Chapter 159 — The Confused Young Lady

But would it even work?

Before long, the waiter led over a creamy-complexioned, pretty-boy sort who was dressed to the nines. In the waiter's view, none of these schoolgirls liked the rugged, hulking type; they all preferred the softer, somewhat Korean-drama-ish pretty boys.

"Ladies, are you satisfied with this one?" the waiter asked, stooping slightly.

"..." Gu Mengyao was somewhat speechless. This was supposed to provoke Wei Zhao? He was not even as good-looking as Wei Zhao. What kind of establishment was this? Looking like that and still coming out to work as a male escort, wasn't it shameful? No wonder that auntie earlier had gone looking for Wei Zhao instead of the male escorts in the bar.

"If you're satisfied, here is the price list..." The waiter handed a small price board to Gu Mengyao.

"All right, all right, no need to look, I've got it." Gu Mengyao felt rather gloomy. She pointed at the pretty boy. "You sit over there..."

After saying that, she stole a glance toward Wei Zhao, only to see him still toying with the glass of red wine in his hand as if nothing had happened.

The pretty boy was overjoyed today. Seeing Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu before him—both were beauties picked from ten thousand—he could hardly contain his excitement that such good fortune had fallen to him.

"Ladies, from the look of it, you're still in school, aren't you?" Seeing that Gu Mengyao said nothing, the pretty boy assumed she was shy, so he spoke first.

"Shut up. Would it kill you to sit there and keep your mouth shut?" Gu Mengyao was rather irritated by Wei Zhao's attitude. This fellow had seen her call over a "male escort," so why had he shown no reaction at all?

But... what reaction should he have had?

For a moment, Gu Mengyao felt lost... That's right, she was the young lady, and he was her follower. He was only responsible for looking after her studies and daily life, occasionally serving as a temporary bodyguard and stand-in shield... He had no right to interfere in her private life either...

And she—why should she care so much about what he thought? She had called over a "fine gentleman"—what exactly was she trying to do? Provoke Wei Zhao?

But why provoke him? What was he to her? If she did this, would he even get angry?

Had she lost her mind? To actually do something so idiotic?

Even if she went and booked a room with this "fine gentleman," Wei Zhao would only follow at a neither-close-nor-far distance, wouldn't he? At that thought, Gu Mengyao felt suddenly deflated...

She really was too foolish—foolish to the point of being ridiculous. Provoke Wei Zhao—why should she provoke him?

While Gu Mengyao hesitated, the pretty boy was also feeling glum. He had thought tonight he might carry a beauty home. Never mind not being paid—he would gladly have paid her! These two were top-tier.

But before his fantasy was even one ten-thousandth realized, Gu Mengyao's fierce shout gave him such a fright that he sat there obediently.

Though he dearly wanted to wrap his arms around the two girls and take them to a hotel right now, inside the bar he dared not act out of line. For now, his role was nominally just to keep them company and chat.

The wolves in the bar, seeing that Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu had actually called over a male escort, were all stricken with grief and indignation. Who would have thought these two had come here looking for thrills... If they'd known, there'd have been no need to call any male escort—they could have just gone up themselves...

Most of the lechers, especially the decent-looking ones, beat their chests and stamped their feet in regret.

Wei Zhao watched Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu, unsure what they were up to, calling over a male host... If it came to that, they might as well have called him—he could have earned a little extra... Just now, after chatting idly with Sun Jingyan for a while, he had made a thousand yuan and even come away with a big wallet. This profession seemed to have real potential.

Behind the bar counter, in a darkened room, a man quietly watched the goings-on in the bar, his gaze never straying from the range of Gu Mengyao's table and Wei Zhao's table.

"That male escort was called over by Gu Mengyao?" the man asked, looking somewhat incredulously at the bar manager beside him, Su Jiaonang.

"Yes, Brother Cihua," Su Jiaonang nodded cautiously.

"To think Miss Chu would go for that sort of thing—no wonder she keeps a bodyguard glued to her side..." This man was the renowned Li Cihua of Songshan City, known to all as Brother Cihua, a figure who walked the line between the legitimate world and the underworld...

Still, anyone with eyes could see he was nothing but a front man pushed out to speak for others; the real power belonged to the person behind him. Otherwise, with no background to speak of and a criminal record besides, Li Cihua would have found it very hard to rise so smoothly in Songjiang City.

Were it not for that person behind him, the police would long since have had him under constant surveillance for the things he did.

"Seems Miss Gu isn't too fond of that pretty-faced boy, eh?" Seeing how Gu Mengyao paid the male escort no mind, Li Cihua said mildly, "Don't you see the table next to them? That's Miss Gu's personal bodyguard—far better looking than that pale-faced fellow."

"Then shall I pick another one?" Su Jiaonang asked cautiously.

"No need. They're probably just sampling something new..." Li Cihua thought to himself that this little Gu Mengyao was quite a piece of work—keeping a man at home and still coming out to fool around, and bringing the man she kept along with her besides... He truly felt sorry for that fellow...

What was that man's name again? Right, Wei Zhao... Yes, it seemed he would have to have a good talk with him, make sure he didn't spoil his own plans...

"Brother Cihua, what do we do now?" Su Jiaonang had no idea how to pick up on Brother Cihua's thread. He knew little about the affairs of those above him; all he had to do was follow Li Cihua's instructions.

"Go make some trouble over by Miss Chu, test Wei Zhao's skills a bit, and then I'll step in myself," Li Cihua said after a moment's thought.

"Understood." Su Jiaonang was well versed in this sort of work. He nodded and went off to make arrangements.

Gu Mengyao felt like a complete fool. She had no idea which nerve had misfired earlier, making her actually order a "rent boy." If Daddy ever found out, he would be utterly, utterly disappointed in her... And Uncle Qing, and her classmates... It was mortifying beyond words.

At first she had been unable to swallow her anger at seeing Wei Zhao living it up over there with a beauty, so when the waiter made his recommendation, she had nodded in agreement. Now it was too late for regret.

By now Gu Mengyao had recovered her composure from that earlier confusion. Wei Zhao was only her follower—why would he be angry? And why should she be angry at him? Could what Xiaoshu said really be true... that she liked Wei Zhao?

That... how could it be? Absolutely impossible.

The man was so infuriating, and such a philanderer—even if she went blind, she would never like him...

But what if she didn't go blind? To that possibility, Gu Mengyao had, for the moment, given no thought.