GBP Chapter 1991 Framing the Little Buddha
Chapter 1991 Framing the Little Buddha
The air in the study seemed to freeze.
Shangguan Wuji's face was terribly gloomy, and the butler Lao Wu standing in front of him lowered his head, even his breathing became very light, and he dared not breathe at all.
The blue-and-white porcelain teacup on the table, shaken by the slap, spilled tea, leaving a dark stain on the mahogany tabletop.
"Useless! Absolutely useless!" Shangguan Wuji gritted his teeth in anger. "So many of you, and you can't even block one alley! Is what I asked you to do really that difficult? And now you've even brought reporters here?!"
Old Wu lowered his head even further: "Master... that scoundrel Li Xiangnan is just too cunning! He not only recognized Xu Er and his gang, but he also dug up all those old, trivial matters from the past, things that were originally our bargaining chips to control them. Now, look what's happened, as soon as CCTV reporter Xu arrived, these people are like mice seeing a cat..."
"Old news, what an old news!" Shangguan Wuji's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Li Xiangnan isn't even from Yanjing, how did he know?"
Old Wu hesitated for a moment, then cautiously glanced at his master, his voice even lower: "I'm afraid... I'm afraid someone in the family... has leaked it!"
Who leaked it?
Shangguan Wuji remained silent.
The study fell into a deathly silence.
Only the old-fashioned grandfather clock in the corner was ticking away, each tick sounding like a blow to the heart.
After a long while, Shangguan Wuji pinched his brow and said, "Go and invite the master!"
Old Wu felt as if he had been granted a pardon and bowed as he left the study.
I don’t know how long it has been.
Shangguan Wuji sat in the armchair, tapping his fingers on the back of the chair, his eyes closed as he pondered what to do next.
The snow was still falling outside the window, a vast expanse of white covering the Xishan Farm completely.
He would occasionally open his eyes and look out at the snow curtain, as if he could see Nanluoguxiang dozens of kilometers away!
Li Xiangnan!
You bastard Li Xiangnan!
This name, ever since it came from Yanjing two years ago, has been like a thorn stuck in his heart!
I thought he was just a nobody I could easily crush, but I never expected...
This is so tricky!
Faint footsteps could be heard coming from behind the brocade screen in the study.
The footsteps were very light, as nimble as a cat's; if the study hadn't been so quiet, they would have been almost inaudible.
Then came the rustling sound of clothes, and then a blurry figure appeared on the armchair behind the screen.
"I heard that your people were recognized by Li Xiangnan?" A voice came from behind the screen, faint and calm, its age and emotion unreadable.
Shangguan Wuji was taken aback.
He didn't expect that the first thing the man said was about this matter. Clearly, the other party's intelligence network was better and faster than his own!
The incident in Nanluoguxiang happened less than an hour ago!
Shangguan Wuji immediately stood up, bowed slightly towards the screen, and the stern and angry expression he had shown when facing his servants disappeared, replaced by an almost obsequious respect.
"Sir, you are wise!" he said, his voice and posture both very humble. "I underestimated that boy!"
"Underestimate?" The voice behind the screen paused. "I have always warned you not to be arrogant and conceited, as it will not benefit our cause!"
"Sigh, I thought..." Shangguan Wuji's tone was slightly dejected as he carefully chose his words, "I thought he was just a lucky little doctor! He just made a name for himself in Yanjing with some minor tricks! I didn't expect that this guy, though young, is quite shrewd. He even knows the background of the servants in his house. This kid has some tricks up his sleeve!"
A very soft sneer came from behind the screen.
“You’ve been monitoring someone for decades, so it’s only natural that they’d be on guard and investigate you in return,” the man said. “Besides, I’ve said it before: Li Xiangnan is a smart man. People like him know exactly how to protect themselves!”
Shangguan Wuji's face stiffened for a moment, but he quickly regained his smile: "What you say is true, sir. It was my oversight!"
"Now that your people have been recognized, what are you going to do?" The man's voice was devoid of any emotion.
"We can't keep this group of people!" Shangguan Wuji took a deep breath.
"Elaborate!"
“Because of Li Xiangnan’s actions, he publicly named us, and we might even be on TV. Everyone will know that we’re from the Shangguan family!” Shangguan Wuji’s face suddenly turned fierce as he said this. “Xu Ergao’s wife, Xiao Ma… these people know too much! Now that Li Xiangnan has exposed us, it’s like handing him a handle!”
There was a moment of silence behind the screen.
"It's not a question of whether or not to do it now!" The man's voice rang out again, this time with a hint of barely perceptible coldness: "The problem now is that Li Xiangnan has recognized your people. He knows you're targeting him, and that's the main issue! Before, we could use any means necessary behind the scenes, but now he's more wary, making it much more difficult for us to resort to other methods!"
"I know!" Shangguan Wuji gritted his teeth in anger. "I shouldn't have sent those people over there!"
"That's why I'm puzzled. This doesn't seem like your method; it's so crude!"
Shangguan Wuji said resentfully, "These people usually live in courtyard houses, they have the most down-to-earth atmosphere, they are ordinary people themselves! As for the others... sir, you know them, they are all hot-blooded, out of touch with reality, and can't portray the everyday life of ordinary people! Sending this group is the most suitable!"
He paused, then said regretfully, "I really didn't expect Li Xiangnan to have such a good memory. He only came to Xishan Farm once, yet he remembered the faces of everyone here!"
There was silence again behind the screen, and this time it lasted even longer.
Shangguan Wuji slowly sat down, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.
He pretended to pour tea, placing a teacup on the opposite table as usual and filling it to the brim.
Although he couldn't see the ever-changing face of the person behind the screen, he could feel that those eyes were staring at him.
"Li Xiangnan now knows you're targeting him," the voice finally rang out, "tell me, what are you planning to do next!"
Shangguan Wuji pondered for a long time, gritted his teeth, and showed a pained expression as if he were about to throw away a piece of fat meat. "It's simple! I'll admit it and say that those people are my men!"
"Oh?"
The gentleman seemed surprised that he had such a trick up his sleeve.
“But!” Shangguan Wuji changed the subject, “I would say that I have no idea what they are doing! I could say that they acted on their own initiative, or… someone is trying to frame me! They deliberately sent my people to cause trouble and try to pin the blame on me!”
He became more and more excited as he spoke, his tone invigorated: "Think about it, Li Xiangnan is so smart, if I wanted to deal with him, would I send my own servants over? Wouldn't that be blatantly telling him that I did it? Do you think I, Shangguan Wuji, am that stupid?"
A soft laugh came from behind the screen.
The laughter was very short, almost inaudible, but Shangguan Wuji heard it and felt a sense of relief.
"A self-degrading plan!" the man laughed. "That's acceptable, but I need you to tell Li Xiangnan—"
Shangguan Wuji was taken aback: "What?"
Sir: "It was Little Buddha who framed you!"
"???" Shangguan Wuji was shocked and immediately stood up in surprise. But as soon as he stood up, the hair on his body stood on end, and then a sense of fear arose: "Sir, if this happens, then I may—die!"