Noticing Lin Ting’s intense gaze, Xu Shisan deliberately picked up the bottle of Wahaha on the table, took a big sip while giving Lin Ting a provoking look, as if teasing a child.

Lin Ting pretended not to notice, but squatted down to help pack the items.

Gu Xingzhao immediately stopped him: “Xiao Ting, let me handle this. You go sit on the couch.”

Since she said so, Lin Ting had no choice but to sit aside, watching them.

Afraid that Lin Ting might discover the true nature of the items in the boxes, Gu Xingzhao sped up the packing process, hurriedly filling the boxes and giving Xu Shisan a look that clearly urged him to leave quickly.

Others might not know where these antiques came from, perhaps assuming they were heirlooms passed down in her family. But Lin Ting had grown up with her and knew exactly what was in her house. If he found out, he would certainly become suspicious.

The two made several trips up and down the stairs, loading all the boxes into Xu Shisan’s car. When only the last box remained, Gu Xingzhao decided not to accompany him downstairs this time.

As Xu Shisan carried the box, he smiled and asked, “I’m so thirsty. Could I have another drink before I go?”

Hearing this, Lin Ting’s entire body tensed up, his fists clenched tightly, veins bulging.

Gu Xingzhao casually grabbed another bottle of Wahaha from the fridge and handed it to him. After all, he was paying her a significant sum—she could at least afford to give him a drink.

With a cheerful smile, she saw Xu Shisan off: “Take care.”

Xu Shisan left, swaggering out under Lin Ting’s watchful eyes. As he did, he glanced back and noticed the hostility in Lin Ting’s gaze. It all became clear to him.

“So, he likes Gu Xingzhao,” Xu Shisan thought. “Though he looks young and calls her ‘sister’ all the time, he’s got some pretty wild thoughts.”

But from Gu Xingzhao’s behavior, it was clear she hadn’t noticed his feelings at all—she still treated him as nothing more than a little brother.

Xu Shisan smiled knowingly. “This kid is too young, too timid to confess his feelings. He’s probably destined to harbor an unrequited crush.”

After Xu Shisan left, Lin Ting couldn’t hold back any longer. He didn’t believe the “antique dealer” story, especially since the guy was clearly after something. He followed Gu Xingzhao into the kitchen and asked, “Sister, was that your boyfriend?”

Gu Xingzhao was surprised. “Why would you ask that?”

Lin Ting feigned concern. “You’ve never brought a friend home before.”

“Not a woman, let alone a man.”

Although he didn’t want to admit it, the man was indeed good-looking, likely older than him, and clearly close to his sister. Gu Xingzhao even lied about him being a junk collector and gave him the drink that was meant only for him.

He felt his position was under threat.

Gu Xingzhao laughed. “Boyfriend? No, he just came to collect some second-hand stuff. I’m planning to expand the store, so I decided to sell off some of the things at home.”

But Lin Ting wasn’t so easily fooled. Someone driving a car worth over seven million yuan wouldn’t be interested in second-hand goods.

Seeing that Gu Xingzhao didn’t want to say more, he didn’t press further about Xu Shisan. Instead, he asked, “Sister, will you ever get a boyfriend?”

Gu Xingzhao looked at him curiously for a long time. “Why so many questions today?”

He usually wasn’t this talkative, especially not about her love life.

Lin Ting’s heart skipped a beat, afraid she might see through his thoughts. He forced himself to stay calm and explained, “It’s just that I’ve never seen you bring a male friend home before, and I’m worried you might get tricked.”

Gu Xingzhao didn’t think much of it and believed him. She patted his shoulder reassuringly, “Don’t worry, I’m too smart to be fooled by any man.”

And even if I do get fooled, it’ll only be for money.

Lin Ting stared at her for a moment longer, realizing she truly didn’t seem to have any feelings for Xu Shisan. Only then did he relax and follow her back to the living room to sit down.

Gu Xingzhao smiled, picking up the bag on the coffee table. “What’s this?”

She pulled out two pieces of clothing. The style seemed fine, but the material was a bit cheap. She glanced at the label and fell silent—it was a designer brand.

She remembered this brand was quite expensive, and nothing on its official website was priced below five figures.

Had Lin Ting been scammed?

Gently, she asked, “Xiao Ting, where did you get this?”

Lin Ting pulled out his phone and handed it to her, his voice steady. “My friend’s parents bought it from an online live-stream sale. Turns out it’s fake, and now the customers are preparing to file a lawsuit for compensation. I was worried it might affect you, so I brought it here to show you.”

Gu Xingzhao was confused. How could this affect me?

Taking the phone, she saw that the live-stream account was listed under the name: Gu Shun, internet celebrity, Gu Xingzhao’s brother.

She immediately opened the video, and the person hosting the sale was none other than the man who had accompanied Gu Chengzhang when he came to her house recently—Guan Shun.

The comments were full of people accusing the host of selling counterfeit goods, and half of them were also blaming her, saying they bought the items because they liked her, only to be scammed.

Some even referenced the earlier incident with Lei Ping, saying it was lucky they stayed neutral, as the truth had finally come out.

Others expressed regret for supporting her, claiming it was the quickest fall from grace they had ever seen.

Reading through the comments, Gu Xingzhao felt a headache coming on. I didn’t even say a word, and you’re already claiming to be my fans? Now I’ve ‘fallen from grace’ too?

What a ridiculous, unjust smear on her reputation.

That family truly had no shame.

Lin Ting, seeing her expression, felt worried that she might be upset. After all, who would have thought that Gu Chengzhang’s family would shamelessly exploit their connection to her for profit, selling fake goods under her name?

“I heard even the brand itself is preparing to file a lawsuit.”

“This can all be solved by a simple online statement. After all, you have nothing to do with Guan Shun.”

Gu Xingzhao handed the phone back to Lin Ting. “It’s not a big deal. I’ll register an account and take care of it.”
Seeing her unbothered and calm, Lin Ting felt reassured. “Alright, Sister. I’ll head home to do my packing. Let me know if you need anything.”

Gu Xingzhao walked him downstairs. “I’ll drive you to school tomorrow. No need to take the bus.”

Lin Ting had already secured a spot at university, but he still needed to return for a competition where the school hoped he would represent them.

Surprised that she offered to take him, Lin Ting’s heart leapt with joy. “Thanks, Sister.”

That night, Gu Xingzhao registered an account, wrote a formal statement, and consulted her lawyer before posting it online. She clarified that she had no brother, had been raised solely by her grandfather, and had long since severed ties with her parents. Her household registration only had her name.

She encouraged the affected customers to file lawsuits and mentioned that if any minors faced financial difficulties, they could contact her lawyer for free legal assistance.

As soon as the statement was posted, it garnered over a million likes and tens of thousands of shares overnight. Her account’s followers quickly surged into the hundreds of thousands.

Comments poured in:

Netizen 1: “I went to high school with her. Everyone knew she was smart and pretty. We thought her family was just poor because she always ate plain buns and pickles, but it turns out her parents just didn’t take care of her.”

Netizen 2: “I was her classmate and I never saw her parents at a single parent-teacher conference in three years.”

Gu Xingzhao stared at the comments for a while, then sighed. It wasn’t “that” bad—there were no pickles and buns every day.