Chapter Thirteen
Saturday. Today was the day he would meet his future stepmother. However, since Gu Ran still had to go to school, the meeting was scheduled for the evening.
Regarding the evening meeting, Gu Ran felt nothing particularly special other than a vague sense of anticipation.
After all, his stepmother would be living with his dad, not with him.
However, this indifference was personally shattered by Lao Gu.
As usual, he went out for a run, and upon returning home, he had just placed breakfast on the table when he heard Lao Gu say from the sofa, "Dress nicely later. I'll pick you up from school after class this afternoon."
Since school uniforms weren't required on Saturdays, Lao Gu was afraid he would wear some messy clothes, so he made sure to warn him in advance.
"Oh."
Hearing Lao Gu's nagging, Gu Ran responded casually and was about to walk into the bathroom.
Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Lao Gu felt a bit uneasy. After thinking for a moment, he added, "Aunt Ye has a daughter who is about your age. Pay attention to the impression you make."
Gu Ran: "???"
This sudden news truly startled him, and he almost bumped into the door in his distraction.
His future stepmother had a daughter?
How come he didn't know about this in his past life?
He turned his head to look at Lao Gu and found that the old man didn't seem to be joking. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch a few times.
But he decided to take things as they come, as there was nothing he could do about it anyway.
He had already agreed to it earlier, so he couldn't just back out now.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but inwardly despise Lao Gu. What a crafty old fox! He was so afraid that Gu Ran would cause trouble that he waited until now to mention the stepmother's daughter.
After taking a shower, he changed into a simple outfit.
A short white puffer jacket over a white sweater, black jeans, and a pair of white sneakers on his feet.
Lao Gu walked a circle around him before nodding in satisfaction.
He had to admit, this kid took after his mother—he was fair-skinned and handsome.
Just looking at this face was truly deceptive. Those who didn't know him would really think he was a well-behaved student.
Moreover, this outfit made him look like a top student. Who would have thought he was actually a slacker who struggled to even score three hundred points on exams?
Shulian had mentioned that her daughter was quite good at her studies. He hoped his son's outfit would leave a good impression...
His train of thought came to an abrupt halt. He turned to look at Gu Ran, hesitating to speak.
The biggest problem was that he feared his son's volatile temperament.
He was terrified that the boy might act up at any moment, and once his reckless, defiant streak took over, not even he could control this kid!
But for now, he could only hope that the boy's condition would remain stable...
Lao Gu was extremely worried. His son's past rebellious behavior was still vivid in his mind, and he was afraid that Gu Ran would teach his lover a harsh lesson that evening, showing her the sinister side of society and letting her know that there were such terrible kids in this world.
"Let's go. I'll drop you off at school."
Fiddling with his hair in the mirror a couple of times, Gu Ran was very satisfied with his eighteen-year-old self.
With just a casual outfit, he exuded a youthful, clean, and refreshing aura. This was a feeling he could never experience in his previous life when he was balding.
Unaware of what Lao Gu was worrying about, the father and son walked together, neither of them speaking first.
Upon arriving at school, Gu Ran got out of the car and walked straight into the campus.
Staring at his back, Gu Xiangcheng opened his mouth but made no sound. Eventually, he gave up the idea of speaking and drove to his workplace with a deep frown.
Walking into the building, heavily preoccupied with his thoughts, he didn't notice the security guard's salute, nor did he pay attention to the cleaning lady sweeping the hallway.
As a result, in less than a morning, the rumor that Deputy Director Gu Xiangcheng hadn't won the lottery spread like wildfire once again.
However, the source of the gossip this time was quickly caught by the Director—it was the very security guard who worked diligently every day.
This incident ended with the security guard being punished to copy the internal management regulations by hand...
...
...
On the school playground, Gu Ran, who was walking towards the teaching building, formed a stark contrast with Li Sinan, who was preparing to leave the school gates.
"Wow, Student Gu is looking very handsome today. But class is about to start, so you're probably going to be late."
Li Sinan was also dressed beautifully today. Carrying a small bag over her shoulder, she greeted him cheerfully.
"Ms. Li, class is about to start. Where are you going?" Gu Ran asked with a smile.
"To go shopping, of course. Isn't it obvious?" As she spoke, she reached out and shook the small bag on her shoulder.
"Skipping work to go shopping. Ms. Li is truly dedicated," Gu Ran chuckled softly, clapping his hands in mock praise.
Hearing this, Li Sinan's eyes curved into crescents. Smiling, she covered her mouth and giggled, "Oh, please. Saturdays and Sundays are all self-study sessions. I'm not a homeroom teacher, so I don't need to supervise a class. I wasn't supposed to be at work anyway, so how is it skipping work?"
"Tsk, a teacher who doesn't want to be a homeroom teacher isn't a good teacher."
"Hmph, just go to your class, and be careful not to be late!"
Li Sinan lifted her chin and swung her bag as a wave of goodbye.
Seeing this, Gu Ran couldn't help but laugh. He waved back and turned to walk towards the teaching building.
But before he had taken a few steps, he heard the crunching sound of footsteps on the snow behind him, accompanied by panting breaths.
Before he could turn around, he caught a whiff of fragrance in the air. Thinking it was Li Sinan, he turned his head and said, "Yo, why are you back? Did the director ask you to work overtime?"
"Ah... oof!"
As soon as he turned around, he bumped right into the figure rushing up from behind.
Hearing a slightly pained gasp, Gu Ran froze. The girl he had knocked down in front of him wasn't Li Sinan, but the top student of the grade, the aloof beauty, Ye Zhenzhen.
Ye Zhenzhen's head was spinning a bit, and for a moment, she couldn't figure out how she ended up sitting on the ground.
After gathering her senses, she looked at the culprit in front of her.
Why did he suddenly turn around while walking perfectly fine, blocking her path? What was wrong with him?!
Feeling indignant, she completely ignored the hand extended towards her. Supporting herself on the snowy ground, she stood up. Disregarding her sore behind, she immediately checked to see if her clothes had gotten dirty.
Seeing that his outstretched hand, meant to help her up, was ignored, even Gu Ran with his thick skin felt a bit awkward.
Helplessly withdrawing his hand, he coughed drily and said somewhat awkwardly, "Uh... well, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you behind me..."
The girl remained deaf to his words, frowning slightly as she stared at the dirt on her white padded jacket.
The snow at this time wasn't clean; with people constantly walking over it, it had long lost its pristine white color.
Having sat directly on the ground, both her top and pants were stained with brown dirt.
Seeing that the effort she had spent all morning dressing up to leave a good impression on her stepfather's family was ruined right after arriving at school, she was thoroughly infuriated.
Although the girl's expressionless face showed no visible change, Gu Ran just had that intuition.
After all, that face was even colder than the freezing wind around them!
"Uh... well, take your clothes off, and I'll take them to the dry cleaners for you."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he successfully earned a look from the girl as if she were looking at an idiot.
Take her clothes off?
Her pants were dirty too. Was she supposed to take them off as well?
"No need."
Unable to control her rising irritation, she replied coldly, then bypassed Gu Ran and walked briskly into the teaching building...
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
