Mansion No. 01 in the Capital—
The residence of Elder Gu.
Unlike the other buildings, this one had its own security detail at the entrance, with guards whose bearing and demeanor were distinctly more formidable.
As Lu Tao walked in, she overheard two women arguing.
“My daughter-in-law Fu Zhi is currently studying law at Peking University.”
“My daughter-in-law Lu Tao is currently studying finance at Tsinghua University.”
“Fu Zhi holds a black belt in Taekwondo.”
“Lu Tao has passed the piano grade ten exam.”
…………
The two talked until their mouths went dry, and by the end, they had run out of things to say. “Our Zhizhi… can skip stones twenty-three times in a row!”
Mother Bai watched as Mother Gu, at the end of her rope, racked her brains but couldn’t come up with anything else. She was thoroughly smug. “So? Your daughter-in-law still can’t compare to mine, can she?”
Mother Gu’s face flushed red. “Our Taotao… Taotao was among the first batch to join the Young Pioneers.”
Lu Tao: “…”
Lu Tao looked at Gu Xingzhi in astonishment, but he seemed completely used to this. “Let’s go.”
Remembering that she couldn’t let down the salary she was being paid, Lu Tao quickly followed at his heels.
Beneath the crystal chandelier stood a woman in a long black dress, wearing white tassel earrings. Her bone structure was exquisite.
Her figure was equally stunning—full yet with a slender waist, revealing delicate ankles.
The book had mentioned that this wasn’t Gu Xingzhi’s biological mother.
Gu Xingzhi’s birth mother had passed away when he was twelve, reportedly dying right before his eyes.
This was his stepmother—his biological mother’s younger sister, Rong Qing.
Gu Xingzhi seemed somewhat cold toward his stepmother, but Lu Tao couldn’t help covering her mouth. “So beautiful.”
Her voice drew the two women’s attention, and they temporarily called a truce, both turning to look over.
Gu Xingzhi shrugged, leaving the battlefield to her.
Lu Tao futilely reached out a hand toward him: No, don’t—
But Gu Xingzhi, as if he hadn’t heard, walked ahead with one hand in his pocket.
Lu Tao gritted her teeth. She’d taken the salary, so she had to have the self-awareness of an employee.
“Mom, I’m here.” She blinked her big, watery eyes as she walked toward Rong Qing, her voice sweet but not cloying.
Rong Qing took her hand with an intimate air. “Oh, my dear daughter-in-law is here.”
The implication being that her daughter-in-law was proper and courteous, arriving earlier than Gu Yuqing’s daughter-in-law.
Bai Yu’s mother, Gu Yuqing, furrowed her brow, her gaze fixed on the entrance. After waiting a long time without seeing Fu Zhi appear, her expression turned displeased.
Unable to stand Rong Qing’s insufferable smugness, she said coldly, “I’m an open-minded mother-in-law. I don’t care if young people sleep in until noon—after all, my son is quite impressive.”
Lu Tao quickly covered her mouth, her eyelashes fluttering like falling butterflies.
Was that really something to say in public?
It seemed these two really had deep-seated grudges, to the point of competing over something like this.
As Rong Qing ground her teeth, Lu Tao rubbed her lower back. “Mom, my back isn’t feeling well. I’d like to sit down for a bit.”
Rong Qing immediately helped Lu Tao to a seat with a triumphant air. “Sweetheart, you’re so adorable. No wonder Xingzhi dotes on you.”
Gu Yuqing snorted twice. “Whoever produces a child first is the one with real skill.”
Lu Tao: “…”
They were even competing over this?
But regardless, she’d completed the first task the big boss had given her. He’d asked her to hold off his mother, and she really had.
The man sat across from her, handsome and elegant, lazily swirling a goblet in his hand, exuding an innate air of nobility.
His narrow, elongated eyes seemed to hold a hint of newfound respect for her.
Lu Tao smiled and shot him a playful look.
He froze for a moment, then turned his face away.
Lu Tao thought: Huh? This big shot actually seems kind of shy?
No way—with his wealth, status, and looks that outshone most male celebrities, he’d never been in a relationship?
Just as she looked away, she heard Rong Qing’s meaningful voice. “Lu Tao, you’re Xingzhi’s first woman, so you’ll need to be a bit more tolerant.”
Lu Tao followed Rong Qing’s gaze—her eyes were fixed on Lu Tao’s lower back.
She’d probably been fooled by what Lu Tao said earlier, and Lu Tao couldn’t help but cough awkwardly.
Yes, her bestie had said that only she could pull off saying such scandalous things, but even she, under her beautiful mother-in-law’s stare, was starting to crack, her face burning hot.
Still, she’d gained an important piece of information: Gu Xingzhi really had never had a girlfriend before.
No way?
Lu Tao kept her expression neutral, but her mind was racing—
Could her bestie have been right? Did Gu Xingzhi have some kind of secret ailment?
Well, that made sense. What kind of CEO would he be if he didn’t have some issue?
What should have been a small family gathering was more like a large-scale business summit.
The food was lavish, comparable to a top-tier buffet, with every kind of delicacy imaginable.
But there were also ordinary dishes—mainly Cantonese dim sum like shrimp dumplings and siu mai, along with stir-fried rice noodles. They seemed somewhat out of place among all the luxurious delicacies.
According to her beautiful mother-in-law, Elder Gu had met his wife during a trip to Guangzhou, and so he had a particular fondness for Cantonese morning tea and evening tea.
It had even become a well-known romantic tale.
The old lady, however, claimed it was because he had a craving for good food but was too embarrassed to admit it, so he used her name as an excuse.
But after fifty years of marriage, the two still walked down the spiral staircase arm in arm. The old lady wore jadeite rings of clearly considerable value on her wrist and fingers.
Though her hair was white and her face lined with wrinkles, she possessed a bone-structure beauty that defied age, and her bearing was nothing short of elegant and noble.
No wonder Lao She’s novel Rickshaw Boy says, “Great wealthy families produce great romantics.”
Lu Tao glanced back at Gu Xingzhi, who looked like someone who kept the world at arm’s length and was impervious to matters of the heart. Well, that saying wasn’t entirely reliable—there were always exceptions to the rule.
Just as it was nearly time to eat, Fu Zhi finally made her belated appearance.
Seizing a moment when no one was watching, Lu Tao shuffled over to her in small steps. Since their mothers-in-law were sworn enemies, they couldn’t afford to appear too warm or familiar with each other.
Clenching her teeth, she used ventriloquism to suppress her racing heart as she repeated the secret that had weighed on her all night. “So… you slept with him?”
“Mhm.” Fu Zhi wore her usual world-weary expression. “Xiao Bai’s bed is surprisingly soft. I wonder what brand of mattress it is.”
Xiao Bai?!
They’d already moved to nicknames after just one night?
Lu Tao gritted her teeth again. “And what does ‘good review’ mean?”
“Top-notch service quality.” Fu Zhi seemed thoroughly satisfied with Bai Yu’s performance in bed—her lips even curved upward, her eyes glazed with contentment, as if savoring the memory.
That subtle expression didn’t escape Lu Tao’s notice. Her jaw dropped in shock. Her bestie hadn’t been like this before the book transmigration!
She’d practically had a case of misandry—especially toward the cocky, self-assured guys at their school. Fu Zhi would punch one if one came at her, and punch two if two came at her!
Forgetting that their mothers-in-law were sworn enemies, Lu Tao grabbed Fu Zhi’s shoulders and shook her violently. “Who are you really? Get the hell out of my sister’s body right now!”
Fu Zhi: “…”