Chapter 89: A Pawn in a Marriage Alliance

Hoping for a definitive outcome from the discussion had never been Xiao Kaitian’s true goal. What he sought was simply the collision and fusion of ideas—even controversial opinions were welcome. His role was to synthesize these into some overarching judgment to guide the direction ahead.

In the end, the discussion saw widespread acceptance of artificial organs. The participants’ greater concerns, however, revolved around the social transformations that commercializing such technology would bring, and even the future trajectory of humanity itself—matters that inevitably led to questions of ethics.

These were profound and far-reaching topics, ones that could not be exhausted in a few days or nights. But this was not Xiao Kaitian’s intention for the gathering. As the allotted time drew to a close, Guo Lei announced the end of the meeting.

Just as before, almost no one left after the official conclusion. The participants remained, clustering together, their faces alight with excitement as they continued their unfinished conversations.

One had to admit, every topic sparked by Qixi Media Consulting was rich with the flavor of debate, though formal debates were strictly prohibited during the meetings themselves—a tantalizing restriction that left people itching for more. As a result, after each session, the attendees were eager to continue their exchanges in private.

A dinner was scheduled to follow, but Xiao Kaitian felt no interest in such gatherings and left them to Guo Lei and her team to handle. Rising to his feet, his gaze fell on Gu Zixi beside him. She shrank back slightly, wary.

“Shall we find a café and talk for a bit?” he suggested.

“All right,” Gu Zixi replied with a smile. She nervously rubbed her hands together, the veins on the backs standing out starkly.

Gu Zixi was not what one would call a striking beauty; compared to her elder sister Gu Luoyan, there was a clear disparity. She was extremely thin, bordering on malnourished, making her look far younger than her actual age—almost like a girl who had yet to grow into herself.

Xiao Kaitian’s spiritual sense swept over her briefly; aside from noting that she was unusually frail, he sensed nothing else out of the ordinary. He couldn’t imagine what ordeals she had endured to end up like this.

Yet the two were not close. Gu Zixi knew only the “Xiao Kaitian” of the past. Now, standing together, they had little in common to talk about.

Unaware of Xiao Kaitian’s true thoughts, Gu Zixi put on a cheerful front, clinging to him. Resigned, he could only lead her downstairs.

No sooner had they stepped out of the main entrance of First Seaview than a young man in sunglasses blocked their way. Xiao Kaitian’s brow arched slightly—this was a martial artist at the initial stage of Earth Level, with a combat strength of 314.

“Second Miss, you’ve really gone too far this time. The Master sent me to bring you home at once,” the man announced, giving a slight bow and ignoring Xiao Kaitian entirely as he addressed Gu Zixi.

“Jiang Yun?” Gu Zixi was startled, then edged nervously closer to Xiao Kaitian. “You... you’re here…”

“Yes, Second Miss. The Master sent me to bring you home at once.” He repeated himself, his tone as emotionless as a machine.

“I…” Gu Zixi bit her lip until a trace of blood appeared. She clutched the hem of her down jacket, her knuckles white. Xiao Kaitian frowned involuntarily—the atmosphere between them was distinctly odd. “Do you need any help?” he asked.

“Second Miss, I don’t think I need to repeat myself a third time.” Jiang Yun removed his sunglasses, revealing a cold, striking face and sharp, searching eyes that swept over Xiao Kaitian.

Gu Zixi’s face went deathly pale. She knew Jiang Yun was a martial artist, while Xiao Kaitian—by her knowledge—had once been a “fool”; even if he had recovered, he was still just an ordinary man, no match for Jiang Yun.

She clung to her jacket, anguish and struggle clear in her posture. At last, she let out a long breath. “Brother Kaitian, my family is looking for me. I won’t be able to join you for coffee.”

Her expression was crestfallen, her head bowed like a child awaiting punishment. But once she had begun to speak, her reservations seemed to ease. “If you ever come to Shangjing… well, never mind, I should just go.” She bowed slightly to Xiao Kaitian, then, under Jiang Yun’s satisfied gaze, followed him out, her steps slow and hesitant.

Something was wrong between these two—this was Xiao Kaitian’s first impression. He shoved his hands in his pockets and watched Gu Zixi’s frail figure recede into the distance, his gaze thoughtful and deep.

After bidding Xiao Kaitian a reluctant farewell, Gu Zixi and Jiang Yun proceeded to the underground parking lot of First Seaview. Jiang Yun pressed the unlock button on his key fob; a BMW 7 Series chirped in response, its lights flashing. As the car responded, Jiang Yun suddenly backhanded Gu Zixi across the face with a resounding slap.

The sharp crack echoed throughout the vast parking lot. Gu Zixi staggered back, her spine hitting the cold concrete wall. She clutched her swelling cheek, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

“Second Miss,” Jiang Yun strode forward and seized Gu Zixi by the throat with his right hand, lifting her against the wall. She struggled, beating at his arm and kicking wildly, but she was no match for a martial artist. Jiang Yun leaned in, his voice low. “If you do this again, don’t blame me for being merciless.”

Only Gu Zixi’s muffled cries answered him, the faint fragrance unique to young girls drifting up. Jiang Yun couldn’t help but swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You need to remember your place and your situation. Don’t make things difficult for me.”

“You’re nothing but a pawn for the marriage alliance between the Gu family and the Bian family, a plaything for their second young master,” Jiang Yun sneered, greedily inhaling her scent, a heat rising in his chest. “Once Second Young Master tires of you after marriage, I’ll get my turn. Until then, keep yourself intact.”

“Second Young Master is a clean freak,” he added, withdrawing his hand. With her support gone, Gu Zixi collapsed to the ground, clutching her throat and gasping for breath between coughing fits. Jiang Yun kicked her coldly. “Otherwise, do you really think you’d still be alive now?”

Gu Zixi lifted her head in fury, her eyes stubborn and unyielding as she glared at Jiang Yun. But under his scornful gaze, she dropped her head once more.

“I don’t care about your nonsense with Xiao Kaitian. This is your warning: if you don’t want anything to happen to him, stay away and don’t involve him in your affairs. You know perfectly well what Second Young Master is capable of.”

At the mention of Xiao Kaitian, all the spirit drained from Gu Zixi. She curled up on the ground, utterly defeated.

Jiang Yun slipped his sunglasses back on and got into the car. He glanced back coldly. “Get in the car. Second Young Master is waiting for my report!”