Pretending To Be Affectionate [Transmigration] - Chapter 16

The next day, Ling Yu received a call from the HR department of Kaihe Law Firm. They told her to report for duty today. The call came just before 7 a.m. while Ling Yu was having breakfast with Xu Miao.

In Jiangcheng, Xu Miao’s second uncle had beaten up her first uncle. The old man was furious, and it looked like the family would be split up this time. Xu Miao had a 9 a.m. flight. She woke up at 6 a.m. and woke Ling Yu up as well. She wanted to talk about her grandmother. It was also at her father’s request that she give Ling Yu a heads-up so she could be mentally prepared.

The Xu family’s split was almost certain. A few years ago, Xu Miao’s second uncle, with the help of his in-laws, had secretly acquired 30% of the Xu Group’s shares. A split was inevitable. The Xu family was about to be divided into two groups. This meant that the Xu family, which used to be a leader in the Jiangcheng area, would be replaced by other families for a long time. Ling Taiguo had been treating Ling Yu well because of the Xu family behind her. Now that the Xu family was splitting and their business empire was being divided, Xu Miao’s second uncle would definitely not offend Ling Taiguo for his niece, Ling Yu. Ling Yu’s future would be difficult, as anyone could imagine.

Xu Miao sat at the dining table, finishing her last bite of a sandwich. She saw Ling Yu hang up the phone, carefully chose her words, and frowned. “Yu Yu, I know you like Gu Qing. I’ve always let you do whatever you wanted to pursue her.” Xu Miao’s tone paused, and her expression was serious. “But you have to go back eventually. Gu Qing isn’t on the same path as you. Being with her will only give Ling Taiguo and his wife a chance to exploit you. Grandpa has hired a lawyer. The Xu family is about to change. You probably haven’t heard about this yet.”

Of course, Ling Yu knew. The night before, her grandfather had discussed this decision with her. The Xu family’s split had been a foregone conclusion for several years. If the old man hadn’t been so strong and kept the younger generation in check, the family would have been divided five years ago. Xu Miao was shocked, but Ling Yu had already had a long talk with her grandfather about this a few years ago.

Ling Yu didn’t say anything and waited for Xu Miao to finish. “My dad wants you to be prepared. Ling Taiguo will definitely have a plan. If you stay in Yuncheng, I think Yu Xin will find a reason to get rid of you.” Xu Miao looked at Ling Yu, who was unmoved. She advised, “Yu Yu, are you going to let that mistress and scumbag take your aunt’s inheritance?”

Ling Yu poured Xu Miao a glass of hot milk and smiled. “Sis, please thank Uncle on my behalf.” Ling Yu patted Xu Miao’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. Grandpa already laid the groundwork for Ling Taiguo’s issues a few years ago. The time just isn’t right yet…”

Xu Miao looked at her in shock. Ling Yu gave her a reassuring look. She let out a long sigh. “Okay, since you have a plan, I won’t ask any more questions. When are you planning to go back? Even if you get an internship at Kaihe Law Firm, you only have six months until you graduate. After that, you won’t have a reason to stay close to Gu Qing.” The implication was that she needed to go back and inherit the family business.

Ling Yu wasn’t interested in Ling Taiguo’s assets, but she had her own plans for her graduation. Last year, her novella, “Obsession,” which was published in a famous American literary magazine, was shortlisted for this year’s August Literary Award. The organizers, after learning her real identity and age behind her pseudonym, sent her an invitation to pursue a master’s degree at TJ University’s College of Liberal Arts after the new year.

To be honest, Ling Yu was very tempted. She had been writing online novels for over a decade in her previous life and thought she was quite good. But when she started working in the screenwriting industry, she realized that her writing skills, which were often criticized by readers, were a weakness that prevented her from going further. So, if she could win over Gu Qing in a month and finish the task before the TJ University admission deadline, Ling Yu would likely go abroad to study. As for Ling Taiguo and his wife, her grandfather had told her to “take it easy” last night.

Ling Yu had a lot of evidence in her hands, but it wasn’t enough to take down Ling Taiguo and his wife. The Xu family splitting and Ling Yu going abroad was a way of retreating to advance. Of course, Ling Yu couldn’t explain all these twists and turns to Xu Miao. She smiled and gave Xu Miao a look that said, “Don’t worry.” She evaded the question and replied, “A month at the latest. No matter how urgent it is, I have to be with my great-grandmother for her final journey, right?”

With her answer, Xu Miao finally felt relieved. “Yu Yu, please take good care of great-grandmother for me. I’ll hurry back as soon as I can.”

The weather was nice today. After many days of heavy snow, the sky was finally less gloomy. The snow was melting outside. Ling Yu stepped on the slush and arrived at the law firm’s office building. The HR assistant she had met last time was already waiting. Her face was red from the cold. When she saw Ling Yu, she quickly waved at her. “Over here…”

Ling Yu followed the HR assistant. They took the employee elevator. When the assistant swiped her card, she pressed the button for the top floor. Ling Yu raised an eyebrow and asked, “Do new employees go straight to the top floor to meet the leaders on their first day?” Ling Yu knew the layout of the Kaihe Law Firm’s offices very well from when she brought Gu Qing food. There were only two offices on the top floor: one for Li Jun, the founder of the law firm, and the other for Gu Qing.

The HR assistant, Xiao Tao, looked a little stiff when Ling Yu asked the direct question. She rubbed her cold hands and looked at Ling Yu. Her tone was more respectful than before. “It’s like this, Lawyer Gu asked you to come to work this morning. She said she left something with you.”

Ling Yu understood immediately and touched the voice recorder in her pocket. “Did she say anything else?”

Xiao Tao thought for a moment and shook her head. “But be careful when you go into Lawyer Gu’s office later. She got really angry at a male intern this morning. She seems to be in a bad mood.”

Ling Yu said, “Oh,” and thanked Xiao Tao.

“Miss Ling, do you know Lawyer Gu and Director Li from before?” Xiao Tao seemed to think she wasn’t being subtle enough and laughed awkwardly. She added, “The rumors at the firm are that you’re Director Li’s friend.” She said the word “friend” with an unusual emphasis.

Ling Yu leaned against the elevator wall. Of course, she understood what the other person was trying to find out. Ling Yu smiled. “I’ve met them, but I’m not that close with either of them.”

Just then, the elevator door opened with a ding-dong. A woman stood outside wearing a light-colored wool coat over a three-piece suit that hugged her body, highlighting her slender waist. The sunlight slanted behind her at a 45-degree angle. Her lips were slightly pursed, and she held a stack of documents, bathed in the natural light. Her posture was distant and cold. Her features were sharp and beautiful.

From three meters away, you could feel the inexplicable pressure she gave off.

Xiao Tao let out a gasp and instinctively took a step back. “Lawyer Gu, why are you delivering the documents yourself?”

Gu Qing didn’t say anything. Her gaze lingered on Ling Yu for a long time. The air fell into a deadly silence. “Is there something on my face?” Ling Yu subconsciously touched her beautiful, pale face.

Gu Qing let out a soft laugh. “There is something.”

Ling Yu said, “Huh?”

“You ate barbecue yesterday, and now you have a pimple. According to the principle of human metabolism and detoxification, what’s on your face is a normal reaction,” Gu Qing said, looking away and criticizing her sharply. “Don’t worry, it won’t affect your beautiful appearance.”

Ling Yu was stunned for a second and swore to herself. She had checked her face carefully that morning. There was nothing there. She had beautiful, fair skin. There was no way a pimple would appear in just an hour. Ling Yu looked at Gu Qing suspiciously, then at Xiao Tao for confirmation.

The latter was so scared she was plastered against the elevator wall. It showed how intimidating Gu Qing was that even a young girl was so afraid of her. Ling Yu looked at the lonely protagonist, Gu Qing, with pity. She was about to say something to comfort Xiao Tao. The next second, Gu Qing took two steps forward and threw the stack of documents at Xiao Tao. “Give these to the documents department.”

She said that, turned her back, and walked out of the elevator. After a few steps, she saw Ling Yu hadn’t followed. She impatiently turned back and urged, “Come here!”