The next day, Song Pengtao was woken by the alarm he had deliberately set for nine o'clock. He got up without washing his face or brushing his teeth, not even bothering to smooth his hair, and left his room. Following the long, slightly dilapidated hallway, he headed straight for Gu Leizhou's room.
When he reached a spot where he could see the courtyard, he glanced toward the center with eager anticipation. But with just that one look, he froze—the most eye-catching, luxurious car in the courtyard, the one that gleamed with the sheen of money from roof to wheels, was gone!
The designated driver had clearly parked it in the courtyard last night. He had even gone to great lengths to make sure of it, yet now the spot was occupied by an electric scooter.
He quickened his pace to Gu Leizhou's door.
"Leizhou? Leizhou? Open up!"
The only response was the sound of a neighbor downstairs doing laundry.
He tried calling Gu Leizhou, but as expected, no one answered—just like always.
Damn it!
Song Pengtao viciously kicked Gu Leizhou's door. Flakes of rust from years of wear scattered into the air, emitting a sharp, grating screech, but the door held firm.
Song Pengtao, on the other hand, sucked in a sharp breath, steadied himself on his left foot, and felt even more agitated.
Had that brat Gu Leizhou scammed him out of his money and run off? Could that really be it? But where could he have gone at this hour?
For working people, nine o'clock might not be considered early anymore, but for idle loafers like them who stayed up late drinking or partying, nine was still prime sleeping time!
Besides, he shouldn’t have given himself away. Sure, he hadn’t contacted Gu Leizhou for three days, but Gu Leizhou hadn’t reached out to him either, right? How could that be his fault?
What’s more, he had spent a fortune yesterday—the whole set of medical tests plus that meal cost more than he’d earned from two years of hard labor before running into Gu Leizhou again. Was that still not enough to appease that useless kid?
Song Pengtao couldn’t stop his mind from racing, but just then, a furious shout came from above.
The landlady suddenly leaned out from upstairs. "Song Pengtao! What are you doing? Why are you kicking my door? Stay right there! I’m going to have a serious talk with you!"
With that, she hurried downstairs.
"How dare you kick my door! Even if this were your rented place—which it isn’t—you still can’t treat the door like that! Can you rent it or not? If you can, fine. If not, get out!"
Song Pengtao wanted to shout back, even felt a strong urge to tell her on the spot that he wouldn’t rent from her anymore. But Gu Leizhou was still here—he couldn’t leave. If he left, how would he swindle the money out of Gu Leizhou’s hands?
Besides, moving wasn’t a simple task. Given his laziness, he avoided moving unless absolutely necessary—after all, moving was more exhausting than actual work.
But the landlady was truly relentless in her scolding, especially since she was loud enough this time that people nearby had started gathering to watch the commotion.
Song Pengtao’s face flushed red and pale in turns. In the end, he chose to pay his way out of trouble, handing the landlady five hundred yuan as compensation.
The landlady marched off triumphantly with the money, but once she turned her back on Song Pengtao, her victorious glee faded. She really did wish he would move out… Ah…
…
Meanwhile, Gu Leizhou had arrived at Gu Liao Chuan’s studio early in the morning.
Although Gu Liao Chuan had only debuted not long ago, he already had his own dedicated studio, which was established when he signed his contract. To his company, Gu Liao Chuan was not just a wildly popular artist and idol, but also a remarkably creative talent—the kind who could quietly produce a song all on his own, handling both the lyrics and composition. As a result, the company treated him exceptionally well. Of course, the benefits Gu Liao Chuan brought to the company were undeniable, so the company certainly wasn’t operating at a loss.
But the old Gu Leizhou didn’t understand that. All he could see was that his younger brother, still underage and not far from him, already had such a large space of his own, and his company had provided him with a place a thousand times better than his own rented apartment.
Of course, his rented apartment wasn’t actually bad. Although it looked old and worn from the outside, the interior was clean, practical, and had everything he needed—otherwise, he wouldn’t have rented it.
But compared to Gu Liao Chuan, who had such great treatment and so many admirers even before finishing school, Gu Leizhou felt his own life was miserable. Over the years, he had suffered endless grievances.
Why could Gu Liao Chuan earn so much money and gain recognition so effortlessly?
In terms of looks, he was much more handsome than Gu Liao Chuan—he just didn’t put effort into dressing up!
In terms of talent, hah, he had scored perfect marks before. Back in elementary school, he was the star of the school, the top student in the teachers’ eyes!
He should have been the center of attention, the protagonist in everyone’s eyes. How dare Gu Liao Chuan surpass him and steal his spotlight? Even though most of the money Gu Liao Chuan earned ended up in his pocket, Gu Leizhou still felt deeply resentful.
The current Gu Leizhou, of course, no longer harbored such thoughts. Remembering Gu Liao Chuan’s trust and unconditional support for him as an older brother in his memories, Gu Leizhou walked with renewed energy.
Since his younger brother trusted him so much, he would still earn whatever money he could—after all, who would complain about having too much money? Even with the Godly Tycoon Check-in System, he preferred spending money he earned through his own efforts.
"What are you doing here?"
As soon as Gu Leizhou entered, the first person he ran into, wandering around casually, was Zhang Xia, Gu Liao Chuan’s manager.
The moment Zhang Xia saw Gu Leizhou, her mood soured entirely. If it weren’t for Gu Liao Chuan’s unwavering trust in his older brother, she would have hung a sign at the studio entrance saying, "Gu Leizhou and dogs are not allowed!"
"Oh, Sister Zhang, good morning! Have you eaten?"
Zhang Xia looked at him mockingly, rubbing her arms to soothe the goosebumps she felt.
"Hah, unnecessary flattery always hides ulterior motives."
Gu Leizhou: "What are you talking about? What flattery?"
Zhang Xia: "Last time, you asked the assistant if he had eaten. He hadn’t, so you gave him a piece of candy, and then you took 100,000 from Liao Chuan. The time before that, you ordered three cups of milk tea for the dozen or so staff in our studio to share, and then you took 200,000 from Liao Chuan. The time before that, you brought Liao Chuan a box of leftovers…"
Gu Leizhou waved his hands repeatedly, "Stop, stop, stop! This time, Sister Zhang, you can rest assured!"
"You dare say you didn't come for money this time?"
Gu Leizhou: "Well, not exactly. I just meant that when I asked if you'd eaten, I actually wanted you to buy me some food and bring it up. I haven't eaten yet."
Zhang Xia: …
Hearing the commotion, Gu Liao Chuan hurried out. Seeing Gu Leizhou, his face immediately lit up with delight. "Brother, you're here? Why so early? Did you take a bus? Did you get carsick?"
The pristine glass seemed unable to fully reflect his joy.
"Drove here, of course. Didn't I tell you a while back I was going to buy a car?"
Gu Liao Chuan was taken aback, then an even bigger smile spread across his still-youthful face. "Brother, you bought a car? That's amazing! You're so awesome! What kind of car is it? Can I ride in it with you driving? Brother, do you have enough money? I have some here…"
Zhang Xia kept coughing and making pointed eye signals from the side.
Unfortunately, whenever Gu Liao Chuan encountered Gu Leizhou, it was like his intelligence dropped several notches—he practically worshipped the ground his brother walked on.
And Gu Leizhou was utterly ungrateful. "Alright, alright, enough! You always have so many questions—which one should I answer first? When you turn eighteen and get your license, you can drive me around. I'm not going to be your chauffeur!"
Logically, anyone hearing that would feel a bit offended, but Gu Liao Chuan didn't mind at all. He grabbed his brother's wrist. "That works too! When the time comes, just tell me where you want to go, brother! I'll go with you anywhere!"
Zhang Xia, standing nearby: Inhale, exhale, repeating deep-breathing exercises over and over.
You silly child! Shouldn't it be you who's amazing for Gu Leizhou being able to buy a car? What are you getting so excited about? And at this rate, Gu Liao Chuan will soon make a name for himself in the Chinese music industry. How can a star like that drag Gu Leizhou—who does nothing productive—around everywhere?
Please let it just be an offhand comment! Say it and forget it quickly! Zhang Xia prayed silently.
But then again, the fact that Gu Leizhou could afford a car did surprise Zhang Xia.
Gu Liao Chuan didn't know what he'd been spending his money on before, but Zhang Xia had a pretty good idea. Unfortunately, she had no solid evidence, and even if she told Gu Liao Chuan, he wouldn't believe her. Even if he had some doubts, Gu Leizhou would just scowl and give some random excuse, and Gu Liao Chuan would believe him again, afraid to dig deeper lest his brother get angry.
She'd never seen siblings like this! Logically, at seventeen, whether they're brothers or sisters, they should start developing their own thoughts and independence! Why is Gu Liao Chuan so blindly trusting and dependent on his brother?
"You really bought a car? What kind? How much did it cost?" She suspected this was just another one of Gu Leizhou's new schemes to ask for money.
But before Gu Leizhou could answer, Gu Liao Chuan grew anxious. He glanced cautiously at his brother. "Sister Zhang, didn't you say you had things to do earlier?"
Zhang Xia was almost amused by how hopeless Gu Liao Chuan was.
Gu! Liao! Chuan! He was truly! beyond! saving!
"I haven't eaten yet, and my stomach feels a bit off. Liao Chuan, could you buy me a meal?" Though he said this, his gaze occasionally flickered toward Zhang Xia.
Zhang Xia shot a fierce glare at Gu Leizhou, who had spoken. "I'll go!"
Gu Liao Chuan had schedules in the afternoon. If she didn't leave them some time alone now, they might end up encroaching on his work time later.
Gu Liao Chuan pushed open the door to his office and led his brother inside. The room wasn’t exactly tidy or organized—papers were scattered messily on the piano and desk. A large family portrait hung on the wall, and on the desk sat a figurine the Original Body had given him this year. Well, if giving a figurine in exchange for 100,000 yuan could be called a gift, then yes, it was indeed a gift.
Gu Liao Chuan felt a bit embarrassed. “I haven’t cleaned up, Brother. Should we go to the lounge next door instead?”
Gu Leizhou unceremoniously plopped down on the sofa. “It’s fine. It’s much cleaner than my place.”
This was the truth. The room the Original Body had lived in was practically unbearable to look at—it was only after Gu Leizhou spent three days there that it became somewhat tidy. Not to mention, his mission target—Gu Liao Chuan’s computer—was right there within reach. Why would he trouble himself by asking to change locations?
Hearing this, Gu Liao Chuan felt a pang of heartache. “Brother, you’ve suffered so much all these years… Why don’t you move in with me? It would be so nice for us brothers to live together.”
He had suggested this before, but unfortunately, every time he brought it up, he was turned down.
Author’s Note:
Thank you, my dear Fang Tangyuan, for gifting me so much nutrient solution~