Chapter 11: Phoenix Man × Rich Beauty

[“I have a surgery and I really can’t make it in time. Can you go pick up Auntie and the others first?”]

Gu Yin looked at the message Bai Yue had sent and tapped his phone to reply:
[“I’ll go pick them up. You go take care of your work first.”]

He put down his phone without waiting for her response and directly instructed the system to transmit the plot.

The original host was born in a small county. His parents made a living through farming and animal husbandry. When he was still a child, his father died in an accident while working out of town.

His mother raised him, an older sister, and a younger sister with the compensation money from his father’s death.

His mother strongly favored sons over daughters. As soon as the original host’s sister reached adulthood, she was forced to marry a man with a limp so they could receive a betrothal gift. All the money from the dowry was given to the original host. His younger sister, who had just graduated high school, was also forced by their mother to leave home and work to earn money so the original host could buy a house.

The original host had a gentle and refined appearance that made him seem trustworthy, which attracted many girls once he started college.

Knowing he had no advantage in a big city like this, he carefully selected Bai Yue, whose father was a senior official in the medical sector. Initially, Bai Yue wasn’t interested in him at all—it took three years of his relentless pursuit for her to finally agree.

Once he won her over, he began using psychological manipulation tactics, constantly instilling ideas in her like “a woman should stay at home to support her husband and raise children, and selflessly dedicate everything to her husband.”

Although Bai Yue felt that something was off, she didn’t object because he treated her well.

The two had already graduated with their master’s degrees three years ago and were both working at the city’s public hospital, thanks in large part to her father’s help.

Even though the original host didn’t have much talent in medicine, he knew he needed a skill to fall back on, so he worked hard, hoping Bai Yue’s father could later arrange for him to move into an administrative role.

Today, the original host’s mother brought his sister and younger sister to visit him. Though they said it was just a visit, in truth, they’d heard that Bai Yue’s family had bought a house and came intending to take it for themselves.

Originally, the host had asked Bai Yue to pick them up, but she had a surgery observation at the last minute. When she told him she couldn’t go, he scolded her harshly until she had no choice but to skip the important observation session. At the train station, she waited over ten minutes, only to be met with sarcastic remarks from his mother.

These back-to-back grievances made Bai Yue start considering a breakup, but just then, something unexpected happened.

One of the patients Bai Yue’s professor was responsible for died suddenly due to noncompliance with preoperative instructions—eating the wrong food. The family, convinced it was a medical error, demanded a large compensation from the hospital. After being rejected, they came to seek revenge, bringing a weapon. It just so happened that Bai Yue was on duty.

The original host came to talk to Bai Yue and witnessed the scene. Facing the knife-wielding attacker, he pushed Bai Yue in front of him without hesitation.

As a result, the highly talented Bai Yue suffered severed tendons in her hand. Though she could recover basic function, she would never be able to perform surgery again.

Bai Yue fell into despair. She had loved her profession deeply, but now everything was destroyed by the original host. She decided to break up with him, but her father opposed it.

Her mother had passed away long ago. When Bai Yue was still young, her father remarried. Besides providing her money, he showed little concern for her. Not to mention, her stepmother had a daughter about the same age—Bai Jie.

Bai Jie also studied medicine. Though she wasn’t as capable as Bai Yue, she had always been jealous of her. Now that Bai Yue was injured, Bai Jie not only mocked her for being stupid, but also plotted with her mother to marry Bai Yue off to the very man who had caused her injuries.

Her father, seeing that Bai Yue could no longer bring him prestige, and that the original host’s career was advancing smoothly thanks to his “handling” of the medical dispute, claimed that it was the original host’s “life-saving push” that had spared Bai Yue’s life. Using this as justification, he forced her to marry the original host.

Bai Yue felt her life had become a joke. She no longer cared whom she married. After resigning from the hospital, she became a housewife.

The original host, having married her, no longer treated her like a goddess. He indulged in drinking and partying, and during one drunken incident, he even dropped their child. Bai Yue, who had begun to find a spark of life through their child, completely snapped and, one night, took a knife and died together with the original host.

“Main mission activated. Target to protect: Bai Yue. Side mission targets: Gu Zhaodi, Gu Lingyun.”

“There’s a side mission this time too?” Gu Yin muttered. Looks like the main mission really is something different.

Gu Zhaodi was Gu Yin’s eldest sister. From birth, she was resented for not being a boy—even her name “Zhaodi” (which literally means “Bring-a-Younger-Brother”) reflected that.

Her life was completely centered around supporting her brother. As a child, she followed their parents farming, dropping out after elementary school to work odd jobs so her brother could go to school. As an adult, she married a man she didn’t love just because her brother needed the money to study medicine.

That man often beat and scolded her. When she gave birth to a daughter, he treated her even worse. Still, Gu Zhaodi endured it all just to squeeze out some extra money for her brother. Pitiful, yet also frustrating.

Gu Lingyun was Gu Yin’s younger sister. Since a boy was already born by the time she arrived, her life was slightly better than Gu Zhaodi’s—but only slightly.

Originally, she was named Gu Pandi (“Hope-for-a-Younger-Brother”), but since their father died before another son could be born, when she asked to change her name, no one objected.

She had always fought for control over her own life. True to her new name “Lingyun” (which suggests ambition), she held lofty goals and dreamed of standing out in the world.

After coming to City A, she studied tirelessly, even saving up to take the adult college entrance exam. Her future should have been bright, but her mother kept pressuring her to hand over money for Gu Yin under the guise of filial duty. If she refused, their mother would threaten suicide right in front of her.

This exhausting family situation drained her and made her miss out on many good men.

Thinking about this frustrating family, Gu Yin sighed. He got dressed, grabbed his car keys, and prepared to pick up his mother and sisters. Before heading out, he checked his phone again—Bai Yue still hadn’t replied. She was probably still busy in surgery.

Driving smoothly, he arrived at the train station and sent a WeChat message to the only family member with a smartphone—Gu Lingyun, using an old phone he had passed down to her.

[“Where are you?”]

Not long after, Gu Lingyun replied with a location pin. Gu Yin followed it and found the three of them carrying big, heavy bags.

As soon as she saw Gu Yin, his mother was beside herself with excitement, her rough hands running all over him, slapping him affectionately as she hugged him.

“Oh, my son! You’ve gotten so skinny! Is it because your wife hasn’t taken good care of you? My poor boy! But now that Mama’s here, everything will be fine. I’ll cook you delicious food every day and make you plump and healthy again.”

Gu Yin felt like he was about to cough up blood from all her slaps. Just as he was about to push her away, she let go and turned to scold Gu Zhaodi harshly.

“You useless girl! Can’t you even greet your brother properly? Good for nothing! Still haven’t grabbed the luggage? What—do you expect your brother to carry it?”

Gu Zhaodi nodded timidly, but Gu Lingyun couldn’t stand it and helped carry some of the bags from her sister. As she passed Gu Yin, she deliberately huffed, only to be scolded by their mother again.

Looking at the stubborn little girl, Gu Yin smiled. He calmed their mother down and reached out to take the luggage from Gu Zhaodi.

“Let me do it. You’ve all traveled a long way and must be tired. We’ll find somewhere to settle down and get some food.”

“Settle down where? Don’t you have a house? We’ll just stay at your place. Why waste money? We can sleep on the living room floor—it won’t take up much space.”

Gu Mother had long treated Bai Yue’s house as her own and planned to claim it as such.

Gu Yin acted troubled. “That house was bought by Bai Yue’s father. If he finds out I’ve moved the whole family in, he’ll definitely be upset. That could ruin my future at the hospital.”

The moment his mother heard that it could impact her son’s career, she dropped the issue—though not without muttering as she walked:

“Damn capitalists. I knew city folks were all heartless. They make so much money and still won’t give my son a dime. So stingy!”

Gu Yin arranged for them to stay at a hotel near the hospital and sent Bai Yue a message:

[“Finished your surgery yet? I’ve taken care of everything with my mom, so don’t worry. I’ll be home late tonight—don’t wait up, get some rest.”]

A while later, Bai Yue replied: [“Okay.”]

Gu Yin sighed. Looks like there’s quite a bit of tension between them. He would have to slowly work to make up for it later. For now, he still had to deal with his family.

He secretly called Gu Lingyun aside. “Lingyun, why did Mom come here this time? And why did you two come along? Don’t you have school? And what about Sis—Yaya is still so young. Isn’t it a problem for her to come here?”

Gu Lingyun rolled her eyes hard. She didn’t hate this brother, but she didn’t like him much either. After all, he was the one who benefitted from everything—who would like someone who took what was rightfully theirs?

“Mom sold the house and land back home. Said she wants to use the money to buy you a house. As for me, I just finished my college entrance exams and the results aren’t out yet. But Mom doesn’t plan to let me go to college anyway.”

She raised her head and glared at Gu Yin. “She wants me to work and earn money for you. Brother-in-law always beats Sis—last time he even hit Yaya. Sis came back home to hide for a while, but then Mom decided to come here. Seeing she had such a good laborer at hand, of course she couldn’t waste it. So she sent Yaya back to her dad and brought Sis here instead.”

Gu Yin looked at the little girl and patted her head. “How do you think you did on the exam? Do you think you can get in?”

“Why do you care? Even if I get in, I won’t be able to go.” Gu Lingyun kicked her shoe and sneered. That’s just how her family was—what could she expect?

Gu Yin patted her head again and casually said, “A while back, I was telling your sister-in-law that if you could get into a university in City A, you could come here. She even said she’d help sponsor your studies.”

“Really? Sister-in-law is that nice?” Gu Lingyun’s eyes lit up. Was this her chance?

“Sister-in-law’s great. So I guess I’m not?” Gu Yin pretended to pout.

“You’re great too, Brother!” Gu Lingyun grinned widely, finally showing the bright spirit of youth.

“You flatterer! Once your results are out, your sister-in-law and I will help you choose a school. I’ll talk to Mom—don’t worry, just go to college. You’re too young to be working. You’ll have plenty of chances later.”

“Long live Brother!” Gu Lingyun was overjoyed.

That evening, Gu Yin took his mother and sisters to a famous local restaurant. At dinner, their mother grumbled, “Why didn’t your wife come? Is she so busy that she can’t even spare a minute to see her mother-in-law?”

Gu Yin feigned annoyance. “Mom, what are you saying? Bai Yue and I are both doctors. That’s just how our jobs are. You can’t expect us to ignore our patients just to see you. You have to understand. Otherwise, when I have surgery, will you complain about me too?”

His mother pouted. “Tch! So now I can’t say anything about your wife? Raising you was a waste.”

Gu Yin quickly changed the subject, pretending to be clueless. “Mom, how long are you planning to stay this time? Should I take a few days off and take you sightseeing?”

“Time off? What for? I’m not planning to leave. I already sold the house and land back home.”

“You sold everything?” Gu Yin pretended to be shocked and wiped his forehead. “Mom, what are you trying to do?”

Gu Lingyun was stunned by her brother’s dramatic flair. Looks like she still had a lot to learn—if she had even half his acting skills, she could’ve fooled their mom a hundred times over.

“What am I doing? You and Bai Yue have been together long enough, it’s almost time to get married. Of course I’m here to help take care of the baby…”