Chapter 18: The Little Negotiator
Gu Quan felt like reality had turned surreal.
He had been in charge of the family business for more than ten years, yet he had never once discussed a deal in a setting like this—
A short little children’s round table had become the negotiation table. Gu Tang, who looked like a tiny little bundle when he sat down, was huddled together with old Director Luo, the two of them whispering back and forth. Gu Qinian sat quietly and properly at Gu Tang’s right side, working together with him in perfect coordination.
With just one look from the good little child, his son immediately handed Director Luo a glass of water.
A whole ring of little radish-head children had also gathered around the small round table to watch the excitement.
Throughout the entire negotiation, the head of the Gu family had absolutely no role to play.
Gu Quan: This is definitely opening my eyes…
The head of the Gu family curled his long legs, which had gone numb from sitting, and then heard Director Luo suddenly raise his voice in shock. “What? Tangtang actually isn’t a child of the Gu family?”
What utter nonsense!
The head of the Gu family was a deeply self-controlled man and rarely got angry, but even he could not tolerate such absurd talk.
Supporting himself against the table, Gu Quan refuted in a low voice, “The good little child is one of my family.”
Gu Qinian also lifted his dark eyes. “Yes.”
For once, father and son were standing on the same side.
Director Luo had only blurted it out because he was too surprised. Realizing he had spoken badly, he lowered his voice in embarrassment. “What I meant was, Tangtang isn’t related to you by blood.”
Gu Quan glanced at Gu Tang worriedly.
He had once considered simply hiding Gu Tang’s origins, but the child was far too clever, as if he knew everything. There was no way to keep it from him.
But why had the good little child told Director Luo about his background?
Could it be that the orphanage environment had stirred up old feelings, making the good little child sad because he remembered he was not the Gu family’s biological child?
Gu Quan was not good at comforting children, but he still instinctively reached out, wanting to pull the little child into his arms and soothe him.
But then Gu Tang started speaking again, and there was not the slightest trace of sadness in his voice.
In his babyish little voice, the tiny child said brightly to Director Luo, “Grandpa, look—even though I wasn’t born by Papa Gu, I’ve been raised so well! Since Papa Gu can raise me so well, he can definitely raise the children in the orphanage really, really well too!”
Good heavens!
After going in such a big circle, it was still all for the negotiation!
Gu Quan was stunned.
His precious little child was actually using his own background as an example to help him negotiate the purchase of the orphanage.
Who said the good little child was not his child?
He clearly had the excellent business genes of the Gu family!
Hearing Gu Tang call him “Papa,” Gu Quan straightened his back on the spot.
He still remembered that the first time they met, the good little child had called him “Papa,” so the name “Papa Gu” had naturally continued ever since.
Gu Quan had never deliberately corrected him.
He thought the way he called him was sweet; it was much more affectionate than being called Uncle Gu.
What was more…
If there were no good little child, then no one would call him Dad anymore.
He would not even get to hear a homophone of it!
Thinking of that, Gu Quan still refused to give up. He reached out and rubbed his own son’s head, quietly coaxing, “Call me Dad.”
What he got in return was a cold, sharp glare from young master Gu.
Gu Quan, who had nearly been stabbed to death by that look: “…”
Fine then. Plastic father-son affection really was that fragile.
After hearing Gu Tang’s words and then looking at the Gu family, Director Luo fell into deep thought.
He knew his own health condition. The time he had left to care for the children at the orphanage was limited. Before that, he had to find someone the children could be entrusted to.
Could Gu Quan truly be trusted?
While the old director was hesitating, a soft, pale little hand tugged at his clothes and shook them gently.
Gu Tang tilted up his little face, his round bright eyes looking at him. “Grandpa, don’t worry. Papa Gu absolutely won’t mistreat the children. Papa Gu has money!”
The child’s words were blunt and innocent.
But they were the truth.
Gu Quan also cooperated at once and laughed heartily. “That’s right. I have money.”
Compared with handing the orphanage over to people who wanted to profit from it, the Gu family’s immense wealth was itself a guarantee for the children’s growth and well-being.
It was as if some great blockage in Director Luo had suddenly been cleared. He instantly understood.
He slapped the table. “Fine, I agree to sign the transfer agreement.”
“??”
He was willing to sign just like that?
Amid his surprise, a wave of pride rose in Gu Quan’s heart.
The elite assistants he had sent out, including himself, had failed to persuade the stubborn Director Luo even to sit down and negotiate. Yet his own child had done it.
Not only had he done it, he had succeeded.
Wasn’t this exactly what people meant by the student surpassing the master?
Director Luo still had one condition. “I will leave a will. The Gu family will only act as temporary managers. The orphanage will be placed under Tangtang’s name and renamed ‘Tangtang Orphanage.’ When he comes of age, he will inherit it. You have no objections, do you?”
This was a form of restraint.
Director Luo saw things clearly. Although Gu Tang was still very young, judging by how much the head of the Gu family doted on this child, as long as the orphanage was under Gu Tang’s name, it should not be mistreated.
Gu Quan had originally intended this as a charitable act for the children anyway, so he agreed immediately.
He even said he could send Director Luo abroad for treatment, so there was no need to assume the worst for now.
Everything was going perfectly, but Gu Tang, who had been listening from the side, raised his little hand.
He was still holding a piece of candy in it.
“Can it be called Candy Orphanage instead? It sounds sweeter.”
The little angel suggested this.
Hearing that, Director Luo chuckled warmly. “We’ll listen to the little director. It’ll be called Candy Orphanage!”
The huge weight that had been pressing on his chest finally settled safely into place.
And it was all thanks to the bond formed by that one piece of candy and that little angel.
When Director Luo signed his name on the agreement, the system notification rang in Gu Tang’s mind at the same time—
[Hidden Plot: “The Future of the Orphanage” mission progress 100% complete! Please choose your skill-point reward!]
Without even thinking, Gu Tang chose piano.
He could slowly practice drawing, but playing the piano required a certain amount of physical talent. Putting everything else aside, his fingers were still short right now, which made playing very inconvenient.
If he chose the piano skill point, then at least in the future he would be guaranteed a pair of long, elegant pianist’s hands!
That afternoon, Gu Tang used the old reed organ to play “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” for the children at the orphanage.
The wooden organ bench was made for an adult’s height. Since he was only about one meter tall, he could only stand while playing. On top of that, he had not touched a piano in a long time, and the skill point had only just been added, so he was still unfamiliar with it. As a result, he accidentally hit a few wrong keys.
Gu Tang felt a little embarrassed, but the audience was very supportive.
“Big brother is amazing!”
“Big brother can play the piano!”
“Big brother, can you come teach us in the future?”
The children around him clapped their little hands and swayed along with the music like tiny flower buds trembling in the wind. Director Luo even followed Gu Tang’s piano playing and taught the children to sing nursery rhymes.
If he had not seen it with his own eyes, Gu Quan would have thought he was mistaken.
That little son of his, who usually cared about nothing and no one, had actually squeezed into the middle of a group of children and sat in the place closest to the good little child, looking at him.
Gu Qinian did not blink even once. In his pitch-black eyes was reflected only one tiny figure.
His past had changed.
The orphanage had been bought by the Gu family. It would no longer fall into the hands of bad people. It would not become a cruel, black-hearted orphanage. These children would not be beaten and abused the way he had been in his previous life. They would be able to grow up healthy and strong…
Gu Tang, surrounded in the center by the children as if he were the moon among stars, seemed to be glowing.
That light was so bright, so very bright, that it drove away the gloom that had always lingered in his heart.
In that instant, daylight suddenly broke over his world.
Just then, Gu Tang finished the song and turned his head.
The gazes of the two little children met across the air.
Gu Qinian curved his lips slightly and revealed an extremely rare smile.
Gu Tang was dazed for a moment by that smile.
The male lead really was the male lead. Young master Gu was truly beautiful. His brows and eyes looked like they had been painted, his lips red and his teeth white. Usually, because he kept his face tense every day, it was not so obvious, but when he smiled, he was unbelievably pretty!
As a devoted lover of good looks, Gu Tang’s hands instantly itched.
Doing whatever came to mind was a privilege exclusive to children.
Gu Tang immediately abandoned the piano and ran over to touch young friend Gu Qinian’s face. “Niannian, pretty!”
“Shut up.”
Young master Gu’s smile froze on his face, and the tips of his ears flushed red uncontrollably.
Even though the other person sounded fierce, Gu Tang did not mind at all.
He was already used to it.
Young master Gu was always fierce on the outside, but soft-hearted inside.
Grinning, he leaned closer and gave young master Gu a sweet smile—revealing a front baby tooth with half of it missing.
Half a month later.
That shaky half-tooth of Gu Tang’s finally fell out.
When little children grow new teeth, their gums feel terribly itchy.
Gu Tang wanted to bite anything he could get his hands on.
Normally, a child this age would not suck on his fingers anymore even during teething, but just in case, the butler still dug out the teething toy Gu Tang had used as a baby so he could chew on it whenever he wanted.
Unfortunately, Gu Tang did not like it very much.
The teething toy was cold and hard…
He had something much better to bite, hehe.
[Host, what wicked plan are you plotting now? Hurry up and tell me!]
Gu Tang said, “I think you can clock out now.”
[Waaah, you’re so heartless!]
Gu Tang had no time to deal with the system right now. He tiptoed over to young master Gu, who was asleep, held his breath, leaned in, and then—chomp—bit his ear.
Playing with death had its price.
The next second, Gu Tang was slammed face-down onto the bed like a criminal.
Young master Gu’s fighting skills clearly had not been wasted in those early morning training sessions…
“Mmph mmph mmph…”
Only when he heard the little milk dumpling’s muffled noises did Gu Qinian let go. He switched on the bedside lamp. “What are you doing?”
Gu Tang rubbed his little arm, which had been pressed painfully. “Biting your ear.”
Gu Qinian belatedly wiped at the ear now covered with saliva and frowned. “Why are you biting me?”
“I don’t know. I just wanted to bite it!”
Gu Tang licked his itchy gums.
Compared with the teething toy, young master Gu’s ear felt much better to bite. He liked it. But the other boy definitely would not let him bite it, so he had no choice but to sneak attack while he was sleeping.
Who would have thought he would not even get to bite it for a full second… sob sob sob…
Gu Qinian was completely unable to understand Gu Tang’s mental process.
Ever since they were small, the little milk dumpling had always loved biting his ears. He had even planted a lot of succulents called rabbit ears, saying they felt just like his ears.
And now that he was losing teeth, he had come back to bite him again.
After thinking it over, young master Gu stuffed a plush teddy bear into Gu Tang’s arms. The bear had two round ears covered in short fuzzy fur.
The texture should not be too different from his own ears.
“Go bite the bear. Don’t bother me.”
After tossing out those words, Gu Qinian burrowed back under the blanket to continue sleeping. He used the quilt to cover his ears, leaving only a serious little steamed-bun face exposed.
Holding the teddy bear, Gu Tang muttered in a small aggrieved voice, “But I just like biting you…”
Young master Gu pretended not to hear.
But the two little ears hidden beneath the blanket were growing hotter and hotter.
***
Author’s Note:
Tangtang: I just love biting Niannian’s ears!
Gu Qinian: Blush jpg.
