Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds-Chapter 54: Speak of the Devil

First, Gu Zhao went to a design firm.

After providing ample geographical data and outlining his requirements, Gu Zhao met their dumbfounded gazes by slapping a hundred thousand in cash on the table.

"You can rest assured!" the manager swore, raising his hand. "We guarantee that we’ll design every inch of this Taoist Temple complex to perfection. We’ll design it as if a true Immortal were going to live here!"

Gu Zhao reminded him again, "Design everything according to ancient craftsmanship and techniques. No modern elements."

"I’ll assign this project to our lead designer," the manager promised, patting his chest. "His specialty is classical Chinese aesthetics, and he knows our ancient architecture like the back of his hand. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied!"

Gu Zhao nodded. "Just as you said. Design it as if a true Immortal were going to live here."

...

「Graduation Ceremony.」

"What on earth have you been up to these past few days? I can never find you when I look for you. If you hadn’t been replying to my messages every day, I would’ve thought you’d been trafficked to Shan Country."

At the university, Zhang Hang pulled Gu Zhao aside and looked him up and down. ’Something seems a little off about you. Did you use the last few days to get some work done?’

"Screw you!" Gu Zhao slapped away the paw reaching for his handsome face.

Zhang Hang roared with laughter but then asked seriously, "But you really have changed. What have you been doing these past few days?"

"I was in seclusion for cultivation," Gu Zhao answered truthfully.

’Seclusion meant going to the Otherworld, where you really can’t get a cell signal. Cultivation meant slaying demons and killing ghosts, which really does let you absorb Evil Qi to improve your Dao Practice.’

"Look at you, getting all into character."

Zhang Hang, of course, didn’t believe him. He just assumed Gu Zhao was feeling dejected. "Is it because that Palm Thunder video of yours went viral for a little while, but then got debunked?"

Gu Zhao was confused. "What got debunked?"

"The special effects got debunked, obviously," Zhang Hang said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Someone commented that the thing you zapped when you ’cast your spell’ was a piece of Small-leafed Purple Sandalwood. They said your SFX work was sloppy."

Gu Zhao was speechless.

"So, how are your ’store exploration’ videos going?" Gu Zhao asked, feeling drained.

"They’re going great!" Zhang Hang bragged enthusiastically. "My whole gimmick is based on contrast. I play this rich guy, then I go to different spots trying to find love and get rejected. You wouldn’t believe how lively the comments section gets."

"So if you actually started dating someone, your whole persona would crumble," Gu Zhao scoffed.

Zhang Hang grinned. "What if I start dating someone and break up with them on the same day?"

"Nightclub Prince, are we?" Gu Zhao said with a dry laugh.

"Sea King of the campus works too." Zhang Hang wiggled his eyebrows at Gu Zhao and jutted his chin toward something behind him. "See those two girls over there? I’ve decided to make them my girlfriends for the day."

Gu Zhao followed Zhang Hang’s gaze and looked back, a flicker of surprise on his face.

The two women, who had just entered the campus gates and were looking around, had evidently noticed Gu Zhao and Zhang Hang’s gazes and smiled back at them.

Zhang Hang twirled the Porsche key on his finger. "Give me three sentences, and I’ll have them spending the day with me."

Gu Zhao just smiled and shook his head. "I don’t believe you."

"Let me show you what I can do," Zhang Hang said smugly. "The me who can’t get a girl in my videos? That’s all an act. Every time I finish filming, the girls are crying and begging me to take them with me."

"Oh, I believe that part," Gu Zhao said, still shaking his head. "But not with these two."

So, twirling his car key, Zhang Hang strode toward the two women. To his satisfaction, the two beauties were also smiling and walking in his direction.

"Ladies..."

"What a coincidence. We found you as soon as we got to campus."

"I was saying..."

"Xiaoya was just saying we should ask you where to go."

"Are you talking to..."

"Is this your friend? Hi!"

When Zhang Hang saw the two beauties finally turn their attention to him, it all clicked. He whipped his head around to see Gu Zhao, who had been trailing behind him, waving to the two women. Then, Gu Zhao turned to him. "Was that your three sentences?"

"Son of a bitch!" Zhang Hang was livid. "You know them, and you didn’t say anything?!"

"I told you you wouldn’t believe me," Gu Zhao said, patting Zhang Hang’s shoulder before turning to greet Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi. "When you said you had a surprise for me yesterday, I figured you were back in Yangcheng. I just never expected you to actually come to my university."

"You have to be accompanied by beautiful women in your graduation photos to prove you’re not single," Jiang Shishi teased, her smile radiant.

"Keep your voice down! The collateral damage from that comment is too high," Gu Zhao said, startled as he glanced around.

Xiao Ya’s eyes were shining as she looked at Gu Zhao. "My grandfather is doing much better. He can even stand up on his own and move around a bit every day."

Gu Zhao nodded in understanding. "That’s good. It seems it was just qi deficiency and a weak constitution."

Xiao Ya looked up slightly. The breeze swept her long hair past her temples as she drew closer to Gu Zhao, bringing with it a faint, sweet fragrance. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes filled with adoration. "You’re truly incredible."

Zhang Hang, watching from the side, felt his heart skip a beat. Suddenly, all his past flings seemed utterly bland and uninteresting.

Gu Zhao found it a bit much and took an involuntary step back, only to have his arm grabbed by Jiang Shishi. He found himself pulled against her, his arm sinking into a soft valley. "We came to keep you company! Surprised? Happy to see us?"

"Surprised! Definitely happy!" Gu Zhao could only nod. "The graduation photos should be done by this morning. I’ll treat you two to lunch."

Jiang Shishi nodded, satisfied. "That place we ate at last time, Dian Dou De, was pretty good."

"Don’t go to Dian Dou De, go anywhere but there," Zhang Hang blurted out, startled.

For once, Gu Zhao actually agreed with Zhang Hang. "Let me pick a place instead."

Jiang Shishi was puzzled. "Why? I heard it’s the most famous one. It’s supposed to be a good value, and everyone recommends it online."

Zhang Hang chimed in, "That’s exactly why the locals don’t go there!"

"It’s assembly-line, pre-made food. It has no soul," Gu Zhao added. "I’ll take you to an authentic, old-school restaurant so you can try some real Cantonese dim sum."

"Alright," Jiang Shishi said. She didn’t really mind either way and was just curious.

...

Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi toured the campus together while they waited for Gu Zhao’s graduation ceremony to start.

During the ceremony, Zhang Hang asked Gu Zhao, his voice tinged with jealousy, "How did you manage to quietly land two gorgeous girls like them? They’re in a completely different league from the girls you find at nightclubs!"

Gu Zhao replied with a perfectly straight face, "We’re just friends."

Zhang Hang snorted in disbelief. "Friends, my ass!"

He was a veteran in these matters. How could he not see that both Jiang Shishi and Xiao Ya looked at Gu Zhao with something more than friendship in their eyes? Even if they weren’t an official couple yet, the vibe was definitely "more than friends," with clear signs of a crush.

After the graduation ceremony and the group photos with classmates, the two women accompanied Gu Zhao to take more pictures at memorable spots around the campus.

Everything was finished before noon.

Zhang Hang was now dying to get the full story between the two women and Gu Zhao. He needed to know why they treated him so differently.

He knew Gu Zhao better than anyone. Gu Zhao would never take the initiative to chase or flatter a girl. Otherwise, with his looks and family background, there’s no way he would’ve been single for four years. Plus, he was always lost in his own world, so no particularly amazing girls ever pursued him either.

"Let’s go, let’s go! Time for lunch!" Zhang Hang announced, twirling his Porsche key.

And so...

Gu Zhao and the two women hailed a cab, while Zhang Hang set off alone in his two-seater Porsche.