Chapter 33: Stay in the Gu Family
Poor Little Glasses was sitting there just fine when, all of a sudden, he felt a chill run down his back.
He tugged at Gu Tang’s sleeve. “Tang Tang, is the window in your dorm leaking? Why does it feel so cold?”
“Does it?”
Gu Tang glanced behind Little Glasses.
He did not see any window, but he did see young master Gu standing there like a ghost behind him.
Gu Tang: “…?”
“Niannian, what are you doing?”
Why was he glaring so fiercely at Little Glasses?
Gu Qinian drew back his unfriendly gaze, casually pulled out a book, and said in an icy tone, “Reading. Studying.”
With that, he naturally sat down on Gu Tang’s left, his body pressed right up against Gu Tang’s.
A desk that was not all that spacious now had three people squeezed around it.
Little Glasses, shoved to the side: “…”
Even Gu Qinian, the first-place student who usually never studied, had miraculously started reading. When Xie Qian thought about his own grades, he also grabbed a book, dragged over a little stool, and sat down too. “Count me in, count me in.”
When Zhu Xu turned around at the noise, he saw four people all crowded around one desk.
Looking at the three other empty desks nearby, he scratched his head in confusion.
These few seemed to be practicing some very innovative kind of studying!
Fine then.
Before the exam, he had been the only one in the dorm reading. And now that the exam was over, everyone had suddenly started working hard!
“I’m joining too!”
Zhu Xu tossed away the game in his hand and forced himself into the group. “Let me join this family too!”
Studying together in a group turned out to be extremely efficient.
Before long, that day’s homework had basically been wiped out. The only thing left was the 800-word Chinese essay assigned by their language teacher.
It was a very common topic—I Have a Dream.
In a booming voice, Zhu Xu declared, “I want to open a snack shop, set up a stand in front, and play the trumpet to attract customers!”
That dream was actually pretty unique.
Gu Tang clapped for him. “I’ll definitely come support you when the time comes.”
Xie Qian made a motion like he was playing the piano. “My dream isn’t a secret. You all already know it—holding my own recital and touring the whole world.”
Gu Tang, master of keeping the peace, could never praise just one person without praising the next. He clapped again. “Very ambitious!”
Duan Zhengyu pushed up his glasses. His voice was not loud, but it was firm. “I want to be a teacher.”
That surprised Gu Tang a little.
Duan Zhengyu’s parents were both university teachers, but they had done an awful job in terms of family education. Gu Tang had assumed he would strongly reject that profession, yet here it was, at the top of his dreams.
“Not the kind of teacher my dad is… He cares too much about profit.”
When Little Glasses spoke about his dream, his eyes shone. “I want to be an ordinary math teacher, the kind who teaches little kids sincerely and steadily.”
But later, you became a mathematician.
Little Glasses had no idea just how incredible a figure he would become in the future.
Gu Tang patted his thin little shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’ll definitely succeed.”
“Mm!”
Getting approval from his cute little deskmate, Little Glasses pursed his lips into a smile, his cheeks flushed red.
Then he asked curiously, “Tang Tang, what’s your dream?”
The moment that question was asked, Gu Qinian also looked up at Gu Tang, his gaze deep and complicated.
A dream…
Gu Tang still remembered that his dream in his previous life had simply been to leave the hospital and have the body of a normal person.
Back then, outside his hospital room window was a large school track field. Every day he watched students running and playing there, and he envied them terribly. He often thought that when he got better, he wanted to go to a big field too.
He wanted to run three thousand meters on a rubber track and sweat with the energy of youth.
As for now…
“I want to have a little house of my own and live out my life safely and peacefully.”
Gu Tang said this with a smile.
At those words, Gu Qinian’s heart dropped heavily.
An indescribable sourness filled his chest.
Gu Tang’s dream was simple, beautiful, and very easy to achieve.
But there was only one problem—it did not include him.
Young master Gu’s brows drew tightly together. No matter how he thought about it, he could not understand how Gu Tang’s future plans did not include him. They had grown up together, and it was only natural that they should never be apart.
Why did Gu Tang always want a little house? Why did he want to move out?
Could the Gu family… not keep Gu Tang?
“Gu Tang, that dream is way too simple. It doesn’t count, does it?”
Xie Qian pointed at the essay topic. “You can’t exactly write in your essay, ‘In the future I don’t want to do anything, I just want to buy a little house and live peacefully, cuddling with my wife and kids on a warm bed.’ Guess whether the language teacher would leave you with anything but basic handwriting points…”
Before he could finish, he felt a sharp, icy stare.
Sensitive as ever, Xie Qian looked toward young master Gu and, sure enough, the other boy was glaring at him.
“Gu Tang is still young. What nonsense are you talking about?”
Gu Qinian’s face looked like it had been covered in ice. If his gaze could have turned solid, Xie Qian would already have been stabbed to death a hundred times over by ice blades.
Being suddenly snapped at, Xie Qian felt wronged. He wanted to protest, but he did not dare do it too loudly, so he muttered sulkily, “Why are you so angry… Back in ancient times, people our age could already get married, okay? We’re not monks. Marrying and having children is a completely normal thing…”
Crack—
The sturdy fountain pen in Gu Qinian’s hand snapped into two pieces, its body and cap rolling apart on the table.
As if saying: Say one more word of nonsense and this will be your fate.
Xie Qian was so frightened that he hurriedly covered his precious fingers and dared not say another word.
His fingers were insured for a huge amount and worth a fortune.
But Gu Qinian genuinely could afford to compensate him if he broke them!
After glaring at Xie Qian, young master Gu turned to look at Gu Tang. He saw that the boy’s cheeks were flushed, as though he really had begun imagining a future of cuddling with wife and children on a warm bed.
Gu Qinian: For some reason, that made him even angrier!
Gu Tang covered his slightly warm cheeks.
Honestly, he had lived through two lifetimes and had never dared imagine that kind of thing. Kids these days really thought far ahead…
“If I ever have children, I definitely won’t hit them. If they do something wrong, I’ll just teach them properly.”
Little Glasses said this very seriously.
Gu Tang had personally seen Duan Zhengyu being hit and wronged, so he encouragingly patted him. “You’ll definitely be a good dad in the future.”
Duan Zhengyu nodded repeatedly. “Mm! I’ll be a good dad!”
At the mention of parents, Xie Qian could not help projecting his own situation onto the topic and curled his lips unhappily. “If I ever have a child, I’d keep them with me and take them wherever I performed. Better that than leaving them at home to live like some abandoned dog.”
That was the true voice of the piano prince.
Xie Qian knew perfectly well that the things he said and did were often annoying, but what could he do? No one had ever taught him any better.
Gu Tang patted his shoulder too. “Young man, work hard and grow up.”
Grow up to become better than your parents, and stop repeating their mistakes.
The only one present who still had not imagined the future was young master Gu.
For a moment, several gazes landed on his delicate, beautiful face all at once.
“What kind of dad are you planning to be?” Zhu Xu handed over an imaginary microphone to young master Gu.
Gu Tang was very curious too. He thought that with how beautiful young master Gu was, having a daughter in the future would actually be very nice. And with a daughter, there was no way young master Gu could be fierce. He would definitely make a very good father.
But then Gu Qinian said coldly, “You’ve all gone off topic.”
“Huh???”
“The essay topic is dreams, not becoming a father.”
Oh.
That really was true.
A single sentence woke everyone up from the dream!
Gu Tang coughed lightly and pulled the conversation back. “Niannian, then what do you want to do in the future?”
He had not managed to finish reading the original novel, but he still remembered that the summary had briefly mentioned a little of Boss Gu’s future career.
If he remembered correctly, young master Gu made his fortune through high-tech products and new energy. In only a few years, he pushed his market share to the absolute peak, and his influence in the business world eventually even surpassed that of the current Gu Corporation.
That being the case, young master Gu was clearly a born businessman, so his dream for the future had to be something full of ambition.
Gu Tang looked at him expectantly, wanting to hear what kind of aspirations the young boss had in his teenage years.
Meeting Gu Tang’s sparkling eyes, Gu Qinian pressed his lips together.
After a moment, he said:
“I don’t have a dream.”
“Whatever you do, I’ll do.”
Gu Tang: “???”
No, wait!
What kind of lazy, casual answer was that?!
[Host, why is the male lead so spineless? If he’s this slack, how is he supposed to successfully rise up??]
If the system was asking him, then who was he supposed to ask?
If young master Gu could not rise up successfully, then what was this cannon-fodder fake young master supposed to do?
Be trapped in the plot forever, never able to leave?
Gu Tang got anxious. “That won’t do. What if I just lie flat and do nothing?”
Young master Gu answered with complete composure, “Then I’ll lie beside you.”
Gu Tang: “…”
Poor Papa Gu.
Had he really raised two freeloaders?!
Just as Gu Tang was getting a headache over how to spark young master Gu’s passion for a career, he heard Zhu Xu mutter, “Weird…”
“So weird…”
Zhu Xu pointed back and forth between the two of them. “Do you two absolutely have to lie down together?”
It was not that he was making a fuss over nothing.
This was not the first time. Several times already, when he had come back to the dorm, he had seen Gu Tang lying on Gu Qinian’s bed, with the two of them’s feet pointed at each other, sometimes even doing childish things like “fighting” with their toes.
So in Zhu Xu’s mind, the “lie” that Gu Qinian had mentioned was literal lying down.
And that was way too weird!
Even real brothers were not that close, were they?!
Speaking of real brothers, Zhu Xu suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right! It’s parent-teacher meeting day today. Are two elders from your family coming?”
Gu Tang nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Yeah. Grandma is attending for Niannian, and Papa Gu is attending for me.”
Everything went smoothly on Su Mei’s side.
She had always been the one to attend the boys’ parent-teacher meetings in the past, so she was already experienced.
Wearing an elegant qipao, with exquisite makeup and graceful bearing, she entered the experimental class. She did not even need to say anything before a teacher came over and politely asked which student’s parent she was. Then she was guided straight to the right seat.
Very easy.
And because it was too easy, Su Mei never bothered to explain any of this to the head of the Gu family, who was attending for the first time.
So the moment Gu Quan walked into the classroom, he was completely lost.
The dignified head of the Gu family was normally surrounded wherever he went—assistant leading the way in front, secretary accompanying him at his side, the most luxurious boss chair always prepared for him. He never needed to figure out where to sit.
He had come with great confidence, but once he reached the door, he ran into trouble.
There were dozens of identical chairs in the room.
Which one was his good little darling’s seat?
The head of the Gu family was striking in appearance and outstanding in aura. Just by standing at the door, his presence was impossible to ignore.
Several parents came up to chat with him. “Which student’s father are you?”
“Gu Tang.”
Gu Quan slightly raised his chin as he said his child’s name.
“Oh!!!”
Several parents cried out in surprise, startling the head of the Gu family. “…What?”
“This child ranked fifth in the whole grade and first in the class!”
“He even performed a four-hand piano duet at the opening ceremony. He’s so outstanding!”
“And he’s so handsome too! Honestly, I’ve never seen a child with such a lovable face. The moment you look at him, you like him!”
The parents praised Gu Tang one after another, and Gu Quan practically began floating with happiness.
He knew his good little darling was excellent, but hearing it from other people felt even better.
This was the child their family had raised!
“Mr. Gu Tang’s father, you’re so good at raising children. Could you share some parenting experience with us?”
The parents looked at him with shining eyes, even more eager than the veteran executives at a shareholders’ meeting.
Gu Quan cleared his throat. “It’s simple. Give them absolute trust and freedom.”
Outside the classroom, Duan Zhengyu’s father froze when he heard that sentence.
He had originally assumed that Gu Quan’s child would certainly be in the experimental class. He had not expected Gu Quan to stride directly into the arts class for the meeting.
A long time ago, he had heard a rumor.
That the Gu family had an adopted child.
Since Gu Quan was here attending the arts class meeting, that meant the child in the arts class named Gu Tang had to be the biological one. But what was strange was this: why did the experimental class’s Gu Qinian look so much like Gu Quan?
The more Duan’s father thought about it, the more confused he became. In the end, he simply followed along to take a look, and also hoped to find a chance to speak with the head of the Gu family.
Instead, he unexpectedly overheard the Gu family head’s parenting philosophy.
It seemed… very different from his own.
The parents were still crowding around Gu Quan with questions, trying to learn educational secrets from the parent of an excellent student. “If you don’t hit or scold them, what do you do when the child gets too mischievous?”
Gu Quan: “? I’ve never had that problem.”
He only had one sweet little darling and one child who never really wanted to talk to him.
The head of the Gu family had not realized that his plain statement sounded like a complete humblebrag in the parent crowd.
The parents all looked at him with envy and launched into another fresh round of praising Gu Tang.
Gu Quan was even happier than when people praised him directly. His usually stern, expressionless face in public also softened into an openly pleased and gratified smile.
The arts teacher walked in and immediately saw the man towering among the crowd of parents. With great experience, he walked over and led the man straight to Gu Tang’s seat.
Usually, at parent-teacher meetings, the one surrounded by parents was the parent of the top student in the class.
Gu Quan heard yet another round of praise for Gu Tang from the teacher and sat down happily in his good little darling’s seat.
Where was he attending a meeting?
He had clearly come here to be praised!
The head of the Gu family was not someone people dared praise in the company, and at home, apart from the good little darling, no one praised him much either. It was his first time being in an environment where he was surrounded by admiration and envy from every direction.
He was practically glowing from all the compliments.
Ah, this little desk of the good little darling was adorable. The little chair was adorable too.
Just thinking that this was where the good little darling usually sat to study made everything seem especially tiny and cute.
Under the mineral water bottle on the desk was a piece of paper.
Out of the corner of his eye, Gu Quan noticed that the paper had three large characters written on it: Papa Gu.
For him??
Gu Quan respected children and never snooped into their little secrets. But since it was for him, then he did not have to hold back!
He unfolded the note—
Papa Gu: Thank you for coming to help attend my parent-teacher meeting. I left something tasty for you in the desk drawer!
This child, saying thank you and all that…
And even leaving him food, wuwuwu…
Those two simple sentences made Gu Quan’s heart grow warm.
If Gu Tang had not left that note, he absolutely never would have looked inside the child’s drawer.
Feeling warm all over, Gu Quan found the candy Gu Tang had left him in the drawer, unwrapped one, and put it in his mouth.
It was something made for children.
But to the head of the Gu family, it tasted especially sweet.
While eating candy, and before the parent-teacher meeting officially started, Gu Quan took out his phone and sent a message to his child.
Thank you for the candy, good little darling. You’re so excellent. The teacher and the other parents kept praising you.
Then he thought about it and added one more sentence.
I’m proud of you. You truly are a child of the Gu family. [thumbs up][thumbs up][thumbs up]
It sounded a little sentimental when written out, but Gu Quan felt that the good little darling was at just the age where he needed reassurance, so it was necessary to make his stance clear.
Besides, it was the truth.
When Gu Tang received the message, he pursed his lips into a smile.
Papa Gu was not normally the sort of person who was good with words. His position as family head meant that he often concealed his emotions in daily life. Only in front of family did he show his real self.
And because he regarded Gu Tang as family, he said these things to him.
Gu Tang’s heart felt warm.
Back in the classroom, Gu Quan looked around and found that only the seat beside him was still empty. He found it strange and texted Gu Tang.
Good little darling, why didn’t anyone come to attend for your deskmate?
Gu Tang answered honestly: My deskmate is Xie Qian.
Gu Quan knew about Xie Qian’s family situation.
His parents were overseas, and ever since elementary school, no one had attended parent-teacher meetings for him.
What irresponsible parents!
Gu Quan truly could not understand it.
Having been praised for so long and also having eaten the candy, the head of the Gu family sat with his chin lifted high.
Why would anyone skip a parent-teacher meeting?
What could possibly be more interesting than attending one?
While Gu Quan was thoroughly enjoying himself at the meeting, Duan Zhengyu’s father, on the other hand, sat there as if on pins and needles.
He had no mind at all to listen to the teachers. His entire mind was occupied with how he could speak to Gu Quan after the meeting ended.
He even left early before the meeting was over.
And waited outside the arts class for the head of the Gu family.
When the meeting ended, Gu Quan walked out of the classroom surrounded by other parents and saw someone approach him.
Duan’s father delivered the opening line he had long prepared. “President Gu, hello. I’m Duan Zhengyu’s father. My son and your child Gu Tang are good friends. They were very close even back in elementary school.”
Gu Quan gave the man a calm glance.
The normal parents here had all called him “Gu Tang’s father.”
This man, however, had opened by calling him “President Gu,” and the rest of what he said was clearly just an attempt to use the children’s relationship to climb connections.
Too many people wanted to attach themselves to the Gu family. The head of the Gu family only inclined his head slightly and stepped aside, intending to leave.
At that moment, Gu Tang and Gu Qinian walked over from the other end of the hallway.
“Papa Gu——”
Gu Tang called out from a distance.
A gentle smile immediately appeared on the head of the Gu family’s face.
Calculating that the meeting should be about over, Gu Tang had come with young master Gu to greet Papa Gu and Grandma Mei. Grandma Mei had said she brought tasty food for them and had left it in the car, so they could go get it in a little while.
Little Glasses was also following behind them.
Duan’s father had failed several times to start a conversation with the head of the Gu family, so when he saw his own son, he felt as though he had seen a savior.
In three quick strides he rushed over to Little Glasses. “Son! Studying together with classmate Gu Tang has really been very efficient, hasn’t it?”
He said this loudly.
As if he wanted to make absolutely sure everyone heard that his son and Gu Tang were good friends.
But the spot on Little Glasses’ face that had been struck still hurt. When he saw his father suddenly coming toward him, he instinctively shrank back and hid behind Gu Tang.
Duan’s father grabbed at air, and the smile on his face stiffened a little.
After freezing for a few seconds, he tugged at the corner of his mouth and forced a kindly-looking smile. “Zhengyu, what are you doing? Come here to Dad.”
Duan Zhengyu did not dare disobey. He glanced at Gu Tang and unwillingly moved over to his father’s side.
Duan’s father immediately wrapped an arm around his shoulders, as if regaining confidence, then turned back to Gu Quan and said, “President Gu, you see, your child and my child have been good friends for many years. This is a kind of fate between our two families. Would it be too presumptuous to take just a moment of your time to discuss a project…”
Before he could finish, the head of the Gu family raised a hand.
Duan’s father could only stop talking.
Gu Quan lowered his eyes and glanced at Little Glasses, then said coolly, “Children’s friendship is precious. It is not a bargaining chip for business. As for projects, come back after you’ve broken your habit of hitting children.”
“Using force against the weak is the behavior of an incompetent person. The Gu family does not cooperate with incompetent people.”
Having said that, the head of the Gu family left with his children.
Duan’s father stood there, stunned.
How did Gu Quan know?
Thinking back to the head of the Gu family’s gaze, Duan’s father slowly lowered his head and looked at Duan Zhengyu.
And there, clearly printed on his son’s cheek, was the mark of his slap…
Only now, it felt as though that slap had landed on his own face instead.
“Papa Gu was amazing! After saying that to him, Duan Zhengyu won’t get hit anymore!”
Once they had gone a little farther, Gu Tang immediately launched into wildly enthusiastic praise.
Even if Duan’s father wanted to hit Little Glasses again in the future, he would have to think twice.
After all, Little Glasses was his good friend. If he found out Little Glasses had been beaten, then wouldn’t that mean Papa Gu would know too?
Even the usually quiet Gu Qinian praised him once. “Well done.”
Gu Quan: “!!”
He actually—had lived long enough to be praised by his own biological son!
The moment he got home, the head of the Gu family sent a message to his wife.
Dad Stuck at Home: Wife, wife! Do you know this? Attending parent-teacher meetings is the most fun and happiest thing in the world!!!
Shen Ningqing, who had just finished a hard day of filming: “???”
Not long after, the head of the Gu family got a reply.
Mom Working Like a Dog: Showing off, huh? [two punches]
Unexpectedly, after the parent-teacher meeting, some strange rumors began to spread on Jiang City No. 1 High School’s forum.
“My mom said she absolutely didn’t get it wrong! Gu Tang’s father is the current ruler of the Gu Corporation, the one who’s always on the cover of finance magazines!”
“Wow! So classmate Gu Tang is the heir of the Gu family? A super rich second-generation kid?!”
“Then Gu Qinian is too, right? Aren’t they brothers?”
“I think Gu Qinian might be an illegitimate child. Look, Gu Quan only attended the meeting for Gu Tang. That means Gu Qinian must be someone who can’t be publicly acknowledged!”
…
All sorts of messy rumors spread like wildfire.
Gu Tang felt wronged on behalf of Papa Gu, who had guarded his virtue like a jade.
Although, when he was little, he himself had once had a ridiculous misunderstanding and suspected Papa Gu of cheating.
But—
Gu Tang had now deeply recognized his mistake: Papa Gu, I’m sorry! Not every rich man necessarily turns bad!
No, that was not the point.
The point now was how to clear up young master Gu’s identity.
[Host! Amazing! You quietly completed the key plot point ‘Replace the Male Lead as the Public Heir,’ life value +50, plot coins x10!]
The system was so excited its electronic voice was trembling.
The difficulty of this mission was five stars!
And the host had completed it without even making a sound!
It really had chosen the right person to follow!!!
The system was so happy it was practically celebrating New Year, but Gu Tang could not feel happy at all.
Although he knew that as the plot progressed, the male lead was supposed to dislike the cannon-fodder fake young master more and more, until in the end he would want to crush the fake young master completely, so it was inevitable that he and young master Gu would gradually drift apart—when the related plot actually happened, he still felt a heavy blockage in his chest.
[Host! Keep it up! Go in front of the male lead and act like a green tea manipulator so he’ll hate you even more!]
Seeing that the host was not moving, the system urged him.
[Hurry up! Doesn’t the host want to regain his freedom?!]
Still the host did not move, so the system used its trump card.
[Doesn’t the host want to see the male lead rise up and become Boss Gu?!]
Gu Tang bit his lip and turned to go downstairs.
[Wah! So the host and the male lead really are true love, and I’m just an accident!]
The system was hurt and started saying all kinds of nonsense.
Gu Tang had no time to pay attention to it. He steadied himself, raised his hand, and knocked on young master Gu’s bedroom door.
“Niannian, are you asleep?”
Gu Qinian was not asleep. He was sitting in front of the computer, looking at the forum posts on the school website too.
When Gu Tang came in, young master Gu did not turn around. He simply showed him his back.
Gu Tang walked over softly and asked with care, “…Should we post a statement? Clarify your identity.”
[Host! Good! This is excellent! That attitude of benefiting from something and then pretending innocence is perfect!]
The system was already gripping the progress bar for the male lead’s hatred value in anticipation.
Even when the host was younger and ate the male lead’s snacks, bit his ears, kissed his little cheeks… that progress bar had not moved at all.
But the system was convinced that tonight, the male lead’s hatred value toward the host would shoot up wildly!
It had waited for this day for years!
Once the host and the male lead fell out, it would be the host’s one and only dog, ahahaha!!!
Gu Tang waited for quite a while.
Only then did young master Gu slowly speak. “Gu Tang, has the family treated you well?”
Gu Tang answered honestly, “Yes.”
It was exactly because they had treated him too well that he had been mistaken for the heir of the Gu family.
Gu Qinian turned around, his dark, deep eyes fixed tightly on the boy in front of him. “Do you like the family?”
“I do.”
Gu Tang answered without a moment’s hesitation.
He liked every member of the Gu family.
His biological parents in his previous life had been cold and distant to him. The Gu family had given him the love and family warmth he had longed for all his life.
But even real brothers could turn against each other over family wealth. Since the rumors concerned the inheritance of the Gu family, it would be perfectly normal if young master Gu began to dislike him, or even wanted to drive him away.
Gu Tang looked into Gu Qinian’s deep eyes and waited for whatever arrangement the other boy wanted to make.
Young master Gu’s thin lips parted, and the corners of his mouth curved upward almost imperceptibly. “Very good. Then you should stay and repay them properly.”
“Stay in the Gu family. You’re not allowed to go anywhere.”
***
Author’s Note:
Gu Niannian: Keep Tang Tang here, plan successful!
