Chapter 56: Press Conference Storm
At exactly seven in the evening, the Gu family’s press conference began on schedule.
The venue was packed. Every media outlet that could come had come. Looking out, all one could see was a dense sea of cameras and microphones.
The first to appear were the two ladies, Su Mei and Shen Ningqing.
Shen Ningqing was once a grand-slam Best Actress. Although she had stepped behind the scenes in recent years, her beauty still reigned supreme, and the noble, cool elegance she had carried since youth only made her more radiant. In front of her, much of the entertainment industry’s glamour seemed to fade.
Su Mei, though not from the entertainment circle, possessed a dignified and luxurious air, along with a face on which time had left almost no trace. Astonishingly, she could stand on equal footing with Shen Ningqing.
Shen Ningqing was like an icy snow lotus blooming in the heavens, while Su Mei was like a peony in full, breathtaking splendor.
For a moment, the clicking of shutters exploded nonstop.
The livestream comments also flooded by wildly.
[Can the shutters be quieter? You’re ruining my appreciation of these beauties!]
[Waaah, I’m Movie Queen Shen’s fan! It’s been so long since I’ve seen a living Qingqing on screen!]
[The lady next to her is the old madam? How is she this young?!]
…
The audience was intensely curious about wealthy families.
That was also why some wealthy families overseas could make enormous profits just by livestreaming their daily lives.
Gu Lin came on stage right behind the two ladies.
He was holding up the hems of their dresses for them.
Their father was gone, his older brother was busy, so he was the man of the house now. He had to take good care of his mother and sister-in-law.
Because Second Master Gu had been active in the entertainment world over the years, and because he had such an eye-catching handsome face, plenty of people recognized him, and the jokes in the comments were merciless.
[So that’s why I couldn’t find my husband today—he was busy with the press conference!]
[Ah! Why is my screen wet?! licks the handsome face]
[I don’t get it. Why does Second Master Gu even bother signing celebrities? If he packaged himself and debuted, he’d become famous even faster!]
“Is the head of the Gu family not coming?”
A sharp-eyed reporter noticed the key point.
There were only four seats on site. The three members of the Gu family each occupied one, and the remaining empty chair was clearly reserved for Gu Tang, the person at the center of the matter.
This press conference had been called by the Gu family to clarify Gu Tang’s identity. If the family head did not appear, what would that mean?
A comment in the livestream said:
[It means the Gu family really is planning to cut ties with Gu Tang.]
Although Gu Tang might be innocent, such a huge public scandal had been stirred up. No matter whose fault it was, by the rules of wealthy families, Gu Tang would inevitably be held accountable.
Just then, the spotlight turned toward the entrance.
Gu Tang walked in calmly, dressed in a pearl-white little suit.
His beautiful brows and eyes curved slightly, and a proper smile rested on his face. When he noticed media cameras pointed at him, he even pressed his lips together in a polite smile toward them.
He looked so clean and bright that he resembled a crystal.
[I can’t do this, I’m falling for him all over again…]
[Xiao Jiu, waaah, my Xiao Jiu!]
[I refuse to believe someone this pure would chase wealth and abandon his adoptive mother! I don’t believe it!]
In an instant, every media camera swung toward Gu Tang. Reporters surged forward, shoving microphones in front of him.
“It’s rumored online that you are the Gu family’s adopted son. May I ask how you were adopted?”
“Will you acknowledge your adoptive mother, who worked as a nanny?”
“Will you consider supporting your adoptive mother in the future?”
…
It was not that Gu Tang did not want to answer, but there were too many questions. He had no idea which one to respond to first.
These reporters were far too aggressive, practically trying to shove the microphones into his face.
Fortunately, the butler helped block them.
Bang, bang, bang—
Three sharp taps against a microphone rang out in succession.
The reporters turned back in confusion, only to see the dignified and elegant old madam of the Gu family using the microphone to play a little “prank.”
The reporters: “…”
After diverting the reporters’ attention for Gu Tang, Su Mei set the microphone back on its stand and beckoned to her precious child. “Good boy, come sit beside Grandma.”
[Good boy? Is that his nickname?]
[So cute! Even rich people give their kids such down-to-earth nicknames?]
[Could it be because he’s not biological, so they just gave him a random name?]
[The person above has clearly never experienced family love, huh? If they didn’t care about him, would they go out of their way to help him and let him sit by their side?]
[The Gu family seems to treat Gu Tang pretty well…]
[Could this be the reason Gu Tang chose wealth over poverty and didn’t want to support his adoptive mother?]
The comments were full of speculation.
The livestream was also projected onto the conference screen at the venue, where everyone could see it.
Shen Ningqing noticed that last comment and said directly, “As for the question of supporting the adoptive mother, I don’t think that’s necessary.”
Before the comments could erupt in attack, Shen Ningqing smiled faintly.
“I’m not short of money either. There’s no need for the child to worry about me.”
The comments: [???]
[My god, she’s openly snatching the title of adoptive mother!]
When Gu Lin saw the comments, he let out a cold laugh. “Snatching? Is there even a need? Guai Zai’s only adoptive mother is my sister-in-law.”
A reporter asked, “Then what about the nanny, Wang Sue?”
Gu Lin felt sick the moment he heard that name. “As for the person you’re talking about, I have a surprise for everyone.”
As he spoke, he picked up a palm-sized remote control and pressed it.
A video was projected onto the screen at the press conference—
“Bitch! Where’s the money? Hand the money over to me!”
A man shoved violently.
The woman staggered backward a few steps, revealing her face.
It was actually Wang Sue!
Wang Sue gritted her teeth and glared at the man. “I don’t have any! All you know how to do is gamble. I don’t have a single cent left!”
Her gambling-addict husband did not care. After rummaging through the house and finding no money, he began threatening her. “If you don’t give me money, I’ll expose what you tried to do fifteen years ago—switching that sickly kid with the young master from someone else’s family!”
“Shut up!”
Wang Sue was clearly frightened, her eyes darting everywhere.
“When you were in prison, you didn’t confess that you had tried to switch the children, did you? You only said that the sickly child was bought by you, which is why you were only sentenced to three years.”
The gambling-addict husband bared his teeth in a grin. “Give me money, and I’ll keep the secret. Otherwise… just wait until you rot in prison!”
Wang Sue lunged at him through clenched teeth. “If I have to die, we’ll die together!”
The two immediately started fighting.
As the audience watched the chaotic scene of the two of them tearing into each other like dogs, they pieced together the useful information from the scattered dialogue.
[What? Switching children? What kind of bombshell is this?!]
[So the nanny originally wanted to swap the sickly Tangtang for the Gu family’s little young master, but the Gu family caught her in the act? Am I understanding this right?]
[So in that case, it was thanks to the Gu family’s kindness that they didn’t take their anger out on Gu Tang and even took him in?]
[Yeah… otherwise Tangtang would be so pitiful…]
The video ended there.
Gu Lin pressed the stop button.
If the other side could hire paparazzi to secretly film Gu Tang, did they really think he could not arrange for someone to film something even more interesting?
Still, after baby Tang had suffered so much grievance, if all he managed to get as the child’s uncle was just this bit, then he would be utterly useless.
The real highlights were still to come…
Once the fans known as “Tangshuang” heard that Gu Tang had been frail as a child, they were the ones most heartbroken.
[What was wrong with Tangtang’s health?]
[How is he now?]
[Will the Gu family take good care of Tangtang?]
A reporter also followed up on the topic.
Gu Tang wanted to say that he was fine and that the fans need not worry, but Su Mei raised a hand to stop him.
Her family’s precious child was polite and kind, only thinking about reassuring his fans, but this reporter clearly had no sense.
What kind of ridiculous questions had been asked earlier?
Let her give them a proper lesson.
Su Mei cleared her throat and said into the microphone with a grace that was both elegant and stern, “My family’s precious child has been frail since he was little. This incident has upset him. As his grandmother, it pains me to see it, so—”
Her phoenix eyes slowly swept across the audience below. After a pause, Su Mei said—
“Not a single person involved will get away.”
“…”
The reporters could not help but shiver.
The old madam of the Gu family had such a powerful presence!
Gu Lin twirled the remote in his hand and brought up another video. “Let me show everyone something else interesting.”
In the video was the scene of the investor being invited to the police station for questioning.
At first, the audience did not understand what this fat, greasy investor had to do with today’s events.
Until they saw the edited footage pieced together—
The investor had tried to hit on Gu Tang at the celebration banquet and had been thrown out. After that, the investor secretly arranged to meet the nanny. Then came the records showing the investor had hired online trolls, followed by footage of the troll operation’s headquarters being raided…
The audience suddenly understood.
[We were used like weapons!]
[No wonder the livestream is so much cleaner tonight. Turns out there are no paid trolls here stirring up trouble!]
[Disgusting! This investor—don’t let him off!]
Gu Lin had no time to care about the gossiping audience. After turning off the video, he only said one sentence: “The evidence is conclusive. We’ve already filed suit. Best of luck to him.”
A reporter asked in confusion, “Why are you still wishing him luck, Second Master?”
“I hope he gets the bonus stage where all he does is get beaten up in prison.”
Second Master Gu straightened his tie and grinned. “After all, our Gu family does not advocate violence.”
[Holy crap, all he does is get beaten up…]
[Then what other kinds are there, hahaha!]
[He deserves it!!!]
The reporter thought for a moment and asked again, “Would you consider accepting compensation and reaching a settlement?”
Gu Lin raised a brow. “Do I look like I’m short of money?”
[Hahaha! Of course the Gu family isn’t short of money!]
[They already said it—offend anyone but the Gu family. You can’t buy them off, so don’t expect to settle things with money!]
[Second Master Gu is so handsome! Does he need a partner? I’m flexible on gender!]
[The person above is calculating so loudly I can hear it through the screen!]
People in the comments had already started digging up how many years Second Master Gu had been single.
At this moment, Gu Lin on the screen looked like a dazzling diamond—one that was especially huge and bright.
At this point in the press conference, nearly everything that needed to be answered had already been answered.
The reporter wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He still had several more questions.
Damn it, why had his boss made him prepare so many questions?
He did not want to offend the Gu family either, sob…
Gritting his teeth, the reporter picked a relatively harmless question. “Then… may I ask about the issue of wasting infant formula? According to the nanny Wang Sue, the Gu family would throw away cans of formula worth thousands of yuan each without a second thought, while we all know that countless poor children still do not have enough to eat.”
“What is the Gu family’s view on this matter?”
The reporter had just managed to finish asking when Gu Tang, who had said almost nothing the whole time, leaned toward the microphone.
In a clear and pleasant voice, the young man said slowly, “The Gu family has always been committed to charitable work. Since more than ten years ago, we have continuously donated to orphanages without asking for anything in return. To this day, we have built and supported nearly a thousand orphanages across the country.”
At this point, he looked at the reporter. “Do you still think the Gu family disregards poor children, Mr. Reporter?”
The young man’s eyes were bright and clear, as if they could see straight through people’s hearts.
In that instant, the reporter felt an inexplicable sense of shame.
He felt that the many harsh questions he had prepared were utterly despicable.
Using the darkest suspicions to judge the kindest people.
“I’m sorry…”
The reporter could not help apologizing to Gu Tang.
Gu Tang gave a small, proper nod, indicating that he accepted.
But the comments were not satisfied.
[Now you know to apologize? Where was that energy earlier? Being this vicious toward a minor!]
[Don’t just call out the reporter. All those keyboard warriors hiding behind their phones—come out and apologize too!]
[Even if they don’t apologize, it’s fine. The fans have all been collecting evidence!]
As for the issue of wasted formula, Su Mei also gave an extremely domineering explanation.
Looking straight at the reporter, she said with complete calm, “The disposal of expired baby food had previously always been handled by the nanny. It was only after the child-switching incident came to light that I returned to the Gu residence to take charge. If Wang Sue had not said anything, I still would not have known she had been stealing from her post.”
Then she turned to the butler and asked, “How much does it take before we can file charges?”
The butler, who had been standing behind Su Mei like a statue, leaned slightly forward. “In general, theft involving one thousand to three thousand yuan is enough to open a criminal case.”
Su Mei nodded in satisfaction. “That’s enough, then.”
“File the charges.”
“Yes, Madam.”
A string of question marks exploded across the comments.
[??? She just got out and now she’s going right back in?]
[Hahahaha! Truly legally illiterate—she practically confessed on her own!]
[Fun fact: the Gu family does not accept financial settlements. In you go!]
[Police station: while you’re at it, go ahead and confess the child-switching crime from back then too.]
Su Mei turned to the reporter. “Do you have any other questions?”
The reporter: “!!!”
“…N-no, none!”
With that, he hurried back to his seat as fast as he could.
The livestream comments were nearly laughing themselves to death.
[The reporter doesn’t dare ask anything anymore, hahaha!]
[Grandma is protecting her cub with pure strength!]
[Alright, I believe Tangtang is a child dearly loved in the Gu family!]
Sitting in his chair, Gu Tang pressed his lips together, his eyes curving into crescents.
Unlike in his previous life, this time he had family protecting him.
No matter how enormous the trouble was, he did not need to worry in the slightest.
Suddenly, a ding sounded in his mind.
The system’s cheerful electronic voice rang out—
[Congratulations, Host! You have completed the mission “Receive protection from the male lead’s whole family.” Reward: 50 life points and 5 plot coins!]
Gu Tang froze. “That counts?”
The whole family had not even arrived yet, and it already counted as a whole-family mission?
But the plot system was always bugging out, and he was used to it by now. After asking once, he no longer found it strange.
At present, the audience was overwhelmingly on Gu Tang’s side.
He was the victim, he was adorable, and he had a strong sense of warmth and approachability.
The audience had even begun worrying that the Gu family might not be treating him well enough.
[The head of the Gu family didn’t come tonight. He doesn’t seem too concerned about his adopted son, does he?]
[The Gu family’s young master didn’t appear either…]
[Uh… rich family brothers are always full of conflict, especially when they aren’t even blood-related…]
The comments were making wild guesses when suddenly the livestream became restless.
The camera turned toward the entrance.
Two outstanding men with long legs and tall figures stood there. Because the light had not yet reached them, they were backlit, and their faces could not be seen clearly.
Gu Quan was the first to step into the light.
Ignoring the crowd of reporters around him, he strode toward Gu Tang on long legs, opened his arms, and pulled the child into a hug. “Sorry, Daddy came back late. My good boy has suffered.”
As he spoke, he also rubbed the back of the child’s round head.
“Papa Gu, why did you come back?”
Gu Tang was a little surprised.
But he was being held so tightly that all he could manage were muffled little sounds.
Which only made him sound even more aggrieved.
Gu Quan was heartbroken. He wanted to say more, but a hand even stronger than his pulled him away.
“Father, you’re going to squeeze Gu Tang and hurt him.”
Gu Qinian’s voice was cold.
But after pulling his father away, he embraced Gu Tang himself.
Gu Quan: “?”
The reporters present: “???”
Who cared!
It was a climax scene—raise the cameras and shoot!
As Gu Tang was pulled into the embrace, he felt the familiar warmth and body temperature.
In surprise, he cried out, “Niannian!”
Even his voice was full of delight.
“Mm.”
Gu Qinian lowered his head slightly, brushing his chin gently against the fluffy top of the young man’s head.
He had rushed back without stopping.
Just so he could hold Gu Tang like this and tell him—
“It’s okay. I’ll be by your side.”
He said it in a voice only the two of them could hear.
Outsiders could only see the young master’s lips move. They had no idea what private words the two brothers had exchanged, but seeing them embrace like this, there was no sign at all of a strained relationship.
If anything, they seemed even closer than ordinary brothers.
Shen Ningqing was desperately signaling to her biological son behind the scenes.
The problem was that once this boy hugged Guai Zai, he probably forgot where he even was. There were still so many reporters taking pictures!
A brief hug would be fine.
But if he held on too long, it would start crossing the line!
Shen Ningqing gave a light cough and had no choice but to remind him, “Alright, let go too. Let Guai Zai get some air!”
Only then did Gu Qinian release Gu Tang.
At this point, all cameras were focused on the family.
Gu Quan wrapped one arm around Gu Tang, then cautiously placed the other hand on his biological son’s shoulder. When he saw it was not brushed away, the head of the Gu family finally spoke loudly, “Blood ties do not represent everything. Gu Tang is our family’s child, and he always will be.”
[To all the people who said the Gu family was going to abandon Tangtang—does your face hurt now?]
[Tangtang calls him Papa Gu! So babyish and adorable!]
[Everyone in the Gu family is so loving!]
[…Am I the only one who thinks the young master’s gaze at Tangtang looks kind of like he wants to eat him up?]
That comment would have been fine if it had not been posted, but once it appeared, it drew everyone else’s attention.
Sure enough, the Gu family’s young master’s beautiful dark eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the young man.
Gu Tang felt a little embarrassed under that gaze and lowered his head instead of looking back.
From Gu Qinian’s angle, all he could see was the young man’s side profile and his slightly red ears.
Gu Qinian’s eyes darkened slightly. He suddenly leaned close to Gu Tang’s ear and asked, “Do you want to hear me call you brother?”
Gu Tang froze. “Hm?”
He turned his head and met the other’s deep gaze, one he could not understand.
The young master normally resisted so much—would he really call him brother in front of so many reporters?
Was he teasing him?!
Gu Tang was just about to say, “Don’t mess around,” when the other took his hand.
Gu Tang: “?”
Gu Qinian held one of his hands in his own, and the two of them ended up standing face-to-face, looking into each other’s eyes.
Gu Tang felt the atmosphere was a bit strange, but he could not put his finger on why, so he could only let the other hold his hand.
Gu Qinian took a deep breath and said solemnly, “Brother…”
“I missed you very much.”
That second sentence was what he had truly wanted to say.
All along the way back, fear had filled his heart.
He had been afraid that because of his feelings for Gu Tang, his mother might use the press conference to announce that Gu Tang would be sent away.
He had been even more afraid that Gu Tang would not be able to withstand the pressure of public opinion and would choose to leave the Gu family on his own.
Gu Qinian had been worried that by the time he returned, he would not even know where the person had gone.
He had never even said, “I missed you,” to Gu Tang before.
For other brothers, what a normal sentence that would be.
Perhaps because the young master had spoken too seriously, Gu Tang’s cheeks turned hot, and a faint sense of bashfulness rose in his heart.
He just felt that those words should not be said in public.
[Congratulations, Host! You have completed the special achievement “Make the male lead publicly call you brother.” Reward: 3 plot coins and the special item “Full-Body Comfort”!]
Gu Tang: “???”
“What is ‘Full-Body Comfort’?”
[It can be used to soothe the liver, regulate qi, promote blood circulation, resolve stasis, and is an essential good for home and travel—]
Before the system could finish, Gu Tang cut it off. “Alright, I get it.”
“It’s a health supplement.”
[…]
Fine. Interpreting it that way worked too.
But this thing was far more powerful than any ordinary supplement.
System: The host will understand in the future.
[There’s another piece of good news. The male lead’s dislike value has gone up again! Keep up the good work, Host!]
The moment Gu Tang thought about that pink dislike-value bar shooting upward again, he quickly pulled his hand out of the young master’s palm.
Gu Qinian suddenly found his hand empty and turned to look at him.
Yet Gu Tang lowered his head just as before and refused to look at him.
Why would he not let him hold his hand now?
Was he unhappy?
Gu Qinian rubbed his fingers behind his back, already thinking about when he could catch Gu Tang’s hand again.
At the same time, the livestream comments were veering off in a very strange direction.
[Is it just me, or does the young master’s gaze not look like he’s looking at a brother at all…]
[You’re not alone. I also feel like the atmosphere is off!]
[Help! If I were Tangtang, I’d be completely gone!]
…
On the other side of the screen, inside a luxurious office, the man frowned slightly when he saw the comments. With his long, pale fingers, he lit a cigarette but only held it between them without taking a single puff.
A closer look showed that his fingers were trembling faintly.
His gaze shifted back to the young man on the screen, the one with his head lowered.
“So this is the one you were talking about?”
The man’s voice was low and magnetic.
Yu Yang stepped forward. The fake smile he usually wore was gone, and his lips were dry and pale. “Yes, Big Brother. I think he looks a lot like Little Brother.”
The man exhaled. “All these years, just because of ‘looks like,’ you and Mother have both been tormenting yourselves.”
“Has it been worth it?”
Yu Yang did not answer. Instead, he changed his wording. “I think he is Little Brother.”
“Little Brother is already dead!”
Yu Xiao abruptly stood up and grabbed his younger brother by the collar. Their noses were nearly touching. “Wake up.”
Yu Yang’s eyes gradually reddened. “None of us saw it!”
“No one saw what Little Brother looked like in the end.”
“If he’s alive, we need to see the person.”
“If he’s dead, we need to see the body!”
Seeing that Yu Yang’s expression was turning wrong, Yu Xiao pushed him away.
Aware that he was about to have an episode, Yu Yang panted heavily, his shaking fingers digging out the medicine Gu Lin had stuffed into his pocket. He poured out two pills and chewed them down without even water.
Seeing his younger brother like this, Yu Xiao could not help closing his eyes in pain.
His tone softened a little as he said, “Calm down. Don’t go disturb that child anymore. I’ll make contact with him myself.”
Yu Yang said, “Why?”
“Do you really not know?!”
Yu Xiao’s finger was burned by falling ash. He threw away the half-smoked cigarette. “All these years, every time you met someone who looked like Little Brother, you had an episode the moment you got involved.”
“And what happened in the end?”
“Not a single one of them was him.”
Yu Yang: “…”
Yu Xiao comforted his brother with words that went against his own heart. “If it really were Little Brother, he’d probably be scared off by the way you are now.”
Yu Yang grew anxious. “Then what should we do?”
“You’re an actor. People cannot find out you have this illness. Go focus on filming.”
Yu Xiao patted Yu Yang’s shoulder. “Do you trust your big brother?”
The veins on Yu Yang’s neck had not yet faded, but he still nodded slowly. “I do.”
“Good. Go.”
Yu Xiao looked toward the young man on the screen. “I’ll find a way.”
—
The press conference ended.
Since there were still classes the next day, Gu Tang and Gu Qinian were sent back to school.
Gu Qinian silently observed the person beside him.
The entire way back, Gu Tang did not sit pressed close to him, nor did he ask to play the “shoulder bump” game with him.
He did not even hold his hand when they got out of the car to walk together.
This was very abnormal.
Back in the dormitory, Zhu Xu and Song Chen were playing video games. Xie Qian had gone out again for a piano competition, so Song Chen had come to sleep in their dorm for two days.
Thinking about how nosy Zhu Xu was, Gu Qinian felt that this was not something easy to talk about outside.
So he blocked Gu Tang inside the bathroom.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Gu Qinian shut the door with one hand, not letting him leave.
The dormitory bathroom was small. Gu Tang’s lower back pressed against the sink counter. In front of him was the young master, and behind him there was nowhere to retreat.
Noticing the tiny movement as Gu Tang shrank back, Gu Qinian frowned. “Avoiding me?”
Gu Tang had just finished showering. His hair was still dripping, his brows and eyes misted with moisture, and his cheeks were flushed red.
He shook his head innocently. “No.”
“Really?”
Gu Qinian deliberately leaned closer, and sure enough, he found Gu Tang shrinking back again like a startled little animal.
His body was pressed against the edge of the sink, bent backward in a slight arch.
“And you still say you’re not avoiding me?”
Gu Qinian grabbed him and helped him straighten up. “Your waist is that good, is it?”
A little embarrassed, Gu Tang gave a shy smile. “It’s alright.”
His waist really was pretty soft.
Gu Qinian: “…”
***
Author’s Note:
Tangtang: My waist is pretty good! (proud)
Gu Niannian: Another day of trying hard to endure… (bitter)
