Chapter 144: Mommy Means Your Own Biological Mother

Originally, due to the conflict between Gu'rixia Group and the Zhang Corporation, Gu Pingsheng's sudden appearance had already drawn considerable attention. Now, the promotional video playing on the screen made everyone direct their gazes squarely at Gu Pingsheng.

With a deep and unfathomable expression, Gu Pingsheng looked at the evidence being displayed on the screen. He pushed Wen Zhixia aside, took a couple of steps away, and effectively widened the distance between them.

Wen Zhixia had yet to figure out what was happening before she was pushed away by Gu Pingsheng, leaving her momentarily stunned.

"What is going on here? How could such things appear out of nowhere in a promotional video... Pingsheng, did you really do the things shown here?" As the hostess of the celebration, Wu Wenjing walked over with a concerned expression while expressing her apologies.

Zhang Zhanrong and his son also walked over.

A chilling glint flashed through Gu Pingsheng's eyes. He ignored her question, acting as if he didn't care at all about the surrounding gazes. "Hand over the items."

Wu Wenjing looked at him in surprise. "What items?"

Gu Pingsheng's gaze was sharp and grim. "Ms. Wu, my mother's possessions. Hand them over."

"So that's what you were referring to. Look at my memory, I left them at home. It made you make a wasted trip. How about this, I'll have someone send them to you tomorrow." A warm smile graced Wu Wenjing's face, and it was only then that she seemed to notice Wen Zhixia. "President Wen, look at this... regarding the promotional video... I completely trust the professional competence of Yihe Zhixia, and I believe this matter has nothing to do with you. After all, you have no grudge against our Pingsheng. Whatever is going on, I will definitely investigate it and give an explanation to both you and Pingsheng."

Her words were dignified and magnanimous, and even her smile radiated refinement, intellectual grace, and nobility.

Looking at Wu Wenjing before her, Wen Zhixia finally realized she had been played. The promotional video had been tampered with, and Wu Wenjing intended to pin this blame on her?

However, Yihe Zhixia kept the original backup copies, so what was the point of Wu Wenjing doing this?

To cause trouble and frustration for her or for Gu Pingsheng?

"Ms. Wu, since there is a problem with the promotional video, it would be best to pause it first. Playing it on a loop like this—those who know will understand you simply forgot, but those who don't might think it was done intentionally," Wen Zhixia said with a faint smile.

Wu Wenjing's smile deepened, which consequently made her facial expression look somewhat artificial. "President Wen is right. Look at me, I was so focused on comforting you both that I forgot the main priority."

Gu Pingsheng watched the two women conversing, his dark eyes carrying an oppressive chill. "Where are the things I asked for?"

Wearing the expression of a helpless elder, Wu Wenjing smiled and said, "Pingsheng, didn't I just—"

"Ms. Wu, we are not related by blood, so you have no qualification to speak to me like that. My mother's belongings, bring them out. Do not test my patience." Gu Pingsheng's face was clouded with gloom, his voice cold and heavy.

"President Gu shouldn't speak to my mother like that. No matter what, my mother is your elder. Isn't it a bit disrespectful for you to speak to an elder in this manner?" Zhang Ziyan walked over and said.

"Pingsheng, what are you doing? How is that any way to talk to your aunt? What is this about the promotional video?" Zhang Zhanrong glanced at Wen Zhixia as he spoke, implying something with his words. "Did you offend someone to be targeted like this?"

Wen Zhixia originally had no intention of getting involved in their family dispute, but that did not mean they could casually splash dirty water on her. "Zhang—"

"First, a mistress who destroyed another family managed to wash away her filth simply by growing older. An elder? She is not worthy. Second, I do happen to have two domestic helpers at home; I wonder when Ms. Feng developed a similar preference, though she is a bit too old for that. Third... as for the matter of the promotional video, I will investigate it thoroughly..." His gaze swept across the three of them.

Since he rebuked them so publicly, a wave of loud murmurs had already risen among the surrounding guests.

After all, rumors of these family secrets had long been circulating, but most of the time they were just baseless speculation. Witnessing it firsthand now made it abundantly clear that the relationship was even more rigid than the rumors suggested.

"Is Wu Wenjing really... a third party?"

"Forget whether she's a third party or not, the issue with the promotional video is what matters now. I heard that Gu'rixia Group and the Zhang Corporation are competing for a project, and the Zhang Corporation has been in decline these past few years, intending to use this project to make a comeback. Now that Gu Pingsheng has been hit with a private bribery scandal, I'd say there's an eighty percent chance he's out of the running..."

"Bribery is a serious crime, and judging by the circumstances, the amount isn't small either. For this to leak out now, I wonder whose hand is behind it..."

Wen Zhixia's brows furrowed. Was Wu Wenjing trying to drag her down to use her as a scapegoat?

"We received a report that someone privately bribed government officials. Which one of you is Gu Pingsheng? Please come with us."

A group of inspectors in uniform walked into the room, showing their relevant identification documents while speaking in deep voices to the crowd.

Gu Pingsheng's gaze darkened. Realizing something was wrong, Zhou Anbei immediately walked over. "President Gu."

"Contact a lawyer immediately," Gu Pingsheng said calmly.

"Yes," Zhou Anbei replied.

The crowd automatically parted to create a pathway, allowing everyone to clearly see Gu Pingsheng standing in the center.

Before Wen Zhixia could figure out what Wu Wenjing's objective was in pulling this stunt, she watched as Gu Pingsheng was taken away.

Before leaving, Gu Pingsheng did not spare her another glance, acting as though they were complete strangers.

Did he really believe that she was the one behind this?

Wen Zhixia opened her mouth, but in the end, she said nothing.

"Let everyone laugh at this spectacle. Let's continue; don't let this little interlude ruin everyone's mood." Acting as if nothing had happened, Wu Wenjing continued to invite everyone to enjoy the festivities.

Zhang Ziyan walked over to Wen Zhixia and handed her a glass of wine. "I'm glad to see you here."

Wen Zhixia pulled back her absent-minded gaze. "What is going on with the promotional video?"

Zhang Ziyan looked even more puzzled than she was. "This... wasn't your doing?"

Her doing?

"Bothered and harassed to no end, or perhaps... in retaliation for how he once let you down. This is indeed a heavy blow, and I believe Gu Pingsheng will be troubled by this matter for quite some time," Zhang Ziyan said with a smile.

"I think it would be more appropriate for you to ask your mother about this matter." Wen Zhixia placed the wine glass aside without touching it. "I have things to attend to, so I'll be leaving first."

Zhang Ziyan reached out to block her path. "Regardless of whether you did this or not, in Gu Pingsheng's mind, you cannot escape responsibility. The fact that the promotional video originated from Yihe Zhixia is true, isn't it?"

"What are you trying to say?" Wen Zhixia asked.

"Sometimes, whether something is true or not doesn't matter. What matters is what other people think," Zhang Ziyan looked at her and said, "I'm quite curious about one thing: what are your true feelings for Gu Pingsheng now? Do you still love him?"

Before Wen Zhixia could answer, Zhang Ziyan continued, "You are together with Xu Qichen. Can an elite family like the Xu family accept you being endlessly entangled with your ex-husband?"

"That is my business," Wen Zhixia raised her eyes. "I don't believe I need to report it to President Zhang."

"If you can even accept his betrayal, why can't you accept me?" Zhang Ziyan brushed a stray lock of her hair and twirled it between his fingertips. "You should know my feelings for you. The reason I haven't married all these years has largely been because of you."

Once you have seen something good, you are no longer willing to settle for an inferior substitute; human nature was probably just like that.

"President Zhang may indeed have a fondness for me that is out of the ordinary, but if I had no connection to Gu Pingsheng, that fondness of yours would have long since faded away in the passage of time, wouldn't it?" Wen Zhixia said.

Zhang Ziyan paused slightly before letting out a soft laugh after a moment. "I like you. What does that have to do with him?"

"Because... you want to snatch away what he cherishes most," Wen Zhixia stated bluntly.

There might have been a bit of admiration and fondness at first, but for it to be maintained for so long, a desire for appropriation and destruction was probably at play.

Zhang Ziyan looked at her, pausing for a long time this time. "...You are indeed very smart," he said. "However, you got one thing wrong. The cause and effect are reversed. My attention toward you was indeed because of Gu Pingsheng. I wanted to see what kind of magic the woman who drove him out of his mind possessed. Curiosity was the beginning; in the middle, I harbored the intention of snatching you away from him; and later... it simply became a genuine adoration."

This time, it was Wen Zhixia's turn to fall silent.

"If you were guarding against me everywhere because you suspected my affection for you was solely on account of Gu Pingsheng, then... I really should have made things clear to you from the very beginning, so as not to let you misunderstand for so long," Zhang Ziyan said. "Perhaps if we had laid it out early on, our relationship could have progressed further."

He took a step forward, and Wen Zhixia narrowed her eyes and took a step back. At that moment, an arm barred the space between them. Zhou Anbei said to Wen Zhixia, "Pr... President Wen, may I have a moment of your time?"

Wen Zhixia paused for a moment before nodding.

The two walked outside, and Zhou Anbei handed her a coat. "We don't know how long President Gu's situation will take to resolve, and President Wen probably already knows that the young master has autism. Therefore, before leaving, President Gu asked me to pass along a message: he hopes that once you are done with your matters, you can return to Lanhu Lake to look after the young master."

Wen Zhixia raised her eyes. "Aren't there servants at Lanhu Lake?"

Why on earth should she keep running over to Lanhu Lake?

"...Well, if the young master doesn't see President Gu, he will get anxious. If President Wen is there, it should help him temporarily forget about this matter," Zhou Anbei answered, adding, "I still need to handle President Gu's affairs on my end. Please be careful on your way back, President Wen."

Having finished conveying Gu Pingsheng's instructions, Zhou Anbei prepared to leave first, but Wen Zhixia's low question came from behind him: "This matter... he will be able to resolve it, right?"

Zhou Anbei gave a bitter smile. "President Wen may not know this, but this incident is far more serious than you imagine."

While Wen Zhixia was left guessing, Zhou Anbei walked away.

Sitting inside Yihe Zhixia's office, Wen Zhixia pondered the implication behind Zhou Anbei's words. After a moment of heavy thought, she dialed Chen Antai's number.

Not recognizing her new number, Chen Antai initially had no intention of answering. But once the call connected, he was immensely glad he hadn't simply hung up. "President Wen."

Wen Zhixia asked, "...Does Gu'rixia Group have a new government project it's bidding for recently?"

The fact that Gu Pingsheng had been taken in for questioning had not yet spread inside the office. "That is the group's key project for the entire month. From preparation until now, it has been over two months. Why would President Wen suddenly ask about this?"

"What specific project is it?" Wen Zhixia paused. "Is it convenient to say?"

Chen Antai hesitated. "...Well, if President Wen is asking, naturally there is nothing that cannot be said. However, I am not participating in this project, so I don't know much about it... I only know it's an emerging project that will receive key government support, and the competition for it is extraordinarily fierce—no less intense than the Far East military project that propelled Gu'rixia Group from a newcomer to a minor peak back in the day."

A project comparable to the Far East military contract was naturally a massive cake, which explained why Wu Wenjing was willing to waste time and effort going through such an elaborate roundabout scheme. Yet Wen Zhixia still couldn't quite fathom why, having already secured dirt on Gu Pingsheng, she still insisted on dragging her into it.

To drive a wedge between her and Gu Pingsheng?

But... what kind of relationship did they even have left to drive a wedge into?

The same question was posed to Wu Wenjing by Zhang Ziyan after the celebration ended.

"...Gu Pingsheng's Achilles' heel is that woman. Wasn't it you who reminded me of this in the first place?" Wu Wenjing said in a deep voice. "Only by dragging her in can we distract Gu Pingsheng, allowing you to successfully win that project. Don't think I don't know what kind of thoughts you harbor toward that woman. Once you defeat Gu Pingsheng, if you want to keep her around to play with, could your mother possibly stop you?"

Zhang Ziyan frowned. "I don't regard her as a toy... Forget it, suspected bribery alone won't be able to hold Gu Pingsheng back for long. Gu'rixia Group's upward momentum these past few years has been too fast; the Zhang Corporation... doesn't have much of a winning chance."

"Who said it's just 'suspected'? Gu Pingsheng openly sent both women and money—the evidence is conclusive. You don't need to worry about this matter; I will handle it. As for the Zhang Corporation..." Wu Wenjing glanced toward the doorway and lowered her voice. "You've been in the Zhang Corporation for so many years; you should gather real power into your own hands sooner. Your father is getting old and should retire to enjoy some leisure."

At first hearing, it sounded like she was looking out for Zhang Zhanrong, but a little reflection revealed it was nothing of the sort. It sounded more like... a systematic usurpation.

"Father only has one son, so sooner or later the Zhang Corporation won't—"

"Since he only has one son, it should be handed over to you all the sooner," Wu Wenjing stated firmly.

Over the past two years, Wu Wenjing had brought this up to him more than once. Zhang Ziyan nodded. "I understand."

"Knowing is useless; I want to see your actions," Wu Wenjing said, clasping his hand. "Mother only has you as a son, but your father doesn't only have you. You've been smart since childhood; I believe you understand what I mean."

Zhang Ziyan replied, "Gu Pingsheng won't want the Zhang Corporation. Father has been at odds with him for many years, and he wouldn't—"

"Can you be the one to decide whether he will or not?" Wu Wenjing's emotions suddenly spiked with agitation, somewhat angered by his disobedience. "In short, you won't go wrong listening to me. Would I ever harm you?!"

Zhang Ziyan did not offer any further rebuttal. When Zhang Zhanrong returned, Wu Wenjing smoothly reverted to being his gentle and understanding confidante, giving him massages and speaking in soft, affectionate whispers.

Zhang Zhanrong grasped her hand and had her sit with him for a while. That night, after Wu Wenjing emerged from the bathroom, he embraced her from behind.

With her back turned to him, a flash of disgust crossed her eyes at his touch. As she grew older, Zhang Zhanrong clearly could no longer satisfy her needs in that regard, yet every time, she still had to put on a show of utter fulfillment.

Today was no exception. When Zhang Zhanrong slumped over her and fell soundly asleep, Wu Wenjing pushed him aside, threw on a silk robe, and walked up to the top-floor attic.

By this time, it was deep into the night, and the entire villa had plunged into absolute stillness. With a soft creak of the attic door opening, Wu Wenjing was instantly swept up into a man's arms and shoved back onto the bed.

The man's muscular body immediately pounced upon her.

Meanwhile, at Lanhu Lake.

Gu Pingsheng had not yet returned. The little fellow rested his chin on Wen Zhixia's lap and asked, "Where is Daddy?"

This was already the third time he had asked tonight.

Small children seemed to have short memories; whenever a thought popped back into their heads after a while, they had to ask again. "Daddy is working overtime at the company today, and he probably won't come back until after you fall asleep."

Gu Youzhi tugged on Wen Zhixia's sleeve, wide round eyes staring as he tilted his head up to look at her. "Mommy, do you like Tuanzi?"

Because Wen Zhixia had called him "Tuanzi" from the very beginning, the little boy had adopted it as his nickname.

Wen Zhixia poked his soft, chubby cheek. "I like him."

"Will you stay with Tuanzi and Daddy? Forever and ever?" he blinked and asked.

Wen Zhixia... "Only your biological mother can stay by your side and Daddy's side forever."

When all was said and done, they shared no blood relation. As much as she liked this child, it was impossible for her to stay with him indefinitely.

She and Xu Qichen would eventually have children of their own one day.

"But Mommy is my biological mother," he insisted.

Wen Zhixia chuckled lightly. Dismissing his childish innocence, she did not bother explaining the difference between the two.

Gu Youzhi was very perceptive. Seeing her reaction, he knew his words hadn't been taken seriously. Wiggling his little bottom and giving a kick with his small feet, he stood up from the sofa, slid his short legs down, slipped into his slippers, and hooked his chubby little fingers into Wen Zhixia's.

"Tuanzi is not lying. There is... there is evidence." With a serious expression and puffed-up milky cheeks, the little fellow used his baby voice to vindicate himself.

Wen Zhixia raised an eyebrow, somewhat curious about what kind of "evidence" he could possibly show her.

Holding her hand, the little boy pattered upstairs with quick, tripping footsteps. Stopping in front of Gu Pingsheng's study, he pushed the door open with all his might.

Wen Zhixia looked on with skeptical confusion at his actions.

"Right there." Little Youzhi pointed directly at Gu Pingsheng's executive desk.

When Wen Zhixia didn't move, the little boy ran over himself, expertly pulled open the drawer, and hauled the items out from inside.