It took twenty-three minutes and fifty-six seconds from the front gate to the main house; Ji Ruan made a point to time it.
Along the way, he was dazzled by the scenery. Although they were there to eat, it felt like an unexpected park tour while holding hands with Gu Xiuyi. He couldn’t help sighing all the way due to hunger and tiredness.
Seeing Ji Ruan in such a state, Gu Xiuyi was momentarily speechless and finally sighed, "Forget it, let's just take the car next time."
Ji Ruan looked up sharply, "We can take the car?"
"There's an open-air garage at the side gate. From there, we can directly get onto the highway," Gu Xiuyi explained calmly.
"Then why did we walk through the front gate?" Ji Ruan couldn't hold back anymore, his face wrinkling in frustration. "I thought your family deliberately designed the house like a maze to deter thieves!"
Gu Xiuyi couldn't help but laugh, patting Ji Ruan's back. "Walking more isn't a bad thing. You lack exercise. Aunt Zhao said you haven't left the house even once in the past half month?"
"I..." Ji Ruan choked up, not expecting Gu Xiuyi to turn the criticism on him so quickly.
Of course, he wouldn't admit it was laziness keeping him indoors.
"I was sick!" Ji Ruan emphasized. "Very sick! It's so hot outside, and going out would make my condition worse. Besides, why would I go out, to check up on you at your office? — Cough, cough, cough..."
He clutched his chest, coughing, looking just like Lin Daiyu, weak and frail, as if he might take out his handkerchief and cough up blood at any moment if someone upset him further.
Gu Xiuyi had no choice but to mimic Aunt Zhao's way of patting Ji Ruan's back, but he still didn't relent, "You can come check up on me. Xiaoya and the others said they miss you too. You can come by anytime you want."
"Hmph," Ji Ruan snorted coldly. "Who makes appointments to check up on someone? Just wait, I'll do a surprise visit."
Gu Xiuyi held back his smile, considerately saying, "Alright, no rush. Let’s talk about it when you’re better. Don't want your condition to relapse."
He never realized Ji Ruan was so easily teased.
"Gu Xiuyi, you!..." Ji Ruan was really about to cough up blood from frustration.
He also never realized this person could be so sarcastic!
"—Xiuyi, you're back." A female voice interrupted their bickering.
Ji Ruan looked over and saw a middle-aged woman in a purple cheongsam, well-maintained, with the typical demeanor of a gentle and virtuous wife, running over from the distant corridor with exaggerated tenderness in her eyes.
"Xiuyi, you’re finally back. You have no idea how much your father misses you!"
The woman was so eager that her eyes were red, as if Gu Xiuyi hadn't just been at work but had been fighting at the frontier for decades before returning home.
Behind her stood a boy about twenty years old. They looked alike, their expressions almost identical, as if carved from the same mold. He was thrilled to see Gu Xiuyi, "Big brother!"
Gu Xiuyi, however, responded indifferently, "Aunt Fang, long time no see."
He then introduced Ji Ruan with an arm around his shoulders, "Fang Lan, my stepmother. Just call her Aunt Fang. Gu Xiuli, my younger brother."
Ji Ruan smiled politely, "Hello, I'm Ji Ruan."
Their lukewarm reactions did not dampen Fang Lan's enthusiasm. She looked at Ji Ruan with a broad smile and a loving tone, "Xiao Ruan, you're so handsome."
"By the way, Xiao Li, where's your brother? Why hasn't he come out?" Fang Lan suddenly asked Gu Xiuli, "It's Xiuyi’s first time bringing his partner home, how come he hasn't come out to greet them?"
Gu Xiuli looked embarrassed, "Mom, you know my brother's temperament. He’s with Dad right now."
"That child!" Fang Lan smiled towards Gu Xiuyi, "Oh Xiuyi, you see, I'm really sorry. I'll definitely give Qiming a good talking to later."
Gu Xiuyi showed no reaction. "He's your child, of course you should educate him yourself. You don't need to tell me."
"Yes, you're right."
The smile on her face seemed permanent, forming fine lines around her eyes, portraying the image of a submissive stepmother.
Ji Ruan thought that this mother and son duo were a bit too exaggerated. Don't they get tired of smiling all the time?
Gu Xiuyi didn't seem interested in talking to them further. He nodded slightly, "I'll take Ji Ruan to see Grandpa now."
"Xiuyi—!"
Fang Lan blurted out, and when Gu Xiuyi turned back, she smiled again, clasping her hands together. "Why are you in such a hurry to see Grandpa? How about having a drink first? You haven't had a drink since you came in."
"Yes, yes," Gu Xiuli chimed in, "Brother, I'll get you some water!"
"No need," Gu Xiuyi said calmly.
"But—" Fang Lan wanted to say something more.
Gu Xiuyi's face turned completely cold. His dark pupils showed no warmth as he enunciated each word clearly:
"No need."
The two fell silent immediately.
Once Gu Xiuyi and Ji Ruan disappeared around the corner of the hallway, the smile on Fang Lan's face collapsed instantly, and she stared gloomily at the dim corridor.
Her natural expression was a downturned mouth.
"Mom, are we really going to let him go upstairs like this?" Gu Xiuli whispered in Fang Lan's ear, "Isn't he holding..."
Fang Lan glared at him sharply.
Gu Xiuli swallowed the rest of his words.
"What else can we do?" Fang Lan said heavily, "He's already married, and everyone knows it. What can we do?"
"But Grandpa isn't dead yet! How can he be so eager?"
"Shut up!" Fang Lan scolded, then let out a cold laugh, "How much longer can that old man live? He's halfway in the grave... Sooner or later, everything will belong to Gu Xiuyi anyway... I actually hope he dies soon, so you can rise to the top earlier..."
"But even if Grandpa dies, there's still Gu Xiuyi!"
Fang Lan poked her son's head harshly:
"You are still the second young master of the Gu family. Do you think Gu Xiuyi can suppress you forever? Can he keep you in the dark for the rest of your life? Even if he wants to, your father wouldn't agree..."
·
Gu Xiuyi held Ji Ruan as they went upstairs, and Ji Ruan had a lot of questions bottled up.
"What do you want to ask?"
Gu Xiuyi didn't look at him but seemed to sense his thoughts.
Ji Ruan didn't hide it and looked up at Gu Xiuyi, "Why does Gu Xiuli call you 'big brother'? Don't you have an older brother?"
Gu Xiuyi carefully led Ji Ruan up the stairs and said openly, "Fang Qiming is Fang Lan's son with her ex-husband, not a member of the Gu family."
Ji Ruan nodded thoughtfully, "But it's rare to hear about you having a younger brother outside, right?"
Gu Xiuyi looked at Ji Ruan: "Because he was born from my father and Fang Lan's affair during their marriage. This matter is disgraceful, so Grandpa suppressed the news and dealt with it quietly."
"Oh, I see..."
Ji Ruan was startled. No wonder that mother and son acted like quails in front of Gu Xiuyi.
Although there are plenty of dirty secrets in wealthy families like these, such families are the ones who care most about their reputation. As a result, Gu Xiuli, despite having Gu family blood, had to live in the shadows even at the age of twenty.
Gu Xiuyi waited for a while, but Ji Ruan did not speak further. He raised an eyebrow: "Not going to ask more?"
The disputes in such families, messy as they appear, are essentially struggles for power and inheritance. The current topic had already touched upon the unsavory inside story of Gu Xiuyi's family, and Ji Ruan did not want to know too much.
He shook his head: "No longer curious."
Gu Xiuyi stared at him for a moment, then looked away: "Alright."
Old Master Gu's room was at the end of the corridor, a spacious and sunny room, but when Ji Ruan entered, the curtains were tightly drawn, letting in no light.
The elder who had controlled the Gu Corporation for decades sat in a wheelchair, silently gazing at the curtained window, with two strong caretakers by his side.
Hearing the sound, he turned his head, his movements stiff and lifeless, as if his parts had rusted away.
Ji Ruan saw a withered face, the old man exuding a deathly, corpse-like aura.
"You're here?" His voice was hoarse and broken.
"Yes," Gu Xiuyi smiled emotionlessly, "I brought Ji Ruan to see you. We got married."
Only then did Gu Changyun's cloudy eyes slowly shift to Ji Ruan. After a quiet moment, he raised a finger: "Sit down."
There was a row of wicker benches in the room. Gu Xiuyi led Ji Ruan to sit. On the wooden table in front of them was a set of purple clay teaware, with tea brewing, wisps of steam rising into the air.
One of the caretakers pushed Gu Changyun over, while the other bowed to Gu Xiuyi before standing guard outside the door.
Gu Xiuyi took out the marriage certificate, placed it on the wooden table, and slid it towards Gu Changyun with two fingers.
"This is the marriage certificate. Have a look."
The caretaker picked up the two little red books, opened them, and presented them to Gu Changyun, who brushed them away with his hand.
"His name is Ji Ruan?"
Ji Ruan, sitting close to Gu Xiuyi, nodded slightly: "Yes, Grandpa."
Gu Changyun raised his head, his unfocused eyes looking nowhere in particular, "So young..."
Ji Ruan didn't know how to respond and instinctively looked at Gu Xiuyi.
Gu Xiuyi comfortingly squeezed his hand, then opened the manila envelope he had with him.
Inside was a document, which Ji Ruan saw clearly only after it was placed on the table—a share transfer agreement.
Gu Xiuyi didn't waste words and went straight to the point: "The day my mother died in front of you, you promised and wrote in your will that when I got married, you would transfer all the remaining shares under your name to me, to be jointly held by me and my spouse. Do you remember?"
Gu Changyun sat silently.
Gu Xiuyi spread his hands: "As you can see, I'm married. Sign it."
Seeing the old man remain still, Gu Xiuyi was in no hurry. He poured a cup of tea and handed it to Ji Ruan: "Be careful, it's hot."
Ji Ruan took the cup, cautiously sipping while keeping his eyes and ears attentive.
He knew about the shares. Gu Xiuyi hadn't kept it from him. The agreement clearly stated that after their marriage, all shares transferred by Gu Changyun to them would be held solely by Gu Xiuyi. In return, Gu Xiuyi would pay him a substantial amount of money upon the agreement's completion.
After a long silence, Gu Changyun spoke slowly: "You know it's a will. Can't you wait until I'm dead, child? After I'm gone, it will be yours directly—"
"Grandpa," Gu Xiuyi interrupted, looking at the old man with cold respect, "you will live a long life."
Gu Changyun paused, then laughed, his aged face wrinkling: "A long life? Keeping me here, you expect me to live a long life?"
Gu Xiuyi remained calm: "Your health is poor. You should have been hospitalized, but you wanted to stay home. I understand your wish to return to your roots, and I respect your choice, so I arranged for special care."
"Special care means my son can't even see me?"
"Of course not," Gu Xiuyi explained emotionlessly, "my father's temper is bad. Talking to you would easily cause arguments and upset you."
"You..." Gu Changyun's eyes widened slightly, his anger causing his facial muscles to twitch, "You want to control everything!"
"How could I?" Gu Xiuyi sighed lightly, seemingly helpless.
"You protected my mother the same way back then. I remember it well. Now I'm just protecting you in the same way."
"You... you!"
Ji Ruan quietly drank tea, piecing together a tale of family strife from their fragmented conversation.
Cheating, legitimate wife, mistress, illegitimate child, and a cold, heartless family patriarch who tortured the legitimate wife.
So those two burly caretakers who look like bodyguards weren’t just there to take care of the old man—they were also there to keep others from coming in.
Ji Ruan vaguely remembered Song Ling praising Gu Xiuyi’s “filial piety” to him before. This is true "filial piety" indeed. The people around Gu Xiuyi certainly know how to say the right things to the right people.
Ji Ruan watched this drama unfold with great interest, finishing his cup of tea without even realizing it.
Gu Xiuyi refilled Ji Ruan’s tea, leaned back in his chair, and gently fiddled with the ring on his ring finger. His tone was calm, “Sign it, Grandpa.”
The room was filled with the aroma of tea, sharp and thin. On one side of the standoff was an elderly man nearing the end of his life; on the other side was a young man at the peak of his power and energy.
It seemed like a one-sided contest.
But this simple contest was deadlocked due to Gu Changyun’s stubborn resistance.
After a while—
“Grumble, grumble—”
A strange sound pierced the air, reaching everyone’s ears.
Ji Ruan’s stomach growled...
In the silent and tense atmosphere, his hunger sounded especially loud and pitiful.
Ji Ruan was so startled he choked on his tea, covering his mouth with a napkin, glancing wide-eyed at Gu Xiuyi, then at the stunned old man.
Gu Xiuyi: "..."
Even the stern-faced caretakers looked momentarily confused, their pupils dilating as they looked at Gu Xiuyi, as if asking what to do.
Time froze for just a few seconds before Gu Xiuyi quickly recovered.
He cleared his throat, took the teacup from Ji Ruan’s hand without changing his expression, and placed it back on the table, looking at the old man:
“Grandpa, I understand. It takes time for you to accept transferring the shares immediately. How about this—”
He stood up: “I’ll come back for the documents in half an hour. You must be hungry too, so let’s have a meal first.”
As he said this, he pulled Ji Ruan towards the door, instructing the caretakers, “Take good care of Grandpa; don’t let him get hurt.”
The caretakers immediately nodded, “Yes, sir.”
In the corridor, Ji Ruan jogged to keep up with Gu Xiuyi, calling his name but getting no response. He tugged at Gu Xiuyi’s sleeve, pouting, but still got ignored.
As they walked, Gu Xiuyi suddenly stopped, looking like he was too annoyed to hold back. He pointed a finger at Ji Ruan, about to speak but hesitated.
Ji Ruan blinked awkwardly, “I was hungry...”
He clutched his stomach, “I was already hungry, and you kept making me drink water, so it growled...”
Gu Xiuyi glanced at Ji Ruan’s empty little belly, opening and closing his mouth several times but unable to say anything, then turned and continued walking.
“I was in the middle of arguing...” Gu Xiuyi took a deep breath, his face tense, “Your stomach growling almost ruined my momentum.”
Ji Ruan, struck by sudden inspiration, caught up and praised, “You still had plenty of momentum. The caretakers were scared stiff, and your grandpa was too angry to speak!”
Gu Xiuyi’s expression softened slightly.
Ji Ruan seized the moment, “I thought you were really cool and impressive just now~”
Gu Xiuyi turned his head to look at the sky.
Ji Ruan tugged his sleeve and swayed, “Really~~”
“Shut up!” Gu Xiuyi’s mouth twitched.
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The author has something to say:
Ruan Ruan: Oh my! This old man is so easy to coax~
President Gu: Oh my! This kid is so good at acting cute...
T/N: President Gu, the next time you want to act all high and mighty make sure Ruan Ruan is well-fed first lol
Footnote: