Chapter 1590: Little Little Jinbao

When people know of an inevitable, irreversible outcome some time in advance, they accept it much better when the moment finally arrives.

Ye Chuanping was just like that; she accepted this result she had long known about with relative composure.

The company was delisted and went bankrupt; she was even slapped hard several times by shareholders who were driven to desperation upon learning the truth. She was quite content; after all, she had let them lose so much money following her, and it was fortunate enough they hadn't killed her.

Her scheme of siphoning money from the company under various pretexts was also exposed. Her funds and assets were confiscated, she was fined, and she was arrested and sentenced. The other shareholders would not let Ye Chuanping off; if not for the need to follow the law, they truly wanted to kill Ye Chuanping.

However, she wasn't left with absolutely nothing. She was a wealthy person, after all, and still had legitimate assets, though not many remained. All that was left for Gu Yuan was a ninety-square-meter old apartment and over a million in cash.

Sunlight shone in through the window, brightening the room. The dust inside seemed like dancing sprites, swirling in the light. Yet Gu Yuan, who had drunk himself into a stupor, seemed like a rat in a gutter that couldn't bear the light.

Of course, that was just a figure of speech; in reality, he was woken up by the heat of the sun...

He was disheveled, his eyes bleary with drunkenness, muttering unconsciously. He reached out to fumble for the cigarette pack, pulled out the last cigarette, and squeezed the pack hard before tossing it aside. With a *bang*, he lit the cigarette with his loud lighter and took a deep, full drag.

Smoke billowed out, dispersing in the sunlight, as if the entire room were shrouded in it. He just hung the cigarette from his lips, staring blankly at the ceiling...

Clearly, Gu Yuan's ability to accept reality was not as good as his mother's.

It had already been three days since his mother was arrested, their properties were seized, and he had moved into this small apartment. Gu Yuan still hadn't recovered from this massive upheaval. He turned off his phone, refusing to communicate with the outside world, and likewise refused to communicate with Gu Li.

He just locked himself in the small apartment, drinking and smoking. When hungry, he ate instant noodles; when out of cigarettes and alcohol, he went downstairs to eat and drink. No one could reach him, because no one knew where he was living.

Perhaps, no one was trying to reach him anymore, either...

He was in great pain. He was pained by the massive disparity between being a rich second-generation heir and now having only a small apartment and a little over a million in wealth.

To ordinary people, an old apartment in Shanghai and a million in cash were things they couldn't even dream of. But to Gu Yuan, this was truly a tangible, unbearable pain. After all, he used to spend tens or hundreds of thousands a month; how could he endure this? Not to mention anything else, just lying in this small apartment felt like being sliced by a thousand cuts—a continuous, compounding pain.

At the same time, he was also very regretful.

Because if he hadn't been so impulsive and reckless at the start, and hadn't gone to cause trouble for Wang Yan, then all of this could have been avoided. Everything would still be as it was before.

His mother wouldn't be inside, his family wouldn't be bankrupt, he wouldn't have known about Gu Li's affairs, and he wouldn't have gone in to serve three months.

It was just a pity that there was no regret medicine in this world; he had no chance to start over. He just kept regretting...

Yet, no matter how much he regretted, he had no desire to reflect. In fact, given his personality and style of conduct, even if he hadn't known about Wang Yan's affairs at the beginning and hadn't spent money to hire Xicheng, he would have eventually learned about Wang Yan later on. He would have known that Gu Li and Wang Yan were at odds, and he definitely would have stood up for Gu Li.

At that time, he might not have spent money to find Xicheng; he might have jumped in to confront him directly, and he still would have made an enemy. It was merely a choice between getting beaten up and serving three months...

*Clang, clang, clang—*

Just as Gu Yuan was busy regretting and hating Wang Yan every day, the security door was knocked, followed by a voice.

"Open the door, police!"

"Is anyone home? Open the door quickly!"

"Gu Yuan, open the door, it's me, Gu Li..."

The knocking continued. Gu Yuan dragged it out for a while, finishing his cigarette, and only when he heard them calling for a locksmith did he slowly get up to open the door.

"Gu Yuan! Are you okay? You scared me to death!" Gu Li stepped forward, concerned.

"Why did you come?"

"I was worried about you, how could I not come? Your phone was off. I looked for you for two days and only found out the news today after calling the police."

Speaking of the police, Gu Li realized there were officers on the side. "Sorry to trouble you, officers."

The two officers said it was no trouble, then went inside to take a look around before leaving. Once the door closed, only Gu Yuan and Gu Li remained.

There was a long silence.

Gu Yuan was unwilling to speak, and Gu Li was thinking about how to say things appropriately.

Looking at the slovenly state of the room, Gu Li let out a long breath and said, "Gu Yuan, you have to pull yourself together! When things happen, you have to face them; you have to keep living. Escaping like this is not a solution, and you can't escape it."

Gu Yuan lit a cigarette and opened a can of beer, smoking and drinking simultaneously.

Gu Li continued, "It's already been three days, Gu Yuan. You have to accept it sooner or later, don't you? And there's no need to be this decadent. I can support you; you know I'm willing."

"Willing?" Gu Yuan sneered. "I'm afraid you've forgotten what you said when we argued before? You said my clothes and shoes were all bought by you. And now you're willing to support me again?"

"That was just angry talk during an argument! Don't you understand?" After saying this, Gu Li got a bit angry. She stepped forward and swatted the beer out of Gu Yuan's hand. "Fine, even if I don't support you, shouldn't you consider your own future?

Gu Yuan, ever since the start of senior year, you've only attended a few days of class. Maybe it didn't matter before, and you didn't care about a diploma. But what about later? Besides, didn't you come to university to get a diploma? You should know that having a diploma and not having one are two different things. You can't just sit around and eat through your savings, right? You have to find a job to support yourself. Why are you glaring at me? What did I say wrong?"

"It's all because of you! If it weren't for you, how would I have come into conflict with Wang Yan? How would I have ended up like this today? It's all your fault!" Gu Yuan almost roared.

Gu Li couldn't believe Gu Yuan's current attitude, because Gu Yuan hadn't said things like this before. He had said it was his own choice, that he was willing to do anything for her, Gu Li, even die.

She widened her eyes: "So that's what you think now?"

"That is exactly what I think! Is there a problem? Isn't it right? Gu Li, you're just a bitch! I've ended up like this, and you come here pretending to be a good person. Yes, I admit what you said is right, but you aren't me. You haven't experienced what I've experienced. What right do you have to tell me these things?

No! That idiot Wang Yan won't let you off either. Your words are so reasonable, Gu Li; you should think more about the advice you're giving me, and comfort yourself with it when the time comes. Let's see if you can handle it!"

Gu Li let out a long breath, calming her emotions. "You're too agitated right now. Wait until you've calmed down; I'll come back tomorrow."

"You don't need to come back! I don't want to see you!" Gu Yuan cursed her as a bitch again.

Gu Li didn't respond and quickly opened the door to leave. It wasn't until she reached downstairs that her tears finally broke the dam.

She was very sad, truly very sad. She believed that what Gu Yuan said at this moment wasn't just a burst of emotion, but that Gu Yuan truly thought this way. This was what made her sad.

But thinking of Wang Yan's smiling face that should have been beaten flat, thinking of Tang Wanru's gossip, and thinking of all the things between her and Gu Yuan in the past, Gu Li finally chose to believe that Gu Yuan was just momentarily agitated...

Gu Li calmed herself for two days, but just as she wanted to go find Gu Yuan to have a good talk, she received even worse news first.

"What did you say? My dad was arrested?"

In the apartment building, Gu Li held her phone, repeating the question in disbelief.

It was this sentence that attracted the attention of Lin Xiao and Tang Wanru.

Within a few sentences, Gu Li hung up the phone and cursed in a panic, "That psychopath Wang Yan!"

"Gu Li, what's going on?" Lin Xiao asked with concern.

"It's too much to explain. I have to go quickly. Anyway, this must be Wang Yan's doing, that's for sure."

Gu Li cursed as she put on her shoes. Without saying much more to Lin Xiao and the other, she hurried away.

Tang Wanru said, "Gu Li is in such a rush; it seems their family's situation really isn't good. Lin Xiao, do you think Gu Li will become like Gu Yuan? Wouldn't that be miserable? Wouldn't we never be able to enjoy such a good life again?"

"Tang Wanru! You're really disloyal! Is your friendship with Gu Li just for the sake of enjoying a good life?"

"Of course not. I'm just thinking of the worst-case scenario and lamenting our current life. No way, Lin Xiao, do you really think I'm such a disloyal person in your eyes?"

"Fine, fine, I was wrong."

Lin Xiao waved her hand, then thought for a moment and stood up to change her shoes.

"What are you doing now?"

"I'm going to find Wang Yan! I'm going to ask him what exactly he did to Gu Li's family. Her dad has been arrested; he's simply gone too far!"

Tang Wanru asked uncertainly, "Then should I go with you?"

Lin Xiao waved her hand: "Forget it. Didn't you do high-intensity training yesterday and haven't recovered yet? You should just rest."

So Tang Wanru didn't insist anymore: "Alright then. Wang Yan wouldn't hit a woman, so there's no danger in you going."

As she spoke, she was typing on her phone...

Lin Xiao walked quickly and arrived aggressively at the Entrepreneurship Center, finding Wang Yan, who was eating lunch.

"What's the meaning of this? Here for a fight?" Wang Yan asked with a smile.

Lin Xiao glared at Wang Yan: "I just can't beat you, otherwise do you think I wouldn't want to hit you?"

Wang Yan shoveled rice into his mouth: "Wanting to hit me and being able to beat me are two different things. I can beat you, but aren't you still perfectly fine?"

"Come out for a moment, let's talk."

"Can't you see I'm eating? I know what you want to talk about; condemning me again, right? But who told you to be so pretty." Wang Yan raised his eyebrows at her, grinning. "You go outside first; I'll come down once I finish eating. Hey, don't glare at me. Can't you see Lin Quan isn't saying anything? She's already scolded you."

"Get lost, get lost, am I a dog?" Lin Quan was the first to get annoyed.

Lin Xiao couldn't bear to watch their flirting, snorted, and turned to leave.

Lin Quan leaned in close to Wang Yan, her big eyes full of anticipation, and whispered, "What did you do to Gu Li?"

"You say it as if I'm some bad person. It's not what I did to Gu Li; it's what Gu Li's family encountered."

"Fine, then dear Boss Wang, may I ask what Gu Li's family encountered?"

Wang Yan mumbled while eating: "Her dad was arrested; it just happened not long ago."

"Because of what?"

"Financial issues. He'll probably get sentenced to over a decade."

"Then won't Gu Li's family end up just like Gu Yuan's?" Lin Quan was quite excited.

"Pretty much."

"Good, let's see how they show off in the future." Lin Quan felt a sense of revenge.

After joking with Lin Quan and finishing lunch, Wang Yan strolled downstairs, lit a cigarette, and sat down next to Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao started with an interrogation: "Why did you do this?"

"Wasn't the reason I gave Gu Yuan enough of an explanation?"

"But Gu Li's dad was arrested, and he'll likely be sentenced!"

"He will definitely be sentenced." Wang Yan said with a smile, "The day after you came over last time, Gu Li also came to find me. She came to beg for mercy, and at that time I told her... So Lin Xiao, do you think there's anything wrong with her dad being arrested? Breaking the law and paying the price—isn't that how it should be? Otherwise, what is the law for?"

"But at the very beginning, it was just such a small matter..."

"At the beginning, I didn't do anything. It was Gu Yuan who came to trouble me, and it was Gu Li who came to threaten me. It only developed to this point afterward. You can't blame all the problems on me, the victim."

"You're the victim? Wang Yan, do you dare to be any more shameless?"

Wang Yan shook his head: "I've said it many times; it's not that they didn't want to fix me, it's that they couldn't beat me. Otherwise, would you be saying these things to me here, just like you said them to Gu Li? I don't think so. After all, your attitude toward Lin Quan's death says it all."

"It's not like that, at the time it was Gu Li..."

"It was her, it was you, it was all of you. Does it matter who you say is more at fault?"

Lin Xiao fell silent, speechless.

After a while, she watched Wang Yan extinguish his cigarette, precisely flicking the butt into a trash can several meters away.

"Then what exactly do you need to..."

Wang Yan shook his head: "Do you think the law is just for show? Why don't you go change the law? If you can do that, Gu Li's family will be fine."

Lin Xiao let out a decadent sigh: "Clearly nothing happened, yet step by step, it reached this point. I should hate you, but I can't bring myself to, because although you went a bit too far, you weren't wrong..."

"Although you say I went too far, which is very incorrect, I'm quite satisfied with your attitude. I have some very explosive news here; do you want to hear it?"

"What news? How explosive can it be?" Lin Xiao looked at Wang Yan suspiciously.

"Actually... the person who reported Gu Li's family wasn't me."

"Then who was it?"

"Why don't you take a guess?"

"You're so annoying, I won't guess. Are you going to say it or not?"

Lin Xiao frowned, but seeing Wang Yan's composed look, her not-so-clever brain suddenly had a flash of insight.

She said uncertainly, "It wouldn't be Gu Yuan, would it?"

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Is that explosive enough?"

"Ah?"

Lin Xiao opened her mouth wide in shock...

?? Daily thanks to the good brothers who tip, vote for monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and silently read the book for their strong support! ===== CHAPTER 1591 =====