UCS Chapter 87.1

This thought only flashed through Gao Gusheng’s mind for an instant and didn’t leave much impression, because next, the political theory teacher started lecturing.

 

Their political theory teacher’s surname was Zheng. He was an experienced veteran teacher whose lectures were fascinating and witty. Even for university political theory—a course that was easily skipped—the “heads-up rate” was quite high in his classroom.

 

With Teacher Zheng’s level of skill, no one could possibly imitate him.

 

Gao Gusheng quickly became immersed in the class.

 

The two periods passed quickly. Someone once described Teacher Zheng’s lectures as being like taking a winter bath—you don’t want to go in before entering, but when it’s time to get out, you don’t want to leave.

 

Gao Gusheng packed up his textbooks. He had no more classes after this and was preparing to go home.

 

However, before leaving, Teacher Zheng waved at Gao Gusheng, “Little Gao! Come with me for a moment.”

 

Gao Gusheng felt this was somewhat strange. After all, in university, the interaction between teachers and students wasn’t as strong as in high school. Generally, teachers remembered class representatives’ names more.

 

At this moment, nearby classmates were discussing, “Oh, Old Zheng called the study god Gao. Is it because no one from the finance department is participating in this political competition?”

 

“Oh, could be. After all, Gao Gusheng is the top student in our department. With his memory, a few political theory questions would be a piece of cake, right?”

 

A political competition…

 

Gao Gusheng scratched the back of his head with some distress but still followed along.

 

Arriving at Old Zheng’s office, he saw a stack of registration forms on Old Zheng’s desk. Gao Gusheng’s heart sank, thinking this political competition was probably unavoidable.

 

Old Zheng filled his thermal cup with water, then conveniently found a disposable paper cup to pour water for Gao Gusheng. Gao Gusheng held the cup and discovered Old Zheng had thoughtfully put a tea bag in his cup.

 

Gao Gusheng took a sip and tasted goji berries.

 

Wait, teacher, I’m so young, and you’re already making me drink goji berries?

 

Teacher Zheng smiled as he looked at him, “Little Gao, the teacher has something to discuss with you.”

 

Gao Gusheng righteously put down his cup, “Alright, I know what you want to say. This, well, taking favors makes one soft-hearted. Just for this cup of goji berry tea, I’ll sell myself to you! Count me in for the registration!”

 

The teacher nodded with a smile, “Haha, young man! It’s best that you’re willing! But the teacher has one more thing to ask you.”

 

“What?”

 

The teacher looked at him. When Gao Gusheng met the teacher’s eyes, his heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

 

“Little Gao, why won’t you… accept your Senior Wen?”

 

“He likes you so much.”

 

Gao Gusheng’s heart jumped with alarm. In that split second, he realized he had probably fallen into Wen Liang’s—or perhaps Wen Yan’s—trap. He tried to stand up, but his heart suddenly began beating violently, faster and faster, almost ready to explode in his chest.

 

Along with the suddenly accelerated heartbeat, white flashes began appearing before his eyes. The teacher’s voice in his ears became younger and more gentle, carrying an almost bewitching temptation.

 

“Student Gao, why won’t you accept Senior Wen?”

 

“Why won’t you accept Wen Yan?”

 

“Why won’t you accept… me?”

 

The world began integrating, changing, and reorganizing. The light and shadows outside the window became blurred, mottled into bizarre phantoms. Mountains and rivers turned upside down, clouds drifted, and the world was distorting.

 

Gao Gusheng felt top-heavy and knocked his head against the desk.

 

Everything was changing, except for that gentle voice carrying temptation, like a siren’s song echoing in his ear—

 

“Gu Sheng, Xiao Sheng, why won’t you accept me?”

 

…

 

Gao Gusheng suddenly lifted his head from the desk.

 

Outside the window were blue skies and white clouds, leaves swaying gently. As a breeze passed, a golden leaf broke away from its branch, fluttering and spinning as it fell.

 

Everything seemed unchanged.

 

So it had been a nightmare.

 

He seemed to have forgotten something but couldn’t remember what.

 

Gao Gusheng inexplicably pressed his somewhat aching temples. A gentle and caring voice came from across the table.

 

“What’s wrong? Did Gu Sheng have a nightmare?”

 

“Yes… I had a nightmare.”

 

The moment he heard this voice, his heartbeat became violent. A flower bloomed fiercely at the tip of his heart, and even Gao Gusheng’s ear tips were tinged with a light blush.

 

He didn’t need to look up to know that the person before him was Wen Yan.

 

A dry and cold large hand gently pressed against his forehead. Gao Gusheng looked up at the hand’s owner—the person before him wore a simple black shirt, like a youth stepped out of a manga, “Mm, it looks like it was a terrible nightmare.”

 

Being suddenly touched, Gao Gusheng’s entire body felt electrified, rejoicing at Wen Yan’s touch.

 

I like you! I like you! I like you!

 

Senior Wen Yan, I like you so much!

 

His heartbeat was like drumming, each beat declaring his affection.

 

Gao Gusheng looked up like a devout believer gazing at his deity, his eyes full of infatuation.

 

If only you could like me back.

 

***

 

Gao Shi’s heart suddenly beat violently. He instinctively pressed his hand to his chest.

 

“Brother Gao, what’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing.” Gao Shi shook his head.

 

He turned and asked, “Qiuzi, how is it? Is there anything unusual on Wen Liang’s end?”

 

“Reporting, boss! Nothing unusual! Wen Liang is sleeping obediently.” Ran Qiu pulled up Wen Liang’s screen, pointing to Wen Liang lying on the bed to show Gao Shi, “His condition hasn’t been good recently. He keeps running high fevers, sleeping and waking intermittently, so surveillance is stricter than before. There’s no way he could slip out, and we’ve taken DNA for identification, which confirms it’s Wen Liang himself.”

 

Despite this, Gao Shi still couldn’t put his mind at ease.

 

He lowered his head to send a message to his unfortunate son.

 

【Checked. Wen Liang is still inside.】

 

【But be careful yourself. We’ve discovered that Wen Liang’s mother Liao Zitu is from the Miao borderlands.】

 

In their circle, everyone only knew that Wen Liang’s mother Liao Zitu came from a remote village, and after marrying Wen Liang’s father, her household registration was transferred here.

 

Everyone’s attention focused on Liao Zitu’s background. Some thought Wen Shidai was blind and confused to give up the advantages of an arranged marriage to marry a woman without connections from a remote village.

 

Some believed the two were truly in love, and finally someone could tame this playboy Wen Shidai.

 

Others thought Liao Zitu was just a village girl who couldn’t become a phoenix even if she flew onto a branch, waiting to see her become a laughingstock.

 

Everyone’s gaze was on Liao Zitu’s background, but no one noticed that Liao Zitu wasn’t actually Han Chinese, but Miao.

 

In Miao naming conventions, men’s names often begin with the “dia” sound, while women’s names begin with the “a” sound. Names are taken from nature, plants, animals, and the twelve earthly branches.

 

After Miao surnames are sinicized, “Liao” is a very common form.

 

This uncommon Han name “Liao Zitu” was presumably converted from a Miao name. If he guessed correctly, Liao Zitu’s original Miao name should have been “A Tu.”

 

…

 

The Miao borderlands had always left impressions of mystery and antiquity in people’s minds.

 

After Wen Shidai married Liao Zitu, the Wen family, engaged in pharmaceutical research, launched several new drugs within just five years. These drugs brought incalculable profits to the Wen family, firmly establishing them among the four major families.

 

Therefore, Gao Shi couldn’t help but suspect whether the beginning of their supposedly passionate marriage was actually Wen Shidai coveting the Miao medicinal formulas in Liao Zitu’s hands.

 

And years later, after Wen Shidai had obtained all of Liao Zitu’s formulas, she became worthless to him, so he reverted to his old ways, frequenting pleasure quarters and even allowing mistresses to show up at the company pregnant, demanding recognition.

 

As for later, when Wen Shidai returned to Liao Zitu’s side to be her devoted husband, Gao Shi speculated this might be related to something else.

 

When mentioning the Miao borderlands, people’s first impression was often not the region’s specialties, but the Miao’s witchcraft and gu magic.

 

Previously, Gao’s mother had mentioned seeing Liao Zitu and Wen Shidai’s interactions in the park—their natural intimacy couldn’t be faked. If what Gao’s mother said was correct, and their investigation data was also accurate, then wasn’t Wen Shidai’s emotional transformation regarding Liao Zitu too dramatic?

 

A leopard can’t change its spots.

 

Outsiders only said Liao Zitu had good methods, able to keep her man firmly under control, turning a playboy into a devoted lover unable to escape love’s grasp. But Gao Shi wondered—was it possible that Liao Zitu’s methods weren’t ordinary romance, but something that shouldn’t exist in the mortal realm—witchcraft and gu magic?

 

In Miao legends, the most widely circulated type of gu was called “love gu.”

 

According to legend, this was a gu insect refined by Miao women hurt by love to retain unfaithful men.

 

Those afflicted by love gu would have love for the caster that was as unchanging as stone through the ages.

 

Could Wen Shidai’s dramatic transformation be because he was afflicted by love gu?

 

The compassion on Liao Zitu’s face at Zhou Yun’s suicide scene might not have been pity for Zhou Yun, but rather thinking of her own heartbreak.

 

These were all speculations without actual evidence, but some things required investigation based on speculation alone.

 

After all, Liao Zitu, this “rich wife” who rarely even attended circle gatherings, shouldn’t have appeared at the remote Wu family estate.

 

And the Miao borderlands had more than just gu magic.

 

But before departing, Gao Shi sent Gao Gusheng a message in advance, telling him to be careful of that Senior Wen on campus.

 

He couldn’t be certain whether that Senior Wen on campus also knew witchcraft and gu magic.

 

Love gu was troublesome—even Daoist Kongmiao had expended great effort and damaged much vital energy after being afflicted before forcing the love gu out of his body.

 

Had something happened in the Miao borderlands causing Miao women to collectively come down from the mountains, leading to rampant love gu? Or was that love gu that attacked Kongmiao also related to Liao Zitu?

 

Although Gao Gusheng had more than one protective charm, Gao Shi still felt uneasy after much deliberation, so he simply called Daoist Kongmiao.

 

“Old man, are you free?”

 

“Yes, what’s wrong, little Gao Shi?”

 

“Could you help me protect Lele?”

 

Kongmiao became serious, “What’s wrong? Is something wrong with Gao Gusheng?”

 

“Nothing’s wrong, it’s just that my recent investigation seems related to witchcraft and gu magic. Old man, you have experience dealing with love gu. I’m worried something might happen to him. Go help me watch over him for about a day. When you return, I’ll host a grand feast at Flowing Water Pavilion. I heard they have a new head chef. This time I’ll book you two proctologists in advance, absolutely won’t be like last time when…”

 

“Alright, alright, stop talking. Don’t keep bringing up such things—it damages Daoist dignity. Go investigate your case with peace of mind. This old Daoist will go now.”

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