The Villainess's Uncle 010

Gu Yongchen's family was part of Jiang City's underworld—essentially a gang of thugs running gambling dens, brothels, and an opium trade. That was why he had accompanied Qin Lan to the brothel in the first place; it was, after all, their family's turf. Yet even then, he hadn’t lifted a finger to help Fang Xiaoxiao at the time.

But when it came to dealing with the underworld, Fang Zhiyi had his own methods.

Now that he had capital, he had no intention of expanding his business further. Instead, he handed over 40% of the shares of his foreign medicine shop—located in another city—to Wu Dapao, the military governor of the Jianghuai region, along with a jade Buddha he had acquired from the countryside.

His initial connection to the military had been through Zhou Huaqiang. In his own dealings, Zhou had befriended a Jiang City crime boss—a sworn enemy of the Gu family and a distant relative of Wu Dapao. This boss had been weaker than the Gu family until Wu Dapao took office in the region.

In the original storyline, none of these men met a good end, thanks to the protagonist’s plot armor. Wu Dapao fled after a military defeat, the crime boss Ma Yonglin was gunned down in a shootout, and Gu Yongchen inexplicably turned over a new leaf, silently watching over Qin Lan and Fu Tingxiu from the shadows.

But now, Fang Zhiyi wasn’t about to give them a chance to play their parts. Through the port in Guang City, he connected with arms dealers and successfully hitched his wagon to Wu Dapao’s rise.

Just as Gu Yongchen was plotting to kidnap Fang Xiaoxiao, the Gu family found themselves surrounded. The charge? Opium trafficking—though in truth, it was Fang Zhiyi’s scheming that had turned Wu Dapao against them. The governor wanted Ma Yonglin to monopolize the opium trade, which was far more lucrative than foreign medicine.

Gu Yongchen’s plan was stillborn. When he opened the door, he was met with a squad of heavily armed soldiers. The fearless gangster’s legs turned to jelly. Only as he was being hauled into a truck did he spot Fang Zhiyi sitting in a distant car, mouthing the word "goodbye" with a mocking wave.

With the Gu family as his enemies, Ma Yonglin made sure they wouldn’t walk out alive. Three days later, the entire Gu family was executed—except for Gu Yongchen, who was thrown into a dungeon.

Fang Zhiyi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had gotten Fang Xiaoxiao out safely, and now she could take over the business almost entirely. Content, he set off on a trip—only to receive a secret report from his men: Fu Tingxiu had reunited with Qin Lan in that small town.

Fate truly was relentless, Fang Zhiyi mused. Without delay, he arranged for Gu Yongchen to be sent there as well, reuniting the trio.

Stripped of his family’s protection, Fu Tingxiu continued his act of devotion with Qin Lan. Though they no longer lived in luxury, they were still better off than most, with plenty of time for romance. But Fu Tingxiu’s spoiled young master attitude was hard to shake, and Qin Lan’s parents—bitter over being driven out of Jiang City—blamed him, forcing the couple to meet in secret. This gave the lovesick Gu Yongchen an opening.

One rainy night, after a heated argument with Fu Tingxiu, Qin Lan ran into Gu Yongchen, whom she hadn’t seen in ages. Both drowning their sorrows in alcohol, they ended up in bed together.

Fang Zhiyi, staying at a nearby inn, received regular updates on the drama. When things got juicy, he even disguised himself to watch in person.

"That Gu Yongchen really has no priorities—his whole family’s gone, and he’s still playing love games," the system remarked, equally invested in the gossip.

Fang Zhiyi chuckled. "That’s their logic. Money? Family? None of it matters. Love conquers all."

But soon, money would become a pressing concern.

Before Fang Zhiyi could lift a finger, a group of swindlers targeted Qin Lan’s family. A trap disguised as an investment in mountain goods wiped out their modest savings overnight. Meanwhile, Fu Tingxiu’s allowance was cut off as his illegitimate half-brother took control of the family business. As for Gu Yongchen? He had nothing to begin with.

Reality finally sank in. Where they had once eaten well, now even basic meals were a struggle. Fu Tingxiu tried sneaking back to Jiang City, but every time he left town, he was ambushed, knocked out, and woke up the next day in his ramshackle home.

The love triangle soured as the trio grappled with survival. Even Fu Tingxiu swallowed his pride and looked for work—but what jobs existed in a small town? Desperate, he leeched off the Qin family, who at least still had a decent roof over their heads and thin porridge to eat. Not to be outdone, Gu Yongchen shamelessly moved in as well.

Qin Lan was thrilled—both her "true loves" under one roof. Her parents, however, were livid.

"Second Master! Second Master!" A subordinate rushed to Fang Zhiyi.

"That Qin family’s old couple secretly sold their house and tried to run off with their daughter! Fu Tingxiu found out, flew into a rage, and burned the place down!"

"What?" Fang Zhiyi couldn’t believe the trio had outdone themselves while he was asleep.

"Qin Lan’s parents died in the fire! Our men tried to put it out, but it was too late."

Fang Zhiyi waved a hand. The greedy old couple’s fate didn’t concern him—but the house had already been sold. Now, not only were they broke, they were in debt.

Qin Lan hated Fu Tingxiu for killing her parents, while Gu Yongchen comforted her, smirking at Fu Tingxiu like a victor. He plotted to take Qin Lan back to Jiang City, reclaim what he had lost, and make Fang Zhiyi and Fang Xiaoxiao pay.

But the trio’s stupidity struck again. The landlord who had bought the house sent men to seize them, declaring Qin Lan would work off the debt.

Hearing the outcome, Fang Zhiyi sighed. Even he hadn’t expected them to self-destruct so spectacularly.

He returned to Jiang City, leaving a few men behind to ensure the three nuisances never made it back.

"Uncle, as far as I recall, we’ve already divided the family assets. This hundred taels is a personal loan—you’ll need to sign for it." Fang Xiaoxiao’s delicate fingers tapped the table as she eyed the nervous Gong Hui and Fang Wenrui.

Recently, Gong Hui had grown envious of Fang Zhiyi’s success and secretly used family funds to invest in foreign medicine through a middleman in Guang City. The man kept demanding more money—for warehouses, for agents—until one day, he vanished.

Fang Baoguo, the fourth uncle, had repeatedly tried to confront Fang Xiaoxiao and Fang Zhiyi, only to be ignored. Resentful, he followed the middleman to Guang City, where he was wined and dined—only for the man to disappear after taking his money.

Returning home, Fang Baoguo spun tales of easy riches, emboldening Gong Hui. Behind Fang Wenrui’s back, they sold their shops and sent Fang Baoguo back with the money—only for the swindler to vanish again.