Chapter 1073: Just Acting

Chapter 1073: Just Acting

Gong Xin clutched her stomach and let out a dramatic wail. “I ate something bad, okay? Had to drag myself to the hospital unless I wanted to just curl up and die from the pain.”

Gu Zi rolled her eyes, unable to suppress her exasperation. “Seriously? How old are you now? And you still manage to get food poisoning on a regular basis? Maybe try thinking before you eat something suspicious. Also, why are you here with him?”

She didn’t particularly care who Gong Xin hung out with, but the image of Jin Long’s devastated expression flashed in her mind. The guy had always treated her with the utmost loyalty—he was practically family. If he had been hurt by this, the least she could do was get to the bottom of it. Even if it was bad news, he deserved to know.

Gong Xin glanced sideways at Wu Hao before turning back to Gu Zi. “Long story. And honestly, I’m feeling too terrible to explain everything right now. If it weren’t for him, I probably would’ve collapsed a few times on the way here. Food poisoning is no joke, I swear.”

Gu Zi immediately understood why Jin Long had been so distraught. He must have seen Gong Xin and Wu Hao together at the hospital—Wu Hao probably helped Gong Xin walk or something—and in Jin Long’s eyes, that must have looked like some intimate gesture.

Just as she was about to say something, an indignant voice interrupted them. “Wu Hao, what are you standing around for? Hurry up and help Gong Xin into the car! And you—married woman—what are you doing loitering around with another man? Doesn’t your husband have any control over you?”

Gu Zi turned, narrowing her eyes at the vaguely familiar woman. “Excuse me? And who exactly are you?”

The woman scoffed. “Oh, how quickly we forget. I suppose now that you’re a top student in the province, you think you’re too good to remember people from the old neighborhood.”

Gong Xin leaned in, whispering just loud enough for Gu Zi to hear. “You don’t recognize her? That’s Wu Hao’s mother. The one who always had a problem with you.”

Ah. Now it clicked. Back when they were kids, Wu Hao had been oddly fixated on Gu Zi, constantly following her around like a devoted puppy. But Gu Zi had zero interest in entertaining his company—her world had revolved around Gong Zhan back then.

The Wu family had taken it personally, thinking she had snubbed their son. In the end, they had even sent Wu Hao abroad, hoping he’d forget about her.

Clearly, that hadn’t worked. Wu Hao had returned from overseas, a highly educated elite, yet his romantic life remained a tragic work-in-progress.

His mother, already furious over his perpetual bachelor status, must have been losing her mind knowing he was still pining over Gu Zi—who was now a married woman with three stepchildren. No wonder the woman looked ready to explode.

Wu Hao, sensing the tension, quickly intervened. “Mom, please. This is just a coincidence. Gu Zi was at the hospital for her check-up. We just happened to run into her.”

Gong Xin chimed in, her voice carrying a hint of mischief. “Auntie, I really thought you were someone who had a good head on her shoulders. But wow, turns out you’re just as quick to jump to conclusions as everyone else.”

Gu Zi, unfazed by the woman’s hostility, merely shrugged. “She’s not wrong. I didn’t recognize her at all.”

Wu Hao’s mother visibly trembled with rage. “Unbelievable! Do you see this, Wu Hao? She has no respect for her elders!”

Wu Hao pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Mom, please. Just get in the car. Gong Xin, talk to Gu Zi. We’ll wait for you.”

With that, he practically dragged his mother away, leaving Gong Xin alone with Gu Zi. Seizing the opportunity, Gu Zi pulled her aside. “Alright, spill. What’s going on? Are you actually dating Wu Hao?”

Gong Xin hesitated before shaking his head. “Yes and no. My mom set us up. Ever since my brother moved to the capital, she’s been obsessing over my love life. If I turn Wu Hao down, she’ll just introduce me to an endless line of other guys. And let’s be real—her taste is terrible. So, Wu Hao and I made a deal: we pretend to date, fool our parents, and avoid the headache. That’s why he brought me here today—my mom asked him to.”

Gu Zi’s expression darkened. “Unbelievable. You have the perfect option right in front of you, and instead, you drag Wu Hao into an act?”

Gong Xin’s cheeks flushed. She lowered her voice. “It’s not that I don’t understand how Jin Long feels. I’m not stupid. But I just… I’m not ready. I want to focus on my studies. If I get into a relationship with him, what if things change? What if it messes everything up?”

Gu Zi didn’t want to interfere too much, but she couldn’t help throwing in one last point. “Aren’t you worried? That if Jin Long sees you with someone else, he’ll be heartbroken?”

Gong Xin met her gaze with wide, innocent eyes. “Would he really? Does he even like me that much?”

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