The scene began with a splash—literally. A bystander who had been casually enjoying the drama spat out their drink in shock.
"Pfft!"
Seriously, this young master had no sense of restraint!
Not only had he shown up at the host's party with the man's fiancée, but he actually had the audacity to thank him for stepping aside?!
Was this even reasonable?
The sheer arrogance! The absolute audacity!
The young man's words were delivered with such sincerity that no one had anticipated his reaction. Valenin—no, the young master of the Laroche family—didn’t seem the least bit concerned about the so-called fiancé or the fact that he might be stepping into a messy love triangle. Instead, he was thanking Shen Yifeng.
Thanking him for withdrawing?
Holy crap. They had come to a small gathering expecting nothing more than idle chatter, but instead, they were served a full-course drama!
Shen Yifeng, the host of the party, Gu Zhaoping—who had recently made waves in social circles—and now this Laroche heir? What kind of twisted love triangle was this?
Even soap operas wouldn’t dare script something this wild. They had struck gold just by being here!
The secondhand embarrassment was so intense they could practically feel their toes curling.
What was Shen Yifeng even thinking? Why had he invited both his fiancée and this Laroche heir? Was he planning to stage some kind of confrontation?
And the Laroche heir wasn’t backing down either. He stood his ground, completely unfazed by the fact that there had been an engagement first.
He embodied one brutal truth:
The one who isn’t loved is the real outsider.
So… who would Miss Gu choose?
Shen Yifeng looked at Valenin as if he’d lost his mind.
What the hell was he saying?
Even Gu Zhaoping glanced at him, slightly taken aback by his response.
Valenin, however, remained composed and unapologetic. Sure, he’d been momentarily startled when he first heard about Miss Gu’s engagement, but his concern wasn’t about competition—it was about whether this would make it harder for him to get close to her.
But once she mentioned she had already decided to break it off, he relaxed. Problem solved.
If someone wasn’t a threat, there was no need to dwell on them. A polite acknowledgment was enough.
Besides, these two "engaged" individuals had already discussed calling it quits.
When Shen Yifeng saw him arrive with Miss Gu, he hadn’t reacted much—clearly, he had accepted the situation.
So, Valenin saw no issue in expressing his gratitude.
Thank you for having the self-awareness to bow out.
He had no idea how many people that one sentence had just emotionally wrecked.
The Li siblings, in particular, were completely dumbfounded. This was the last reaction they had expected. Weren’t they the ones trying to stir the pot?
So why was Shen Yifeng the one left humiliated?
What did this mean? Was the Laroche heir implying that he was the one who had pursued Gu Zhaoping?
Huh?! Why did he sound like the victor here?
Shen Yifeng’s hand trembled slightly.
He hadn’t anticipated this response at all and nearly spilled his drink.
For a long moment, he stood in silence, his grip tightening around his glass. When he finally looked up again, his voice was strained, as though he was suppressing something.
"That’s right. We’re in the process of dissolving the engagement."
He forced himself to avert his gaze.
"Our personalities don’t align. We just hadn’t gotten around to announcing it yet."
"So there’s no need to overanalyze this. It’s just a misunderstanding that’s gotten more attention than it deserves."
Sometimes, Shen Yifeng hated his own composure.
But at this moment, he couldn’t think of a less humiliating way to save face. He could only cling to the last shreds of his dignity.
He even raised his glass toward them, his expression cool as he said, "Enjoy the party."
The room might as well have been struck by lightning.
The Li siblings stared in disbelief.
Wasn’t Shen Yifeng the one who had never cared for Gu Zhaoping?
Wasn’t she the one who had chased after him relentlessly while he grew tired of her?
Wasn’t she the one who wasn’t good enough for him?
So why was Gu Zhaoping suddenly the sought-after one?
Why was Shen Yifeng being thanked for "withdrawing" by some stranger?
No, no—even if Shen Yifeng had been the one to end things, that phrasing made him sound like the loser!
And more importantly… from the way they were talking, it almost sounded like Gu Zhaoping had been the one to initiate the breakup!
They stared at her as if she’d just dropped a bomb on them.
Hadn’t they been saying earlier that Gu Zhaoping was only acting out to provoke Shen Yifeng?
That she had followed him to Los Angeles?
But now, it was clear she wasn’t leaving herself any room for retreat.
If she had just been throwing a tantrum, she would never have publicly declared the end of her engagement. Shen Yifeng’s pride would never allow him to reconcile with her after this.
So… she really didn’t want to be his fiancée anymore?
Why?
How could she give up on Shen Yifeng?
They were floored.
"It wasn’t just a personality mismatch," Gu Zhaoping said flatly, making no effort to spare his feelings. Now was the perfect time to cut all ties.
Even without Valenin’s unexpected appearance, she would have found a way to make this announcement.
"Shen Yifeng and I were engaged for ten years, and in all that time, there was never any affection. He dismissed my efforts with nothing but contempt. Yet when I sought affection elsewhere, he suddenly took issue with it. I can’t keep pouring into something that gives nothing back."
"If you, Shen Yifeng, had no intention of honoring this engagement but still refused to end it yourself, then I had no choice but to do it for you."
She smiled at him, her gaze steady. She didn’t see her decade of pursuit as something shameful.
The shame was his to bear.
The one who disrespected their commitment. The one who wanted to have his cake and eat it too. The one who looked down on her until the very end, still scrambling to preserve his dignity.
She wouldn’t grant him that courtesy.
Amid the suffocating silence, Gu Zhaoping calmly picked up her glass and turned to Valenin.
"Got any more wine?"
Valenin blinked, then nodded and reached for the bottle beside them. He uncorked it and carefully poured her a half-glass.
Gu Zhaoping walked through the crowd toward Shen Yifeng.
As she approached, people instinctively stepped back, as though her presence alone was enough to push them aside.
Only afterward did they realize how awkward it looked—had they just been intimidated by her?
But who could blame them?
No one dared stand in Gu Zhaoping’s way at that moment.
Shen Yifeng’s entire body tensed as he realized Gu Zhaoping was walking closer and closer to him.
Just yesterday, during her speech, he had imagined countless times her walking toward him. But now, in this moment, it felt unbearable.
Then, the glass in her hand clinked against his—her rim slightly higher than his, completely disregarding social etiquette.
This was a subconscious reflection of her belief that she stood above him.
After the crisp sound of their glasses meeting, Gu Zhaoping said, "Stay out of my way from now on."
Shen Yifeng watched her walk away with Valentin, his eyes wide and unblinking, nearly bloodshot.
He could no longer hear the murmurs around him, nor did he care to imagine the gossip that would follow.
He knew it was over between him and Gu Zhaoping.
And it was her choice—one that left no room for reconciliation.
It took a moment for the Li siblings to process what had just happened.
Their faces were pale with shock and guilt as they exchanged glances, realizing—had they just caused a disaster?
If they hadn’t stopped Gu Zhaoping earlier, this humiliating scene would never have happened.
At that moment, Shen Yifeng finally closed his eyes, forcing down the storm of emotions raging inside him.
Then he turned to them, his voice low and terrifying: "Are you done making a scene?"
…
The Li siblings left the venue in a daze, barely aware of how they got back to their hotel.
The shock of what had happened still hadn’t fully sunk in.
Their faces burned with humiliation.
Their entire strategy had relied on one thing—knowing how much Gu Zhaoping cared about Shen Yifeng’s opinion.
As long as they exploited that weakness, they could manipulate her in front of him and crush her spirit.
But how could Gu Zhaoping not only seem completely indifferent—but even publicly humiliate Shen Yifeng like that?
She didn’t care about him at all?!
The image of Gu Zhaoping in that moment was seared into their minds, leaving them both bewildered and afraid.
She’s lost it. Gu Zhaoping has truly lost it.
She really doesn’t care about Shen Yifeng anymore.
And worse—because of their arrogance, Shen Yifeng had been publicly humiliated at this gathering.
Who knew how many people would whisper about him behind his back after this?
If word spread, they couldn’t even imagine the backlash he’d face.
After Gu Zhaoping publicly accused Shen Yifeng of being indifferent to her years of devotion during their engagement, this was a serious blow to his reputation as a high-society heir.
If he couldn’t even uphold his responsibilities in an engagement, who would trust him with future alliances?
This incident damaged Shen Yifeng’s credibility—and it had all started because of them.
Their spines chilled under the weight of his icy glare.
Most baffling of all—why had Gu Zhaoping even shown up at the summit?
Had she taken leave just to secretly develop a relationship with that La Roche heir? Had she come here just to announce the broken engagement and publicly shame him?
This was absurd.
Unbelievable! Who could’ve predicted this?
The image they had of Gu Zhaoping had completely shattered.
Jujutsu, business games, breaking off an engagement—what else was she capable of?
Li Xunxi suddenly jolted, remembering the bet she and Li Xunwen had made with Gu Zhaoping. She looked at her brother.
"Are you still going through with the bet?"
For the first time, the usually arrogant Li Xunxi felt a flicker of hesitation.
"I…" Honestly, Li Xunwen also wanted to back out—but then he remembered the contract they’d signed with Gu Zhaoping, and his face turned ashen.
There was no way out. She had already set the penalty for breaking the agreement!
Now they just looked like fools.
"…Fine, we’ll go through with it," Li Xunxi gritted her teeth. "Once she’s broken off the engagement with Yifeng, we’ll have nothing to do with her after this. This is the last time."
"And whether it’s skiing or chess, there’s no way we’ll lose."
"Let’s hope so… let’s hope so."
Despite their usual confidence, Li Xunwen couldn’t suppress a shudder.
Meanwhile, the audience back home remained blissfully unaware of this drama, eagerly awaiting the second episode of The Four Seasons of High Society.
They were itching to know—what had caused the fight between Gu Zhaoping and Gu Zhaoye?
Would the show finally give them answers?
In the first episode, viewers had been most excited to see Gu Zhaoye. But now, no one cared about him—they just wanted to see how he got beaten up!
[So Sister Zhaoping has that much authority in the Gu family? She can even hit the heir?]
[Now I’m starting to wonder—what if everything she said before was actually true? What if we just assumed she was bragging when she was just stating facts?]
[I’m still skeptical. Her fighting skills are real, and standing up for Liang Zhiwei just proves she’s strong and close to him—it doesn’t prove anything else.]
[If she really has top-tier education, intelligence, combat skills, and is good at everything while being that disciplined… that kind of character only exists in inspirational stories.]
[Exactly. If she were that outstanding, wouldn’t she already be the Gu family’s heir? Why would she even need to join this show?]
[Why not? Can’t she just actually be that amazing?]
[Whatever, just watch the show first!]
Amid the anticipation, the second episode aired.
The theme? A business game.
Now this was interesting.
If it were any other variety show making celebrities play at business, no one would care.
But this was different—the cast was way too controversial.
The infamous Li siblings, for example, had received elite educations. Even though they’d recently been exposed for their poor behavior on the show, they were still genuine heirs of wealthy families.
And then there was Gu Zhaoping—the center of all the buzz!
And according to earlier leaks, Gu Zhaoye was also involved. Would the CEO himself participate in this business game?
This was too intriguing. A real CEO playing business games on a variety show? That was like using a cannon to kill a mosquito. Only this show would come up with something like this.
The episode began.
The first segment was about placing bets, and the director announced the rules.
"Each team can bet on another team to win or lose. However, all the stakes will go to the winning team, and the consequences must be borne by yourselves."
[This is intense.]
[Yeah, not bad—the competitive tension just skyrocketed.]
[Li Xunxi’s team and Gu Zhaoping’s team are definitely going head-to-head. I wonder who they’ll bet on. Can anyone spoil it?]
[Top-secret intel: I have a reliable source on-site saying Li Xunxi’s team has Gu Zhaoye backing them in the end. I think they’re definitely winning—no surprise there.]
[Suddenly, I don’t think the conflict between the Gu siblings is just about Liang Zhiwei. Maybe it’s because Gu Zhaoye’s team won the bet, which is why Gu Zhaoping is so furious?]
[Your theory makes sense.]
Netizens eagerly discussed their own speculations.
Some thought this way.
Others thought that way.
At this point, they hadn’t anticipated what would happen next.
Li Xunxi’s team outright bet on their own team to win and Gu Zhaoping’s team to lose.
[What the hell?? Are they outright declaring war now? Not even pretending to keep things civil?]
[Before, we only heard about some rivalry between these two pairs of siblings, but how did it escalate to this level? Are they not even trying to hide it anymore?]
When Gu Zhaoping’s team was asked if they’d match the bet, Gu Zhaoping didn’t hesitate—she immediately staked 10,000 on her own team to win.
She even taunted, "Li Xunxi, you’re not going to bet less than what I put in, are you?"
[Damn, they’re treating each other like mortal enemies!]
[What did I miss?? When did things get this vicious between them?]
[Li Xunxi is way too easy to provoke. Gu Zhaoping said one thing, and she actually matched the bet. Holy crap, I feel bad for their team’s funds—how are they going to cover their costs after this??]
[Is she really a business-educated heiress?? This isn’t even a business game anymore—it’s just pure spite. How is this any different from gambling?]
[Pot calling the kettle black. Gu Zhaoping isn’t exactly composed either. She could’ve just ignored the bet and invested all the money into the business.]
The two young heiresses didn’t even blink before throwing huge sums into the bet, leaving many viewers genuinely distressed.
To these rich girls, money might as well be playthings—especially since it’s just virtual currency. They’re treating it like a game.
[Isn’t Gu Zhaoping supposed to be a Stanford grad with dual degrees in business and law? How does she not show a shred of business sense, gambling away funds like this? Doesn’t she care about the actual venture?]
[If she doesn’t win in the end, it’ll be a total joke.]
[Kind of disappointed. Feels like her reputation is overhyped.]
But this didn’t last long.
The director announced the start of bidding for other essential supplies.
At this point, Gu Zhaoping said calmly, "Our team is passing on kitchenware—we already bought some earlier."
[???]
[Wait, what?? They bought kitchenware before the show even started? You can do that?]
[Isn’t this cheating? Shouldn’t the production team disqualify this?]
[The rules allow it. They were given funds beforehand to buy whatever they needed—it’s just that the other two teams only bought things they liked, not necessities.]
[So Gu Zhaoping’s team saved like 10–20K in capital? Is that why she dared to bet so recklessly earlier?]
[Then it’s not just Li Xunxi who looks dumb now, huh?]
...
If this was where the shock ended, it would’ve been minor.
But the next round of bidding left the entire audience stunned.
At first, Gu Zhaoping’s team didn’t participate in a single bid, sitting back like serene monks while the other two teams fought over ingredients.
Their utter stillness made viewers antsy.
[Come on! Even after their earlier spending, they still have more funds left than the others. Why aren’t they bidding on crucial ingredients? Do they not know how important these are for running a restaurant?]
[I heard their restaurant did pretty well later, so they must’ve secured some ingredients eventually.]
Opinions flew wildly.
Debates erupted.
By the time the bidding was nearly over, they still hadn’t moved, frustrating viewers to the point of flooding the chat with demands for action!
Then, finally, Gu Zhaoping raised her placard for the first time—but only to compete with Li Xunxi’s team over a truffle.
[Finally! After sitting around forever, they’re finally doing something for their business.]
[Maybe she didn’t have the funds to compete earlier after that huge bet, so she waited until the others were drained before going for leftovers. If so, I don’t know whether to call that smart or stupid.]
[Yeah, at least she waited for less competition, but what’s left now? Nothing good. If she hadn’t wasted money on that bet, they could’ve gotten better ingredients. What a waste.]
[They must be going all-in on this first bid. Li Xunxi’s team won’t get that truffle.]
And then—instant regret.
Gu Zhaoping immediately withdrew from the truffle auction.
[??? Why back out now? Are they even serious about this business?]
[There’s barely anything left—what are they going to work with? Bad decisions from the start, then dragging their feet like this is infuriating. Just pick something!]
Seeing Li Xunxi’s team secure almost everything they wanted, some sighed in relief.
Meanwhile, the chat exploded even more fiercely.
[I thought Li Xunxi’s team would run out of funds, but who knew Gu Zhaoping’s team would be so passive? They didn’t compete even once! Ugh, so frustrating. How can they just give up their advantage like this? Are they trying to lose?]
[If Li Xunxi’s team wins after betting so recklessly, it’ll be hilarious. I wonder if Gu Zhaoping’s team even has enough left to pay up.]
【It's said that these two have studied business and are decisive in their actions. Even when facing unfavorable situations initially, they still make swift decisions. Well, coming from wealthy families sure makes a difference—their education is simply better than that of ordinary people.】
【Though their attitude is indeed arrogant, it’s only because they come from such privileged backgrounds and know so much more that they look down on ordinary folks.】
【What about Gu Zhaoping? Where’s her business acumen??】
……
In just this short span of time, someone had already started hyping up the Li siblings as bold and decisive.
Soon, very few ingredients were left.
At this moment, Gu Zhaoping finally raised her bidding paddle again and announced, "Our team bids for the oil—5,000."
The moment she spoke, the entire room fell silent.
……Everyone was stunned!
The cameraman jolted, quickly zooming in on the remaining funds of Li Xunxi’s team!
After a brief, deafening silence, the crowd—
—exploded into chaos!
Their team only had 4,500 left!!
They didn’t have enough funds left to bid for the oil at all!
If they were opening a restaurant, wasn’t oil the most essential ingredient?!
Wait, what’s going on? How did things suddenly flip like this?
So, Gu Zhaoping’s team had stayed silent all this time just to swoop in at the last moment and snatch the oil, catching everyone off guard??
No way—was this Gu Zhaoping’s plan from the very beginning??
But that doesn’t make sense! Even if they secured the oil, they had no other ingredients. Were customers supposed to just drink oil at their restaurant?
All the other ingredients were held by the other teams! She might have the upper hand over them, but they could just as easily corner her!
Then, suddenly, it dawned on someone—could it be—
Could it be—
Was Gu Zhaoping planning this all along??
Sure enough, the next moment, Gu Zhaoping spoke calmly, "Any team willing to trade with us for the oil has one minute to offer these ingredients in exchange."
She had even already listed all the ingredients they needed. Chu Yanze carried the large jug of oil over to their table, smirking challengingly at the other teams, waiting for them to pay the price.
What the—
What kind of move is this??
Holding the emperor hostage to command the lords??
Did Gu Zhaoping plan this from the start—monopolizing without spending a single extra cent, then forcing others to trade resources with her??
Damn, this is a masterstroke!
By the end, the other two teams were running low on funds, so no one had even considered competing with her for the oil.
Her team’s remaining funds were still untouched, completely intact!
【Wait, but that doesn’t add up. If she can hold the oil over the other two teams, couldn’t they just as easily hold their ingredients over her?】
【The other two teams could turn the tables! If Gu Zhaoping refuses to trade the oil, she’ll be stuck with nothing but oil and no way to use it!】
【No, you’re missing the point—it’s because there are two other teams!】
A sharp-eyed viewer suddenly chimed in.
【Those two teams are also competing against each other! As long as they can’t unite, each will fear being betrayed—that the other might secretly trade their ingredients for the oil first and open their restaurant ahead of them.】
【The team that trades later might face Gu Zhaoping’s price hikes or even find that her team no longer needs their ingredients, leaving them with no way to get the oil! Neither team can predict the other’s moves, so they’ll scramble to act first!】
【And the real kicker is—】
【Gu Zhaoping gave them only one minute to make the exchange, leaving everyone too stunned to think or discuss properly!】
【She left no room for hesitation, and her commanding tone made everyone instinctively follow her lead!】
Gu Zhaoping was decisive.
The other two teams were divided.
So, she controlled the entire game.
After analyzing this, even the viewers were dumbfounded.
What kind of strategy was this? Had Gu Zhaoping planned every step from the beginning?
And just as predicted, the third team panicked, immediately offering their ingredients to trade first!
Before long, Li Xunxi’s team grew desperate too. After waiting too long, even Ruan Nian couldn’t hold back—she grabbed their ingredients and rushed over!
Just like that, effortlessly, without spending a single unnecessary cent, Gu Zhaoping not only secured all the ingredients she needed but also forced the other two teams to bow to her terms?
……This is Gu Zhaoping’s skill?
Who was it that said she didn’t think things through?
Who claimed she was impulsive? Who said she should’ve stopped betting earlier??
Does it hurt? I’m asking—does your face hurt now?!
