In the Gu family, Gu Xian’s abilities were far more formidable than his father and mother’s, and his influence in the household was much greater.

When he returned home, Gu Xian found his parents, Father Gu and Mother Gu having dinner with Gu Xuezheng. At the dinner table, the couple was doting on their biological daughter, the one they had just found. However, when Gu Xian noticed that one person was missing from the table, his brows furrowed immediately.

Gu Xuezhen also quickly wiped the smile off her face. She felt a deep sense of fear when facing her brother who was always calm and collected. He was nothing like the naive, sweet Gu Yingying. Unlike the warm reception her parents had shown her return, Gu Xian gave no such indication of welcoming her.

“Where’s Yingying?”

Gu Xian asked, his voice laced with displeasure causing both Father Gu and Mother Gu to frown. Mother Gu unable to hold back, complained immediately.

“Who knows where she’s gone? It’s already so late, and it’s almost dark. She doesn’t even come home. I think she must know she’s not really one of us anymore, so she doesn’t even want to come back.”

Thinking of the suffering her daughter endured all those years at the Yu family’s house, Mother Gu found it hard to have any affection for Gu Yingying. Especially when she remembered how she had spoiled Gu Yingying like a little princess while her own daughter was treated cruelly by her parents. The thought disgusted her.

“She hasn’t come back?” Gu Xian’s voice immediately turned cold, his dark eyes narrowing as he stared at Gu Xuezheng’s face, his gaze as sharp as a blade.

Gu Xuezhen felt a wave of discomfort as though sitting on pins and needles as she forced out a smile and said.

“I didn’t see her when I left school. We’re not in the same class, and Xiao Wang waited by the door for half an hour but didn’t see her either. Maybe she wen out to hang out with her friends.”

Gu Xian’s gaze remained cold and unfeeling as it landed on Gu Xuezheng’s face, and he didn’t say a word. The atmosphere at the dinner table immediately grew heavy, causing Mother Gu to feel a surge of injustice for her daughter. She slammed her palm onto the table and shot a fierce glare at her son.

“Gu Xian! Don’t look at your own sister like that! You should know that Xuezheng is your real sister, born of the same mother, while Gu Yingying is just an outsider who’s taken your sister’s place for all these years! What are you doing now? Questioning your real sister for the sake of an outsider? I’ve already spoken with your father, and now that the truth is out and your real sister is back home, that fake one has no right to stay in the Gu family. Why should we raise someone else’s daughter? The Yu family will come to take Yingying away in the next couple of days. She can take whatever we bought for her, and that will be the end of it. We’ve already been more than generous with her. This has been reported to your grandfather, and he agrees with it.”

Mother Gu held her frightened daughter tightly, unable to understand why her son was so attached to that imposter. Clearly, their real daughter, Xuezheng was the one who deserved sympathy. As a young girl, she had been mistreated by the Yu family, working tirelessly to support them while struggling with the hardships of daily life. It was pitiful.

This decision had been made by Father Gu and Mother Gu behind their son’s back. They knew that Gu Xian favored the imposter, but they couldn’t allow their real daughter to suffer. That’s why they had planned to strike decisively, pulling out all stops by involving Old Master Gu to put pressure on Gu Xian.

“That’s right.” Father Gu spoke up, hoping to steer his son in the right direction. “Gu Xian, you and Xuezheng are the real siblings.”

Mother Gu nodded, adding to the sentiment, hoping their son would understand and stop siding with the imposter.

Gu Xian stood there, staring at the scene before him—the seemingly happy family of Father Gu, Mother Gu, and Gu Xuezheng—but he didn’t respond. He turned on his heel and left, not even pausing when his parents called after him. Without a word, he walked out of the Gu family mansion.

Meanwhile, at the Love Pet Shop, Gu Yingying was having a pleasant conversation with Ji Ran. The two were discussing pets, exchanging words without much awkwardness, until Gu Yingying’s phone suddenly rang.

She looked at the caller ID—”Brother.”

Of course, this wasn’t her biological brother, but Gu Xian, the one from the Gu family.

The man who, in the end, had “kept” the original owner in the novel—a complete creep!

She almost hit the decline button but remembered that there were still matters to handle with the Gu family. Gu Yingying smiled apologetically at Ji Ran, excused herself, and moved to a quieter spot to answer the call.

“Hello?”

Gu Yingying answered the phone first, and then she heard Gu Xian’s cold, detached voice on the other end.

“Where are you? I’ll come pick you up.”

He seemed indifferent to everyone which was why Gu Yingying, while reading the novel, had been so disturbed to discover that this man, who was always serious and unsmiling, had ended up supporting and living with his “sister” for years before abandoning the story out of frustration.

Even if they weren’t biological siblings, they had lived as siblings for sixteen years. How could he just suddenly say he loved her?

Gu Yingying couldn’t accept it.

“I’ll go back on my own.”

She said this without even calling him “brother,” hastily ending the call.

She didn’t like creeps. Just because someone liked her didn’t mean they could start treating her like their possession. It was toxic!

In the car, Gu Xian stared at his phone, his face darkening as he gripped it so tightly his knuckles turned white. The driver, sitting in front, dared not even breathe, the atmosphere inside the car growing eerily tense.

When Gu Yingying finished her phone call and returned, she was handed an album by Ji Ran.

“I’m heading back now, but I want to give you this album. Thank you for chatting with me today. I was feeling down, but meeting you really made me happy.”

Ji Ran smiled warmly as he handed over the album. It had just been delivered by his assistant. He had come here in a bad mood, but now, after meeting her, he felt much better.

“I’m happy too.” Gu Yingying said, her voice soft. “Um… can I have your contact information? If you’re ever feeling down, you can call me.”

After finding out that Ji Ran was a celebrity, Gu Yingying felt a little hesitant to ask for his contact info, but she didn’t know when she’d have another chance to see him. Her brown eyes were filled with nervousness as she made the request.

Ji Ran was taken aback. The distance between a celebrity and their fan wasn’t just a formality, especially for rational fans who kept their distance. He had never been asked for his contact information by a fan before.

But looking at the shy, nervous girl in front of him, he found he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

In the end, Ji Ran’s assistant watched in disbelief as the “bad-tempered” Ji Ran gave his personal number to the girl and even added her on WeChat. Was this… his way of flirting?

“Alright, I’m leaving now. If you need anything, we can chat on WeChat. If I don’t reply right away, it’s just because I’m busy with work.” Ji Ran couldn’t resist patting Gu Yingying’s head before he left, just like he had with Caesar. It was the first time he had been so close to a girl.

“Mm-hmm.” Gu Yingying nodded happily, thinking to herself that now, with Ji Ran’s contact information, she could finally tell him her true identity.

They said their goodbyes, and Ji Ran put on his mask and cap, leaving under the cover of his assistant. Gu Yingying then hailed a ride back to the Gu family home…

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