Chapter 27 Can your brother accept it?

Song Yiyi also looked at Gu Chengze seriously, her eyes bright. “Mm, I’m listening.”

She thought Gu Chengze was about to tell her some gossip about their parents, and she couldn’t help but sit up straight, her ears pricking like a cat’s. Song Yiyi had no intention of telling anyone about her own thoughts. But if she could pick up even the tiniest bit of dirt on Song Minghui from this, she could use it to hold leverage over the old man in the future.

Gu Chengze seemed unusually tense. He clenched his fists, took a deep breath — the kind of hesitation rarely seen in someone normally so steady and decisive. It made Song Yiyi anxious, and she urged him on:

“Big brother, it’s fine, just say it.”

If she could, she’d be waving pom-poms to cheer him on.

“Yiyi, what I’m about to say… you might not be able to accept it. But I still want to say it. I want to tell you, I li—”

He had barely started when the sound of footsteps came from not far away, followed by a lazy male voice cutting him off:

“Old Gu, still not back to the base yet?”

Song Yiyi turned her head.

It was Cen Yue.

The good impression he’d managed to build with her during the day instantly crumbled into dust. Right now, Song Yiyi found him utterly loathsome. How could someone be so lacking in social awareness?! She was just about to hear some big, juicy gossip!

Unwilling to give up, she grabbed Gu Chengze’s arm.

“Big brother, let’s go home. I still want to hear you finish.”

If she kept his momentum going and took him away right now, maybe she could still get her hot, fresh gossip. That was her plan.

Unfortunately, someone didn’t give her the chance.

Gu Chengze turned to Cen Yue. “I’m not going back tonight. Old Cen, it’s late — you should head back too.”

He had things on his mind. Even if he didn’t talk things through with Song Yiyi tonight, he still needed to find Song Minghui and have a discussion about her.

The two of them turned to leave.

Song Yiyi, still holding her enamel basin, looked back and pulled a huge, exaggerated face at Cen Yue, her disdain written all over it.

Cen Yue lazily lifted his eyelids to glance at her, the corners of his lips curving in a meaningful way.

Song Yiyi had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, Cen Yue’s thin lips parted.

“Old Gu.”

Gu Chengze turned back, puzzled. “What is it?” He’d felt all day that Cen Yue was acting oddly.

Cen Yue’s mouth pulled into a slow smile, his voice unhurried. “Forgot to mention — there’s an emergency meeting tonight. I came to call you back.”

At that, Gu Chengze only paused briefly before turning to Song Yiyi. “I’ll walk you home first.” Then to Cen Yue: “Old Cen, you go ahead. Once I drop Yiyi off, I’ll jog over.”

Cen Yue’s posture was languid. “No need. There’s still half an hour — we can go together.”

Song Yiyi: “……”

Her plan to have Gu Chengze walk her home and spill the gossip along the way was completely ruined by Cen Yue.

The whole way, Song Yiyi clung to Gu Chengze. Whenever Cen Yue stepped closer, she would deliberately speed up to put more distance between them. But Cen Yue stayed at a perfectly steady, not-too-close, not-too-far pace behind them.

Only when Song Yiyi was inside her house did Gu Chengze and Cen Yue head toward the military dependents’ compound gate.

They walked in heavy silence for a while before Gu Chengze gave a small chuckle.

Cen Yue glanced at him.

Gu Chengze sighed. “Old Cen, this meeting really came at the worst possible time.”

Cen Yue, normally sharp as a whip, seemed oddly slow-witted tonight. His smile was tinged with amusement. “Blocking you from eating cake with your ‘little sister’?”

Gu Chengze shook his head helplessly.

Then Cen Yue suddenly asked, “Who hit your sister in the face?”

Gu Chengze’s steps faltered. After a pause, he said, “Old Cen, you really should keep your nephew in check. I went to see him last time and warned him, but he ignored it. Today he even came straight to my house.”

Walking beside him, Cen Yue raised an eyebrow. “Got it. I’ll give him a major demerit first thing tomorrow.”

When he said this, his voice was calm — as casual as talking about the weather.

Gu Chengze was momentarily at a loss for words. “That’s not necessary. He’s too young — it’s normal to be unwilling to accept things.”

Cen Yue tilted his head, as if hearing a funny joke. “Then how should I handle it? Hold him in my arms and whisper moral lessons in his ear?”

Gu Chengze: “……”

“Forget it. I’ll deal with him myself tomorrow.”

Gu Chengze’s gaze grew deep, his tone unconsciously more serious. “Anyway, it won’t be long before he stops pestering Yiyi.”

There was meaning in his words.

Under the cover of night, Cen Yue’s lips pressed into a thin line. “He won’t be around tomorrow — he’s got a mission.”

…

Song Yiyi returned home and, as soon as she entered the main room, saw Song Minghui sitting upright, his face dark and serious as he stared at her.

Cai Mengjun sat beside him. Hearing footsteps, she quickly stood up. “Yiyi, sit down — I’ll go heat you some food.”

Song Yiyi waved her hand and passed her enamel basin to Cai Mengjun. “No need, I’m full. Mom, I saved this for you — eat it while it’s fresh.”

Cai Mengjun shot Song Minghui a subtle glance.

They’d agreed earlier that when Yiyi came back, he’d apologize. But now, here he was, putting on his stern face again.

Cai Mengjun sighed, then turned toward the door to ask, “Your brother went looking for you. You didn’t run into him?”

At that, Song Minghui’s eyes flickered.

“My brother got called back to the base — said something came up.” Song Yiyi gave a simple answer, then headed for her room. “Mom, I’m tired. Going to bed.”

“Stop right there.” Song Minghui suddenly barked. “I have something to say to you. Come here!”

He then headed toward the courtyard, telling Cai Mengjun before leaving, “You go to bed first.”

Song Yiyi’s fists clenched.

But she also had something she wanted to say to Song Minghui, so she followed him out of the main room.

When she stood a short distance from him, he didn’t speak right away. Instead, he waited until Cai Mengjun had gone inside and shut the door.

Only then did he lower his voice. “I’ll give you two choices — either get married before I leave, or come home with me.”

Song Yiyi was utterly speechless. “What if I don’t get married and I don’t go home with you — what then?”

Song Minghui’s face went black, his glare sharp and intimidating.

Song Yiyi didn’t flinch, meeting his gaze head-on. “Let me tell you — even if you’re my dad, murder is still a crime!”

Song Minghui almost laughed in anger. “You don’t get to choose. If you won’t marry, you’ll come home with me. Even if you just stay there doing nothing, I’ll support you for life — but you can’t keep living with your brother. Don’t think I don’t know what’s on your mind. If you don’t marry, your brother still has to take a wife.”

He sighed heavily, his tone turning earnest. “Yiyi, you’ve called him ‘big brother’ for fifteen years, and called her ‘mom’ for fifteen years. If you don’t want to break this family apart, listen to your father. I’m your real dad — would I harm you?”

“If your mom knew you felt that way about your brother… she couldn’t accept it.”

Song Minghui looked utterly defeated, as if he’d aged ten years in an instant. “Yiyi, do you really want to see your parents get divorced?”

“Even taking ten thousand steps back — do you think your brother could accept it?”