Chapter 87: Waiting for Him to Return
The living room was so silent it felt suffocating.
In a space of less than twenty square meters, Gu Quan and Yu Xiao paced back and forth like trapped beasts, their brows tightly furrowed.
Gu Qinian knelt on the floor, his back straight as a rod.
A moment later, Gu Tang came out carrying two cups of hot tea and set them on the table. Then, without saying a word, he knelt down beside Young Master Gu.
“Gu Tang, go sit on the sofa.”
Gu Qinian, who had been silent until then, finally spoke.
But Gu Tang ignored him and kept his head lowered, kneeling side by side with him.
Seeing that, Gu Quan stopped pacing and finally spoke. “Baby Tang, get up.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, so why are you kneeling?!”
He had seen everything clearly just now.
It was his own son who had pinned Baby Tang down in the car and bullied him…
With Gu Qinian’s build, training hard every morning, he could knock down a grown man with one punch. How could their well-behaved, slender Baby Tang possibly resist him?
Even after being caught red-handed, Gu Qinian had still arrogantly leaned down and bitten Baby Tang one more time!
And that was only what Gu Quan had seen with his own eyes. In all the places he had not seen, how long had Baby Tang been bullied? How exactly had he been bullied?
Gu Quan did not even dare think about it. His head was buzzing.
He had always thought the “brotherly affection” between the children was exactly that—but it turned out his son had been doing this kind of beastly thing to Baby Tang!
When he saw Gu Tang still refusing to stand, Gu Quan reached out to help him up. “The tile floor is cold. Your body is weak, and the doctor specifically said you mustn’t catch a chill. Get up, quickly.”
Gu Tang lowered his head so far it nearly touched his chest and shook it hard.
He and Young Master Gu were in love.
That meant either neither of them was wrong, or both of them were wrong.
Since Gu Daddy had made Young Master Gu kneel, then he should kneel too.
“Baby Tang, are you not listening anymore too?”
When Gu Quan could not pull him up, and could not exactly scoop him up by force, he pointed at Gu Qinian beside him. “For every second you kneel, I’ll make him kneel three times longer—no, ten times longer!”
As expected, that worked instantly.
The moment he finished speaking, Gu Tang shot to his feet.
Gu Quan: “…”
“Uncle Gu, you saw the situation yourself.”
After stopping in place, Yu Xiao took a deep breath. “The Gu family raised my little brother, and our family is deeply grateful. Even if your Gu family demanded that our Yu family give up half our assets in thanks, I wouldn’t blink. But—”
“My little brother was not raised to become your son’s child bride.”
The moment those words came out, the veins at Gu Quan’s temples throbbed violently.
The man who had ruled the business world for years wore a dark, terrible expression. He opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.
He had always treated Gu Tang exactly like his own child.
He had watched this boy grow up. To him, there was no difference between blood-related and not. Their family had always treasured Gu Tang like a jewel. They had never once treated him lightly.
But the outrageous thing Gu Qinian had done…
He truly had no explanation for it.
“Big Brother, it isn’t like that!”
Unable to bear seeing Gu Quan put in such an awkward position, Gu Tang hurriedly explained to his own elder brother, “I’m with Niannian because I want to be. You can’t say things like that about the Gu family. Gu Daddy really doesn’t know anything.”
“Baby Tang, you don’t need to defend him.”
Gu Quan glared at the son kneeling on the floor and demanded, “Since when?”
“After I became an adult.”
Gu Qinian answered calmly, as if discussing the most natural thing in the world. “On my birthday, I kissed him first.”
How could he say something like that in front of the elders?!
Gu Tang’s face burned all the way to his ears, and he shot the person beside him a glare from the corner of his eye.
At that point, he completely understood.
Young Master Gu had been hoping to get caught. Today he clearly intended to confess everything.
His strategy was simple: brute-force the truth straight through!
Back in the car, they had already been caught in the act, and Young Master Gu had still deliberately kissed him one more time, whispering to him, “Might be a while before I can kiss you again, so one more while I still can.”
He had nearly driven Gu Daddy and his big brother mad with rage.
The moment they came upstairs, Gu Daddy had ordered him to kneel.
After hearing his son’s explanation, Gu Quan exploded. “You really didn’t waste even a single day!”
If he had been so impatient to kiss Baby Tang the moment he turned eighteen, what else could that be but premeditated?!
“You—you—you, your mind is crooked!”
Gu Quan was so furious he started pacing through the living room again.
And that only made things worse, because as he walked, he discovered something even more terrible—
The apartment had two bedrooms.
One room per person would have been perfect.
But in the bedroom facing south, there were two pillows on the bed, while the other bedroom had none.
Suddenly realizing what that meant, Gu Quan felt his scalp go numb. In a trembling voice, he asked, “…What exactly have you done to Baby Tang?”
When Yu Xiao heard that, he also immediately realized something was wrong and turned to the two boys tensely. “Tangtang, how far have you two gone?”
How could Gu Tang possibly answer a question like that? His face turned scarlet, and he buried his head like a quail, not making a sound.
“Gu Tang, step farther away.”
Gu Qinian spoke.
Though he had no idea what Young Master Gu was planning, Gu Tang still obediently moved two steps to the side and tilted his head, looking at him in confusion.
He had no idea what trick Young Master Gu was about to pull.
Once he confirmed Gu Tang was at what he considered a safe distance, Gu Qinian stated clearly and cleanly, “We’ve done everything. The only thing left is registering the marriage.”
“…”
Now Gu Tang finally understood why Young Master Gu had told him to move away.
The very next second, a teacup lid came flying through the air.
With Gu Qinian’s reflexes, dodging a flying cup lid would have been effortless.
But he did not move at all. He simply took the hit head-on.
The porcelain lid struck his well-shaped brow bone. A thread of bright red blood flowed down and dripped into his eye.
Only then did Gu Tang react, letting out a startled cry. “Niannian!”
Gu Quan was still boiling with anger, his fist clenched. “Baby Tang, this has nothing to do with you. Go back to your room.”
“Today I’m cleaning house. I’m going to beat this crooked-minded unfilial son half to death and give the Yu family an explanation!”
“No!”
Gu Tang threw himself forward and wrapped himself around Young Master Gu, who was still kneeling upright. His eyes were fixed on that streak of blood. “We’re both at fault. Why are you only hitting him?”
“What fault do you have? He’s the one who led you astray!”
It was not that Gu Quan was being unfair.
It was because he knew his own son far too well.
He was exactly the same as Gu Quan himself had been when he was young.
If he wanted something, he had to get it—whether by coaxing, trickery, or force, anything was possible.
And he knew Gu Tang too. Soft, obedient, gentle, innocent. Completely unable to withstand coercion or temptation.
If something like this happened between the two children, the simpler one would inevitably be the one at a disadvantage.
If he, as the father, did not protect him, then who would?
Gu Tang shook his head desperately. At that point, he could not even care about being embarrassed anymore. All he wanted was to protect his Young Master Gu. “I’m older than Niannian. I’m the one who led him astray! I—I seduced him!”
“Pfft—”
To everyone’s surprise, Young Master Gu, whose head was bleeding, actually laughed.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Gu Qinian grinned, blood staining one eye red, but amusement still dancing there. “If something that good had happened, how is it that I never knew?”
“Shut up.”
Gu Tang was about to die from anger at his utterly improper Young Master Gu.
Usually he acted so cold and aloof, but at a moment like this, he still had the nerve to joke with him.
Gu Qinian raised a hand and cupped the boy’s soft cheek, using his thumb to wipe away the tear hanging from his lashes. “Go to your room. No matter what sounds you hear, don’t come out.”
“I won’t!”
For once, Gu Tang refused to obey, shaking his head hard.
If he left now, wouldn’t Gu Daddy just beat Young Master Gu to death?
Seeing the blood drip down from the other boy’s brow bone, Gu Tang’s heart ached. “Stop moving. Let me treat your wound.”
Gu Qinian smiled, his eyes curving. “No rush. Father hasn’t finished beating me yet. We can treat it all together later.”
Gu Tang’s lashes trembled, and fresh tears instantly gathered in his eyes.
“Hey, don’t cry.”
Gu Qinian leaned closer and lowered his voice. “If you cry again, I’ll kiss you.”
Gu Tang’s eyes widened in shock.
He truly thought Young Master Gu had gone mad.
What kind of situation was this?
They were right in front of the elders, his head was still actively bleeding, and he still had time to flirt with him?!
But because of those words, Gu Tang really did not dare cry anymore.
His Young Master Gu always did exactly what he said.
Young Master Gu was not the least bit afraid of being discovered. If anything, once this layer of secrecy had been pierced, he seemed even more excited and even more fearless.
Sniffling, Gu Tang went to fetch the medicine box and started bandaging him.
As Yu Xiao watched his little brother focus all his attention on that brat from the Gu family, his face remained blank, but inwardly he was anxious.
He had originally thought it was only Gu Qinian’s one-sided obsession.
Now it seemed that was not the case at all.
Which made this far more troublesome…
Meanwhile, Gu Quan was still not done venting. He pointed a shaking finger at his son. “Think for yourself—was any of this appropriate? We told you to take care of Baby Tang since childhood. Is this how you ‘took care’ of him?”
By luring him into bed?!
“I want to take care of him for the rest of my life.”
Gu Qinian lifted his dark eyes and looked directly at his father. “What’s wrong with that?”
Brothers and friends could still part eventually. Only lovers could stay together forever and share a life.
He only wanted to be Gu Tang’s lover.
Gu Quan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tell me honestly—this rush to force me into retirement… did you have some other motive?”
“Yes.”
Gu Qinian answered without hesitation. “Gu Tang can’t let go of the family. He’d never run away with me. Only if I become head of the family can we be together openly.”
Fortunately Gu Quan had no beard, or it probably would have blown upward with rage. “You wretch! You were even planning to trick Baby Tang into eloping?!”
“I think you are completely unfit to become head of the family!”
Gu Quan glared furiously at his son.
Even kneeling on the floor, lower than everyone else, Gu Qinian still held his back straight and his shoulders taut, his aura completely unshaken.
In fact, it almost surpassed Gu Quan’s.
Deep down, Gu Quan knew full well that there was no one more suited than Gu Qinian to become the next head of the Gu family.
On the other side, Yu Xiao was also carefully observing Gu Qinian.
If it had not been for the fact that his own little brother had already been taken advantage of, Yu Xiao honestly would have admired the Gu family’s young master.
He was bold, resourceful, and responsible.
And from the looks of it, he was sincere toward his little brother too…
But anyone could say beautiful things.
A few pretty words were nowhere near enough to make the Yu family agree to this match.
Even Gu Quan could not simply hear a few sentences from his own son and immediately approve the relationship. He had to be responsible for Baby Tang’s future.
Since he could not reason with his biological son,
Gu Quan turned to Gu Tang, and his heart softened instantly.
“Baby Tang, you’re both still young. This is just a moment of impulse.”
He pointed at his own son, whose head was now wrapped in gauze. “What if in a few years this brat changes his mind? What will you do then? Have you thought about that?”
Gu Tang had always been obedient since childhood. Gu Daddy had never spoken to him in such a heavy tone before.
His heart felt a little sore, but he still shook his head. “Niannian won’t.”
“Who can guarantee that?”
“When you’re in the heat of first love, there’s no vow you won’t make.”
Gu Quan let out a long sigh. “How old are you two? Once the passion burns out, who can guarantee that your thoughts won’t change?”
Gu Tang still wanted to explain, but Young Master Gu raised a hand and stopped him.
“There’s no need to keep talking.”
“No matter how much we say, they won’t believe us.”
Gu Qinian lifted his eyes. Though he was kneeling, the force of his presence was intimidating. “So instead, just name the condition. What would it take to prove that I’m sincere toward Gu Tang?”
“That’s simple enough.”
Yu Xiao, who had remained quiet until now, took off his gold-rimmed glasses.
As he slowly cleaned the lenses, he said, “Let’s make this a choice.”
“If you’re willing to give up my little brother, then sooner or later the position of Gu family head will be yours. Even if your father refuses, my Yu family can still push you into that seat. In the future, the Yu family and Gu family will remain permanently friendly and share resources.”
“But if you insist on staying with my little brother, then the Yu family and the Gu family will join forces to suppress you. You will be given no chance whatsoever. Whether you can claw your way up or not will depend entirely on yourself.”
On the surface, it looked like a choice.
In reality, it was a lose-lose trap.
No matter which answer Gu Qinian chose, he would lose Gu Tang.
If he chose the first option, then that was obvious—he would abandon him.
If he chose the second, it looked like there might be some room to maneuver, but in truth it was a snare.
If Gu Qinian chose Gu Tang, both families would suppress him. Naturally the Yu family would never allow their little brother to follow him into hardship, and Gu Qinian himself would not be able to bear seeing Gu Tang suffer, so the two would inevitably be separated for a time.
At that point, it was possible Gu Qinian would eventually break and give up.
Or, if he ended up in a miserable state, then whether his little brother would still want him at all… was another question entirely.
“So,” Yu Xiao said, narrowing his eyes, “what’s your choice?”
Gu Qinian did not hesitate for even a moment. “I won’t give up Gu Tang.”
Yu Xiao clapped for him twice. “Very good. You’ve got backbone.”
Then he turned to Gu Quan. “Uncle Gu, since your young master has chosen the more difficult road, you won’t refuse to cooperate, will you?”
“I have no objections.”
Gu Quan also thought Yu Xiao’s method was a good one.
It would both knock some of the arrogance out of Gu Qinian and force the two boys to spend some time apart and calm down.
The two families reached an understanding.
What they did not know was that no one understood hardship better than Gu Qinian, who had already lived one lifetime through it.
And that no one understood waiting better than Gu Tang, who had also already lived through two lifetimes.
Recently, the media had been spreading rumors everywhere that the relationship between the Gu family and the Yu family had collapsed.
All cooperation between the two families had been suspended, and they were even deliberately avoiding each other at public events. If organizers invited one side, the other would decline outright.
Their relationship, in the public eye, had fallen to freezing point.
Some people online lamented it, some mocked it, and all sorts of theories were flying around.
“So they really were going to fall out—I just didn’t expect it to happen this fast!”
“So this is how wealthy families are? When they wanted their son back, they were incredibly warm to the Gu family, and then the second they got him back, they turned around and cut ties?”
“And how do you know the Yu family is the ungrateful one, instead of the Yu family discovering that their little young master had suffered after they found him?”
“Wuwuwu, I only care whether my Nian-Tang CP is still okay!!!”
…
Gu Tang was not interested in the chaotic comment section under those trending topics.
He was only searching for news about Young Master Gu.
What those internet users could never know was that the current state of open hostility between the Gu and Yu families was actually because the two sides were engaged in the deepest collaboration in their history.
—Namely, jointly suppressing Young Master Gu.
The semi-retired head of the Gu family had returned to the president’s office and openly declared that he had no intention of stepping down, and that his son was free to seize the position if he had the ability.
This made the outside world think the Gu family had plunged into a father-son succession war.
At the same time, the Yu family’s suppression of Gu Qinian was even harsher.
The entire Yu Group had mobilized to comprehensively strike the overseas businesses Young Master Gu had spent years building.
There had also been a similar “darkest period” in the original story’s rise of Mr. Gu.
Before Mr. Gu truly rose to power, he too had once been attacked by many forces at once. Even the Gu family had stood against him. It was no exaggeration to call it total betrayal and isolation.
Although the process had been completely different, fate still seemed to be replaying the same final outcome from the book.
His big brother’s move really was ruthless.
On the surface, he seemed to agree to the relationship. But the moment he turned around, he was setting obstacles in Young Master Gu’s path.
To the point that Young Master Gu had no choice but to go to Country S on an extended business trip.
Then Yu Xiao, using the excuse that he could not bear to see his little brother following Gu Qinian into hardship, proposed bringing Gu Tang back to the Yu residence.
Gu Tang refused.
Winter break was coming soon, and he wanted to stay in his own little apartment and leave a light on every night for Young Master Gu.
Waiting for him to come back.
But before leaving the country, Young Master Gu personally escorted him back to the Yu residence.
“Why not let me stay at the Gu house?” Gu Tang asked unhappily.
Gu Qinian kissed him lightly on the cheek and said gently, “Right now you feel guilty toward the Gu family. You wouldn’t be able to stay there comfortably. And lately the Gu and Yu families have had a lot of friction in business too. If you stay in the middle of it, it’ll just be awkward.”
“Niannian is a huge idiot.”
Lying on the desk, Gu Tang had drawn a little portrait of Young Master Gu and was poking the paper face with the tip of his pen.
The other boy had considered everything for him.
And shouldered all the hurt alone.
If that wasn’t being an idiot, what was?
Gu Tang worried about him, but he didn’t dare disturb him.
Every day, he didn’t know how many times he pulled out his phone just to check whether a new message had arrived.
Perhaps the Gu and Yu families’ suppression had grown too harsh lately. Young Master Gu’s path was becoming more difficult, and the messages he sent were getting fewer and fewer.
Outside the window, the trees in the courtyard had shed all their leaves.
The sky was dark and heavy, blending into the distant river, as though snow might start falling at any moment.
“If you don’t come back soon, you won’t make it in time for our birthday.”
Holding up the paper portrait of “Young Master Gu” so it stood on the desk, Gu Tang murmured, “Our shared birthday…”
Bzz bzz—
The phone on the table vibrated twice.
Gu Tang’s eyes lit up. He snatched it up and checked—
[Niannian: Look outside.]
Outside?
Gu Tang froze for a second, then raised his eyes and looked out the window.
At some point, a tiny drone was hovering out on the balcony.
A fine cord dangled beneath it, and with his sharp eyesight, Gu Tang squinted and saw that tied to the cord was a small emerald jade gourd.
The moment he recognized it, his heart skipped a beat.
He hurried out and pulled the little jade gourd down from the drone.
At the same time, a second message came in on his phone—
[Niannian: It misses it.]
Even the little gourds had been paired together.
But the people still could not see each other.
With eyes turning red, Gu Tang typed back.
[I miss you too!]
A moment later, a reply came.
[Niannian: We promised to celebrate one hundred birthdays together. This year is the twentieth.]
Niannian remembered their promise.
Which meant—he would be back before their birthday!
Smiling, Gu Tang untied the white jade gourd from his own wrist and fastened it to the little drone.
Watching the little machine fly farther and farther away, Gu Tang typed another message.
[Yours is mine, and mine is yours.]
Not long after, the reply arrived.
[Niannian: Okay.]
Inside the Yu residence study,
Yu Xiao was giving Yu Zhongyuan a report on work.
Yu Xiao was the current head of the Yu family, but Yu Zhongyuan was still the old emperor behind the throne. Even though he had been unconscious for years and no longer directly handled the family business, he still remained the spiritual pillar of the Yu family. There were many things Yu Xiao still felt uncertain about and needed his father’s guidance on.
After listening to the report, Yu Zhongyuan gave a slight nod and asked only one question:
“Why are you targeting Gu Qinian?”
Yu Xiao put away the documents. “He chose this himself.”
“Oh?”
Yu Zhongyuan raised a brow and smiled. “For our Tangtang?”
“!” Yu Xiao jumped.
He had never told his father about Gu Tang and Gu Qinian.
For one thing, he knew his father was old-fashioned and would definitely disapprove.
For another, his father had only just woken up and was still in the recovery period. Yu Xiao had been afraid the old man would not be able to handle the shock and would just go straight back into a coma—or worse.
Yu Zhongyuan snorted. “Do you think I’m blind? Even if you don’t say anything, can’t I observe it myself?”
Yu Xiao thought, It’s over. The old man definitely won’t agree.
To be honest, he himself felt conflicted too.
After all this time, he could see clearly that his little brother genuinely liked that boy from the Gu family.
Lately, since he could not see him, Gu Tang had become restless and distracted. His face had visibly grown thinner.
Yu Xiao had been so worried that he was losing sleep over it.
Sometimes he almost thought: maybe I should just let Gu Qinian off the hook.
As he explained the full situation, he kept slipping in compliments about Gu Qinian between the lines. “To be fair, that kid really isn’t bad. Under the combined pressure of the Gu and Yu families, he’s still held out for several months, and he even still has some resources left in hand.”
“But don’t worry, I won’t let little brother be with him that easily. Men don’t know how to treasure things they get too easily!”
As he spoke, he carefully studied his father’s expression.
Only to see Yu Zhongyuan nod deeply.
Yu Xiao’s heart jumped with relief. “Father, you agree with my thinking too?”
If that was the case, then the gender issue could be skipped over.
Setting gender aside, there really wasn’t much wrong with that boy from the Gu family.
As long as Father didn’t fixate on the fact that his future child-in-law was male, then little brother and the Gu boy still had a chance. And second brother too…
“No.”
Yu Zhongyuan raised one finger and shook it.
Yu Xiao instantly tensed again. “Then why were you nodding just now?”
Yu Zhongyuan answered slowly, “I only just realized why you’re still single after more than thirty years.”
Yu Xiao: “?”
Yu Zhongyuan: “Go find someone you like and date them sometime. Every day you overthink everything like some old fossil.”
Yu Xiao: “???”
“Wait, you mean you agree?!” Yu Xiao stared at him in disbelief.
“You can accept Tangtang being with… another boy?”
Yu Zhongyuan curled his lip. “Naturally, I don’t like it.”
But after lying in a hospital bed for more than ten years, he had seen life and death from too close a distance. His thinking was not as rigid as it used to be.
Of course he had wanted his sons to marry properly, have children, and let him enjoy a bunch of grandchildren around his knees in his old age.
But compared to his own wishes, his children’s wishes mattered more.
If Gu Tang only liked that boy from the Gu family, what exactly was he supposed to do about it?
Second son liked a man too, and even worse, another one from the Gu family.
And eldest son was a silent workaholic block of wood…
Yu Zhongyuan sighed, beginning to suspect he simply was not destined for grandchildren.
At worst, he could go learn from Old Man Luo and spend money opening several welfare homes to bring back a whole bunch of children without grandfathers and raise them himself.
“If you put it that way, then I won’t pressure Gu Qinian anymore.”
Yu Xiao really did not want to keep playing the villain either.
Lately his precious little brother hadn’t given him a single nice expression.
“Hold it.”
Yu Zhongyuan raised a hand. “Don’t stop yet. Let’s see how he performs this time.”
A test still had to be a test.
Yu Xiao: “…”
Apparently Father still intended for him to keep playing the villain.
At that moment, the study door was knocked on lightly.
“Father, may I come in?”
Gu Tang’s soft voice sounded from outside the door.
The instant he heard his youngest son, Yu Zhongyuan’s whole expression changed, and he smiled broadly. “Tangtang, come in quickly.”
The moment Gu Tang entered, he saw Yu Xiao and immediately turned his head away.
He did not call him Big Brother.
Yu Xiao: “…”
Fine then, he was the biggest villain in the story, wasn’t he?
Unwanted by his little brother, Yu Xiao slunk out of the room in wounded silence and went back to planning further “sinister plots” to suppress Young Master Gu.
Once he was sure Big Brother had walked far enough away, Gu Tang finally spoke to his father. “Dad, can’t you let Niannian off?”
Yu Zhongyuan looked completely calm. “Didn’t your brother say it was his own choice?”
Of course Gu Tang knew that.
Young Master Gu had chosen that impossible road right in front of him.
That was why he was here begging for mercy!
“But, but…”
He was still trying to organize what he wanted to say when his father suddenly asked, “Don’t you trust him?”
Gu Tang immediately protested, “Of course I do!”
Yu Zhongyuan continued, “Then do you think he doesn’t have the ability to make it through?”
“Not that either!”
“Then wait.”
Yu Zhongyuan slowly closed his eyes. “Aren’t you curious too?”
“Curious about what?” Gu Tang asked.
“How powerful the person you love can become—for your sake.”
“…”
Gu Tang tightened his grip on the little green jade gourd in his palm, the cool stone warming little by little in his hand.
***
Author’s Note:
Tangtang: Waiting for a reborn, upgraded Niannian!
I was in a rush writing last night and wasn’t satisfied, so I heavily revised this chapter. The content is different from before.
