"If you want to stop me, then I'm sorry Miss Fang, I won't leave Brother Yunting easily!"
Facing Fang Yanxi's sharp gaze and the powerful aura she exuded, although Gu Luotang felt guilty towards her, her deep love for the man compelled her to stand firm. To be with him, she had to grit her teeth and hold her ground, refusing to retreat even an inch.
"Heh heh."
Fang Yanxi let out a cold laugh, then turned to face Gu Luotang. Her beautiful eyes appraised the woman before her, who possessed an air of delicate fragility. She spoke, "Miss Luotang, you come from a scholarly family yourself. Don't you know that interfering in someone else's relationship is the behavior of a homewrecker?"
Being called a homewrecker deeply offended Gu Luotang. She glared at Fang Yanxi, biting her lip as she retorted, "I am not a homewrecker, Miss Fang. Please choose your words carefully!"
Fang Yanxi smiled and nodded. "You are quite surprising!"
Her words left Gu Luotang looking at her with confusion. Fang Yanxi continued, "I've learned about you. I initially thought you were just a weak woman, but now it seems you're determined to stand your ground and compete with me, aren't you?"
Gu Luotang's eyes widened in disbelief. She nodded, gritting her teeth, and said firmly, "For Brother Yunting, I am willing to compete with you!"
Fang Yanxi narrowed her eyes, gazing at her and sneering, "So, you truly have no intention of giving up voluntarily?"
Gu Luotang, suppressing the tremor within her, did not flinch from Fang Yanxi's imposing presence. She pursed her red lips and nodded, "Miss Fang, I admit that my relationship with Brother Yunting has caused you pain, but I love him. My wish in this life is to be with him, so I will not give him up willingly!"
Fang Yanxi looked at her for a long moment, then finally nodded and smiled, "What if he chooses me and abandons you?"
These words made Gu Luotang's heart skip a beat, filling her with a sense of unease.
After all, she knew that Fang Yanxi had been his girlfriend since their university days, and they had been together for a long time. Moreover, she had heard from Qi Miaomiao that the man's father highly valued Fang Yanxi, leading Gu Luotang to believe that she was inferior to Fang Yanxi.
"If... if Brother Yunting truly makes a choice, then I..."
As Gu Luotang spoke, she lowered her head, her eyes reddening and tears welling up. Her loss of control caused her delicate body to tremble slightly. Biting her red lips, her voice quivered as she said, "Then I absolutely will not pester him anymore..."
Fang Yanxi nodded with a smile, "You are quite reasonable. It's a pity, though, that he hasn't made a choice!"
Gu Luotang stared blankly, looking up at Fang Yanxi, her heart filled with emotion. "What, what do you mean?"
Fang Yanxi, her aggressive aura receding, smiled with a slight sigh. "Miss Luotang, we are both passionate women. Why should women make things difficult for each other? What I said earlier was merely to test how much affection you have for Yunting. It seems I underestimated your feelings for him!"
This sudden turn of events left Gu Luotang somewhat bewildered. Her beautiful eyes fixed on Fang Yanxi with confusion. Logically, Fang Yanxi should have scolded her, rejected her, and opposed her being with the man. But why was she acting this way?
"Alright, you don't need to overthink it. I wasn't trying to make things difficult for you."
Seeing Gu Luotang still looking perplexed, Fang Yanxi smiled and said, "If I really wanted to make things difficult for you, that scoundrel would probably get angry with me!"
Gu Luotang, finally regaining her composure, asked, her heart stirring, "Miss Fang, why are you doing this?"
Fang Yanxi turned and waved her hand, smiling. "I told you, why should women make things difficult for women? If anyone is to blame, it's that philandering scoundrel!"
Gu Luotang's emotions were complex. The more Fang Yanxi acted this way, the more uncomfortable she felt. She said, "Aren't you angry with me for interfering?"
Fang Yanxi turned her head and glanced at her sideways, sighing. "To be honest, of course I'm angry with you. I've wanted to settle the score with you for a long time, but then I thought better of it. Since he can't make a choice, what can I do with you?"
Gu Luotang lowered her head, pursed her red lips, and apologized, "I'm sorry..."
Fang Yanxi shook her head slightly and smiled. "Since neither of us can leave him, let's choose to coexist peacefully. Of course, no one can predict the future. Letting things take their course is best."
Gu Luotang nodded, her heart filled with joy. She thanked Fang Yanxi, "Miss Fang, thank you."
"No need to thank me."
Fang Yanxi waved her hand and said, "Although I didn't make things difficult for you, I still resent you. So, you'd best consider how to interact with me from now on!"
Gu Luotang's expression faltered at these words. She lowered her head in shame, feeling embarrassed.
"By the way, don't get too happy too soon. Besides us two, that scoundrel has other women outside too!" Fang Yanxi said with a cold smile.
"Ah?"
Gu Luotang's mouth gaped in surprise. Fang Yanxi laughed, "What, you don't know anything about this?"
Gu Luotang shook her head innocently. She truly had no idea that the man had other women.
"Her name is Su Ke'er, and she's in the capital now!" Fang Yanxi said.
Gu Luotang suddenly remembered something, her eyes widening. "You mean Su Ke'er, the one who used to work in the emergency department at the southern hospital?"
"Yes, her."
Fang Yanxi nodded and smiled. "Besides Su Ke'er, that scoundrel is also involved in ambiguous relationships with many other women!"
Gu Luotang's expression became stunned, her mouth hanging open in utter surprise.
Fang Yanxi laughed, "So, are you still determined to be with him?"
Gu Luotang raised her eyebrows and fell silent.
Fang Yanxi smiled, waved her hand, and walked away. "Think it over carefully yourself. In any case, I'll deal with that guy sooner or later."
Gu Luotang looked up at Fang Yanxi's retreating figure and suddenly asked, "Then what is your choice?"
Fang Yanxi paused, turned back, and smiled, "I can't leave him anymore!"
Gu Luotang's expression froze. Watching Fang Yanxi's receding figure after saying those words, she felt deeply moved.
It seemed she had underestimated Fang Yanxi's feelings for the man.
"Senior Sister..."
Qi Miaomiao, who had been waiting nearby, saw Fang Yanxi leave and immediately went over to Gu Luotang, asking nervously, "She didn't make things difficult for you, did she?"
Gu Luotang shook her head slightly and said, "Miss Fang's choice is to coexist peacefully with me!"
Qi Miaomiao's expression was astonished. "She's that kind-hearted?"
Gu Luotang looked up, watching Fang Yanxi disappear around the corner of the corridor. Her complex feelings left her unsure whether she felt happy or guilty.
Fang Yanxi returned to the main guest area and saw Wan Yunting sitting alone in a nearby leisure pavilion, frowning as he smoked. This made Fang Yanxi sneer inwardly. She walked over to him and said, "What, are you afraid I'll fight with Gu Luotang?"
Wan Yunting quickly stubbed out his cigarette and stood up, greeting Fang Yanxi with a fawning smile. "Yanxi, what are you saying? Would you be that kind of person?"
Fang Yanxi's beautiful eyes widened, and she let out a cold snort. "What, in your eyes, am I such a petty and unreasonable woman?"
"No, no..."
Wan Yunting broke out in a sweat and waved his hands repeatedly. He reached out to embrace Fang Yanxi's slender waist, but the woman angrily threw off his hand and sat down on a stool, huffing. "Wan Yunting, don't think that just because I didn't make things difficult for Gu Luotang, I'm not angry. Remember, I'm your girlfriend, and she's the one interfering!"
Wan Yunting's expression froze. Seeing Fang Yanxi's somber face, he understood that she was resentful towards him, which brought a bitter expression to his face. He sat down and apologized sincerely, "Yanxi, I'm sorry. I know this has hurt you..."
"Enough, don't say sorry to me."
Fang Yanxi turned her head and glanced at him coldly. "If you truly feel sorry for me, then give up Gu Luotang!"
Wan Yunting's expression changed at these words. He looked up at Fang Yanxi, falling silent.
Seeing the man frown, his expression complex, and remaining silent, Fang Yanxi felt a pang of pain, but it was within her expectations. Angrily, she hit Wan Yunting's arm and said, "You scoundrel, can't you just say something untrue to appease me?"
Wan Yunting grabbed her delicate hand and slapped his own face hard, causing Fang Yanxi to quickly withdraw her hand. "Are you masochistic?"
Wan Yunting gave a wry smile. "When you hit me like this, I feel a little better."
These words earned him an angry glare from Fang Yanxi. The more he acted like this, the more she didn't know what to say to him.
But Fang Yanxi also understood that the man was incapable of choosing between her and Gu Luotang. If he could, Wan Yunting would have done so long ago.
"Forget it, I don't want to talk to you anymore."
Fang Yanxi stood up, not wanting to waste more words on this exasperating person. She huffed, "Go appease your talented Miss Luotang."
Wan Yunting stood up and, with a pulling motion, grabbed Fang Yanxi. The woman turned and fell into his arms, embraced tightly by Wan Yunting in a passionate kiss. This softened Fang Yanxi's heart somewhat. She responded to his fervent kiss until she was breathless, then pushed him away forcefully. She wiped her red lips and then wiped them on Wan Yunting's chest, giving him a resentful glare before turning to leave...
"Don't be angry anymore," Wan Yunting called out with a smile.
Fang Yanxi glanced back and let out a娇哼. "Get ready to kneel on durian husks."
"No, don't..."
Wan Yunting shouted, but Fang Yanxi ignored him, leaving him to shake his head with a wry smile. He then saw Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao emerging from the corridor. Wan Yunting waved and called out, "Luotang, Miaomiao, over here..."
Upon seeing him, Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao walked over and asked, "Brother Yunting, why are you here?"
Qi Miaomiao smiled, "Brother Yunting, you're not worried that Senior Sister is being bullied by that Fang Yanxi, are you?"
Wan Yunting pointed at her and smiled, "Miaomiao, you go play first. Your Senior Sister and I will have a private rendezvous."
Qi Miaomiao, thinking of something, blushed and gave Wan Yunting a big eye-roll, spitting out, "Pervert..."
Saying this, Qi Miaomiao walked away. Wan Yunting took Gu Luotang's hand and smiled, "Come on, let's go for a walk in the back garden..."
Gu Luotang smiled and nodded, allowing the man to hold her small hand as they turned and entered the corridor, heading towards a rear garden...
At this time, a party was being held at the house. Most of the servants were in the main guest area entertaining guests, so there were few people in the backyard. Wan Yunting walked with Gu Luotang, turning his head to look at her and smiling, "What did she say to you?"
Gu Luotang looked up at the man, knowing he was worried about her being troubled by Fang Yanxi. She shook her head slightly and smiled, "Miss Fang didn't say anything, nor did she trouble me. We just chatted a bit."
"That's good."
Wan Yunting nodded, his previously worried heart finally at ease.
He led Gu Luotang to a leisure pavilion within a peach blossom forest in the back garden. This area had been designed in the style of a Suzhou garden, featuring over a dozen peach trees in full bloom. Bamboo was also planted along the walls.
There was a rockery made of Taihu stones, and a small pond stocked with ornamental fish. However, as it was still winter in the capital, the pond water was frozen, though the silhouettes of ornamental fish could still be seen swimming beneath the surface.
The two arrived at a pavilion in the garden. A servant then came and lowered the curtains of the pavilion to block the wind. However, the many peach and other trees planted in the courtyard also blocked the cold night wind, preventing it from being too chilly.