The Gu King Battle Royale

“Therefore,” Gu Wei’s fingers glided slowly down her collarbone, leaving a trail of shivers in their wake, “stop using such mundane words to define me. And stop conflating me with her.”

She leaned in, her warm breath feathering against Xiang Qing’s earlobe.

“This time, consider yourself lucky. I truly dislike that particular word.”

Straightening up, she once again assumed her aloof, glacial demeanor.

“Go make me a bowl of noodles. Make it spicy,” she commanded, “I’m hungry.”

“…Yes, yes, CEO Gu.” Xiang Qing’s legs felt like jelly, and almost purely on instinct, she stiffly turned, shuffling step by step towards the kitchen.

Her entire worldview had been utterly shattered this evening.

It turned out that, in the presence of a true psychopath, someone of Shen Lanzhi’s caliber could only be considered an honor student.

Gu Wei, on the other hand, was the rule-maker, the one who set the trials and surveyed all living beings from above.

Just then, with a soft click, the bathroom door opened.

Shen Lanzhi emerged, clad in a white bathrobe, towel-drying her damp hair.

The moment she spotted Gu Wei in the living room, along with a dazed and bewildered Xiang Qing, the gentle smile on her face instantly froze.

The air was once again thick with tension.

‘The kitchen was no longer just a kitchen; it was the beachhead of the Normandy landings.’

This thought alone echoed in Xiang Qing’s mind.

To her left stood Shen Lanzhi, fresh from her bath, her eyes brimming with concern: “Xiao Qing, you look terrible. Were you frightened? Don’t worry, I’m here.”

To her right was Gu Wei, her formidable aura fully unleashed.

She didn’t even glance at Shen Lanzhi, but instead fixed her fathomless gaze on Xiang Qing, her thin lips parting slightly: “Noodles.”

A single word, yet it carried the weight of a thousand jin.

Xiang Qing felt like the rope in a tug-of-war, with two massive bombs tied to either end.

The slightest pull, and she would be instantly vaporized in the middle.

“Um… Sister Lanzhi, you must be hungry too, right?”

Her survival instinct compelled Xiang Qing to force out a smile uglier than a grimace, as she grabbed Shen Lanzhi’s wrist.

“CEO Gu likes spicy food, and you prefer something lighter, so I… I’ll make two different kinds for you both! Yes, two!”

Without another word, she pulled Shen Lanzhi into the kitchen, hoping the physical distance would shield her from that gaze which felt as though it could pierce right through her.

Shen Lanzhi allowed herself to be pulled, a warm sensation blooming where Xiang Qing’s hand gripped her wrist.

She gently turned her hand, her fingertips lightly tracing Xiang Qing’s palm.

Her voice was hushed, laced with both concern and distress:

“Xiao Qing, you don’t need to fear her. I’ve seen plenty of people like her. All bluster and no substance, a paper tiger. She merely relies on her paltry wealth, presuming it grants her the right to define everything, a mere arrogant fool.”

Xiang Qing nodded frantically, while simultaneously pulling eggs and vegetables from the fridge, her hands trembling.

“Don’t be fooled by her lavish house, or the expensive car she drives.”

Shen Lanzhi’s voice cut through the rushing water with surprising clarity.

“The more people are like her, the emptier they are inside. She needs to fill her inner insecurity with this extreme desire for control. To her, you’re not a lover; you’re merely a toy to satisfy her twisted possessiveness. Once she tires of you, what do you think your fate will be?”

Xiang Qing’s knife clattered onto the cutting board.

Shen Lanzhi immediately took her hand, gently prying open each finger to inspect them: “Why are you so careless? Did you cut yourself?”

Her fingertips were cold, yet her actions were exquisitely gentle.

“I’m fine,” Xiang Qing replied, pulling her hand away.

She felt like a naive, sweet girl being given a live lesson by a PUA master.

“You are different from her.”

Shen Lanzhi gazed into her eyes, her tone so earnest it could win an Oscar.

“We are kindred spirits. We understand respect, and equal love. Xiao Qing, remember this: any relationship that makes you feel fear and oppression is wrong. Don’t be swayed by her sugar-coated bullets.”

‘Xiang Qing’s mind was no longer just a stampede of alpacas; it was Godzilla versus King Kong.’

‘Big Sis, here with me, the two of you — one is an overt lunatic, and the other is a smiling, backstabbing pervert. Who is more noble than whom?’

‘This is practically a Gu King battle royale, and I’m just the unfortunate vessel for the Gu worms!’

Fumbling frantically, she prepared two bowls of noodles.

One was swimming in fiery red oil, its spicy aroma assaulting the senses; the other was a simple, clear broth, topped with a soft-boiled egg and vibrant green vegetables.

Xiang Qing carried the bowl of ‘hell ramen’, taking hesitant steps towards the demon lord lounging on the living room sofa.

Gu Wei didn’t look at the noodles; her gaze remained fixed on Xiang Qing.

“CEO Gu, your noodles.” Xiang Qing placed the bowl on the coffee table, her head bowed.

“Come here.” Gu Wei patted the spot beside her.

Xiang Qing stiffly shuffled over, sitting rigidly upright, her hands clasped on her knees, much like a primary school student awaiting a lecture from their teacher.

“That hug, I disliked it intensely.” Gu Wei finally spoke, her voice devoid of emotion, yet it sent a shiver of dread through Xiang Qing’s scalp.

‘Here it comes, the main topic has arrived.’

“CEO Gu…”

“Therefore,” Gu Wei interrupted her, “the plan to seduce Shen Lanzhi ends here.”

Xiang Qing snapped her head up, utterly stunned.

‘What?’

‘Stop?’

Gu Wei picked up her chopsticks, twirled a small bundle of noodles, blew on them gently, and leisurely brought them to her mouth.

Her chewing was elegant, yet her eyes remained unwaveringly locked on Xiang Qing.

“I originally intended to watch a good show, to see the expression on her face when her mask was torn away.”

Gu Wei set down her chopsticks, and dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

“However, I’ve realized I overestimated my tolerance, and underestimated your charm.”

She reached out, and with a fingertip, tilted Xiang Qing’s chin upwards.

“Seeing you hug her, even for just a second, my mind wasn’t on how to torment her, but how to lock you away, ensuring you would never see anyone again.”

Her voice was soft, yet its content was utterly terrifying.

“This emotion, it’s not good. It has disrupted my plans.”

Xiang Qing’s heart hammered like a drum.

She had expected Gu Wei to erupt in a jealous rage, but to her surprise, this woman’s emotional threshold was bizarrely peculiar.

She wasn’t angry; she simply felt her ‘experience’ had been ruined.

At that very instant, a flash of lightning struck Xiang Qing’s mind.

‘Stop?’

‘No!’

‘I can’t stop!’

Before, being caught between the two had felt exhausting, and she had only wanted to end it all quickly.

But just now, Shen Lanzhi and Gu Wei’s words had brought her to a profound realization.

‘Let them fight!’

‘Fight to the death!’

‘Just like in palace dramas, let the two most powerful concubines battle it out until only one survives.

Even if one wins, they will surely be severely weakened.’

‘By then, dealing with the remaining one would be far easier than trying to handle both at once, wouldn’t it?’

‘What is this called?’

‘This is called “the snipe and clam grapple, and the fisherman profits!”‘

‘Before, her perspective had been too narrow!’

“No, no, no! CEO Gu!” Xiang Qing, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly became agitated.

She grabbed Gu Wei’s wrist, her eyes blazing with an unprecedented fervor.

Gu Wei raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by her reaction.

“CEO Gu, you cannot stop!”

Xiang Qing threw caution to the wind, her acting skills exploding forth, her voice even tinged with a sob.

“Have you forgotten how that woman insulted us? She called us ‘disgusting perverts’! She wasn’t just insulting Shen Lanzhi; she was insulting you!”

“I know. So?”

“Therefore, we must make her lose utterly and completely!”

Xiang Qing’s emotions escalated in layers, rising from aggrieved indignation to a shared hatred for a common enemy.

“What we want isn’t for her to retreat from a challenge, but to shatter her very core beliefs! Think about it: what is someone like Shen Lanzhi most arrogant about? It’s her self-proclaimed gentleness and wisdom, her conviction that she can see through people’s hearts! What we must do is turn the very thing she prides herself on most into the sharpest blade, plunging it into her own heart!”

Xiang Qing grew more and more agitated as she spoke.

“We need her to fall deeply in love with me, utterly devoted, believing I am her only soulmate! Then, just as she thinks she has won, I will personally cast her into hell! I will walk to your side, right in front of her, and tell her that all her self-righteousness was merely a play directed by you! She didn’t lose to me; she lost to you! From beginning to end, she didn’t even qualify as your opponent!”

This speech was both stirring and utterly vicious.

Xiang Qing herself was impressed; she felt she was truly wasted not being a hostess charming patrons in a KTV.

She looked at Gu Wei with eager anticipation, awaiting her praise and approval.

However, the fleeting surprise on Gu Wei’s face slowly vanished.