The opportunity arose at the gathering in the Gu Family Manor...

The second day of the Gu Family gathering came to an end.

Guests exchanged farewells as they departed the banquet venue.

At the entrance.

"Goodbye, Young Master Linyi."

"Mhm."

"Ugh, Young Master Linyi is so adorable!"

Gu Linyi responded to each greeting with a polite smile and nod.

Yet, once everyone had left,

his smile gradually faded, replaced by an overwhelming irritation.

He took a deep breath, his eyes filled with unmistakable disgust. "A swarm of flies buzzing around me nonstop."

"Disgusting."

Behind him, his bodyguard Qiu Feng hesitated, glancing around before whispering cautiously, "Young... Young Master... we're still on the Manor grounds..."

Gu Linyi scoffed. "I know. And also—"

He turned his head, shooting her an exasperated look. "Didn’t you say my brother Gu Yan and that Leng Family’s eldest daughter already had a kid old enough to run errands?"

"Uh... haha... well, that’s just what I heard..."

Qiu Feng laughed awkwardly. But the mention of Gu Yan and Leng Qingqiu piqued her interest.

As a nearly 30-year-old single woman who’d never been in a relationship, she couldn’t help but gush. "But Young Master Gu Yan seems so much more mature now compared to before! He’s got this whole new charm! And Leng Qingqiu—wow, she really lives up to her reputation as the 'Goddess' back in the day. So stunning!"

"Ughhh—even my fellow bodyguard sisters have partners now. When will it be my turn to get married...?"

Her excitement quickly devolved into self-pity.

Gu Linyi sighed. "Hey, open the door for me."

"Huh? Young Master, you’re going again? But this is Jianghai..."

"Just do your job and don’t ask questions."

"...Fine."

Qiu Feng didn’t dare disobey. She knew all too well how quickly her young master’s mood could shift.

She approached a section of the wall, placing both hands against it.

A low hum resonated as her qi surged.

"Open!"

With a soft thud, a wooden door materialized seamlessly within the wall.

Gu Linyi stepped through. "Come back for me in an hour."

"Got it."

......

The Jianghai Festival, spanning over ten days, was in full swing.

By night, most streets transformed into bustling markets lined with food stalls and vendors.

Gu Linyi wandered through the crowds, his expression bored and indifferent.

So dull.

Jianghai was always like this—utterly lifeless.

It wasn’t always this way, though...

His mind drifted to the past.

It all started during a gathering at the Gu Family Manor.

Back then, his parents had drilled into him the importance of being the perfect, obedient child—always smiling, always polite, always charming.

Every gesture, every word had to be calculated to please.

Unsurprisingly, he became his grandparents’ favorite.

His father pushed him to leverage that favor to secure the family’s leadership.

But...

He wasn’t happy. He refused to let his life be dictated like this.

The mounting pressure festered inside him, breeding an unshakable rage.

He needed an outlet—a way to vent just to maintain his flawless facade.

Then, one day, Gu Yan approached him.

He extended a hand and asked if he was tired from the gathering.

"Do you want to sneak out with me?"

For reasons he couldn’t explain, Gu Linyi agreed.

That day, he experienced something new—happiness.

He thought things would stay that way.

But as they grew older, rumors spread—Gu Yan had become someone’s lapdog.

The betrayal shattered him.

Now, walking the same streets from his childhood, Gu Linyi felt nothing.

Because the Gu Yan he once knew was gone.

Thud!

"Tch! You brat, are you blind?!"

Snapped back to reality, Gu Linyi realized he’d bumped into someone.

He looked up to see a group of men, one of whom was glaring at him furiously.

Not in the mood for conflict today, Gu Linyi offered a polite apology. "Sorry, I was lost in thought. My apologies, sir."

"Hah? You think a half-assed sorry cuts it?"

"You have any idea how much time you just wasted for me?"

Gu Linyi kept his smile intact. "How much would that be? Should I compensate you?"

The man exchanged glances with his companions before grinning. "Hey, this kid’s loaded."

"Give us 100k, and we’ll let it slide."

"100k? I have it, but..."

Gu Linyi tilted his head innocently. "People like you don’t seem worth that much."

The man’s face twisted in fury. "You little—!"

His fist swung toward Gu Linyi.

So slow...

Gu Linyi watched the punch crawl toward him, unimpressed.

Adults are always like this—only daring to raise their fists against the weaker ones.

What a hassle... Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to show a little strength here.

Just as the thought crossed his mind—

"Hey."

Bang!

A cold voice cut through the air.

At the same time,

a hand firmly caught the incoming fist.

Gu Linyi froze.

He looked up at the sound.

Instantly, his eyes widened in shock.

There,

standing behind him, were Gu Yan and Leng Qingqiu, the former wearing his mask tilted slightly to the side.

Gu Yan’s icy gaze fixed on the group before him, an invisible pressure radiating from him as he spoke in a chilling tone, "What do you think you’re doing to my little brother?"

"Uh—!"

"Let’s get out of here! This guy looks dangerous!"

"You’ll regret this!"

The group scattered in a panic.

Gu Yan’s lips twitched in exasperation. Why did he have to deal with such cliché villain dialogue?

Leng Qingqiu handed him the takoyaki she was holding. "Here."

Taking it, Gu Yan looked down at Gu Linyi, placing a hand on the boy’s head before skewering a piece of the snack and offering it to him. "Hey, kid. Shouldn’t you be at the Gu Family Manor? What are you doing sneaking out?"

Gu Linyi didn’t resist his brother’s gesture. He glanced up at Gu Yan, then at Leng Qingqiu.

With a deadpan expression, he replied, "You’re one to talk, sneaking out with Sister Qingqiu for a date."

"Cough. The gathering was boring. Don’t tell Grandmother or the others."

"Same here..."

Gu Linyi met Gu Yan’s eyes seriously. "Then don’t tell Grandfather or Grandmother I ran off either."

"Fine, fine. Consider it a deal between us."

"Okay."

With those brief words, Gu Linyi took the takoyaki, glancing once more between Gu Yan and Leng Qingqiu.

Finally, a faint smile touched his lips. "Brother, I’ll head back now. You two enjoy your time."

"Can you manage alone?"

"I’m not a child anymore."

"Oh, good. That means your sister-in-law and I can finally have some alone time."

Leng Qingqiu’s face flushed, and she tugged at his sleeve.

Gu Linyi sighed. "Brother, do you have to say things like that in front of the person involved...?"

......

......

Watching the two walk away,

Gu Linyi’s expression softened with relief.

As long as his brother was truly happy, that was enough.

He took a bite of the takoyaki and turned toward the Gu Family Manor.

Well, he felt a little better now. Time to go back.

With the small incident over,

Leng Qingqiu suddenly spoke up as they strolled down the path. "Gu Yan, you seem to get along well with your siblings."

"It’s nothing like the rumors say about your family being divided."

"Really?"

"Yes... Never mind. Men are so oblivious."

"?"