A Leisurely Stroll and Chat After the Party

The farce between Gu Zihua and Xuehua was witnessed entirely by Gu Yan.

Watching Xuehua stand frozen for a long moment before wiping her tears and leaving, an unreadable emotion flickered in his eyes.

Good. It was time to reel in this side as well.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a burst of laughter rang out.

A gentle yet oddly abrupt voice sounded from the side: "Brother, long time no see."

"You've changed a lot."

Hearing this, Leng Ling'er and the others turned in confusion.

Gu Yingying glanced at the newcomer, her expression instantly darkening as she wondered why this person had shown up.

Gu Yunrou, who had been smiling, gradually schooled her expression into neutrality, her gaze growing serious.

Gu Yan turned to look.

Standing there was a young boy with black-framed glasses and a mild demeanor, surrounded by a crowd.

His features were strikingly beautiful—yes, beautiful rather than handsome.

His face bore a delicate, almost girlish softness: fair skin, large expressive eyes, long curled lashes, and lips red as cherries against pearly white teeth.

His jet-black hair was neatly combed, streaked with natural hints of brown that gleamed under the lights.

Dressed in a tailored navy-blue blazer embroidered with intricate patterns, every step he took exuded an air of refined elegance.

"It's actually Young Master Gu Linyi! Oh my god~ He's so adorable~!"

"Right? Young Master Gu Linyi, if only he'd talk to me!"

"Why is he approaching that awful Gu Yan? A bad influence like him will corrupt Young Master Gu Linyi!"

The guests seemed familiar with Gu Linyi, their excitement palpable at his appearance. The boy was like a spring breeze, effortlessly charming everyone around him—a fact evident from the crowd trailing behind him.

Having researched the boy beforehand, Gu Yan nodded in acknowledgment. "Long time no see..."

Then, with amusement, he observed the entourage around Gu Linyi. "You haven’t changed—still surrounded by people wherever you go."

He found it intriguing. According to the original plot, Gu Linyi, his younger brother, should have despised him.

Yet Gu Linyi’s expression remained unruffled. He shook his head and smiled. "They’re all my friends."

"Brother..."

Pausing, he cast a meaningful glance at the group gathered near Gu Yan, as if weighing his words.

In the end, he simply said, "Have fun, brother," before turning to leave.

Gu Yan was baffled. Had he just come over to exchange pleasantries?

"Brother-in-law, who was that?"

"That... that gender-ambiguous person?"

Leng Ling'er poked Gu Yan’s side, curiosity brimming in her voice.

"What nonsense. That’s my brother, Gu Linyi."

"Our relationship is... well, neither good nor bad."

Gu Yan explained based on the original story’s context.

"Oh."

Leng Ling'er nodded, then hesitated before whispering, "Um... I don’t know why, but something about him makes me uncomfortable."

Gu Yan gave her a surprised look.

Impressive. Had hanging around martial artists so much sharpened her sixth sense?

In the original story, Gu Linyi was a character of stark contrasts—outwardly gentle and obedient, but secretly vicious.

His favorite pastime was venting his suppressed malice in dangerous situations.

Still, there was no need to share that with Leng Ling'er. Gu Yan chuckled. "You’ve got a problem with everyone."

"When we first met, you thought I was a villain too."

Leng Ling'er flushed, recalling her hostile attitude during their initial encounter.

"That—that was then! This is now! How can you still hold a grudge over something so ancient, brother-in-law?!"

"Heh. I’ll remember it for life."

"Petty!"

Leng Qingqiu tugged at Gu Yan’s sleeve. "Stop teasing Ling'er."

Her mind lingered on Gu Linyi.

Her instincts never lied—there was something dangerous about him.

She’d have to warn Gu Yan later.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the banquet hall...

"Disgusting! How dare that lowly trash get so close to Master?!"

Bai Lian, stationed as a bodyguard, glared venomously at Gu Yan’s direction, her fists clenched.

She couldn’t comprehend it. She refused to accept it.

That worthless trash, laughing and chatting with Master as if they were equals.

"Master~! You’ve sacrificed too much for the plan! Far too much!"

"If you needed to seduce a man, you should’ve left it to Bai Lian!"

She muttered under her breath.

Nearby, Murong Ci glanced toward Gu Yan’s group, itching to intervene but held back by his master’s orders.

"Hey, blockhead! Don’t you think Master’s suffering is unbearable? That trash is downright despicable!"

With no outlet for her rage, Bai Lian redirected it toward her hapless teammate.

Murong Ci glanced at Bai Lian, thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Hehe, I knew you'd be on my side!"

Bai Lian immediately brightened up. "After work, let’s call Shangguan Miaoyin and the others for a late-night snack~"

?

Murong Ci slowly typed a question mark in his mind before speaking up. "Bai Lian, we’re not actually working here. We’re just hiding in this department for the sake of the plan."

"...Ahem, I know, of course I know!"

Bai Lian froze for a second before laughing awkwardly.

Oh no, things had been so peaceful and comfortable lately that she’d accidentally slipped into the role.

No, no—she was a member of the Night Organization! All of this was just part of the plan!

[Hey everyone, I want to drink. Let’s grab a late-night snack.]

At that moment, Shangguan Miaoyin’s weak voice echoed in their minds.

Murong Ci and Bai Lian exchanged glances: "?"

...

.....

The first day’s banquet ended quickly.

The Gu Family Manor was vast, easily accommodating hundreds of guests.

However, some who didn’t consider themselves part of the Gu family politely excused themselves and stayed at the hotel arranged by the Gus.

Naturally, Gu Yan, Leng Qingqiu, and Leng Ling'er stayed at the manor without surprise—after all, Grandmother Gu had insisted on meeting her grandson’s wife.

On a small path in the manor, the Gu family strolled together to aid digestion.

Gu Tianqing, Gu Tianxiang, Gu Tianming, Gu Tianlong, and Gu Yan walked at the very back.

At the front was Grandmother Gu, flanked on her left by Leng Qingqiu and on her right by Su Murong.

Leading the group was Leng Ling'er, chattering nonstop while walking backward to banter with the others.

Gu Yingying and Ning Qian kept pace beside Leng Ling'er.

Gu Yunrou walked to Leng Qingqiu’s left.

The positions were... unmistakably clear.

Leng Qingqiu held Grandmother Gu’s arm as Leng Ling'er prattled ahead. "Grandma, let me tell you—when my brother-in-law first met my sister, he was so excited!"

"He immediately said he wanted to marry her!"

Leng Ling'er enthusiastically recounted the story of Gu Yan and Leng Qingqiu’s first meeting.

Grandmother Gu couldn’t stop laughing. "Giggle... Ling'er, give this old lady a break."

"Hehe, okay, Grandma."

Leng Qingqiu smiled faintly. "Grandma, Gu Yan is very good. It wasn’t as exaggerated as Ling'er makes it sound."

"Sis, I wasn’t exaggerating..."

Su Murong covered her mouth with a chuckle. "Ling'er, you’re so lively and pretty—you must have a lot of admirers at school, right?"

The moment those words were spoken, Leng Qingqiu maintained her smile but pricked up her ears attentively.

Gu Yingying and Ning Qian tensed up, both turning to look at Leng Ling'er.

Without hesitation, Leng Ling'er replied, "Of course! But I don’t like any of them."

"Then what kind of person do you like?"

"Hmm..."

Leng Ling'er thought for a moment before pointing at Gu Yan at the back. "Someone like my brother-in-law!"

Leng Qingqiu: "......"

Su Murong: "......"

Grandmother Gu: "........"

The air fell silent.

Gu Yan, walking behind them, twitched his lips at Leng Ling'er’s antics.

Seriously, this little sister-in-law could strike up a conversation with anyone.

Can someone explain why she has to make me sound like such a creep?

Am I a creep? No, I’m not!

Can you stop dragging me into this, you little brat? I’m keeping my mouth shut back here!

And why is the atmosphere so lively among the women while it’s so heavy over here?

Gu Yan glanced sideways at the Gu family men.

Gu Tianqing was Gu Yingying’s father and Gu Tianming’s younger brother.

Gu Tianxiang was Gu Yunrou’s father and Gu Tianming’s older brother.

Gu Tianlong was their father.

But this father wore a stern expression.

The three brothers—Gu Tianming, Gu Tianqing, and Gu Tianxiang—remained expressionless, none speaking to the others.