The Chu family’s second son, Chu Qinzhi, was known throughout Haicheng as a notorious playboy.
At sixteen, he had already started keeping women outside. It was said that by twenty-two, his body had been drained by alcohol and indulgence, and he had contracted a disease that robbed a man of his dignity.
After learning the results, Chu Qinzhi, in a fit of rage, raced cars with others. His car then plunged off a cliff and exploded on impact.
Although Chu Qinzhi managed to jump out before the explosion, he was still injured by the blast—his leg was broken, and half of his face was disfigured.
For years since then, he had been confined within the Chu residence. Rumor had it that his personality had turned gloomy, violent, and bloodthirsty.
In Haicheng, no family of any standing was willing to marry their daughter to him.
Those of lower status, however, were not worthy in the Chu family’s eyes.
As for why Fifth Madam Gu was so eager to take on this hot potato, it was because… her precious daughter, Gu Qinghan, was in love with the Chu family’s eldest son, Chu Hanzhi.
Around them, the gazes were either mocking, disdainful, or amused.
Only one gaze—deep, heavy, and unreadable—Luo Jin could not understand.
She did not dare meet that gaze and dug her nails into her palm.
After closing her eyes tightly and reopening them, Luo Jin’s expression had already calmed.
“I won’t marry him,” she said.
Surprised that Luo Jin actually dared to refuse, Gu Qinghan froze for a moment.
Her voice immediately turned colder by two degrees. “Sister, this was arranged personally by Mom. Are you trying to reject her kindness?”
The words “kindness” were emphasized heavily, full of threat.
Luo Jin picked up the glass in front of her and took a light sip.
“If you value this marriage so much, why don’t you marry him instead?”
She was not ungrateful for the Gu family raising her, nor was she unwilling to sacrifice for them.
But she would never accept being pushed into a marriage like this, used as a pawn to pave the way for their daughter.
At that moment, Luo Jin became even more determined to leave the Gu family as soon as possible.
“You…” Gu Qinghan was so angry she almost stood up.
But Gu Tangzhou calmly grabbed her wrist and reminded her, “The elders are watching.”
Gu Qinghan bit her lip in unwillingness but ultimately did not cause a scene.
Luo Jin lowered her gaze and said nothing more.
Gu Qinghan glared at her fiercely.
She could tell—Luo Jin did not want to marry.
But this was not up to her.
Her mother had already negotiated with the Chu family: as long as Luo Jin married Chu Qinzhi, they would allow Chu Hanzhi to be engaged to her.
She absolutely could not let Luo Jin ruin her plans.
For the second half of the banquet, Luo Jin barely ate.
She sat with her head lowered, trying to minimize her presence.
But there was always a gaze, faint and intermittent, falling on her.
It wasn’t obvious, but impossible to ignore.
Feeling uncomfortable and worried about being noticed, Luo Jin cautiously glanced toward Gu Tangzhou from the corner of her eye.
He was listening to someone beside him, head lowered, occasionally responding with a casual “mm.”
He did not even lift his eyelids the entire time.
So… was she just being overly sensitive?
Luo Jin breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Then she heard someone beside Gu Tangzhou suddenly say, staring at his chest, “Huh? Second Brother, there’s a strand of hair on you.”
The man reached out and pulled a long black hair from his black suit.
Everyone at the table immediately reacted with surprised sounds.
“Second Brother, your little wild cat… is a bit big, huh!”
Luo Jin’s scalp tightened.
She then heard Gu Tangzhou let out a low chuckle. He suddenly lifted his gaze and briefly swept across Luo Jin’s face, as if thinking for a moment before tilting his chin slightly.
“Hmm… not that big.”
Luo Jin was 160 cm tall. In the Gu family, where the average woman was 168 cm and the men were around 189 cm, she did look small.
In the past, in bed, Gu Tangzhou often held her waist and said she was so small she could break easily, unable to withstand him.
Feeling a bit guilty, Luo Jin pursed her lips and drank water to cover it up.
The man added again, “So Second Brother was late earlier because he was sneaking off for some fun?”
“Pfft—cough, cough, cough…” Luo Jin choked and coughed, trying to suppress it.
Gu Qinghan shot her an annoyed glare. “We’re talking about Second Brother. Why are you reacting?”
“Sorry.” Luo Jin wiped her mouth with a tissue, apologized, and stood up to head to the restroom.
For a brief moment, an absurd thought flashed through Gu Qinghan’s mind.
Especially when she noticed Luo Jin’s slightly awkward way of walking.
That suspicion almost peaked.
But only for a moment—she shook the thought away.
Impossible. How could it be?
Second Brother was like a deity in the Gu family—so outstanding that even the eldest brother had to avoid his edge.
How could someone like him possibly be interested in Luo Jin?
What was she even worth? Even being matched with Chu Qinzhi was already an overreach, let alone being compared to Second Brother.
Putting the two in the same sentence was an insult to Gu Tangzhou.
Luo Jin locked herself in the restroom and kept splashing cold water on her face for a long time before finally suppressing her unease.
When she returned to the banquet, the final signature dish—braised pork trotter in crystal sauce—had just been served.
It was the Old Master’s favorite dish, and also the late Old Madam’s specialty.
So it was always served at every Gu family banquet.
As Luo Jin walked past, a servant happened to pass by carrying the dish.
The rich, oily aroma hit her instantly.
And in that moment, she felt nauseated and almost vomited.
“Ugh…”
The sudden sound drew everyone’s attention.
Almost immediately, she covered her mouth and bowed in apology. “Sorry, I didn’t—ugh…”
Before she could finish, another wave of nausea hit her.
She could no longer hold it in and rushed toward the restroom.
Gu Qinghan’s face darkened instantly as she watched her flee.
That bitch Luo Jin—could she be pregnant from messing around outside?!
If that was true, how could she still marry Chu Qinzhi?
Even if Chu Qinzhi was a wastrel, the Chu family would never force their son to marry a “used woman.”
Others at the table also began exchanging looks, each harboring their own guesses.
The Gu family might appear united on the surface, but in reality, internal struggles and schemes were constant.
Each branch waited for the others to make mistakes.
It was no secret that Fifth Uncle’s family wanted to use this marriage alliance with the Chu family to elevate their status within the Gu family.
No one expected their carefully chosen “tool” to cause such trouble at such a critical moment.
Everyone was now waiting to see the Fifth Uncle’s family become a joke.
Gu Qinghan’s expression grew increasingly ugly.
She clenched her fist and was about to go teach that woman a lesson—
But suddenly, someone stood up faster than her.
Gu Qinghan froze. The others also looked toward Gu Tangzhou in curiosity.
“Second Brother, where are you going?”
Gu Tangzhou replied lazily, “Grandpa, I’m done eating. I’ll go upstairs and rest first.”
He had just returned from a business trip and hadn’t slept all night; the Old Master knew this.
So he simply nodded. “Go ahead.”
The younger generation at the table obediently said, “Safe travels, Second Brother.”
Gu Tangzhou left without looking back, heading upstairs.
This, instead, made Gu Qinghan drop her suspicions completely.
She frowned, then quickly stepped in her high heels toward the restroom.
Today, she was going to properly teach that shameless woman a lesson.