C18 Pick up the Phone

Gu Yifan stood with her back to Hsu Moyan, her body suddenly tense. She didn't know how to face him if she turned around. She had already let go of the radio station issue. If it came to it, she could start over. If Moyan dominated A City, she'd move to another city. She was young and determined to succeed someday. No matter what, she wouldn't be threatened by him again.

"What? Afraid to look at me? Feeling guilty? Are you really that desperate for a man?" Moyan's words cut into her heart like a knife, each one sharper than the last. The pain was suffocating.

"If you're so desperate, I'll give your station a chance," Moyan said, arms crossed, watching Yifan's emotions shift from happiness to despair, her body growing more rigid by the moment. This unyielding little wildcat—he would always find a way to control her, even if the radio station wasn't enough. Didn't she have another dream she'd always held onto? The power of choice would always be his.

Yifan took a deep breath, calming the turmoil inside her before she turned around with feigned nonchalance. She replied indifferently, "Even if the station fails under my watch, I won't sell it to you. Give up. You can't use it to threaten me."

Moyan smirked at the little wildcat, watching her defiant stance.

With those claws, it's really not cute at all.

Watching Hsu Moyan remain silent, Gu Yifan vented all her frustrations, her anger and relief echoing throughout the neighborhood.

Hsu Moyan calmly placed a hand on Gu Yifan's forehead, ignoring her fury, and spoke softly.

"You don't want the radio station, but what about Song Tao?"

Song Tao!

Gu Yifan's body suddenly froze, like a robot whose switch had been flipped off.

"What... what did you say?" Gu Yifan's voice trembled as she looked incredulously at the cold-hearted Hsu Moyan.

Song Tao was her grandfather, the reason she fought to keep going. How did Hsu Moyan know about this?

Gu Jieyu would never tell Hsu Moyan, as it was a forbidden topic in the Gu family!

Hsu Moyan's methods were beyond her imagination. What should she do? She could give up the radio station, but her grandfather was non-negotiable. Panic set in for Gu Yifan.

What to do?

What to do?

Who else could help her?

Hsu Moyan had connections everywhere, so who could possibly stand against him?

Gu Yifan felt a wave of despair.

Wait, Feng Shengtian!

A gentleman's face flashed through her mind, a man who had always been kind to her. He could help!

But what reason would he have to help her?

"Don't even think about turning to another man," Hsu Moyan noted the changes in Gu Yifan's expression, also recalling Feng Shengtian, his formidable rival. If Feng Shengtian really wanted to intervene, it would take considerable effort, so Hsu Moyan needed to quash her thoughts quickly.

In City A, the only one who can rival me is the person you met tonight. But even the Shengtian Group is dealing with internal conflicts and can't help you. I'm giving you just one chance—it's up to you to seize it!

Gu Yifan murmured listlessly, "Why are you forcing me?"

"Forcing you?" Hsu Moyan found it amusing. "You nearly ruined my plans! This is punishment, not coercion."

Gu Yifan replied hesitantly, "Fine, what do you want me to do?"

"Tomorrow morning at ten, go to the airport and pick up Zuo Xiuran. Make sure you bring him to me. Otherwise, if anything happens to Song Tao, it's not my problem."

Hsu Moyan, irritated by Gu Yifan's lifeless demeanor, drove off, leaving her standing there.

Gu Yifan returned home in a daze, not even noticing if Tang Anan was around. She stayed awake all night, thoughts consumed with saving her grandfather. With her mother gone, he was her only family, and she wouldn't give up on him.

The next morning at nine-thirty, Gu Yifan arrived at the airport in a simple T-shirt and jeans, holding a sign for Zuo Xiuran. Once there, she realized the sign was pointless. The place was packed, with many others holding signs for Xiuran too.

It dawned on her then that Zuo Xiuran was a popular singer. Meeting him at the airport was either going to be impossible or she'd just blend into the crowd.

Gu Yifan watched the anxious fans waiting and frequently glancing toward the exit, feeling a headache coming on. Hsu Moyan was indeed making things difficult for her!

As time ticked by, Gu Yifan decided to take a risk. No matter what, she had to get in front of Zuo Xiuran and grab his attention to make him leave with her. Yes, maybe she could pretend to accidentally bump into him? It might make the news, but that wasn't a problem.

Standing behind the fans, Gu Yifan kept muttering to herself, psyching herself up, "Get to Xiuran! Get to Xiuran!"

A snort of laughter came from behind her, making Gu Yifan's face flush with embarrassment. "You want to get to Xiuran?" the voice teased, lowering their tone. "With his high standards, you think you stand a chance?"

"And what's wrong with me?" Gu Yifan snapped, annoyed that someone had eavesdropped on her and was now mocking her. It was infuriating!

She turned around, eyeing the person's odd outfit, and rolled her eyes with a scoff. "You must be hiding a face full of pimples, wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a mask in the middle of summer. Either you're clueless or just plain ugly."

"If you're just clueless, I'll forgive you. But if you're ugly, well, it really proves that saying."

"What saying?" the person asked, curious.

Gu Yifan chuckled, her bad mood from having to pick up Zuo Xiuran quickly dissipating. Her rosy lips slowly formed the words, "Ugly people cause trouble!"

The person immediately took off their sunglasses, revealing striking eyes, and incredulously pointed to their own nose, asking, "Me? Ugly? Causing trouble?"

The moment Gu Yifan saw those eyes, she knew this person couldn't possibly be ugly. Those eyes were just too captivating, even for her. But since they weren't on the same side, she had to nod with a straight face.

"Yes! You're really ugly!"

The person huffed, reaching to remove their mask, but hesitated, seemingly concerned about something, and kept it on.

Gu Yifan clicked her tongue, bantering with this peculiar person, completely forgetting her task was to pick up Zuo Xiuran. It wasn't until she heard a loud commotion from the fans that she remembered. She rushed toward the crowd, trying to push her way to the front for a dramatic entrance, but she couldn't get through and was pushed back out!

Her hair was a mess, and she felt even more flustered inside.

"I'm doomed, I'm doomed! I can't win over Zuo Xiuran, I'm finished!"

"Why are you so determined to win over Zuo Xiuran?" The person looked at Gu Yifan quietly, their curiosity piqued.