Chapter 53: A Chance Family Reunion

Pushing aside the thick, black curtain, Wen Qian and Yin Zhi stopped at the top of the bar’s second-floor staircase.

The two stood side-by-side, quietly gazing at the autumn scenery of City A.

Their gazes swept past rows of ginkgo trees and landed on the imposing buildings across the street, where the dense cluster of colorful shops was captivating.

Zone C truly lived up to its name as the "eye of the city." Day or night, its alleys and lanes were always bustling with pedestrians.

The two of them stood at the entrance for a while before the man came out.

His sleeves were neatly rolled up, revealing firm forearms. Wen Qian couldn’t help but stare, noticing that the metal watch Gu Mian usually wore on his left wrist was gone.

The girl inconspicuously averted her gaze. She hesitated for two seconds before speaking, "Let him go."

Now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, there was no point in keeping him.

Besides, she had gone to great lengths to save this person ten years ago. To just... it would be a real shame.

The man lifted his eyes and met Wen Qian’s for two seconds. Seeing her serious expression, he nodded.

Wen Qian looked at the man’s chiseled face and added, "Let him go directly."

’Not the kind where you cripple him and toss him out...’

This time, the man didn’t nod immediately. Instead, he took the watch out of his pocket and slowly put it on.

With his eyes lowered, he seemed to have an internal struggle for a long moment before finally whispering, "Alright."

Hearing his response, Wen Qian let out a soft sigh of relief.

’Now I can relax.’

Gu Mian would never lie to her.

"Let’s go, I’ll treat you to a meal!" Glancing at the time, a bright smile appeared on the girl’s face. She patted her small white purse twice, looking like a big shot with plenty of cash.

This morning, right before getting in the car, she had stubbornly run back to grab this small purse.

Inside the purse were the vouchers the restaurant owner had given her last time, which could be used like cash.

Zone C was only a ten-minute drive from University A. Considering the trouble with parking, Gu Mian dropped Wen Qian and Yin Zhi off near the restaurant, then drove the car to the university by himself.

It was currently the peak dining hour. Wen Qian reached out, pulled the mask hanging on Yin Zhi’s chin back up over his face, and then led him to a corner table.

The spot was very secluded; no one would notice them unless they walked right up to it.

"Wait for me here." Wen Qian reached out and ruffled the top of his hair.

Leaving the table, Wen Qian went to the front counter to greet the owner before heading to the ordering area.

When Wen Qian used to work here, she got along very well with everyone. When she reached the food pickup area, the young woman serving even added an extra fried egg for her.

"Hey, what’s your number? I’ll bring your food over." The young girl with pigtails was especially excited to see Wen Qian. After delivering the order in her hands, she immediately ran over.

"Number 17, the one in the very back." Wen Qian was slightly taken aback; this young girl was a new employee who had started just before she quit.

Hearing this, the young girl nodded vigorously and skipped happily toward the service window.

Not long after Wen Qian finished ordering, Gu Mian arrived. The two of them walked one after another toward the corner table, attracting the gazes of many students along the way.

"Isn’t that Professor Gu?"

"Who’s that girl with him?"

"She looks so familiar. Is she a student here at our university...?"

"Is that the one from the forum?"

"Whoa, they couldn’t be..."

"..."

At University A, Gu Mian was a god-like figure. Any move he made could be photographed and posted on the forum. But he never cared, as if long accustomed to being the center of attention, the steady, brilliant star in the crowd.

As Gu Mian and Wen Qian reached the corner, before Wen Qian could react, Yin Zhi pulled her to his side. Once Wen Qian was seated, he lifted his chin slightly, shooting Gu Mian a triumphant look.

The man’s gaze darkened. He crossed his arms, and although he said nothing, the fingers drumming on his bicep betrayed his displeasure.

The food was ready quickly. The young girl with the pigtails took the order, her face filled with a joyful smile.

However, when she carried the tray to Wen Qian’s table, the smile on her face froze.

"Young... Young Master of the Gu... Gu Family..." She stared at Gu Mian, taking a long moment to close her mouth. Then she turned her head and saw Yin Zhi, her expression growing even more astonished. "Yo-Young Master?"

All three of them looked up at the same time, their eyes landing on her pretty face.

Gu Mian glanced sideways, an elegant air about him. He said lightly, "You know me?"

The girl before them was a Beastman from the Hundred Bird Clan. One of the Hundred Bird Clan’s means of survival in the Beast World was gathering intelligence. However, the Gu Family had always kept a low profile, and Gu Mian rarely appeared in front of outsiders. Very few people could recognize him.

The young woman nodded timidly. Previously, they had received a mission to investigate the head of the Gu Family. Unfortunately, her companions who went with her had disappeared one after another shortly after entering the valley, leaving only Li Shi behind.

Li Shi was also lucky. Right after leaving Infinite Valley, she happened upon the Qi Family’s head celebrating his birthday. She had doubled back to the Qi Family estate, and it was there that she got a glimpse of the Gu Family’s esteemed young master.

"What is your relationship to the head of the Gu Family?" Yin Zhi asked coolly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

Lifting his eyelids slightly, the man’s voice was faint. "My father."

Yin Zhi raised an eyebrow, his face unreadable. He had long suspected that Gu Mian’s status in the Gu Family was extraordinary, but he hadn’t expected... No wonder he was so bold in his actions.

"Li Shi, you couldn’t also be..." Wen Qian only mouthed the last word. Seeing Li Shi nod, she immediately let out a long sigh.

She felt like she had stumbled into a den of Beastmen. With one after another turning out to be a Beastman, she, the human, was starting to feel like the odd one out.

As if sensing something, Gu Mian’s gaze fell on Li Shi again. "Are you a Se Dan?"

The Se Dan of the Beast Clan is the Yellow-tailed Robin of Blue Star.

"Ye-yes." The young girl nodded again, extremely nervous in front of Gu Mian.

"Then do you know Li Jiu?" Wen Qian’s eyes widened.

"He... He’s my cousin..." Li Shi froze for a moment. When it registered, she blinked her dark eyes hard. "He came over too?"

Thinking of Li Jiu, Li Shi couldn’t help but worry. Her cousin was notoriously naive and sweet-natured, and he rarely took on the family’s message-delivery tasks.

In her mother’s words, he was the type who could get himself lost while delivering a letter.

Li Shi worked in the Hundred Bird Clan’s intelligence division. She barely saw Li Jiu more than once a year, but her memory of this cousin was very vivid.

"Yeah, he’s at my place." Wen Qian nodded.

’I don’t know if this counts as good luck,’ she thought, ’helping the little bird at home find a relative while out for a meal.’

Hearing Wen Qian say this, Li Shi’s expression immediately turned to one of pleasant surprise. Wen Qian had expected her to ask when she could come get Li Jiu, but instead, the girl nearly threw herself at her. "Really? Then can I move in too?!"

"No."

"No!"

Yin Zhi and Gu Mian said in unison.