But he still found it hard to smile.
He didn’t even have the energy to hide why he was so familiar with Sister Zhaoping, why he knew she had that confidence.
Watching the helicopter take off and soar, Su Yubai finally let the smile fade from his lips and turned to walk back.
At that moment, Chu Yanzhe turned around, calling out to them: “Wait.”
He stared at Li Xun and Li Xunxi, the siblings: “Aren’t you going to check the task results with me?”
Chu Yanzhe’s face swept away the earlier dejection and anxiety, his brows rising as he regained his spirited demeanor.
He pulled out a stack of task cards from his ski jacket pocket, the folded papers spilling out in his hand, displaying the record of tasks he completed along the way.
Liang Zhiwei hurriedly submitted her task data too: “I completed my tasks too!”
Despite some accidents, Liang Zhiwei had even broken her phone at the last moment, and her task records were damaged, but she had finished the solo run on this course, just waiting for the Li siblings to submit their results.
The Li siblings, who were about to slink away, froze when called out, their expressions stiffening.
They had completely forgotten about their bet with Gu Zhaoping!
Li Xunxi glanced at Li Xun, silently asking what to do.
Did they really have to keep competing with Gu Zhaoping?
Given how things were going, she felt Gu Zhaoping always had more tricks up her sleeve.
She knew jujitsu, had a snow mountain rescue certification—there was no telling if Gu Zhaoping had secretly learned chess too, waiting to challenge them.
Li Xun froze for a long time, his gaze slowly meeting Li Xunxi’s.
Finally, he said slowly: “No matter what, I’m going to play against her. For now, don’t compare your results with mine.”
His words grew slower, his mind racing to come up with a foolproof plan.
Their faces had been slapped enough—they couldn’t keep offering themselves up for Gu Zhaoping to humiliate.
This time, he had to ensure a complete victory.
Got it!
Li Xun suddenly had an idea!
Right here in this city, in Los Angeles, he knew a chess prodigy!
A genius, and very young!
At seven or eight years old, he had solved a rare endgame, breaking a Guinness World Record, still listed in the chess association’s records!
His mentor, Master Qi, had always spoken highly of him, but this person was somewhat frail, often recuperating abroad and rarely returning home.
In the chess world, he was very low-key, only playing one or two matches occasionally, not caring if his ranking or points dropped.
He didn’t rely on chess for a living.
It was said he spent his time gardening, reading poetry, dabbling in calligraphy—a true refined gentleman.
To get him to act, you needed a fresh challenge, something to spark his interest.
Li Xun’s mind churned, deciding to seek him out for guidance.
“Fine, chess it is.”
He glanced at his task cards, comparing them with Chu Yanzhe and Liang Zhiwei’s.
They had indeed lost.
But this plan, originally meant to humiliate Gu Zhaoping, now brought him relief.
Losing was fine—it meant they could take the initiative, making things more secure.
They really didn’t dare underestimate Gu Zhaoping anymore.
Even Shen Yifeng had been so thoroughly humiliated in front of her.
Even Gu Zhaoye, her own brother and the Gu family heir, was completely disregarded by her.
It felt like Gu Zhaoping had awakened some kind of invincible protagonist system, ready to dominate everyone.
They couldn’t keep being her cannon fodder over and over.
“Perfect, isn’t Gu Zhaoping nearby? Once we’re done tallying, we’ll go find her for this episode!”
Chu Yanzhe’s brows twitched.
He didn’t have time to wonder how the Li siblings knew Sister Zhaoping was nearby—had they met before?
But he couldn’t lose his momentum, so he immediately agreed: “Alright!”
“You better not back out!”
Meanwhile, on the departing helicopter:
Gu Zhaosi looked around, letting out a “tsk.”
He had basically cut ties with the Gu family.
For years, apart from basic living needs, he rarely asked the family for anything.
After secretly debuting and gaining his own income in the past couple of years, he had even less contact with them.
That’s why his life had become much simpler.
A luxurious helicopter like this?
It had been a long time since he’d been on one.
He couldn’t help but linger, running his hands over the lavish leather, sighing: “Man, it’s nice to have money!”
Theodore handed him a bottle of juice.
Gu Zhaosi took it, stunned, and glanced at it—a branded juice drink.
He looked up at Theodore, feeling like he was being treated like a kid.
Theodore, noticing the nearly ten-year age gap and knowing he was Gu Zhaoping’s brother, treated him with a kind, gentle demeanor.
In front of younger people, he always carried this image.
Only a rare few ever saw his ambitious, iron-fisted side.
“Thanks,”
Gu Zhaosi said, opening the bottle and taking a sip.
His eyes lit up with delight, momentarily forgetting the heavy thoughts he’d wanted to share with Theodore.
Theodore smiled faintly—such a kid.
He turned to Gu Zhaoping: “Want one?”
“No thanks.”
Gu Zhaoping didn’t drink these kinds of beverages.
She lived an overly healthy lifestyle, and after the intense rescue effort, she needed rest.
She closed her eyes to relax.
Theodore just smiled and nodded.
Gu Zhaosi, sipping his drink, suddenly remembered and turned to him: “By the way, are you my sister’s new boyfriend?”
“No,”
Theodore replied calmly.
Older people have this advantage—facing such topics without embarrassment or hesitation, just straightforward conversation.
Gu Zhaosi nodded.
So he’d misunderstood, but it didn’t matter.
He was pretty pleased that it had riled up that ex-brother-in-law.
Theodore kept smiling and said,
“Do you know who that Laroche young master your sister’s ex-fiancé mentioned is?”
Gu Zhaosi gulped his drink, glancing at him curiously: “Who?”
“My brother.”
“Pfft!”
Gu Zhaosi sprayed the juice out of his mouth!
He frantically wiped his lips, the juice splattering onto the luxurious leather of Theodore’s helicopter.
Theodore glanced at it but didn’t mind, offering him a handkerchief to clean up.
Gu Zhaosi didn’t dare take it, staring at Theodore in horror, shrinking back.
Panicking, he grabbed a couple of tissues from the table and wiped his face furiously.
Theodore calmly put the handkerchief away, wiping the surface of the leather to remove the juice stains, though it clearly needed professional cleaning.
He set the handkerchief on the table.
Gu Zhaosi’s expression grew even more terrified.
No way, bro, what’s this game?
Brotherly rivalry?
Are you guys trying to pull a Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, serving Empress Wu?
No, you’re foreigners—you wouldn’t even know that story!
Seeing Gu Zhaosi’s shocked expression, Theodore just glanced calmly at the resting Gu Zhaoping, then back at him, asking,
“Is that a problem?”
Now it was Gu Zhaosi, not Shen Yifeng, who was stunned.
His lips trembled for a long time before he finally muttered,
“You guys know how to play.”
It wasn’t clear if he meant Theodore and his brother or his sister.
Theodore didn’t elaborate, didn’t clarify, and certainly didn’t let Gu Zhaoping overhear.
He had plenty of interest and patience.
Maybe he didn’t even need to make a move—he could outlast these young guys.
Unlike Shen Yifeng, Theodore wasn’t bothered by these younger men or his own age.
On the contrary, he saw age as an irreplaceable wealth of experience.
Someone like Gu Zhaoping might be drawn to fresh, attractive faces or find youthful laughter pleasing.
But in the long run, it was clear she’d make choices based on reason.
Thinking of this, Theodore felt no rush.
All he needed was to keep this budding interest alive, stay in Gu Zhaoping’s orbit, and wait for things to unfold.
This was actually quite intriguing.
Before meeting Gu Zhaoping, he’d never had such thoughts—he’d only planned to check on things for Valentine.
After meeting her, that idea subtly shifted in an instant.
He had never been so captivated by someone before.
Sometimes, ambition only sparks when you see the target.
Valentine was hardworking and ambitious, but that was it.
Gu Zhaosi swallowed hard several times.
He quickly turned to his sister, changing the subject: “By the way, sis, why are you here? You didn’t come to film the show with them, right?”
Amid the helicopter’s noise, it flew over the city, landing at the venue of the Energy Industry Leaders Summit.
Even after the helicopter stopped, Gu Zhaosi was still blinking innocently, looking around in confusion, waiting for Gu Zhaoping’s answer.
Gu Zhaoping, done resting, opened her eyes and looked at him: “What do you think?”
Ignoring him, the two stepped off the helicopter.
Gu Zhaosi froze, then grabbed his ski poles and hurried after them.
As he stepped off, the bright sunlight and the massive words “Energy Industry Leaders Summit” dazzled him.
—Energy Industry Leaders Summit?
Gu Zhaosi stood there, clutching his ski poles, looking out of place as people passed by, staring at him. Yet he remained frozen, his mind struck by lightning.
Holy crap, this summit?!
No way, did Grandpa bring her here?
Gu Zhaosi had heard of this summit—of course he knew its weight!
Hadn’t Gu Kaichang been losing it over this recently?
Only the chosen heir in Grandpa’s eyes could attend!
Holy crap!
In the short time he’d been away from home, had his sister been named the heir??
Looking at the gleaming, bold words—
“Keynote Speech to Commence”—
Gu Zhaosi’s ski poles dropped to the ground.
Sis, you’re not about to give a solo speech, are you?
He couldn’t even imagine the look on the Gu family’s faces!
No, the look on the whole world’s faces!
While Gu Zhaosi was in shock, at the same time, in the same city, inside a manor:
Under a snow-white framed window, a man in his mid-twenties was practicing calligraphy.
He had a serene, pine-snow-like aura, utterly quiet, with only the faint sound of his brush on paper.
When someone knocked, he finished his last stroke, looked up, wiped his hands on a cloth, and said,
“Come in.”
Someone told him: “Young Master Li Xunwen from the Li family says he has an important chess matter to discuss. He’s met a tough opponent he can’t beat and needs your help!”
The man paused, saying,
“I haven’t played chess in a long time.”
The other person replied awkwardly: “I told Young Master Li that, but he said it’s urgent, a matter of his pride. Only you can ensure a win. His opponent is mysterious—no one knows their true strength.”
He smiled faintly, lowering his eyes, picking up the calligraphy he’d just finished and removing the paperweight.
“Talk to me when my record is broken.”
He wasn’t interested and casually set a condition.
Just then,
“Ding-a-ling!”
The butler’s phone rang suddenly.
He answered, hearing the caller’s voice and exchanging pleasantries.
Then he froze, his expression dumbfounded.
He whipped around, his voice cracking: “Young Master, the chess association says your record has been broken!!”
Ni Tiansong froze, his brush halting mid-air, his eyes lifting.
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