Chapter 651: Go Back and Analyze Together

The competition ended with the US having 25 points, ranked first.

And China Team placed second with 23 points.

There was no doubt that the US team had once again obtained a victory for this international shooting competition.

The US officials present instantly cheered.

They had always been more bold and unconstrained. They were so happy that they even started dancing.

Although the other countries didn't appear too happy, they had to maintain a certain attitude.

They got to their feet and clapped with smiles on their faces.

Chairman Song and the rest stood up as well. However, their smiles were sincere.

Their smiles were mostly since they felt proud of Yin Ruoyi.

"Not bad. This time the China team got 23 points. It's just a two-point difference compared to the US team."

"For Yin Ruoyi's first appearance, his individual score is just one point fewer than Cruff's. That final battle, especially, was extremely fascinating."

"We've got to compliment Yin Ruoyi later..."

When Gu Qingjiu, who was standing at the back, heard these comments, she sighed inwardly.

She understood that Yin Ruoyi's performance was already considered not bad.

Especially his performance at the end. They could describe it as extremely outstanding.

The two-point difference between the two countries and one point difference between Yin Ruoyi and Cruff was a pity, though.

The prize-giving ceremony would be held tonight.

Seeing as the competition had ended, Gu Qingjiu left the viewing room.

Once the competition ended, they returned for some rest. They would return to China the next day.

When she returned to the hotel, Gu Qingjiu sent a message to Helian Niancheng.

She told him about the outcome of the competition.

Worried that Helian Niancheng might be busy, she didn't abruptly call him...

Shortly after sending that text message, Helian Niancheng's call came.

"The competition already ended?" Helian Niancheng asked in a low voice. From his end of the line came the sound of someone ruffling through pages from time to time.

Gu Qingjiu caught that, so she said, "Mm, it ended. The outcome is quite a pity for us. But our country's players all did well. Are you busy right now?"

"Not really."

Helian Niancheng set down the documents in his hands to focus on chatting with Gu Qingjiu.

"Are you coming back tomorrow? I'll pick you up at the airport."

"Mm. But I'm not sure if the higher-ups will need me to go back to the association with them. I'm afraid the chairman might have things to say. Why don't I go over and look for you after I confirm this?"

Helian Niancheng gave it some thought, then responded in a low voice, "Sure, we'll do as you say."

"Chief Instructor, actually I've wanted to ask you, why does your country not take part in shooting competitions?"

When she was looking at the list of participants, she didn't see anyone from Penalan.

"Our country rarely takes part in such international competitions. It's not strange that you didn't see anyone from Penalan."

After hearing Helian Niancheng's explanation, although Gu Qingjiu was still baffled about why Penalan didn't participate in these competitions, she merely responded with an "oh."

Just then Helian Niancheng suddenly asked, "You'll be taking part in this competition three years from now. Now that you've watched them in advance, do you feel stressed?"

"Stress, not really. After all, there are still three years for me to prepare. That US player Cruff is the key player who obtained today's victory. There's something he did that until now I can't figure out how he did it. The competition just ended. Our association's chairman said he will send me the video for me to analyze later. I have to figure this out."

"The competition of the video? You can bring it back. I have some understanding of this. We can watch it together, and I can give you my opinion for your reference."

Gu Qingjiu immediately agreed.

Chapter 652: Hard to Get Over It

Shortly after Gu Qingjiu hung up the phone, Chairman Song sent someone to invite her to join in China's celebration.

It didn't clash with that night's prize-giving ceremony.

Gu Qingjiu knew that Chairman Song would definitely speak to her about the competition.

Yin Ruoyi should also be back by then.

They held the celebration banquet in the hotel, specifically in a banquet hall which China exclusively used before.

When Gu Qingjiu went over, she saw Yin Ruoyi being surrounded by people.

Contrasting the joyous expressions on those around him, Yin Ruoyi's countenance wasn't too good.

Chairman Song was comforting him.

"You've done very well already. This was your first time, after all. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. In terms of individual scores, you're only one point under Cruff. This is definitely an excellent performance, so don't feel too stressed."

Although this was what was said, Gu Qingjiu could understand what Yin Ruoyi was thinking.

Yin Ruoyi pursed his lips. Having just come down from the competition, his lips looked a tad pale. As he listened to Chairman Song's words, he merely blinked in exhaustion. "Chairman, I understand what you're saying. But I can't get past that hurdle in my heart."

Yin Ruoyi was honest about his feelings.

He didn't care about others' opinions, but he couldn't get past the hurdle in his own heart.

He had always been a proud one. China ranking second this time around dealt him with a blow.

Because he failed in winning Cruff.

"You can't put it this way. In the last minute, your response exceeded everyone's expectations faced with Cruff's attack. Had you discovered Cruff then?"

Gu Qingjiu looked towards Yin Ruoyi upon hearing Chairman Song's words.

"Cruff's ability to conceal himself was indeed powerful. At the time, I only noticed the other player from the US in the house and hadn't seen Cruff. As for what happened in the last moments, I can't articulate it in words either. I guess it was a reflex reaction that allowed me to detect danger. I was merely taking a gamble. But I didn't hit any of that player's vital part, so I only got one point."

Gu Qingjiu instantly understood.

Under those circumstances, it was an emergency state that allowed Yin Ruoyi to discover Cruff's presence.

He wasn't certain if that person was Cruff.

He was merely taking a gamble based on his intuition.

"Actually, we ought to be glad that Cruff was too greedy and had aimed for your fatal spot. If he wasn't so greedy, perhaps we would have a different outcome today."

Chairman Song mentioned the most important reason.

If Cruff had been decisive enough and only aimed to eliminate Yin Ruoyi, he wouldn't have escaped even if Yin Ruoyi realized what was going on. It was probable that Cruff hadn't seen this coming.

Yin Ruoyi furrowed his brows at the mention of this.

He wanted to rebut, but this was a fact.

Cruff's capabilities were indeed terrifying.

He didn't manage to eliminate Yin Ruoyi because he was too careless this time around.

However, China ultimately lost to the US.

With his performance in this competition, Yin Ruoyi became renowned internationally. He had a performance that wasn't inferior to Cruff's; he even escaped when he came across him.

Escape when he came across Cruff.

This was the major reason Yin Ruoyi felt uncomfortable.

He had never tasted defeat, yet today, he could only get this outcome that seemed like a fortunate one in others' eyes.

This was naturally difficult for him to accept.

Getting over it was easier said than done.

Chapter 653: Prize-Giving Ceremony

Although Yin Ruoyi wasn't in too great a mood, his result impressed everyone else.

Most importantly, Cruff's imposing presence made others feel immensely pressured.

It was good enough that they achieved an improvement. Hence, the chairman naturally wouldn't put more pressure upon Yin Ruoyi.

Previously, China placed third.

This was an improvement from that.

While Chairman Song and a few others congratulated Yin Ruoyi, Gu Qingjiu watched by the side for a while. But suddenly, Yin Ruoyi appeared in front of her.

"Did you watch the competition?"

Gu Qingjiu nodded. "Yeah, you did pretty well."

Yin Ruoyi let out a bitter chuckle. "I'm sure you know what I'm thinking. I initially thought I could create a miracle."

"Why not?"

Gu Qingjiu suddenly revealed a brilliant smile. "You will have your revenge next time."

Yin Ruoyi paused. "I thought you would advise me to take it easy as the others and say something like my performance was not bad already."

"That's because I have the same thoughts as you do." Gu Qingjiu raised a brow. "Of course, winning or losing isn't much of our concern. But since we're in this competition, we're doing it to win. We will only let ourselves down if we have no goal. Although Cruff is indeed strong, he is only human. Having taken part so many times, he certainly beats you in terms of experience. The crux lies in the competition three years from now—his last one before he retires from this."

Gu Qingjiu's words made Yin Ruoyi fall into deep thought. "Cruff is indeed a formidable opponent, but he's not unbeatable. The key thing is that the competition venue is too big, which means there aren't many opportunities to stop him from obtaining points."

Of course, Yin Ruoyi knew his own capabilities very well. After this competition, he had gained a fine analysis of Cruff's capabilities.

If this were an individual battle, he wouldn't necessarily lose to Cruff.

But the other party's ability to conceal himself was indeed incredible. He didn't even discover Cruff before he fired the shot.

At this thought, Yin Ruoyi frowned slightly. "Having watched this competition, did you discover any notable points regarding Cruff?"

"Based on my current capabilities, elimination is something I can't ensure, but it's not too likely for me to get points. As I have little practical experience, I'm not as steady as those players. So I can't be sure if my observations will be accurate. I focused on this one thing: Cruff is very skilled at hiding himself, and I cannot discover him. What bothers me is the shot that got him his first three points in the competition."

"Which shot?"

Yin Ruoyi had yet to watch the complete video since he just came from the competition.

"You'll know when you watch the video tonight."

As the duo chatted, Chairman Song walked over with a smile, "Why? Are you two discussing the competition?"

Gu Qingjiu and Yin Ruoyi both nodded and said, "Yes."

"You can discuss it when you get back. The prize-giving ceremony is about to begin. Ruoyi, you need to go over now."

Yin Ruoyi nodded and went there as Chairman Song had instructed.

Chairman Song turned towards Gu Qingjiu with that smile still on his face. "Do you want to go over and look?"

Gu Qingjiu thought for a moment. Although she felt that such an occasion would be quite dull, it would be good to expand her horizons.

Hence, she nodded and replied, "Sure, Chairman Song. Shall we go over together?"

"Alright, let's go."

Chapter 654: I Will Definitely Become Your Nightmare

The process of prize-giving ceremonies was more or less similar.

Although not that sort of prize-giving ceremony with tens of thousands of viewers, the atmosphere was still rather lively.

Yin Ruoyi forced a smile as he received a medal of honour from the United Nations official's hands.

Downstage, Chairman Song and the rest clapped for him.

Gu Qingjiu saw Cruff standing in the middle when he suddenly tilted his head sideways and said something to Yin Ruoyi.

The smile on Yin Ruoyi's face stiffened instantly.

Whatever Cruff said wasn't pleasant.

Cruff couldn't hide the smug smirk on his face.

After the ceremony ended, Yin Ruoyi came down with a dark countenance. Chairman Song, who noticed that scene earlier, gave him a simple reminder, "Ruoyi, you shouldn't display such an attitude at an occasion like this."

They were from China, a great nation of the world.

On such an occasion, with so many people from other countries present, they represented China's image. Hence, they certainly couldn't misbehave.

Upon hearing this, Yin Ruoyi's countenance resumed to its normal state. At least, he didn't look as cold and aloof as earlier.

Gu Qingjiu asked him in a calm voice, "What did Cruff say earlier?"

"..."

Yin Ruoyi pursed his lips and said nothing.

Gu Qingjiu felt Cruff must have said something that pricked at Yin Ruoyi's sensitive spots.

Or else, he couldn't possibly show such a countenance in public and before so many people's eyes.

Of course, this incident only proved that Cruff was of poor character.

Yin Ruoyi and the rest were about to leave after the ceremony had ended when the US representatives suddenly came up to say hello.

Their association's coach accompanied the other party. At the same time, the representative from China was their association's chairman.

The two leaders greeted each other in a friendly manner. However, the players under their charge weren't as friendly.

The moment Cruff walked over, he said to Yin Ruoyi, "It's regretful that you can only call me the witness of the peak."

Although these words didn't sound too problematic on the surface, it was a provocative gesture between players.

But this was a tad vicious to Yin Ruoyi.

He was the genius player China had pinned great hopes upon. It was already regretful enough that Cruff defeated him, and now Cruff had to say something like this.

He implied that even such a genius only served as a stepping stone on his path to the peak.

His last battle would take place three years later. For him to say something like that showed that Cruff had zero regards for Yin Ruoyi.

It was a fact that Yin Ruoyi had lost the competition earlier. No wonder his countenance was so terrible earlier.

Next to him, the coach tried to ease the situation on Cruff's behalf. "Your country's players are all very outstanding, especially this one, who even nearly defeated Cruff. He's indeed incredible."

Although it sounded like praise, he was disparaging Yin Ruoyi.

However, on such an occasion, Chairman Song's smile hadn't changed in the slightest bit.

His aura was calm and steady, as though he simply didn't care.

With such a disposition, it was no wonder that he became the chairman.

He was someone capable of tolerating things.

Just then, Cruff suddenly caught sight of Gu Qingjiu.

That gorgeous Chinese girl he saw at the banquet yesterday.

Seeing her with Yin Ruoyi and the rest, Cruff seemed to find something. Feigning shock, he said, "I wonder if this beautiful Eastern girl is also a player from your country?"

Before the others could speak, Gu Qingjiu herself nodded with a smile and even stuck out her palm. "Yes, Mr. Cruff. Three years later, I'll be your new opponent in your final battle."

'I will definitely become your nightmare.'

From how Cruff saw it, that pursed-lip smile of hers indistinctly exuded a trace of coldness.

Chapter 655: Stopping Him in His Quest for Three Consecutive Wins

Cruff froze for a moment.

He then put on an exaggerated look of disbelief and shock. "I dare not believe that you guys kept such a beautiful trump card. Well then, I hope I'll have the honour of personally eliminating you three years later."

Cruff revealed a smile and extended his hand, making for a historic moment as he shook his hands with Gu Qingjiu.

That frivolous smile at the corner of her lips would transform into a nightmare that wouldn't go away forever, many years later.

After they shook hands, Cruff saw Gu Qingjiu's arm wrapped in a cast. He couldn't help but shrug. "Seems like this lady's arm is injured at the moment. Will you still be able to hold a gun?"

Although Cruff sputtered, the trained Gu Qingjiu could still understand his meaning. She replied smoothly, "It's normal to get injured. Mr. Cruff, don't tell me you've never gotten injured during practice?"

Seeing that Gu Qingjiu could keep her cool despite Cruff's provocation, Chairman Song viewed this calm and steady girl in a different light.

In a certain sense, Gu Qingjiu who grew up in an ordinary family and didn't train under immense pressure, appeared more free than Yin Ruoyi, who similarly depended on his talent.

That was because Yin Ruoyi had existed under all sorts of glory and attention. Hence he would naturally mind such stuff more than Gu Qingjiu.

Cruff was mildly astounded by how Gu Qingjiu was unaffected by him.

She didn't have that strange gaze he saw at yesterday's banquet.

She was just like an ordinary girl, appearing gracious and at ease while others sized her up.

But this made Cruff feel alert instead.

Those who were eligible to take part in this international competition weren't ordinary people. He had heard nothing about this girl before. Was she deliberately kept a secret by China?

He made a note to look up her information after he went back.

After some interaction, both parties returned to their respective territories.

When they went back, someone from the association worried. "Aren't we giving Cruff time to prepare by exposing Gu Qingjiu's existence so early on?"

Chairman Song shook his head and analysed, "It can't be kept a secret. Come October, during our local shooting competition, Gu Qingjiu's performance will definitely attract various parties' attention. The US kept quite a few spies in China. It's only a matter of time before they find out about Gu Qingjiu."

"But I saw the lass had exposed herself, which goes to show that she's full of confidence. If she and Yin Ruoyi were to join hands in countering Cruff, I feel that there shouldn't be any major problems."

Regarding this point, Chairman Song was abnormally confident.

Since Chairman Song had put it this way, the others thought about it and felt that his words made sense. Hence they dismissed this matter from their minds.

Most importantly, Yin Ruoyi's final attack made them realise something.

That is, Cruff won based on his capabilities. But since Yin Ruoyi could escape under him, and could even eliminate a US player, Yin Ruoyi's abilities weren't too bad. Also, there was Gu Qingjiu, whose capabilities were unknown to them for the time being...

But in any case, since Elder Gong had explicitly requested to train her, hopefully, she and Yin Ruoyi could genuinely create a miracle in the future.

After resting briefly that night, the people from the shooting association would bring them back first on the next day. There was a combat competition that day, but there wasn't any need for Gu Qingjiu to focus her attention on that.

Gu Qingjiu had to analyse the video after she went back.

Regarding that first shot that Cruff fired, if she couldn't figure out how Cruff had done that, it might be rather difficult for her to stop Cruff in his quest of obtaining three consecutive wins.

Chapter 656: Untitled

After returning to China, Gu Qingjiu was surprised that Chairman Song didn't ask her to go back to the association. It was as though he understood something. He simply said that he would subsequently send the competition video to Gu Qingjiu's phone.

Now that she was free, the first thing Gu Qingjiu did upon returning was to look for Helian Niancheng.

He seemed to have made his permanent home at the presidential suite. With his identity, the hotel probably hoped for him to stay long term.

Having a bigshot character holding down the fort at the hotel would bring unexpected benefits for the hotel.

When Gu Qingjiu reached, she didn't call Helian Niancheng because she planned to surprise him.

Although she knew that Helian Niancheng probably already knew about her return, she had her room card to the suite. By now, all the managers in the hotel already knew her.

Gu Qingjiu took the dedicated elevator up, and she stealthily reached the top story.

There was only one presidential suite here. The swimming pool and separate gym on the top story were exclusively for the presidential suite's guests.

No one else could enjoy all these.

When she stealthily entered the room using the room card, Gu Qingjiu pushed the door open and saw a scene that was quite a feast to the eyes.

With his firm and sexy back facing Gu Qingjiu, he wore only a simple pair of pajama pants and was standing barefooted on the carpet.

Helian Niancheng was putting on a shirt when Gu Qingjiu pushed open the door and witnessed this scene.

Upon hearing the commotion, Helian Niancheng turned around as he continued wearing his shirt.

Gu Qingjiu saw the ivory silk shirt hide those perfect eight-pack abs in that instant.

It was fatally sexy and alluring.

"You're back?"

His low voice rang as he buttoned up.

As though he was waiting for her all this while.

Ivory shirts only looked good on certain people, especially ones made from silk.

There was a noble aura about it. If it weren't a particular person, they wouldn't be able to hold up such clothes.

But on Helian Niancheng, it looked excellent. It wasn't the clothes complementing the person, but the person complemented the clothes.

He seemed to elevate the status of this piece of clothing by a notch.

After he had finished buttoning up, he appeared like a rich man's son from a prominent family, looking as brilliant as the bright moon reflected on the water's surface.

His eyes had the glamour and beauty of jade.

How could such a splendid man exist on this planet?

Despite using such descriptions, he didn't appear feminine.

He possessed everything a man could possibly dream of having.

"Chief Instructor."

Gu Qingjiu walked over with a silly grin on her face. "Why are you so good-looking?"

"Cheeky."

Helian Niancheng pulled Gu Qingjiu into his embrace, carefully avoiding her wound. He asked, "Did you have fun in the UK?"

"Not bad. It's just a little disappointing that we didn't win."

It was regretful that they didn't win. But under those circumstances, Gu Qingjiu certainly wouldn't say this out loud.

"It's okay. You will win when you take part in it."

Helian Niancheng's words made Gu Qingjiu nearly laugh out loud. "You make it sound so easy. You think it's like those outdoor competitions we have here locally?"

She had little confidence in herself.

"That's because I have confidence in you."

His deep eyes looked into hers, and the atmosphere changed in an instant.

Then he slowly spoke, "Come to speak of it, there's something we haven't done in a long time."

"What is it?"

After Gu Qingjiu had asked that, Helian Niancheng lowered his head, and his thin lips kissed Gu Qingjiu's.

There was no need for deliberate actions. Gu Qingjiu paused for a moment, then circled one arm around Helian Niancheng's neck.

Chapter 657: Untitled

After the duo shared some moments of intimacy, Gu Qingjiu received the association's competition video.

She sent the video to the computer and invited Helian Niancheng to view it with her. "That Cruff's capabilities were indeed very strong in this competition. But there's something I can't figure out. Come over and look."

Gu Qingjiu dragged the video to the start.

That was the scene where Cruff clinched his first three points.

Even now, as they viewed it on the video, it was in a visual blind spot.

They could see from where Cruff had fired that shot from, but they couldn't see his judgment at the time.

How did the French player so coincidentally dodge in that direction Cruff had fired the shot in?

Bang!

After the shot was fired, Gu Qingjiu spoke, "Look, I don't understand what basis Cruff had made his judgment on under these circumstances."

"From this spot, we can see that he had first fired the shot before the French player dodged. But I simply can't fathom why this position is so coincidental. It's impossible for Cruff's shot to deviate from the direction in which he intended as well. So just how did he make his judgment?"

With one arm circled Gu Qingjiu, Helian Niancheng reached out his other hand and replayed that scene once more.

"Logically, it cannot be done..."

Helian Niancheng raised his brows slightly.

To predict and to predict under such circumstances were two different concepts.

It was impossible to guess which direction this French player was going to dodge in.

If he had dodged first, Gu Qingjiu could fire the shot based on the other party's movements, and there was a good chance she could accurately hit him.

The problem was that he fired the shot before the player even moved. So how could he predict which direction that person was going to dodge in?

However, Cruff's judgment was correct.

"Sharpshooters have quick responses. But if one had formed some habits that were difficult to change, it is not an impossible task to predict his movements."

Helian Niancheng suddenly said this. Gu Qingjiu merely paused for a moment, before realization dawned on her. "You're saying that Cruff understands this player well?"

"Yes, and he understands this player very well. Or else, Cruff wouldn't have dared to fire this shot."

Helian Niancheng's words enlightened Gu Qingjiu.

"Cruff had made a judgment of which direction this player was going to dodge in based on past patterns?"

"Under such circumstances, it's certainly perilous to make such a judgment. But clearly, his gamble paid off. Such judgments would be useless if it were a long distance away, but Cruff had the advantage of being near. A person's habits could become his weakness. You can look up Cruff's relationship with this player, and you'll understand."

Having gotten this advice, Gu Qingjiu asked someone from the association.

Indeed, it turned out that Cruff and this French player were friends, and this French player had been receiving training in the US from a young age.

Moreover, he had trained with Cruff at the same place for several years.

Under such circumstances, it was little wonder that Cruff could determine where to fire based on that opponent's habitual movements.

Because he understood the French player very well, he could determine which direction he would dodge in.

The French player could only blame himself for being too unlucky as to run into Cruff.

That meant that Cruff wasn't a god or anything.

But that he was able to recognize this player instantly, hence made such a judgment speedily.

This Cruff's response abilities were still powerful.

Gu Qingjiu tried putting herself in his shoes, and she felt she wouldn't achieve that.

But then again, there wasn't someone she understood this well.

Chapter 658: Untitled

After figuring out how Cruff had achieved this feat, Gu Qingjiu felt the confusion in her heart dissipating.

Now, the only issue was, would she discover Cruff, who could conceal himself exceptionally well in the game?

Although she had very strong perception capabilities, she never tried using them under such circumstances, so she dared not confirm if she could do that.

"Shouldn't you change the dressing for your arm?"

After watching the video, Helian Niancheng didn't express his opinion much but suddenly asked Gu Qingjiu about her injury.

Gu Qingjiu subconsciously looked at her arm. "Ah, yes. Do you want to help me change the dressing?"

"Mm, let me look at how well you're recovering."

He cautiously raised Gu Qingjiu's arm, a hint of worry clouding his aloof eyes.

Gu Qingjiu got up and went to the bedside with him, to retrieve the medicine from her luggage.

She had to apply the medicine to this external wound once every day.

The doctor had advised her not to take a shower for the time being.

But with this scorching weather, it was impossible not to take a shower. So Gu Qingjiu merely tried her best not to let water touch her arm when she was showering by herself.

Though it was a tad troublesome, it wasn't anything too difficult.

After removing the bandage layer by layer, Gu Qingjiu's wound was exposed.

Scabs had formed over that wound. Since the injury was quite severe in the first place, even after scabs had formed, the wound still appeared quite grotesque.

There was still a bit of pink and tender flesh exposed on the outside.

There was a layer of faint yellow medicine over the wound, which was quite scary-looking.

But at least it was much better than what it looked like at the start.

Helian Niancheng's brows furrowed as he gazed at it.

His demeanour had always been aloof, reminding one of the coldness of high mountains.

This hint of worry for Gu Qingjiu that was on his face seemed to instantly cause his coldness to dissipate, turning his face gentler.

His handsome and bewitching face made one go crazy and sink into them.

Gu Qingjiu stared at him while he focused on applying medicine on Gu Qingjiu.

As he applied the medicine over that wound, a hint of coldness gradually clouded his tranquil and wonderful countenance.

It seemed like he was displeased.

After covering the wound with a fresh piece of gauze, Helian Niancheng slowly spoke. "I don't wish for something like this to happen a second time."

Gu Qingjiu was speechless.

She did not know how to answer him. So long as she remained in the department or school, it meant one day they would send her on a mission.

There was no guarantee she wouldn't get injured on a mission.

But she would try her best to ensure her own safety.

After he applied the medicine, Gu Qingjiu mumbled, "I wish to sleep a little. Jetlag."

"Mm, have some rest. I'll go out for a while."

It was noon, so Gu Qingjiu could take a nap to make up for the jetlag.

Recalling that when she just entered Helian Niancheng was putting on clothes to head out, she immediately nodded. "Mm, go ahead. What time will you be back?"

The moment that question left her mouth, Gu Qingjiu paused for a moment.

It felt strange. It was like she was waiting for Helian Niancheng at home or something.

Helian Niancheng's lips arched in a pleased smile upon hearing this. "I know, I'll be back earlier."

He then lowered his head and planted a kiss on Gu Qingjiu's forehead. "Wait here for me and don't run about."

This one sentence made Gu Qingjiu's heart race.

Such words were too ambiguous. So ambiguous that Gu Qingjiu nearly lost the capacity to think about anything else.

Chapter 659: Untitled

After Helian Niancheng went out, Gu Qingjiu went to the bathroom to take a shower.

Though still a struggle, it was much easier to take a shower now than it was at the start. She could take care of herself already, even though it required some effort.

After a shower, Gu Qingjiu went to the bedroom and took a nap.

Gu Qingjiu woke up at three in the afternoon.

When she woke up, Helian Niancheng had yet to get back.

Feeling hungry, she wanted to get some hotel food delivered to her room. Still, she suddenly felt a craving for spicy and sour food from other sources, so she got up and changed into a set of clothes before going out.

After eating to her heart's content, Gu Qingjiu returned, and she received a call from the association.

They said that although Gu Qingjiu had an injury, she couldn't neglect the necessary training.

After July, Gu Qingjiu would have to go to Elder Gong's for her training in August.

The competition had just ended, and it was time for her to learn stuff that only Yin Ruoyi would know.

Especially because come October, Gu Qingjiu would take part in the national shooting competition, so she naturally had to prepare for it.

That meant that Gu Qingjiu's summer break was only this short one month.

Gu Qingjiu didn't complain and agreed immediately.

If she wished to obtain victory in the grand competition in the three years to come, she had to put in the corresponding effort.

After hanging up, Gu Qingjiu called Qi Yuefeng and informed her she wouldn't be going back.

It was because the competition would start in September.

Qi Yuefeng was understanding about this.

After that, Gu Qingjiu returned to the hotel.

But she hadn't expected to see someone, much to her surprise.

Gu Qingjiu honestly didn't wish to say, 'enemies are bound to meet on a narrow road.' Still, as this was so sudden, she couldn't find any other description for it.

Could it be that this mother-and-daughter duo frequently hung out in the capital nowadays?

Their company, which was far away in North City, was free of problems now?

Gu Qingjiu saw Tan Yalan.

As she entered the lobby, she saw Tan Yalan and a group of rich women walking out.

The group of them were chatting merrily, exuding an exquisite elegance.

Still, perhaps because their identities weren't of the same level, Tan Yalan, who was feigning arrogance, was walking at the edge of the group—not that Gu Qingjiu was belittling her.

She looked incredibly awkward, trying her best to blend into the group while feeling too proud to butter up to the other women.

But Tan Yalan's amorous vibe didn't pale compared to these rich women.

Her light blue cheongsam perfectly accentuated her flattering figure.

It wasn't hard to imagine just how stunning she must have been in her younger days.

However, her smile completely stiffened at the sight of Gu Qingjiu.

Though, she wasn't as shocked as to how Gu Qingjiu imagined.

After a moment of tension, her exquisitely drawn brows revealed a hint of contempt.

This brought about both amusement and unending coldness in Gu Qingjiu's heart.

Gu Qingjiu wanted to pretend she didn't see her, but as she passed by Tan Yalan, the latter took the initiative to speak up.

"At the start, I had thought that Shiwei was merely joking. I truly never expected this, Gu Qingjiu..."

She spoke, hinting at a deeper meaning. Gu Qingjiu instantly halted in her footsteps. "What do you mean?"

Tan Yalan stopped in her tracks as well. The group of rich women next to her followed suit.

They were staring at the duo with astonishment and confusion.

But one of them, a beautiful and gracious woman, widened her eyes in shock at the sight of Gu Qingjiu.

She covered the corner of her lips with her fingers to conceal her astonishment.

Only then did Tan Yalan turn her gaze towards Gu Qingjiu.

Chapter 660: Untitled

She no longer had that meek facade she put on when she requested help from Gu Qingjiu before.

At that moment, Tan Yalan fully displayed her true colors.

Arrogant and unbelievably unkind.

"What do you think? Is this a place someone like you can come to?"

She stared at Gu Qingjiu with those eyes of hers that didn't have a single shred of the gentleness and love. Something of which should be seen in the eyes of a biological mother.

Instead, she didn't even bother to veil her contempt and hatred.

She still bore that resentment towards Gu Qingjiu for her refusal to marry into the Li family, for her unwillingness to sacrifice for the Yu family.

Gu Qingjiu let out a sneer. "How strange. Madam Tan, surely you didn't book this entire hotel? Why can't I come here when you can?"

"Still as insolent as ever."

Tan Yalan's gaze turned stern. "Never mind if you don't know how to show respect to your elders. Now, you're even doing something so shameful. Thank god I didn't bring you back to the Yu family back then. Or else who knows how much disgrace you will bring upon our Yu family!"

Gu Qingjiu felt like a needle stabbed her heart, bringing about a pain that started subtly and gradually intensified in magnitude.

"What shameful thing have I done? And what's that got to do with your Yu family?"

Every time she met with Tan Yalan, she had to refresh her morals.

She really couldn't fathom just why Tan Yalan had given birth to her back then when she hated her so.

"Aren't you here because you're a mistress? And you even have the audacity to argue back!"

Tan Yalan blurted out all this without qualms, stunning everyone around her.

Honestly, everyone who came into this place was of certain social status. There were bound to be filthy scandals among those prominent families.

But who would say something like that out loud in public?

Tan Yalan's blatant tone articulated her intent to shame this girl in public.

When they turned towards the girl, they saw that blood had drained from her face.

However, she wasn't as flustered and helpless as they had imagined. It was just that her eyes grew increasingly cold. "So this is what your wonderful daughter told you? And you just believed whatever she said? Oh, I forgot, you will believe whatever nonsense this daughter of yours tells you."

"Yalan... Yalan, whatever it is, don't speak about it here."

That beautiful woman, who was shocked to see Gu Qingjiu earlier, cast a worried glance at Gu Qingjiu, before instantly tugging at Tan Yalan's hand.

As if to stop her.

Tan Yalan, however, got more fired up and wholly ignored the stares of everyone around her. "Gu Qingjiu, let me tell you this—don't dream of ever returning to the Yu family in this lifetime. The Yu family will never want someone like you!"

Tan Yalan never mentioned the fact that Gu Qingjiu was her daughter. It seemed like she was trying to imply that Gu Qingjiu was simply an illegitimate daughter.

An illegitimate daughter that was trying to return to the legitimate family...

As though Tan Yalan was trying to defend something.

And Gu Qingjiu was that illegitimate daughter who, other than being unpresentable, had done something utterly disgraceful.

Although the color of blood drained from Gu Qingjiu's face, unending sorrow overwhelmed her on the inside.

She suddenly curled her lips. "I really can't believe that I'm your biological daughter. The way you're behaving nearly made me think that I'm an illegitimate daughter your husband had with some woman outside, for you to loathe me so much. And for you to want to smear my name even at the expense of disregarding your face in front of so many people."