Chapter 13 – Phoenix Man × Rich Beauty (3)

“Can I go with you to visit your sister in your hometown?” Bai Yue cuddled up to Gu Yin and acted coquettishly.

“Do you have time? I thought your department’s been really busy lately.” Gu Yin held her in his arms, knowing full well how hectic her schedule had been recently—she had barely been managing to squeeze in time to eat.

“It’s mostly calmed down. We handled a ton of cases earlier, and the director said next week should be easier. Plus, I haven’t used any of my annual leave yet. This is the perfect chance. I also want to see where you grew up. I’ve been asking you to take me, but you always brushed it off with a laugh,” Bai Yue pouted in dissatisfaction.

Gu Yin hadn’t planned on taking Bai Yue with him, especially since this trip was meant to deal with his sister and brother-in-law’s problems. That man was completely unreliable—if anything happened, what would he do?

But after a night of Bai Yue’s sweet talk and seduction, Gu Yin ultimately surrendered.

The next day, both of them informed their departments and signed their leave forms with HR. Gu Yin booked three high-speed rail sleeper tickets back home.

There was no airport where his family lived, and trying to connect through nearby airports would be a hassle. Taking the high-speed train was simpler—they’d arrive the next day.

It was Gu Dajie’s (his elder sister) first time riding a sleeper on the high-speed train. The three of them had bought seated train tickets for the trip out, which had been extremely uncomfortable.

She sat down cautiously. “Xiao Yin, these sleeper tickets must’ve cost quite a bit. I don’t have much money on me right now. But don’t worry, I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”

Looking at his anxious sister, Gu Yin felt a pang of heartache. “Sis, it wasn’t that expensive. And come on—we’re siblings. Don’t be so formal.”

Bai Yue chimed in cheerfully from the side, “Big Sis, you cook for us all the time and never charge us a cent. If you’re going to be this formal, then I guess I’ll need to start paying for your delicious food too.”

Her words warmed Gu Dajie’s heart. She knew both of them were being kind. She broke into a happy smile.

Gu Yin suddenly thought of something and asked her, “Sis, with how well the congee shop is doing, has Mom been paying you a salary?”

Gu Dajie fiddled with the hem of her shirt. “No, Mom said she’s saving it for me. She said if I need it, I should just ask her.”

Gu Yin rolled his eyes dramatically. Did his sister really not understand their mother at all? Money that went into her hands was never coming back out—he was probably the only one who could force a little money out of her.

“Sis, once we’re back, I’ll talk to Mom and tell her to start paying you a monthly wage. Living in a big city isn’t like back home—the expenses are huge. And once Yaya joins you, there’ll be even more things you’ll need money for. You know how Mom is…”

He pressed his lips together. The two siblings exchanged a knowing glance and smiled. Meanwhile, Bai Yue, watching them from the side, looked confused. Wasn’t Auntie Gu supposed to be a good person?

They say motherhood makes a woman strong—and as soon as Yaya was mentioned, all of Gu Dajie’s timidity vanished. All she could think of now was creating the best life possible for her daughter. She nodded and thanked Gu Yin.

“No need to thank me,” he replied.

“Exactly. Don’t thank him—this is the least he should do,” Bai Yue added. She and Gu Yin had been getting along really well these past few days, just like when they were back in university.

The train ride took a whole day. By the time they arrived at Gu Yin’s hometown early the next morning, Gu Yin had already woken Bai Yue and bought her breakfast to tide her over.

Seeing how sleepy she still was, he whispered to her, “The noodles in my hometown are legendary. Once we’re done with my sister’s situation, let’s enjoy ourselves here for a few days, alright?”

Bai Yue nodded happily. It had been so long since they’d gone on a trip together. And lately, Gu Yin had been especially attentive—she was really enjoying it.

As soon as they got off the train, they didn’t waste time and headed straight to the Wang household. It was Yaya who opened the door. The five-year-old girl looked very small and frail, her complexion yellowish—clearly, she hadn’t been eating well since Gu Zhaodi had left home.

Gu Dajie hugged her daughter tightly as they walked into the house. “Yaya, did you miss Mommy?” she coaxed.

Softly, Yaya replied, “I did. I missed Mommy so much. Did you come back to take me away?”

“Yes, Mommy came to take you with her,” Gu Zhaodi nuzzled her head against the child, tears brimming in her eyes.

Just then, Yaya spotted Gu Yin. She politely greeted him, “Uncle.” Then she looked at Bai Yue, hesitated a moment, and asked tentatively, “Hello, Auntie?”

Bai Yue found the little girl so adorable that she couldn’t help but pinch her cheeks. “Hi there!”

“Did you have breakfast yet?” Gu Yin crouched down and asked gently.

“No, Daddy hasn’t woken up yet. Grandma said we have to wait for him before we can eat.”

At that moment, Wang Granny walked out and shouted at Gu Dajie, “Oh, so it’s you. You shameless wretch still have the nerve to come back? My son only hit you a few times, and you run crying back to your mother’s house? Hmph! What, your mother doesn’t want you anymore, so you’ve come crawling back here?”

As she spoke, she raised her hand to hit her, but Gu Yin immediately stepped in and blocked her. His expression darkened. “Auntie Wang, hitting someone is against the law.”

The old woman immediately toned down her aggression when she realized it was Gu Yin, the college graduate. In their small town, having a family member graduate from university was a point of pride—everyone knew about it.

“Oh, Little Gu’s back. I wasn’t going to hit your sister. I just wanted to carry Yaya, that’s all.” She smiled awkwardly at Gu Yin, then glared viciously at the mother and daughter.

Yaya shrank into her mother’s arms. “I don’t want Grandma to hold me. Grandma hits me—it hurts.”

Gu Dajie stroked her back gently. “Don’t be afraid, Yaya. Mommy and Uncle will protect you.”

“Auntie Wang, where’s my brother-in-law? Please wake him. We came to talk about his and my sister’s situation.”

“What’s there to talk about? Just tell me—I’ll speak for him. He drank last night and feels terrible now.”

She tilted her head defiantly, clearly afraid of Gu Yin but still holding onto the belief that, as an elder, she had the upper hand.

Gu Yin had had enough of their shamelessness. He stopped Bai Yue, who was seething with anger beside him, and pulled her aside. Then he walked over to the bedroom door and kicked it open with a loud bang.

Startled out of sleep, the brother-in-law jumped up, shouting, “Who the hell kicks a door when someone’s sleeping? Looking to die?”

“Ahem.” Gu Yin cleared his throat. The man turned and saw him. “Oh, Little Yin! You’re back? Why didn’t you say anything? I’d have gone to the station to pick you up!”

“Brother-in-law, get dressed. We’re waiting in the living room to talk.” Gu Yin dragged Bai Yue over and calmly sat on the Wang family’s sofa, staring down the old woman.

Not long after, the brother-in-law came out. Seeing Gu Dajie, he wasn’t surprised at all. He arrogantly barked, “Why are you just standing there? Make tea for my brother-in-law! Get some fruit ready! You useless woman—what’s the point of feeding you?”

“My sister is not someone your family raised.” Gu Yin’s tone was serious now. “We’re not here to drink tea. I’m here to talk about the divorce.”

“Divorce?!” Wang Granny exploded. “Divorce my foot! Look at your sister—who else would want her? And around here, divorce is a huge scandal. I bet your mother knows that better than I do.”

“Auntie Wang, I’ve called you ‘auntie’ out of respect. But people have limits. Don’t mistake kindness for weakness.”

Gu Yin shot her a cold glance. Yaya’s eyes sparkled with admiration. Uncle is so cool! she thought, secretly giving him a mental thumbs-up.

Wang Granny raised her hand to scold him but fell silent under his icy gaze.

“You don’t need to worry about my mom. She’s sold the house and land. She’s not staying in this town anymore, so what people say doesn’t matter to us. As for you and your son hitting my sister and niece, that’s illegal.”

“I don’t know anything about laws. What man doesn’t hit his wife now and then? Your city talk won’t work here.”

“Well, whether it works isn’t for you to decide.” Gu Yin pulled out a stack of medical reports.

When Gu Zhaodi had just arrived in A City, Gu Yin had taken her for a full medical exam. The results showed multiple bruises and even fractured bones—clear evidence of domestic abuse.

The brother-in-law had worked outside the town and knew a bit about the law. Seeing the reports, he panicked slightly but still tried to argue.

“I’m telling you, your sister’s got no looks, no education—who would want her? I paid for the house and the money’s mine. If she divorces me, she gets nothing. Are you going to support her?”

Wow. His gaslighting was next level. Gu Dajie was not bad-looking, hardworking, and capable. Plenty of people had pursued her back then.

If it hadn’t been for the large bride price he paid, the Gu family never would’ve agreed to the marriage.

“I’m her brother. Of course, I’ll take care of her. You don’t need to worry about that. Just answer me—are you going to divorce her peacefully, or do we take this to court? You know how fast gossip spreads in this town. You don’t want everyone knowing you beat your wife and daughter, do you?”

The man blinked. Even though wife-beating was common here, everyone pretended not to see. If the truth got out, he’d have a hard time finding a new partner.

“Fine, I’ll divorce her. But I don’t want Yaya. A girl’s no use—she won’t support me in old age. I’m not paying child support either. Don’t even ask.”

“Fine. But you have to sign a statement severing all ties with Yaya. From now on, her life or death will have nothing to do with you. When you’re old, don’t expect anything from her either.”

Gu Yin knew such statements might not hold much legal weight, but he just wanted to give Yaya the freedom to grow up without being dragged down by him or judged by others.

“Like I’d go looking for that brat. I’ll get a new wife and have a son! Who needs those two losers anyway? Can’t even give birth to a boy,” he muttered, but Gu Yin didn’t argue. His goal had been achieved.

They grabbed the household registration book and went straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau. They processed the divorce quickly. From that moment, Gu Dajie was free of the Wang family. Gu Yin even changed Yaya’s surname to Gu.

The whole matter was resolved perfectly. Both Gu Dajie and Yaya were overjoyed. The group decided to enjoy their time in the city, since they might not return often.

“Gu Yin, do you even know how long it’s been since you took me on a trip?” Bai Yue looked up at him with a pout.

“It hasn’t been that long. Didn’t we go climb Mount Hua two years ago?” Gu Yin replied as he queued for bubble tea, sounding like a typical clueless guy.

“Two years ago! Listen to yourself. You’ve totally fallen out of love!” Bai Yue stomped her foot.

“And you’ve got the nerve to say I changed?” Gu Yin tapped her nose. “Who’s the one always so busy, never even picking up her phone?”

“I’m not listening, I’m not listening!” Bai Yue covered her ears.

Gu Yin used to spoil her and grant her every wish. She’d come to rely on him deeply.

But over the past year, everything had changed. He was distant, even sarcastic at times. Bai Yue had argued with her best friend about it—her friend claimed Gu Yin was gaslighting her. They’d had a small falling-out over it.

But deep down, Bai Yue knew it: Gu Yin really had changed…