Chapter 663: Chapter 571: Unexpected Guests

’Just two days ago, I brought home that refugee girl and the whole family got paranoid. Dad started asking questions, and we got into an argument. I nearly got a whipping for it. I’d have to be asking for trouble to bring another girl home to Mom right now!’

Gu Shaozhen said impatiently, "Just go. I have things to do!"

Huang Minyan pouted and looked at Xiao Man. "Manman, why don’t you come with us to the greenhouse?"

"Sorry, I’m busy." Xiao Man shook her head and said to Gu Shaozhen, "Your cousin from the Zhou Family is with your second sister-in-law, right? Mrs. Gu asked me to go chat with them. Also, what about that... special someone of yours? How come I don’t see her with you? Want me to keep her company for you?"

Huang Minyan’s gaze snapped to Gu Shaozhen. She advanced on him, getting right in his face. "What does that mean? What ’special someone’?"

’So that’s how it is,’ Xiao Man thought, smiling to herself. ’Since Huang Minyan is Jun Ran’s cousin, the girl Gu Shaozhen brought to stay at the Gu family home can’t be her. There’s no reason she’d stay with another family instead of her own aunt’s. And judging by Huang Minyan’s attitude, she’s definitely interested in Gu Shaozhen. Or maybe he’s the one who led her on. By mentioning this ’special someone’ in front of Huang Minyan, I can also get an indirect read on Gu Shaozhen’s feelings for that girl.’

’Sigh. Looks like Gu Shaozhen is the same as he was in my past life—a social butterfly, flitting freely from flower to flower!’

Forced to take two steps back, Gu Shaozhen glared at Huang Minyan. "What’s your problem? Whether I have a ’special someone’ or not is none of your damn business! You should get your head checked. Don’t tell me you’re just like your neurotic cousin—it must be genetic!"

Xiao Man had to stifle a laugh. ’This guy’s tongue is seriously venomous.’

With that, Gu Shaozhen gave Xiao Man a wave, turned, and strode off. Huang Minyan paused for a second before her high-heeled boots went CLICK-CLACK-CLICK as she hurried after him.

When Xiao Man entered the living room, some were happy to see her and others were annoyed. Gu Shaoying rushed over to her, with Gu Shaoqin following to keep an eye on his little sister. Wu Xiangyun and Zhou Jiayu gathered around her, all smiles. Gu Shaoling let out a series of cold snorts, then rose and walked out with her head held high. No one tried to stop her or even asked where she was going.

Zhou Jiayu had just gotten into a university in Beijing. She had visited both the Gu and Tang families before, so she knew Xiao Man well. After a few pleasantries, they all sat down again to watch TV, play games, and chat. Seeing that Gu Shaoling was gone, Wu Xiangyun couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. She took Xiao Man’s hand and laughed softly. "Why didn’t you get here sooner? I was about to suffocate and was looking for an excuse to get out of here."

"If you can’t stand it, then push back. Don’t indulge her. With a personality like hers, the more you let things slide, the more trouble she’ll cause. You should be like me and just shut her down directly!"

Xiao Man truly admired Wu Xiangyun. Perhaps it was a difference in temperament, but their levels of endurance and tolerance were poles apart. The relationship between Xiao Man, Tian Xueqin, and Gu Shaoling had deteriorated to the point of being like fire and water. Xiao Man felt no need to be polite to the mother-daughter duo, a stance Mrs. Gu openly supported. The way they had hurt Xiao Man without any restraint had left Mrs. Gu furious. Meanwhile, Gu Shaofeng had also told Wu Xiangyun to simply ignore Tian Xueqin and Gu Shaoling, but Xiangyun just had the patience and resilience to put up with all the trouble they stirred up.

Wu Xiangyun sighed. "What else can I do? Since we’ve all ended up in the same family, I just have to find my own way to get by. Anyway, we only see each other during the holidays. It’s not like we live together, so I can put up with it for a little while. Honestly, the grudge between me and Tian Xueqin should be a matter of life and death. I know she was the one who tried to have me killed. But what could I do? There are so many men in the world, yet he’s the one I can’t bear to fail. I already abandoned him once because I was a coward who was afraid to die. When he showed up in front of me again, seeing his anguish just shattered my heart... Even now that we’re married, every time I see him or hear his voice, I feel like he’s a man worth dying for. So why shouldn’t I be able to put up with one or two flies in his family?"

Xiao Man burst out laughing. "That’s... quite the comparison. But is it really accurate? They aren’t flies. They’re deadly hornets, you know?"

Wu Xiangyun smiled as well. "I’m not afraid, no matter how venomous they are. Shaofeng already warned her: If she ever dares to lay a finger on me again, he’ll take her down, no matter who she is. That time I fell through the ice? It was one of her own brothers from her side of the family who led the men that did it. None of them met a good end. They’re all severely disabled now, with broken arms and legs. That’s why she hates me even more."

"In that case, you have to stay away from her. Don’t accept anything she gives you, and be especially careful with food."

"Don’t worry, I’m afraid of dying, too! Shaofeng didn’t even know I was coming back to Beijing for the New Year. He doesn’t approve of me going back home by myself, but he’s away on a mission—a very dangerous one, from what I hear. It was actually his eldest uncle who sent someone to pick me up. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have wanted to make Shaofeng worry. He made it back to his base before the Lantern Festival and called home in a total panic. He told me to sit close to Grandma and Eldest Aunt at meals and to avoid sharing a table with his mother and sister. He also said not to tell his mother when I’m leaving and not to let his father handle the arrangements—I’m supposed to follow his eldest uncle’s instructions for everything..."

The more they talked, the more they found the situation absurd, which made them laugh. But at the same time, their hearts ached for Gu Shaofeng. What rotten luck to be stuck with a mother you had to guard against at all times, as if she were the enemy.

The Gu family was large, and when combined with the Tang family, their banquets were typically private affairs for just the two families. They didn’t usually invite outsiders, though if a guest happened to drop by, they would be invited to the table. Today, the main guests of honor were the uncle and aunt from the Zhou Family. Unexpectedly, Elder Jun and another elderly man also arrived. Elder Jun brought a tagalong: Huang Minyan. Just as everyone was about to sit down for dinner, another family of three showed up—Zeng Rong and her parents. They claimed they’d heard Gu Qiyuan and Tian Xueqin were back in Beijing and had come to pay them a visit.

Tian Xueqin was exceptionally warm and attentive as she invited Mrs. Zeng and Zeng Rong to the table. Gu Shaoling cozied up next to Zeng Rong, laughing and chatting. She was like a sunflower that had finally found the sun, the tense look on her young face finally softening into a smile.

Meanwhile, Xiao Man, Wu Xiangyun, and Zhou Jiayu formed their own little group, chatting and laughing softly as if they hadn’t even noticed the chummy duo. Zeng Rong’s gentle, smiling expression gradually froze. Her gaze fixed on Wu Xiangyun—who was smiling sweetly and speaking softly, completely engrossed in her own conversation—and her eyes began to well up. The rims of her eyes turned red, as if she had just been grievously wronged.

Tian Xueqin, of course, knew exactly why Zeng Rong looked like that. With guests present, she wasn’t worried her mother-in-law would chide her. Her face fell, and she was about to slam down her chopsticks and scold Wu Xiangyun when Mother Zeng quickly stopped her. While she certainly wanted Tian Xueqin to stand up for her daughter, causing a scene at the dinner table was not a wise move.

Mother Zeng gazed sadly at her precious daughter. ’I don’t approve of this stubborn obsession of hers,’ she thought. ’No matter how outstanding Shaofeng is, he’s another woman’s husband now. We can only blame ourselves for being too slow to act. My foolish daughter kept saying she had to become perfect and exceptional enough to completely dazzle Shaofeng and make him fall even more deeply in love with her... and look where that got her! Now she’s in a daze, always clutching a photo of Gu Shaofeng, staring at it while laughing and crying and muttering to herself. I’m so scared. I can’t let her have a breakdown and end up a fool or a madwoman. They say a broken heart can only be mended by the one who broke it. As her mother, all I can do is my best to go along with her wishes. As long as it makes her happy, I’ll let her do whatever she wants!’

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