Elder Gu gestured for the two to sit down. Although Yu Wangyou had always called herself the "Big Sister" back at the orphanage and even bestowed upon herself the title "Father of the Orphanage," she felt somewhat at a loss when facing Elder Gu.
"Little Wangyou, how old are you now? Are your parents still with us?"
"I'm twenty-one. My parents got lost when I was young, and I still haven't found them. If you hear any news, Elder, please let me know. They must have cried their eyes out after losing me."
Elder Gu took her words to heart, genuinely believing her, and even promised to use his connections to help her search.
"Little Wangyou, when did you and... and this brat of mine get together?" Elder Gu pondered for a moment, trying to phrase the question so as not to be offensive.
He saw her stroke her belly, her eyes filled with a surprising tenderness. Elder Gu immediately assumed she was pregnant and cast a reproachful look at his eldest grandson.
"We met this morning, got our marriage license this afternoon, and then came straight to see you."
Elder Gu was stunned. No matter how he tried to rationalize it, he never expected that the two had only just met.
"Then, the way you were stroking your belly just now...?"
"I was hungry."
Elder Gu: "..."
Gu Wangci’s mouth twitched slightly. Anyone who had seen that gesture would have assumed she was expecting.
"Little Zhang, prepare a meal."
Little Zhang, a nanny who had worked at the old mansion for many years, was busy scrolling through her phone in the kitchen. When she heard the Elder call, she quickly stashed her phone away to start the meal. In her haste, her grip slipped, and her phone fell into the sink with a splash.
Auntie Zhang: "..."
She fished the phone out, shook it a few times, shoved it into her pocket, and began chopping vegetables while muttering, "Eat, eat, eat! That's all they ever think about!"
Half an hour later, the whole family stood in a line before Gu Wangci and Yu Wangyou.
Gu Wangci's mother, Su Ruowan, took the lead. She was visibly excited as she stepped forward and shook Yu Wangyou’s hand vigorously. "I’m Wangci's mother, Su Ruowan. I’m gifting you a cruise ship."
Gu Wangci's father stepped forward next. He appeared less agitated than his wife, but his pride was evident in his words. "I am his father, Gu Jiangnan. I’m gifting you a 20% stake in the Gu Corporation."
Then, the two younger brothers and the sister stepped up to shake their new sister-in-law's hand. The intensity of their gazes made Yu Wangyou feel quite overwhelmed.
Gu Wangci’s second brother, Gu Jiangsu, said, "I’m the second brother. I’m gifting you a race car."
His third brother, Gu Jiangyu, said, "I’m the third brother. I’m gifting you a river-view apartment."
Gu Wangci’s little sister, Gu Xiaowei, added, "Sister-in-law, you’re so beautiful! This is the hot pot restaurant I’m gifting you."
Yu Wangyou accepted them one by one, swallowing hard. She glanced at the silent man beside her—these gifts were far too valuable; she dared not accept them.
"Take them. This is their way of showing their approval of you."
Only then did Yu Wangyou feel comfortable accepting. She asked Gu Jiangsu to take her to see the race car; she had no interest in the other things, but she had a special fondness for racing.
The car was parked in the underground garage—a fire-engine red racer, as passionate and fiery as Yu Wangyou’s own personality. And spicy!
"Do you like it, sister-in-law?" Gu Jiangsu’s eyes shone, though he looked anxious, like a child waiting for a parent's praise after getting a good grade.
"I love it! I can't wait to get in and try it out."
"As long as you like it, that’s all that matters. Our big brother doesn't have the best temperament, so I hope you haven't been wronged by him."
"How could that be? Your big brother is a very, very good man." Though, in certain respects, he was truly beastly.
"Many people call my brother a heartless devil and are afraid to get close to him. But the fact that you were willing to approach him despite everything shows that you must really love him."
"Ahem..."
Child, could you not be so blunt? She and Gu Wangci hadn't even known each other for a day; were they really going to talk about love? Even a rocket couldn't move that fast.
"We still need to spend more time together. After all, time reveals a person's heart."
Yu Wangyou wiped the sweat from her forehead. This day had felt like walking on thin ice.
"Alright, let's head back up."
Yu Wangyou didn't reply and followed him upstairs. When they returned, dinner was ready.
"Come, daughter-in-law, come eat."
Su Ruowan placed a spoonful of her son’s favorite sweet and sour pork ribs into Yu Wangyou’s bowl. Just as Gu Wangci reached out to grab a rib, he was glared at by his mother and was forced to retreat. He looked at his grandfather and let out a soft sigh.
He had always been the most reliable one in the family, the one his siblings depended on, but ever since this woman arrived, his status had plummeted—he wasn't even allowed to eat his favorite ribs. A little figure inside his heart was currently biting a handkerchief in despair.
"Why are you sighing? Eat."
"I'm not hungry. I'm going back to the company." Gu Wangci was already fed up, so he dropped his chopsticks and stood up to leave.
"What’s gotten into him?" Su Ruowan was bewildered, wearing a look of total confusion.
"Perhaps he was set up and is planning to take someone down in one fell swoop," Yu Wangyou replied.
"What has that tramp Wei Shuyu done now?"
Yu Wangyou raised an eyebrow, noncommittal. She thought to herself that the Wei family was truly resilient to still be standing. If it were up to her, the Wei family would have been gone long ago. Having spent so many years in the orphanage, she wasn't without her own assets, but because she kept a low profile and never checked on them, she had almost forgotten she owned them herself.
"That Wei family is truly looking for trouble. Like father, like daughter. Let me tell you all—if any of you associate with Wei Ziting, I’ll break your legs." Su Ruowan tore the meat off a bone with ferocity.
The children flinched, then buried their heads in their bowls.
Gu Xiaowei, having a class, was the first to finish. She explained the situation and left for school.
"I’ll go with you." Gu Jiangyu also set down his chopsticks, grabbed his jacket, and followed her out. If I leave fast enough, Mom’s fire won't catch me.
That left Gu Jiangsu, who was still eating, to suffer in silence.
***
Back at her home, Wei Shuyu was trembling with fear, terrified that if Gu Wangci lost his temper, he would root out the Wei Corporation entirely.
"Honey, what's wrong? Why are you looking like that?"
"We’re finished!"
"What are you talking about? The company is perfectly fine. Don't scare yourself."
"Gu Wangci said it himself."
At these words, her husband dropped his hand and pointed a finger at her. "I told you not to try to climb a mountain you couldn't scale! Why wouldn't you listen?"
Wei Shuyu wept. "I was doing it for our daughter! Why are you yelling at me?"
Seeing his wife cry, his resolve softened. "Don't cry. We'll go and beg him to spare the Wei Corporation."
"Really? Can we really do that?" Hope sparked in Wei Shuyu’s eyes.
"Gu Wangci won't be ungrateful. My father was the savior of Elder Gu. Even if he doesn't respect the monk, he has to respect the Buddha. He’ll let the Wei Corporation off the hook."
"Okay, I believe you." Wei Shuyu leaned into her husband’s arms, feeling calmer under his gentle pats.
***
As Gu Xiaowei returned to campus, her path was blocked by a young man.
"Gu Xiaowei, let’s talk."
"We have nothing to talk about."
Gu Xiaowei’s face remained cold. She dodged his hand and walked past him, but he grabbed her arm. Sensitive by nature, Gu Xiaowei’s wrist turned bright red from the force of his grip.
"What on earth do you want?"
"What do I have to do for you to forgive me?"
"Are you sick?" Gu Xiaowei tried to break free from his hold, but he pulled her into a full embrace.
The boy seemed to have lost his mind, rambling about how he regretted everything and wanted her forgiveness. He wanted to be with her; he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
If this had been before, Gu Xiaowei might have been overjoyed, but now, she was filled with exhaustion.
"Yu Qianpan, can you stop being ridiculous? We’ve already broken up. Furthermore, you were the one who had an affair, and you were the one who initiated the breakup. Now that you’re begging for a reconciliation, don’t you think you’re being pathetic?"
"No! If you don't forgive me, I'll ruin you. I'll make you the disgrace of the Gu family!" Yu Qianpan began to tear at Gu Xiaowei’s clothes without a word.
But before he could move his hands further, he was struck painfully by an object that looked like a baseball bat.
Gu Xiaowei looked over, completely stunned.