Chapter 103 — Absolutely Not

Mu Ran interrupted in a deep voice, pulling An Lan to her side, her face full of disapproval as she looked at Gu Beicheng, radiating resistance.

Gu Xiao’s reputation was terrible!

He was even worse than she had been back then.

Although Mu Ran admitted that some of the rumors were nothing but wild speculation.

But the incident where Gu Xiao tried to use his influence over Qi Jun was real!

In her previous life, Qi Jun himself exposed this matter on Weibo!

How could it be false?

Gu Xiao’s orientation was a mystery, and his sinister, jealous attitude toward Gu Beicheng was unmistakable!

Absolutely not!

No, no, no!

An Lan must not be with Gu Xiao!

“Stop trying to matchmake,” Mu Ran said, ignoring Gu Beicheng’s aggrieved gaze as she dragged An Lan to sit on the sofa nearby.

“Lanlan, you like long hair, I’ll go with you to get it done. You’re so delicate, you’ll look stunning.”

Mu Ran looked directly at An Lan’s handsome, dignified face and couldn’t help but sigh—her looks eclipsed many actors.

It was just that she was so casual day-to-day, unwilling to dress up.

“Who’s meddling in others’ affairs?”

“And who thinks I’m not good enough?”

A voice, tinged with amusement and laughter, came from the side.

It was Gu Xiao.

“Miss Mu—no, now I should call you sister-in-law—sister-in-law, what’s wrong with me? The way you spoke just now was full of contempt.”

Gu Xiao’s aura was wicked, entirely different from Gu Beicheng and the others, who were upright and masculine.

An Lan looked at him with disgust: “There’s nothing good about you!”

Gu Xiao scoffed, “You tomboy, you’re saying I’m not good enough?”

No man can stand hearing that he’s lacking.

“You’re just not good enough!”

An Lan had no fear of Gu Xiao, this privileged heir. If it weren’t for Gu Beicheng backing him, he wouldn’t survive in the industry!

“Come here.”

Gu Xiao was slightly shorter than Gu Beicheng but still stood at 185 centimeters.

“Fine, who’s afraid of whom?” An Lan stood up, lifting her chin defiantly as she walked over.

“What do you want? Even if no man wants me, I’d never be with you!”

She jabbed her finger at his neck, her voice raised in indignation.

Her arm ached, so she prepared to switch hands.

“Ah—”

Gu Xiao grabbed her wrist, pulling her forward.

“Aren’t you secretly excited?” Gu Xiao held the struggling woman tight in his arms.

He lowered his head, his alluring eyes clouded and cold.

“Do you really dislike me that much?”

Gu Xiao felt nothing romantic toward An Lan.

At best, they were just friends.

But he was irritated by her rejection.

Why did everyone like Gu Beicheng?

Why did no one like him?

It was always because of them!

No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he could never match Gu Beicheng’s excellence.

His frustration condensed into a sharp gaze, aimed straight at An Lan.

An Lan struggled, trying to shake off Gu Xiao’s large hand, but couldn’t break free. She clenched her jaw, words squeezed out between her teeth: “Gu Xiao! If I really hated you, every time your brother beat you up, I wouldn’t have taken you to the hospital, caring for you day and night!”

“I never asked you to do that! You’re being sentimental!”

Gu Xiao released her hand, sneering.

Mu Ran, equally angry, was held back by Gu Beicheng when she tried to help An Lan.

Gu Beicheng leaned close to Mu Ran’s ear, whispering, “Their relationship might not be just friendship.”

Mu Ran’s stunned gaze flickered between Gu Xiao and An Lan, alarm bells ringing in her heart: No! Lanlan must not get involved with Gu Xiao! He’s gay!

“Gu Xiao, you’re unbelievable! To think I always considered you a friend!”

An Lan blew a stray strand of hair from her face, her bloodshot eyes glaring at the wicked man before her.

Gu Xiao’s thin lips curled into a sly smile; he once again imprisoned the angry woman in his arms, his refined, mixed-race face lowering slowly—“smack—”

An Lan froze.

The air stilled.

Aside from Gu Xiao, the men who’d been watching the spectacle exchanged glances, now certain this relationship was anything but simple.

They were all adults; romance was inevitable.

Everyone saw plainly that Gu Xiao and An Lan were not just squabbling friends, nor mere acquaintances.

There was certainly someone truly in love, only pretending otherwise.

Was it Gu Xiao, or An Lan? They couldn’t tell.

“Gu Xiao! You—damn it! I! You!”

An Lan pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of Gu Xiao’s suit jacket, wiping her forehead in disgust.

She narrowed her eyes, her voice cold and warning: “Stay away from me from now on. Unbelievable. It was just a joke, why are you so sensitive? Even if every man in the world died, I’d never be with you!”

An Lan threw the handkerchief in his face and left in a huff.

Mu Ran’s anger grew harder to contain; she shook off Gu Beicheng’s hand, striding over to Gu Xiao, who stared, stunned, at An Lan’s retreating back.

Mu Ran frowned, her tone cold, showing him no mercy. “Gu Xiao, are you insane? Since you don’t like An Lan, why treat her like that?”

Gu Xiao turned to her, watching her crystalline lips move, and smirked, “How do you know I don’t like her?”

“You like men! How could you possibly like Lanlan!”

Mu Ran’s dangerous gaze fell on his playful, devil-may-care face.

She wished she could slap him right then.

But, remembering he was Beibei’s brother, she showed him a little restraint.

“What?”

“What?!”

Her words shocked not only the unruly Gu Xiao, but every man present.

Gu Beicheng’s brows furrowed, his face dark as ice, his sharp eyes fixed coldly on Gu Xiao.

“Gu Xiao, you like men? Since when?”

Gu Beicheng began to suspect that all those times Gu Xiao bothered him, caused trouble, it was to get his attention.

His own brother liked him?

He dared not think further…

On the other sofa, four men coughed in unison, their eyes wary as they glanced at Gu Xiao.

Then they looked at Gu Beicheng, shaking their heads with accusing stares, thinking, How did Beicheng raise his brother? How could he turn out gay?

The four of them, perfectly coordinated, stood up together, saying, “We have things to do!”

Veins bulged in Gu Xiao’s forehead: “Sit down!”

Mu Lang blurted out, “Sit in my passenger seat!”

“Oh my god, I don’t want the passenger seat—I’m straight!”

The four men sat back down in unison, “thump” onto the sofa.

“What are you all thinking! Gu Beicheng, stop looking at me like that! I’m not— I’m not gay!”

Gu Xiao’s eyes were bloodshot, his whole body ablaze with fury, feeling as though his entire being would boil over.

“Mu Ran! I’m not gay! Why are you spreading rumors?”

Any upright, masculine man would be furious to be called gay.

Mu Ran rolled her eyes, ignoring him and heading off to find An Lan.

“Where are you going? Explain yourself! Look at how these guys are looking at me!”

Mu Ran glanced back at the men, then shrugged at Gu Xiao.

She looked up at his gloomy face, blinking her fox-like eyes, as if to say: I see, but it’s no big deal…

“Why did you say I’m gay? You’re not leaving until you explain yourself!”

Gu Xiao, burning with rage, blocked Mu Ran’s way.

He clenched his fists tightly, the arteries in his neck pulsing, the veins at his temple trembling, “Tell me.”

He didn’t touch Mu Ran, barely containing his anger, waiting for her explanation.

He knew if he even laid a finger on Mu Ran, Gu Beicheng would never forgive him.

An Lan was gone; if anything happened to him, no one would take him to the hospital!

Mu Ran was unfazed by his discomfort. “I have my reasons. Didn’t you once use your position to threaten a male celebrity?”

“I did not!”

Gu Xiao’s mind raced. He hadn’t touched a woman in years, let alone a man!

Those rumors on Weibo were all fabricated by rival companies targeting Chengxing Films!

All his life, he’d worked hard, excelled in everything, but no one saw his accomplishments—they only saw his brother Gu Beicheng’s brilliance!

Gu Xiao was resentful, dissatisfied, always feeling he wasn’t good enough.

He had to work even harder; even his brother avoided women, so he shouldn’t be fooling around either.

If anyone caught him in a scandal, he’d never surpass Gu Beicheng.

So, all these years, he’d kept himself clean, just like his brother.

“Still denying it! The person in question admitted it! Ask your brother!”

Mu Ran exchanged a look with Gu Beicheng, raising her chin. “Beibei, that variety show, on the deserted island—Qi Jun.”

Gu Beicheng thought for a moment, lips pressed into a thin line, his indifferent eyes glancing at the blushing Gu Xiao.

He nodded. “The guy said himself you harassed him—a man.”

Gu Beicheng emphasized “man” deliberately.

Gu Xiao felt his whole world collapse, clutching his head, his legs weak.

He’d kept himself pure for years!

Yet now he was branded as gay!

“Move, let me sit for a while.”

Gu Xiao squeezed into the middle of Shen Mubai and the three Mu brothers, dropping heavily onto the sofa.

“Brothers, I’m really not—”

The three Mu brothers huddled together, leaving a gap between themselves and Gu Xiao.

“Ah Xiao, you’ve grown up—first time you called us brothers.”

They shook their heads repeatedly. “Don’t be upset, early detection means early treatment. If you really like men, we support it.”

The Mu brothers, Shen Mubai, and Gu Beicheng had all grown up together.

They all knew Gu Xiao wasn’t a biological member of the Gu family.

But he’d always been cute as a child, though a bit mischievous, always giving Gu Beicheng trouble.

Everyone assumed it was just a rebellious phase.

Now, nearing thirty, Gu Xiao was still the same—always seeking attention, making trouble for Gu Beicheng.

The brothers reflected, maybe Gu Xiao really had issues from growing up without parents.

Or perhaps, when the Gu patriarch brought him home, Gu Beicheng was away, so Gu Xiao saw himself as the sole heir.

But when Gu Beicheng returned, everything Gu Xiao had was gone, so he felt unbalanced.

It was only natural—Gu Xiao wasn’t bad at heart, just competitive and jealous.

“Right! Mu Ran, I remember now! Qi Jun! That was really a misunderstanding!”

“It was at a wrap party for a movie. There was an older female producer who fancied Qi Jun and tried to use her position with him. Of course, I wouldn’t let my actor be exploited, so I…”

Gu Xiao explained passionately.

“So that’s what happened…”