Chapter 170: You, a Lone Orphan Girl, an Ant Trying to Shake a Tree

The Shen family's car has already driven away.

Only Jiang Lai and Gu Zhiyan remain at the entrance of the private restaurant.

Gu Zhiyan's feigned politeness of pretending to meet Jiang Lai for the first time at the Shen family banquet has completely vanished; his cold stare pierces Jiang Lai.

"Shutong has already been punished, removed from the project team, and hasn't received any honor or achievement from the Self-developed Chip Project; why do you feel the need to mention her pregnancy in front of the elders?"

Shen Lao is a highly respected senior in this circle; as long as Shutong continues her research, she will inevitably encounter him, and that would be very embarrassing.

"Should she be entitled to any honor or achievement from the Self-developed Chip?" Jiang Lai retorts coldly. "Our project is nearing completion; she used Ji Lao's connections to get a slice, which would be tolerable if she simply joined the team. Instead, she wants the primary co‑author position, to replace Professor Cheng as the signing representative, and even tried to hand core data to Shen Xun to help Star Universe Technology win the bid. Her removal from the team is already a very light punishment."

"If it weren't for calling you, Gu Zhiyan, and the forces behind the Gu family, Ji Lao would have left the institute, and Lin Shutong would have no way out of the situation."

"Enough is enough; you can escape once, but not a second time. I'll wait for her to repeat the same trick." Lin Shutong simply cannot endure that temperament.

Gu Zhiyan watches a frail woman spew grandiose words before him and can only find it amusing.

"Jiang Lai, you seem not to understand the true law of the strong devouring the weak in this world. You, a lone orphan girl, an ant trying to shake a tree?"

Jiang Lai's gaze is dark yet flickers with tiny sparks; the cold wind cannot bend her slender waist. She moves alone in the darkness, yet carries a lantern like a solitary traveler.

Silent and speechless, unyieldingly resilient.

Gu Zhiyan continues the warning: "You've already gotten what you wanted; you, Doctor Jiang, now shine brilliantly—why bother targeting her, who has gained nothing?"

"She is merely a woman deceived by Shen Xun, not intentionally interfering in your marriage. Shen Xun could have let her intrude, yet that doesn't mean he loves you more. The one you should not let go is Shen Xun, and the one to blame is also Shen Xun."

"Have I ever let Shen Xun go? You just said I ruined his future," Jiang Lai retorts sarcastically. "Lawyer Gu, your memory is negative, and your ability to read people is also negative."

"Shen Xun and Lin Shutong have always been mutually willing."

"Lin Shutong has always known that Shen Xun is married."

"Impossible." He could not refute the first point; the second he rebutted quickly.

"Jiang Lai, you need not try to sow discord between me and Shutong. Even if we never become a couple, I will always be her friend and her backing."

"Friend?" Jiang Lai sighs, the word feeling familiar. "When Shen Xun introduced Lin Shutong to me, he called her a friend—a friend you can sleep with during marriage, and she's even pregnant."

"Jiang Lai!" Gu Zhiyan rebukes loudly, "Watch your mouth."

Jiang Lai calmly says, "If you think the phrase 'sleep together' sounds crude, I can rephrase it as a friend with a factual sexual relationship."

That's not any better.

No one wants to hear others denigrate their beloved.

Gu Zhiyan looks at Jiang Lai with a gaze that seems to want to devour her.

While still waiting for a car, Jiang Lai slowly adds, "Shen Xun has been Lin Shutong's backing for over three years, mainly providing financial support; are you, Lawyer Gu, planning to handle the legal assistance?"

Gu Zhiyan's gaze sharpens, his brow furrowing in confusion: "What financial support?"

He tells Gu Zhiyan that he cannot instantly react to using Lin Shutong's pregnancy as grounds for a lawsuit; after all, he is a lawyer with a certain professional acuity.

"My car has arrived." Jiang Lai looks at the vehicle parked in front of her, checks the license plate, and gets in.

Gu Zhiyan watches the car disappear in a cloud of dust, his brows slightly furrowed.

At that moment, the phone rings.

It's from his sister, Gu Yinxue.

"Brother, are you still in A City?"

Upon hearing his sister's voice, Gu Zhiyan immediately smooths the malice from his face: "Finished filming and back?"

"I haven't bought a ticket yet. If you're in A City, I'll fly over to find you. Mom and Dad said you recently used some family connections to go to A City— for whom? Lin Shutong?"

Gu Yinxue knows Lin Shutong because of her brother.

Gu Zhiyan, reluctant to discuss the topic, says, "I still need to stay in A City for a while. Once you purchase the ticket, send it to me, and I'll book the hotel for you."

"Okay."

"A City is getting colder; did you bring warm clothes? If not, we can buy them in A City."

"Got it."

"Don't just say it; without warm clothes, I can bring you a coat when I pick you up at the airport."

"Then brother, bring me one."

"I knew you girls only care about looks." Gu Zhiyan's voice sounds a bit helpless, then he asks about Lin Shutong, "Have you and Shutong been in touch lately?"

Gu Yinxue says, "I called yesterday; after two sentences she hung up. She seemed burdened with worries."

Gu Zhiyan pauses, then says, "Come over tomorrow; we can arrange a meal with her—you haven't seen each other in a long time."

"Whether we meet or not doesn't matter; it's you who wants to see her, right? You both are in the same place—why don't you arrange a meeting yourself?"

"She has had a lot happen recently; we'll talk about it later." Gu Zhiyan and his sister chatted a bit more before hanging up.

Back at the hotel, he sits on the sofa staring at his phone screen; the message "Are you pregnant?" has already been typed but not sent immediately.

In Gu Zhiyan's mind, the night Lin Shutong helped him resurfaces, along with the subsequent days.

Lin Shutong takes him wandering through foreign streets and sights.

While chatting and laughing with him, her smile is bright, carefree, and free.

When she talks about the research she loves, her eyes sparkle like a glittering galaxy.

That was his first heartbeat in twenty‑seven years.

He also secretly feels a hint of envy.

The legal profession wasn't his passion; the specialization he ultimately pursued wasn't his own choice, but the family's decision.

The Gu family requires someone to enter the lawyer profession.

His life has been arranged from the start; to be precise, every Gu family member's life is.

Except for his father, who in the middle turned rebellious, abandoning politics for business.

Also except for his sister; their father overruled everyone to let Gu Yinxue live her life as she wishes.

He thought his life would remain this dull until he met Lin Shutong.

As lovely as a rose, yet without thorns.

Free and bright, doing work they love.

Unfortunately, he met Lin Shutong a step too late; Lin Shutong already had a lover.

Nevertheless, he still wanted to be by her side as a friend.

Shen Xun's married status was a turning point for him.

But Jiang Lai and Shen Xun divorced.

Shutong was also pregnant.

Gu Zhiyan's eyes drooped slightly as he mused over Jiang Lai's remark about financial support—what exactly did it mean? Was he deliberately stirring trouble, or was it really true?

Did Shutong really know from the start that Shen Xun was married?

Gu Zhiyan, doubtful, deleted the sentence he had prepared and changed it to:

【Shutong, Yin Xue is arriving in A City tomorrow; if you're free, let's have a meal together?】