"Dad, you've lost your mind!" Gu Yiheng said to his father, heartbroken and filled with indignation.
"I hired her as a live-in nanny to take care of you, not for you to marry her!"
"Have you looked in the mirror lately? What second spring? Isn't it obvious that she's only marrying you for your apartment and your pension?"
"Can you please snap out of it and stop making life difficult for us!"
Hearing this, Gu Jianguo stamped his feet in rage and shrieked at the top of his lungs:
"What do you know? Can't Aunt Li care about me for who I am?"
"Our relationship is pure, and I won't allow outsiders to meddle in it. Anyway, my mind is made up, and don't even think about trying to stop me from pursuing happiness in my twilight years!"
"If you have any issues, direct them at me. Don't cause trouble for Chunlan! Making things difficult for Chunlan is making things difficult for me!"
"If you dare to undermine Chunlan again, I will never let you off the hook!"
"Dad, I think you've been bewitched by that nanny, or you wouldn't say such heartless things to me. I'm your biological son—since when did I become an outsider?"
Gu Yiheng was furious and exasperated, yet completely helpless against the old man.
Gu Jianguo had a stubborn, mule-like temper; once he set his mind on something, no amount of persuasion would work.
If he was determined to charge blindly down a dead end, ten oxen wouldn't be able to pull him back.
The mere thought of that scheming nanny, Li Chunlan, becoming his stepmother—along with her son and daughter moving into their home to usurp his room and his father's heart—cut through Gu Yiheng like a knife, filling him with boiling rage.
Driven by impulse, Gu Yiheng placed an order for a Love-Curing Brain-Cleansing Pill.
"If this pill turns out to be useless, my live stream better prepare for a barrage of furious complaints!"
Seeing yet another user place an order, Su Nanqing was overjoyed, a bright smile creeping to the corners of her eyes.
The system's precision traffic push was truly powerful; in less than two hours since she started broadcasting today, she had already sold two pills.
With her task progress at 2/10, maintaining this pace meant she should have no trouble completing the task within three days.
At this thought, Su Nanqing relaxed considerably, completely free of yesterday's panic and anxiety.
Let all those love-brained patients and their families follow the guidance of big data, hurry up, and enter her live-streaming room!
When Gu Yiheng arrived at the old family home, Li Chunlan happened to be out at the vegetable market, leaving only Gu Jianguo in the house.
The moment Gu Jianguo laid eyes on Gu Yiheng, anger flared up. Flicking his hand-fan, he said coldly:
"Why have you unfilial son come back here? Once your Aunt Li's son moves in, there won't be a room for you anymore!"
"If you want to visit in the future, you'll need to submit a request in advance. If it's inconvenient for us, don't bother coming over to disturb our family!"
Gu Yiheng was so infuriated by these words that he couldn't help snapping back:
"Ha! It really is true what they say—a wicked stepmother brings a wicked stepfather. Dad, do you honestly believe that Li Chunlan truly loves you? She's only after your pension and this apartment!"
"Money, money, money! Is money all you see in this world?"
Gu Jianguo stood up, veins bulging on his forehead in anger. "In your eyes, is my happiness in my final years worth less than money?"
"Besides, this apartment and this money belong to me. I'll give them to whoever I please—what business is it of yours?"
"Dad, don't forget that half of this apartment belonged to Mom. She said before she passed away that she wanted to leave the house to me and Yiqian!"
Yiqian was Gu Yiheng's younger sister, Gu Yiqian. She was already married, juggling a job and raising a daughter, so when she heard her brother's complaints, she hadn't yet found the time to try and talk some sense into Gu Jianguo.
Besides, Gu Yiqian knew very well that no matter what the two of them said, Gu Jianguo would never change his mind.
A terminal case of the love-brain was incurable!
Gu Jianguo was making a scene in his old age, refusing to shed a tear until he saw his own coffin—who could possibly talk him out of it?
"How many years has your mother been gone? Are you still trying to use her to threaten me?" Gu Jianguo raised his voice, his brow deeply furrowed.
"Let me tell you, keep dreaming!"
For a moment, Gu Yiheng didn't know how to respond and could only remain silent.
A heavy block formed in his chest, an emotion so intense it threatened to unleash a tidal wave deep within his heart.
"Ding-dong, ding-dong—"
"That must be Chunlan back! Did she forget her keys?"
Hearing the sudden ring of the doorbell, Gu Jianguo eagerly rushed over and pulled the door open.
"Huh? How is nobody there? Whose delivery is this..."
Hearing the word "delivery," Gu Yiheng instantly made the connection to the pill he had bought during the live stream.
"Dad, let me check. It's probably something I ordered!"
Gu Yiheng took the package, glanced at the shipping label, and instantly confirmed it.
This was the Love-Curing Brain-Cleansing Pill he had bought from the live stream not long ago.
Just as Plum Blossom as Ever had claimed, the delivery was fast and completely unnoticeable.
He hadn't even caught a glimpse of the courier.
"Gu Yiheng, what kind of weird junk did you buy? Why does it look so strange?"
"Dad, don't worry about it."
Gu Yiheng retreated to his room, carefully pried open the packaging box, and found a small black wooden casket.
Opening it, a tiny, brownish-tan pill rested in the center of the box.
Treat a dead horse like a live one!
Though Gu Yiheng knew there was no scientific basis to this stuff, he just had to try it.
What if it actually worked?
With that thought, Gu Yiheng picked up the pill, mixed it into the multivitamin tablets Gu Jianguo took every day, and considerately poured a glass of warm water.
Feigning an effort to mend the rift between father and son, he said in a flat tone, "Dad, I'm sorry, I was wrong."
"I shouldn't have lost my temper with you like that just now. No matter what, you're still my father."
"As your children, we really don't have the right to stand in the way of your pursuit of happiness in your later years."
"If you truly want to marry Aunt Li, then do as your heart tells you... No matter what, I'll give you my blessing in the end..."
Hearing this, Gu Jianguo was utterly baffled.
"Gu Yiheng, what kind of wrong medicine did you take? Or are you playing some kind of trick again? Don't think that saying this will make my heart soften and get this apartment transferred to your name!"
"I'm giving this apartment to Yaozu in the future. He's your Aunt Li's precious son, and he's the one who's going to take care of us in our old age..."
"Dad, enough of that. Take your vitamins first, I even poured you a glass of warm water."
Gu Jianguo cast a suspicious glance at Gu Yiheng, figuring the boy wouldn't dare poison him, and swallowed a large palmful of vitamins and health supplements in one go.
The moment the pill went down his throat, Gu Jianguo felt as if something had stuck in his windpipe, choking him until his face turned an ugly, flushed red.
Seeing this, Gu Yiheng couldn't help but feel a wave of nervousness.
Wasn't there supposed to be no safety issues with this pill?
Would it affect an elderly person's health?
Yet the manual clearly stated that it was suitable for all ages and had no side effects!
"Dad, swallow slowly, here, have some water!"
Gu Jianguo brushed away the glass Gu Yiheng offered and said angrily, "I knew you did this on purpose just to tick me off!"
"Do you just hate to see me happy and want to scare me to death?!"
"Dad, how can you say that? I'm only doing this for your own good—just like you used to do for me!"