Chapter 139 – The White Moonlight is Forcibly Loved by the Substitute 37

There was no doubt that Gu Qiyan was dependent on Meng Ying.

In the thirteen years since Shuang Yu’s departure, only he had remained by his side without hesitation, taking care of him and keeping him company.

He had completely replaced Shuang Yu, becoming the sole blade in his hand.

Compared to Si Shuangyu, who only knew how to kill and blindly follow his orders, Meng Ying was more like a strategist.

He had given him a lot of useful advice; even the idea of how to approach Ai Jing to gain his trust and favor was his.

Without Meng Ying, there would be no Gu Qiyan today.

Even if he didn’t want to admit it, he had to.

Compared to the long-departed Si Shuangyu, Meng Ying was the one who loved him without any regrets.

He was very grateful for Meng Ying’s unconditional love.

But… it was only gratitude.

He would rely on Meng Ying, trust Meng Ying, and give him anything he wanted.

The only thing he couldn’t give him… was the love he so desperately craved.

Because all his love had been given to that Si Shuangyu who had left him out of spite.

Some regrets can never be mended in a lifetime.

If Si Shuangyu had stayed by his side, their relationship probably would have soured long ago.

But the problem was, Si Shuangyu had left.

After giving his love unconditionally, he had chosen to abandon him in such a resolute manner.

He had left a permanent scar on his heart.

Gu Qiyan had thought about giving up, but whenever he considered it, he would always remember how good Si Shuangyu had been to him.

Si Shuangyu had become an irreplaceable existence.

“Please… pull yourself together, A Yan! It was so hard for us to get to this point. Are you really going to give up everything for him?”

“Don’t you know that Mr. Ai is already starting to lose faith in you? We’ve already lost the chance to become a member of The Committee. If Mr. Ai abandons us too, our efforts of over a decade will all be for nothing…”

Meng Ying pleaded through his tears.

“I’m sorry, I was wrong… I won’t be like this anymore…”

Gu Qiyan gently wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and choked out the words.

“Mmm, I know you’d never give up so easily, A Yan. Mr. Ai wants to see you. Tidy yourself up before you come out. I’ll go make you some breakfast.”

Overjoyed, Meng Ying gently patted his shoulder and stood up.

The bathroom door closed.

Gu Qiyan quietly stared at his utterly wretched reflection in the mirror, gave a bitter smile, applied shaving foam, and began to shave.

Outside the door, Meng Ying’s eyes were filled with a cold glint.

Damn that Si Shuangyu! If he was going to leave, he should have stayed gone! Why did he have to come back?

What did he really want?!

To get back together with Gu Qiyan?

Or… to come back and get revenge on them!

No matter what his purpose was, he wouldn’t just sit back and watch!

He had been too soft-hearted before.

This time, he would make sure he disappeared from this world for good…

Taking out his phone, Meng Ying dialed Ai Jing’s number.

“Mr. Ai, we’ve received Si Shuangyu’s invitation. I have a feeling he’s up to no good. Should we make a move to test him?”

An hour later, Gu Qiyan and Meng Ying arrived at Ai Jing’s manor in Tianning.

“Mr. Ai has taken Miss Ai Lin out. You’ll have to wait.”

The manor’s steward gave them the cold shoulder.

It was clearly Ai Jing’s way of warning Gu Qiyan for slighting his daughter last time.

The two of them sat stiffly on the sofa, waiting for the entire afternoon.

It wasn’t until near dinnertime that the two returned from their outing.

“Mr. Ai! Miss Ai Lin!”

Gu Qiyan hurriedly stood up to greet them.

“Big Brother Gu, what are you doing here? You didn’t even let us know. If we had known you were coming, Dad and I wouldn’t have gone out!”

Ai Lin was delighted to see him, shooting an annoyed glare at the steward, blaming him for not informing her that her crush had arrived.

“I came unannounced. You and your father haven’t had a date in a long time, so I wouldn’t dare to intrude.”

Gu Qiyan flashed a gentlemanly smile, speaking with understanding.

“Going on a date with Dad is so boring…”

Ai Lin pouted and complained.

“Next time I have a chance, I’d like to invite Miss Ai Lin to tour Tianning with me.”

“Really? I’m free anytime!”

“You have time to stay for dinner today, I trust?”

Ai Jing’s eyes were filled with a warning as he looked at Gu Qiyan. If he acted foolishly and hurt his daughter’s feelings again, he shouldn’t blame him for being ruthless.

“Of course, Mr. Ai. Before… I was rude.”

Gu Qiyan quickly and respectfully replied.

“Xiao Yan, come with me to the study. Meng Ying, you can stay here and chat with Linlin.”

Ai Jing led the way upstairs.

“I heard that all the major families have received invitations from Si Shuangyu?”

“Yes, Mr. Ai. Every new member of The Committee holds a small inauguration ceremony when they take office.”

“Xiao Yan, my daughter likes you very much. She’s a very innocent girl. You won’t let her get hurt, will you?”

Ai Jing’s gaze was scorching as he looked at Gu Qiyan.

The latter’s heart jolted, and he quickly nodded.

“Last time… was my mistake. It will never happen again, I promise, Mr. Ai!”

“I hope you mean what you say. You should also be aware that the position on The Committee is very important to us. As for Si Shuangyu, if you can win him over, do it quickly. If he can’t be brought onto our ship, then do it like before—cleanly and efficiently.”

A sinister glint flashed in Ai Jing’s eyes as he spoke.

Gu Qiyan’s heart trembled. He said, “Xiao Yu is a very sentimental person. I believe he will make the right choice.”

“I don’t care about your private affairs with him. If you can make him work for you, that’s your skill. I have only one request: in front of Linlin, you must show sufficient loyalty and affection. Can you do that?”

Ai Jing lit a cigar, his gaze burning as he asked again.

“Rest assured, Mr. Ai. My feelings for Miss Ai Lin are sincere. I swear on my life, I will treat her with all my heart!”

Gu Qiyan quickly professed his sincerity.

As for whether it was truly sincere, Ai Jing didn’t care.

All he wanted was Gu Qiyan’s loyalty.

Downstairs, Ai Lin was very curious about Shuang Yu’s identity.

She was indeed naive and innocent, but that didn’t mean she was a fool.

She could see that Gu Qiyan cared deeply for that man.

So she asked Meng Ying, wanting to probe into their relationship.

Meng Ying didn’t hide anything and told her they used to be a couple.

However, he didn’t mention what Si Shuangyu had done for the original host, nor what he had suffered.

He only painted Si Shuangyu as a selfish and ruthless person.

He said that after killing Gu Yanfeng and framing Gu Qiyan for the crime, he had left on his own. Gu Qiyan had silently borne everything and had never been able to get over his departure.

He portrayed Gu Qiyan as a tragic figure, loyal to love without any regrets.

Ai Lin was captivated by the story and fell even more for Gu Qiyan.

If such a devoted man were to be devoted to her, she would be the happiest girl in the world!

And so, her heart was given away without reservation under the spell of this deception.

Soon, the appointed time arrived.

That day, Gu Qiyan took Meng Ying, Jingmo, and a group of underlings and set off for the meeting place.