Chapter 41: Group Chat

When ordinary people send voice messages, Su Shiyi usually converts them to text. Father Gu Lang rarely sends voice messages either, when he needs to contact her, he either calls or has his secretary send a message.

But when Jiang Xingyao sends voice messages, it’s different—not because his position in Su Shiyi’s heart is special, but simply because his voice is pleasant, even more captivating than the voices in otome games.

Qi Yude felt even more sour seeing her smile while listening to a voice message. No matter if “Xiao Jiang” was male or female, Su Shiyi seemed very willing to chat with the other person.

It seemed like she wasn’t as happy when interacting with him…

No, he couldn’t let himself feel dejected so easily!

He opened his tablet and started drawing—cute little animals, various small flowers, fruits, and cartoon characters. After Su Shiyi finished a message, Qi Yude seized the opportunity and presented the tablet to her.

“I was just doodling,” he said beside her. “These could be used for the outer shell of the slide. It would look more fun this way. Do you like it?”

Su Shiyi’s attention was successfully drawn in. She set her phone aside and picked up the tablet, seriously zooming in to take a closer look.

“Wow, it looks really good! Xiao Yu, I didn’t expect you to be so good at drawing.”

Qi Yude felt a little proud but restrained himself. “They’re just simple little things, usually used as backgrounds, so I’ve gotten used to drawing them.”

“That’s still impressive.”

Su Shiyi genuinely liked Qi Yude’s creations and couldn’t stop praising them. “Drawing seems simple, but it’s really hard to get the hang of. I once thought I could design patterns, thinking that simple sketches were something every kid could do, but… sigh, let’s not even talk about it.”

Watching others draw with smooth, flowing lines, effortlessly finishing their pieces, while her own attempts were crooked and unrecognizable, she couldn’t even draw a straight line without a ruler.

Perfect, the plan was working.

Qi Yude opened a new canvas and handed Su Shiyi the stylus. “It’s okay, just give it a try. I can teach you. Anyway, there’s nothing else to do right now.”

Because she didn’t like being startled by notification sounds, Su Shiyi kept her phone on silent. The phone, placed to the side, lit up with a new message notification, but the owner, under Qi Yude’s encouragement, picked up the stylus without any intention of checking it.

Jiang Xingyao waited a few minutes without receiving a reply and furrowed his brows, the kind of look that would make students tremble.

Su Shiyi really had no artistic foundation and couldn’t remember much from her art classes growing up. She tried to draw a bird based on Qi Yude’s example.

But while his bird was lively and cute, hers looked like a chicken with its feathers plucked.

“This is too hard!” Su Shiyi’s confidence quickly faltered. “I knew I couldn’t do it.”

Of course, she couldn’t learn it all at once, otherwise, what would happen to his plan?

Qi Yude was patient, his face still carrying a gentle smile as he broke down how to draw step by step. They had reached the point where he would draw a little, and she would copy it.

However, Su Shiyi still couldn’t get it right. It wasn’t her fault, after all, the gap in skill between her and Qi Yude was too big, and he hadn’t started with the most basic things to teach.

Seeing her slightly dejected look, Qi Yude nervously felt his hands tremble. According to his plan, it was now time for him to hold her hand. They would be close, and he would guide her hand, drawing each stroke slowly.

When their skin touched, their heartbeats would sync, and only each other’s reflections would be seen in their eyes…

Such an extremely ambiguous moment, just imagining it in his mind, made Qi Yude blush a little. He cleared his throat and was about to say, “Let me teach you step by step,” when Su Shiyi couldn’t bear looking at her own drawing anymore and handed the tablet and stylus back to him.

“I don’t want to learn anymore, it’s boring. I don’t think I can do it, so never mind.”

Qi Yude: …

Not even three minutes of enthusiasm, you didn’t even last thirty seconds!

His plan and rhythm were thrown off, and his heart shattered. Thankfully, Su Shiyi didn’t dislike drawing itself, she just didn’t want to do it herself—well, at least she was still interested in watching others draw.

She still leaned in closer, though not as close as Qi Yude had imagined, but it was enough for him to count her eyelashes.

“How about drawing some little rabbits and little ducks?” Su Shiyi stretched her neck to look at his tablet. “I think your cute style looks really good, can you draw more of that?”

Qi Yude’s heart raced, almost making it impossible to hold the stylus. Little rabbits and ducks? She just wanted to see aliens and big dinosaurs, and he could draw that too.

No one would have guessed that Qi Yude, the most willful, moneyed, and picky artist in the drawing world, would adopt the attitude of “I’ll draw whatever you ask, feel free to make a request” when in the role of the supplier.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xingyao, who had waited for a long time but only received a “I’ll tell you later” reply, coldly closed a few research documents he had organized.

If students didn’t want to study, why should the teacher bother? After all, it wasn’t his problem.

Professor Jiang drank half a cup of iced Americano and soon pushed the matter to the back of his mind, diving back into his own research.

—

By the time the car arrived at ^[1]Sinan Residence (思南公館) is a real place in Shanghai, China. It’s a historic residential area known for its beautifully preserved Shikumen-style architecture, combining Western and … Continue readingSinan Residence, the atmosphere between Qi Yude and Su Shiyi had become much more familiar. She had always called him “Xiao Yu,” and he finally mustered up the courage to say his first “Shiyi,” and after that, it became more natural.

Perhaps because their relationship had become closer, Su Shiyi felt a bit awkward about leaving Qi Yude alone in the East Courtyard, so she tentatively asked if he minded staying in the South Courtyard with her, as there were plenty of vacant rooms.

Qi Yude had to remind himself repeatedly to resist, just to stop himself from grinning. He simply nodded, maintaining his composure.

It was clear that persistence paid off—his strategy to win her over wasn’t in vain! As long as he kept going, sooner or later, he would be able to move Su Shiyi and find the perfect moment to confess.

By the time they checked into Sinan Residence, it was almost noon. As the saying goes, “^[2]“Man is iron, food is steel” (人是铁，饭是钢) is a Chinese saying that emphasizes the importance of food for a person’s survival and strength. It means that just as iron is … Continue readingMan is iron, food is steel,” Su Shiyi would feel famished if she skipped a meal.

The nutritionist wasn’t with them this time, and although Lucy had received an online recommended menu, Su Shiyi acted as though she didn’t know about it, and instead, she declared that she wanted to eat hot pot.

Qi Yude wasn’t picky about food, whatever Su Shiyi ate, he’d eat too.

What could Lucy do? She had no choice but to act as though she didn’t know.

Su Shiyi asked for traditional street-style hot pot—everything was skewered on bamboo sticks and cooked in a large pot, allowing you to take the ingredients out whenever you liked.

In order to meet her request, Lucy actually brought in a big pot, embedding it into a modified table. She even went to a Michelin-level Cantonese restaurant to buy a broth that had been simmering for over ten hours, using ingredients like old hen, pork, and Jinhua ham, as the base for the hot pot.

In addition to all the ingredients Su Shiyi remembered from her childhood, the hot pot was now far more luxurious than any street food. Crab sticks made from king crab legs, fish balls and fish tofu from East Star Group, and real Boston lobster balls were all hidden on the menu.

The outer circle of the pot was filled with skewers, while the inner circle was reserved for A3 Wagyu beef slices. Compared to the excessively fatty A5, A3 Wagyu was better for hot pot.

Sitting in front of the bubbling pot, Su Shiyi pulled out a fresh handmade beef tendon ball. Red oil dripped down the bamboo stick, with chili flakes on top. She couldn’t help but drool, not caring about it being hot. After just a quick blow, she eagerly took a bite.

First, the familiar spicy flavor on her tongue, followed by the savory beef fat filling her mouth. Even though it was burning hot, Su Shiyi couldn’t wait for it to cool down and took another bite.

So fragrant! The freshly cooked hot pot was truly amazing!

This kind of hot pot was an outdated relic of the past, long overtaken by the modern trend of individual hot pots. Su Shiyi had only eaten it a few times as a child, and her pocket money was barely enough for a couple of skewers, only able to choose the cheap ones costing fifty cents or one yuan.

Lucy had never seen it before and had to look up the information online to understand what was going on. Qi Yude, on the other hand, had never seen it either. Being from Hong Kong, he always got skewers from the non-spicy side.

Su Shiyi thought of her roommate, Lin Jiayan, a native of Guangdong, who also ate mala tang but without any spice—just clear broth or tomato base.

When Su Shiyi first learned that mala tang could have a tomato base, she felt like she was witnessing an Italian person putting pineapple on pizza—her whole worldview nearly collapsed.

No spice, no heat was one thing, but what was the deal with tomato-flavored malatang?

Lin Jiayan didn’t understand her frustration at first. Later, she gave an example: it was like someone sprinkling spring onions, seaweed, shrimp skin, and pickled vegetables on tofu pudding, then drenching it in soy sauce and chili oil. That really made this Southern girl shudder.

Even in the air-conditioned room, Su Shiyi ate with beads of sweat on her forehead, thoroughly enjoying it. It had been a long time since she had such a satisfying mala tang!

When someone’s happy, they can’t help but want to share. Everyone knew she was adopted, and since she had applied for national student aid in the past, it wasn’t a secret that she had lived a poor life before.

Su Shiyi’s true growth story wasn’t much better than “Su Shiyi.” Her childhood financial struggles were somewhat similar.

“I used to love eating mala tang,” she shared with Qi Yude, “But I didn’t have money back then, so I could only buy a few skewers to satisfy my cravings. On my birthday, I’d treat myself to a big meal, but it couldn’t exceed ten yuan, or I’d feel heartbroken.”

“Back then, I thought, if I ever became really rich, I’d be able to eat as much as I wanted from a huge pot of mala tang without worrying about the price—just like now. Being rich is great! I can have any mala tang, no matter how rare, as long as I want it, someone will make it for me.”

Ten yuan back then had much stronger purchasing power than it does now. If she got more vegetables, it was barely enough to fill her up. For Qi Yude, a meal limited to ten yuan seemed almost unimaginable. That was considered a luxury for a birthday meal.

He felt a bit sorry for Su Shiyi but was troubled by his own awkwardness. Besides, her tone was so natural, and she was no longer in need of money. She had already fulfilled her wishes from the past.

Qi Yude thought for a long time but still didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to miss the chance to communicate with her, so he asked, “Shiyi, when’s your birthday?”

Su Shiyi almost blurted out her real birthday from before she entered the book, but thankfully, she stopped herself thanks to a piece of fish tofu in her mouth. She was definitely born on the same day as Gu Pan, but could she say that? The wrong birthday was a secret kept by the Gu family, and her current identity was the adopted daughter of Father Gu Lang.

The lunar and solar calendars are calculated differently. “Su Shiyi’s” parents were both from the countryside and had registered her birthdate in the lunar calendar when she was born in a small county. It was almost a month earlier than Gu Pan’s, so she would just go by the one on her ID card.

“My birthday is August 25th,” she said. That was next month. She would have to tell her family about it. If Qi Yude hadn’t brought it up, she might have forgotten.

Qi Yude nodded, noting down her birthday, already thinking about what gift to get her.

It was still early July, nearly two months away. There was plenty of time for him to carefully plan and research.

After lunch, Su Shiyi returned to her room to rest. She lay down for a while before calling Father Gu Lang to tell him about celebrating her birthday on August 25th, according to her ID card date.

It was best for her to say this herself, as anyone else in the family would only make things more awkward.

After listening, Gu Lang was silent for a brief moment.

Feelings can’t be measured by time. His attitude towards Gu Pan was always that he knew she existed but didn’t care what she did. Gu Lang was definitely more fond of Su Shiyi, whom he doted on.

If given a choice, he’d have asked Gu Pan to change her birthday. But since she had been celebrating it for so many years, the only way to make things reasonable was to sacrifice Su Shiyi.

Gu Lang wasn’t pleased with the situation, but he had no better way to handle it.

“I understand,” he said in a neutral tone. “What do you think of Qi Yude?”

Ah, they had just been talking about her birthday, and now the conversation shifted to Xiao Yu.

Su Shiyi answered honestly, “He’s a good person, and he’s a bit cute. His personality is great.” His figure is also perfect!

“Are you considering him?”

“Hmm… at least I’m not opposed to him. As for the rest, I’m not sure.”

Su Shiyi scratched her head in frustration. “He’s a good guy, and Professor Jiang is great too, but an arranged marriage isn’t something I can decide on my own. Right now, I’m not sure about Qi Yude’s attitude, but as for Jiang Xingyao, number one, I don’t think he’s interested in me.”

Gu Lang said, “Don’t overthink it. Just choose whoever you want, and I’ll handle the rest.”

Su Shiyi: …

Dad, how are you going to handle it? It doesn’t sound like a good thing!

She quickly tried to calm him down. “When it comes to relationships, if it involves other factors, it’s not meaningful. There’s no need for that. A forced relationship doesn’t taste sweet, and I’m not desperate, there’s no shortage of people who genuinely like me.”

After some back-and-forth, she wasn’t sure if she had convinced Gu Lang, but at least on the surface, he promised not to interfere with her arranged marriage process in other ways.

Gu Lang then shared another piece of news with her. After a rigorous selection by the judging panel, 101 contestants were narrowed down to 55 in the first round.

If the preliminary selection was based on looks, the first round’s criteria were about character, ethics, and lifestyle habits. Through thorough investigation by the Gu family, although none of the eliminated contestants had a criminal record, a few were disqualified for being troublemakers in school, engaging in fights, skipping classes, and others who had bad habits like smoking, drinking, and gambling.

Among them, there were even some school bullies and people who abused animals, which made Su Shiyi shiver. Even handsome guys could be so despicable!

Fortunately, these were in the minority, less than ten in total. Most people were eliminated due to personality issues. It wasn’t that they had done anything wrong, but the four judges each had different criteria, and it wasn’t easy to gain approval in all four dimensions.

Of course, Qi Yude and Jiang Xingyao both made it to the next round, and Xiao He also successfully entered the top 55, although Su Shiyi had already mentally eliminated him.

But what she cared about most now was another issue: Why wasn’t she on the judging panel? Why did she just find out about it?

In the family of five, the other four had their own separate group chat. Was this even fair? She felt like she was being excluded. QAQ

She complained to her father, rejecting the family’s small clique, but Gu Lang calmly comforted her, saying, “It’s fine, we have our own group chat. We don’t need them.”

Su Shiyi didn’t understand. “Dad, it’s just the two of us, that’s a private chat, how could it be a group chat?”

Gu Lang quickly created a three-person group chat with himself, Su Shiyi, and secretary John. He sent a period to make the chat appear on her page, and then, without hesitation, kicked John out, changing the group name to 【The Best Dad in the World and His Useless Daughter】.

Su Shiyi: …

Nice, that’s very Gu Lang.

No matter what, the number of people in the arranged marriage was now reduced to 55, which eased the pressure for her. If she had to meet with 101 men, she probably would have gone crazy.

The next round should have 36 contestants, then 22, and eventually 11. If no one else cuts in, she would probably only have to meet 11 men.

After hanging up, Su Shiyi felt relaxed, lying down on her bed ready for a happy nap. Meanwhile, in another part of the world, Gu Lang was still in a bad mood.

He understood the logic. Indeed, changing Su Shiyi’s birthday to a different date was the best option, and she had proposed it herself. He knew that his straightforward daughter probably didn’t care much about it.

But he cared. That birthday also belonged to her.

How did Gu Pan celebrate her birthdays when she was young? Although he rarely participated, he had a general idea. She would wear the prettiest princess dress, invite many classmates and friends over to the house, share the most exquisite and delicious cakes, and receive the most expensive gifts. Just one of those gifts was something that Su Shiyi’s adoptive parents would never be able to buy in their lifetime.

Gu Lang didn’t mind providing all of this for her, but he felt sorry for Su Shiyi, who never had these things. She never had a nice little dress, and the envious gazes from others couldn’t even be experienced during her true birthday.

Su Shiyi, who was already deep in sleep: Ah, she has no idea when her real birthday is. She was an orphan, and the orphanage director just gave her a random date.

As for changing the date, Su Shiyi was fine with it and didn’t think her “true birth date” was that important. After all, she didn’t even know what it was.

Gu Lang thought he had to make it up to Su Shiyi, otherwise, she’d be too wronged. He couldn’t just ignore her sacrifices because she was understanding.

He called his secretary in and spoke to him for over ten minutes before finally letting him go, satisfied.

After waking up, Su Shiyi was a little dazed.

In addition to the typical morning grogginess, the messages from Kevin in the green letter left her confused. What was all this? Why was she suddenly the designated beneficiary of some family trust, and why was Lucy holding a bunch of documents waiting for her to sign?

Su Shiyi: At the time, I was completely dumbfounded.

With Kevin’s detailed explanation, Su Shiyi finally understood. It turned out that Father Gu Lang had saved up a huge sum of money, enough that the bank president himself would personally greet her, and it would make the bank president happy for years. Only she could legally use the interest and investment returns from this amount, and the money had nothing to do with the Gu family.

Even in the worst-case scenario, where the Gu family could potentially go bankrupt (although everyone thought this was impossible), this trust would remain unaffected and wouldn’t be involved in liquidation. Even after Gu Lang’s death, the money would not be part of the inheritance distribution.

At this point, Su Shiyi panicked. “No way, is Dad seriously ill? Where is he? I need to fly over and see him!”

Kevin quickly reassured her, saying that Gu Lang was in good health and was fine. In fact, this was just a common method in wealthy families to avoid risks and to distribute assets in advance, which wasn’t surprising.

—That said, Gu Lang had only arranged this for Su Shiyi. He left real estate to Li Shuman, as specified in his will. As for Gu Pan, he had no involvement with her, it didn’t matter that she wasn’t with Gu Chen. He had given Li Shuman something, so he had no regrets.

Gu Chen, of course, inherited his shares. In the worst-case scenario, if the Gu family collapsed, it would simply mean the son was incompetent—wanting anything else? He could forget it, a person who squandered the family’s wealth deserved to sleep under a bridge.

In the latest modified will, Gu Lang felt his distribution was very reasonable. Li Shuman had quite a bit of cash, and with the added real estate, there was extra security. With Gu Pan there, Gu Chen would take care of her. As for the son inheriting the family business, his personal liquid funds and other assets would go to Su Shiyi.

Right now, it was just a small part, the truly significant portion was written in the will.

Su Shiyi, although slightly dissatisfied with Gu Lang’s decision to make the will at such a young age, thinking it was inauspicious, seemed to realize that this was how wealthy people did things. It was better to have everything arranged in advance than to let the family descend into chaos after someone passed away.

Well… their family probably wouldn’t have such problems. Spit, spit, spit, she shouldn’t think about that. Gu Lang would live for a very long time!

She sniffled and called Gu Lang. When he picked up, she immediately started crying and emotionally said, “Dad, I really love you, but I don’t want the inheritance. I just want you to keep making money and take care of me forever.” However, Gu Lang simply coldly replied, “I’m busy, call back in five hours,” and hung up.

Su Shiyi: …

That made her feel silly for crying, thinking it was such a touching moment.

She wiped her tears and pretended nothing had happened, glad no one had seen her. Lucy had wisely exited the room when she made the call.

Boohoo, but she was still so moved. Before she transmigrated into this book, she was an orphan. After transmigrating, her biological father had passed away early, and Gu Lang was truly her only dad, the best dad.

She must become the most filial daughter in the world!