Chapter 63 Another Encounter

The more she recalled, the more she felt so much pain as if her head was going to burst.

She couldn't help reaching out her hands to cover her head with a painful look on her face.

"Manman, are you all right?"

Qin Zimo's worried voice came to her ears.

Gu Manman gradually regained her senses. She no longer continued to go back to the recollection deep in her memories.

Qin Zimo held her shoulders in concern and asked, "Manman, what's wrong with you?"

Gu Manman shook her head gently and said, "I'm fine. I'm sorry for making you worried."

Qin Zimo breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'm glad that you're all right."

Before Gu Manman could speak, a middle-aged man and woman had already walked up to her and Qin Zimo with red wine in their hands.

"If I'm not mistaken, you must be Mr. Qin, right?"

The middle-aged man raised the glass in his hand and smiled at Qin Zimo.

As Gu Manman heard the middle-aged man's voice, her body froze instantly, unable to move. It seemed that she was awfully shocked.

"Isn't that my dad's voice? The woman next to him.."

The middle-aged woman's voice gradually sounded as well. She then turned to look at Gu Manman and said, "Mr. Qin, this must be your female companion, right? She's so gorgeous! This evening gown doesn't look affordable at all!"

Gu Manman's body returned to its original state bit by bit. Sure enough, they were Mr. and Mrs. Gu!

Qin Zimo lowered his gaze and smiled. He raised the wine glass in his hand as well and said, "My female companion, of course, deserves a smart evening gown."

Mrs. Gu smiled and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, yes. I wonder which family this female companion of Mr. Qin is from."

Qin Zimo squinted and shook his head. "Well, it's a secret."

Mr. Gu glanced at Mrs. Gu and then continued to smile at Qin Zimo and say, "We're at Li Jinze's ball. It's supposed to be a happy day. My wife has no manners. I hope you don't take it to heart, Mr. Qin."

Qin Zimo narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "It's nothing. I didn't take it to heart."

Off to the side, Gu Manman's pupils dilated little by little as she heard her father's words.

"Is this Li Jinze's ball?

"Isn't he the man that Gu Qingqing married?

"Back then, the reason why my so-called mother forced me to leave was that my reputation had affected Gu Qingqing and caused her to suffer a lot in the Li family.

"But why do I think Gu Qingqing is living in ease and comfort?

"That is to say, the woman on the stage just now was Gu Qingqing?"

Mrs. Gu narrowed her eyes and observed Gu Manman from head to toe. "Of course, I have manners. I just find this female companion of Mr. Qin a little familiar."

The smile on Qin Zimo's face faded away, but he didn't utter a word.

Sensing Qin Zimo's displeasure, Mr. Gu couldn't help pulling Mrs. Gu's hand and shot her a threatening glare.

Mrs. Gu smiled awkwardly at Qin Zimo and said, "Mr. Qin, don't overthink it. I just find it weird that this lady has been quiet the whole time..."

Before Mrs. Gu could finish her sentence, Qin Zimo had pulled Gu Manman behind him and stood in front of her perfectly.

"My female companion will not talk to anyone she despises, so I'm sorry."

After that, Qin Zimo held Gu Manman's hand and turned to leave.

As soon as they left, Mr. Gu's expression turned ice-cold as he looked at Mrs. Gu.

"What on earth were you doing?! Why did you displease Qin Zimo at the ball?! He's not only a good friend of Li Jinze but also the second richest person in the world! His status is inferior only to Li Jinze's!"

Mrs. Gu couldn't help frowning. "I see. At that time, I merely felt that Qin Zimo's female companion was somewhat familiar!"

Mr. Gu scratched his head helplessly as if he was going to flare up. "That's Qin Zimo's female companion. What do you mean by 'familiar'? How could you know his female companion?"

Mrs. Gu nodded again and again and said, "That makes sense. I have nothing to do with Qin Zimo, so how could I know his female companion? I was overthinking it. Master, don't get mad. It would be bad if others saw you like that."

At this point, Mr. and Mrs. Gu did not know that they not only knew Qin Zimo's female companion, but also knew her quite well!

That was because she was Gu Manman—the youngest daughter whom they had "abandoned"!

Gu Manman, with her hand in Qin Zimo's, almost couldn't hold back the urge to raise her hand and give him a thumbs-up. What he had just said was fabulous!

Qin Zimo, who was walking ahead, gradually stopped and asked, "Manman, will you blame me for not introducing you to others?"

Gu Manman shook her head repeatedly. "Of course not!"

The last thing she wanted was to be recognized by her father, mother, or Gu Qingqing here.

"Since it's a masked ball, I think it's very rude to ask all sorts of questions."

Gu Manman nodded in succession. "You're right. I, too, feel it's better to keep a low profile."

Qin Zimo instantly covered Gu Manman's hands with his. His face was filled with emotions as he said, "It's very kind of you to understand me."

Gu Manman let out two hollow laughs. She tried her best to pull her hands away from Qin Zimo's but failed.

"Qin Zimo, let go of me first..."

Before she could finish her words, a soft laugh sounded.

Both Qin Zimo and Gu Manman turned around and saw Li Jinze and Gu Qingqing, who were wearing black masks behind them.

Gu Qingqing covered her mouth and chuckled, still holding Li Jinze's arm. "Isn't that Zimo? Why are you fighting with your female companion in jest here?"

Li Jinze darted Gu Manman an indifferent look, but his gaze slowly landed on her big, sparkling eyes.

Her eyes, as clear as crystal, were somewhat similar to the ones he saw that night.

Qin Zimo held Gu Manman's hand tightly in his and smiled politely at Gu Qingqing.

"Sister-in-law, you must be joking. We're not having a fight. At most, it's a public display of affection."

Gu Qingqing gave a soft laugh and acted like a lady from a respectable family. "Really? Qin Zimo, I often heard my husband mention you. He said you're his only good friend! I didn't expect you to have a girlfriend so soon. When are you going to get married?"

Coldness and disdain overflowed Gu Manman's eyes as she looked at the pretentious Gu Qingqing.

In front of outsiders, she behaved like a lady. Nonetheless, she was not like this when she bullied Gu Manman at home.

Qin Zimo clenched Gu Manman's hand and pulled her into his embrace. "Sister-in-law, don't worry. If we were to hold a wedding ceremony, we would surely invite you and Li Jinze to dinner."

Noticing the coldness and disdain in Gu Manman's eyes, Li Jinze gradually followed her gaze and turned to look at Gu Qingqing, who was standing beside him.

His frosty eyes narrowed bit by bit. "This woman is quite interesting."

Gu Qingqing nodded elegantly and said, "And at that time, my husband and I will certainly attend it with generous gifts. However, may I know which noble lady your female companion is, Qin Zimo? Tell me who she is. Maybe she is someone I know."