Gu Zheng had already been waiting by the side for a long time. When he saw Qiao Xi desperately fall backward, his eyes were filled with maliciousness and insidiousness. At this moment, his rage was even greater.

Even though he knew that all of this was set up by Qiao Xi, he was still unable to control the rage in his heart when he saw Xu Anran slap Qiao Xi on the face.

Gu Zheng did not look up, but his whole body exuded a cold and murderous aura. His thin lips parted slightly. “Scram!”

Xu Anran’s heart trembled as she retreated a few steps in fear.

[Ah! Thank goodness Miss Qiao didn’t fall!]

[It’s raining outside and Miss Qiao is still seriously ill. If she had really fallen to the ground, her condition would definitely have worsened! Xu Anran is too cruel! She did something wrong yet still wanted to hurt others?]

[I’ve already stopped being a fan. Who would like a celebrity like her? It doesn’t matter if she occupies the real daughter’s identity. After all, she can’t be blamed for this matter, but it’s her fault for threatening the real daughter. She even dared to hit Miss Qiao in public. If she had fallen and gotten injured, Xu Anran would legally be held responsible!]

[Wow! The man hugging Miss Qiao is so handsome! Who is he? He’s even more handsome than male celebrities! Especially that hug just now. It was so affectionate, yet he was so domineering when facing Xu Anran.]

Xu Anran’s fingers were stiff, and she could not turn off the live broadcast. Xia Yunlou couldn’t care less and directly rushed over, throwing the phone to the ground.

However, it was too late. Everyone had already seen what they needed to see and knew what was going on.

Qiao Xi seized the opportunity and couldn’t be bothered to talk to Xu Anran anymore. She directly fell into Gu Zheng’s embrace and winked at Gu Zheng with a sly smile.

In front of the courtyard, Xu Anran’s eyes almost popped out from rage. Her fingers trembled as she pointed at Qiao Xi. “You… You framed me!”

“Stop arguing! Are you done?!”

Unknowingly, some staff from the villa had gathered at the entrance of Night Tide Courtyard. Everyone looked at Xu Anran with disdain.

“Mrs. Gu fell asleep the moment she returned to Night Tide Court. When she heard that you two were here, she rushed out to welcome you without even putting on her coat. She was already sick to begin with but is drenched in the rain now. Xu Anran, you vicious woman! You even knocked Mrs. Gu unconscious. You’re really too vicious!”

“Hurry up and leave! Nine Heavens Villa doesn’t welcome you!”

At this moment, a few strong men walked over and pushed Xu Anran and Xia Yunlou. The two of them were already drenched in the rain and did not have any ability to resist. They could only be chased out of Nine Heavens Villa.

Xia Yunlou’s heart was filled with fear. They were originally here to apologize, but somehow, things had taken the wrong turn. Anran even slapped Xixi. How could Qiao Xi forgive them now?

At this moment, her phone suddenly rang.

After the call was connected, Xu Zhi’s angry roar could be heard. “Look at what you’ve done! I told you to apologize! Who told you to do a live broadcast?! Xu Anran even slapped Xi Xi. Are you two crazy? Get back here immediately!”

Xia Yunlou’s mind buzzed. Her body went limp as she sat on the ground. Her body was covered in mud and water. She looked extremely pathetic.

…

In Night Tide Courtyard, Gu Zheng carried Qiao Xi into the bedroom and coughed lightly. “Mrs. Gu, wake up.”

Qiao Xi slowly opened her eyes and looked around while smiling sheepishly.

She picked up a bottle of makeup remover and wiped off the makeup on her face. Her initially sickly little face instantly returned to normal.

Gu Zheng stood behind Qiao Xi and reached out to hold her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder and pulled her into his embrace. He said softly, “Mrs. Gu, do you trust me so much that you chose to fall backward without any worries?”

Qiao Xi said indifferently, “That’s not the case. Even if you hadn’t stepped in, there were still two maids by my side. If they were unable to catch me, then I could only fall to the ground. But I had already calculated the angle. So long as I fall to the right, I’d fall onto the lawn. At most, it’d just be a light injury.”

Gu Zheng’s eyes were bloodshot as he gradually tightened his grip on her waist and leaned close to her ear while breathing heavily. “Qiao Xi, I won’t allow you to be injured—not even light injuries.”

Qiao Xi felt a scorching heat envelop her ear, and her entire body trembled.

She looked at the man’s reddened eyes through the mirror and frowned slightly. Could it be that Gu Zheng’s poison was flaring up?