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Even though Gu Yanzhe knew that Su Yu treated Wang Jinhe well and doted on her, he still believed that they were the closest people to her and that things shouldn’t be this way. That’s why he had been waiting here all along. He hadn’t considered anything else, and he hadn’t cared about the gatekeeper’s remarks about tarnishing Wang Jinhe’s reputation. He only felt that he was Jinhe’s brother, and there was no question of tarnishing her reputation.
Now, being spoken to by Su Yu in such a manner made him feel powerless and inadequate.
“Gu Yanzhe, you always act on your own assumptions without considering the consequences. I’ll let you off this time, but if there’s a next time, you’ll be finished.”
“What’s wrong, Su Yu?” Wang Jinhe, accompanied by her maid, returned from outside and was surprised to see so many people gathered at the door.
Upon hearing Wang Jinhe’s voice, Gu Yanzhe became somewhat agitated and tried to approach her, but Su Yu stopped him.
Su Yu walked over, put his arm around Wang Jinhe’s shoulder, and gestured for her not to look at the people nearby. As they passed by Gu Yanzhe, he was about to speak, but Su Yu pressed a pressure point, rendering him speechless.
“What did you buy?”
“I went to buy some fabric to make winter clothes for our family.”
The capital was too cold, and she needed to make warm clothes out of cotton.
“Alright, let’s go back.”
“Okay.”
Su Yu and Wang Jinhe returned, and before leaving, Su Yu gave Gu Yanzhe a warning glance.
At the door, Su Yu instructed, “Yuan Xu, take Master Gu back.”
“Yes.”
Yuan Xu led the way, taking Gu Yanzhe back. On the way, Yuan Xu released the pressure point on Gu Yanzhe.
“Master Gu, regardless of your relationship with our lady, you shouldn’t have said those things. No one knows that you are the lady’s brother, and even if you were to say it, no one would believe you. Gu Xiruo and your parents have repeatedly tried to take the lady’s life. If you truly care for her, you wouldn’t have done what you did.”
“Think about it when you get back. Your absence from the lady’s side is the greatest compensation for her. The lady has her own parents and grandparents, as well as her own brothers. And that person is not you. If you act in the same way again, the young master won’t let you off.” Yuan Xu spoke up.
“I won’t give up.”
Yuan Xu frowned as he watched Gu Yanzhe. He was displeased with his actions and wondered if he was just unable to understand reason.
“Considering your blood relation to the lady, the young master is letting you off today. But if there’s a next time, the young master’s words will match his actions.”
“Lastly, I’ll remind you that the lady is thoroughly disappointed in your family. You can’t become a family again.”
Gu Yanzhe angrily retorted, “Shut up. None of this is true. Stop spreading rumors. Did Su Yu poison Jinhe’s mind against me?”
Yuan Xu’s expression turned cold for a moment as he furrowed his brow. “Master Gu, watch your words. Our lord is not someone you can address so casually.”
“You’ve met the lady, so you should know what kind of person she is.”
With that, Yuan Xu turned and walked away, paying no further attention to Gu Yanzhe.
As he watched Yuan Xu leave, Gu Yanzhe felt despondent. He knew he had been in the wrong today and hadn’t considered Wang Jinhe’s feelings. He vowed not to act this way again in the future. As for Yuan Xu’s words, Gu Yanzhe didn’t take them to heart.
After returning home, Wang Jinhe dismissed her maid and asked, “What happened earlier?”
The person seemed somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him.
“It was Gu Yanzhe. He wanted to see you, but I didn’t let him,” Su Yu explained the situation at the door to Wang Jinhe, who turned visibly grim after hearing it.
“Is he implying that I’m living too well?” Wang Jinhe’s expression darkened.
Just as Su Yu had mentioned, Gu Yanzhe had never considered how his actions might cause trouble for her.
“He probably thinks that since you’re siblings, there’s no need to consider these things. But he hasn’t thought about how others outside might not know this, and his parents might not acknowledge your relationship. If Gu Sheng and his wife come out and say they don’t know you and that you have no relation to the Gu family, your reputation will be completely ruined.” This was why he had silenced Gu Yanzhe earlier.
Wang Jinhe wholeheartedly agreed with Su Yu’s assessment. Gu Yanzhe only thought about himself and never considered her.
“I really don’t get along with Gu Sheng and his family. Nothing good ever comes from dealing with them,” Wang Jinhe didn’t believe that Gu Yanzhe truly cared for her as a sister, especially considering that they had spent less than a month together during their childhood.
She believed that his current actions were driven more by guilt than genuine affection. Guilt and affection were present, but it was mostly a matter of self-interest.
Gu Yanzhe was a businessman, well aware of the wealth he held. He knew that as long as their relationship was good, some of her resources would inevitably end up in his hands.
“Aren’t you upset?” Su Yu asked Wang Jinhe, surprised by her apparent lack of concern.
“Overall, I have quite a few ‘brothers.’ I have one in my family, two in yours, and even the emperor can be considered a brother. I don’t really care for another ‘brother’ causing trouble,” Wang Jinhe replied, indicating that having a brother like Gu Yanzhe was not important to her.
Su Yu was amused by Wang Jinhe’s response. “You’re right. Besides those ‘brothers,’ you also have me.”
“So I don’t really care about this.”
“Moreover, the Gu family is too complicated and has been on the decline. If the other members of the Gu family were to find out about my identity, and if I had a good relationship with Gu Yanzhe, it would bring endless trouble,” Wang Jinhe explained. Since meeting Gu Yanzhe, she had completely lost hope in the Gu family.
With that disappointment came a sense of letting go. It seemed fine for Gu Xiruo to stay in the Gu family and enjoy their affection.
“It seems like you’ve thought this through,” Su Yu couldn’t help but smile.
With a disdainful glance at Su Yu, Wang Jinhe retorted, “I’m not stupid.”
It was such a simple and straightforward matter, so why even ask?
Su Yu had initially intended to remind Wang Jinhe, but it seemed unnecessary now. She had already made up her mind.
Leaning on her chin, Wang Jinhe furrowed her brow and said, “I made myself perfectly clear earlier. Why does it seem like he didn’t understand?”
Su Yu reached out and squeezed Wang Jinhe’s hand, smiling as she spoke, “Just as I told you, you know how much wealth you hold. Once you return to the Gu family, they will undoubtedly want you to share these resources.”
With the Gu family’s decline, they wouldn’t miss such an opportunity, would they?
Wang Jinhe’s expression turned grim as she furrowed her brow. “They have such huge appetites. Aren’t they afraid of overreaching?”
Her sentiments echoed Su Yu’s; the people of the Gu family were truly capable of shameless acts.
“The more I learn about the Gu family, the less I like them. From Zhizhi’s maternal family to Gu Xiruo’s family, they are all unpleasant,” Wang Jinhe expressed her disdain.
It seemed as though they had some deep-seated grudge against the Gu family from a past life, given the number of peculiar individuals with the Gu surname they had encountered in this lifetime.