Naughty Puppy Will Be Eaten by a Bad Woman - Chapter 29

◎Gu Xianyue’s palm was soft and delicate, its warm, smooth texture reminiscent of fine mutton-fat jade.◎

Yu Yanqiu recognized Lu Zhao immediately and rushed over, excitedly clasping her hand.

“It’s really you, Xiao Lu!”

A flash of joy at their reunion lit up Lu Zhao’s eyes.

“Teacher Yu, it’s been so long!”

Yu Yanqiu had been Lu Zhao’s professor for several major courses at Capital Media University, and Lu Zhao had even served as her class representative. Upon graduation, Yu Yanqiu had warmly invited Lu Zhao to stay and pursue further studies, having always admired her bright and diligent student.

Gu Xianyue watched the reunion, her gaze lingering on their warmly clasped hands, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.

Hmph, how does Lu Zhao know people everywhere? Didn’t she say she didn’t have many friends?

“Oh dear, I was so excited to see Xiao Lu that I forgot to greet everyone properly… I drove here today, so let’s raise our tea cups in place of wine to toast!”

Yu Yanqiu rose to offer a toast to the group, her face glowing with happiness.

“No worries,” Gu Yu replied with a smile. “The dishes haven’t all arrived yet anyway.”

Yu Yanqiu’s outgoing personality radiated warmth, instantly enlivening the previously stiff atmosphere in the private room.

As the current Vice President of the National Media Association and a guest at the International Medical Summit, Yu Yanqiu was clearly being courted by Gu Yu, who hoped to cultivate connections that would pave the way for Yunqing’s future expansion in the Capital.

Gu Yu hadn’t anticipated that Yu Yanqiu was Lu Zhao’s former teacher. However, this connection wasn’t difficult to deduce, given Yu Yanqiu’s long tenure as a professor at Capital Media University.

“Are you acquainted with Reporter Lu, President Yu?” Sheng Huaixing asked.

“Of course! Xiao Lu is one of my most outstanding students. She even helped me win several bonus awards,” Yu Yanqiu replied candidly, making no attempt to hide her admiration for Lu Zhao.

Lu Zhao smiled modestly. “That’s all thanks to Teacher Yu’s excellent guidance.”

Capital Media University regularly encouraged students to participate in various competitions, with faculty members serving as mentors. When students won awards, the supervising teachers shared in the honor and received substantial bonuses from the university.

During her university years, Lu Zhao had amassed so many provincial and national awards that her hands ached from carrying them all. As her supervising teacher, Yu Yanqiu naturally reaped considerable financial rewards as well.

The two women opened up, pouring out their hearts to each other. Over the years, one had been in the Capital, the other in Qingcheng, both immersed in their busy lives. Seeing Yu Yanqiu again, Lu Zhao felt as if a lifetime had passed.

Yu Yanqiu was a teacher brimming with passion for education, dedicated to her students and nurturing them wholeheartedly. She was also a columnist for the Capital News Channel. Lu Zhao had learned so much from her, and over time, their relationship had evolved from teacher-student to that of close friends.

Midway through their conversation, Yu Yanqiu excused herself to take a phone call. Shortly after, Lu Zhao glanced at her phone and also went to the restroom.

“Teacher Yu, you were looking for me?” Lu Zhao found Yu Yanqiu in the courtyard.

As dusk approached, dappled shadows from the trees danced across Yu Yanqiu’s face. The fine lines of age didn’t diminish her radiance; instead, they lent her an air of serene composure. Though wrinkles had formed at the corners of her eyes, her gaze remained steady and sharp, as if capable of piercing through any pretense.

“Xiao Lu, I remember when you were in university, you sued our school over the construction noise. But I never imagined you’d end up tangling with the Gu Corporation…”

Lu Zhao felt a sudden wave of disorientation. The mention of something so distant, almost from a past life, abruptly pulled her thoughts back to those days.

At the time, Lu Zhao was a freshman. The university was expanding its teaching buildings, and construction crews drove piles from dawn till dusk, even during break times. The students were deeply disturbed, but no one dared to protest. After all, this was the university, and graduation was still years away. Who would risk causing trouble? Many students preferred to rent off-campus apartments to escape the noise, enduring the financial strain rather than the constant disruption.

But Lu Zhao couldn’t bear it. She never went out to play and spent even more time on campus, making the noise particularly unbearable for her compared to her classmates.

She couldn’t afford to rent an apartment and desperately needed a relatively quiet environment to study and rest. Without the scholarship, she wouldn’t be able to repay her student loan, and if she couldn’t repay the loan, she might have to ask Wei Ning for financial assistance again…

She was determined to win the scholarship. Before enrolling, she had researched the various scholarship tiers—university-level, city-level, provincial-level, and national-level—each offering progressively larger amounts based on academic performance and comprehensive evaluations. Theoretically, she had a chance at any of them if she applied.

For money that could be earned through hard work and fair competition, she was absolutely determined to succeed. She had even started previewing her major courses before the semester began.

She absolutely couldn’t let all her hard work go to waste.

After weighing the pros and cons, she bought a decibel meter and successfully gathered evidence of the school’s illegal construction activities outside permitted hours, with noise levels exceeding legal limits. She filed complaints with the student counselor, urban management bureau, administrative departments, and education authorities, but the matter was passed around like a hot potato for weeks, with no resolution in sight.

After all, this was a construction site at Capital Media University, and everyone was turning a blind eye.

Lu Zhao was deeply frustrated. Despite submitting clear evidence and being assured the matter would be addressed, the noise persisted for days, disrupting her sleep.

Left with no other choice, she finally drafted a lawsuit, dark circles under her eyes, and sued both the university and the construction company.

Finally, upon receiving court summons, the university and construction company complied.

She could finally sleep soundly and focus on her studies.

This victory benefited all students and was nothing short of heroic. Word spread like wildfire among the student body—a first-year journalism student, not even a law student, had single-handedly sued the university, forcing the construction site to rectify its practices.

Lu Zhao’s actions quickly gained her a small measure of fame within the university. They even caught the attention of Yu Yanqiu, a professor in her college, who requested a meeting with her. Initially, Lu Zhao braced herself for a lecture, but when she arrived at Yu Yanqiu’s office, the professor warmly invited her to join a team for an upcoming innovation and entrepreneurship competition, promising substantial prize money.

Needing the funds, Lu Zhao vaguely agreed to become the team leader. With Yu Yanqiu’s guidance, the project was successfully approved, and the team advanced through the university, provincial, and national stages, overcoming each challenge with remarkable momentum. In the end, they secured a national silver award.

As a first-year student who had won a national award while serving as the project’s team leader and principal investigator, Lu Zhao had all but guaranteed her status as an outstanding student for the year. These honors also contributed to her comprehensive evaluation score, and combined with her consistently top-ranked academic performance, Lu Zhao had virtually secured her scholarship for the academic year.

Yu Yanqiu was overjoyed. From then on, she dragged Lu Zhao into every competition she could find, even inviting her to her office—equipped with fiber-optic broadband—to snatch a spot in her own professional courses. Different professors taught the same course, and Yu Yanqiu’s classes were always wildly popular, often filling up before students could register.

While everyone else was frantically scrambling to register for classes on the school’s overcrowded network, Lu Zhao had already swiftly secured Yu Yanqiu’s course, along with her other classes, and even helped a few roommates log in and snag their spots.

From then on, Yu Yanqiu frequently boasted to her colleagues about having struck gold. After all, with Lu Zhao’s name on the team roster, their chances of winning the competition were practically guaranteed.

Now, reflecting on her past actions, Lu Zhao felt a pang of recklessness. Yet, if she had to do it again, she doubted she could have handled things any better.

Without money or connections, she had only herself to rely on.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, she said, “Teacher, I was just so annoyed by the noise that I couldn’t sleep… But what’s wrong with Yunqing?”

Yu Yanqiu studied her for a moment before whispering, “I watched the recent press conference. To be honest, Lu Zhao, were you coerced by Yunqing because of a breach of contract? If you’re in trouble, you can tell me. You’ve helped me win so many prize bonuses before. I can…”

Lu Zhao waved her hands frantically. “No! Teacher, that’s not true! I volunteered to collaborate with Yunqing! President Gu… Gu Xianyue didn’t hold me responsible.”

Yu Yanqiu studied her skeptically for a moment before saying, “Alright, I believe you. But if you encounter any difficulties, remember to tell me…”

Lu Zhao gave her a grateful smile and nodded. “Mm, thank you, Teacher.”

Yu Yanqiu glanced around to make sure they were alone before continuing, “The National Media Association has colleagues in the medical field. A rumor has surfaced recently… Shengye Group is suspected of bribing academic teams to fabricate research papers for their medical products.”

Lu Zhao raised an eyebrow. “Teacher, what’s the source of this information?”

Yu Yanqiu hesitated. “I can’t reveal that, but I followed the leads and it seems credible… Xiao Lu, may I ask what you plan to do?”

Lu Zhao considered for a moment before answering truthfully, “Actually, Provincial Television Station is also preparing to expose Shengye’s dark secrets. We’ve already gathered some preliminary evidence.”

Yu Yanqiu nodded. “Mm, I suspected you’d do that. But there’s also been talk in the medical community lately about Shengye and Yunqing planning a marriage alliance. Those two at the dinner table… does that mean the rumor is…”

Lu Zhao frowned, recalling Sheng Huaixing’s fawning demeanor and Gu Xianyue’s cold attitude.

“Let’s hope it’s just… baseless rumors,” Lu Zhao murmured, lowering her gaze to conceal a fleeting moment of disappointment.

Yu Yanqiu nodded. “Indeed. Shengye’s reputation will inevitably suffer, and Yunqing will be dragged down with it. If two of the nation’s medical giants collapse, public trust will erode, and the National Media Association will face severe consequences…”

Lu Zhao pondered. “Even if such consequences arise, the media still has a duty to report the truth. The public has a right to know.”

She paused, then added, “Truth is the foundation of good, isn’t it, Teacher Yu? Have you already gathered some evidence regarding Shengye’s academic bribery?”

Yu Yanqiu smiled and patted Lu Zhao’s shoulder. “You truly are my most pride-worthy student. After we finish eating, come to the university with me. I’ll hand it over to you personally.”

The two returned to the table, Lu Zhao noticed her bowl was now piled high with food.

“Thank you, Gu Xianyue,” she said with a smile, picking up her chopsticks.

Gu Xianyue asked, “What were you two talking about for so long?”

Lu Zhao glanced meaningfully at the others around the dining table. “I need to go back to school later. I’ll explain everything in detail then. It’s not convenient to talk about it now.”

Gu Xianyue understood immediately and gently took Lu Zhao’s hand under the table. “I’ll go with you.”

Lu Zhao’s hands, stiff from the cold outside, were instantly enveloped by Gu Xianyue’s warm palm, restoring circulation.

The others at the table were engrossed in lively conversation, oblivious to the private exchange between the two women.

Gu Xianyue’s palm was soft and delicate, its warmth and smoothness reminiscent of fine mutton-fat jade. Lu Zhao had once indulged her consciousness, letting it linger on the tips of those fingers, rising and falling like ocean waves…

Unable to suppress her wandering thoughts, Lu Zhao’s cheeks flushed again, even though she knew she shouldn’t be thinking this way.

With a silent sigh, Lu Zhao turned her palm upward and returned Gu Xianyue’s grip.

Just this once, she allowed herself.

It’s too warm.

“Okay, let’s go together,” Lu Zhao said, curling her fingers inward to hold Gu Xianyue’s hand.