6 – Summer has Arrived, the Lotuses are Blooming
Iris Manor erupted in cheers.
It was as if Gu Yuan falling asleep was an occasion for universal celebration—no one disturbed her.
They couldn’t have been happier if she’d slept like a log.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
An uninvited guest arrived at Iris Manor.
Le Meng, wearing a princess dress, stormed toward the living room with her hands on her hips to see the visitor off, her scolding arriving before she did. “How are the gatekeepers doing their job? Didn’t I say not to let flies in!”
“He’s the young lady’s fiancé.”
The butler said quietly beside Le Meng, glancing toward the man in the black suit seated in the living room.
“What the hell?”
Le Meng rolled her eyes, not intending to acknowledge him, and yawned, wanting to go back to sleep.
But the other party seemed to have noticed the commotion. The tailored suit draped over him lent him an air of aristocratic grace.
He was indeed a noble young master—
Lin Bo, young master of the Lin family, a financial powerhouse in the capital.
Lin Bo pretended not to hear their veiled insults—perhaps thinking it wasn’t worth engaging with rude servants who delayed matters—and gave the butler and Le Meng a courteous smile. “Why hasn’t Yuanyuan come out yet?”
“If you can’t wait, leave.”
Le Meng’s tone was hostile.
A flicker of displeasure passed through Lin Bo’s eyes.
But it didn’t show on his face.
Instead, he smiled with a hint of teasing. “Yuanyuan isn’t still asleep, is she? She’s all grown up now—how can she still be lying in bed like when she was little?”
This villa was left by Gu Yuan’s parents, and she occasionally returned to the country to stay here. Mrs. Lin had brought him here to visit many times.
The engagement had also been brokered by Mrs. Lin.
It had started as a casual joke, but the Lin family had eagerly claimed it. Their childhood relationship had been amicable enough, and Gu Li and his wife hadn’t objected much.
But then things changed.
The Lin family had risen to become a financial empire.
And Gu Yuan had become an orphan who lost both parents.
When the tragedy happened, the Lin family, who had been hovering around Gu Li and his wife every day, hadn’t lifted a finger to help at the critical moment.
The engagement had quietly fizzled out.
Self-preservation, after all—nothing shameful about it.
Yet Lin Bo had surfaced at this very moment, striking a pose of unwavering devotion through hardship.
Who knew what scheme he was cooking up.
He recalled briefly, then walked toward the bedroom with the familiarity of an old friend, smiling. “I’ll go call her—she’ll definitely get up then—”
“You’ll definitely die!”
Le Meng clenched her fist, ready to smash his stupid head.
Just then, Gu Yuan’s door opened, saving his sorry life.
The bedroom had excellent soundproofing—she’d woken up naturally and had already changed.
She lifted her gaze and glanced at Lin Bo.
Lin Bo smiled, about to say something.
“Yuanyuan, you—”
But Gu Yuan acted as if she hadn’t seen him at all. Without any reaction, she took a glass of warm milk from a servant and sat down at the dining table.
A servant brought her breakfast.
She ate as if no one else was there, leaving Lin Bo standing awkwardly in place, his smile stiffening.
He took a deep breath, as if struggling to restrain something, and still came to her side.
He bent down with a smile, his gaze full of affection and indulgence, a wisp of ambiguous men’s cologne wafting through the air.
“Yuanyuan, have you forgotten Brother Lin?”
Gu Yuan set down her utensils, frowning slightly.
Seeing this, Le Meng immediately stepped forward, shoved Lin the Dog aside with her butt, pinched her nose, and fanned the air with her little hand. “Ew, where’s that garbage-dump stench coming from?”
Lin Bo’s face darkened. He was about to speak.
Then he heard Gu Yuan finally say something.
“How could I forget you?”
Gu Yuan toyed with the steak knife, its tip glinting with cold light, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes.
She watched Lin Bo’s delighted expression and said with a smile, “When I was little, the Lin family sent you to my house, saying you’d be my playmate…”
“So you came by every day on time to serve me tea and water. I almost thought you were a hired servant punching a clock for a salary…”
Lin Bo’s smile completely faltered.
Unpleasant memories surged up—back when the Lin family hadn’t yet risen to prominence, his parents had nagged him every day to properly curry favor with Gu Yuan.
But Gu Yuan had always been cold and indifferent.
He’d been offering his warm face to her cold rear for years, wondering himself if he was her servant, before she occasionally deigned to give him a decent expression.
After Gu Yuan finished eating, she sat on the sofa, picked up a magazine, and casually dismissed him: “If Young Master Lin has nothing else to do, you can leave now.”
The fists at Lin Bo’s sides tightened.
He looked at her coldly, then, as if thinking of something, didn’t fly into a rage. Instead, he laughed once and sat down across from her. “Yuanyuan still likes to joke just like before…”
But times had changed.
He was the heir of the Lin Corporation.
And she had become a lone orphan, the target of everyone’s criticism.
He straightened the cufflinks of his expensive suit and smiled with arrogant pride. “Joking too much will make people dislike you. But I can be tolerant of you…”
“So tolerant—are you a steamed bun?”
Gu Yuan raised an eyebrow and clapped her hands. Immediately, a large German Shepherd with a flat back ran in from outside—its frame as sturdy as a wolf’s, eyes sharp and fierce, radiating majesty.
As if it could pounce and bite through a person’s neck at any moment. Lin Bo’s hairs stood on end under its gaze.
It sauntered over and sniffed him.
Then turned its face away in disdain, wagged its tail, and trotted over to crouch beside Gu Yuan. She rubbed the fluffy dog head and made a show of sudden realization.
“So it’s a ‘dog-won’t-touch’ steamed bun…”
Le Meng was about to crack up laughing.
Sister Yuan was still as sharp-tongued as ever—the undisputed master of sarcasm!
There was a limit to what anyone could endure.
Lin Bo’s expression turned somewhat ugly. “Yuanyuan, don’t throw a tantrum. I heard you were back and rushed over from out of town specially. I haven’t slept in days—I came straight from the airport to see you…”
“And you even sprayed on cologne.”
Le Meng added from the side.
Lin Bo’s face stiffened. Ignoring her words, he looked at Gu Yuan, who was casually playing with the dog, and tried to continue speaking.
Just then, a door opened.
A young man in pajamas walked out of the room. His collar was slightly disheveled, and faint blue-purple bruise marks lingered on his fair neck—though to anyone unaware, they looked rather suggestive.
Lin Bo couldn’t continue.
The living room fell into silence.
“Sister?”
The young man’s voice was clear and pleasant, carrying a hint of inexplicable hoarseness, breaking the stillness.
Lin Bo seemed to understand something.
He finally couldn’t contain his fury. Standing up from the sofa, he pointed at Chi Yu. “Gu Yuan! I stayed unmarried for four years for you, lost sleep over you—and this is how you repay me?!”
Gu Yuan was amused by him.
She clapped her hands, and Le Meng tossed a few photos onto the coffee table—all of them showing Lin Bo in intimate scenes with another woman who bore some resemblance to Gu Yuan.
Gu Yuan nearly applauded Young Master Lin. “You lost sleep over me? You slept with my cousin, slept for four years, and still haven’t married her. Impressive!”
Lin Bo’s face changed instantly.
“It’s all a misunderstanding!”
He hastily explained, “Yuan Yuan, the relationship between Gu Qing and me isn’t what you think. It’s all a misunderstanding—I only see her as a sister…”
Gu Yuan calmly continued sipping her tea, holding the cup in her hand.
Chi Yu’s expression seemed somewhat bewildered as he said, “Young master, the relationship between my sister and me isn’t what you think. It’s all a misunderstanding…”
Lin Bo: “…”
Why does this dialogue sound so familiar?
Gu Yuan paused mid-sip.
Is it summer already? Are the lotuses blooming? She felt like she could smell something fishy in the air.
Author’s note:
Yatou, I’m going to toss you around like a salad! Hahaha dog head.jpg