Gu Feng followed behind her, his face full of concern, continuously calling out, “Slow down.”
【Tsk tsk tsk! Look at her face—the powder is so thick it’s practically rubbing onto her clothes. That sickly makeup is truly something else. And that limp—she’s really putting on quite a show. What a waste if she doesn’t become an actress.】
【Oh right, Fifth Brother is an actor. Could it be that she learned all this acting from him?】
Liu Zheng and Gu Yunlang watched as Gu Yan approached. Sure enough, they noticed powder smeared on the pink collar of her blouse.
If Yunxi’s inner thoughts were true, then everything that happened today was Gu Yan’s doing. Instantly, their impression of this adopted daughter worsened.
“Little sister, it’s so good that you’re here. Now I won’t be lonely in this house anymore—I’ll have someone to talk to.”
Gu Yan limped over and sat beside Gu Yunxi, her tone unusually gentle. Just as she reached out to touch her, Gu Yunxi quickly shifted closer to her mother in fright.
【Better stay away from this little green tea, or she’ll trip me up again. After all, everyone in the Gu family dotes on her.】
“If you’re not feeling well, you should rest upstairs. Why come down?”
Tears welled up in Gu Yan’s eyes. What did Mom mean by that? Why did her tone sound a bit reproachful?
Shouldn’t she be concerned about her injury? Could it be that now that her sister had arrived, her love for her wasn’t as strong as before?
【Huh? What’s going on with beautiful mom? Something feels off. She’s not even comforting her daughter or soothing her fragile heart.】
“Mom!”
Gu Yan began to act coquettishly.
【Mom!】 Gu Yunxi mimicked her sugary tone in her mind.
【She’s too close—I’ve got goosebumps all over.】
“That’s enough. Go back and rest. I’ll come upstairs to check on you later.”
Seeing that her act worked, Gu Yan stood up happily, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. “Mom, I’ll be waiting for you. I knew you still love me.”
After saying that, she glanced at Gu Yunxi and shot her a provocative look before limping upstairs.
【Tsk tsk tsk! Exposed now, aren’t you? Just now it was your left leg limping, and now it’s your right. At least try to act convincingly.】
Gu Yunlang suddenly felt that being able to hear his sister’s inner thoughts was incredibly entertaining.
“Yunxi, let me see your phone.”
Gu Yunxi handed it over. Gu Yunlang operated on it for a moment before returning it to her.
“Alipay has received 1,000,000 yuan!”
【Whoa!】
【Third Brother is so generous—just like that, a million! If I spend carefully, I won’t have to worry for the rest of my life. Staying at home earns this much money—why would I go set up a stall? That would lower my status.】
Gu Yunxi lovingly kissed her phone and said sweetly, “Thank you, Third Brother!”
“What are you thanking me for? It’s just a small welcome gift. I’ll give you even better things in the future.”
Gu Yunxi nodded like a little money enthusiast.
【One brother gives 1.5 million—five brothers make 5 million. Tsk tsk tsk, I’m getting rich, getting rich!】
Upstairs, Gu Yan gritted her teeth. All of this originally belonged to her. After just one trip away, why had Third Brother changed?
No—Gu Yunxi absolutely could not stay in the Gu family. Otherwise, her position would be in danger. If Gu Yunxi knew what she was thinking, she would definitely shout: Let the storm come even harder!
She would welcome it with open arms.
“Dad, what about you? What welcome gift are you giving your daughter?”
Gu Feng, who had been lounging with his legs crossed, was suddenly called out. He quickly sat up straight and, seeing everyone looking at him expectantly, transferred 2 million.
Hearing the payment notification, Gu Yunxi was so happy she almost felt like flying on the spot.
She secretly tested it—her spiritual power was still there. Although only a little remained, it was enough to do many meaningful things.
【Look at this scumbag dad’s pained expression—I feel so happy. I’ll save this money for Mom. Over the years, he’s taken far more from her than this. I’ll make him spit it out bit by bit.】
Gu Feng fiddled with his phone, said he had something to do, and left. Before leaving, he reminded everyone to take good care of Gu Yan.
“Yunxi, I’ll take you to your room. Get some rest—we’ll go out for dinner tonight.”
“Okay, thank you, Mom!”
Gu Yunxi followed Liu Zheng upstairs. Her room was right next to her mother’s. To her surprise, the bedroom was decorated warmly.
Everything she could need was there, and what pleased her most was the desk.
After her mother left, she lay on the bed scrolling through her phone. Seeing others livestreaming, she suddenly sat up.
Could she livestream to make money too? Although her family had given her money, earning it herself felt more reassuring. More importantly, she could accumulate merit.
Soon, she figured out how to start a stream.
Now she just needed equipment.
It was only a little past four, with over two hours before dinner. She asked Fifth Brother for a phone stand and prepared to get to work.
In the room next door, Liu Zheng couldn’t bring herself not to visit Gu Yan. After all, she had raised her for eighteen years—there was still a mother-daughter bond.
Gu Yan lay on the bed and, seeing her mother enter, struggled as if to get up.
Liu Zheng had just reached out her hand, but withdrew it again. Yunxi’s inner voice reminded her—Yan’er was pretending.
More importantly, she was her husband’s illegitimate daughter. For all these years, she had carefully raised her, only to discover that she had long known her true identity.
Now she even began to suspect whether the baby mix-up at the hospital had been intentional. It seemed she needed to investigate thoroughly.
“Yan’er, now that your sister is back, do you feel wronged?”
Gu Yan said nothing, tears streaming down her face. She had thought this would make Liu Zheng feel sorry for her.
But things had changed.
“You are both my daughters. Of course, now that she’s here, I will have less attention to give you. After all, she lived in the countryside for eighteen years and never experienced a mother’s love. You’ve grown up—you should understand my difficulties, okay?”
Gu Yan nodded obediently, but in her heart she screamed: Why? If she hadn’t come back, I would be the only young lady of the Gu family.
The family property would be mine, the shares mine—even my brothers and parents would be mine.
“Alright, you’re not feeling well. Stay home for dinner tonight. Xiao Ju, take good care of Yan’er. If she feels worse, call a doctor.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Liu Zheng went downstairs. Seeing Gu Yan’s bad expression, Xiao Ju closed the door.
“Miss Yan’er, don’t be discouraged. Madam said it herself—you’ve lived in the Gu family for eighteen years. That Gu Yunxi is from the countryside, so rustic. She doesn’t have the bearing of a rich young lady at all. Even outside the Gu family, people will only recognize you.”
“No. As long as she stays in the Gu family, I won’t feel at ease. I need to find a way to teach her a lesson.”
“Miss, we need to plan this carefully. Your four brothers aren’t home often. If we make a move, it has to be big—when everyone is present. Make her embarrass herself. Maybe she’ll cry and insist on going back to the countryside.”
Gu Yan’s mood instantly improved. With Xiao Ju helping her scheme, it saved her a lot of trouble.
“Phew! Finally done.”
After washing up, Gu Yunxi saw that the entire wall of cabinets was filled with clothes. She didn’t recognize the brands, but every piece fit her perfectly.
After tidying herself up, she finally started her livestream.