That day, the courtyard of Gu Yueshan and Yi Wei’s house was decorated with red lanterns, both inside and outside. After returning home, the first thing they did was check on their baby.
The child was already asleep, so Yi Wei sat beside the crib, gently touched the baby’s face, and planted a kiss on his little cheek before getting up to go back to the bedroom with Gu Yueshan.
Gu Yueshan held Yi Wei’s hand as they sat on the edge of the bed. “Tired from today?” he asked.
“Not too bad,” Yi Wei replied, looking up at the sea of red lanterns. “The whole room is so red that it’s making me a bit dizzy. Or maybe it’s just because I drank too much while toasting.”
“Then you should get some rest early,” Gu Yueshan suggested, pulling Yi Wei into his embrace.
Instead, Yi Wei playfully pushed Gu Yueshan down and lay on top of him. “But it’s our wedding night; I don’t want to sleep too early.”
“Alright,” Gu Yueshan said, wrapping his arms around Yi Wei’s waist.
…
The next morning, Yi Wei woke up and tried to get out of bed, supporting his sore waist, but Gu Yueshan gently pulled him back into his arms.
“You said you’d let me sleep early,” Yi Wei complained. “You say the right things, but you always act like a hooligan when it comes down to it. I told you I wanted to sleep, but you didn’t let me.”
“I did warn you, once I start, it’s hard for me to stop,” Gu Yueshan replied, still with his usual serious expression.
“You… you…” Yi Wei’s face flushed red as memories from the previous night flooded back, leaving him unable to finish his sentence.
“You look so beautiful,” Gu Yueshan remarked, his gaze filled with admiration.
Yi Wei lowered his head, cuddling closer into Gu Yueshan’s arms.
The two lingered in each other’s company for a long time before finally getting up to wash and have breakfast.
Even though Yi Wei and Gu Yueshan had been married for a while, since they had just held their wedding ceremony the day before, today was considered the first day of their newlywed life. Yi Wei had received many gifts and red envelopes, and today, they needed to visit the elders to return the courtesy and formally acknowledge their relationship as family. Gu Yueshan would accompany him.
The first stop was, of course, Ye Feng’s residence. They presented their return gifts, stayed for a cup of tea, and then left.
Their second stop was Xu Hua’s residence. Knowing Gu Yueshan would also be coming, Jiang Shuqin, Gu Heng, and even Yi Xuan were there, waiting.
After offering the gifts, Yi Wei sat down across from Jiang Shuqin and smiled. “I personally selected a few gifts for Second Aunt, Sister-in-law, Gu Heng, and Yi Xuan. I hope you like them.”
“You’re very considerate,” Xu Hua replied coldly.
“It’s my duty,” Yi Wei responded, turning to Gu Heng and Yi Xuan. “Open them and see if you like them. If you’re not satisfied, I can prepare something else.”
At first, Gu Heng and Yi Xuan hesitated, but after a light cough from Xu Hua, they opened the gift boxes and glanced inside.
Feeling Gu Yueshan’s gaze on him, Gu Heng quickly said, “I like the gift very much, thank you, Fourth Aunt.”
“Thank you… Fourth Aunt,” Yi Xuan echoed softly.
“I’m glad you like them,” Yi Wei said with a smile. “Though we’ve had some disagreements in the past, it’s really not a big deal. As your elder, if I held a grudge, I’d be lacking the grace of a senior. We’re family now, so let’s get along from here on. Don’t you think?”
Gu Heng was frustrated by Yi Wei’s condescending tone, but with Gu Yueshan present, he didn’t dare show any signs of anger. “Yes, Fourth Aunt is right.”
Yi Wei then turned to Jiang Shuqin. “Sister-in-law, you’ve worked hard all these years, taking care of Second Aunt and Gu Heng. When Gu Heng and Yi Xuan get married in a year or two, I’ll be more familiar with managing the family’s affairs. By then, if there’s anything I can help with, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Jiang Shuqin felt her chest tighten at Yi Wei’s repeated “Sister-in-law” and his words only made her feel worse, but she forced herself to remain composed. “Gu Heng and Yi Xuan are still young. There’s no rush for them to get married.”
“I’d heard they were planning to marry right after graduation. Are you thinking of delaying the wedding?” Yi Wei asked, feigning confusion. “Why is that?”
“No particular reason,” Jiang Shuqin replied. “They’re still young and need more time to nurture and strengthen their relationship. Both of them are ambitious and won’t feel ready to marry until they’ve achieved something in their careers.”
“They’ve grown up together and have a strong foundation. Do they really need more time to nurture their feelings?” Yi Wei smiled at Jiang Shuqin. “And there’s something to be said for the traditional wisdom of marrying first and then focusing on your career. Since they already have a foundation, wouldn’t it be better for them to marry sooner rather than later?”
“Why are you in such a hurry to see them get married?” Jiang Shuqin’s tone grew tense.
“No need to be upset, Sister-in-law. I don’t mean anything by it. I just thought it would fulfill your long-held wish to see them wed. Plus, wouldn’t it be a joyous occasion for Second Aunt to have a great-grandchild sooner rather than later?” Yi Wei turned to Gu Yueshan, pretending to gauge his reaction. “What do you think, dear?”
“Mm.” Gu Yueshan sipped his tea and said, “Since they’re already engaged, there’s no need to delay the wedding.”
As soon as Gu Yueshan said this, the expressions of Jiang Shuqin, Gu Heng, and Yi Xuan all changed.
“You’ve just had your wedding and your child is still so young; there’s no need to concern yourselves with Gu Heng’s wedding,” Xu Hua interjected.
“Regardless, Gu Heng is Big Brother’s only son. It’s only right for us to think of his future,” Yi Wei said, smiling at Xu Hua.
Xu Hua shot a cold look at Yi Wei before turning to Gu Yueshan. “You’ve finally gotten married and had your own child after all these years. You picked him yourself, so I trust you’re satisfied. But from now on, you’d better be mindful of those women outside. If it’s just a casual fling, that’s one thing. But don’t let anything happen that would disgrace the Gu family.”
Xu Hua’s words were a deliberate attempt to test Gu Yueshan.
After a brief silence, Gu Yueshan replied, “Second Aunt, don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
“That woman in the Linjiang mansion—you should deal with her soon,” Xu Hua pushed further.
“No need to rush, Second Aunt,” Yi Wei said with a smile. “Gu Yueshan said he would have her leave, but I didn’t agree. For now, she can stay. She won’t be around much longer anyway. Right now, I’m busy with school and caring for the baby, so having someone to share the burden isn’t a bad thing. Once I graduate and the child is older, she’ll go. Isn’t that right, husband?”
“Mm,” Gu Yueshan nodded, playing along.
Xu Hua and Jiang Shuqin were once again shocked. Xu Hua, in particular, had never encountered someone like Yi Wei and couldn’t read his true intentions.
Yi Wei struggled to suppress his laughter, seeing their confused expressions.
Gu Yueshan glanced at Yi Wei and then stood up. “It’s getting late. We still need to visit Third and Fourth Uncle. Rest well, Second Aunt. I’ll come by to see you later.”
Gu Yueshan extended a hand to Yi Wei, who took it, and the two left.
Yi Xuan watched Gu Yueshan’s retreating figure. His long-time unrequited love for this man hadn’t faded; in fact, it had deepened. He couldn’t understand why Gu Yueshan, who had a violent streak, was always so gentle with Yi Wei.
“This is outrageous!” Jiang Shuqin slammed the table in anger. “They just got married, and they’re already so eager to push us out. Their behavior is shameless, and their intentions are malicious! It’s infuriating!”
She turned to Xu Hua, her expression serious. “Mother, if you don’t find a way to suppress Yi Wei’s arrogance, Gu Heng will have no place left in the Gu family!”
Xu Hua sighed and then looked at Gu Heng. “Did you pick up on anything during that conversation?”
Gu Heng was caught off guard and, after quickly thinking it over, replied, “Grandmother was deliberately testing Fourth Uncle, trying to gauge his attitude toward the woman in the Linjiang mansion.”
Xu Hua nodded. “At least you haven’t completely inherited your mother’s lack of sense. What did you gather from your Fourth Uncle’s response?”
Gu Heng hesitated, unsure of how to answer, as he couldn’t fully decipher his uncle’s stance.
“Your Fourth Uncle clearly knew I was testing him,” Xu Hua said, giving him a clue.
Gu Heng thought hard but still couldn’t come up with an answer.
JJiang Shuqin looked at Gu Heng, and then said to Xu Hua: “Mom, how old is Gu Heng? How could he possibly see through his fourth uncle’s thoughts?”
“What about you?” Xu Hua looked at Yi Xuan and asked: “You majored in psychology. Did you see anything just now?”
Yi Xuan was taken aback. He was only thinking about his own thoughts and was not paying attention to their conversation and thinking about its meaning. He and Gu Heng looked at each other, both of them looking like unprepared students caught by a surprise exam.
Xu Hua’s expression turned icy with disappointment. “Yi Wei is in the middle of his honeymoon phase, carefully watching Gu Yueshan’s reactions and adjusting his words accordingly. And yet, here you two sit, daydreaming while he puts you on the spot. It’s time to reconsider this wedding. If it doesn’t work out, call off the engagement. There’s no point in pursuing a relationship when you can’t even keep your wits about you.”
“Grandmother!”
“Mother!”
Both Gu Heng and Jiang Shuqin exclaimed in unison.
“I agree,” Yi Xuan suddenly said.
Gu Heng spun around, shocked. “Yi Xuan, stop talking nonsense!”
“I’m not,” Yi Xuan said seriously. “Grandmother is right. This isn’t the time for us to focus solely on our relationship. We should set aside our feelings until we’ve accomplished something more substantial.”
“But we don’t need to call off the engagement!” Gu Heng protested, clearly distressed.
“Having a clear goal gives us more motivation,” Yi Xuan said, his tone firm. “And more resolve.”
“You’re finally showing some sense,” Xu Hua remarked. “So it’s decided. At least this way, you won’t be pressured into marrying anytime soon.”
Gu Heng looked between his grandmother and Yi Xuan, feeling utterly lost and panicked. How had this decision been made without him?
Jiang Shuqin was equally anxious but unsure of what to say.
…..
Meanwhile, Yi Wei followed Gu Yueshan to visit his third and fourth uncles, both of whom still lived at the Gu family estate. Their children had moved out, but the elders stayed, often accompanied by grandchildren.
They first arrived at Gu Yueshan’s third uncle’s residence. When Gu Yueshan and Yi Wei entered, everyone except for the old man stood up to greet them.
Gu Yueshan’s eldest brother was the eldest of their generation, with their third uncle’s eldest son being the third in line and their fourth uncle’s eldest son being second. Gu Yueshan ranked fourth.
After sitting down, Yi Wei and Gu Yueshan were served tea by Lin Rong, the wife of Gu Yueshan’s third brother.
“Thank you, Third Sister-in-law,” Yi Wei said politely.
“You’re welcome,” Lin Rong replied with a smile.
“How has Third Uncle’s health been lately?” Gu Yueshan asked.
“Although I’m getting old, I’m still in good health, no major ailments,” Gu Shangxin, the third uncle, said with a hearty laugh.
Gu Yueshan nodded. “As we age, health becomes the most important thing, more valuable than all the wealth in the world. Staying healthy means you’re blessed, Third Uncle.”
“That’s true,” Gu Shangxin sighed. “But even though I’m still in good shape, my energy isn’t what it used to be. I’ve been gradually stepping back from the company’s affairs. Luckily, your brothers are capable enough to help you.”
“They certainly are. Third Brother and Fifth Brother have been a great help, allowing me to worry less,” Gu Yueshan said.
“Under your leadership, the group has only grown stronger. I’ve come to realize that your grandfather had a good eye for talent and a knack for cultivating it. It’s thanks to you that the Gu family has thrived. People outside like to say we’re tearing each other apart, but they’re just hoping to see us fail. We’re family—what is there to fight over? Working together for the greater good of the Gu family is far more important, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Absolutely,” Gu Yueshan nodded in agreement, sipping his tea.
“Your nephews and cousins look up to you a great deal,” Gu Shangxin said, gesturing toward his grandchildren. “If any of them catch your eye, I’d be grateful if you could guide them.”
“Of course, Third Uncle. We’re all family; there’s no need for formalities,” Gu Yueshan replied, though he refrained from making any specific promises.
The Gu family adhered to strict rules of decorum. When the elders spoke, the younger generation sat quietly, even the most fidgety six- or seven-year-olds listening attentively without making a sound.
Yi Wei had observed them earlier and noticed that they all seemed genuinely admiring of Gu Yueshan, their gazes filled with curiosity.
The older grandchildren, especially, appeared to be composed and capable, and he had heard they were all quite talented. Yi Wei felt that Gu Heng, by comparison, lacked the same stability and competence, a disadvantage of not having a father or grandfather to guide him. However, Gu Heng did benefit from being Gu Yueshan’s only biological nephew.
After chatting for a while longer, Gu Yueshan and Yi Wei stood to leave, with the entire family seeing them off at the door.
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Calling off the engagement?! Yi Xuan what are you planning…..