Qin Siyuan nodded and returned to his room.
However, when he reached the second floor, he glanced down at Gu Anxi once more.
Gu Anxi pretended not to notice.
Wang Keru slowly descended the staircase to stand before her, her expression unpleasant. "Haven’t I given you money to spend? I heard you’re working in a bar. Do I need to tell you what kind of place Imperial Beauty is? Gu Anxi, can’t you try to make something of yourself? You fail all your exams. You used to study painting; now, I bet you’ve even forgotten how to hold a paintbrush."
She was clearly in a foul mood. Taking a breath, she continued, "Starting tomorrow, you are forbidden from going to such places. I’ve hired a painting teacher for you; he’s a fairly well-known painter in Qingcheng. You will study diligently and stop embarrassing me! Do you understand our current situation? If that servant’s daughter manages to enter this family, will there be any good days left for us?"
Gu Anxi glanced at the gauze on her right hand and chuckled softly. "You’re the one who won’t have any good days left, Mrs. Qin."
Wang Keru was about to explode with anger. Coming from Gu Anxi’s lips, those words, ’Mrs. Qin,’ were the height of sarcasm.
Her pupils contracted as she hissed, "Are you still blaming me for remarrying? Gu Anxi, get a grip! Your father is lying in the hospital, racking up medical bills of over a hundred thousand a month. He left us in a terrible mess. His project, Clear Water Yun Tian, is unfinished. We have to repay hundreds of thousands in loans every month. If we don’t, those foremen will come knocking to deal with us! Was I supposed to just wait for death if I didn’t remarry?"
Then, she added impatiently, "Once I find a suitable buyer, I’ll sell it."
"That’s what Dad left us." Gu Anxi’s lips tightened.
Wang Keru sneered at her. "Tens of millions in debt, are you going to help repay that? Gu Anxi, even naïveté has its limits."
"I will," Gu Anxi stated coldly, then turned and headed upstairs.
Wang Keru shouted after her, "You will? With what?"
Gu Anxi acted as if she hadn’t heard and continued upstairs.
Unable to contain her anger, Wang Keru rushed up and grabbed Gu Anxi’s hand. "Are you listening to me? Starting tomorrow, go to school with Siyuan and win him back! I will not tolerate a servant’s daughter climbing over my head and running wild!"
Gu Anxi looked at her quietly. Wang Keru felt stung by her gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Gu Anxi gave a faint smile. "I just wanted to ask if I’m nothing more than a tool to you."
Wang Keru was displeased. If only Anxi could handle Qin Siyuan, all their problems would be solved.
But this child wouldn’t listen to her.
Perhaps the rumors were true: Gu Anxi was born under an unlucky star. With her around, they would never know peace.
The Gu family had collapsed, and now the Qin family was in utter disarray.
It wasn’t as if she wanted her here either.
She simply had no other choice.
While Wang Keru was lost in thought, Gu Anxi was already heading to her bedroom upstairs. She lived in the westernmost room on the second floor, directly opposite Qin Siyuan’s.
Just as she reached the hallway, she saw Qin Siyuan standing there, arms crossed, eying her.
As Gu Anxi opened her door, she said, "I’m tired and want to sleep. If there’s anything, we can talk tomorrow."
"Who was the man that brought you home?" Qin Siyuan asked coldly.
Gu Anxi’s response was to slam the door in his face without uttering a single word.
Furious, Qin Siyuan pounded on her door a few times. "Gu Anxi!"
Of course, she neither opened the door nor paid him any mind.
It was the middle of the night, and not daring to disturb his father, Qin Siyuan reluctantly returned to his room.