The person who got out of the car was an unfamiliar boy no one had ever seen before. He had a tall, upright figure, fair and slender, with short black hair falling over his brows. Dressed simply in a white T-shirt and light blue jeans, he carried a bright, youthful aura.
“Uh, Brother Jiang!” Almost letting it slip, Gu Youyou lifted the hem of her dress and ran excitedly toward him. “You’re here!”
Youyou’s enthusiasm surprised everyone. Not only were the second-generation heirs taken aback, even Madam Gu was astonished that the friend her daughter had mentioned was actually a male.
The young heirs looked at one another. Just now they had racked their brains trying to find topics to talk about, yet Gu Youyou had been like a sealed jar, barely saying a few words. So who was this guy?
Why did Gu Youyou become as passionate as a bee that had smelled nectar the moment she saw him, completely different from the way she treated them?
More importantly—
“How did he get out of Second Young Master’s car?”
“Which family is he from? Why haven’t we seen him before?”
“Maybe Youyou asked someone to pick him up?”
“Could he be one of Gu Youyou’s old friends?”
Jiang Yumo had long been used to other people’s gazes and didn’t care. Gu Youyou, like a sunflower with eyes only for him, walked in with him and sat beside him on the sofa in the banquet hall.
“Here.” Jiang Yumo casually took out a crude black plastic bag from his pocket. A small tiger tooth showed as he smiled, hiding a trace of mischief. “Birthday present.”
Someone beside them laughed. “That’s way too shabby. You actually have the nerve to bring something like that?”
Yet Gu Youyou couldn’t help but take it and hug it tightly to her chest, speaking incoherently, “Th-thank you, thank you. I, I’ll definitely treasure it.”
The man’s expression darkened, and the others around them didn’t look pleased either.
They hadn’t been particularly interested in Gu Youyou in the first place; they had only come because their elders told them to.
Each of them had brought exquisite and expensive gifts, yet Gu Youyou hadn’t even glanced at them before letting the maid take them away. Meanwhile, something casually stuffed into a black plastic bag by this unknown nobody made her so happy and eager to treasure it, making them look like clowns.
Jiang Yumo stopped Gu Youyou when she tried to open it. “Wait until you’re alone before looking.”
Gu Youyou nodded obediently. “Okay.”
He wouldn’t even let her open it, so the thing inside must be too embarrassing to show. But because of Gu Youyou’s attitude, they didn’t dare complain.
“Youyou, who is this?” Gu Xuan said, swirling the wine in his glass.
“Why don’t you introduce him to us?” Yuan Qiao walked over gracefully. Both sides of Gu Youyou were already occupied, so she could only take a seat opposite them.
Gu Yu’s fixed little circle only included Xu Feiyao and Zhou Yibai. Not only could she not squeeze into it, even Gu Xuan was excluded.
So who was this person, that he could make Gu Yu have the driver send him back to attend his younger sister’s birthday banquet before even getting off work?
Normally the Gu family had a car specifically used for picking people up, and they wouldn’t use a car registered under the Second Young Master’s name. Today, however, Gu Youyou had specially requested it after listening to her benefactor. Since it was only a small request from her, Madam Gu naturally didn’t object.
“Huh?” Gu Youyou had never encountered a situation like this before, so she uncertainly looked toward Jiang Yumo. The way their interaction made it seem like Jiang Yumo was the one who called the shots between them surprised the others again.
【Host! Calm down!】
Jiang Yumo: “I’m very calm.” 🙂
Seeing the woman who had betrayed him again, emotions surged in Jiang Yumo’s heart. Was there still love? He didn’t know. Even if there had been, it was now buried beneath deep hatred.
But no one could tell. All they saw was the handsome young man smiling and giving a polite self-introduction, revealing only his name while saying nothing about his family background.
Yuan Qiao was just about to keep asking for more information.
“I’m not late, am I?” Xu Feiyao strode in with his arm around his girlfriend.
“Little Sister Youyou, this is the birthday gift your brother specially bought for you. Happy birthday.” After speaking, Xu Feiyao winked with his right eye; a man who was fairly handsome suddenly looked a little greasy.
Xu Feiyao was a master at having fun. The people present were a few years younger than him, but they all knew he had a good relationship with the Gu family’s Second Young Master. If he appeared here, did that mean the Second Young Master would also come back?
“Eldest Young Master.” Xu Feiyao greeted Gu Xuan.
Gu Xuan nodded. “Mm.”
Everyone craned their necks in anticipation, but the Second Young Master didn’t appear. Instead, Xu Feiyao livened up the atmosphere.
Compared to the earlier cold mood, the lively atmosphere now finally felt somewhat like an actual birthday celebration.
Since they were all still young, Xu Feiyao suggested playing a clean, underage version of Truth or Dare. Mainly because he couldn’t play the other kinds of games, not only were the adults next door, but more importantly he was afraid Gu Yu would come back and beat him up.
Jiang Yumo played a few rounds as well but was never chosen. After several turns, he went to the restroom. When he came out, he heard someone quietly making a phone call, lowering their voice in a suppressed shout.
“How the hell would I know who he is? Damn it, I thought Gu Youyou had just been found and would be easy to fool. Who knew some guy would suddenly pop up!”
“And he even looks all effeminate, damn it! I’ve never seen him before, he’s probably not from our circle.”
“Fine! I’ll take a photo later, and you can help me check where that pretty boy came from.”
【Hey, host, why were you mopping the floor just now?】
Jiang Yumo answered matter-of-factly, “I accidentally stepped on a dirty spot. I’m a bit of a clean freak, so I just mopped it. No need to thank me.”
【Then why were you squirting hand soap on the floor?】
Jiang Yumo spoke confidently, “No laundry detergent. This way, it cleans a bit better :p.”
Not long after, a man in a white suit appeared from the end of the hallway near the restroom corner. He didn’t notice the slippery floor beneath him and, taking a big step, slipped and landed in a crouched butt-sit.
By this time, Jiang Yumo had already returned to the living room. He had barely sat down when the man in the white suit walked out. Gone was the previous cursing; he now forced a polite, awkward smile. “I accidentally slipped. Youyou, could you help me change into clean pants?”
If it was just a man and woman alone in a room, a little teasing would be effortless, right?
Xu Feiyao clicked his tongue. “You slipped, fine. But thinking you can freeload a pair of pants?”
“No—” the man in the suit tried to explain.
But Xu Feiyao clearly knew his intentions. He waved dismissively. “If you want to play, sit. Don’t want to play, leave.”
Jiang Yumo nibbled at the cake, various desserts, and hot dishes brought by Gu Youyou as if in a devotional offering, his eyes squinting into crescent-moon smiles.
Everyone else was staring at him, so the man in the white suit, under the pressure, looked frustrated but was about to sit.
“Hey, those pants are pitch black. They’ll dirty the sofa,” Jiang Yumo suddenly said.
If Xu Feiyao couldn’t get away with it, then this pretty boy couldn’t either. The man in the suit scowled, annoyed. “None of your business!”
Xu Feiyao thought: oh snap!
He was just about to stand up to defend Gu Yu’s crush.
But Gu Youyou was faster. She suddenly stood up. Because of a difficult childhood, her thin face was only about the size of a palm. She used to seem timid, but now she held a stern expression, her eyes seeming to shoot fire. “Wh-what do you mean? Who are you talking to? This is my, my brother!”
Jiang Yumo: ahem ahem.
Gu Youyou paused. “This is my brother! If you’re scolding him, you’re scolding me!”
【It’s impressive that the male lead’s shy little sister stood up to speak for you, her whole body is shaking.】
Jiang Yumo chuckled.
【Host, aren’t you touched?】
Jiang Yumo: “Ha, I’m dying of emotion.”
If Gu Yu from his previous life knew that his beloved little sister defended him so fiercely, he probably would have been so mad he’d spit blood.
Ah, it’s a pity he couldn’t see Gu Yu completely thrown off guard.
Xu Feiyao’s mouth hung open in shock. ‘Whoa! No way! Wait, is Gu Youyou interested in her brother’s crush?!’
This… this… the siblings are both secretly fond of the same man? What kind of century-defining scandal is this?!
The watermelon in Xu Feiyao’s hands fell, and he frantically searched his pockets for his phone. He was about to message Gu Yu but stopped himself.
Wait, better to observe a little longer. Don’t ruin the bond between the siblings for nothing.
The man in the suit clearly didn’t expect Gu Youyou to react so intensely. He had come tonight with a mission to get close to her, how could he fail before even starting?
Panicked, he scrambled for an excuse, but the butler appeared out of nowhere and ushered him out.
The lively atmosphere from just moments ago now grew awkward. Xu Feiyao hesitated, then stepped up to manage the scene. Everyone quickly forgot the earlier commotion and resumed playing games.
Coincidentally, the next question fell to Jiang Yumo, and the one being asked was Yuan Qiao.
Jiang Yumo smiled faintly. “Truth or dare?”
His smile narrowed his eyes slightly, his thick, dark lashes hiding his true intentions.
Yuan Qiao glanced at the others. Her friend Wang Yuewei led the cheers, shouting, “Dare! Dare! Dare!”
Yuan Qiao let out a confident laugh and blinked. “Dare, then. I hope this little brother will go easy on me.”
Jiang Yumo was seven years younger than Gu Yu, and Yuan Qiao was three years younger than Gu Yu. She could barely be considered part of Gu Yu’s generation, so calling Jiang Yumo “little brother” wasn’t wrong.
Jiang Yumo bit the flesh at the side of his mouth in mild annoyance. “Dare, dare. It’s only fun if it’s risky.”
【Host! The punishment system is watching you!】
Jiang Yumo snorted inwardly and said to the system, ‘Am I the kind of person who holds grudges?’
System: You are, you are, you are!
“I’m not going to make things hard for Miss Yuan either,” Jiang Yumo said, crossing his legs and leaning back with his arms folded. He glanced at the green substance on the sashimi plate beside him. “Then eat all the wasabi on this.”
Everyone looked over, their expressions instantly turning strange.
It wasn’t just that he was making Yuan Qiao eat wasabi, well, maybe a little, but more so because they noticed he had arranged four or five mobile tables around him, surrounded by all kinds of desserts, food, and drinks, while Gu Youyou observed every detail closely, making sure any missing items were quickly replaced by a maid.
And next to them, they had only placed a few desserts for show…
They exchanged a few glances and quietly tapped on their phones in the group chat.
‘Holy crap! Gu Youyou is completely smitten by him!’
‘Who the hell is this guy?!!!’
‘All he’s wearing is cheap stuff. He must be a friend from before Gu Youyou came back!’
‘【Photo.jpg】 Take a look, don’t get too close if you see him outside, don’t want to offend him. Whispering sweet nothings could be dangerous!’
At this moment, Jiang Ran had just arrived in Switzerland and was resting at the hotel.
Although she couldn’t get in touch with the Gu family directly, she had coincidentally met Wang Yuewei, a genuine heiress from a wealthy family, who had agreed to add her to this group with the only rule that she remain silent and just watch.
But today, bored after just landing, Jiang Ran scrolled through her phone and saw the message above.
Her first reaction was disbelief. Reading carefully afterward, jealousy and anger overwhelmed her reason, and she immediately forgot Wang Yuewei’s earlier instructions. Her fingers, adorned with exquisitely jeweled nails, moved across the keyboard like butterflies dancing.
‘I know this person, he’s the illegitimate son of the Jiang family!’
Silence filled the group chat.
Jiang Ran felt a surge of satisfaction, these people must have been shocked. She had heard that the wealthier the family, the more they despised mistresses, so these people must be disgusted right now.
Admiring her nails for a moment, she unleashed her malice and continued typing: His mother seduced my father while my mother was pregnant with my brother, and now he’s seducing Miss Gu. Truly worthy of being the son of a mistress.