Chapter 248 — Deducting Your Salary

If Tang Zhi was his woman, then what did that make her? How was she supposed to use him as a shield now? Was she supposed to go around telling people she was his mistress?

"Yao Yao, are you jealous? Otherwise, why are you so angry?" Shen Yushu waved a hand in front of Gu Mengyao's eyes.

"Jealous? I'm angry! That errand boy of mine is utterly incompetent! He's supposed to be my shield, and instead he's off chasing girls—how is he supposed to shield me now?" Of course Gu Mengyao would never admit she was jealous. Jealous of Wei Zhao? As if.

"Oh, that's nothing. You can just say you're his mistress!" Shen Yushu said.

"Mistress? Xiaoshu, you want me to be his mistress?" Gu Mengyao's eyes went wide with fury. Was this supposed to comfort her, or finish her off?

"What's so bad about being a mistress? I've always figured I'd end up as someone's mistress someday—you'd be the wife, I'd be the mistress. Now it's just that you've become mistress number one and I'm mistress number two. Not much difference, really!" Shen Yushu said carelessly. "You... Xiaoshu, I really don't know what to say to you anymore. What goes on in that head of yours? You think being someone's mistress is fun?" Gu Mengyao was speechless. Her best friend's mind was wired wrong. From now on, she really ought not to talk to her when she was angry—the more they talked, the angrier she got, and in the end she would die of sheer exasperation.

"Oh, it's loads of fun!" Shen Yushu said, though she was idly flipping through the English textbook in front of her. "Yao Yao, there's a test this afternoon. I'm going to review first."

"......" Shen Yushu's reminder made Gu Mengyao remember the English quiz later. She had no choice but to pull out her book—but she had already made up her mind. She was going to have a good talk with Wei Zhao. If he kept this up, she would... she would deduct his salary!

Gu Mengyao discovered, to her dismay, that the only thing she could threaten Wei Zhao with was his salary. It seemed she had nothing at all to keep him in line.

That evening after school, Gu Mengyao received a text message that made her even angrier. Wei Zhao had actually sent word that he had something to do that night and would be home a little late!

Gu Mengyao's fury erupted on the spot. "Xiaoshu, look at this—Wei Zhao says he's going to be late coming home tonight! Tell me, do you think he's out on a date with Tang Zhi?"

"Most likely, Yao Yao!" Shen Yushu said, delighting in the drama.

Gu Mengyao ground her teeth and texted Wei Zhao back: "If you dare come home late, I'll deduct a month of your salary!"

Wei Zhao stared at the message in his hand, a headache coming on. One night out and she was going to dock him a whole month's pay? Wasn't that a bit extreme? Wei Zhao smiled wryly and dialed Gu Mengyao's number.

"What is it?" Gu Mengyao answered the phone icily.

"Young Miss, I really do have something to do tonight." Wei Zhao was a little baffled; he had no idea what had gotten into Gu Mengyao. "What is it? A date with Tang Zhi?" Gu Mengyao shot back. "Wei Zhao, could you at least try to be discreet? You're my shield. Even if you want to chase girls, can't you do it quietly? You've stirred up the whole town—everyone knows about you and Tang Zhi. How am I supposed to use you as a shield now?"

Wei Zhao was taken aback, then it clicked: so this was what had the Young Miss so angry. No wonder she had flown into such a rage!

"Yao Yao, I'm not going on a date tonight. I'm doing a favor for a friend," Wei Zhao explained.

"What friend? What favor?" Gu Mengyao demanded.

"Sun Jingyan—the one we ran into at the bar that day. She wants me to do something for her, and she's paying me for it." Wei Zhao deliberately added that bit about payment, to keep Gu Mengyao from mistaking this for him running around with other women.

"I don't care whether she pays you or not, as long as she doesn't come knocking on my door!" Gu Mengyao was reluctant to let Wei Zhao go see Sun Jingyan, but she could find no reason to stop him, and she could not quite tell what she was angry about. Thinking it over, maybe it was that she feared those women would come looking for him and ruin her plans? Yes, that had to be it. As long as he did not bring those women anywhere near the school, he could do whatever he liked!

Gu Mengyao hung up as soon as she finished speaking, leaving Wei Zhao with the phone in his hand, shaking his head. Was that permission to go or not? Was his salary being deducted or not?

Wei Zhao went to the snack street behind the school, where he unexpectedly ran into Tang Zhi. After school, Tang Zhi had gone to help her mother—the hospital had Kang ** and Liu Xinlan, so Tang Zhi was not needed there anyway.

Seeing Wei Zhao follow her over, Tang Zhi jumped in fright, flustered and bashful, yet somewhere deep down, a little thrill of joy.

The day's events had already spread through almost the entire school, but for some reason, this time Tang Zhi was not nearly as angry as she had been during the last "love letter incident."

Last time it was only a rumor, but this time there was substance behind it. Tang Zhi thought that was probably how it was... but was it really?

Tang Zhi shook her head. Deep down, she no longer rejected Wei Zhao; on the contrary, whenever she was with him, a faint, inexplicable thrill and flutter always stirred in her heart. Had she really fallen for someone too young?

"You... what are you doing here..." Tang Zhi lowered her head, not daring to look at Wei Zhao.

"I came to wait for a friend. She has something she needs my help with." Wei Zhao paused there. "I stopped by to see you on the way."

At first, hearing the first half of Wei Zhao's sentence, Tang Zhi felt a faint sense of disappointment; so he had not come specially to see her after all. But then she heard the second half, and her heart felt as if it had eaten honey, sweetness seeping through it...

"Oh..." Tang Zhi blushed, her heart in a tangle. Had she really fallen this easily? No, she mustn't...

"Your family's business is pretty busy. If it's too much, why not hire another helper?" Wei Zhao glanced at Mother Tang's barbecue stall, already surrounded by students.

"Mm... Mom said the same thing today. If it stays this busy, we'll have to hire someone." Tang Zhi felt grateful to Wei Zhao; if not for him, their family's business would never have become so booming. But then, thinking of the relationship between herself and him, was this a roundabout way of repaying him... Tang Zhi did not dare follow that thought any further, her heart growing more and more tangled. "I... I'd better go help my mom first..."

With that, Tang Zhi ignored Wei Zhao and turned and ran off.

Watching Tang Zhi's retreating figure, Wei Zhao was momentarily lost in a daze... This kind of life really was wonderful.

Only, the moment he closed his eyes, that pair of resentful eyes stabbed viciously into Wei Zhao's heart once more...

Back then, was it the recklessness of youth? Or... a lack of confidence in his own origins? Or was it... that in a life amid a hail of bullets, no one knew which day it would all end?