Chapter Seventeen
Ye Shulian was still watching from the side. She remembered him telling her before that while he didn't know how other leaders operated, he himself was absolutely incorruptible!
And yet, this guy right here had turned around and slapped him in the face with a bribe?
Lao Gu felt the thickness of his wallet as he reached inside; it was clearly unusual, and his weathered face couldn't help but twitch.
If he accepted this, it would cover several months of mortgage payments.
Lao Gu fell silent for a moment.
Thinking about his daily hard work and the meager fixed salary he earned every month, compared to other colleagues who could easily receive nearly a year's worth of wages in a single envelope, the foundations of his beliefs wavered slightly.
But in the next second, thinking of the many people who ended up behind bars every year, his eyes cleared.
What he sought wasn't money, but a higher position. He certainly wasn't going to trip up over such a small, petty sum.
He pulled out the portion that didn't belong to him and resolutely handed it back.
"I'm just here to have a meal with my family. There's no need for this."
The owner seemed unwilling to give up and was about to say more, but Lao Gu shut down the topic with a single sentence.
"I'm off the clock now. I just want to spend some time with my family."
"Ah... right, of course, Director Gu. Then please, enjoy your time with your family."
The owner caught on instantly. He turned and instructed the cashier, "This bill is on me."
"No need. It's only right to pay for what you eat."
Lao Gu rejected him outright. He glanced at the bill, pulled money from his wallet, and placed it gently on the counter.
Then he looked at the owner and said in a lingering tone, "The food today was good. Your restaurant's dishes are excellent..."
He left the rest unsaid. The owner's expression turned a bit sour, but he forced a smile and saw them out the door.
The food was good, but the person left much to be desired.
The owner knew he had been too hasty just now, drawing the ire of this police director who was famous for his integrity.
Sensing Lao Gu's displeasure, he didn't show the slightest hint of resentment. Instead, he became even more respectful.
For a businessman, when dealing with government officials, you didn't necessarily have to be friends, but you absolutely could not afford to be enemies. This was the prerequisite for growing a business.
...
On the way to drop the Ye mother and daughter home, Gu Ran sat in the back with a tireless smile, chatting harmoniously with Ye Shulian.
Beside him, Ye Zhenzhen sat with her arms crossed and legs together, her posture perfect as she quietly observed the boy next to her.
His features were delicate, clean, and handsome. He carried a strangely uplifting aura; just looking at him made one feel refreshed, and her mood unconsciously improved.
It had to be said that his personality was exactly the type that parents like her mother adored. No wonder the two of them were chatting so happily.
However, having matured early, Ye Zhenzhen had already guessed what was coming ever since her mother suggested this meeting the other night.
If she wasn't mistaken, her mother and Uncle Gu would probably go to register their marriage soon after this meeting.
Following that, she and her mother would move in with the Gu father and son.
And that day wouldn't be far off—likely before New Year's Day.
Their current apartment's lease was up for renewal every New Year. Since they were going to live together, they certainly wouldn't renew the lease for another year.
The thought of living under the same roof as this guy made her heart feel restless.
This guy... he seems quite easy to get along with. He probably won't make things difficult for me, right?
With her mind full of worries, the young girl turned her head toward the car window, staring blankly at the streetlights passing by.
She felt a bit apprehensive about her future life. This was the cautious, walking-on-eggshells feeling of living in someone else's home.
The car came to a steady stop at the apartment the two women rented. Ye Zhenzhen was still lost in thought.
Gu Ran got out, walked around the car, and pulled open her door. Tilting his head, he looked at the girl inside and asked with a grin.
"Is Sister reluctant to go home?"
"Huh?"
Ye Zhenzhen was startled. She snapped her head up to look at the smiling face above her, then glanced around and realized they were already at the bottom of her apartment building.
Her mother was at the entrance, smiling as she said goodbye to Uncle Gu, while Gu Ran was right in front of her, staring at her with a knowing smirk.
In that moment, she suddenly felt that this guy really didn't seem like a good person.
Rarely blushing, she held onto the handle and stepped out of the car.
Seeing this, Gu Ran gave a soft chuckle and said gently, "Careful, Sister. The road is slippery. Don't fall."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Ye Zhenzhen's movements faltered. Her foot slipped, and she nearly tumbled to the ground.
She turned back and glared at him with a hint of annoyance. Gu Ran responded with a smile, though he found it quite amusing.
So this girl wasn't like Lao Gu, born with a permanent stoic face. She did have other expressions after all.
He secretly wondered what kind of approach he should use in the future to deal with this "ice queen" so she wouldn't be able to keep up that cold, expressionless facade in front of him.
After all, one poker face in the family was enough. Two would be overkill. He couldn't do anything about Lao Gu, so he would just have to let this "sister" of his suffer a bit.
Besides, the feeling of pulling a cold goddess down from her pedestal... the contrast would be simply too...
Gu Ran reined in his wandering thoughts, trying his best to look as serious as possible.
Staring at the harmless smile on Gu Ran's face, Ye Zhenzhen couldn't help but shudder.
She had clearly seen this guy flash an "evil" grin just a second ago, only for it to vanish instantly as he resumed his "innocent saint" act.
In just a few seconds, she had witnessed a performance worthy of a master face-changer. She couldn't help but feel full of worry for her future life.
Her future stepfather's son... seemed like a bit of a creep. What was she going to do?
"Thank you for the warning, Brother Gu Ran."
She shook her head, tossing the wild thoughts out of her mind. She turned and gave a slight nod, her tone gentle yet distant, her demeanor elegant and composed.
It was as if the girl who had just shown an annoyed glare and looked like a flustered little girl wasn't her at all.
It was as if she had two faces.
His future stepmother's daughter...
Seemed to have a split personality. What was he going to do?
At the same time, Gu Ran also felt a wave of concern for his future life.
...
"Zhenzhen, say goodbye to your brother. We're going home. It's okay if you're reluctant to leave; you'll see him tomorrow anyway."
At the entrance of the building, after a long talk with Lao Gu, Ye Shulian had finally let go of the burden in her heart. Her entire being radiated a sense of lightness.
Looking back at her daughter talking to the Gu boy, she couldn't help but tease her. She was clearly in a very good mood.
"Mom!"
What was she talking about? Where was she "reluctant to leave"?
Faced with her mother's "nonsense," Ye Zhenzhen's composure broke instantly. Her face flushed red as she hurriedly called out to her mother, afraid that she might lose control and say something even more shocking!
Seeing the girl in front of him lose her cool, her face full of embarrassment, Gu Ran also laughed and joined in on Ye Shulian's teasing.
"That's right, Sister. If you're really that reluctant to part with me, we can still—"
Before he could finish, he realized something was off.
Ye Zhenzhen also looked back at that moment. The two of them stared at each other in confusion, neither quite understanding the situation...
Wait, we're seeing each other again tomorrow?!
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.”
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
nce】【Lighthearted Comedy】【Ultimate Gentleman's Novel】【Viewer Discretion Advised for Under 16】 The mightiest human hero, Sharen Morian, is resurrected after a thousand years by his wife—the Demon King. This is not your typical hero-vs-demon-king tale.
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
