Chapter 26: Do you dare to prove that you know jiu-jitsu? (Part 1)

This brief shot was nothing short of a nuclear explosion.

In the first second, what left everyone stunned was Gu Zhaoping’s appearance.

Although she had been somewhat well-known online before, people were used to seeing her with voluminous wavy hair and meticulously applied makeup.

No one had ever seen her like this.

This styling exuded an overpowering aura, and everyone who had seen her before gasped in shock.

It was undeniable.

This was a completely new Gu Zhaoping.

In the second second, people were shocked by her academic background.

…Stanford?

…Business and Law, dual degrees?

Everyone knew how prestigious those credentials were!

It was almost terrifying.

Even on reality dating shows, this would be an impressive résumé.

Law was already a difficult field, and she had managed to complete a double degree?

Graduating must have been insanely challenging.

This…

This is Gu Zhaoping?

Silence.

Complete silence.

No one had ever dug deep into Gu Zhaoping’s academic history or past achievements.

Everyone only knew she was the eldest daughter of the wealthy Gu family, the sister of Gu Zong.

She had always been portrayed as venomous, harsh, and constantly stirring up trouble trying to break apart the “perfect couple” of Gu Zong and Ruan Nian.

People had assumed that the beautiful love story was being obstructed by a brainless, scheming older sister.

But now, they realized that the one questioning them was actually a graduate of a world-renowned university?

Most people were naturally biased toward academic credentials.

Although having a degree didn’t determine a person’s character or morals, after hearing about Gu Zhaoping’s educational background, everyone instinctively felt momentarily stunned.

And then, another thought hit them

With her background and this level of education, surely she wasn’t ignorant?

Then why had she acted that way toward Ruan Nian?

And what about her recent online statements?

She had been utterly indifferent to public opinion, responding with calm, logical reasoning and quickly presenting evidence to prove that both of her so-called conflicts with Ruan Nian had been fabricated.

Suddenly, a dreadful thought struck some people.

Was Gu Zhaoping really the person they had believed her to be?

Among those watching the show was Shen Yifeng.

He usually never watched variety shows, but while stuck in traffic on an elevated highway, his driver suddenly said,

“It looks like Miss Zhaoping’s show is airing.”

Surrounded by red taillights in a sea of cars, Shen Yifeng paused.

With nothing else to do, he turned on the in-car screen and started watching.

And then, the moment that introduction scene appeared

He froze.

All of a sudden, he belatedly remembered

Yes, Gu Zhaoping was a top university graduate.

She had spent her years in school without ever needing his help, overcoming every challenge on her own.

She had always managed just fine.

How had he ever believed she was completely incompetent?

A wave of embarrassment washed over Shen Yifeng.

He had been completely misled by his own biases.

He had failed to notice any of the real details about Gu Zhaoping.

Was it because she had hidden them too well?

Or was it simply because he had never paid attention to her at all?

At the nightclub, the male models were also stunned for a moment.

But soon, they started whispering among themselves.

“Zhaoping Jie is amazing! No wonder she’s Zhaoping Jie.”

“This look is too cool. She’s like a big-shot entrepreneur! A total CEO! She gives off so much security!”

“Zhaoping Jie, 666!”

Those who admired her cheered for her.

But those who had always believed themselves superior to her struggled painfully to accept her competence.

Gu Zhaoping understood this well.

Some people weren’t upset because she was talented.

They were upset because someone they once looked down on had, without their notice, become far more capable than they had ever imagined.

When someone they despised suddenly proved themselves strong, it was far more unbearable than seeing an already respected rival improve.

But she was more than happy to be the one making them uncomfortable.

That moment on screen lasted only a few seconds before the show moved on.

Gu Kaichang scoffed.

“So what if she changed her look and introduced her academic background? Is she trying to pretend to be some intellectual on this show?”

She wouldn’t be able to keep up the act for long.

Just then, his phone rang it was Grandpa Gu.

Gu Kaichang was startled.

Clearing his throat, he scrambled to pick up the call.

In his rush, he almost swerved into a road barrier.

Trying to sound both respectful and affectionate, he answered,

“Grandpa! What a surprise! How come you’re thinking of me?”

He felt smug.

See?

Even at a time like this, Grandpa still had him in mind.

His position in the family was clearly different from the rest.

But the next moment, Grandpa Gu’s strong, authoritative voice thundered through the phone.

There was even a heavy thump of a cane hitting the ground, as if several people were standing around, waiting for instructions.

“Gu Kaichang! Where the hell are you? Turn on the TV and watch your sister’s show!”

Gu Kaichang’s smile froze on his face.

In an instant, his expression darkened completely.

What?!

Watch Gu Zhaoping’s show?!

Grandpa had called him just to tell him to watch her show???

Was he dreaming?!

Gu Kaichang was furious.

Had Grandpa been completely bewitched by that witch?

He wanted to punch the steering wheel but this wasn’t a safe place for that.

Glancing around, he hurriedly pulled over before picking up the phone again.

“Grandpa…I can’t watch it!”

He was seething on the inside, cursing every ancestor of Gu Zhaoping’s lineage in his head.

But the words that left his mouth were as soft and flattering as ever.

Not that he had a choice.

No one in the Gu family dared to show any disrespect in front of Grandpa Gu.

Not even him.

Grandpa Gu wasn’t pleased.

“What do you mean, you can’t watch it? You can pick up my call but can’t watch TV? Don’t try to pull tricks on me!”

Gu Kaichang panicked.

“Grandpa, I’m driving on the highway right now! I answered your call out of filial duty, but I can’t split my attention to watch TV!”

He had just been blasting music videos a second ago.

“Then pull over at the next stop and watch it there!”

Gu Kaichang: “……”

What the hell was going on?!

In just a few days, Grandpa had already become this obsessed with Gu Zhaoping?!

Had she cast a spell over the household?

For the first time, he feared what might happen if he didn’t go home soon.

But he gritted his teeth and endured.

“Grandpa, I’m on the highway! I can’t stop!”

“So you can take calls while driving, but you don’t understand traffic laws?”

Grandpa Gu snapped.

“Fine! Next time, ask your sister to explain the law to you!”

“………”

“Enough nonsense. As soon as you’re off the highway, park somewhere and watch your sister’s show!”

“Remember, your sister is going to bring honor to the Gu family!”

Gu Kaichang was on the verge of breaking down.

When the call finally ended, he sat there, furious, yanking at his own hair like a madman.

He felt like some poor, innocent concubine banished from the palace because the emperor had fallen for a wicked enchantress.

How had his life come to this?!

This pair also had quite a bit of popularity.

They were both top-tier celebrities, and they had shared many interactions in the past.

Chu Yanze usually had an indifferent attitude toward everyone, but when facing Ruan Nian, he would sometimes hesitate.

Ruan Nian had also publicly mentioned Chu Yanze once in an award acceptance speech.

One of Chu Yanze’s songs was rumored to be written for Ruan Nian.

The contrast between wildness and purity, the tension of heavy metal music versus the gentle elegance of a Jiangnan beauty various small details were pieced together to form this CP (celebrity pairing).

Since the two of them were participating in the same show, the anticipation and discussions from fans were quite high.

Seeing the CP fans of “Gu Nian” (Gu Zong and Ruan Nian) flood the screen, their fans were not willing to back down.

Haha, this is hilarious. The Gu family has already expressed disapproval of this marriage, yet you all are celebrating like it’s set in stone. Just wait and see you’ll be crying later.

What is this “CEO enters the entertainment industry” nonsense?

A domineering CEO love story coming to life?

In reality, do you think relationships between wealthy families and the entertainment industry end in such perfect fairy-tale endings?

You all need to delete your romance novels ASAP.

The official storyline hadn’t even started yet, and the two fandoms were already at each other’s throats.

In front of her television, Ruan Nian stared intently at the screen, her expression somewhat dark.

She had already stayed offline for several days, not responding to any of the recent controversies.

Her company and manager had extensive PR experience.

They knew that the best way to handle controversies was to disappear.

The public’s memory was short-lived if she didn’t respond, the matter would fade away.

But if she did respond, even a small misstep could turn the situation into a lasting stain on her career.

Fortunately, Ruan Nian’s public reputation had always been excellent.

Most of her appeal came from cultivating good relationships with others.

The general public had a very positive impression of her and was willing to find excuses to defend her.

For example, when it was revealed on a livestream that her ankle injury was a new one, most people were willing to believe it was because she had been working too hard and had worsened it.

Or, when rumors spread that Gu Zhaoping had hit her even though it wasn’t true people were willing to believe that someone was deliberately trying to sabotage her chance to marry into the Gu family.

And then there were other past incidents…

Ruan Nian watched as Gu Zhaoping had been actively searching for evidence online to clear her own name.

All the past conflicts between them were being revisited, overturned, and reexamined.

Because of the promised monetary reward, netizens had passionately worked to clear Gu Zhaoping’s reputation for days before finally calming down.

Ruan Nian felt regretful.

She realized that this PR strategy was brilliant simple yet effective.