Chapter 18 — Gao Tiange Is the Aunt from Downstairs

Jiang Ning knew this reason would be enough to dissuade Qi Jun, that little prince of love. "Don't forget what you owe me..."

Qi Jun was instantly doused with cold water by the woman's words. He lowered his head and gave Jiang Ning an awkward smile. "Hehe, Sister Ning, Yun Fu seems to be calling me, so I'll talk to you later."

Jiang Ning snorted coldly, her face frosty. As she lifted her eyelids, she caught sight of Gu Beicheng walking toward her, and the brief ease in her mood vanished, replaced by gloom.

"Teacher Cheng! Wait for me!"

Jiang Ning sat on the ground, lazily propping her chin with one hand, her gaze meaningful as she watched the alluring woman behind Cheng Beigu, who was holding up her long skirt.

Gu Beicheng did not pause, his eyes fixed on Jiang Ning's delicate face, moving steadily toward her.

Gao Tiange struggled across the sand, her long dress hindering her stride, finally making it to Gu Beicheng's side.

Yet Gu Beicheng only had Jiang Ning in his eyes, not sparing a single glance for the woman beside him.

Feeling snubbed, Gao Tiange bit her lip in irritation. "Teacher Cheng, can we talk alone?"

Jiang Ning watched the pair with amusement not far from her, letting out a cold snicker. "Making trouble."

Blocked, Gu Beicheng furrowed his brows, noticing Jiang Ning's look of entertainment. He felt a surge of frustration and cast a brief, icy glance at Gao Tiange, his impatience and coldness obvious.

Gao Tiange smiled faintly, twisting her body with a hint of coyness. "Teacher Cheng, next episode, can we go on a date? I want to get to know you better."

After finishing, she turned her head challengingly toward the relaxed Jiang Ning.

In terms of appearance and figure, Gao Tiange was no less than that wretch Jiang Ning. She refused to believe Cheng Beigu could reject her.

"Why don't you go find Bai Zehan?" The man finally spoke, his tone sharp as shards of ice.

Gao Tiange gave a sheepish smile, her heavily made-up face flashing with embarrassment and disdain. She giggled, "Compared to Teacher Bai, you are much more outstanding, Teacher Cheng."

Gu Beicheng laughed coldly, his expression unmoved. "Move aside."

Gao Tiange tensed, gritting her teeth. "Jiang Ning is filthy, she doesn't deserve you! If you are with me, I'll fund the construction of a ski resort for you, how about it?"

Her words completely infuriated Gu Beicheng. His thick brows knit tightly, and his cold, deep eyes radiated a murderous aura. "What did you just say?"

Gao Tiange felt her scalp tingle, her fists clenched, body trembling as she stammered, "I said I'd invest in building a ski resort for you, so you wouldn't have to work for others."

"I asked you, what did you just say about Jiang Ning?" Gu Beicheng's voice turned even more chilling, his gaze almost slicing the woman before him to pieces.

"She said I was filthy and didn't deserve you," came the helpless female voice.

Suddenly, the woman's arms wrapped tightly around the man's waist. "Teacher Gao, you can say bad things about me, but if you treat my Teacher Cheng like a gigolo, that's where I draw the line."

Jiang Ning's gaze deepened; though she smiled, Gao Tiange could sense no warmth in it, only a bone-chilling intimidation.

She wondered when Jiang Ning had turned into such a formidable person, one not to be trifled with.

Deep down, Gao Tiange worried that Jiang Ning, that wretch, might seek revenge.

"I didn't say that, I only wanted to invite Teacher Cheng to pair up with me. He's not yours alone, what's wrong with a little competition? Besides, I'm your senior, Jiang Ning, you should know your place."

Once again, Gao Tiange shamelessly played the seniority card.

In her previous life, when Jiang Ning found Gao Tiange and Bai Zehan fooling around in her home, Gao Tiange had used the same excuse.

Back then, Jiang Ning was emotional, dragging Bai Zehan for an explanation. Gao Tiange struck her, and that heartless man, Bai Zehan, showed no reaction, only asking Gao Tiange if her hand hurt, then turned around and threw Jiang Ning out.

"Competition? All you do is steal. Teacher Gao, stay away from me, you stink! Did you not shower last night?" Jiang Ning let go, walked up to Gu Beicheng, and once again wrapped her arms around his refined waist.

She glanced back at Gao Tiange, the corner of her eye flickering mischievously, then turned to look up at Gu Beicheng.

"Bei Bei, let's not stoop to Teacher Gao's level; after all, she's pregnant."

Hearing Jiang Ning address him so intimately, all of Gu Beicheng's gloom melted away. He gently cradled the woman's head with one hand, tapped her pert little nose with the other, and bent down, "Baby, whatever you say."

"Who are you calling pregnant! I'm not!" Gao Tiange nearly had a heart attack from Jiang Ning's insult.

Jiang Ning looked up with a smiling gaze, a glint flashing in her eyes as she lifted her leg and kicked backward, striking Gao Tiange squarely in the stomach.

"Ah! Jiang Ning, you wretch! Why did you kick me?" Gao Tiange fell to the ground with the sudden blow, clutching her stomach, nearly coughing up blood from anger.

Jiang Ning slowly lowered her leg, hugging Gu Beicheng tightly, her face pressed against his chest, listening to the slightly erratic rhythm of his heart.

"Bei Bei, Teacher Gao isn't pregnant, her stomach is just a bit big, I made a mistake." Jiang Ning's birdlike dependence startled the crowd rushing over at Gao Tiange's cries.

When did Jiang Ning get so close to Teacher Cheng?

Gao Tiange lashed out sharply at the woman held tightly by Gu Beicheng. "Jiang Ning, what gives you the right to kick my stomach?"

Gu Beicheng's face darkened. "Teacher Gao, that's a bit unreasonable. Jiang Ning doesn't have eyes in the back of her head. She was stretching; how could she know you were standing behind her? Your current appearance frightened her—apologize to her."

"Jiang Ning, you are truly skilled—seducing men is your forte!" Gao Tiange dared not meet the man's gaze and could only shout at the top of her lungs.

All the guests and staff gathered around the three.

"Teacher Cheng, what's going on?" The chief director, Gao Minglang, approached, cautiously asking the man whose aura was dark and oppressive, cursing Gao Tiange inwardly for not recognizing the mountain she was provoking—the big boss himself!

Gu Beicheng glanced at Gao Minglang. "What do you think?"

Gao Minglang felt his neck tighten, immediately turning to bark at Gao Tiange, "Teacher Gao, as a senior, how could you behave like this! Go apologize to little Ning!"

"What did I do?" Gao Tiange, sitting on the ground in disarray, grew even more furious. She couldn't understand why Director Gao was siding with Jiang Ning!

Gao Minglang was exasperated. He didn't know what Gao Tiange had done, only that, "Tiange, apologize, it's for your own good, and for everyone's."

Jiang Ning might be a minor celebrity, but she now had City Star's CEO Gu Beicheng backing her. What could Gao Tiange possibly complain about now?

"Tiange, since it's your fault, just apologize," Bai Zehan, who had been silent, bent down to help Gao Tiange up.

Gao Tiange angrily shook off his hand. "You don't believe me either! I really did nothing!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you!"

Bai Zehan ignored Gao Tiange, thinking to himself that having him wasn't enough for her—she even tried to win over Gu Beicheng.

Bai Zehan inwardly sneered: Gu Beicheng's status was something this woman could never handle!

Watching the scene unfold, Fu Jiaojiao mocked the woman on the ground. "Teacher Gao, Teacher Bai is just giving you good advice. Why do you act like a dog biting Lü Dongbin?"

"Who are you calling a dog?" Seeing Fu Jiaojiao seize the opportunity to cozy up to Bai Zehan, Gao Tiange grew even more frustrated, her anger stuck deep in her throat.

Everyone stood before her, watching her make a fool of herself. Gao Tiange could only stagger to her feet and coldly mutter to Jiang Ning, "Sorry."

Jiang Ning released Gu Beicheng, turned to face Gao Tiange directly, her eyes brimming with grievances. "Teacher Gao, you're my senior, that's true. You stealing my resources is not a crime. But to slander me before others so freely, it really hurts."

Gu Beicheng lowered his head, a smile playing at his lips as he watched the woman perform in earnest.

"I've already apologized! What more do you want?" Gao Tiange gritted her teeth, furious that Jiang Ning was so insufferable.

Jiang Ning looked up at Gu Beicheng. "Bei Bei, she's scolding me again!"

Gu Beicheng tenderly brushed aside the stray hair at the woman's temple, his cold, profound gaze warning the chief director, Gao Minglang.

Gao Minglang forced himself to meet the big boss's icy eyes and, after a moment, glanced at the still-unyielding Gao Tiange, his head pounding. He approached Gao Tiange, "Teacher Gao, our program is live—please be mindful of your status and image."

Gao Tiange, her head finally cooling from anger, shot Jiang Ning a venomous glare and walked toward Bai Zehan.

Everything that had happened had appeared live on screen.

The barrage—

"I'm starting to really dislike Gao Tiange!"

"Playing the seniority card—so off-putting!"

"Such an annoying auntie!"

"Stealing Jiang Ning's resources? No wonder she's so unpopular!"

"Gossiping behind people's backs! Saying bad things about Jiang Ning!"

"I find Jiang Ning quite likable—strong when she needs to be, gentle and dependent when the moment calls for it."

"Cheng Beigu dotes on Jiang Ning so much!"

"Maybe they're really a couple!"

"Could Cheng Beigu be some hidden big shot?"

"Why do I feel like the chief director is terrified of Cheng Beigu?"