Chapter 46 He Is a Duck

Cao Guang, however, refused to believe it. In his eyes, that ordinary-looking girl could hardly have any chance to get close to a handsome guy. Was she just swooning over him and overreacted because of it? Unless he tried it himself, he would not be convinced.

"Gu, may I ask you to try it on me?" he stood and asked.

"No," Gu Xiangnan replied with a smile, "Those who have insulted me, I refuse!"

Cao Guang sat back, disgruntled. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and fragments of memories replayed before his eyes like a movie—the massage scene, the girl's reaction, the look of rapture, and those intoxicating sounds.

His eyes widened as realization dawned.

He remembered! So that was it!

A cold smile curled at the corner of Cao Guang's lips. Unable to contain himself, he stood and pointed dramatically at Gu Xiangnan, announcing to the entire class, "Everyone, Gu Xiangnan works as an escort at a bathhouse!"

After declaring this, he turned to look especially at Zi Xiaoyin.

Zi Xiaoyin looked at him in bewilderment and asked, "Escort? What does that mean?"

A female classmate beside her leaned in and whispered a brief explanation.

Zi Xiaoyin's face flushed red, then turned pale.

The red was from embarrassment; the white, from anger.

She retorted indignantly, "Impossible! Gu is a good person!"

That morning, though merely a chance encounter, Gu Xiangnan had stood up to the Xu family for her sake. Zi Xiaoyin refused to believe Cao Guang's words.

Cao Guang replied, "Being a good person and being an escort aren't mutually exclusive."

Even Teacher Han found Cao Guang's accusation far-fetched. "Even if Gu rejected your request, you shouldn't go about spreading such obscene rumors."

Gu Xiangnan himself looked utterly baffled. An escort? Did he need to stoop that low? He had not one, but two black credit cards. And seven stunning, peerless senior sisters, all queuing up to help him elevate his cultivation.

"My friend, words have consequences. Thankfully, I’m a man—if I were a woman and you spread rumors like this, the repercussions would be serious!"

Cao Guang thumped his chest. "I have witnesses."

He turned to the boys nearby. "Remember a few days ago, when we went to the bathhouse? There was a private room we passed, and inside was a man giving a woman a massage. Do you recall?"

They thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Cao Guang pressed further, "Think again. Wasn’t that man him?"

To be fair, the resemblance was uncanny. Several of them had seen it—could they be mistaken?

Gu Xiangnan looked at them calmly. "I went to the bathhouse, yes, but I was never an escort."

"Ha! So you admit it?" Cao Guang said smugly. "If you're short on money, you don't have to sell yourself! If you're struggling, just say so—your classmates could help you out."

Coming from a well-off family, both parents university professors, Cao Guang considered himself a cut above Gu Xiangnan.

Teacher Han’s face grew stern. "Gu, your massage skills are excellent, but as a medical student, virtue matters most. If you lack moral character, your medical ethics will be equally questionable. If you truly have done such disgraceful things, I hope you’ll turn back before it’s too late. If the school finds out, the consequences will be beyond what you can bear."

"Absolutely not!" Cao Guang couldn't wait to see Gu Xiangnan expelled. He jumped up. "You can’t cover this up just because he has good grades. We must report this to the school!"

At that moment, the bell rang. Gu Xiangnan didn’t bother arguing further and strode out of the classroom, making a call as he went.

His mind was still on Su Hanyan.

"Hello, Senior Sister, how are things over there?"

"The Zheng family has notified the media. They’re holding a new product launch for their beauty cream at the Jiangning Grand Hotel. They even sent our company a special invitation—it looks like they’re declaring open war," Su Hanyan replied, worried.

"Don’t be afraid. I’m on my way. Let’s meet at the press conference."

He then called Wang Mei.

Wang Mei, on her motorcycle, sped with him to the venue.

Su Hanyan and Wu Meiyu had already arrived.

The four gathered, and Su Hanyan said, "Xiaonan, I just got word that the Zhengs invited Mona, the hottest celebrity in Ningjiang, to endorse their product today."

"Who’s Mona?" Gu Xiangnan, indifferent to entertainment news, hadn’t heard the name.

Wu Meiyu explained: Mona was Ningjiang’s top star, obsessed with cosmetic procedures to maintain her youthful image, even going so far as to falsify her age.

Gu Xiangnan nodded, "She’s a fitting choice for their endorsement."

Click, click, click—the stage was awash in camera flashes as Young Master Zheng took the stage first.

Reporters swarmed forward.

"Mr. Zheng, you announced this product launch out of the blue, with not a hint of news beforehand. Your secrecy measures must have been excellent!"

Young Master Zheng didn’t answer immediately. He surveyed the crowd, catching sight of Gu Xiangnan and Su Hanyan. With veiled meaning, he said, "Of course we had to keep things under wraps—wouldn’t want our formula stolen."

"You mean someone might covet this formula?" a reporter pressed the microphone closer.

"I’ve heard that another company is also launching a new beauty product soon. One can never be too careful," he replied, squinting at Gu Xiangnan.

The reporter, eager for drama, said, "The only other company with a press conference scheduled is Yisheng. Are you implying they might have plagiarized your formula?"

Zheng raised his hands innocently. "I never said that. Those are your words, not mine."

The reporters, sharp as ever, knew a juicy story when they saw one.

Zheng picked up the microphone and began the official introduction. "Welcome to our launch event. Allow me to present our new product..."

He went on at length, the script well-written—boasting of the effort and time invested, drawing from rare ancient texts, culminating in a peerless creation, unique under heaven and earth.

At last, he concluded, "Now, let’s welcome our brand ambassador, film and television star—Miss Mona!"

Mona appeared in an elegant gown, gliding onto the stage.

Click, click, click—cameras all turned toward her at once.

"Miss Mona, do you believe this beauty cream can restore a fifty-year-old woman’s youthful looks at twenty?"

Mona smiled. "If I didn’t believe it, why would I be here today?"

Zheng, the perfect gentleman, took Mona’s hand and led her to the display table.

Mona sat gracefully on the high stool, a high-definition camera focused on her face, the image projected on the giant screen behind the stage.

A female staff member came on stage. The room fell silent, curiosity in every eye—could this cream possibly live up to the hype?

Supposedly, the effects would be visible in minutes.

The staff member scooped a bit of cream from a jar and spread it evenly on Mona’s face, then covered her with a cloth for dramatic suspense.

Half a minute passed. All eyes were on Mona.

A minute slipped by. Su Hanyan glanced at Gu Xiangnan—he was sitting with his eyes closed, resting.

Three minutes passed. Mona began to moan in discomfort.

"Ah!"

She tumbled from the high stool and began rolling on the ground, writhing in pain.

"It’s done!" Gu Xiangnan’s eyes snapped open as he stood up.