Gu Xiao gasped sharply after hearing this. “Are you sure?!”
“Not… not entirely sure.”
“Then go make sure!” Gu Xiao growled. How is this possible! Where did Gu Wan’er get the money from? Who would dare lend her money?
After hanging up, Gu Xiao thought about calling Gu Yuanli. But it was so late at night, and if he called just to deliver bad news, he’d probably be the one to suffer.
What should he do? Gu Wan’er had actually managed to get her hands on the money. If he’d known this would happen, he never should have let her touch the company’s books.
So Gu Xiao just stood there on the balcony, waiting as the dark night slowly turned to dawn, and then immediately dialed Gu Yuanli’s number.
“Hello.” Gu Yuanli’s voice was clear and sharp. His habit of running in the morning was unshakable—no matter how late he went to bed, he always went for his morning run.
In Gu Yuanli’s own words, only a morning run could calm his mind and help him think through problems most clearly.
“Second Young Master, I just received some unconfirmed news: the Eldest Young Lady might be signing the contract today.”
Gu Yuanli paused for a moment on the other end of the line, then chuckled. “So, have you prepared your resignation letter yet?”
Gu Xiao’s hand trembled, and he nearly dropped his phone. “Second Young Master, please give me one more chance. Oh, and there’s another piece of news—the man’s name is Yu Xiaoduo. He doesn’t have much of a background, but he is the Eldest Young Lady’s boyfriend. He even spent the night at the villa yesterday. Clearly, their relationship is anything but ordinary.”
“Oh, my dear little sister. Instead of marrying some rich young heir, she just has to fall for some low-key guy like she’s in a TV drama. How amusing, hahaha…” Gu Yuanli burst out laughing. This was way more interesting than signing any contract.
Gu Xiao didn’t dare laugh at all. The direct heirs could mess with each other all they wanted, but if a branch family member so much as said one bad thing about a direct heir, the mood would turn sour in an instant.
But before long, Gu Yuanli’s laughter turned into heavy breathing, as if running had become a bit strenuous. “Well, since she has a boyfriend now, consider it a big brother’s gift to her.”
“Second Young Master, are we not going to stop it?”
But Gu Yuanli had already hung up. He slowly stopped running and caught his breath. There was protective gear strapped around his waist, and a rope trailed behind him, tugging at another person. This was how Gu Yuanli did weighted running—not with a tire, but with a person.
The middle-aged man’s mouth and limbs were wrapped in layers of duct tape. As he was dragged along, his head kept bumping against the ground, drawing blood. It was a gruesome sight.
“Old Mo, you’ve put on weight again this year,” Gu Yuanli said as he removed the waist gear and gestured to one of his bodyguards, who immediately handed over a large golf club.
“Mmpphh!!!” The man’s eyes were full of terror as he struggled wildly, flopping around like a salted fish.
Gu Yuanli took out a white handkerchief and wiped down the club, speaking with a smile. “Looks like Xiao Yu paid you way too much. Just look at how fat you’ve gotten.”
Then, with a sharp whistle, the club swung through the air. There was no sound upon impact, but the man curled up like a boiled shrimp, and his pants were instantly soaked.
After a few swings, the club was stained red. The middle-aged man had passed out, and it seemed even his bowels had let go.
Tossing the club aside, Gu Yuanli dialed a number and then grinned. “Brother Xiao, still not awake yet?”
“Brother Gu, you’ve got great energy. I’m not as young as I used to be.”
“Hehehe, but you’re still the impressive one, Brother Xiao.”
“You flatter me. Don’t be too upset now, Brother Gu.” The man on the phone laughed loudly, his tone dripping with mockery.
Gu Yuanli’s expression wasn’t great. “I was actually pretty angry before. But then my sister suddenly found a boyfriend, and now I feel completely relieved.”
Sure enough, the line went dead silent.
“Which sister are you talking about?”
“Why, sister Wan’er, of course! Hahaha. I really can’t wait to meet my new brother-in-law and see what tricks he used to steal my sister away. Especially since even you, the eldest son of the Xiao family, didn’t succeed. Tsk tsk tsk. Gotta go.” With that, Gu Yuanli hung up, and the smile instantly vanished from his face.
Damn it! He’d been played for a fool!
On a luxurious king-size bed lay a strikingly handsome man. His muscles could rival my bro Yu’s—well-defined and sharp. This was Xiao Yu: talented, dashing, and loaded with money.
He had been in a pretty good mood, but the moment Gu Yuanli mentioned that Wan’er had a boyfriend, his good mood evaporated.
Xiao Yu got out of bed and walked to the window. Outside, a thin layer of mist made it feel like living in a fairyland. He quickly made a call to find out if this was really true.
“Hello? What do you want this early in the morning?” A lazy, grumpy voice answered.
“Luan’er, let me ask you something. Did you know Wan’er has a boyfriend?”
The girl’s voice grew increasingly impatient, heavy with morning crankiness. “How would I know?”
“Aren’t you two best friends? Don’t you talk about things like this?”
“Which one of your eyes saw us as best friends?”
Xiao Yu chuckled softly and spoke in a coaxing tone. “Luan’er, do your big brother a favor. Try to find out discreetly.”
“You still haven’t given up? You’ve got so many women. Why does she have to be my sister-in-law?”
“The group is short on hands lately, and I was thinking…”
Before he could finish, Xiao Luan cut him off. “I’ll be performing in Longhai City early next month. I’ll ask around for you then.”
“You’re the best sister ever. I’ll wait for your good news.”
“Heh.”
On the other side, Gu Wan’er had gotten up bright and early, too excited to sleep. She even dragged the still-sleeping Yu Xiaoduo out of bed.
In the garden, Gu Wan’er was wearing yoga wear, and the curve of her backside was absolutely mouthwatering. But my bro Yu grumbled and complained, “Gu Wan’er, are you sick? Look what time it is! I, Yu Xiaoduo, haven’t woken up this early in ten years!”
“Exercising early is good for you. That way, Auntie won’t have to brew you goji berry tea.” Gu Wan’er struck a difficult pose while continuing to lecture him.
Yu Xiaoduo had nothing left to say. He turned and walked into the living room, then collapsed like a dead body on the sofa.
Watching him lie there lifeless, Gu Wan’er let out a soft sigh. This guy was hopeless.
He didn’t know how long he’d slept, but Yu Xiaoduo was eventually lured awake by a delicious aroma. It wasn’t the scent of a woman’s perfume, but the kind of fragrance that made your taste buds sing with joy.
There was Gu Wan’er, wearing an apron, in the kitchen. Yu Xiaoduo walked over to take a look. “What are you stir-frying?”
Startled by his sudden appearance, Gu Wan’er stomped on his foot. “Do you have to walk around without making any noise?”
“Let me have a taste.”
Gu Wan’er swatted his hand away. “What’s the hurry? This is the minced meat topping for noodles.”
“Not bad at all.” Looking at the big pot full of sliced meat, his appetite immediately kicked in.
Then he remembered something and reminded her, “Once we get things settled today, let’s invite Sister Bai over for a meal this weekend. But you’re the one doing the cooking.”
“I’m cooking?”
“Yeah. You think she lent you two billion for nothing? Don’t worry, I have a pretty good idea of what Sister Bai likes to eat.”
Gu Wan’er looked troubled. “But what if what I make doesn’t taste good?”
