Chapter 22: The Gift

The next morning, while sitting at the dining table, Su Shiyi froze mid-action, chopsticks hovering over her bowl of noodles, as Kevin informed her that the situation involving Xue Lanying had landed on five trending topics overnight. She was utterly stunned.

Why?

Xue Lanying was an ordinary person, and her husband—soon-to-be ex-husband, Zhang Nan—was even more unknown. How could their divorce become a public spectacle, spreading like wildfire? Was there truly nothing else on Weibo for people to discuss?

After Kevin explained, Su Shiyi realized that, surprisingly, this had something to do with her.

Originally, Xue Lanying wanted to thank her in person, but since Su Shiyi was in the imperial capital, Kevin politely declined on her behalf, suggesting that Xue focus on her divorce case and escaping her suffering.

As a gesture of gratitude, just as she had said the previous night, Xue Lanying posted on Weibo to publicly thank Su Shiyi. In her post, she shared her own experience, including tips from her legal team on collecting evidence of domestic violence and resisting emotional manipulation (PUA) from her partner.

Her intention was to inspire women to build confidence in marriage, resist violence, break free from chains, and embrace a new life. The post resonated deeply with many female users on Weibo.

The five million yuan that Su Shiyi had allocated wasn’t just for Xue—it had helped many women. Increasing numbers of beneficiaries expressed their gratitude in the comments under Xue Lanying’s post. Whether it was emergency financial aid, interest-free loans for starting businesses, job recommendations, or free professional legal assistance, these resources offered critical support to women who had felt isolated and hopeless, reigniting their desire to live.

Xue Lanying’s post mentioned Su Shiyi’s name, which naturally attracted public attention. As curiosity and discussion grew, the post’s popularity skyrocketed. Since the five million fund still hadn’t been fully distributed, enthusiastic netizens shared details on how to contact the project and posted numerous tips for navigating divorce.

At this point, prominent male influencers (and their fans) on Weibo began to panic.

From their perspective, how could women even think about divorcing? A little physical argument between husband and wife was being exaggerated as domestic violence—wasn’t that too much? If their wives weren’t pretty, had average figures, or couldn’t give birth to sons, why couldn’t they criticize them? How could that be considered PUA? Didn’t they already provide food and shelter? Weren’t women supposed to stay home, do a bit of housework, and be content?

What’s worse, the person funding all this was Su Shiyi? She was no longer their goddess. They claimed her actions were malicious, even criminal, and supported Zhang Nan in suing her for destroying his marriage and family.

After reading these comments, Su Shiyi: “…”

Sigh. Got it. These were the words of hopelessly ignorant individuals. If they could use a search engine, they wouldn’t make statements so embarrassingly foolish.

She checked the comments under her own Weibo. Many netizens had turned against her, comparing her to Gu Pan, criticizing her for not having the Gu family surname. They claimed she had no status or love in the Gu family, dismissing her as nothing more than a pretentious clown trying to flaunt her authority.

Look at Gu Pan, they said. She was the real kind-hearted heiress from a wealthy family, nothing like Su Shiyi, who was supposedly malicious and scheming.

Su Shiyi again: “…”

Seriously, if they’re sick, they should seek treatment. Their delusions were this bad already? If they couldn’t afford the medical expenses, she’d sponsor them. They really seemed pathetic.

While these men were busy tearing down Su Shiyi and elevating Gu Pan, the actual Gu Pan felt like she’d swallowed several pounds of flies. She was utterly disgusted.

Let’s be real—what normal woman would want to be “admired” by these misogynistic groups? Who did they think they were, imposing behavioral standards on women and pointing fingers? Keys cost ten yuan for three—did they even deserve to “match” her?

Fuming, Gu Pan logged into her Weibo and directly shared Xue Lanying’s post:

“To any women urgently needing help to escape the constraints of marriage, please actively seek out the resources shared in the comments. I’m personally donating an additional ten million yuan to this charity initiative.”

Oh, well, what a twist. Those netizens who had been viciously attacking Su Shiyi must be absolutely livid now.

As for Su Shiyi, she didn’t care much about the criticism. She wasn’t a celebrity, so she wasn’t worried about her reputation. To be honest, if people like them hated her, it only proved she was doing the right thing.

If they liked her… well, just look at Gu Pan’s reaction—it’d be pure torture for any decent woman. Poor girl, she really had it rough.

Some comments were too harsh and needed to be dealt with. Just as Su Shiyi was about to discuss this with Kevin, her father, Gu Lang, had already made arrangements.

“File lawsuits against them,” Gu Lang said with a grim expression. “Document the online evidence and sue for defamation. Every single one of them—don’t just target the ringleaders, sue everyone who participated.”

Su Shiyi: !

This was the epitome of a true domineering figure. His words were so commanding!

“Isn’t this making too big a deal out of it?” she asked hesitantly, feeling a bit embarrassed. “It’ll make me seem overly sensitive, like I can’t handle even a few mean comments.”

Gu Lang’s tone was calm. “This has nothing to do with being sensitive. Nobody is obligated to endure insults from others. We have the money and resources to pursue this fully within the law, so why should we accept unwarranted humiliation?”

He wasn’t wrong. Insults can indeed be pursued as defamation, a right granted to every citizen. However, most ordinary people tend to give up due to the hassle of legal proceedings. After all, even if the other party loses, the compensation is trivial—some insincere apologies and a small penalty that hardly justifies the time and effort needed to gather evidence.

But the Gu Family had no such concerns. They had the capability to pursue every single case, leaving no one unscathed.

Amazing! Gu Lang was truly spectacular!

After her brief frustration, Su Shiyi’s spirits soared. She began showering her father with enthusiastic praise, declaring him the greatest father in history, incomparable in the past or future. His love was as steadfast as a mountain and as vast as the sea. She proclaimed herself to be his eternally devoted daughter, his warm and comforting presence.

Gu Lang calmly sipped his coffee as she delivered her glowing monologue. He even picked up a slice of toast, spread it generously with chocolate, and placed it on her plate.

With sparkling eyes, Su Shiyi chirped, “Thank you, Daddy!” Gu Lang looked at her with such affection that it painted a heartwarming scene of a doting father and devoted daughter.

Meanwhile, Gu Chen sat nearby: …

Wait a second, who’s the biological child here? He’d never even had toast personally prepared by Gu Lang!

Unfair! Su Shiyi was just too shameless! She hadn’t done anything special—so why did their father pamper her so much? Was it just because she was good at sweet-talking? Anyone could do that!

Gu Chen cleared his throat. “Father, you look exceptionally noble today.”

The rest of the family at the table: ?

Was the world going mad? Did those words just come out of Gu Chen’s mouth? Something didn’t feel right.

Even Gu Lang frowned. “Are you feeling okay?”

Su Shiyi, sitting beside him, quipped, “Maybe have some ^[1]“溜○梅” refers to a type of preserved plum snack, often translated as Liú ○ méi due to branding reasons. It’s likely a play on words referencing umeboshi (Japanese pickled … Continue readingumeboshi?”

Gu Chen: …

What the heck?! Wasn’t Su Shiyi doing the exact same thing earlier? Why was it different when he tried? This script wasn’t right!

—

Under the Gu Family’s impenetrable protection, the online drama couldn’t touch Su Shiyi at all. What surprised her most was that after Gu Pan publicly voiced her support for Su Shiyi, many women, and even a few men, began contributing funds to her spur-of-the-moment project, which was practically a charity.

This led to a hilariously awkward situation. Since there were only a handful of top-tier families in the elite circle, many of the heiresses had public social media accounts. Netizens who had turned against Su Shiyi began criticizing her while praising Gu Pan. But once Gu Pan spoke up, they started bashing both Gu sisters and shifted to supporting other heiresses.

The heiresses: ?

Please, no! Don’t come near us! Everyone operates in the same circle, and aside from someone as stubborn as Meng Yiyao, who would dare to offend the Gu Family?

Not all of them agreed with Su Shiyi’s actions, but they definitely didn’t want to get tangled up with those netizens. It was just money, after all—they could donate too, as long as it meant those people would leave them alone!

That’s how public opinion worked. When the leading socialites aligned, this new “trend” trickled down, gradually encouraging participation across the entire circle. As a result, netizens who had been hurling insults realized that if they blocked every heiress who spoke up or donated, there wouldn’t be any “real socialites” left to support.

Even more alarming, the women around these netizens began getting involved. They couldn’t afford to donate thousands or millions, but they could chip in a few hundred or even just tens. And because their numbers were far greater, their reach was wider, further amplifying the buzz around hashtags like “Anti-Domestic Violence” and “Freedom to Divorce.”

By the afternoon, the foundation Kevin set up specifically for the project had received over 100 million in donations. Using a mere 5 million as leverage to achieve such massive results was something Su Shiyi had never expected.

She even received several handwritten thank-you letters—not just from people who had finally found the courage to fight back against domestic violence, but also from those grateful for the psychologists, legal experts, employment opportunities, and interest-free business loans she had provided.

“I’m really happy,” she shared with Gu Pan while they were getting their hair and makeup done. “I feel like I’ve maximized my happiness—spent the least amount of money to bring joy to so many people. I’m amazing.”

Gu Pan nodded. “You’re incredible. The fact that you thought to help them is already remarkable.”

The two sisters chatted a bit more, and Gu Pan gave her a brief rundown of the guests attending that evening. Despite the simplified explanation, Su Shiyi still couldn’t remember anyone’s faces or names, let alone the convoluted relationships that could easily make someone dizzy.

She clung to her lifeline, Lucy. “Did you memorize it all?”

Lucy reassured her, “Don’t worry, Miss Shiyi. I’ve got it all covered.”

Perfect! Tonight, she was going to stick to Lucy like glue—no one could separate them!

With this “cheat code” in mind, Su Shiyi didn’t bother trying to remember anyone. It was way too much trouble. But when the banquet officially began, her laziness came back to bite her…

Gu Lang, her father, told her to stay by his side and introduce him to the guests.

Ahhh! How did it come to this? What would she do if she couldn’t remember anyone’s name when facing them?

Feeling despair, she tearfully confessed the truth to Gu Lang. But being the cool dad he was, he simply said:

“It’s fine. You don’t need to remember.”

His daughter didn’t need to bother with other people’s names. It was enough for others to remember hers.

Su Shiyi blinked in surprise. Huh? That’s allowed?

—Yes, it really is possible. She followed Gu Lang like a human decoration, only needing to nod, smile, and occasionally hum in response. The kind and friendly uncles and aunties acted as if they were very familiar with her, and there wasn’t even a hint of awkwardness typical of first meetings.

Oh, and she had to keep saying thank you, because these people came bearing lavish meeting gifts!

According to incomplete statistics, Su Shiyi’s personal assets skyrocketed within an hour. She received 12 sports cars, 8 helicopters, 3 private jets, 4 yachts, and 7 estates around the world. As for luxury handbags, clothes, shoes, watches, and jewelry, there were simply too many to count. She instructed Lucy to store everything directly in her wardrobe, planning to unpack them later when she had time.

Among these overly typical… ahem highly preferred gifts, there were also some unique surprises that left a lasting impression.

For instance, a super cute blue-eyed Ragdoll kitten. Compared to the extravagance of other gifts, this little kitten might rank low in economic value. But gifting isn’t about price—after all, Su Shiyi could afford the most expensive items herself.

When everyone saw how attached Su Shiyi was to the kitten, holding it close to her chest and unable to put it down, they knew bringing the kitten was the perfect decision. The Ragdoll was clingy, affectionate, and not at all shy, and Su Shiyi happily cuddled it nonstop.

Such an angelic kitty—it was just too cute! She decided to give this little sister the most beautiful name in the world!

At this moment, Su Shiyi had no idea she was about to receive a flood of cats: British Shorthairs, American Shorthairs, Persian Cats, Garfield Cats, Siamese Cats, and even tabbies. Dogs would also arrive in abundance—Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Teddy Dogs, Papillons, Poodles, Samoyeds, Golden Retrievers, Huskies, Shepherd Dogs, and Akitas…

No need to choose between cats or dogs—adults, of course, go all in!

Other unconventional gifts also stood out, like a chocolate candy house modeled after the whimsical fairy-tale castle in Shanghai. It was officially authorized by Disney, co-branded with Amedei and Ferrero, and stored in a temperature-controlled glass case. The bodyguards carefully carrying it didn’t dare breathe too hard.

While it claimed to avoid the typical “gift wars,” this half-meter-tall colorful chocolate castle likely cost at least a million.

Su Shiyi had Lucy take photos from multiple angles and silently debated whether to eat it…

Oh, and there were thoughtful gifts like expedited custom cosplay outfits from the Love Nikki and Shining Nikki mobile games. Authorized by the game’s creators, they were tailored to her exact height and figure and included matching wigs, accessories, bags, and props. These couldn’t even fit in the banquet hall, so multiple wardrobe trucks were parked outside.

Somehow, the guests seemed to coordinate their gifts. If someone gave Nikki-themed outfits, another would provide ancient-style costumes from Cloud Song, fully replicating the designs in-game. Each piece came with matching accessories for complete sets.

Su Shiyi: Ugh, now everyone knows I’m addicted to dress-up games!

With so many outfits, even if she wanted to change into each one for transformation videos, just switching clothes would take forever.

Ah, this delightful yet overwhelming problem—why couldn’t someone help her bear this burden?

Obviously, everyone had done their homework on her preferences. While the previous gifts had made Su Shiyi overjoyed, the one that truly made her scream like a groundhog was a life-sized, road-legal Batmobile that slowly rolled into the banquet hall.

Bat! Mobile!

Compared to this, the earlier custom life-sized superhero LEGO sets—though she liked them—simply didn’t compare. How could mere LEGO bricks compete with the appeal of a real car?

The Batmobile was modified from a Lamborghini, equipped with Michelin racing tires, a large turbo intake at the front, and windows shaped like a Bat-mask. Its sleek and stable design was incredibly striking. The guest who gave it handed Su Shiyi the car keys, and she immediately handed the kitten to Lucy before eagerly opening the car door to hop in.

“Authentication seeded. Welcome aboard, madam.”

That voice!

Oh my god, it was the butler’s voice from The Dark Knight trilogy!

Who was it? Who was this genius who not only knew about her custom Iron Man suit and AI Sunday but also cleverly extrapolated that she would love a Batmobile?!

With a Lamborghini base, the performance of this car needs no further explanation. The car is equipped with a facial recognition unlock system, and when it detects any face outside of Su Shiyi and the whitelist, the car automatically locks and sends an anomaly report to her phone.

The interior of the Batmobile is designed to closely replicate the movie version while also incorporating practicality. It comes with basic features like onboard WiFi and a refrigerator, plus high-end FM AcoustiCS sound systems worth millions, military-grade night vision systems, and a DS smart navigation system. The seats even offer full-body massage functionality—sitting in this car is truly an experience of luxury.

The biggest surprise is that the high-tech intelligent system in the car is even compatible with her Sunday. The gift-giver really did their homework.

Just imagine, if she drove this car to a comic con, people would see Iron Man in Mark 50 suit stepping out of the Batmobile!

#Who says the two major superhero universes can’t cross over?

#Today, I’ll spend some money and give a double-cook frenzy

Su Shiyi happily stayed in the car, not wanting to get out. The others who had given her ordinary sports cars were looking a little upset, while those who gifted planes or helicopters were deeply regretting their choices, even pounding their chests in frustration.

If we had known you liked this style, we would’ve done the same! The licensing isn’t even that expensive, we could have done the paint job and modifications too!

As Su Shiyi was planning where to take her beloved car, Gu Lang lightly tapped on her window.

“Come down. Driving without a license is illegal.”

Su Shiyi: …

Boohoo, how could she forget? So, to drive her favorite car, she still had to get a driver’s license (heavy sigh).

She looked at Gu Lang with pleading eyes. “Hasn’t driverless technology been implemented yet?”

“Currently, commercial use is only at L2. Gu Group’s research lab has mastered L4 and is working towards a breakthrough with L5. But full-road usage isn’t easy to achieve, so you’d better go get your driver’s license.”

Gu Lang looked at the passenger seat, his hint unmistakable. “Actually, I have a good idea that will let you experience the thrill of the Batmobile running soon.”

Su Shiyi suddenly realized, “Dad, are you going to teach me how to drive?”

Gu Lang: …

This daughter has to go. She doesn’t seem too sharp.

“Dad, I was just joking.”

As a veteran office worker, Su Shiyi knew better than anyone how to read a boss’s intentions. She quickly got out of the Batmobile and respectfully invited him into the car.

Hm, that’s more like it.

Actually, Gu Lang wasn’t that fond of American comics, but what man wouldn’t be moved by seeing a Batmobile?

Gu Chen was indeed moved, but he could only imagine it. If he wanted one, he’d have to wait for his own custom model. This car was a gift from his daughter.

As Su Shiyi took the passenger seat, she still didn’t know that her beloved Batmobile had already changed ownership in her father’s mind…

No way, no way! How could a man in his forties still be fighting with his daughter over a car?

Sunday registered Gu Lang’s facial features. He followed the preset track to bring the car back to the outdoor garden area. Once they reached the main road inside Taihe Courtyard, he finally pressed the gas pedal.

The incredibly fast acceleration brought the sensation of weightlessness and centrifugal force. Su Shiyi’s back pressed against the seat, and the wind rushing in from the car window blew fiercely. Fortunately, her hairstyle was strong enough to avoid being messed up by the wind.

“This is so much fun!” She gripped the armrest tightly. “Dad, let’s take this car on the highway next time. It’s so cool!”

After all, it was based on a Lamborghini, and its performance was outstanding in every aspect. Even driving at this slow speed gave Su Shiyi a cinematic, glamorous feeling.

There was no way to unleash the Batmobile’s full potential in the city, especially in a residential area, but it wasn’t designed with that in mind. Still, with it, all the other sports cars under Su Shiyi’s name were destined to gather dust.

Gu Lang drove it straight into the garage. When getting out of the car, Su Shiyi hesitated, gently touching its cool metallic body and saying goodbye with a tinge of sadness.

Car, wait for me! For you, I will definitely pass the second driving test!

“Do you like it that much?” Gu Lang asked her as they walked back. “Seems like someone’s plan to win your forgiveness succeeded.”

Su Shiyi perked up. “Who is it? As long as it’s not a fundamental mistake, I can forgive them!”

When they returned to the banquet hall, Su Shiyi finally realized that the gift-givers were Gu Yuxuan’s parents. She hadn’t expected that silly female character to be so smart, managing to guess her preferences and get her parents involved.

But it made sense. If her parents weren’t supportive, someone like Gu Yuxuan, with her impulsive nature, would have been knocked down by reality countless times already.

Hmm… this does align with what she had said before. Gu Yuxuan was just bad at speaking, she hadn’t done anything truly bad, at least not toward her. Su Shiyi wasn’t planning to take revenge on her, so she happily declared that she wouldn’t stay mad at her anymore.

She was very busy—extremely busy. Tonight, she would be driving the Batmobile around the world in her dreams!