Chapter 543 — Two Possibilities

"Confirmed your relationship? What relationship?" Gu Pengzhan asked.

"Boyfriend and girlfriend, of course!" Zhong Yongliang tried to sound casual. "Think about it, Uncle Chu. What other relationship could there be between a boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Then why is she at your place? Why didn't she come with you?" Gu Pengzhan clearly did not believe a word of it.

"She... she was tired and fell asleep! You know how girls are -- the first time they do that sort of thing, it's not so easy for them to get around!" Zhong Yongliang said, somewhat embarrassed. "For one thing, she was too shy, and for another, I was worried she wouldn't be able to walk properly, so I let her stay home and get some sleep, rest up a bit..."

"Oh? Is that so?" Gu Pengzhan's frown deepened. He did not believe his daughter would give herself to some boy so casually. She was grown now, true, but this was not a casual matter. Even if someone told him Gu Mengyao had done such a thing with Wei Zhao, he would have his doubts -- let alone with Zhong Yongliang, whom she had never cared for! Unless his daughter had been confused... Wait. Confused? Could Zhong Yongliang have used some trick? At the thought, a surge of fury rushed through him. If the brat dared to do such a thing, Gu Pengzhan would stake his entire fortune to see the boy dead!

Seeing the look on Gu Pengzhan's face, Zhong Yongliang's confidence began to falter, but he did not want to back down. He could only say, "Uncle Chu, don't worry. Yaoyao is fine, just a little tired. She's only sleeping..."

"Then tell me, how did the two of you get together? How did my daughter come to accept you?" The more Gu Pengzhan looked at Zhong Yongliang, the more he felt something was wrong. He had been navigating the business world for years -- how could he not read a man's face?

Never mind a naive high school kid like Zhong Yongliang; even the old foxes of the business world would struggle to hide their flaws under Gu Pengzhan's scrutiny. So Gu Pengzhan was certain that Zhong Yongliang had not been telling the truth.

Of course, there were two possibilities for the lie, and Gu Pengzhan could not be sure which it was. The better one: nothing had happened to his daughter at all, and Zhong Yongliang was merely bluffing. The worse one: half of what Zhong Yongliang said was true -- he really had done something to Gu Mengyao, only perhaps by less than honorable means.

"Uncle Chu, you know I've been pursuing Yaoyao all along! We're about to graduate, aren't we? I figured if I didn't confess now, I'd never get the chance!" Zhong Yongliang had rehearsed his words long ago, so when Gu Pengzhan questioned him, he spoke with practiced ease. "A few days ago, on the campus tree-planting day, I prepared a confession spectacle of fireworks, a night of blazing trees and silver flowers! I used fireworks to spell out the words 'Yaoyao, I love you' -- the whole school, teachers and students, were there that day, they can all bear witness! And so, Yaoyao was moved, she accepted my confession, and became my girlfriend!"

"Is that so?" Hearing Zhong Yongliang speak so fluently, Gu Pengzhan was a little convinced -- convinced, that is, that Zhong Yongliang really had staged such a confession, not that his daughter had accepted it.

"Of course! Yaoyao was moved to tears!" Zhong Yongliang said smugly. "As the saying goes, sincerity moves even stone. I pursued Yaoyao for three years -- even a stone-hearted woman would have been moved!"

"Oh. And then the two of you went to a hotel today?" Gu Pengzhan nodded and asked mildly.

"Heh... not a hotel, my home..." Zhong Yongliang nodded, embarrassed. "Uncle Chu, you've been through this age yourself. Now that Yaoyao and I are together, other things naturally follow... But don't worry, I'll take responsibility!"

"Oh." Gu Pengzhan nodded.

Just when Zhong Yongliang thought he was nearly home free, Gu Pengzhan's voice suddenly thundered: "Yaoyao went with you to a hotel -- and Xiaoshu went too?"

"Ah? That... Xiaoshu..." Beads of sweat instantly broke out on Zhong Yongliang's forehead. Yes -- if Gu Mengyao had gone off with him, then what had Shen Yushu been doing? Clearly Gu Pengzhan had also tried to contact Shen Yushu beforehand and found her unreachable too.

His original plan had not included Shen Yushu at all. He had only meant for Gu Mengyao to follow him up the mountain alone, so he could trap her there. But who could have guessed that when he was talking with Gu Mengyao, she hadn't sent Shen Yushu away, and that curious girl had tagged along up the mountain afterward, forcing Zhong Yongliang to lock Shen Yushu up as well!

Otherwise, what if Shen Yushu went out and spread the word?

At first, Zhong Yongliang had thought it was just one more person to lock up, no big deal, nothing that would affect his chances. But now, with Gu Pengzhan asking, he realized he had been wrong -- he had thought too simply. If Gu Pengzhan couldn't find Gu Mengyao, the first person he would naturally think to contact was Shen Yushu!

And since Shen Yushu had vanished as well, his earlier lie fell apart on its own. There was no reason for him to bring Shen Yushu along if he was going to a hotel with Gu Mengyao -- no one would bring someone else along to do that sort of thing! Did he want to kill two birds with one stone? Zhong Yongliang would have liked to, but it was only a thought; he knew it was impossible.

Besides, he felt nothing for Shen Yushu. He was too busy avoiding her to play any two-birds game with her -- would that not be asking for death?

"What? Nothing to say? Couldn't design your lie properly? Can't find the words?" Gu Pengzhan gave a cold snort. To dare parade such petty tricks before him -- the boy truly thought the business world was too simple!

"Fine. Since you've seen through me, all the better -- saves me the trouble of making up more lies!" Zhong Yongliang simply tore off the mask, no longer caring, ready to fight to the bitter end. "I've got both Yaoyao and Xiaoshu locked up! But don't worry, I won't hurt Xiaoshu. I only like Gu Mengyao..."

"What have you done to Yaoyao?" Gu Pengzhan rose abruptly to his feet. He had not expected Zhong Yongliang to be so brazen as to abduct both Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu -- but what Gu Pengzhan did not know was what Zhong Yongliang had actually done to his daughter.

"How's she doing? What do you think?" Now that Zhong Yongliang had torn off all pretense, he no longer bothered with his earlier deference. He crossed his legs and smirked. "A boy and a girl alone together -- what do you suppose they're doing, Uncle Chu?"

Gu Pengzhan's face turned dark and grim. He had never imagined Zhong Yongliang would be so brazen as to force himself on her. "You dare?" he barked.