Chapter 166

Chapter 166

Stepping into the Gu family's house, Gu Da looked gloomy, as if in deep mourning.

The Gu family members, waiting for them to join for dinner, tensed up upon seeing his expression, anxiously asking, "Did the mission not go well?"

Gu Da was startled and couldn't help but glance at Gu Dongting.

As a traditionalist, he had heard about the Bai family's young master insisting on being with a man, but he hadn't paid much attention to it.

After all, that was the Bai family's business, and as an outsider, it wasn't his place to interfere.

Now, Gu Da felt the urge to talk to the elders of the Bai family and understand their thoughts on the matter.

With this in mind, Gu Da sighed heavily.

This made the other Gu family members even more anxious. The elder Mr. Gu slammed the table: "What exactly happened!"

Gu Da, looking at the elder Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu with their heads full of white hair, didn’t know how to start.

While he hesitated, Gu Dongting, the person concerned, appeared calm and nonchalant: "It's not about the mission, it's about my personal feelings."

Personal feelings. Hearing this, the elder Mr. Gu slowly sat back down: "As long as there are no issues with the mission, that’s good..."

The next second, the elder Mr. Gu's eyes widened in shock, and he sat up straight again: "What did you say? Personal feelings? Dongting, you mean…"

Has the iron tree finally bloomed!

Gu Dongting was always cold and detached, seemingly lacking the natural inclination for romantic love. When others experienced their first stirrings of love in their teens, he remained frosty. When others boldly pursued love in their twenties, he was unmoved.

The Gu family elders had privately speculated that he was destined for a solitary, monastic life.

Jokes aside, he was their child, and the Gu family hoped he could experience the joys of love and have a partner, like everyone else.

However, as cultivators, they didn’t pay much attention to such matters, so the family never pressed the issue.

This was the first time Gu Dongting had brought up his 'personal feelings,' exciting everyone in the Gu family.

Gu Dongting's eyes softened a bit: "I've fallen for a man and am currently pursuing him."

"Currently pursuing…" the elder Mr. Gu puffed up his chest, "I know a thing or two about courting."

Just as he was about to share some tips with his grandson, he heard his daughter-in-law ask: "The person you like... is it Shen Wang?"

Shen… Wang? This name was not unfamiliar to the elder Mr. Gu, but how was it connected to the person Gu Dongting liked?

The elder Mr. Gu was momentarily stunned, replaying Gu Dongting's words in his mind: fallen for a man, currently pursuing… a man… man…

The elder Mr. Gu exclaimed in shock: "Dongting, you, you like men?!"

Gu Dongting had been observing the reactions of the elder Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu, and seeing that they were surprised but not distressed, he finally relaxed.

After a few seconds of thought, Gu Dongting didn't hide the truth and said directly: "Yes, the person I like is Shen Wang."

His candidness plunged the entire Gu family into silence.

The elder Mr. Gu, Gu Da, and Gu Dongting's father were shocked, as if a new world had opened up to them.

Gu Da's wife and Gu Dongting's mother exchanged glances, silently communicating something.

The youngest, Gu Xiaodi, didn't overthink it and happily said, "Big brother, I support you in winning over Brother Shen!"

Gu Da couldn't help but laugh and cry, patting his son on the head: "Don't talk nonsense."

"Dad, what do you know? True love knows no gender. It's rare for big brother to fall in love. Are you really going to crush his only romance in this lifetime?" Gu Xiaodi argued confidently, "Besides, it's Brother Shen, you know, really impressive. A lot of young people in the metaphysical world like him..."

"Upon hearing this, the expressions of a few people present subtly changed."

"Although Gu's younger brother often speaks without thinking, what he says isn't without reason."

"Given Gu Dongting's personality, finding someone he's moved by is incredibly difficult. If he misses this chance, he might truly end up alone for the rest of his life..."

"Gu's elder cousin's expression stiffened. He glanced at Father Gu and noticed a similarly troubled look on his face."

"Gu Dongting smiled, breaking the strange silence: 'For now, it's just my one-sided affection and pursuit.'"

"Even though Shen Wang had already hinted at his feelings, without a formal confirmation of their relationship, Gu Dongting couldn't fully relax, making his spoken words seem particularly nervous."

"Seeing him like this, Mother Gu said gently, 'Xiao Ting, if you like someone, go pursue them. Maybe there will be a good outcome.'"

"Her words implied her acceptance of Gu Dongting's feelings."

"With Gu Dongting's mother saying this, no one else had the right to criticize or comment further."

"Old Master Gu wiped his face, his expression turning serious. He looked into Gu Dongting's eyes and said solemnly, 'When we were at war, living day by day, I learned the most important thing: to cherish the present.'"

"'Whether you love a man or a woman, pursue it. As long as you don’t bully or let others down, don’t abuse your family status or power to intimidate others...'"

"Gu's younger brother burst out laughing: 'Grandpa, do you know who Shen Wang is? That’s Shen Wang – it’s good enough if he doesn’t bully others.'"

"Old Master Gu’s rare moment of warmth was interrupted, his remaining words stuck in his throat: 'You rascal, I'm teaching you the principles of life and conduct. Regardless of who the other person is, maintain your own morals and boundaries. Don’t be intimidated by their strength, nor look down on them for their weakness.'"

"With Gu's younger brother's joking, the previously somber atmosphere dissipated, returning to a warm and harmonious state."

"Gu Dongting looked at Gu's younger brother, who winked at him triumphantly and smugly."

"Feeling a warmth in his heart, Gu Dongting looked at his family and slightly curved his lips into a smile."

"He had heard of lovers being separated by their families and one party being troubled by the other's relatives... Gu Dongting didn’t want Shen Wang to suffer any distress because of him."

"So, before confirming his relationship with Shen Wang, he needed to sort everything out."

"Fortunately, Gu Dongting had a family that loved him and was willing to accept all his decisions, including his sexual orientation."

"After dinner, the Gu family members returned to their rooms, while Gu Dongting and his mother took a walk in the garden."

"Gu Dongting wore a loose white robe, and his mother was dressed in a light blue cheongsam. They shared a striking resemblance, especially when Gu Dongting's eyes softened, looking almost seven or eight parts like her."

"'I made a bet with your aunt,' Gu's mother said with a mysterious smile, looking at her handsome son."

"Gu Dongting showed a curious expression: 'What bet?'"

"'We bet on what your relationship with Shen Wang is,' Gu's mother revealed with a smile. Seeing her son's surprised expression, she continued, 'Xiao Ting, perhaps even you don’t realize it.'"

"'The way you look at Shen Wang tells its own story.'"

"Gu's mother remembered the first time she saw Shen Wang. He had just arrived in the capital and was not yet famous in the metaphysical world."

"He unexpectedly arrived on a shared bicycle to meet Gu Dongting."

"Despite several cars in the Gu family's garage, including sports cars, business cars, and even a motorcycle worth millions, he completely forgot about those luxury vehicles and chose Shen Wang’s humble bike."

"Gu's mother happened to see this scene and immediately thought: This person is special."

"Perhaps because she had already suspected, Gu's mother wasn’t surprised by Gu Dongting's feelings. What surprised her was, 'I thought you two were already secretly together. I didn't realize you were still pursuing him.'"

"This was her way of chiding her son for being too slow."

"Hearing this, Gu Dongting nodded earnestly: 'Mom, I’ll bring him home as soon as I can.'"

"Mother and son walked ahead, chatting and laughing, while in a distant pavilion, Gu's elder brother and father sat opposite each other, with a pot of sweet rice wine before them."

"'How did my son become homosexual?' Gu's father mused, sipping the sweet rice wine, unable to fathom."

"After all, being a wealthy and powerful businessman, Gu's father had encountered many homosexuals, even those in the entertainment industry who had shown interest in him... But he never imagined his son, who didn't have a trace of softness in him, would be one of them."

"After some initial shock, Gu's elder brother had fully accepted the situation, even comforting his father, 'At least Shen Wang is a decent person.'"

"Gu's father sipped another cup of sweet rice wine to himself: 'I thought, if he were to date, it would be with a cute girl, a little sun melting an iceberg...'"

"Unexpectedly, there was no little sun; the iceberg melted on its own, turning into spring water, winding around another mountain."

"It was inexplicably heart-wrenching."

"Gu's elder brother sighed, 'Maybe we should talk to the Bai family elders.'"

"Gu's father looked at his wife and son in the distance. Not being a cultivator, he couldn’t see their expressions clearly, but even from afar, he could feel their rare relaxation and joy."

"After his third cup of rice wine, which was his limit for the day, Gu's father conceded, 'Forget it, this kid is a cultivator; he was never destined for an ordinary person.'"

"For cultivators, the difference between genders indeed isn't that significant."

"While the brothers drank in silence, above their heads, Old Master Gu and Grandma Gu watched them from high above, observing Gu Dongting and his mother walking and Gu's elder brother and father drinking."

"Grandma Gu sighed, 'Whether the person one loves is male or female doesn’t matter, as long as their character is decent.'"

"After experiencing betrayal by her own son, Grandma Gu seemed to age ten years overnight. She usually put on a spirited front for the younger generation, not wanting to worry them."

"Now alone with her husband, she no longer hid her weariness."

"Old Master Gu stepped forward, embracing Grandma Gu: 'Let’s just consider we only had two children.'"

"Seeing her still downcast, Old Master Gu thought for a moment and said, 'Shen Wang is a good person. He's about the same age as Xiao Ting, handsome, skilled in cultivation, perhaps even stronger than Xiao Ting, and knowledgeable...'"

"As Grandma Gu's attention was captured, Old Master Gu continued, 'Most importantly, this child has a pure heart. Do you know about the recent theft at the foreign museum? It was his doing...'"

"Listening, Grandma Gu nodded repeatedly, 'Not bad, really not bad.'"

"Shen Wang didn’t know that, without his own knowledge, he had already unwittingly won over the entire Gu family."

"After healing the dragon vein, and observing for two days to ensure its improving condition, he handed over the follow-up work to the special department staff, then returned to the capital with Zuohe and Xiaohua."

"In just a few days, the yin energy in the capital had significantly increased."

"This was still under the extra protection of the dragon vein, right at the feet of the Son of Heaven. One could only imagine the situation in other places."

"Shen Wang returned to the special department with a frown, only to find two groups confronting each other upon entering. One was the special department, and the other, astonishingly, were people from Xian Mountain!"