Shen Lang fell silent upon hearing Ye Shishi’s words.
He hadn't expected Gu Qinghan to have a fiancé; it truly caught him off guard.
"Why are you telling me this now?"
After a long pause, Shen Lang finally spoke to Ye Shishi.
"No reason, I just wanted to see your reaction."
Ye Shishi playfully twirled her teacup. "I didn't think you'd be so calm upon hearing Gu Qinghan has a fiancé. I expected, given your personality, that you'd be furious, pounding your chest and stamping your feet."
"Alas, I truly feel for Gu Qinghan. It seems you don't have her in your heart."
Ye Shishi’s words were clearly a provocation, but Shen Lang didn't react with excessive emotion. He merely said calmly, "Who is this person?"
"Qi Tuojiang, the young master of the Qi family in Longdu."
Ye Shishi smiled. "Old Master Gu and Old Master Qi of Longdu were classmates. This marriage was decided when Gu Qinghan and Qi Tuojiang were very young."
"Qi Tuojiang? Him again?"
Hearing Ye Shishi’s words, Shen Lang frowned, displeased. "Why is he everywhere?"
"You've met Qi Tuojiang?"
Ye Shishi was somewhat shocked. "Impossible. Qi Tuojiang hasn't left Longdu in five years. How could you have met him?"
Shen Lang said gravely, "I haven't met him, but I've spoken to him on the phone and killed a dog he owned."
"The dog you're talking about was Yuan Bubai?"
Ye Shishi gasped. "You're the one responsible for the 'Heaven and Earth' incident?"
"Shishi, don't be too clever, or I might silence you."
Seeing that Ye Shishi had guessed about the 'Heaven and Earth' incident, Shen Lang chuckled.
"It was really you?"
Shen Lang’s words were a de facto confession.
Ye Shishi looked at Shen Lang, disbelief etched on her face. "Yuan Bubai was known throughout Nanling as Qi Tuojiang's dog. You killed him. Do you know what that means?"
"What?"
Shen Lang asked nonchalantly.
Ye Shishi sighed. "It means you've gotten yourself into serious trouble."
"Qi Tuojiang is the young master of his family. He's handsome and graceful, and everyone who meets him perceives him as a refined, polite, and humble gentleman."
"However, only I know what kind of person Qi Tuojiang truly is. He has two faces."
Ye Shishi continued, "He's five years older than me, so when I was in the first grade, he was already in the sixth grade."
"At that time, Qi Tuojiang was thirteen. He was handsome, humble, gentle, and polite. He not only played the piano and guitar but also excelled at basketball and soccer. He consistently ranked first in exams and was the perfect idol for all the young girls who were experiencing first crushes. The love letters and homemade breakfasts he received daily could fill a small mountain."
"I was very young then and didn't have the same feelings for this senior as other girls, but I still had a good impression of him. That was until I saw Qi Tuojiang's other face."
Ye Shishi took a sip of tea and continued, "Back then, social order wasn't as good, and thieves would often break into the school to steal things. So, a gatekeeper at our school owned a wolfdog."
"Although it was a wolfdog, it never acted aggressively, other than occasional barks that were more startling than threatening. It never actively bit anyone. Then, one day, for some unknown reason, this wolfdog broke free from its leash and chased Qi Tuojiang around the school for three laps. In the end, it bit Qi Tuojiang on the thigh."
"Because of Qi Tuojiang's special status, the incident caused quite a stir. The school leadership unanimously decided to expel the security guard and demand exorbitant medical fees from him to appease the Qi family's anger."
"In fact, Qi Tuojiang was the victim. No matter how unreasonable the demands, the school would have complied, and others would have considered it justified."
"However, while the school’s decision was acceptable to others, Qi Tuojiang had a different opinion."
"Qi Tuojiang personally approached the school leaders and admitted that he had provoked the wolfdog, causing it to break free and bite him. He insisted that the dog was not at fault, nor was the gatekeeper who owned it, and asked the school to spare them."
"Qi Tuojiang's attitude shocked the school leaders and students alike. Even his parents found it hard to believe that he would blame his own dog and the gatekeeper at such a critical moment."
"However, since Qi Tuojiang, the victim, did not press the issue, the school leaders naturally wouldn't act as villains. Thus, the wolfdog and the gatekeeper remained."
"What no one expected was that half a year later, the wolfdog suddenly disappeared. No matter how the gatekeeper searched, the dog was never found."
"Since dog theft was common at the time, the gatekeeper and the school staff and students assumed it had been stolen by thieves. The matter was dropped."
"But the truth, only I knew..."
After taking another sip of tea, Ye Shishi sighed softly. "We were boarding students then. That night, I had a stomachache and felt unwell. I got up in the middle of the night to use the restroom. I saw Qi Tuojiang drag that dog to the back of the school mountain, tie up its limbs and muzzle, and then pour a pot of boiling water over it, scalding off its fur layer by layer, killing it in agonizing pain."
"I can still vividly recall Qi Tuojiang's expression as he poured boiling water on the dog. It was a completely different face from his usual self – it was violent, ferocious, sinister, and cruel."
"What was even more unimaginable was that the next day, Qi Tuojiang’s complexion was unchanged, showing no trace of guilt. Especially when the old gatekeeper mentioned the dog’s disappearance, Qi Tuojiang even took the initiative to organize a group of students to search for it."
"What?"
Upon hearing Ye Shishi’s words, shock spread across Shen Lang’s face. "I thought he was just an ordinary young master from a prominent family, no matter how capable he was. I never expected him to be so vicious and cunning at thirteen, and such a skilled pretender. He doesn't seem like a simple character."
"Of course—"
Ye Shishi said, "In the eyes of outsiders, Qi Tuojiang is the most gentle, refined, and kind among the 'Four Young Masters of Longdu'. But who knows his true hidden nature?"
"Why are you telling me all this?"
Hearing Ye Shishi's words, Shen Lang looked puzzled. "You're telling me all this, not just to inform me about Qi Tuojiang's character, but out of genuine concern for me?"
"Of course not."
Ye Shishi replied, "I'm telling you all this because I want you to know that Qi Tuojiang is by no means someone Gu Qinghan should entrust her life to. I hope you can interfere and prevent Gu Qinghan from marrying him."