MCFEM C48

Chapter 48 – The Crossdressing Big Shot

That breathtakingly shocking presentation video had finally finished playing.

For several long tens of seconds, silence reigned in the conference room—none of the assembled dignitaries dared to speak.

To be fair, the level of completion in that proposal was extremely high—higher even than the last one. It was polished enough to be executed straightaway.

Although the executives weren’t well-versed in that particular line of business, their seasoned eyes could still discern it.

Clearly, this too had been guided by an expert.

But… the direction of that guidance—wasn’t something about it seriously off???

The subsidiary was under Feili Jewelry, borrowing the gravitas of the heritage brand to elevate its own style.

Naturally, every move the new company made would reflect back onto Feili’s public image.

And the positioning of the new brand was supposed to be affordable luxury—not some cheap trinkets from a marketplace stall.

What was affordable luxury? Should someone really have to explain it to the young master?

Second Grand-Uncle, one of the board directors, looked particularly grim.

He had been one of the chief opponents of creating the subsidiary, but he and his brothers had been forced to yield under Gu Yuhui’s underhanded business tactics, agreeing to something that ran counter to their interests.

And now… what the hell was this?

Hot-tempered, he nearly burst out on the spot. But the moment his gaze met Gu Yang’s, he trembled and swallowed the words back down.

He hadn’t forgotten—that high-definition, indescribable video of his was still in their hands.

Second Grand-Uncle squeezed his eyes shut in anguish, keeping silent.

First and Third Grand-Uncles did the same.

Not for any other reason but fear—that if they said the wrong thing and offended this troublesome nephew, they would be stripped bare in front of the entire board.

They had no doubt he would do it.

Gu Yang, who had been playing on his phone, finally deigned to lift his head when he noticed the report had long since gone quiet.

By sheer accident, his gaze landed on Third Grand-Uncle, whose beard twitched violently. Terrified this little ancestor was expecting praise, he forced out a dry laugh: “Not bad. Very innovative. Extremely… creative.”

Once he broke the ice, the rest followed.

The other executives scrambled for words, cobbling together a few perfunctory compliments.

At the head of the table, Gu Yuhui looked at the somewhat comical scene—and actually smiled.

But his smile was faint, still unreadable in mood. He lowered his hand slightly, signaling for them to stop the forced flattery.

“This time’s project report was meant only to give these two young men some practice, to build their confidence. The investment and execution of the new company cannot be neglected—we will need the concerted effort of everyone here.”

At this, First and Second Grand-Uncles exchanged glances of relief.

Thank goodness. They had nearly thought Gu Yuhui was creating this company solely to indulge that troublesome nephew, and that they themselves were just pawns in the spectacle.

It wasn’t paranoia—there was precedent.

The less said about those past events, the better.

After some more perfunctory words, the meeting was adjourned.

As they left, Second Grand-Uncle’s eyes met Gu Qingxu’s.

Compared to the other, endlessly troublesome one, this nephew left a much better impression.

He didn’t cause chaos, had ability, and was involved in company affairs—all clear for everyone to see.

Most importantly, he was undeniably of the Gu family.

Unlike Gu Yang, whose paternity had never been verified, Gu Qingxu had been brought back personally by Gu Yuhui after a confirmed test.

And Gu Qingxu’s resemblance to his father was obvious, from his features to his temperament—a father-son pair cut from the same mold.

Gu Yang, on the other hand, bore striking resemblance to his mother, making any judgment difficult at a glance.

Every time Second Grand-Uncle saw Gu Yang, his heart gave an involuntary jolt.

That was the root of his long-standing dislike.

Always, it dragged him back to that sealed-off memory.

To be honest, that woman had been breathtakingly beautiful.

But from the first meeting, he had disliked her.

Her presence was too hollow, airy as drifting sand, impossible to grasp.

And deeper still, his experienced eyes had sensed something uncanny in her, something unnamable and off.

Even then, he’d thought the marriage ill-suited. But he couldn’t stop Yuzheng’s resolve, nor the way Yuhui was drawn in.

And later events had proved him right.

That woman’s suicide may not have been…

Forget it.

Dead are beyond reproach. Second Grand-Uncle pressed the thought down.

Gu Yuhui was the last to rise. He approached Gu Qingxu and Gu Yang.

“You both did very well today.”

At the praise, Gu Qingxu’s face didn’t shift.

He had long since outgrown the desire for his father’s approval. Perhaps at the start, upon returning to the Gu family, he had felt it. But time had made clear his father’s indifference.

Now, his relationship with Gu Yuhui was that of subordinate to superior in the company. At home, he was merely an invader concealing his ambition, scheming to claim everything for himself.

All the more…

To have his painstakingly crafted proposal lumped together with Gu Yang’s nonsense. Clearly, the compliment wasn’t sincere.

Gu Yuhui’s smile deepened slightly as he teased Gu Yang: “I didn’t expect you to seriously draft a proposal. And it turned out quite good.”

Indeed, the proposal had been crafted with surprising care, even simulating a livestream scenario.

That shock was why it had landed so hard, so unexpectedly.

After countless dull meetings, such harmless interludes were, to him, welcome diversions.

Gu Yang responded half-heartedly, already eager to leave.

Seeing his distraction, Gu Yuhui didn’t insist. “I’ve other matters to attend. You may both go on home.”

Gu Qingxu bowed his head respectfully.

As they walked out together, he studied Gu Yang with covert eyes.

Today had been his victory.

And the effect—absolutely perfect.

So vivid it would be burned into the memory of every director and executive.

Truth be told, when the words “family, family” had rung out, even he had nearly lost composure.

In such a crucial setting, under so many eyes.

Utter madness.

Gu Qingxu thought to himself.

Yet at the storm’s center, Gu Yang’s expression never shifted—still that languid, listless air, as though oblivious to the significance of what had just happened.

Or simply didn’t care.

Infuriating.

—

“Gu Yang, I heard from the class monitor you used that proposal I helped you write yesterday.” Yu Bai leaned in, three parts nervous, three parts expectant, four parts bashful. “How did it go?”

At the words, Gu Yang briefly recalled yesterday, then answered seriously: “Pretty good.”

“Shook the whole room.”

Yu Bai’s eyes went wide. He hadn’t imagined such high praise—that something cooked up by his tiny company could impress those tycoons. Tentatively, he asked, “Really?”

Thinking back on the scene, Gu Yang smirked lazily. “Mm. Really. Even one old fogey who usually can’t stand me praised it.”

Damn. That high?

Yu Bai was still processing when he realized Gu Yang had casually insulted someone. His grin spread wide. “That’s great, that’s great. All that work wasn’t wasted.”

The employee who drafted the proposal definitely deserved a bonus when he got back.

Though ever since everyone could hear Gu Yang’s thoughts—and since he himself knew every bit of gossip—many had started keeping their distance.

Not Yu Bai.

His conscience was clean, his family simple and harmonious, his looks a neat blend of his parents’.

So far, anyone Gu Yang had deigned to gossip about had been entangled in explosive drama. Yu Bai was confident no such bombshell hung over his head.

They had just returned from the teachers’ office. Turning a corner, Gu Yang, not paying attention, bumped into someone.

He staggered back, nearly falling—only for the other to steady him by the arms.

“You alright?” A low, cool voice asked.

Gu Yang didn’t think much of it, shook his head, and went to move on.

But Yu Bai froze.

“L-long time no see—” His voice trembled, breaking into waves.

Before them stood a tall girl in a gray long coat, a matching turtleneck beneath. Her looks fit the once-popular “intense, world-weary beauty” style, and her cold aura screamed “do not approach.”

Gu Yang realized she was even taller than him. Instinctively, he glanced down at her shoes to check the heel height.

“Mm. Last time we met was three days ago, at the Linjiang Mall event, Yu classmate.” She nodded in greeting.

“I told you, just call me Xiaobai. We’ve seen each other so many times, no need to be so formal.” As he said this, Yu Bai’s ears flushed red.

But the girl seemed not to hear. She glanced at her watch. “It’s late. Class is starting soon. I’ll go on ahead—you two carry on.”

And with that, she strode away.

“Well?” Yu Bai’s eyes lingered on her departing figure. “That’s my goddess. Gorgeous, right?”

Not waiting for a reply, he gushed on, his teenage heart aflutter: “After all my effort, I finally got her contact. She scanned me and even sent the verification herself. Doesn’t that mean she’s at least a little interested? Haha—kidding, kidding.”

Yu Bai could monologue with himself, rattling on until they nearly reached their classroom door.

Mindful that He Ming’an sometimes popped up playfully behind him, silently clapping his shoulder, Yu Bai glanced around warily, even tugging Gu Yang aside with a warning.

“Oh, and what I just said—don’t you dare tell He Ming’an. It’s not early romance, I just want to get to know her. That’s all.”

Gu Yang gave a perfunctory hum. “Who was that girl, anyway?”

“You don’t know? Oh, right, you wouldn’t. You don’t care about anyone.” Yu Bai eagerly explained. “Her name’s Xia Chun. Same grade as us. She models part-time and has over a million followers online. Lots of people at school like her.”

All potential rivals, Yu Bai thought grimly. His burden was heavy.

Then a thought struck him—maybe he could coax some info out of Gu Yang about Xia Chun, gain an edge in this race.

Goddess, here I come—

But before he could even ask, his wish was granted.

Gu Yang’s thoughts drifted aloud in his mind.

【This Yu Bai’s goddess Xia Chun—is actually crossdressing as a girl? And apparently… outmeasures most men.】

【Hilarious. Too good. Can stuff like this really be shared? Maybe I should try asking her out sometime—catch a glimpse in the bathroom.】

Yu Bai’s shy expression froze.

A question mark blinked slowly above his head as he struggled to process the meaning.

And when his brain finally caught up, he flushed scarlet in an instant.