Chapter 37
Transfer Student…
After returning to the Gu residence, Gu Yang walked around but couldn’t find the cat. After asking a servant, he learned it had been taken out for its routine check-up.
With no cat to play with, Gu Yang listlessly headed upstairs, only to be stopped by Gu Qingxu.
“Why are you heading straight to your room the moment you get back? I’m not going to eat you.”
Gu Yang’s hand was already on the railing. Hearing that, he turned to look at him.
“Do you need something?”
“Nothing much.” After a pause, Gu Qingxu smiled. “It’s just that the deadline Father mentioned last time has arrived. I’m checking in to see whether you’ve finished your proposal.”
“That? I already submitted it,” Gu Yang replied absentmindedly.
He had long since outsourced the proposal to Yu Bai. After it was done, Yu Bai had asked whether any revisions were needed, but Gu Yang hadn’t even bothered to open it—he simply forwarded it to the secretary.
Gu Qingxu’s expression tightened slightly. He hadn’t expected Gu Yang to remember the matter, let alone actually produce something.
“That’s all you wanted to say?” Seeing he had nothing else, Gu Yang’s lips curled into a cold, faintly malicious smile. “I thought you’d had another falling-out with Gu Yuhui and wanted me to put in a good word.”
The smile pricked at Gu Qingxu. His expression darkened as his gaze slowly dropped to the brooch pinned to Gu Yang’s clothes.
It was designed as a silver iris, the main stone a sunset-colored padparadscha sapphire.
Gu Qingxu knew that when Gu Yuhui had gone on his business trip, he’d bought an antique brooch at an auction.
Just because Lu Ran had thrown a tantrum last time and snatched away the jewelry Gu Yang originally intended to bid on—a petty squabble among juniors—and yet Gu Yuhui had still paid attention.
It wasn’t expensive, but it was thoughtful.
Gu Qingxu forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
He really couldn’t tell who the biological son was anymore.
Gu Yang had already gone upstairs. The servants below kept their eyes down, pretending they had seen nothing.
As head of the household, President Gu was rarely home, so the people they dealt with most were the two brothers.
The second young master seemed gentle but was actually forceful in both speech and action. The eldest young master looked gloomy and withdrawn, yet was strangely indifferent about many things.
Most of the time, it was always the second young master issuing firm orders, and the eldest never resisted. But once the eldest became dissatisfied, the second never came out well either.
Seeing no point in staying, Gu Qingxu returned to his own room. As he passed through the corridor, he noticed a servant standing outside his father’s study.
“What are you doing there?”
“Second Young Master.” The servant looked troubled. “President Gu’s study phone has been ringing non-stop. This is already the third call. Could it be something urgent?”
There was indeed a phone ringing inside. Gu Qingxu gestured for the servant to leave. He stood there listening for a while. When the ringing stopped and then started again, he pushed the door open and walked in.
He cast a casual glance around. Messy documents lay spread across the desk—probably nothing important.
The phone was still ringing. These days, few people used landlines. Gu Qingxu assumed it was one of the old fossils from home and picked it up.
The voice on the other end sounded as though granted amnesty, hurried and flustered.
“President Gu, this is Shen Shan. I’m terribly sorry to disturb you. Could you spare me a few minutes? I think there may have been some misunderstanding between us…”
The Shen family, huh.
Like a cockroach that just wouldn’t die—truly resilient. Blink and they were hopping back into view.
Gu Qingxu clicked his tongue softly and sat down in the armchair.
“That employee who caused trouble last time—I’ve already fired him.” Shen Shan poured out his prepared speech in a rush. Having finally obtained this number, he clung to it like a lifeline. “I truly didn’t know that wicked woman did such a thing behind my back. I’ve already hired a divorce lawyer and will clean house. As for that useless son of mine, I’ll throw him out as well.”
Gu Qingxu had heard about it. Shen Shan’s current wife had, back in the day, instructed her own son to drug and kill the original wife in order to secure her position.
The police had already come knocking. At the same time, five or six companies under Shen Shan’s name were under investigation—and the issues were serious.
It was said that when Shen Shan started his business, it was funded by the sale of the original wife’s dowry apartment. Step by step, he built it into what it was now.
What a piece of trash.
Silence lingered on the other end, making Shen Shan even more anxious. He firmly believed the Gu family’s retaliation wasn’t because of his domestic affairs—it had to be the sins committed by that useless son.
“President Gu, I failed to manage my staff. This is indeed my mistake. The matter between you and Ms. Fu happened so long ago—it should never have been brought up again.”
Gu Qingxu idly played with the cord of the phone. At those words, his hand paused slightly.
So that woman’s surname was Fu.
…Gu Yang’s mother.
Shen Shan felt even more uneasy. He knew the topic shouldn’t be mentioned, but at this stage, whether begging or apologizing was useless. He might as well risk offending further and demonstrate his value—perhaps win a slim chance of survival.
“You are a man of deep affection. There’s nothing wrong with boldly pursuing love. But if just a minor employee in my company can stir up such a storm—”
“If your competitors deliberately use this as leverage against you, the situation would only become more unfavorable. So I’d like to recommend myself…”
“A man of deep affection, boldly pursuing love?” Gu Qingxu interrupted, amusement lacing his tone. He couldn’t help but laugh.
Such thick skin—it was worth learning from. No wonder Shen Shan had built himself up from nothing.
Shen Shan fell silent. He hadn’t expected the person on the other end not to be Gu Yuhui at all.
What was the point of saying all this to some green kid?
Yet he didn’t dare show displeasure. Swallowing his pride, he said, “So it’s the Gu family’s second young master. Could you please transfer the phone to your father? I have something very important to discuss.”
“You’ve said all you need to say. No need to waste each other’s time,” Gu Qingxu replied lazily.
“Uncle Shen, let me offer you some advice. Instead of chatting here, you’d do better to think about how to answer the police’s questions. After all, drugging someone in your own home—one hand alone can’t clap, can it?”
Shen Shan’s hand trembled; cold sweat trickled down his face.
“No need to call again. My father doesn’t like people privately asking around for his contact information. Honestly, you should be grateful I was the one who answered today. Otherwise, the consequences might have been even worse.”
Having deliberately frightened him, Gu Qingxu hung up.
He stared expressionlessly at the calligraphy piece hanging opposite him, the one that read “Self-Reflection,” and finally let out a mocking laugh.
A man of deep affection, huh?
In the end, he still gave birth to him.
—
He Ming’an sat in the tea room, waiting for the water in the porcelain kettle to boil.
Taking advantage of the time, he called Ying Jiayi.
The call was answered almost instantly. The woman’s voice on speaker sounded fairly bright.
“Class monitor? What made you think of calling me?”
“Just checking in. You haven’t been to class for two weeks,” He Ming’an said gently. “Everything going smoothly?”
Ying Jiayi paused, then replied casually, “Pretty smoothly. That guy doesn’t even have shares in the company. Back then, to curry favor with my grandparents, he signed a prenuptial agreement saying he wanted nothing. Perfect timing for him to leave with nothing.”
“Bet he never imagined this day would come. Justice really does exist.” Her voice dimmed briefly but quickly brightened again.
“My poor grandparents, though. At their age they have to return to the group and take charge again. But once I graduate, I can take over. After this incident, they trust me completely. I’ll be back in class soon.”
“As long as things are going well for you,” He Ming’an said with a smile. “I was worried you might have trouble and wanted to tell you not to hesitate to ask. We’re classmates—no need to be polite.”
“You two really are in sync. No wonder you grew up together.” Ying Jiayi teased. “Gu Yang said the exact same thing when he called.”
He Ming’an froze. “Gu Yang called you?”
“Yes! Scared me half to death. I thought I was dreaming. He also checked on me and asked if I needed help.”
“I never thought I’d live to see the day I’d receive concern from him. It was honestly touching.”
She sounded more animated than before.
The water finally boiled. He Ming’an turned off the stove and poured it into the cup, steeping the prepared tea leaves.
“After all, he was the first to know about your family situation. He knows everything. It must mean something different to him.”
“Yeah.” Ying Jiayi sighed. “If it weren’t for him, I’d probably still be kept in the dark. And my mom—her illness was caught early. The attending physician is a friend of my grandmother’s. They say it’s treatable. They’re still discussing treatment plans. If that man had been in charge, it might not have been curable at all.”
“Gu Yang changed my family’s fate,” Ying Jiayi said. “I’ll remember this favor forever.”
Though simple, those words carried weight. In their world, favors were the most valuable currency. Ying Jiayi inheriting the family business was practically certain; her promise was no light thing.
He Ming’an’s wandering thoughts returned. A faint smile appeared on his face, and he softly responded.
After hanging up, he took the brewed tea outside.
Beside the main house stood a small annex. He Ming’an knocked twice and, after receiving a response, entered.
The scent of sandalwood greeted him. Compared to the main house, the room’s decor was minimal. On a nanmu tea table sat a few plates of offerings. In a corner rested the wooden box containing the Bodhisattva statue he had previously invited in; a thin layer of dust had already gathered on it.
A woman sat to the side, hair coiled up, wearing a plain bamboo-patterned jacket, softly chanting sutras without even raising her head.
“Some new tea leaves. The quality’s quite good. Give it a try. If you like it, I’ll bring more,” He Ming’an said, setting the tea beside her but not sitting down.
The chanting stopped.
“That’s something someone gave your father, isn’t it? I don’t deserve it,” she said calmly.
“People from the Lu family visited a few days ago. I recall Mrs. Lu used to be close with you. She asked about you, but you were at the mountain temple then.”
“Cui Wanzhi?” The woman was unmoved. “She’s a muddleheaded fool. Not worth getting close to. Your father is close to the Lu family, so I interacted with her more. Nothing more than that.”
“For the sake of that illegitimate son they brought back, they even wanted your father to arrange a transfer. Quite something—worrying so much over someone else’s child.” Her words carried faint mockery, her eyes colder still.
He Ming’an hadn’t expected her to know so much. He lowered his eyes. The weather was cold; the tea had already lost its warmth.
“He’s not illegitimate. They were accidentally switched at birth in the hospital. The original second son of their family was the fake one.”
His explanation did nothing to soften her expression.
“He’s merely taking back what rightfully belongs to him.”
He Ming’an turned to the Buddha statue behind him, knelt on the cushion, and closed his eyes.
“Since you’ve already lit the incense, I’ll pay my respects too. A lot has happened lately. I want to pray for someone’s blessings.”
She didn’t object, her gaze returning to the sutra.
“Your heart isn’t sincere. You don’t normally believe in Buddhism. You only come to pray when you need something—just like your father.”
After finishing his silent prayer, He Ming’an stood to leave.
Before going, he couldn’t help adding, “The temperature’s dropped quickly. Please dress warmer. Don’t wear so little.”
She gave no response and resumed chanting.
Outside, the cold wind wrapped around He Ming’an’s thin clothing. He answered a call from his father’s secretary.
“Young Master, I can’t reach President He. I was hoping you could make a decision first.”
“Go ahead.”
“It’s about the second young master of the Lu family. He previously applied for on-campus housing, but later the Lu family’s eldest young master called to cancel it, saying it wasn’t needed.”
“But now that second young master has requested housing again. Logistics from Guanli asked what to do. They said he’s already here and wants to move in tonight. He doesn’t look too good.”
It was a small matter, but since it involved the Lu family, everyone was afraid of being collateral damage in a fight among immortals.
Forced out, was he? A biological son reduced to this state. What exactly was the Lu family doing?
“There should be plenty of empty dorms,” He Ming’an said. “The warehouse has bedding and supplies. Let him move in.”
“And—” He Ming’an paused. “Have the school give him a slot to transfer into Class Eleven. Ask if he wants it.”
“Ah? Should we notify—”
“No need to inform the Lu family. The choice is Lu Ji’s. If he’s willing, let him come directly.” He Ming’an’s face was expressionless. “Consider it a surprise for them.”
—
The next day at school, Lu Ran—who had been wearing a long face for days—actually looked fairly pleased.
He felt he had won a battle, driven the thorn in his side out of the house, clearing away days of pent-up frustration.
He even ignored the unfriendly looks from classmates. After setting down his bag, he stared straight at Gu Yang beside him.
“Morning, Gu Yang.”
Gu Yang turned around with low pressure radiating from him. “It’s not a good morning.”
He hadn’t locked his door last night. Somehow, the family’s ragdoll cat had climbed to the third floor, stood up to open his door, then leapt onto him—delivering a twenty-pound body slam.
He’d finally managed to fall asleep, only for it to turn into another sleepless night.
Xiao Huang, who learned of it, was terrified—it was her negligence. But Gu Yang merely handed her the cat with a gloomy face and walked away gloomily, saying nothing.
Lu Ran watched him and snorted inwardly.
Normally, he’d have snapped back with something like, “Who are you showing that funeral face to this early in the morning?”
But circumstances were different now. He forcibly swallowed the words.
He’d approached Gu Yang deliberately, hoping to glean more information.
After last night, he realized Gu Yang’s inner voice—capable of revealing future information—was a double-edged sword. Used well, it could benefit him.
If classmates wouldn’t let him get close to Gu Yang, then he’d just shamelessly let the whole class hear it together.
After all, he wasn’t the only one who’d suffered lately.
As long as he grasped the intel in advance and completely crush Lu Ji, wouldn’t that solve everything?
That was his plan. But Gu Yang, sleep-deprived, had already begun spacing out—entering his usual idle mode.
Lu Ran grew anxious, just about to do something, when the math teacher walked in.
“Students, today we have a transfer student joining our class. He’ll be studying with everyone from now on. His grades are excellent. I hope you’ll learn from each other and improve together.”
After speaking, Teacher Liu gestured for the student outside to come in.
After a few seconds of hesitation, a boy in school uniform walked in.
The warm applause the math teacher had imagined never came—not even scattered claps.
The classroom was deathly silent.
He adjusted his glasses, sweating slightly.
No face given at all?
Fine if they didn’t give him face—but not even the transfer student’s? They were all classmates.
The math teacher awkwardly glanced sideways, worried the newcomer’s young heart might be hurt.
Lu Ji’s face was calm as water. Before making this decision, he’d already anticipated what he might face.
Based on yesterday’s events, rumors must have spread at school that he was the true young master. The Lu family likely assumed he’d leaked it and thus reacted furiously.
Of course, it was also possible Lu Ran had staged the whole thing for the family.
Even without knowing the intention behind Class Eleven’s invitation, he decided to gamble.
He refused to remain suppressed by Lu Ran. Raised in that kind of family, he’d always been stubborn—never one to admit defeat easily.
With a cold expression, he silently endured everyone’s scrutiny in the suffocating quiet.
He didn’t know how he looked in their eyes.
But he was observing them too.
After lingering a few seconds longer on He Ming’an, Lu Ji naturally noticed Gu Yang sitting behind him.
His gaze skipped past quickly.
Their first meeting at the hospital had left a deep impression. He wasn’t good at handling that type, nor could he endure the unmasked look Gu Yang had given him—like observing some rare exhibit in a zoo.
Better not to interact at all.
Then he saw Lu Ran sitting to Gu Yang’s right.
The shock on Lu Ran’s face was intense. Lu Ji even maliciously wondered whether he’d faint and end up hospitalized again.
Just last night he’d claimed total victory. Even if not gloating, that shouldn’t be the expression.
Thoughtfully, Lu Ji skipped past Lu Ran and surveyed the classroom, trying to see what was so special about Class Eleven to frighten Lu Ran like this.
[How strange. Why would Lu Ji transfer into our class? That wasn’t in the plot at all.]
The disembodied voice made Lu Ji freeze.
Standing at the podium, he had a clear view of everyone below, yet he couldn’t see who was speaking.
He glanced incredulously at the teacher beside him, but the teacher only looked at him with sympathetic eyes, as though they shared the same illness.
He looked at the students again. No one turned their head. All stared at him, motionless.
For no reason, a chill ran down his spine.
And somehow, the voice felt oddly familiar.
[Is it because he doesn’t want a cross-class romance with Lu Ran? Are we going to become part of their hate-play couple dynamic now…]
[School’s annoying enough already. Can’t they just open a separate class to date in?]
Lu Ji: ???
What the hell kind of nonsense is that?
And what is that supposed to mean? Is that even Chinese?
