Chapter 537 — Someone Who Looks Just Like You

Gu Mengyao was stunned for a moment at Shen Yushu's words. Was that really what Zhong Yongliang meant? She turned to him, her eyes full of doubt.

Zhong Yongliang's expression froze. He had not expected Shen Yushu to be so helpful, to dream up such a brilliant excuse on the spot. He cleared his throat twice and explained, "That's not what I meant..."

"Oh? Then has he figured out that Brother Arrowhead is Uncle Chu's illegitimate son?" Shen Yushu pressed on, curiosity undimmed.

"Xiaoshu! Don't talk nonsense!" The moment Shen Yushu brought up Brother Arrowhead, Gu Mengyao's heart clenched and she shot her a glare. How could they let Zhong Yongliang know about that?

Shen Yushu stuck out her tongue. "I was only joking..."

"Brother Arrowhead? What's that?" Zhong Yongliang was utterly lost. What on earth were these two girls talking about?

"Nothing. If you have something to say, say it quickly!" Gu Mengyao clearly had no intention of explaining.

Zhong Yongliang let it drop. Brother Arrowhead or whatever it was, it hardly mattered; he would settle his own business first. So he said, "What I mean is, Mengyao, do you have any other sisters?"

"Sisters?" Gu Mengyao blinked. "What sisters? Shen Yushu is my sister."

"I don't mean that kind of sister. I mean Uncle Chu -- does he have any other daughters...?" Zhong Yongliang asked cautiously.

"Other daughters? Zhong Yongliang, what exactly are you getting at? Why are you hemming and hawing? Can't you say what you have to say all at once?" Gu Mengyao was growing angry. What did the man mean by it, circling about in this roundabout way, hinting that her father had a bastard son or daughter somewhere out there?

"Ah, Mengyao, maybe I was mistaken. It's nothing, nothing at all..." Zhong Yongliang waved his hand in a show of reluctance, as though to leave, then tacked on at the last moment: "But how can there be two people in this world who look so alike?"

Gu Mengyao had not been the least bit interested in what Zhong Yongliang was saying; if he wanted to leave, let him leave, and she had no mind to call him back. But at his parting words she faltered, then called out, "Zhong Yongliang, what do you mean, someone who looks alike? Someone who looks like me?"

"That's right. Last night I went with my dad to the Shuangyan Mountain resort. While we were climbing, I saw a woman who looks very much like you -- or rather, who might have been cut from the same mold! At first I thought it was you, so I called out your name..." Zhong Yongliang saw that he had well and truly caught Gu Mengyao's interest, and gloated inwardly. He went on: "The woman gave a start, turned her head, glanced at me, and then hurried away..."

"What? She really looks a lot like me?" Gu Mengyao's breathing grew noticeably quicker, and she fixed her eyes on Zhong Yongliang. "Is that true?"

"Yes. But once she turned around I got a good look at her, and she must be a little older than you..." Zhong Yongliang shook his head. "I thought she might be your older sister or something. Otherwise, why would she turn around when I called out Gu Mengyao?"

"Then... then did she say anything?" Gu Mengyao asked urgently.

"She didn't say a word. She just glanced at me and hurried off!" Zhong Yongliang shook his head. "I was curious, so I followed her, but the further I followed, the more I lost her..."

"Ah!" Gu Mengyao gasped. She stood beside her seat, staring blankly at nothing, lost in thought...

Mother! It must be Mother! A voice seemed to call out from somewhere deep in Gu Mengyao's heart, setting it racing. How could there be two people in the world who looked so alike? So that person had to be her mother!

Gu Mengyao had seen photographs of her mother as a young woman -- she had looked exactly like Gu Mengyao did now. In truth, she had inherited none of Gu Pengzhan's looks; her mother's fine features had passed to her entire. So the moment Zhong Yongliang mentioned this woman, Gu Mengyao's first thought was that he had seen her mother!

One look at Gu Mengyao's face and Zhong Yongliang knew his plan had worked! He had pursued her for three years -- how could he not know her family history? He had known for a long time that when Gu Mengyao was small, her mother had quarreled with Gu Pengzhan and run away from home, and that in all the years since there had been no word of her.

It was impossible that Gu Mengyao did not miss her mother, and Zhong Yongliang had seized precisely on that weak point in her heart, luring her step by step into his trap. And now it seemed he was halfway to success.

"Since you have no sisters, then I must have been mistaken. Never mind -- pretend I said nothing!" Zhong Yongliang shook his head and turned toward the classroom door. As he walked, he silently counted: one, two, three...

"Wait!" Sure enough, Gu Mengyao's voice came from behind him. A faint smile flickered at the corner of Zhong Yongliang's mouth. I knew you would take the bait!

"Mengyao, is there something else?" Zhong Yongliang turned his head, his face wearing an ingratiating look. "Could it be you're finally ready to give me a chance to court you?"

"Stop fooling around!" Gu Mengyao frowned. "If you keep this up, I won't talk to you anymore!"

"No, no, don't be like that. I'll behave, I promise. So what did you want to see me about, Mengyao?" Zhong Yongliang had said that on purpose, hoping to make Gu Mengyao believe he no longer cared about that woman who looked like her, and that his only concern was how to win her over -- so that she would not grow suspicious.

"I want to ask you -- at Shuangyan Mountain, did you really see a woman who looks a lot like me?" Gu Mengyao asked.

"Yes, I did, though she's older than you, so naturally I wasn't interested!" Zhong Yongliang said with earnest conviction. "Mengyao, rest assured, your place in my heart is irreplaceable. She merely resembles you, that's all. I would never give my heart to another!"

"Who asked you about that!" Gu Mengyao was a little displeased. "Zhong Yongliang, cut the useless talk. I'm asking you -- exactly where did you see her?"

"Where, you say? That's hard to explain. It was up on the mountain ridge. If I went there myself, I might be able to find it, but just describing it like this, I can't make it clear..." Zhong Yongliang scratched his scalp, looking somewhat troubled.

"Take me there!" Gu Mengyao could not hold back any longer. Years of longing for her mother, that desperate yearning, burst out all at once in that moment. She no longer cared whether she went to school or not, nor did she have the presence of mind to consider whether Zhong Yongliang's words were true or false. She had only one thought, a single thought -- to see her mother as soon as possible!

"Huh? Now? It's quite late now, and school isn't even out yet!" Zhong Yongliang said, feigning difficulty. "How about we find somewhere to grab a bite first, and talk about going up the mountain afterward?"

"Zhong Yongliang, are you deliberately making excuses to get close to me? I don't want to eat right now! Are you taking me there or not?" Gu Mengyao was so anxious that her judgment had clouded. She simply assumed Zhong Yongliang was using this as an opportunity to get more intimate with her, never suspecting that all of it was a lie he had fabricated!