Yang Qi was stunned, and by the time he realized what she had said, his face instantly turned green.
“Gu Zhaoping, you—”
But the other party had already strode inside, not giving him a chance to stop her or say another word.
Yang Qi’s face alternated between pale and flushed, his chest heaving.
His height had always been a sore spot for him.
Despite his privileged background and the constant attention from those around him, none of the girls he dated, the DDD sisters, ever mentioned his height.
Even those much taller than him would wear flat shoes when going out with him to spare his ego.
The moment he saw Gu Zhaoping, it hit him— it had been so long since he last saw her that he hadn’t noticed how tall she was.
If he had known, he would’ve worn thicker-soled shoes.
He had intended to put on a stern face, but then he recalled the two slaps Gu Zhaoye received from her on the show and how she publicly humiliated Shen Yifeng.
Forcing himself to suppress his emotions, he thought:
Fine, fine, business comes first.
With Gu Zhaoping’s emotional intelligence, she wouldn’t gain any advantage anyway.
He signaled to the people following him, and the two of them walked inside as well.
But after a few steps, he noticed the assistant beside him seemed to be stifling a laugh.
Yang Qi shot a fierce glare, and the assistant quickly suppressed the smile, putting on a serious face to keep up with him.
Gu Zhaoping strode forward, completely ignoring Yang Qi.
After a few steps inside, a group of young masters noticed her arrival.
They had been sitting on chairs, chatting and laughing, but the moment they saw Gu Zhaoping approach, they instantly fell silent.
The room grew quiet, and they raised their heads, looking at Gu Zhaoping with thoughtful, half-smiling gazes.
Their stares were intense, filled with scrutiny and no trace of friendliness.
Anyone with a slightly weaker resolve would have been unnerved and sweating under their gaze.
But the moment they saw Gu Zhaoping stride in, a few of them froze.
She was one thing on TV or in photos, but seeing her in person, her presence was hard to ignore.
Or rather, it was hard to deny she had an aura.
This made them feel a bit uneasy— the moment Gu Zhaoping arrived, it felt like her presence could overshadow theirs.
So, the group silently stared at her, sizing her up, waiting for a confrontation.
Gu Zhaoping didn’t notice them at all, walking straight past them.
She reached the shooting range, looked around, and said to a middle-aged woman beside her,
“This is the shooting range they invited me to? This is their hospitality? Not a single person waiting here—what am I supposed to look at?!”
The onlookers were slightly wide-eyed, watching Gu Zhaoping so naturally begin critiquing the shooting range’s setup.
How was she so at ease, acting like she owned the place the moment she arrived?
Yang Qi, who had just caught up, was still fuming.
He had assumed Gu Zhaoping would be stopped by the group of young masters, but who would’ve thought she’d be standing at the shooting range, nitpicking, without even glancing at the others?
Yang Qi’s eyes widened as he looked at his group of cronies, their faces even more bewildered than his, as if asking him what was up with Gu Zhaoping.
It was as if they were just sitting there posing for show.
Yang Qi retracted his gaze, cleared his throat, and stepped forward to ask Gu Zhaoping,
“Haha, does Miss Gu have any complaints about our shooting range? Feel free to share your brilliant opinions.”
“Didn’t you say there were plenty of people waiting for me here?”
Gu Zhaoping glanced at him.
“Leaving me to wait alone without even a single person to receive me—is this how you plan to host me?”
Yang Qi was stunned, his eyes nearly popping out. Was she turning the tables on him?
At that moment, Gu Zhaoping’s gaze seemed to finally land on the group behind him.
She slightly turned her head, saw them, and said,
“Oh, so these are the people you arranged to receive me?”
She looked them over carefully, pushing up her glasses as if trying to see them more clearly.
Then she said flatly,
“The quality’s a bit lacking.”
The young masters, seated in their staggered arrangement, froze, not quite understanding what she meant.
Gu Zhaoping had already turned back to Yang Qi, saying calmly,
“If you’re going to arrange people to receive me, at least find some who are more than 10 centimeters taller than you. Their looks don’t meet my standards either. If I have to stay here with them, it’s going to be quite uncomfortable for me.”
What?!
What was she talking about?
Yang Qi was dumbfounded for a moment before it sank in.
His face changed dramatically.
Was she treating them all like male models she was critiquing?!
Was Gu Zhaoping out of her mind?
How dare she look at them like that?
Wait— did she mean that, by her aesthetic standards, they weren’t even qualified to be male models?
Yang Qi was trembling with rage.
Humiliation—utter humiliation!
Before he could even cross swords with Gu Zhaoping, she had already shattered his defenses twice in their first encounter, nearly driving him to start a fight.
The group behind him finally caught on, their faces turning green in an instant!
Which young master from a wealthy family would feel happy being compared to a male model?
Gu Zhaoping’s gaze, treating them like goods to be appraised, was so uncomfortable it gave them goosebumps, fueling their anger.
They had meant to intimidate Gu Zhaoping with their stares, but she hadn’t even noticed them, which made them so furious they could spit blood.
One of them immediately spoke up,
“Who’s here to receive you?! Gu Zhaoping, have you been ordering too many male models that you see everyone as one?”
Gu Zhaoping seemed to pause, as if just realizing their status.
She became slightly more lenient about their subpar appearances and said politely,
“Sorry, I just thought you didn’t look the part. But if you weren’t dressed like that, who would’ve misunderstood?”
Her tone was calm.
“Don’t wear those clothes in the future. Have some self-awareness.”
The young masters were hit with another wave of humiliation.
What were they wearing?
Just proper shirts and suits!
Looking down, they saw their black shirts, dress pants, and polished leather shoes—sure, the guys at clubs dressed like that too.
But if men didn’t wear suits, what else counted as formal attire?
Just because male models dressed like this, did that mean they were stripped of the right to do so?!
Before they could erupt, Gu Zhaoping turned to Yang Qi and said calmly, “
So these are the friends you invited me to meet today? How rude— the guest arrives, and they’re all just sitting there neatly. In our Gu family, that kind of manners would’ve earned a slap long Ago.”
Yang Qi looked at her in disbelief.
What was Gu Zhaoping saying?
Was she insane?
But as he opened his mouth, he suddenly remembered how she had ruthlessly slapped Gu Zhaoye a few times before.
The words caught in his throat, and he swallowed them back.
The Gu family’s upbringing.
Oh no, it seemed they had really miscalculated this time.
A strange premonition hit Yang Qi.
Why did it feel like their plan to make things difficult for Gu Zhaoping wasn’t going to work at all?
Looking at her, did she seem like someone who’d be scared of social isolation?
I’m afraid she’s more likely to make others feel terrified!
Yang Qi’s chest ached with anger, and it took several deep breaths before he could manage to say,
“Heh, Miss Gu, you’ve misunderstood. We’ve been waiting for you here for a long time, so we stepped aside to rest. You’re the one who arrived late.”
“No need to make up excuses just because you’re eager to see me. The agreed time hasn’t even passed yet. I always leave 15 minutes early. Next time you say something like that, check the time first,”
Gu Zhaoping said calmly.
“If you’re tired, go home and rest. In our Gu family, hosting guests like this would be unthinkable. Anyone who disgraced the Gu family like this would surely be disciplined.”
She kept mentioning “our Gu family” and “discipline,” making Yang Qi clench his fists, barely maintaining a peaceful expression while grinding his teeth.
Gu Zhaoping, are you really taking yourself so seriously?
Fine, let’s see how you hold your ground in the Gu family after messing up this big deal.
I don’t believe the old man will still favor you this time!
For the sake of the bigger plan, Yang Qi swallowed his anger.
He forced a smile and said to Gu Zhaoping,
“Heh, you’re right. Let’s not dwell on that. I invited you here today because there’s a big collaboration I genuinely want to discuss with you.”
“What big collaboration?”
Gu Zhaoping immediately turned to look at him, as if she was suddenly intrigued by the idea of a major deal.
Here we go.
Yang Qi sneered inwardly.
See, she’s desperate to establish herself in the Gu family.
The moment she hears about a big collaboration, she can’t resist.
Ci Bie, standing nearby, turned her head away, barely suppressing a smile.
She had never seen the boss like this, but watching her handle these young masters today, she really wanted to laugh.
“This collaboration is…”
Yang Qi didn’t blink as he painted an elaborate picture for her.
Finally, he smiled and said,
“But to seal this deal, we still need the approval of another person. I’m very interested in this collaboration, but it’s not entirely up to me. Miss Gu, you should think it over.”
After saying this, he smiled smugly, as if waiting to see Gu Zhaoping realize her mistake and start fawning over him.
You targeted me so much earlier—now that you know there’s a big deal waiting, won’t you change your tune?
But Gu Zhaoping just nodded and said,
“So when do we sign? Bring the person out.”
Yang Qi nearly tripped over himself.
What?
Gu Zhaoping, you’re really not holding back, are you?!
He looked at her in disbelief.
Most people, hearing such promising terms, would understand there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
There’s always a price to pay for results.
Yet Gu Zhaoping was just diving in like that?!
Yang Qi forced himself to stay calm and said,
“Miss Gu, don’t rush. The person who makes the final call is over there at the shooting range. You know Young Master Ni, right? That’s his cousin, a big shot. We went to great lengths to get him here, but he’s not easy to approach or talk to. I suggest you discuss the collaboration with me first to get things clear, so you don’t waste your energy.”
Gu Zhaoping didn’t take the bait.
She started walking toward the range, saying,
“I don’t have time to waste with you. If we’re going to talk, let him come to me himself. If it’s a real collaboration, we can sign on the spot. I can make the decision without notifying the Gu family.”
Yang Qi’s eyes widened, and he hurriedly stepped forward to grab her arm!
The young masters waiting nearby were startled too.
Good lord, what was wrong with this Gu Zhaoping?
She was so eager to sign a contract, completely ignoring their plan!
If she actually went to Ni Tiansong and coordinated with him, wouldn’t their scheme fall apart?
Yang Qi broke out in a cold sweat and quickly said,
“Miss Gu, don’t be so hasty! He just returned to the country; we should give him some time to rest, right? Let’s discuss the contract details first, then I’ll take you to meet him. Sounds good, right?”
Looking at the shooting range ahead, Yang Qi had a sudden idea.
“Miss Gu, you know how to shoot, don’t you? Come on, let’s have some fun and relax for a bit. We’ll wait until he’s done talking, then go speak with him. How about that?”
His mind was racing, thinking he’d stall for now and later signal someone to get Ni Tiansong out of there.
A brief appearance was enough—no way was he letting her actually talk to him.
Gu Zhaoping glanced at the shooting range and said bluntly,
“No way.”