Adonis CH17: ‘Treat you well’ (7)

Chapter 17: ‘Treat you well’ (7)

The number Qin Zhi Ai dialed is the one of the main mansion. After a short ring, the call connected and Zhang Ma’s voice flooded the receiver, “Hello, this is the Gu mansion.”

Qin Zhi Ai first greeted Zhang Ma before cutting straight into the main point, “Is grandfather home?”

“Old master? He’s home. He just woke up from his afternoon nap. I’ll go get him.” A set of fading footsteps resounded from the receiver. After a moment, Qin Zhi Ai roughly heard the exchange between Zhang Ma and Old Master Gu, “Young Madam called.”

After another pause, Old Master Gu’s voice piped up, “Xiao Kou¹.”

It had already been more than a month since Qin Zhi Ai assumed Liang Dou Kou’s identity. But every time someone addresses her as her ‘Miss. Liang’ or ‘Xiao Kou’, it still takes her awhile before her mind gets around to figuring that they are referring to her.

This time is no exception. There was an awkward pause after the words ‘Xiao Kou’ popped out of Old Master Gu’s mouth before the name registered in her mind. She hastily replied, “Grandfather.”

Then without wasting a second, started on the main topic, “Grandfather, Yu Sheng called me just now to inform me about the charity ball tonight, conveying your wishes for me to attend with him.”

After a pause, Qin Zhi Ai continued, “Grandfather, I am really sorry but I have a flight to US later. I have an assignment there tomorrow so I don’t think I can make it for the charity ball tonight.”

Old Master Gu on the other end of the line is stunned beyond words, only adding after a long interval, “Xiao Kou, is Yu Sheng preventing you from coming?”

“No, grandfather, it’s really a coincidence…” Qin Zhi Ai tried to taint her voice with the tone of a spoiled child, “These assignments were accepted a long time ago. Grandfather, you monitor them on the news so even if I try to use work as an excuse to deceive you, you wouldn’t be fooled either.”

Gu Yu Sheng chuckled, “Of course you should focus on your work first. I’m just afraid Gu Yu Sheng, that lad, is up to something foolish again to cause another rift between you two.”

After getting off the phone, Qin Zhi Ai proceeded upstairs to pack her luggage.

Actually, Qin Zhi Ai did not lie to Old Master Gu, she really has an assignment scheduled in US the day after. However, her flight is due tomorrow instead of today.

Finishing up on her packing, Qin Zhi Ai gave Liang Dou Kou’s manager a call, requesting her to change tomorrow’s flight booking to today, and lugged her luggage downstairs.

Before leaving the house, Qin Zhi did not forget to remind the housekeeper to inform Gu Yu Sheng of her sudden need to leave for work and that he doesn’t need to come fetch her at night anymore. At the same time, she did not forget to remind the housekeeper to inform Gu Sheng that she had already informed grandfather of her to-be absence.

–

When the housekeeper called, Gu Yu Sheng was going through documents in his bright and spacious office.

Without glancing at the phone screen, one hand signing the document and the other sliding over the screen to accept the call, he raised the phone to his ear.

“Mr. Gu, Miss wanted me to give you a call…”

When he heard the word ‘Miss’, Gu Yu Sheng frowned, a look of disgust apparent in his eyes, and snorted with his nose, “Hmph!”

The housekeeper’s hands shivered with fear, her voice shaking as she orated the words from Qin Zhi Ai, “… Miss said, work suddenly arose and she had to leave for US. She won’t be able to make it for the charity ball tonight so you don’t have to come and fetch her anymore.”

Upon hearing that, Gu Yu Sheng stopped flipping through his documents.

 

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¹小蔻 literally translates to Little Kou. The word ‘Little’ is often added to the defining letter in Chinese names as an endearing way to address someone.