Elder Sister

Chapter Sixteen

Sitting at the dining table, Gu Ran’s face had grown a bit stiff from smiling. The woman sitting next to him, Ye Shulian, was simply too enthusiastic.

Beside them, Ye Zhenzhen couldn’t help but glance over frequently. Her beautiful eyes darted back and forth as she stared at him, her mind filled with unknown thoughts.

This guy sat with perfect posture and displayed impeccable manners while eating. When he spoke to her mother, he was like a breath of fresh air, tossing out compliments every now and then that kept the smile fixed on Ye Shulian’s face.

Hmph, what a total suck-up!

Hearing Gu Ran actually claim that her mother looked younger than she did, Ye Zhenzhen could no longer suppress the urge to criticize him, silently venting her frustrations in her heart.

Although Gu Ran hadn’t amounted to much in his previous life, he had spent over a decade weathering the storms of society. In terms of emotional intelligence and social etiquette, he was leagues ahead of an ordinary high school student.

Not long after the meal began, Ye Shulian had already piled his plate high with food. She wouldn’t let go of his hand, looking for all the world like she wanted to treat this obedient, sensible boy as her own biological son.

Watching his son act like such a sycophant, it wasn't just Ye Zhenzhen who was complaining internally; Lao Gu’s eyelids were twitching violently as well. He watched the absurd scene unfolding before him in utter disbelief.

For a moment, he felt as though he hadn't actually woken up since this morning.

Gu Ran was acting so well-behaved, and his words were so pleasant to the ear.

One could say... it was legal, but completely illogical!

However, there was nothing wrong with the kid getting closer to his future stepmother. Lao Gu could only bury that sense of absurdity deep in his heart, silently praying that Gu Ran could keep it up. Even if he was faking it, he had to finish this meal!

While Gu Ran and Ye Shulian were chatting happily, Lao Gu turned his gaze toward the girl silently eating to the side.

Ye Zhenzhen sat there alone, looking quite isolated. She appeared to be a truly well-behaved child, unlike the "fake" version Gu Ran was currently portraying.

He picked up the serving chopsticks and placed a chicken leg on the girl's plate, trying his best to look gentle.

"Zhenzhen, eat more. Look how thin you are."

He was trying as hard as possible to appear kind and fatherly.

Hearing this, Ye Zhenzhen nodded quickly and replied softly, "Thank you, Uncle."

After those words, the conversation died. Lao Gu felt a bit awkward; he really didn't know how to communicate with children.

He turned his head to look at the two people laughing and chatting, a flash of envy flickering in his eyes.

From childhood until now, his son had never been this close to him...

Noticing Lao Gu’s predicament, Ye Shulian also started laughing. She patted Gu Ran’s hand lightly and began to steer the conversation toward a classic topic, pulling her daughter into the mix.

"Xiao Ran, I heard from your father that you work very hard at your studies, but your grades just aren't quite keeping up. If you don't mind, you could work together with Zhenzhen. You two can encourage and learn from each other."

Hardworking?

Was she talking about him?!

And "learning from each other" with Ye Zhenzhen—what was she supposed to learn from him?

How to skip class to go to the internet cafe and smoke?

Gu Ran was stunned. He turned to look at Lao Gu, unable to understand why the old man would lie like that.

How was he going to cover up so many lies later? Just how many lies had Lao Gu told behind his back?

But Lao Gu’s face was also twitching. He was clearly thunderstruck by Ye Shulian’s words.

When had he ever said the brat was hardworking?

What he had actually said was that the kid was severely rebellious and never studied. The only point of him taking an exam was to serve as a headcount for how many people attended.

He was a literal human headcount meter—whatever rank he achieved was exactly how many people had taken the test. It was accurate every single time.

Seeing Lao Gu’s expression, Gu Ran understood. This was Ye Shulian’s high emotional intelligence at work; she was using a tactful way to save his face.

Didn't she follow up by saying his grades weren't "quite keeping up"?

Was it a matter of not keeping up?

He had no grades to speak of!

To preserve his dignity while setting him up to study with the top student in the grade, Ye Zhenzhen, she had chosen her words very carefully.

Realizing this, he marveled inwardly. Aunt Ye’s EQ was truly impressive.

"Sure thing, Aunt Ye! I’ll definitely learn well from Classmate Zhenzhen!"

Gu Ran grinned. As he spoke, he turned to look at the girl who was silently eating.

Hearing the words "Classmate Zhenzhen," Ye Zhenzhen’s eyelids jumped. The hand holding her chopsticks trembled visibly, nearly dropping the chicken leg onto the table.

Goosebumps uncontrollably prickled her fair, delicate arms. For some reason, hearing "Classmate Zhenzhen" come out of his mouth felt incredibly embarrassing.

"No manners. Zhenzhen is a year older than you; you should call her 'Sister'."

Lao Gu, who had been silent, finally found an opportunity to assert his presence.

Gu Ran was taken aback.

A year older?

Aren't they in the same grade?

Could it be... the top student in the grade had actually repeated a year?!

Hearing Lao Gu’s words, Ye Zhenzhen turned to look at Gu Ran. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly into a gentle smile.

"Alright then. Gu Ran, little brother, Sister will definitely give you proper tutoring."

Little brother... Sister...

Just like that, he suddenly had an older sister.

Gu Ran blinked. He gave Ye Zhenzhen a warm smile, showing eight white teeth.

"Alright. Then I’ll have to ask for Sister’s guidance from now on."

"Hmph, you got it, little brother Gu Ran!"

Seeing that the guy didn't feel even a hint of shame at being called "little brother," Ye Zhenzhen curled her lip slightly and silently called him thick-skinned in her mind.

Being called "little brother" by a young girl didn't cause Gu Ran any embarrassment at all.

He wasn't some hot-blooded youth who refused to admit he was younger. As long as she didn't call him a "little" little brother, it was fine.

Because he wasn't small!

Besides, the "Older Sister" title was like a status buff—it was a title that increased attack speed!

For a split second, several restricted-rated images flashed through his mind, but he quickly shook his head to clear the cluttered thoughts.

He silently recited the Gu Family Sword Technique in his heart until his eyes regained their clarity.

Turning back to look at Ye Zhenzhen’s exquisite face, he resumed his pure, innocent smile.

...

With this "family recognition" phase over, the atmosphere at the table became noticeably closer. Ye Zhenzhen also began to relax, and the four of them chatted more and more pleasantly.

Time flew by, and it wasn't until the restaurant was about to close that the group walked out of the private room with smiles on their faces.

Upon reaching the lobby, Lao Gu went to settle the bill. Just as the receptionist was about to calculate the total, the owner—who had noticed them at some point—came jogging over and pressed his hand down on Lao Gu’s wallet.

"Director Gu! It really is you! I thought it looked like you earlier! I was wondering why my left eyelid kept twitching; it turns out I’ve encountered a benefactor!"

"You are..."

His hand, which was about to pull out money, was held down. Lao Gu was a bit dazed. He turned to look at the owner, feeling even more confused.

Who... was this guy?

"How could you come here to eat without saying a word? I haven't fulfilled my duties as a host, and that is my fault. Another day, another day I will definitely pay you a visit to express my apologies!"

Lao Gu: "???"

How did this guy suddenly claim a connection?

The owner smiled broadly as he closed the distance with Lao Gu, his tone carrying a hint of sycophancy. While chatting, he pushed Lao Gu’s wallet back down and inconspicuously stuffed a stack of cash into it.

He had recently been looking for a favor but was struggling to find the right connections. When he turned around and spotted Gu Xiangcheng arriving for a meal, he felt as though the goddess of luck was finally on his side, and his face lit up with excitement.

His subtle reaction didn't just catch Lao Gu’s eye; it was also noticed by Gu Ran and the mother-daughter pair, Ye Shulian and Ye Zhenzhen, standing behind him.

Ye Zhenzhen, in particular, was utterly confused.

Director Gu?

That sounds like someone really important...