Chapter 46

Chapter 46

The Gu family never expected that a visit to the Luo household would lead to their secrets being exposed.

Young Master Second Gu Liuyun was stunned. "Dad, Mom, what is he talking about?"

Fifth Miss Gu Chaoyun shook her head vigorously. "No, I don't believe it! I am Dad's child, even Mom has acknowledged it!"

Luo Qianjian smiled indifferently.

Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan, after their initial shock, turned cold.

Gu Jingcheng gritted his teeth. "Luo Qianjian, if you're unwilling to arrange a marriage, then so be it. Our Gu family isn't begging or forcing you to agree. You really chose to expose this just because of a few words from that traitorous son Gu Xingyun? It's not worth it! Saying that the engagement is nullified would have been enough. What else are you fabricating!"

Fu Wan, however, wasn't as "optimistically" resistant. She was puzzled. "How did you come to know these things? Did your parents tell you? No, they couldn't possibly know..."

Upon hearing Fu Wan's words, Gu Liuyun and Gu Chaoyun still found it hard to accept.

"Mom? What you mean is..."

"Could it be that what Luo Qianjian is saying is true..."

In contrast, Third Miss Fu Xingyan and Fourth Young Master Fu Xingshu felt much more relieved.

As Fu Wan's illegitimate children who bore her surname, although their treatment seemed no different on the surface, they always felt less secure in the Gu family compared to the second and fifth children, who were Gu Jingcheng's illegitimate offspring. Now, although there were still many details to be clarified, they already felt a sense of vindication!

"I've already said so much, I don't mind finishing the story for Uncle Gu and Aunt Fu, who find it difficult to speak." Luo Qianjian smiled, speaking gently. "As for my sources, I naturally won't reveal them to you."

Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan realized that they had underestimated Luo Qianjian.

—Due to old grudges between the Gu and Li families, the Gu family hadn't participated in the lively engagement banquet and failed wedding banquet between Luo Shanting and Li Zhijin, missing out on quite a few interesting events.

Although they knew that the Luo family had undergone a change and Luo Qianjian had become the head of the family, they hadn't met him much. The information about the Luo family they had heard in recent days was all hearsay. After meeting him today, Luo Qianjian didn't seem like someone skilled in intrigue, and he was younger than their youngest child by a year. So, they had underestimated him earlier.

Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan both thought that with such well-informed sources, it was no wonder Luo Qianjian could seize power in just a few months, making the entire Luo family subject to his word alone.

"Let's get to the crux of the matter." Luo Qianjian enjoyed revealing the Gu family's secrets in front of them.

"The reason why Uncle Gu and Aunt Fu hid the origins of Young Master Second and Fifth Miss is...because they truly love each other."

True love...?

Apart from Gu Xingyun, the other four Gu children were bewildered upon hearing this.

They didn't believe this word...

Which couple who truly loved each other would act like their parents, who had been living separate lives since they were young, didn't mind having illegitimate children, treated those children as part of the family for years without considering them outsiders, and at most argued over interests but never broke ties...

Could this be true love? This could only be achieved by people who truly didn't love each other.

However, when Luo Qianjian said this, Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan didn't deny it.

Their expressions just became uglier.

Fu Wan said, "Third Young Master Luo, my family's affairs are none of your concern."

Gu Jingcheng also spoke up, urging his children to leave the Luo residence.

But the Gu children, sitting on the sofa in the Luo family's living room, hesitated to leave.

"Uncle Gu, Aunt Fu, since you're here, and I've brought up the topic, why not let them hear the rest? After all, you're all family, and there's nowhere else for this embarrassment to go, right?" Luo Qianjian smiled.

The nearby Butler Wang and the Luo family servants pretended to be dead, listening intently.

Gu Xingyun casually joined in. "That's right, let's hear the rest. I'm quite curious about how it all happened. My so-called second brother and fifth sister apparently aren't related to me by blood..."

At this point, Gu Xingyun clicked his tongue. "I foolishly thought before that I was the one closest to everyone in this family by blood. After all, you might not necessarily share blood ties with each other, but whoever it was, they definitely shared a blood connection with me. Third Young Master Luo, continue. Let my second brother and fifth sister understand clearly before they are expelled from the Gu family."

Hearing "expelled from the Gu family," Gu Liuyun and Gu Chaoyun were taken aback, then their faces turned even paler, looking hopefully at Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan.

Unfortunately, Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan disappointed the siblings. The conversation they hoped for—"Even if our blood relationship is exposed, we've raised you for so many years, we're a family, we won't drive you away"—didn't happen. Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan merely sat back on the sofa, weary and resigned.

Seeing this, Luo Qianjian continued with great interest. "Uncle Gu and Aunt Fu, indeed, truly love each other. Unfortunately, something went wrong when they were young."

When Gu Jingcheng was a child, he was kidnapped and developed claustrophobia. There was a little girl who was also kidnapped and stayed by his side until they were rescued and then lost contact.

—This past experience was similar to Li Zhijin's memory of his time with Sang Cha, except that the little girl in Gu Jingcheng's story wasn't planning to harm him; she was another victim who comforted him during their ordeal.

And that little girl was actually Fu Wan.

During the rescue process, Fu Wan accidentally hit her head and woke up with amnesia, forgetting her kidnapping experience and the little boy, Gu Jingcheng, who had accompanied her in the darkness. The Fu family, not wanting her to recall the pain of her kidnapping, never mentioned it to her after her memory loss.

Years later, Fu Wan fell in love with Gu Jingcheng at first sight in college and insisted on marrying no one but him, demanding that her family arrange a marriage with Gu Jingcheng.

But Gu Jingcheng already had a girlfriend at the time—a plot twist involving mistaken identity, as Gu Jingcheng mistook his girlfriend Fang Fei for the little girl from his childhood, loving her deeply as a result.

But Fu Wan liked Gu Jingcheng and wanted him even knowing he had a girlfriend, believing that marriage should be between equals and that Gu Jingcheng's current relationship was just a fling, convinced that they were destined to be together.

The Fu family doted on their daughter Fu Wan and couldn't refuse her, so they discussed an arranged marriage with the Gu family, which surprisingly met with agreement.

The Gu family had never liked Gu Jingcheng's girlfriend Fang Fei at the time, and with the idea of an arranged marriage, they pressured Gu Jingcheng to break up with her, which he refused. The Gu family then threatened him using Fang Fei and her family.

Thus, Gu Jingcheng reluctantly got engaged to Fu Wan, feeling that her excessive indulgence and selfishness had torn him apart from Fang Fei, hating his fiancée intensely. Fu Wan, however, believed that he would eventually see the light and recognize her worth, happily embracing her status as fiancée for some time. But she discovered that Gu Jingcheng secretly continued his relationship with Fang Fei.

Fu Wan caused a scene, leading to intense conflicts between Gu Jingcheng and Fang Fei, followed by a series of melodramatic events.

Including, but not limited to, Fang Fei suffering a miscarriage due to a car accident, which Gu Jingcheng mistakenly blamed on Fu Wan. During an argument, Fu Wan's stomach hit the corner of a table, resulting in her own miscarriage—the child was undoubtedly Gu Jingcheng's—even though Gu Jingcheng verbally despised his fiancée and adored Fang Fei, the white moonlight of his heart, he still maintained physical relationships with both.

After enduring emotional and physical torment, Fu Wan regained her childhood memories after hitting her head on the floor, and together with Gu Jingcheng, they exposed Fang Fei's pretense of being Gu Jingcheng's white moonlight. Then, the wicked Fang Fei exited the stage.

Left were Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan, whose early experiences unfolded like a vivid tale from a domineering CEO novel. Yet, in the end, Fu Wan didn't choose to be lovingly affectionate with Gu Jingcheng. She couldn't forgive him for the hurt he had inflicted upon her, but still, Fu Wan remained deeply in love with Gu Jingcheng...

Despite this, Fu Wan and Gu Jingcheng got married, and after their marriage, they had a child named Gu Xingyun. Fu Wan then expressed that she didn't want to be confined within the marital relationship, where she and Gu Jingcheng would grow to loathe each other's sight. Without hesitation, Gu Jingcheng agreed to each finding their own lovers.

During this time, Gu Jingcheng fell ill and needed surgery. Secretly, Fu Wan arranged for the doctor to perform a vasectomy on him during the operation, ensuring no children from his affairs would threaten her child's position, thinking it was a minor procedure that wouldn't be noticeable. But Gu Jingcheng found out afterward, though he didn't expose her due to feelings of "guilt," choosing instead to pretend he was unaware.

—Gu Jingcheng felt guilty toward Fu Wan, believing he had made a mistake by choosing someone else over her, unlike Fu Wan who, even after losing her memory, could still fall in love with him at first sight. However, he occasionally felt it wasn't entirely his fault, as Fu Wan had indeed interfered and forcefully separated him from Fang Fei in the past, a time when he was unaware of the truth.

Gu Jingcheng saw it all as a messy situation, but regardless, his love for Fu Wan was genuine. Therefore, he was willing to "indulge" everything Fu Wan did, as long as it brought her happiness.

Then, unexpectedly, Gu Jingcheng's lover told him she was pregnant...

Gu Jingcheng thought about it and decided that although this was a green hat situation, it balanced out since Fu Wan was also carrying her lover's child and planning to give birth. Now, they both had a child outside of their marriage! He believed Fu Wan wouldn't expose this.

Indeed, Fu Wan didn't expose it. She didn't want Gu Jingcheng to know she had secretly arranged for the doctor to perform a vasectomy on him, avoiding unnecessary quarrels and maintaining family harmony. Besides, the Gu family could certainly afford another child, so she accepted the child brought home as Gu Jingcheng's illegitimate offspring.

After Gu Jingcheng brought the first illegitimate child home, he replaced the lover who had given him the green hat. Unexpectedly, the second lover, learning from her predecessor's experience, also desired to have a child. Even if Gu Jingcheng would take the child back to raise in the Gu household, not counting it as hers, she would still receive a substantial sum of money before being dismissed. Moreover, there would always be a child in the Gu family born from her, providing some security!

However, she couldn't get pregnant, so the second lover followed in her predecessor's footsteps, giving Gu Jingcheng a green hat.

After Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan each had two illegitimate children, they agreed not to have any more, citing "too many children" as a reason, which was actually insignificant. The main reasons were that Fu Wan intended to bear her own illegitimate children and didn't plan to have more, while Gu Jingcheng didn't want to acknowledge children knowing he was wearing a green hat.

As the Gu family's children grew up, Gu Xingyun, the legitimate son of Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan, took over the Gu Corporation and its shares early on, following the Gu family's rules and under the supervision of the Fu family.

Initially, Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan quite liked this biological son, satisfied with his background and abilities. However, Gu Xingyun never felt close to the family, often making sarcastic remarks, and this behavior worsened as his position in the Gu Corporation became more secure.

Given this, the other four children wanted to compete for the family business, leading to increasing conflicts with Gu Xingyun and among themselves. Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan chose to let them be, not wanting to create friction between themselves, considering they were "old husband and wife."

Neither mentioned that the second and fifth children weren't of Gu bloodline and shouldn't be competing.

Now, at the Luo residence, through Luo Qianjian's revelation, the second and fifth children of the Gu family were utterly devastated, never expecting Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan to be so "truly in love" that they not only acknowledged illegitimate children but also fake ones.

Yet, they still held a shared hope that despite the truth being exposed, Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan wouldn't drive them away, even though they had already avoided discussing this matter...

"Dad..."

"Mom..."

"In the future..."

"Are we still a family?"

Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan looked at each other for a moment, then...they let go.

Gu Jingcheng said, "Let's pretend that you having the doctor perform a vasectomy on me during my surgery never happened."

Fu Wan nodded. "It's been so many years; arguing now is meaningless."

Gu Jingcheng asked again, "What about Liuyun and Chaoyun..."

Fu Wan replied, "I think, now that the truth is out and everyone knows, these two children staying in the Gu family without proper standing isn't right. What do you think?"

Gu Jingcheng sighed. "Liuyun, Chaoyun, the family will give you one last sum of money, to settle our ties over the years. You should leave the Gu family from now on."

Gu Liuyun and Gu Chaoyun were stunned, as were Fu Xingyan and Fu Xingshu.

Just like that...it was settled?

No argument at all?

Even if they were truly in love, such love was really strange, wasn't it...

"No, Dad, Mom, we've been part of the Gu family for so many years..." Second Master Gu Liuyun refused to give up, glaring coldly at Luo Qianjian. "Third Young Master Luo, how have we offended your family! Why are you trying to tear us apart!"

Luo Qianjian raised an eyebrow, not wasting time on arguments, and continued leisurely, "Let's not talk about your origins. Instead, let's discuss some interesting stories about Second Master Gu, shall we?"

Gu Liuyun was taken aback.

Luo Qianjian continued, "I heard that Second Master Gu likes to pretend to be a pitiful person from a poor background, using your decent looks and smooth words to deceive girls into spending money on you. You use various tactics to drain their finances, disappearing when they're left penniless, watching them suffer for a while. Then, you reappear like a godsend, happily revealing your true identity as a wealthy young master. The girls would either pester you for repayment or angrily beat you up, and you prefer the latter, don't you?"

Gu Liuyun's aggressive demeanor deflated under everyone's gaze. He awkwardly smiled and countered, "The money they spent on me, I eventually paid back..."

"Yes, recently, he gathered all the victims at once, not only repaying the money but also condescendingly apologizing." Luo Qianjian clicked his tongue. "Guess why Second Master Gu did this? To be honest, he met the love of his life."

The listeners were speechless.

Gu Liuyun alternated between anger and shock, unable to understand how Luo Qianjian knew so much: "How could you..."

"This time, Second Master Gu failed to swindle money from the girl, instead being exposed by her from the start. This made Second Master Gu irresistibly attracted, so he specifically called over his previous victims in front of her to repay and apologize."

After finishing with Second Master Gu, Luo Qianjian didn't give anyone a chance to catch their breath, proceeding to speak enthusiastically about Third Miss: "Third Miss is no less impressive. It's rumored that she enjoys pretending to be a man to engage in online relationships with girls. When meeting in person, she appears as the girlfriend or fiancée of this man, joining forces with the online lover against a common enemy. She wins their sympathy, bending straight women to her will, only to replace her 'true love' within a month after meeting in person, spending less time chatting than when they were online."

Third Miss Fu Xingyan: "...It's just a small hobby..."

Luo Qianjian didn't respond, efficiently turning his attention to Fourth Master Fu Xingshu.

Receiving his gaze, Fu Xingshu felt terrible, though he doubted Luo Qianjian could be that omniscient. Still, he couldn't help but capitulate first: "Wait, I admit I was rude to you earlier, and I can apologize, but you..."

"Compared to Second Master and Third Miss, Fourth Master surpasses them." Luo Qianjian ignored him, continuing on his own, sighing lightly, "Fourth Master enjoys cross-dressing and has feelings for Second Master, his non-blood-related but legally recognized older brother. Afraid of being kicked out of the family, he keeps it hidden, seeking substitute lovers for role-playing games. How exhausting."

Fu Xingshu froze in place, not blinking.

The rest of the Gu family felt as if struck by lightning, and the curious Luo family servants struggled to maintain their facade of "just working, hearing nothing."

Gu Liuyun was sitting next to Fu Xingshu. Realizing the situation, he quickly jumped up, distancing himself three meters away: "Damn! Is this real! Disgusting!"

Fu Xingshu's expression darkened further.

Luo Qianjian chuckled softly, ready to continue without sparing anyone, moving on to Fifth Miss's story.

At that moment, Gu Xingyun spoke up, consoling Fu Xingshu like an older brother: "Xingshu, Liuyun will no longer be part of the Gu family soon. When that happens, you'll have neither familial nor legal ties to him. He'll also lose his family's backing. You can then take what you want by force."

Fu Xingshu was lost in thought.

Gu Liuyun widened his eyes. "Gu Xingyun, are you insane?! Fu Xingshu, what the hell is that look on your face? Damn it!"

Luo Qianjian couldn't help but chuckle. "Your family is truly entertaining."

Gu Jingcheng and Fu Wan, exhausted both physically and mentally, didn't find it amusing at all.

"Right, we should talk about Fifth Miss Gu now," Luo Qianjian said, looking at Gu Chaoyun with unwavering focus.

Gu Chaoyun gritted her teeth and decided to beat him to the punch. "I'm fine. I just enjoy pretending to be love-struck to deceive a few men who already have ill intentions. I groom them into hopeless romantics before dumping them. It's like ridding society of pests!"

Luo Qianjian nodded. "True, but haven't you recently set your sights on your uncle, who shares no blood relation with you—Uncle Fu Liu, Aunt Fu's brother?"

Silence fell over the room once again.

Born into the Fu family, Fu Wan had an adoring older brother, Fu Liu, who had been the head of the Fu household for years. In his youth, Fu Liu had married, but he became a widower shortly after. He hadn't remarried or had children since, and although he maintained his appearance well, he was fifty-five years old—no longer young.

Previously, as Gu Jingcheng's illegitimate daughter, Gu Chaoyun called Fu Wan 'Mom,' which made Fu Liu her uncle...

"Oh my god," Fu Wan groaned, feeling a headache coming on.

Gu Jingcheng was incredulous. "Chaoyun? You... Is this true? How could you..."

Gu Chaoyun pursed her lips. "I... I was just thinking about it. I haven't done anything yet. Who knows how Luo Qianjian found out... I've seen too many scoundrels, and suddenly someone like Uncle Fu Liu, who cherishes the memory of his late wife for so long, seems rare. I... It's better than Fourth Brother pining for Second Brother, playing some substitute role."

The others pondered this. Comparing Fourth Young Master Gu's infatuation with Second Young Master Gu to Fifth Miss Gu's interest in Uncle Fu from the Fu family...it wasn't clear who was worse off.

Gu Chaoyun grew increasingly perplexed and turned to Luo Qianjian. "But I really haven't done anything yet. I didn't deny it because you seemed quite powerful, and everything you said earlier was accurate. But how did you know?"

Luo Qianjian smiled mysteriously without answering.

Of course, he knew through the original book's plot.

In his previous life, Luo Qianjian hadn't interacted much with the Gu family, but thanks to the original series being a collection of domineering CEO literature, the Luo family's story wasn't enough. The Gu family members were also protagonists with their own "love chronicles"—except for Gu Xingyun, who was merely a minor antagonist with less screen time than even Luo Qianjian.

Given Gu Xingyun's somewhat similar situation to his own, Luo Qianjian showed him a bit more patience and "goodwill," though not much. It certainly wasn't enough to make Luo Qianjian spare Gu Xingyun at this moment.

Luo Qianjian looked at Gu Xingyun.

Gu Xingyun, whose eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, noticed his gaze and smiled nonchalantly. "My family's private lives are rather colorful. Please excuse us."

Luo Qianjian raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Gu's life doesn't seem particularly tranquil either, does it?"

The Gu family members all turned to look at Gu Xingyun with a resigned attitude, realizing he was the only one who hadn't been exposed yet. They held an odd sense of anticipation, waiting for Luo Qianjian to continue.

Gu Xingyun chuckled. "Third Young Master Luo, I'm here today simply because I was forced to accompany my family as guests. I didn't come with any intention of arranging a marriage with you. Why don't you let me off the hook?"

"Coming to my home to watch my spectacle? Then Mr. Gu should return the favor and let me see yours," Luo Qianjian said calmly, turning to the other members of the Gu family. "The blindness of your eldest son must have caused you great pain. But actually, his eyes can still be saved. If you pay enough, I'll show you what a medical miracle looks like—a skilled hand restoring sight."

Gu Xingyun was silent.

He was indeed surprised.

Earlier, when Luo Qianjian had recited details about the other Gu family members, it seemed impressive, but Gu Xingyun knew how well he kept his own secrets. So, he hadn't given it much thought.

Now, however, Luo Qianjian's meaning was clear—he knew Gu Xingyun was faking his blindness.

Recalling their previous encounters, Gu Xingyun realized that if Luo Qianjian had known about his pretense back then, his behavior would have made more sense.

Although unsure of the source of Luo Qianjian's information or why he was revealing it so easily now, Gu Xingyun felt intrigued rather than wary or troubled.

The Gu family members looked back and forth between Gu Xingyun and Luo Qianjian, uncertain and suspicious.

According to Luo Qianjian's words, it seemed that Gu Xingyun's eyes could be easily treated, and he was choosing not to do so—but despite understanding this implication, the Gu family still struggled to believe it.

After all, it made no sense. What benefit did Gu Xingyun gain from pretending to be blind?

"What do you mean...about Xingyun's eyes?" Fu Wan asked.

Luo Qianjian replied calmly, "That depends on how much money Aunt Fu is willing to spend to treat your eldest son."

Gu Xingyun smiled and interjected, "Third Young Master Luo, I'll pay double. Don't bother curing me. I prefer to remain blind."