VRMMORPG: The Other World Online

The man continued to laugh as he gave a harsh look towards the young girl with pink hair behind him.

"Mr Gu," President Xiu acknowledged, "Thank you for having me and my company here."

"It is a great pleasure of mine to have you here, President Xiu," the fat-bellied man said in an overzealous tone.

"Still," the man with the silver hair said in a monotone. "This is Mrs Bai Jia, my assistant for as long as I stay here. All the accommodation you make should be just for the two of us."

The plum woman in the dark office suit bowed to the rotund man, her face holding a gentle smile. "Thank you for your care."

The man's eyes sparkled. "I heard that President Xiu is coming to our humble Earth in search of a bride. How true is that?"

Though the man played his words off as a joke, everyone could see the calculating gleam in his eyes.

Deep blue eyes stared at the man for a few moments, his face blank.

Mr Gu started to sweat. He messed up. He messed up. They were done for now. He had destroyed this one chance of getting into the good side of the Xiu Industry.

Mrs Bai handed President Xiu a file with all the girls with the name Cheng Xiu.

"That is correct," President Xiu said in a calm voice.

Mrs Bai that the side blinked in surprise. Was that the cover that the young master wanted to use to look for his niece? Wouldn't that create unwanted rumours?

Mrs Bai kept her opinions to herself though. She knew when and where to express her opinions, and the Gu Residence was not the place to do so.

Mr Gu's eyes started to shine with greed. He pulled the young girl behind him and forced her to bow in respect.

"This is my daughter, Gu Shu!" the bald man exclaimed. "She is 18 years old and very pretty!"

Gu Shu glared at the bald man, the idiot she was forced to call her father. She sometimes wondered if she was his daughter. He wanted to sell her in this manner.

"Welcome to our humble home, President Xiu," Gu Shu said through gritted teeth, not daring to look at the man in front of her. A soft scent wafted to her nose that she felt was familiar.

It was the same sandalwood scent that Cheng Xiu liked to wear.

Gu Shu unconsciously relaxed her vigilance and looked up at the man before her.

She found herself falling into a daze.

The man before her exuded the charm and allure that only men who were confident in their status would have. It wasn't just arrogance. It was the self-assurance that was embedded in his eyes.

The man looked and felt reliable.

Gu Shu gulped.

President Xiu looked at the girl for a moment, his cold eyes softening.

Gu Shu had the sudden thought that he was looking at her the way elders would look at little children.

She felt uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"You are 18?"

"That is right!" the bald man said.

President Xiu darted towards the man for a moment and then he returned to observe the pink-haired girl again. "Not as pretty as my niece but I am sure you are the most beautiful in your peer group."

Gu Shu suddenly wanted to hurl something at the man in front of her.

But you don't know how your niece looks, Mrs Bai, the old woman thought from behind the silver-haired man. You shouldn't be so biased even before meeting her.

The woman gave the Gu Heiress an awkward smile.

Gu Shu looked at the woman briefly and then turned to her father.

"A need to leave for college," she said through gritted teeth.

President Xiu frowned. "Have I offended you?"

Gu Shu froze and then looked towards the man who looked like he was being wronged. Gu Shu did not believe he did not know why she was reacting the way she did.

Gu Shu gritted her teeth. It was only because this man was the Heir of the Xiu Conglomerate that she was willing to restrain her urge to smash his face in. Her family could not afford to provoke that big family.

"You haven't offended me," she said, barely holding back the anger in her voice.

President Xiu raised an eyebrow. "And yet you are leaving right after I complimented my niece."

Gu Shu pursed her lips. It wasn't because you were praising your niece that I am upset. It is saying that I was not good enough.

"I have to go meet a friend," Gu Shu said.

"A friend?" Mr Gu said. "Don't you only have one friend?"

Gu Shu felt like her heart was stamped on by her father. She glared at him.

Mr Gu stepped back as he realised that he might have triggered the conditions to activate Angry Gu Shu.

"Is it something important?" Mrs Bai asked curiously. "If it is, then you shouldn't hold back. Otherwise, would you mind spending some more time with us?"

Mrs Bai was only trying to keep Gu Shu's temper down because she saw the young girl ready to tear her father in half at the moment. She did not think that the girl had any actual reason to go to her friend and was probably using it as an excuse to escape from President Xiu's presence.

Gu Shu relaxed at the soft smile that Mrs Bai sent her way. "My friend has just returned from the hospital. We had a bit of a disagreement but if I don't go now, she will be really upset with me."

Mr Gu frowned. "Little Xiu was in the hospital? Why didn't you tell this sooner? Is she okay? What happened?"

Gu Shu sighed. They worry that she saw in her father's eyes made her want to know what kind of potion Cheng Xiu fed to her father to make him like her so much.

President Xiu was unconcerned about Gu Shu's words until he heard the name of the friend.

"Xiu?" he asked.

Mrs Bai looked at the change in President Xiu's voice with a warm gaze. He knew why the man was curious about the Gu Heiress's friend. The name he wanted to search for was Cheng Xiu. If they were lucky enough to find the Young Miss just by coming to Earth they were really lucky.

Perhaps in the distant past, this would have been too coincidental but times had changed. Luck was also a strong factor in the new era. And the Xiu Family were said to be walking Koi Fishes.

Gu Shu looked at him. "My friend. She was doing Deep Dive for too long."

There was a mocking laugh from behind her.

Gu Shu gritted her teeth. She knew without looking who it was.

"That useless girl dared to go into a Deep Dive?" a woman in a long deep green dress asked her in a contemptuous tone.

Gu Shu glared at the woman. "Lady Gu."

The woman before her was Gu Sui, Gu Shu's foster mother and her real mother's sister.

Gu Sui gave her a fleeting look before she smiled at President Xiu warmly. "I am Gu Sui. The madam of the household and Gu Shu's aunt from her mother's side."

President Xiu barely responded to her.

"And A'Xiu is not useless," Gu Shu said angrily.

Gu Sui rolled her eyes. "No matter if you put it in a slum or a palace, a dog will remain a dog. And that Qiless is still going to remain a Qiless."

Gu Shu glared at the woman before her.

"A'Sui!" Mr Gu said in a warning tone.

Gu Sui let out an aggrieved sigh. "Do you see this, President Xiu? I have to deal with Qiless sympathisers every day."

President Xiu looked on to this family drama with indifference. His eyes lose interest in this Xiu friend of Gu Shu.

With his sister's capabilities, how can her daughter be a Qiless?

Gu Shu saw the dismissive gaze that President Xiu adorned and felt like choking him. Wasn't he interested to know about Cheng Xiu before? He lost interest just because he found out that she was a Qiless?

"Why would she go into Deep Dive then?" Mrs Bai asked at last. "Isn't your friend smart enough to know the danger that Deep Dive has on Qiless?"

Gu Shu saw the curiosity in Mrs Bai's eyes and realised that the woman was just not mocking her friend.

Gu Shu smiled at the woman. "She…did not know she was in a Deep Dive. The pod seemed to have malfunctioned at that moment, resulting in her going into Deep dive without being aware of it."

Mrs Bai nodded. "That makes sense. Is she alright now?"

"She is perfectly fine," Gu Shu said, "just a bit more emotional than usual."

Mrs Bai smiled. "That is good to hear."

Gu Sui rolled her eyes. "Talking about that unlucky girl in front of such great guests! Gu Shu, apologize."

Gu Shu glared at the woman.

"Why don't I show you guys to your room personally?" Mr Gu said desperately. He did not want this to escalate.

President Xiu looked at the two women glaring at one another and decided that Mr Gu's suggestion was for the best. He nodded in consent.

Mr Gu led them to their rooms eagerly.

He had escaped that landmine for now.