Chapter 355: Chapter 355: Kidnapping
Gu Jiaojiao felt a surge of annoyance at the thought of having to deal with these boring classmates in the future.
She had no desire to listen to their empty compliments. She had already finished registering and was about to go get her textbooks with her grandfather.
Mr. Gu held a position of some importance, so once Gu Jiaojiao was registered, he left to attend to work.
Grandpa Gu was a specially-appointed professor at the university and had no classes on the first day, so he had nothing else to do.
His main purpose today was to bring his granddaughter and pull some strings for her registration and textbook pickup so Gu Jiaojiao wouldn’t have to wait in line.
As Gu Jiaojiao walked past Jiang Ruyan and the other women, they didn’t recognize her at all.
Xi Siya glanced at Gu Jiaojiao with envy. "Wow, Ms. Wen, look! That girl is wearing sunglasses. She’s so cool!"
"I know, right? Her dress is really pretty too," a few other girls waiting in line chimed in.
"Her hair is jet-black and glossy, and she has a great figure. She must be a freshman, right?"
"Probably a freshman. We’ve never seen her before. The title of campus belle is definitely hers this year."
Jiang Ruyan was annoyed to hear the very same classmates who had just been praising her pivot to fawning over a stranger.
But she couldn’t think of a retort. She could only curse her bad luck for running into such a beautiful girl today.
Inside, she already despised this stranger, but she forced a gentle smile onto her face.
She pointed to the tall, handsome Su Shuochi beside Gu Jiaojiao and exclaimed, "Wen Qing, look! That guy is so handsome!"
Wen Qing glanced over and saw Su Shuochi’s profile. She didn’t recognize him, mainly because she never imagined he would be able to walk normally again.
Half his face was hidden by sunglasses, but his well-defined features, straight nose, and striking good looks were still visible.
Su Shuochi knew those women were watching him and radiated a stern, inviolable aura.
Wen Qing and the others were so intimidated by his presence that they quickly lowered their heads, not daring to look at the couple any longer.
Seeing how easily intimidated they were, Gu Jiaojiao’s lips curved into a triumphant smirk as she walked on, side-by-side with her grandfather and Su Shuochi.
As Gu Jiaojiao’s group moved past them, the chattering girls suddenly fell silent.
Wen Qing and Jiang Ruyan exchanged a look, then immediately dropped what they were holding, letting the items clatter to the ground in an attempt to get Su Shuochi’s attention.
But Su Shuochi only had eyes for Gu Jiaojiao. Besides, he particularly detested these two.
He didn’t even break his stride, walking off with his head held high.
"Hmph! Just a couple of freshmen," Wen Qing huffed, stomping her foot in frustration. "Let’s see how long you can act so high and mighty!"
"Exactly! We’ll tell the teachers and other students how those two newcomers think they’re better than everyone," Jiang Ruyan added indignantly.
Su Shuochi and Gu Jiaojiao were already some distance away, but they still heard every word clearly.
They didn’t turn back or say a word, however, simply continuing on toward the textbook distribution area.
With Grandpa Gu putting in a word for them, Gu Jiaojiao got her new textbooks in no time. She packed them into the bookbag she had brought.
Since it was the first day of registration for new students, family members were allowed on campus.
Grandpa Gu ran into an acquaintance. "Jiaojiao, take Shuo Ci for a walk around campus. Grandpa will head straight to your house later."
"Alright, Grandpa. You two can chat. Just remember to come to our place for lunch later." With that, Gu Jiaojiao led Su Shuochi away.
She had attended this university in her past life, too, though the campus had changed drastically by that time.
In this era, Imperial University covered an area of over three thousand square meters. The academic buildings were all three-story, European-style structures with red walls, gray roofs, and large brass doors.
This was the first time Su Shuochi had seen a university like this. He was stunned by the campus scenery, his eyes darting everywhere as he tried to take it all in.
Even though he tried his best to remain composed, he was still like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden. "Jiaojiao, what’s that building over there?"
"Those are the academic buildings, that’s the library, and over there is the cafeteria..."
Su Shuochi carried the bookbag while Gu Jiaojiao walked empty-handed beside him, the two of them chatting as they went.
The main agenda for the day was registration, textbook pickup, and dorm assignments. Since Gu Jiaojiao didn’t need to live on campus, she had plenty of time to explore.
The two of them spent the entire morning exploring the campus before deciding to head home.
After leaving the university gates, they were nearing their villa when Su Shuochi said he needed to go grocery shopping.
He was worried Gu Jiaojiao was tired after walking all morning. "Jiaojiao, this bookbag is pretty heavy. Why don’t you head home with it first? I’ll go get the groceries by myself."
Actually, the bookbag could be put into her space, but Gu Jiaojiao was indeed a bit tired. "Alright, be careful."
But Su Shuochi was still worried. "Honey, I’d better walk you to our gate."
"I’m hungry. You can head to the market from here. It’s not even a two-minute walk, and it’s broad daylight."
Su Shuochi figured she was right. It wasn’t some remote alley. Still, he stood and watched until Gu Jiaojiao turned the corner before he left.
However, just as Gu Jiaojiao came around the corner, she caught the strong scent of an anesthetic wafting toward her.
She frowned, about to react, when a hand clamped over her mouth and nose. A powerful presence enveloped her.
She tried to shake off his hand, but his grip was immense. She couldn’t break free at all.
Gu Jiaojiao’s heart went cold. ’This presence is so powerful. This is definitely not some small-time thug.’
Without even putting up a struggle, she was hauled into a car.
There were four of them in total, all tall and powerfully built, and clearly trained fighters.
"Boss, Command said this chick was supposed to be tough, so they sent the four of us—their top elites—to grab her. Looks to me like she’s no different from any other woman."
"Yeah, but she’s damn good-looking. Boss, what say we have some fun with her before we take her back to HQ?"
"Old Three, don’t get any funny ideas. Command specifically told us to be careful with this one."
"Old Two, what’s there to be scared of? There are four of us, and we’re top-tier elites. We can have a little fun first, it won’t be too late to head back after. Boss, what do you say?"
"Alright, we’ll go with Old Three’s idea. Old Four, drive over to that grove of trees," the boss ordered.
Gu Jiaojiao woke up in the trunk just in time to hear their conversation. ’The grove, huh? Perfect. It’ll be your burial ground.’
She had no idea where this "HQ" they mentioned was, but she couldn’t care less about it.
She was worried Su Shuochi would go crazy if he found out she was missing. Her first priority was to get home and let him know she was safe.
After what felt like an eternity, the car stopped. Gu Jiaojiao opened her eyes and saw that they were, indeed, at the foot of a mountain.
"Hey there, beauty. Don’t be scared. Big brother won’t hurt you..." one of the men said, opening the trunk with a lecherous grin.
His eyes roved greedily over Gu Jiaojiao’s fair face as he reached out to drag her from the trunk.
Gu Jiaojiao’s brow furrowed in disgust. With a single kick, she sent the man in front of her flying.
