Chapter 379: Chapter 379

Assistant Wen thought for a moment and said, "She’s the top hostess at the Lanqiao Club. She met Mr. Gao at a banquet three months ago... and then..."

"Lanqiao Club?" Gao Yuyue murmured.

"Who owns the Lanqiao Club?"

Assistant Wen instinctively glanced at Shen You’an, cleared his throat, and said, "Gao Jie." ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel·fire·net

Gao Yuyue furrowed her brows deeper. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

Assistant Wen reminded her, "Miss, those hostesses only dream of finding a rich man to escape their misery. Perhaps she was attracted to Mr. Gao’s status..."

Gao Yuyue sneered coldly, "Assistant Wen, you’ve seen plenty while working with my uncle. How can you still be so naive? Do you really believe this is just a sordid scandal?"

Assistant Wen blinked nervously. "Miss, what do you mean?"

"I know you think I’m just a high schooler, inexperienced and easy to fool. But what if the mastermind behind all this has ulterior motives? That could be catastrophic for the Gao family. When dealing with such manipulative people, I will absolutely not let them off."

Gao Yuyue said fiercely.

Assistant Wen lowered his eyes. "Miss, don’t worry. Mr. Gao will continue to investigate. Your task is to focus on your studies for now."

Gao Yuyue responded with a mocking smile. "Starting today, my peaceful life is over."

"Regarding Mr. Gao..."

Gao Yuyue gave him a disdainful look. "I don’t want to see him. Handle it yourself."

With that, she grabbed Shen You’an and walked away.

After they left, Assistant Wen slowly raised his gaze, his expression enigmatic.

He placed his phone to his ear.

"Sir, Miss doesn’t view this as merely a sordid scandal. She suspects someone is pulling strings behind the scenes."

Gao Yuyue suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Gao Jie..."

Shen You’an remarked casually, "The largest loan shark group in Qingzhou—he’s the founder."

Gao Yuyue’s head snapped up. "So it’s him."

The Lanqiao Club is his, Qing Hong is also under his employ, and the prominent figure Qing Hong mentioned earlier, bearing the surname Gao, must be him.

Gao Jie wants to use Qing Hong to control her father in pursuit of some greater scheme.

Gao Yuyue’s mind raced, suddenly recalling a recent dinner she had with her parents and Mayor Liu’s family, where subjects like financing, loans, and...

At the time, she was uninterested, caught a few stray words, and found it dull enough to focus on her phone instead.

As she meticulously replayed the memory, something she had overlooked surfaced.

Shen You’an raised a brow. "Tianlu Bank?"

Gao Yuyue murmured, "They planned to collaborate on a project to attract investments and bring Tianlu Bank to Qingzhou."

Coincidentally, her father’s acquaintance with Qing Hong occurred right around the time of that dinner.

She could now assert that this was a calculated trap targeting her father—and possibly Mayor Liu—with the overarching goal of sabotaging Tianlu Bank’s entry into Qingzhou.

Gao Jie, being merely a loan shark, was insignificant on his own. There must be bigger players backing him.

Gao Yuyue suddenly realized this wasn’t just any ordinary scheme; it was potentially a massive conspiracy that could change the political landscape of Qingzhou. Her father was merely a pawn—the real events were yet to unfold...

Her hands trembled as she pulled out her phone, attempting to call her father’s secretary.

At this moment, her only recourse was her uncle. Gao Yuyue instinctively dialed his number, only to have her motion abruptly stopped by a slender, pale hand gently grasping her wrist.

"An’an." Gao Yuyue flipped her grip and clutched Shen You’an’s hand, panic written all over her face.

"What... what should I do? Those people won’t spare our family."

Shen You’an patted her back lightly, his tone warm and calming, as he coaxed her, "What you’re afraid of won’t happen. Trust me."

Gao Yuyue merely shook her head and slowly withdrew her hand. "I’ve dragged you into this today. I’ll have the driver take you home."

She shouldn’t have impulsively involved Shen You’an in this mess. If those people began targeting An’an, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.

Walking side by side with her through the hotel corridor, Shen You’an said with indifference, "There’s no use sending me away now."

Gao Yuyue’s head jerked up.

Under the dim corridor lights, the young woman’s face exuded composure and resilience, calm and dignified.

For some reason, that expression instinctively brought a sense of reassurance.

"From the moment I stepped inside this hotel, I’d already entered the game."

Gao Yuyue’s voice trembled with a hint of tears. "I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have brought you here."

"What happened to that ruthless energy you used to teach Qing Hong a lesson earlier?"

Shen You’an chuckled softly and shook her head. "If you want to draw out the hidden monsters, this tearful appearance won’t suffice. Honestly, I much prefer the side of you that was dishing out the scolding just moments ago."

Gao Yuyue blinked in confusion. "Don’t you think I’m too harsh?"

"You don’t let grudges linger overnight. I like that."