Chapter 11 I won't hit you, because I'm afraid of dirtying my hands...
The old Gu family mansion was brightly lit. Today was Gu Yushan's 70th birthday. Gu's mother originally insisted on having a grand celebration, but in the end, she couldn't persuade Gu Yushan otherwise and held a relatively low-key family banquet. Although there weren't many outsiders, the Gu family was large, and relatives from several branches came, making it quite a grand affair.
Gu Yushan sat on the sofa, drinking with several of his uncles and aunts, while his aunts and aunts sat around chatting.
To avoid becoming the center of attention and being the subject of their gossip, Gu Sui arrived early to direct the servants to do various tasks, but in reality, he came to ensure some peace and quiet.
Gu's mother, Zhou Ling, secretly pulled Gu Sui aside, who was standing to supervise the work, and said cautiously, "Give your sister another call. After all, it's a big day. Although your father doesn't say it, he still cares about them."
Gu Sui smiled helplessly, put his arm around Zhou Ling's shoulder, and politely declined her suggestion: "Mom, my sister is really busy."
Zhou Ling sighed and patted her chest: "You don't need to lie to me. It's my fault for not being able to persuade your father back then. It's understandable that Xiao Qi has resentment towards us. It's just that I haven't seen them for so long, and I really miss them. I wonder how they are doing."
Seeing her on the verge of tears, Gu Sui wanted to laugh. She knew her mother was playing the victim again. After all, the Gu family had connections everywhere in Macau, and Zhou Ling was probably second only to herself in knowing the current situation of Gu Qi and her daughter: "Don't worry, my sister and Xiangyi are both fine. As long as you don't pry into their affairs, they are doing very well."
Seeing that she wasn't falling for it at all, Zhou Ling took out her handkerchief and wiped away a few barely visible tears. She rolled her eyes at Gu Sui and said, "You two are really sisters, trying to annoy me together."
Gu Sui smiled slightly. Zhou Ling's situation was considered resolved. After all, Gu Qi had helped her conceal her illness over the years, so she naturally had to do her best in this matter as well.
"Xiangyi must be eighteen this year, right?" Zhou Ling asked Gu Sui, her eyes slightly bright, as she sat gracefully on the sofa.
"Hmm." Gu Sui took a sip of tea, wondering what she was planning.
"Wow, time flies! You've grown so much in the blink of an eye. You should really step up your game."
Gu Sui put down her tea. She knew that Zhou Ling's inexplicable question was not good news. She replied calmly, "Why are you talking about me?"
Seeing her indifferent attitude, Zhou Ling wasn't annoyed and continued talking to herself: "It's not that Mom necessarily wants to urge you, it's just that I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to hold a granddaughter in this lifetime, after all, Xiao Xiangyi didn't get one before..."
"Alright, Mom." Seeing that she was starting to ramble on again, Gu Sui quickly interrupted, "I'll go see if there's anything else I can help with."
Zhou Ling watched her departing figure, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes, but it quickly disappeared as she thought of something, and a meaningful smile appeared on her face.
Gu Sui found a quiet place to hide away. She took out her phone and opened Shang Shu's chat box again. There was no reply or new message, but she still couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile.
I wonder what she's doing now?
Have you been taking good care of yourself and getting better?
"Gu Sui?"
A male voice rang in Gu Sui's ears. Her smile faded, and she looked up at the person who had come. She saw a man in a suit standing opposite her, but Gu Sui couldn't remember who he was for a moment.
"I am Zhao Min, it's been a long time." Seeing her puzzled expression, the man quickly introduced himself.
Gu Sui then remembered this person. The Zhao family and the Gu family's fathers were on good terms. Zhao Min, as the youngest son of the Zhao family, was mischievous from a young age and became even more dissolute as he grew up, but he hid these traits very well in front of his elders. Because he had visited the Gu family a few times when he was young, somehow rumors spread that the two were childhood sweethearts, which once made Gu Sui very unhappy. Later, as Gu Sui went abroad to study, the two lost contact. Now, he might be able to fool others with his respectable appearance, but Gu Sui did not believe it.
"Is there something you need?" Knowing that he was there to celebrate Gu Yushan's birthday, and that it was just an outsider appearing at the Gu family's banquet, Gu Sui knew without a doubt that it was Zhou Ling's doing, so she didn't give him a friendly look.
"Your hospitality is really not very polite." Zhao Min maintained his polite smile, as if he had expected Gu Sui's reaction.
"If you know you're a guest, don't wander around in someone else's house." Gu Sui coldly remarked, too lazy to waste words with him, and turned to leave.
Zhao Min was a little embarrassed. He gritted his teeth and straightened his tie: "I don't think I've offended you, have I?"
Gu Sui didn't stop walking, nor did he even turn his head: "It seems you have a pretty bad memory."
Seeing that Gu Sui wasn't giving him a chance to communicate, and with the target about to fly away, Zhao Min couldn't keep up the act any longer. He raised his voice in exasperation, "Since that's the case, then I'll just say it directly."
Gu Sui stopped stepping onto the stairs, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the wooden handle, waiting to see what he could say.
Zhao Min stood casually with his hands in his trouser pockets, looking every bit the playboy. He tilted his head back and looked at Gu Sui not far away: "Both families intend for us to marry. Since neither of us is interested in the other, let's treat it as a collaboration and live our own lives after the marriage."
Gu Sui felt nauseous under his gaze. She clenched her fist tightly on the stairs, then suddenly released it, and returned to Zhao Min with a sneer.
Zhao Min assumed she had been persuaded and wanted to come back to discuss the matter with him, so he stared at her even more intently and said in a flippant tone, "Actually, you're not bad looking, but you're a bit old, and your temper isn't very good either..."
Zhao Min's words were interrupted by Gu Sui's sudden bursts of laughter, which sounded like mockery but were even colder, making Zhao Min feel uneasy.
"What do you mean?" Zhao Min felt a chill run down his spine from her laughter and spoke up, somewhat angrily.
Gu Sui crossed his arms and looked Zhao Min up and down playfully: "You're thirty this year, aren't you?"
Seeing that Zhao Min was confused, Gu Sui continued with a hint of displeasure, "Normally, the brain should be fully developed by then."
"You! Gu Sui, don't go too far." Even if Zhao Min was stupid, he could hear the belittling in her words. He stood there angrily, clenching his fists tightly, making a few soft cracking sounds.
Gu Sui coldly watched him stand there, raging helplessly, and said contemptuously, "I didn't hit you because I was afraid of dirtying my hands." She frowned in disgust and continued, "But you're right about one thing: I really have no interest in you, and even less interest in your childish arranged marriage game. I don't blame you for not being able to make your own decisions about your marriage, but please find out before you come that no one in the entire Gu family, except me, Gu Sui, can interfere in my affairs."
"I'll let it slide today since you're still my guest, but if you dare to say a single bad word about me after today, I guarantee you'll regret it."
After saying that, Gu Sui clearly and loudly uttered "Get lost," and only after watching Zhao Min leave, trembling with anger, did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Throughout the entire family banquet, Gu Sui's face remained icy cold, because Zhao Min, who had been deliberately arranged to sit next to her by Zhou Ling, also looked extremely unpleasant. He didn't even glance at Gu Sui once during the entire meal, let alone chat.
After the guests had all left, Gu Sui invited Zhou Ling to the garden.
Zhou Ling thought that Gu Sui was deliberately pulling her out to have a private conversation with her mother because she was afraid that Gu Yushan would hear it. So before Gu Sui could speak, she said with a big smile, "Ah Sui, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Your father and I..."
"Mom." Gu Sui interrupted her coldly, then looked at Zhou Ling calmly: "If you still have any respect for me, please stop doing these things on your own initiative."
Zhou Ling's smile froze on her face, but she still wouldn't give up: "Did Zhao Min do something to upset you?"
"It wouldn't matter who it is." Gu Sui said calmly, exhaling a few wisps of white mist: "Mom, who I like and who I choose to spend the rest of my life with is my own business. I hope you won't interfere anymore."
"Hmph, do you want to be like your sister and go against us?" Zhou Ling couldn't contain her temper and finally got angry.
Gu Sui turned her head to one side, the cold wind blowing her long hair, a few strands of hair covering her face, but unable to hide the bitter smile on her lips: "You know, I don't have my sister's good temper. If you don't agree, then I don't need to come back in the future."
After saying that, Gu Sui turned and left, with Zhou Ling's intermittent cursing coming from behind him.
Back at the waterfront villa, Gu Sui slumped onto the sofa, feeling somewhat annoyed, just as Gu Qi called at the perfect moment.
"Sister." She leaned back on the sofa, looking up, and called out listlessly.
"Judging from your tone, it seems things aren't going well. Did they make things difficult for you because of me?" Gu Qi sensed her lack of interest.
Gu Sui sighed almost imperceptibly, her fingers lightly playing with the ends of her hair: "No."
"What's wrong? Stop beating around the bush with me." Gu Qi always understood his younger sister's thoughts, so he pointed out her hesitation.
Gu Sui stopped hiding it and told Zhou Ling everything about their argument.
"Now look what's happened. They're only satisfied when their two daughters no longer recognize them." Gu Qi sneered with a hint of schadenfreude after hearing this.
"Let it cool down for a while," Gu Sui said, stretching his arms with a hint of helplessness.
"Hey, how are things going between you and Shang Shu lately?" Gu Qi abruptly changed the subject.
Upon hearing this, Gu Sui lost his languid demeanor and unconsciously sat up: "Hmm..."
"Don't just 'hmm,' have you made any progress with that girl?" Gu Qi's eyes lit up when he talked about gossip, his tone filled with undisguised excitement.
"Take your time." Gu Sui was amused by her anxious tone, and the image of Shang Shu reappeared in his mind.
"Tch, fine, don't tell me then." Gu Qi pretended to be annoyed, chatted with her for a few more minutes, and then hung up the phone.
Thinking of Shang Shu, Gu Sui still had a smile on her lips. She took the phone away from her ear and was hesitating to send Shang Shu a message of concern when she realized that Song Lan had also sent a message a few hours earlier.
She immediately jumped up from the sofa, quickly changed her clothes, and rushed out the door again.
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