“Can’t you just wait a couple of days? I told you I would pay it back.”
Gu Cheng was speaking on the phone, drunk and impatient.
“What kind of a joke is that? Why would I not have money? I still have shares in the company. My brother is Gu Jiu. My nephew could pay it back with a flick of his wrist.”
“What difference does it make if it’s in my mother’s hands or if it’s in mine?”
He suddenly sat up straight. His head, which had been woozy from the alcohol, started clearing up.
“What did you just say? How could that be possible? Don’t mess with me. I haven’t heard anything about it.”
The other person on the phone wasn’t perturbed. They spoke leisurely, formally.
“News about the sharp drop in Gu Corporation’s stock price has already been posted online. You’ll know once you take a look.”
In this case, Gu Corporation referred to the company under Old Lady Gu.
A few years ago, the family business had lost a lot under the hands of Gu Cheng. He’d then gone to Gu Jiu. It had taken a great deal of money and manpower to save the company. If it hadn’t been for Gu Jiu, the company would have had to shut down. Now, Gu Jiu intended to take back all the things he’d given away. It wasn’t difficult for him to make a few moves.
Once the call was over, the man on the other side of the phone made another call.
“Yes, sir, it’s been settled.”
⁂
“Good boy, send this file over to your brother. His assistant called. He said that it was urgent.”
Mrs. Gu came down from the second floor with a folder in her hand.
Gu Qingchi was sitting at the piano in the living room. One hand wore a wristband and hung naturally in the air, and the other pressed against the piano keys. Music notes scattered into the air. He seemed to be in a good mood, his body swaying along with the melody. Upon hearing Mrs. Gu, he got up and trotted over to her.
He was dressed in leisurewear. He wore a gray hoodie. One of the drawstrings was longer than the other, and they swung back and forth in time with his movements. He almost had a student-like air about him. He looked a lot more lively than before.
“The driver is waiting for you outside. You’ll be able to see him right away. Be safe on the road. Don’t rush the driver.”
Mrs. Gu stretched out a hand. Gu Qingchi obediently bowed his head and let her pet his hair.
“Be good and go.”
“Mn, okay.”
He looked up and smiled.
“Mom, I want to eat cherries tonight.”
Gu Qingchi looked gentle and soft and willing to help. He felt that he was making a contribution. He even started to act cute unconsciously.
Mrs. Gu couldn’t agree faster. Despite urging him to go, Mrs. Gu still ended up following after him for a bit.
Gu Qingchi blithely headed out. Mrs. Gu was still looking at him when he shut the door. Mr. Gu had also come downstairs at some point. He stood next to Mrs. Gu, both of them watching him.
Gu Qingchi waved at Mrs. Gu, motioning for her to go back.
Mrs. Gu simply gave him a smile, her heart softening.
Once his figure could no longer be seen, she turned her head, her expression cooling rapidly. She looked down at her nails, which she’d just had done this morning.
“Are you sure that they’ll be here soon?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Zg. Xe abbx tfg lcab tlr jgwr jcv xlrrfv tfg tjlg.
“Zc. Ktlcur tjnf yffc wbnlcu qgfaas delmxis atfrf qjra mbeqif bo vjsr, rb atfs’gf qgbyjyis rajgalcu ab ufa jczlber. Ktfs rjlv atja atfs’gf bc atf gbjv gluta cbk.”
Coafg j ktlif, tf rqbxf jujlc.
“You should have gone to the company with Xiao Chi. It might get a little noisy around here.”
Xe Jtfcu kjr ageis j ygjlcifrr lvlba. Zg. Xe tjvc’a fnfc iloafv j olcufg, sfa tfgf tf kjr, gertlcu tfjvolgra lcab j agjq. Lf tjv sfa ab cbalmf atja rbwfatlcu kjr boo. Ktf bcis atlcu tf xcfk tbk ab vb kjr jrx obg tfiq ogbw Zg. Xe.
Gu Qingchi just so happened to arrive at the company at noon. Many employees were bustling in and out of the company building.
The Rolls-Royce Ghost silently came to a stop in front of the company building, attracting quite a bit of attention.
A man with an intern badge hanging upon his chest chatted with his companion.
“Whose rich kid is this?”
“This guy’s not just rich, he’s absolutely loaded! That’s a Rolls-Royce Ghost! Hey, help me take a photo. Make sure you get the car in it. I’m going to post it to my WeChat Moments.”
The man struck an exaggerated pose and waited. However, he soon found that his companion’s eyes were no longer focused on him and that the camera angle was way off mark.
“What are you doing? Concentrate! Where are you pointing the camera?”
As he spoke, he followed the other party’s line of sight.
Gu Qingchi had gotten out of the car and was currently walking up the stairs.
The man then fell quiet as well. It wasn’t until Gu Qingchi had entered the doors of the company building that he came back to his senses.
There were whispers all around them.
“Was that person just now Gu Qingchi? It’s Gu Qingchi! Gosh, he looks so much better in real life. We both have one nose and two eyes, so how can there be such a difference in looks?”
“Our company started up two new clothing brands this year. Is he here to discuss the position of spokesperson for the next fashion season? Our company must be doing really well!”
The intern was still looking towards the building doors. He didn’t keep up with celebrities, and he didn’t know about Gu Qingchi. He simply felt that this person was excessively good-looking. He heard his colleague say his name and assumed that he knew him.
“Gu? Isn’t he still a rich kid then? Gu Jiu is our boss … ”
The long-time employee next to him gave him a quick rundown.
“What nonsense are you talking about? Gu Qingchi’s a celebrity. He just happens to have the same last name is all.”
⁂
Gu Xie was in his office, a lunchbox sitting on his desk. His assistant had already left. He was the only one in the room.
The lunch box on the desk hadn’t been opened yet, but the beautifully delicate box sitting next to it had been. The lid and ribbon were neatly placed to the side. The inside of the box was lined with velvety fabric.
Gu Xie held the watch in his hand, repeatedly examining whether the surface was sturdy enough to prevent fractures.
He finally slammed it down on his desk a couple of times and then observed whether the surface was broken. He didn’t seem at all concerned with its value.
He then discovered, much to his satisfaction, that the surface would not break easily, even if subjected to the strength of a full-grown adult. Just as he was considering whether or not to subject the watch to fire, he looked up to lock eyes with his startled assistant by the door.
His assistant stuttered.
“There’s a person in the lobby that — ”
Gu Xie took a look at the watch. He spoke as he placed the watch and the untouched lunchbox in the desk drawer.
“I already said that my brother would be coming today. He can just come straight up. No need to sign him in.”
“No, it’s not that. There’s someone in the lobby causing a fuss about meeting you. The front desk says it’s your uncle.”
“Haven’t I already discussed this with you?”
“No, you did, but … ”
“No buts. Get him out. Call the police if necessary.”
Gu Xie shut the drawer without even raising his head.
The phone on his desk rang.
“Hello, are you downstairs right now? Have the bodyguards escort him up to my office. There’s someone causing trouble in the lobby. Make sure to keep them apart. What am I paying the security department for? Get it resolved quickly.”
Gu Xie had gotten a bit serious now. He hung up the phone and quickly walked out of the office.
He still didn’t forget to pull out his cell phone and make a call to Mr. Gu. He briefly explained the situation.
Many people had already gathered downstairs. Gu Cheng reeked of alcohol. He played around all year round, and he’d started putting on weight. One of the buttons of his shirt had popped off, and the man was cursing like a sailor.
He’d originally intended to go see Gu Jiu. However, after thinking about it for a bit, he decided it was all the same if he came to the company. Gu Xie was still his junior, so he wouldn’t be able to curse him out. Gu Cheng could put on all the airs he wanted.
Gu Xie’s face darkened when he saw him. Gu Cheng always had to lecture him every time they met.
It was a pretty good scheme, but he hadn’t expected to be rebuffed like this. The person at the front desk clearly recognized him, but she kept saying that he didn’t have an appointment. Shit, he’d never come here with an appointment in his life. Still, even the executive assistant had to accommodate him.
“Don’t touch me! What the hell is this? Do you not want your jobs anymore?”
A group of uniformed security guards hurriedly escorted him out. Meanwhile, one of the managers dispersed the crowd.
“Alright, enough gawking. You might lose your bonuses if you’re late.”
Gu Qingchi had just walked through the doors when a group of three to four bodyguards surrounded him and escorted him through the crowd.
Gu Qingchi was surrounded by people. Gu Qingchi and Gu Cheng brushed past each other, separated by the crowd.
Gu Qingchi was already incredibly eye-catching to begin with, but the addition of bodyguards made him even more conspicuous. It currently was not rush hour. However, the number of people in the lobby did not decrease but rather increased.
They whispered to each other.
“Move. I can’t see.”
“Who is it? He’s even got bodyguards. What an ostentatious display.”
“It seems to be a celebrity. He’s crazy good-looking. Those are Mr. Gu’s bodyguards. They weren’t brought here by him.”
The whispering stopped once Gu Xie rushed out of the elevator. The lobby suddenly fell silent.
Gu Xie quickly walked up to Gu Qingchi, looking him up and down. Once he found that he was fine, his heart settled.
“Come on. You haven’t eaten yet, right? You should have some fruit later.”
“Mn. It looks like something happened over there just now.”
“Mn. It’s been dealt with, so don’t worry about it.”
Gu Xie walked over to Gu Qingchi’s side out of habit, falling half a step behind him so that he could keep him in his sight.
Once the two of them were in the elevator, the people in the lobby glanced at each other, and they immediately broke out into discussion.
“What’s that guy’s origin? Who said that he’s a celebrity? What celebrity could possibly get the boss to personally pick them up?”
“Gosh, did the boss actually say all that just now? I’ve only known him to speak that much when giving orders.”
“My thoughts might be a bit disrespectful, but the boss was kind of like a mother just now.”
“Have confidence in yourself. It’s not just a bit disrespectful. It’s super disrespectful.”
“The guy that just got kicked out must’ve been Gu Cheng. The boss finally got sick of him. I was always so angry every time I saw his face. Not even the big boss is that pretentious.”
⁂
In the old family estate, several servants held their breaths and kept silent. Old Lady Gu was leaning on a dragon head walking stick, her face livid.
“He really said that?”
“How could it be a lie? I didn’t even get in the door! I’m his biological brother!”
Gu Cheng’s clothes were a mess, and he looked furious.
“I’m never going there ever again. I won’t go there ever again in this lifetime. There were so many people watching. Take a look at my knee. It’s all scratched up.”
Gu Cheng quickly pulled up the pant leg of his suit so that Old Lady Gu could see the scrape on his knee. He began adding fuel to the fire while he was at it.
“He also said that, once you’ve passed, he won’t come to pay his respects.”
Old Lady Gu thumped the walking stick in her hand on the floor.
“How preposterous! How preposterous! Unloyal! Unfilial! How could my family produce such a wayward son!”
Her hands were shaking.
“He really has no distinction between family and outsiders. He’s become even more out of hand ever since marrying that woman. Now, he’s even learned to fall out with his own family!”
“I should have never allowed him to marry her!”
Old Lady Gu had forgotten that she hadn’t allowed him anything. They said that they would kick him out of the family and they really did end up kicking him out of the family. Gu Jiu was the one who had built himself up from scratch. In the end, they were the ones who approached him first, asking him to clean up their mess in return for all the years they spent raising him.
Someone nearby comforted Old Lady Gu.
“If you speak nicely with him, I’m sure he’ll still be willing to listen to you.”
“Sure enough, if you don’t raise them yourself, they won’t be close with you.”
“Old Lady Gu, you shouldn’t say that. The eldest young master may have been raised by the head of the family, but he’s still your son. After all, blood is thicker than water.”
Old Lady Gu shook her head.
She had always disliked Gu Jiu. It was because Gu Jiu wasn’t actually her child.
Gu Jiu’s father had lost his wife very early on. Old Lady Gu became Gu Jiu’s stepmother as soon as she married into the family. She was unwilling to be a stepmother. However, once she had Gu Cheng, she stopped paying any attention to Gu Jiu. Gu Jiu spent most of his childhood with his father.
It was for that reason that she didn’t like Gu Qingchi either. She may have accepted him for the sake of carrying down her son’s bloodline, but, at the end of the day, they didn’t have any blood relation at all.
The expected drama that I wish would never happen
Continuing the bloodline and all that shit, still don’t understand why so many think that that is important lol Or when you mistreat someone and even kick them out but then in return still expect them to respect and help you just because you are/were “family”…. utterly ridiculous.
Thx for the ch ٩( >ヮ<)۶
Damn that old hag! The cause of all suffering!
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
Thank you for the chapter!
I don’t understand seeing a mother whose gone dumb because of their son. Of you truly are a mother, you wouldn’t let your son be useless like that, even more seeing that he’s fooling around and making mistakes here and there while waiting for his stepbrother to wipe his ass for him, it would be very embarrassing. Anyways, she’s already a lost case and would be facing a lawsuit soon for switching up Chichi with another child. Thanks for the chapter ❤
Damn. So that’s why huh? No wonder the old hag didn’t give a shit about breaking a family apart and stealing Gu Qingchi’s childhood like that… JAIL HER AND THAT USELESS SON OF HER!
Wonderful drama, wonderful dogblood! I’m craving for more! More face slapping!
Thank You for the new chapter (♡ ὅ ◡ ὅ )ʃ♡
How I wish to beat that old woman….
Oh… that’s why the “Grandmother” is so shitty💀😒. She’s one of those step moms. Even her shitty genes got passed down and formed a sagging human