Xianyue. Though she had already revealed many of her imperfections, she had never intended to expose this most deeply hidden flaw.

She didn’t want the other woman to know that she was not only physically flawed, but also psychologically damaged, riddled with holes.

Gu Xianyue noticed Lu Zhao’s unusual reaction. Her long lashes trembled, and her knuckles turned white as she gripped her hands tightly together.

She realized she might have pushed too hard. But Lu Zhao’s condition was already severe. Gu Xianyue had seen too many people unable to cope with their physical disabilities, ultimately choosing the most extreme solution.

Moreover, Lu Zhao’s situation was particularly complex.

Softening her tone, Gu Xianyue sat beside Lu Zhao and gently took her cold, clasped hands. “I can recommend an experienced psychiatrist. Your condition is serious and requires early intervention…”

“So… you’re going to replace me?” Lu Zhao asked, her voice trembling.

Gu Xianyue’s words—”Your condition is serious”—had pushed Lu Zhao to the brink of collapse. She felt she had become nothing more than a defective product in Gu Xianyue’s eyes.

How could someone like her possibly deserve to continue working with Gu Xianyue?

A wave of intense self-loathing washed over her again, threatening to devour her entirely even in her waking moments.

“What? Lu Zhao, I didn’t mean it that way…”

Gu Xianyue was taken aback, unable to understand why Lu Zhao would jump to such a conclusion.

Lu Zhao withdrew her hand and used her crutches to push herself up. “I’m sorry… It’s getting late, President Gu. I’ll see you out.”

Gu Xianyue’s palm suddenly felt empty. She realized Lu Zhao was actually asking her to leave.

Didn’t we agree to be friends? Why are you being so formal?

What is this? I was just showing concern for her.

Having never experienced such humiliation, Gu Xianyue was about to confront Lu Zhao when she noticed the other woman’s eyes were rimmed with red. Lu Zhao stood with her head bowed, stubbornly leaning on her crutches. Without the support of her prosthetic leg, she looked unsteady, as if she might collapse at any moment.

The words caught in Gu Xianyue’s throat. She grabbed her bag, rose silently, and strode ahead of Lu Zhao, giving her no chance to follow.

“No need to see me out, Reporter Lu,” Gu Xianyue said through gritted teeth, returning the formal, distant title.

With a soft thud, the door closed behind her. Gu Xianyue had maintained her composure until the very end.

She stood there for a moment, the corridor silent.

Until the motion-sensor lights dimmed again.

Without lingering further, Gu Xianyue turned and strode away.

Lu Zhao stood behind the door, leaning on her crutches and balancing on one leg, listening to Gu Xianyue’s footsteps fade away.

She nervously tracked the sound of Gu Xianyue’s heels clicking against the floor, following her through the corridor, into the elevator, and finally out of earshot.

During this time, her chest tightened, and her anxiety grew steadily.

Now alone in the room again, the silence was oppressive, almost deafening. The air felt thin, as if even the oxygen had been drained away.

Gu Xianyue had left. Gu Xianyue had left her home.

This fact circled in her mind like a curse, pinning her in place with restless agitation. In that moment, she forgot she could open the door, could chase after her.

A buried memory of anxiety resurfaced from her subconscious, taking concrete form. It was as if she had once been trapped in endless waiting, obsessing over someone’s departure.

Before the anxiety completely overwhelmed her, she found the medicine bottle and swallowed two pills dry.

The bitter taste of the pills dissolved in her mouth, and she finally couldn’t hold back her tears. She collapsed onto the sofa and wept.

What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she control her emotions around Gu Xianyue? She had always been so good at hiding her feelings, fooling almost everyone.

She had tried her best to act normal around Gu Xianyue, hoping to become close friends, but in the end, her efforts had come to nothing. A crushing sense of failure washed over her.

Perhaps I was never good enough.

The thought numbed the ache in her chest. She pushed herself up with her crutches, turned off the living room lights, and retreated to her room, closing the door behind her.

The room plunged into darkness once more.

Gu Xianyue opened the front door to find her mother waiting for her, a young man seated beside her.

“Yueyue, you said you’d be back right after dinner. Why are you so late?”

In no mood for pleasantries, Gu Xianyue glanced up and recognized the man beside Gu Yu: Sheng Huaixing, the presumptive heir to the Shengye Group.

The term “presumptive” was used because the Sheng family had two other children vying for the succession. Though Sheng Huaixing, as the eldest son, was publicly considered the heir apparent, the actual outcome remained uncertain.

Seeing the heir to a rival conglomerate in her home, chatting amiably with Gu Yu, Gu Xianyue immediately grasped the situation.

Gu Yu had repeatedly hinted at Sheng Huaixing’s potential, emphasizing his youth, ambition, and likely future as the group’s leader. She had urged Gu Xianyue to seize the opportunity and cultivate a close relationship with him.

Gu Yu didn’t explicitly define what she meant by “befriending,” but she was certain Gu Xianyue understood.

In Gu Yu’s eyes, Gu Xianyue’s greatest value lay in marrying a business rival to secure greater benefits for their group.

In the past, Gu Xianyue might have offered a few polite words to smooth things over, maintaining a facade of social grace. But now, she had no patience for such formalities.

“President Sheng, I’m glad you’re enjoying your conversation. I’ll head upstairs now,” Gu Xianyue said, turning to leave.

“Stop right there,” Gu Yu’s voice turned icy as she called out to her daughter’s retreating figure. “Huaixing traveled all this way and waited so late. Is this the attitude you’re going to show him?”

Sheng Huaixing interjected smoothly, “It’s alright, Auntie. Xianyue must be tired from socializing. Let her rest.”

As he spoke, he cast Gu Xianyue a meaningful glance, his gaze lingering over her slender, well-proportioned figure.

Gu Yu clicked her tongue in annoyance. “What socializing? Just that ungrateful, crippled reporter from the Provincial Television Station apologizing to her, and she still insists on continuing to work with him.”

Gu Xianyue turned back to face Gu Yu, her voice cool and condescending. “If I remember correctly, the AI Packaging campaign was your idea, wasn’t it?”

Gu Yu seemed to have been hit where it hurt. “So what? That’s how they advertise it overseas…”

Gu Xianyue cut her off. “So Lu Zhao wasn’t wrong. We did engage in false advertising. And what you just said was dangerous—it could be construed as discrimination against people with disabilities. Don’t forget you’re sitting across from representatives of Shengye Group.”

“If that gets out, it won’t just be a matter of reputational damage.”

“You!” Gu Yu was furious. Gu Xianyue rarely spoke back to her like this, especially in front of an outsider.

Sheng Huaixing stepped in as peacemaker. “Auntie, don’t hold it against Xianyue. She’s probably just stressed from socializing…”

Gu Xianyue frowned, giving Sheng Huaixing and her mother a cold look as they tried to cozy up. “You’ll be attending next month’s International Medical Summit, won’t you?”

Sheng Huainan, thinking Gu Xianyue was showing interest in his travel plans, perked up immediately. “Of course! What about you, Miss Gu?”

Gu Xianyue’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Good.”

Shengye Group absolutely had to attend. Otherwise, the show couldn’t go on.

Sheng Huainan, buoyed by Gu Xianyue’s smile, suddenly felt invigorated.

To be honest, Sheng Huaixing’s interest in Gu Xianyue was driven by business considerations. After all, Yunqing was currently the only medical group in Qingcheng that could rival Shengye in influence. However, he was also genuinely intrigued by Gu Xianyue herself.

If he could win her over, Yunqing would no longer be a competitor. Gu Xianyue was beautiful and capable; she would not only be a presentable partner but could also help manage the group, making her a perfect two-for-one deal.

“Miss Gu, would you be free for dinner tomorrow evening?” Sheng Huaixing rose and bowed slightly, feigning gentlemanly courtesy.

A pungent mix of tobacco and alcohol wafted over, making Gu Xianyue’s nose sting. She almost held her breath.

She glanced back briefly, barely sparing him a full look.

Sheng Huaixing mistook her reaction for coy shyness.

“I’m sorry, I have plans for tomorrow evening.”

With that, she turned and ascended the stairs without another word.

Sheng Huaixing’s visit had soured her mood completely.

She took a long, meticulous bath to wash away the lingering tobacco scent. After carefully applying skincare products, a hair mask, and body lotion, she finally felt her spirits lift as she lay in bed.

She opened her phone, her fingers instinctively tapping open her chat history with Lu Zhao.

Lu Zhao and she chatted quite frequently, though most of their conversations revolved around work matters. After discussing work, Lu Zhao gradually began to exchange a few pleasantries and offer words of concern.

She could sense the shift in Lu Zhao’s attitude toward her, from initially maintaining a strictly professional demeanor to gradually lowering her defenses.

Yet, judging by Lu Zhao’s behavior tonight, the other woman had never truly opened her heart to her—and perhaps had no intention of doing so.

Hah.

She let out a cold laugh.

She had never cared so deeply for anyone in her life. She had shown Lu Zhao unprecedented patience, but Lu Zhao really was, as Gu Yu had said, somewhat “oblivious to kindness” in this regard.

The moment she tried to get even slightly closer, Lu Zhao bristled like a porcupine, pushing her away.

If that was the case, there was no need to force the issue.

To be honest, she did have a bit of a fondness for Lu Zhao, but it was far from the point where she couldn’t live without her. Objectively speaking, intimate relationships weren’t essential to her life.

No one had ever been able to disturb her peace of mind for this long.

Having clarified this in her mind, she quickly drifted off to sleep.

But in her dream, she saw a young woman leaning forlornly against a door, using crutches for support.

The scene shifted again. She saw a woman with a delicate neck wearing a leather collar, her tear-filled eyes raised, rims red, kneeling on the ground without dignity, licking her palm and begging her not to leave.

She woke up drenched in sweat, her body sticky and uncomfortable.

The dream’s images remained vivid in her mind. She couldn’t understand why she’d had such a dream.

Was it revenge for Lu Zhao pushing her away? Had she made Lu Zhao grovel so pathetically in her dream?

Just like her former pet dog.

Only then did she realize that the dog’s rare fits of chewing on things had been because she’d gone on a long trip.

This belated realization had come through a dream—a dream about Lu Zhao.

But when she recalled Lu Zhao’s almost tearful expression, her heart clenched involuntarily.

Her usually rational mind seemed to soften, and she suddenly understood why Lu Zhao had reacted so defensively.

Perhaps Lu Zhao simply didn’t want to end up like in the dream, with her last shred of dignity trampled under her feet.

Ha, if that’s the case, my dream was even more cruel.

But understanding was one thing; true empathy and genuine understanding were another.

The fact remained: Lu Zhao had pushed her away, rejecting her kindness.

She would never apologize.