Gu Family Manor.
"Grandma! I missed you so much!"
Gu Yingying put on an adorable act as she threw herself into Grandmother Gu's arms.
Grandmother Gu affectionately ruffled Gu Yingying's head, her face lighting up with a warm smile. "Oh my, my Yingying has grown so much."
"It's only been a year, but you've become even more beautiful."
Gu Yingying beamed at the praise, giggling. "Thank you, Grandma!"
Grandmother Gu nodded with a smile before turning a slightly reproachful gaze toward Gu Yunrou. "So, you finally remembered to visit this old lady today?"
The latter gave an awkward smile and quickly stepped forward to loop her arm through Grandmother Gu's. "I’ve just been so busy with work. But the moment I had time, I rushed right over!"
"Hmph. Busy, busy—always busy. Might as well forget about us old folks altogether."
"Grandma~~"
Meanwhile.
Ignored by everyone, the patriarch of the Gu family, Gu Tianlong, sat stiffly by himself, sipping tea with an air of solemnity.
"Old Master Gu, why are you drinking tea all alone over here?"
Gu Yan strolled over casually, picked up a cup, and poured himself some tea with a grin.
Gu Tianlong frowned slightly at the sight and let out a displeased snort. "Still as disrespectful as ever."
Despite his words, having someone finally acknowledge him eased Gu Tianlong’s mood just a little.
"We’re family—no need for such formalities. All those rules just make things tedious."
Gu Yan took a slow sip of tea, then flashed a bright smile at Gu Tianlong. "By the way, dear Grandpa, do you happen to know any geniuses with management skills? Mind introducing me to a couple?"
The construction of Hope’s Light was complete, and the divisions were set. While he could easily find ordinary talent, managerial experts in the martial arts field were harder to come by.
Since this was his own organization, he needed top-tier management personnel.
Gu Tianlong set down his teacup and shot Gu Yan a mildly irritated look. "No wonder you came over—just buttering me up for a favor."
"Old Master Gu, how could you think that? I came over because I missed you dearly!"
"I just happened to remember this matter and mentioned it in passing."
"If you don’t want to help, forget it."
"To think you’d doubt me like this—my heart is shattered!"
Gu Yan clutched his chest dramatically, his face contorted in exaggerated pain.
"......"
Gu Tianlong’s expression twitched. Is this really my son Tianming’s child? My grandson?
He may have stopped chasing after Shen Wan’er from the Shen family, but how did he turn into such a clown?
Still... since his grandson was asking for help, he couldn’t refuse.
So.
"Enough with the act."
Gu Tianlong took another sip of tea, his face impassive. "Old Man Luo from the Jianghai Luo Family is a good friend of mine. Their family specializes in martial arts training."
"They should have the kind of talent you’re looking for."
Hearing this.
Gu Yan blinked. "Old Master Gu, how did you know—"
He was about to ask how Gu Tianlong knew he needed someone for martial arts management when—
Gu Tianlong cut him off with a cold snort. "Your father took ten elite guards from the Gu Family. It wasn’t hard to guess they were for you."
"What you do outside is your business. If you need resources, the Gu Family will support you."
"But remember this..."
Gu Tianlong set down his cup and fixed Gu Yan with a stern gaze. "Handle what you can on your own."
"But if you ever face someone or something beyond your means, come to the family immediately."
"Don’t try to shoulder it alone."
Gu Yan fell silent for a moment, touched.
So this is the bond of a powerful family?
The unity of a so-called "villainous" clan?
He took a deep breath and smiled. "I will. Thank you, Grandpa."
Grandpa...
Gu Tianlong’s brows lifted slightly, but he said nothing, simply returning to his tea.
Then, suddenly.
As if remembering something, Gu Tianlong glanced at Gu Yan. "By the way, how are things between you and that girl from the Leng Family?"
"Rumors are spreading. When are you going to clarify things?"
The moment these words left his mouth—
Whoosh!
Gu Tianlong suddenly felt multiple pairs of eyes boring into him.
He stiffened and turned toward the source.
Instantly, sweat trickled down his back.
His wife, Grandmother Gu, was staring at him with a deceptively gentle smile.
Meanwhile, his two granddaughters were laser-focused on Gu Yan.
??
What? Did I say something wrong??
Gu Yan, however, remained unruffled. "Qingqiu and I are doing wonderfully."
"But we’re taking things slow. It’s not as exaggerated as the rumors make it out to be."
"I plan to bring Qingqiu to the family gathering and make an official announcement then."
As Gu Yan finished speaking—
Gu Yunrou and Gu Yingying’s expressions grew increasingly strange.
When they heard he intended to bring Leng Qingqiu to the gathering, an indescribable feeling settled over them.
Gu Yan set down his teacup and smiled at Grandmother Gu. "Is that alright, Grandma?"
Grandmother Gu’s lips curved upward as she nodded. "Your love life is your own. You decide."
"Thank you, Grandma."
With her approval, the matter was settled.
Before leaving the Gu Family Manor.
Gu Yan ran into an unexpected person.
Namely—
"Young Master Gu, the family gathering is approaching soon."
"I’m sure Young Master Zihua will be looking forward to seeing you then."
Xuehua, the maid he hadn’t seen in a long time, stood blocking Gu Yan’s path.
Though she tried to hide it, the triumphant glint in her eyes didn’t escape Gu Yan’s notice.
Back then, Gu Yan had made a deal with her—if she could refrain from seeing or contacting her beloved Young Master Gu Zihua until the gathering, he wouldn’t expose their relationship.
In fact, he’d even help them elope.
And now, that deadline was almost up.
Gu Yan knew exactly what she was hinting at, so he feigned resignation. "Ah, I didn’t think you’d last this long. Guess I lose this time. I admit, your perseverance is impressive."
"Hmph. Thank you for the praise, Young Master."
"Xuehua has matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now."
She bowed slightly to Gu Yan and the others before walking away, already dreaming of her reunion with Young Master Gu Zihua at the gathering.
"?"
"Since when were you and Xuehua so close, Gu Yan?"
"Gu Yan, is she your—"
Gu Yunrou and Gu Yingying eyed him suspiciously.
Gu Yan’s lips twitched. "How on earth did you get the idea that we’re close?"
"That was pure hostility, not friendliness."
"And also..."
He turned to the two women still trailing him. "Why are you still following me?"
"I’m going home now, ladies."
At this, Gu Yunrou looked puzzled. "If we don’t follow you, where else would we stay?"
"Exactly."
Gu Yingying nodded and shot a glare at Gu Yan. "Brother, don’t even think about ditching us. Since we’re in Jianghai now, as the local big shot, you’d better take responsibility for us."
"??? What on earth are you talking about?"
"Is Grandmother and Grandfather’s place not big enough for you two?"
Gu Yan slowly typed out a few question marks in his mind.
Were these two sisters seriously planning to follow him back home??
Just the thought of it made him glance at the two smirking, scheming sisters in front of him.
For a moment, the corner of his mouth twitched.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
spital. Good news: I've bound a system. Bad news: I'm still a baby. "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, do not bully the middle-aged for being poor — Divorce Comeback System." "Your marriage may have failed, but your luck in love has never run dry. Your childhood sweetheart, out of contact for twenty years, reappears. Her beauty remains, yet her eyes are brimming with tears." [Listen to the childhood sweetheart's sorrowful story.] Chen Zhi looked down at the diaper he was wearing, then at the little childhood sweetheart crying her heart out beside him, and fell into deep thought. Can anyone relate? I'm having a midlife crisis at an age where even rolling over is a struggle.
