Pretending To Be Affectionate [Transmigration] - Chapter 58

Gu Xiu was the quintessential third-generation heiress. Even the diamonds set into the oversized studs in her ears were limited-edition blue diamonds newly released in Country M.

It was almost noon, and the sun was blazing overhead. When Ling Yu looked up, Gu Xiu’s ears resembled light bulbs capable of glowing on their own.

Ling Yu didn’t know what to say.

Everything else about Gu Xiu was relatively normal. Her only peculiarity was her passion for performance art. For instance, even in this sweltering heat, she could parade through the streets in leather trousers and a sweatshirt.

Ling Yu pulled the brim of her sun hat lower.

Glancing tactfully at the sun directly above the convertible, she asked, “Aren’t you hot?”

Gu Xiu instinctively reached for the button that raised the roof. But when she turned and saw that Ling Yu hadn’t fastened her seat belt properly, she leaned over naturally.

“There’s a traffic light as soon as we leave the complex, and it has cameras. I’ll fasten your seat belt first.”

Clearly harboring ulterior motives, Gu Xiu brought her face closer and closer. Her yellow-and-green dyed hair reflected a flamboyantly alternative array of colors beneath the sunlight.

Every time Ling Yu saw that multicolored hair, she became distracted for a moment.

She imagined that Gu Xiu must have come from an extraordinarily liberal family.

Otherwise, they could never have accepted her open-minded French notions of romance.

After being distracted for one second, Ling Yu promptly refused.

“I’ll do it myself…”

She quickly raised her hand, but before her rejecting gesture could fully form, someone else beat her to it.

A person had appeared beside the driver’s door without either of them noticing.

Ling Yu looked up and met her gaze.

Gu Qing lowered her eyes, thick lashes half-veiling them.

The sunlight was too intense, so Ling Yu could only see the woman stare at her without blinking for a moment.

Gu Qing’s pale lips pressed together. Without lessening the strength of her grip, she seized Gu Xiu by the collar, lifted her like a chick, and mercilessly tossed her back into the driver’s seat.

Her movement was as casual as throwing away a piece of garbage.

Ling Yu paused and was about to speak when the assaulted Gu Xiu raised her head first.

Furious, she glared outside the car, the curse already leaving her mouth.

“Who the fuck are you? How dare you grab your grand—Grand…”

Gu Xiu abruptly fell silent.

The final word lodged in her throat.

She blinked and looked once more at the woman standing beside the door.

After confirming that her eyes hadn’t deceived her, she swallowed. The word grandmother vanished completely into her stomach.

She forcibly suppressed the humiliated anger in her eyes.

“Sister?”

Gu Xiu opened the car door.

Ling Yu was shocked to see her alternative roommate—someone who regarded rules as worthless nonsense—stand politely before Gu Qing.

She respectfully called out again.

“Eldest Sister, why are you here?”

Gu Qing held her phone and casually spared Gu Xiu a glance before pointing behind herself with one slender finger.

Fang Jia lowered the car window and waved at Gu Xiu.

Raising her voice, she called, “Xiu’er, my woman is sitting in your car. Take good care of her for me, understand?”

Before Gu Xiu could turn around and confirm the enormous amount of information contained in Fang Jia’s words with Ling Yu, she saw Gu Qing’s face turn even colder.

Although Old Master Gu had yet to announce Gu Qing’s identity publicly, everyone in the Gu family knew that his biological granddaughter had returned.

Who would eventually inherit the Gu family fortune remained unknown.

Gu Xiu didn’t care about that. Her father and brother would concern themselves with such matters; she only needed to enjoy herself.

Nevertheless, she still felt wary around Gu Qing.

This cousin, who was around her age, had encountered the deliberate show of dominance Gu Xiu and her mother arranged during their first meeting last year. With only a few carefully chosen words, Gu Qing had effortlessly turned the situation around and caused Gu Bingkang to confine Gu Xiu at home for ten whole days.

Sensing Gu Qing’s bad mood, Gu Xiu didn’t dare confront her directly.

“Sister Fang knows Xiao Yu?” Gu Xiu asked, searching for something to say.

As though only now noticing Ling Yu standing nearby, Gu Qing ended her call and glanced at her.

Gu Xiu introduced them awkwardly.

“Xiao Yu was my roommate during my two years abroad.”

The explanation only made matters worse.

Gu Qing immediately remembered the accidental voice call Ling Yu had once sent Q.

So the roommate who constantly flirted with Ling Yu and demanded physical affection at every opportunity was this little bastard!

Gu Qing raised her eyelids and gave Gu Xiu a calm smile.

“Does your father know you have such an excessively intimate relationship with your roommate?”

Gu Xiu made a vague sound, looking guilty.

Gu Qing had clearly noticed that she had almost kissed Ling Yu just now. If her father discovered such outrageous behavior, he might beat her to death.

Gu Xiu pretended not to understand.

“What?”

“Why are you pretending in front of me?”

Gu Qing’s meaningful gaze swept around Ling Yu before settling on Gu Xiu.

Lowering her voice so that only the two of them could hear, she warned, “If you’re merely playing around and don’t cross any lines, I won’t interfere. But if you harass her…”

She paused.

“You understand the consequences better than I do.”

Every circle had its own rules.

The Gu family, for example, maintained extremely strict traditions.

Coming out was no longer uncommon, and the country’s marriage law was expected to legalize same-sex marriage soon.

But coming out within the Gu family was nearly impossible.

One either needed the strength to do it—becoming so powerful that one required no marriage alliance and could independently provide indispensable value to the family—or one had no choice but to accept the arrangements made by the elders.

Gu Xiu belonged to the latter category.

Old Master Gu’s biological granddaughter was still alive, so his direct bloodline had not ended.

Gu Xiu’s father and uncles were merely the old man’s nephews. With that additional degree of separation, it remained uncertain who would ultimately control the Gu family.

To strengthen the position of the family’s second branch, Gu Xiu’s marriage alliance was practically inevitable.

Gu Qing’s warning wasn’t wrong, but it still provoked Gu Xiu’s temper.

Before Gu Qing appeared in Gangcheng, Gu Xiu had stood at the pinnacle of the second-generation social circle—not this pitiful woman who had grown up outside the family.

Moreover, even with Old Master Gu’s support, Gu Qing couldn’t change the fact that Gu Xiu’s father had accumulated enough shares over the years to establish himself firmly among the company’s senior management.

Gu Xiu stared at Gu Qing’s excessively straight, white teeth and was about to respond when Ling Yu spoke lazily from the passenger seat.

“Are we leaving or not?”

The question was directed at Gu Xiu, but Ling Yu’s eyes remained fixed on Gu Qing.

Probably bored beyond endurance, she yawned involuntarily. Her fox eyes quickly filled with rich, glistening moisture.

To Gu Qing, she resembled a fox waving its paws, dragging its long tail behind it while glaring at her with restrained irritation.

After meeting those bewitching eyes for three full seconds, Gu Qing looked away first.

She glanced at the blazing sun overhead and said, “You should know your own limits.”

Gu Qing’s voice was clear and cool, not the deep, commanding voice of an older woman. It was pure as the chiming of a spring.

Yet if one listened carefully, a faint hoarseness threaded through it, adding an inexplicable trace of mature femininity.

It naturally compelled others to follow her rhythm.

She didn’t specify a subject, so neither Ling Yu nor Gu Xiu knew which of them the warning was meant for.

Before either could respond, Gu Qing turned and walked away without hesitation.

Ling Yu was utterly speechless.

The moment Gu Qing turned, Ling Yu had clearly seen her raise her chin in warning.

What exactly was she warning Ling Yu about?

Was she worried Ling Yu would seduce her younger cousin just to get close to her?

Ling Yu’s expression went blank.

She was too speechless for words.

Taking a fruit candy from her pocket, she unwrapped it, tossed it into her mouth, and crunched it loudly between her teeth.

Hearing the crisp crack of candy being crushed behind her, Gu Qing’s steps paused.

Then she continued walking away with conspicuous stiffness.

Fang Jia had driven quite far before realizing Gu Qing had fallen silent.

She glanced at her when traffic allowed.

Gu Qing had opened a search page and was typing a question.

Because traffic ahead was congested, Fang Jia managed only a brief glance.

“No way. If even you encounter a problem, it must be something enormous. What use could asking strangers online possibly be?”

Fang Jia wasn’t trying to exaggerate Gu Qing’s abilities.

Gu Qing simply possessed an exceptionally high IQ. She could glance at knowledge from any field, memorize it, and then integrate it into a broader understanding.

Had the first half of her life not been so tragically miserable, Fang Jia could have declared without hesitation that Gu Qing was born with the destiny of a female lead.

She possessed the absurdly high intelligence found only in novels—a perfect golden finger.

So why was Gu Qing searching for answers online?

Ridiculous.

Determined to discover what she was asking, Fang Jia turned for another look while traffic remained still.

Gu Qing immediately put away her phone.

She clearly didn’t want Fang Jia to know.

Fang Jia clicked her tongue.

“Something’s wrong with you, Xiao Qing. You’re usually not this distracted.”

The distracted Gu Qing raised her eyes and pointed toward a vehicle overtaking them from behind.

“Three seconds. If you don’t turn the wheel, the vehicle approaching from the right rear will overtake you and cause a collision.”

Before Gu Qing finished, Fang Jia sharply turned the steering wheel and narrowly avoided the accident.

She turned and gave Gu Qing a thumbs-up.

After that interruption, Aunt Fang lost all desire to compare her own multitasking abilities with the younger woman’s.

She accelerated onto the elevated highway.

Still uneasy about Ling Yu leaving with Gu Xiu, Fang Jia muttered, “Do you think Gu Xiu is reliable? She’s taking Yu Yu to view apartments. What if it takes until evening? With that shameless personality of hers, what if she stays overnight?”

Gu Qing narrowed her eyes without revealing anything and continued reading the responses beneath her online question.

Question: My wife constantly misunderstands my actions and thinks I want to hit her. What should I do?

First floor: Explain it clearly.

Second floor: So the original poster really does have violent tendencies.

Third floor: Disgusting man, get out.

Fourth floor: How much of a scumbag are you to ask something like this on a forum?

Fifth floor: Agreed. Reported.

…

108th floor: Why has everyone above gone off topic? Looking at the actual issue—if the original poster doesn’t intend domestic violence, then being misunderstood probably means you’re bad at expressing yourself. If my guess is correct, I do have a solution. Since you can’t explain it clearly, show her instead. Whenever she misunderstands you, kiss her. Kiss her until she tries to curse you out, then keep kissing until her protests fall apart and she can no longer scold you—until all she can do is relax and moan comfortably.

Gu Qing’s gaze remained fixed on phrases like fall apart and moan comfortably.

One minute later, the corner of her lips slowly lifted.

Turning toward Fang Jia, she said, “Sister Fang, I remember you used to watch…”

“What?” Fang Jia asked.

Wearing her noble, icy expression, Gu Qing moved her lips and said, “Porn.”

Fang Jia became even more confused.

“What does that mean?”

“Explicit videos.”

Fang Jia’s hand jerked, and the rear of the car nearly swerved into the vehicle behind them.

“You’re Gu Qing?”

The sexually incompetent Gu Qing wanted to watch porn?

She looked worriedly at Gu Qing.

“Do you have a fever?”

In other words: Had the fever cooked her brain?

Gu Qing: “…”

Gu Xiu received a phone call midway through the drive. Apparently, her granduncle had unexpectedly organized a family gathering.

Her father demanded that she return immediately.

After dropping Ling Yu at her destination, Gu Xiu hurriedly apologized and rushed away.

The residential complex Q recommended was only a ten-minute drive from the University of Gangcheng. On foot, it would take around twenty minutes.

The surrounding landscaping was excellent. The neighborhood was quiet, and the buildings had a low residential density.

Each floor had two elevators serving three units. The apartment faced south and measured approximately 130 square meters, including shared areas.

It was somewhat large for Ling Yu to occupy alone, but she didn’t care about the additional rent.

With so much space, she could convert one secondary bedroom into a study and another into a gym.

The development had been completed less than two years ago, so the apartment was practically new.

Ling Yu even considered buying it outright and tentatively asked the property agent.

The agent responded with an exceptionally courteous smile.

“Miss, I’m afraid I can’t help you with that. You’re quite fortunate. Apartments in Xiujing are generally unavailable even to those who can afford them, and they’re almost never offered for rent.”

“If you’re genuinely interested in buying, the owner has another property next door. If you encounter the owner in the future, you may ask her personally.”

Ling Yu acknowledged this and carefully inspected the apartment once more.

It was extremely clean, with minimalist décor dominated by cool tones.

The owner probably favored white, as every decorative element used it as a foundation, creating an exceptionally austere and detached atmosphere.

Since Ling Yu intended to stay for a considerable period, she thought she ought to purchase a few decorations to brighten the place.

Having decided this, she signed the rental contract with the agent.

When owners entrusted apartments to agencies, they generally didn’t appear in person, so Ling Yu thought nothing of their absence.

After signing the agreement and receiving the keys and access card, Ling Yu was finally settled.

She was cleaning her new apartment that afternoon when Ling Taiguo called.

“Yu Yu, prepare yourself. This afternoon, you’ll meet your Fifth Uncle…”

Ling Taiguo paused, apparently afraid she might object, then corrected himself.

“The Fifth Young Master I mentioned previously. You’ll meet him and accompany him to a family dinner.”

The assignment had arrived.

This “Fifth Uncle” was probably the man Ling Taiguo had selected for her.

According to what she had heard, he was around fifty, widowed in middle age, and surrounded by mistresses.

He wasn’t even a self-made nouveau riche, but a second-generation heir who lived off his family.

As for the specific family he came from, Old Master Xu had mentioned it once, but Ling Yu had been watering his flowers and hadn’t remembered.

Since the relationship would never develop, the man was irrelevant.

Ling Yu narrowed her eyes and casually agreed.

“All right. What time, and where?”

To put it nicely, Ling Taiguo was arranging a marriage alliance.

To speak frankly, he was selling his daughter.

Ling Yu subtly asked about this Fifth Uncle’s preferences.

Ling Taiguo answered with remarkable patience. He clearly valued this prospective son-in-law.

After listing numerous precautions, he sent Ling Yu a candid photograph of Luo Xing attending an event. His meaning was obvious: he wanted Ling Yu to copy Luo Xing’s makeup and styling.

But Ling Taiguo clearly didn’t understand that celebrities generally wore heavier makeup when appearing on camera or attending events.

Heavy makeup photographed better and made their features appear more defined.

At a real family dinner or evening banquet, however, such heavy makeup would look unattractive and might conceal a woman’s naturally beautiful features.

Ling Yu stared at the photograph for two seconds before dutifully agreeing.

After she finished cleaning that afternoon, only an hour remained before her meeting with Fifth Uncle Gu.

They hadn’t even met, yet he was already bringing her to a family dinner. Clearly, the man was desperate to marry.

Ling Yu sat before the vanity and smiled lazily at her reflection.

The beauty in the mirror returned an enchanting, delightful smile.

Ling Yu rarely wore makeup. Her features were already excellent, particularly the naturally seductive quality between her eyes and nose.

With even minimal enhancement, her entire face became irresistibly radiant and alluring.

When she smiled, she truly deserved the title of a fox that attracted endless romantic attention.

To avoid trouble, Ling Yu had spent the past several years wearing glasses whenever possible. The frames weakened the bewitching aura she naturally exuded.

But she couldn’t dress that way tonight.

Ling Taiguo had even sent her a reference photograph. If she openly defied him, she would only alert him prematurely.

Ling Yu looked at Luo Xing’s heavily contoured makeup and smiled with interest.

Then she opened her collection of bottles and jars and began applying makeup.

First, she applied approximately six layers of base makeup. Her naturally flawless skin disappeared completely.

Her face now resembled a sheet of pale dough beneath a rolling pin.

That still wasn’t enough.

Ling Yu picked up an eyeliner pencil and gave herself panda eyes. She dusted loose powder over the T-zone of her naturally beautiful nose, then proceeded to poison her lips.

She applied a dark gray base and added a touch of bloodred.

The initial makeup look was finally complete.

Afterward, Ling Yu deliberately took a selfie and sent it to Ling Taiguo.

[Dad, is this appearance appropriate?]

Ling Taiguo replied:

[Remember, great families have many rules. Once you arrive, speak as little as possible.]

Ling Yu smiled.

[Understood.]

Yu Xin had prepared the gown for her in Jiangcheng.

It was a pink, off-the-shoulder floral dress with a fitted waist. Its design emphasized feminine curves and the sweetness of a young woman.

Unfortunately, Ling Yu wore dark, excessively heavy makeup today.

Paired with that pink dress, it made her appear remarkably old-fashioned.

Her natural beauty prevented her from becoming genuinely ugly, but at first glance, she looked vulgar and frivolous.

Ling Yu still wasn’t entirely satisfied.

After rummaging through her belongings, she hung one of the original Ling Yu’s former collectibles around her elegant neck—a thick gold chain.

She placed rings on her slender fingers.

The enormous diamond was the most dazzling variety available.

Once she finished, the Ling Yu in the mirror had transformed into a gleaming, ambulatory gold coin.

At last, she was satisfied.

She undid her bun and used a hair dryer to create a voluminous, explosive hairstyle.

At that moment, her prospective match—Fifth Uncle—called.

Ling Yu leisurely sipped warm water before answering.

A middle-aged man’s voice came through the phone. He explained that his vehicle wasn’t being permitted into the residential complex.

He sounded angry.

Through the receiver, Ling Yu heard him arguing with the security guard.

“Do you fucking know who I am? How dare you speak to me like that?”

Just before ending the call, Ling Yu heard the approximately fifty-year-old man issue the threat.

His voice sounded flippant and vicious, like a delinquent looking for trouble.

Ling Yu narrowed her eyes.

She had already acquired a deeper understanding of this Fifth Uncle.

Carrying her handbag, she spent five minutes walking to the entrance.

A limited-edition SUV stood outside. Its enormous body was blocking the residential entrance.

The owner was a middle-aged man around fifty, of average build and unremarkable height. With Ling Yu wearing heels, he was actually shorter than she was.

He wore a black suit with white socks visible beneath his trouser cuffs.

As he confronted the security guard, flecks of white spittle flew from the corners of his mouth.

Ling Yu identified him almost immediately.

This was the strikingly handsome marriage prospect Ling Taiguo had found for her.

She abruptly laughed, then adopted an equally greasy smile and approached.

“Oh my!”

Her voice arrived before she did.

“Why are you arguing? I’m standing outside, and it’s so terribly hot! Uncle, are you finished yet?”

Gu Bingtao turned toward her.

The anger hadn’t yet faded from his face as he stared at Ling Yu.

“Who are you?”

Wearing her thick makeup, Ling Yu took another two steps forward.

Gu Bingtao instinctively retreated.

Seeing this, Ling Yu’s smile widened.

She exclaimed, “Hello, handsome Uncle! I’m Ling Yu. It’s our first meeting, and you’re much more handsome than I imagined!”

Gu Bingtao’s greasy belly trembled involuntarily.

He hadn’t been called handsome since turning thirty.

And now, this young woman dressed like an alternative delinquent was batting her heavily painted panda eyes at him.

After decades of chasing women, Gu Bingtao experienced a trace of kidney deficiency for the first time.

He completely forgot his intention to have the security guard dismissed and stared at Ling Yu in disbelief.

“You’re Ling Yu? But the photograph your father gave me looked nothing like this.”

As Gu Bingtao spoke, he instinctively reached for his phone.

Ling Yu reacted even faster. Understanding him perfectly, she opened the photo album on her own phone and displayed it before him.

“You mean this one?”

She batted her eyes again.

Of course, it could no longer be described as flirtatious. Her panda-eye makeup was too heavy. Whenever she smiled, she looked as though she were glaring.

Gu Bingtao felt every hair on his body stand upright.

He instinctively wiped away his sweat as a sense of danger surged through him, as though someone were about to beat him.

Yet on closer inspection, the young woman appeared utterly harmless.

Her lips curved upward, and so did her panda eyes.

Had he encountered a ghost in broad daylight?

Gu Bingtao shuddered before glancing at Ling Yu’s phone screen from a considerable distance.

Good heavens.

Every smile and frown of the woman in the photograph bewitched the heart like a fox spirit.

She bore no resemblance whatsoever to the young woman standing before him.

Anger surged through Gu Bingtao.

But remembering his third brother’s plan, he suppressed it. For the moment, he truly couldn’t find a more suitable woman to marry.

“Why is there such an enormous difference between your photograph and your actual appearance?”

Ling Yu rubbed her hands together, her lips forming the mysteriously confident smile of a delinquent.

She carefully recalled Gu Xiu’s clingy manner and produced an unbearably saccharine smile.

“Oh, Uncle, you simply don’t understand. Girls always edit the photographs they post. The difference isn’t that large, is it? Personally, I think I’m much prettier in real life.”

Ling Yu raised her brows.

“Don’t you agree?”

Gu Bingtao: “…”

Ling Yu’s astonishing entrance proved highly effective, completely shattering Gu Bingtao’s standards of beauty and his worldview.

The greasy middle-aged man couldn’t even be bothered to pretend courtesy. He ordered her directly into the back seat.

To Ling Yu’s surprise, despite being deceived by the photograph and reaching the peak of his fury, the greasy uncle still intended to bring her to the family dinner.

Absolutely remarkable.

Ling Yu settled comfortably into the back seat of the SUV.

Smiling, she attempted to extract information.

“Uncle, why do you look unhappy?”

It was equivalent to rubbing salt into his wound.

Gu Bingtao became even angrier, nearly choking on a mouthful of old blood.

Afraid he might slap the alternative delinquent out of the vehicle, he coughed and refused to answer.

With a stern expression, he said, “Stop calling me Uncle. Your father should have told you that we’re considering a marriage alliance.”

Ling Yu lowered her eyes innocently, sounding dejected.

“But you don’t appear willing. A melon twisted from the vine by force won’t be sweet…”

Seeing genuine unease across her features, Gu Bingtao softened his tone.

“Let me explain it this way. I need to marry immediately, and I require a wife. Our marriage may not last very long. Naturally, while the alliance remains in effect, I won’t mistreat your family. Do you understand?”

“No.”

Ling Yu blinked her large eyes and cupped her face, sweeping Gu Bingtao with her enormous black panda eyes.

“Uncle, if you don’t like me, why marry me? What I want is love.”

Gu Bingtao’s heart trembled.

Watching Ling Yu’s infatuated glance, he experienced skin-crawling terror for the first time in his life.

He was already fifty, and this was the first young woman who had ever wanted to pursue love with him.

Gu Bingtao was so frightened that his expression collapsed.

“Young lady, do you know how old I am?”

Ling Yu smiled perversely.

Playing with the thick gold chain hanging around her neck, she gave another inhuman smile.

“Of course. Fifty is actually slightly too young. If you were sixty, it would be even more fun.”

As she spoke, she continued fiddling with the chain, producing metallic creaks inside the car.

Gu Bingtao’s fingers trembled around the steering wheel.

The SUV nearly struck the roadside barrier.

His heart had suffered an enormous fright.

The sun was setting as the vehicle entered a mountain road, and darkness surrounded them.

Gu Bingtao inexplicably felt as though he were about to suffer a heart attack.

That bastard Ling Taiguo had released his perverted daughter into the world and expected Gu Bingtao to take her as his wife?

His face turned dark purple with fury.

The next instant, Ling Yu suddenly initiated a video call.

“What are you doing?”

Gu Bingtao’s lips trembled as he confronted the perverted delinquent in the back seat.

It was pitch-black outside. Ling Yu tilted her head, the faint glow from her phone illuminating her face.

With the dramatic lighting, she appeared even more terrifying.

Ling Yu gave Gu Bingtao a theatrically affected smile.

“Bingtao, I’m answering my father’s video call. I’m only a young girl, after all. It’s so dark out here, and I’m frightened…”

Gu Bingtao: “…”

He… he was far more frightened.

Ling Yu was nearly dying from laughter.

But tonight, she was playing a perverted delinquent and couldn’t laugh normally. Instead, she rasped out two sinister cackles.

During those few seconds of delay, Ling Taiguo accepted the video call.

“Dad, I’m on my way to Bingtao’s home.”

…

“Everything’s excellent.”

…

“I’m extremely satisfied.”

…

Ling Taiguo laughed happily on the other end.

“President Gu, my daughter will be relying on your care from now on.”

Gu Bingtao suffered in silence.

As soon as he finished dealing with Old Master Gu and his third brother tonight, he would throw this alternative delinquent aside.

A contractual marriage with such a pervert would never be safe.

After Ling Yu ended the call, her work impersonating a lunatic was nearly complete.

At the very least, she felt certain that this Fifth Uncle would never continue negotiating a marriage alliance with the Ling family.

She was probably only accompanying him through the motions tonight.

Family dinners in great wealthy clans were generally performances anyway.

Having finished tormenting the uncle, Ling Yu was in an excellent mood. She crossed her legs and reclined comfortably in the back seat.

Casually, she called, “Bingtao…”

Gu Bingtao dug his nails into his fingers to maintain his outward composure.

Keeping the steering wheel steady, he interrupted her.

“Call me Fifth Uncle Gu.”

Ling Yu suppressed her laughter and pretended to make a disappointed sound.

“Wouldn’t that be inappropriate?”

“There’s nothing inappropriate about it. I’m twenty-six years older than you. Even my nieces are older than you.”

For once, he had spoken honestly.

Ling Yu lazily acknowledged him before asking dejectedly, “Then, Uncle, what is your family like? You’re bringing me there tonight—are there any rules I need to follow? Does our dad—ah, no! Does the elder of the family have any particular taboos concerning his future daughter-in-law?”

The alternative delinquent asked question after question, every one centered upon marriage.

Her perverted expression communicated her absolute determination to obtain him.

Fifth Uncle Gu’s liver trembled.

Discomfort surged through his entire body.

He glanced at the darkness outside and, for a moment, felt that his virtue in old age was in grave danger.

After spending his life playing with women, he had finally encountered a perverted woman who frightened him into silence.

Gu Bingtao pulled down the corners of his mouth, then remembered his third brother’s plan.

He obviously wouldn’t marry the woman behind him. But by pretending he intended to marry tonight, he might extract some shares from the old man.

With that calculation in mind, Gu Bingtao adjusted his expression and briefly explained his family circumstances to Ling Yu.

It took Ling Yu three seconds to summarize them.

Like every other great wealthy clan, the greasy uncle’s family contained numerous factions.

The only difference was that the family patriarch was the biological eldest uncle of Gu Bingtao’s generation.

The patriarch’s only son and daughter-in-law had died more than twenty years ago while searching for their missing daughter.

Having lost his son late in life, Gu Bingtao’s eldest uncle began supporting his nephews instead.

Gu Bingtao had several older brothers.

His second brother pursued an academic career, while his third brother followed the family patriarch into business.

His fourth brother had died several years ago.

Gu Bingtao himself was the most useless one. Despite his age, he had no respectable occupation and survived entirely on the benefits provided by his brothers.

This time, he probably intended to use marriage and establishing a family as an excuse to beg his eldest uncle—the head of the Gu family—for a position.

“Once we arrive, you don’t need to speak,” Gu Bingtao instructed.

He had little hope for Ling Yu.

Although the woman behind him didn’t remotely conform to the Gu family’s standards for a daughter-in-law, Gu Bingtao had always been an unruly scoundrel.

Besides, he only needed to fool everyone tonight. He could replace her after finding someone more suitable.

As long as Ling Yu didn’t anger the old man, Gu Bingtao trusted his third brother to smooth over everything else.

“Sit there quietly,” Gu Bingtao repeatedly instructed. “Can you behave like a decorative vase?”

Ling Yu acknowledged him and lowered her eyes in feigned disappointment.

“Our family has many rules and maintains strict traditions. But you don’t need to worry too much. My eldest uncle is Asia’s richest man. He naturally won’t lower himself to quarrel with an alternative delin—young person like you.”

Ling Yu’s fingers froze.

She abruptly looked up.

“Uncle, who is your eldest uncle?”

“Gu Qinglang, Asia’s richest man. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of him?”

Gu Bingtao drove into a villa district before abruptly adding, “We’re here.”

Ling Yu’s face stiffened.

She looked at the brightly illuminated villa ahead, and for a moment, her legs instinctively drew backward.

Asia’s richest man?

Good heavens—and his surname was Gu!

Regret flashed through Ling Yu’s eyes.

She had been so preoccupied with tormenting the man and amusing herself that her intelligence had dropped low enough for her to overlook such an obvious coincidence.

In the novel, Gu Qing’s biological grandfather seemed to have that exact name.

Which meant she was currently heading to Gu Qing’s home to “accidentally” encounter that fierce woman yet again.

Absolutely incredible.