Chapter 8 Out of Luck

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"Tingjue..." Jian Rou, seeing the scene, wanted to stop him, but she was halted by Gu Tingjue's cold gaze sweeping over her.

Then, her tears fell down her cheeks like beads slipping off a string, poignant as if adorned with fallen pear blossoms, stirring sympathy in anyone who would see.

"Xiaorou, stop crying. Auntie will make the decisions for you. I only acknowledge you as my daughter-in-law; let no other woman dream of stepping through my door," said Gu's mother, huffing with indignation.

Honestly, how worrisome. Has he met some woman? He used to get along well with Xiaorou. How could he have changed his mind so suddenly?

Jian Rou was both angry and anxious in her heart, but luckily she had the support of Gu's mother.

Nothing about the press conference that day had been reported, so Gu's mother was unaware of the specifics.

But Jian Rou knew. Tingjue must be angry because of that incident. It's all that bitch Jian Ran's fault.

The most pressing matter was to win over Tingjue again—she must become Mrs. Gu!

"Auntie, I'm fine. Maybe Tingjue is just in a bad mood, he's been very busy lately, and I understand that," Jian Rou said, appearing to be very understanding.

"Yes, you are such a good girl. Auntie will talk to him," Gu's mother said.

Over the years, Jian Rou's surface efforts had not been in vain. She took every opportunity to curry favor with Gu's mother and was generous with her gifts: limited edition designer bags, clothes, cosmetics—all were promptly presented to Gu's mother.

Thus, Gu's mother considered her the ideal daughter-in-law—filial, obedient, diligent. Although she was in the entertainment circle, she had no scandals, came from a decent family background, and was, in short, a good girl.

"Um, Auntie, let Tingjue have some peace. I'll head back first," said Jian Rou, strategically retreating.

"Okay, I'll have the driver take you."

Emerging from the Gu Family villa, Jian Rou clutched her purse tightly, her knuckles going white.

She bit her lip, itching to confront Jian Ran this very moment.

No, it was decided; she couldn't keep this obstacle around. She had to get rid of that bitch Jian Ran quickly—it was time to take the initiative.

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In the afternoon, Jian Ran went to the airport with her two children to pick someone up. An'an's flight arrived on time. Tang Jing was with him, and when they appeared, there was another burst of exclamations, after all, An'an looked every bit the little model, whether in appearance or attire.

"An'an, we're over here," Lele's tender childish voice called out, waving toward the exit.

At last, she saw them.

Jian Ran smiled, ruffling An'an's hair, her eyes brimming with joy.

Truthfully, she wasn't very keen on An'an entering the entertainment industry, but since he was interested, she felt she had no choice but to support him.

"You've worked hard, Tang Jing," Jian Ran said with gratitude.

Tang Jing was now An'an's agent.

"No trouble at all, Ranjie. You're too polite. An'an is doing great. He won first place in the singing competition, and the ad shoot went really smoothly. He was born for the stage," Tang Jing said proudly.

"Let's go home and talk more," Jian Ran suggested with a smile.

Once home, Jian Ran prepared a big table of food, all dishes everyone enjoyed.

They ate with great joy.

Over the years, Jian Ran's cooking skills had improved dramatically. She was no longer the girl who had never so much as touched a spring onion.

In the evening, after the three children finished their dinner and baths, Lan Lan called, asking Jian Ran to meet her at the Crystal Palace Club after the children were asleep. Lan Lan was throwing a gathering there tonight; it would be a women-only affair.

Lan Lan owned a chain of beauty salons and was quite famous in Jiangcheng City.

Today marked the seventh anniversary of her salon, so after work, everyone was going to the club to celebrate.

Initially, Jian Ran, having seen the children, thought of skipping the event. But Tang Jing, upon hearing about it, urged her to go, insisting it was a rare chance for her to relax. Once work resumed, there would be even less time for leisure.

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She had taken a long flight back home today and, feeling very tired, decided to stay at home, keeping a watchful eye on the children.

Jian Ran thought for a moment, then started to get ready in a simple way before she stepped out the door.

Night fell!

In the bustling city center, there lay Jiangcheng City's most luxurious and grandiose entertainment club—The Crystal Palace Club.

It was a members-only establishment, where mere wealth didn't guarantee entry; Lan Lan could only get in by virtue of her brother Lan Hao's influence.

She had long wished to experience it, and now that Jian Ran had come back, she took the opportunity to bring her to broaden her horizons.

Those coming in and out of this place were all wealthy or of noble status.

Jian Ran got a shock upon arrival—the interior was decorated in a lavishly regal manner, which inexplicably made her nervous, reminding her of that night five years ago.

She frowned slightly, then hurried her steps to the private room that Lan Lan had mentioned.

Once she had knocked and entered, she found that everyone had already arrived. As they were all about the same age, they swiftly got into the swing of things.

Jian Ran also loosened up and started to enjoy herself, happy for Lan Lan, but unwittingly drank too much.

By the time she realized it, her head was already feeling woozy.

"Ranran, are you okay?" Lan Lan had just seen her drinking merrily and had not stopped her, not expecting Jian Ran's low alcohol tolerance.

"I'm fine, I just feel a bit sick. I'm going to the washroom." Jian Ran saw that the private room's washroom was occupied and staggered towards the outside.

Meanwhile, in another VIP private room at Crystal Palace, beneath the dazzling crystal lights, sat three people.

They were all lounging lazily on the sofa, a coffee table in front of them laden with a variety of high-end liquors.

One of the men picked up a glass of alcohol and proposed a toast to the man sitting in the main seat, "Tingjue, here's to you and the beautiful Ms. Jian—may you both soon be lovers destined for each other."

As soon as he spoke, a sharp gaze from the main seat man shot towards him.

"Mo Qi, are you looking to die?" It was just like bringing up the most dreaded topic; Gu Tingjue glared at the man who had just spoken with a sweep of cold light in his eyes.

He had only called Fu Zixuan and the rest out for drinks to alleviate the annoyance of being pestered for marriage by his mother.

Soon after, the other man beside them chuckled lightly, "Mo Qi, you really shouldn't provoke Tingjue. I always tell you to stay away from those young models; now your brain's addled by lust and can't think straight. Think carefully before you speak...."

"What? Did I say something wrong? The media are all reporting their imminent good news—could it all be false?" Mo Qi, the man with the alluring face, retorted with a hint of defiance.

"You're still too green..." Fu Zixuan lamented for his friend for a moment, wondering if he had no idea he was headed for trouble, not realizing that Gu Tingjue's expression had turned thunderous.

He knew that Gu Tingjue was with Jian Rou because Tingjue had slept with her once.

Over the years, he hadn't seen any particularly strong affection from Gu Tingjue towards Jian Rou.

At most, Tingjue had provided her with much aid, resembling compensation rather than affection.

"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Mo Qi was still rash with youthful vigor, lacking the maturity and poise of Fu Zixuan.

Gu Tingjue glanced at them, picked up a glass of liquor, and downed it in one go, "I'm going out to splash some water on my face...."

He had no interest in being their gossip fodder and wanted to get some fresh air.

No sooner had Gu Tingjue stepped out of the VIP room than two bodyguards promptly followed him.

He gestured for them to stop and then headed to the washrooms on his own. Rounding the corner, he collided full-on with Jian Ran coming the other way.

Jian Ran, already feeling quite ill, stumbled from the collision, and suddenly retched, vomiting on the other person's clothes!

"Ah..." Jian Ran exclaimed in shock.