Hearing her daughter's words, Mother Gu broke down in tears.
"It's your dad who dragged you down…"
"He's my dad. Family doesn't drag each other down," Gu Kuankuan said, choking up. "Mom, do you know? I'm not afraid of being tired, and I'm not afraid of a hard life. What I'm afraid of is never eating Dad's cooking again, never eating the desserts he picked up on his way home from work, never receiving the birthday gifts he gave me, never feeling his warm embrace again…"
Their family was ordinary, but her parents loved each other deeply, and they did everything they could to give her the best within their means.
"Your dad will wake up," Mother Gu wept.
Gu Kuankuan finished her little cake and took a deep breath.
"Mom, I'm heading back out to deliver food, or I'll get complaints for being late and have money docked."
"Ride slowly," Mother Gu urged.
"I know."
Gu Kuankuan nodded, waved at her mother, and ran toward the elevator.
While making a delivery, Gu Kuankuan received a call from her grandfather. "Gu Kuankuan, come back to the Gu family home for dinner tonight. Seven o'clock!"
Old Master Gu's tone was domineering and imperious.
"Sorry, I have deliveries tonight. I don't have time for dinner at Second Uncle's house," Gu Kuankuan refused flatly.
Her father was also the old man's own biological son.
Yet her father had been hit by a car and critically injured, lying in the ICU, while the perpetrator fled the scene. She and her mother had gone to beg her grandfather several times, asking him to help find the perpetrator, but he had refused.
She had asked her grandfather for a loan, and he said Second Uncle was supporting him now, so he had no money.
He told her to ask Second Uncle instead…
And the result was no result at all.
"Skipping one night of deliveries won't kill you," Old Master Gu said angrily.
Gu Kuankuan couldn't understand why her grandfather insisted she come to Second Uncle's house for dinner.
"My dad is lying in the ICU right now, and it costs a fortune every day. I have to earn money for his medical bills—I can't waste a single second!" Gu Kuankuan said.
"I'll give you a thousand yuan. Don't do deliveries tonight!" Old Master Gu said in a lofty, condescending tone.
"No," Gu Kuankuan refused without hesitation. "Today I ran an errand for an elderly lady, and she tipped me a thousand yuan. What if I run into another rich person needing an errand…"
"Three thousand!" Old Master Gu gritted his teeth and raised the price.
Gu Kuankuan immediately bowed to the evil power of money. "Fine. Transfer it to me on WeChat first."
A delicious meal plus money—who but a fool would refuse such a deal?
Her earlier refusal had just been a bargaining tactic to make her grandfather raise the price.
Less than two minutes later, Gu Kuankuan received three thousand yuan from Old Master Gu!
6:50 in the evening.
Gu Kuankuan parked her little electric scooter in front of the Gu family villa and walked into the Gu residence in her delivery uniform.
When the butler, Lin, saw her like this, his face was full of contempt and disdain.
"Gu Kuankuan, why are you dressed like that? And you reek of sweat," Gu Xueyan said, fanning the air with her delicate hand, her expression full of disgust.
"I just finished a delivery…"
"That's enough," Gu Xueyan cut her off, reproaching her. "Grandpa personally called and asked you to come for dinner, yet you clearly don't take it seriously at all."
"She's gotten too big for her boots now. It took three thousand yuan from me just to get her to come for a decent meal."
Old Master Gu got angry just talking about it.
Old Madam Gu immediately began cursing with venom, "We kindly invited you to dinner, yet you're so shameless as to ask your grandfather for money. No wonder your father has been a good-for-nothing his whole life, now lying half-dead in the hospital."
Crash! Gu Kuankuan grabbed a teacup and smashed it in front of Old Madam Gu.
Old Madam Gu turned pale with fright, gasping.
Gu Kuankuan clenched her fists, warning her through gritted teeth, "You old hag, if you say one more bad word about my dad, don't blame me for what I do!"
Gu Kuankuan was fiercely protective of her parents. People could insult her all they wanted, but insulting her mom and dad was absolutely off-limits.
Otherwise, she would fight them to the death!
Old Madam Gu came back to her senses, trembling with rage.
"Zhenxing, look at her! Not only does she dare smash a cup in front of me, she yells at me too…"
"Old Master, sir, Young Master Lu has arrived."
Butler Fang hurried over and announced respectfully.
At these words, the whole Gu family rushed to the entrance to welcome the guest.
Gu Kuankuan frowned in confusion. If her second uncle had guests, why had he still called her over for dinner?
Soon, Gu Kuankuan saw Gu Xueyan walking in on the arm of a handsome, distinguished man in a suit, surrounded by the rest of the Gu family.
"Gu Kuankuan, this is my fiancé, Lu Shaorong. You've heard of the Lu family, haven't you? The foremost wealthy family in Long Country—he's the young master of the Lu family! We're getting engaged soon."
Gu Xueyan's pretty face was full of pride and showing off.
A few days ago, that idiot Gu Kuankuan had sold them the jade pendant—it was the engagement token between her and Lu Shaorong!
Though Lu Shaorong wasn't the Lu family's heir, he was the nephew of Lu Sui, the true power behind the Lu family!
"Oh…" Out of politeness, Gu Kuankuan said flatly, "Hello, Young Master Lu."
Gu Xueyan, dressed to the nines, and Gu Kuankuan, disheveled after a full day of delivering food, were a contrast like heaven and earth.
Lu Shaorong noticed Gu Kuankuan was wearing a delivery uniform and could faintly smell sweat on her. His face was full of disgust and disdain.
Gu Xueyan secretly observed Lu Shaorong's reaction.
In a delicate, coquettish voice, she explained helplessly, "Shaorong-gege, this is my cousin. Grandpa called her ages ago about dinner at seven, so she had plenty of time to prepare…"
"Are you humiliating me?" Lu Shaorong's face darkened. "You invite me to dinner at the Gu family home, and there's a beggar here too."
"I'm not a beggar!"
Gu Kuankuan retorted angrily.
"You're filthy and stinking—if you're not a beggar, what are you?"
Lu Shaorong said insultingly, then took a thick stack of hundred-yuan bills from the wallet in his pocket and scattered them in front of Gu Kuankuan.
The bills fluttered to the floor.
"A tip for you. Pick up every last bill, then get out!"
Gu Kuankuan glanced at the money on the ground—roughly two to three thousand.
She quickly crouched down and swiftly gathered up the scattered bills…
"Hahaha~ She says she's not a beggar, but her body is honest enough to admit it." Lu Shaorong burst out laughing in mockery.
"Young Master Lu, you're brilliant! One little trick and it's confirmed—she's a beggar whose eyes light up at the sight of money," Gu Rongsheng chimed in obsequiously.
Gu Kuankuan bit her lip, forcing back her tears.
She told herself silently: Dignity isn't worth as much as her father's life!
Grandma Lu's tip, Old Master Gu's three thousand, plus the two or three thousand scattered on the floor, along with her delivery earnings—it was almost enough for one day in the ICU.
When Gu Kuankuan had picked up more than half the money on the floor, Butler Fang and the servants seized her by the arms and threw her out of the Gu family home.
Gu Kuankuan stomped her foot in fury!
This was truly going too far—they had humiliated her, yet wouldn't even let her finish picking up the money.
How hateful!
Gu Kuankuan counted the money she had just picked up—two thousand and one yuan—and her mood improved a little.
Gu Kuankuan got on her electric scooter, ready to continue delivering food…
As she was about to turn at an intersection, Gu Kuankuan was blinded by the high beams of oncoming headlights, followed immediately by a loud "bang."
Gu Kuankuan fell off her scooter along with it.
Seeing that she had crashed into a car that looked extremely, extremely expensive, Gu Kuankuan was struck dumb with shock…