Volume 1 - CH 7

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When Guo An returned home, she found both her parents there. Already filled with grievances, she fluttered her wings like a bird and threw herself into her mother's arms.

Guo An's mother, Jiang Yuan, was only in her early forties. She was originally a young lady from the Jiang family in Ningcheng. During her studies, she fell in love with Guo An's father, Guo Yuqing. After graduation, they got married as a matter of course and enjoyed a life of luxury for many years. Now, she looked like she was only in her thirties.

Compared to the withered rose in her nightmares, Jiang Yuan had jet-black hair, delicate skin, and always had a faint smile on her lips. At this moment, she was wearing casual clothes and sitting on the sofa flipping through a magazine. Occasionally, she would look up and point out the colors of the two ties her husband was choosing. Suddenly, a furry little thing appeared in her arms.

Jiang Yuan stopped talking and raised her hand to rub her daughter's hair. Her voice was gentle, "Oh, my little darling, what's wrong?"

The little furry thing in her arms didn't speak and just tightened its arms around mommy's waist.

Jiang Yuan was a bit uncomfortable from being squeezed too tightly, but when she looked up, she saw the maid Ade standing beside her, hesitating to speak. She was about to ask, but the little girl in her arms suddenly spoke up, "Don't ask Ade - Ade can't say!"

She struggled to get into Jiang Yuan's arms, her hair messy, before being lifted up by Guo Yuqing by the back of her neck.

Guo Yuqing was wearing a white shirt today, but his demeanor was different from when he was at work. His collar was loose and messy, and his face was completely relaxed. He half-warned his daughter, "If you have something to say, say it properly. What's the use of just clinging to your mother and acting cute? You've even strangled her waist."

At critical times, Guo An could also be a daddy's girl.

She kicked off her slippers and kicked her legs, "Waaah" and climbed up onto her dad, "Daddy, I don't want to be engaged to He Ran anymore. You should go tell the He family that we're breaking off the engagement!"

"Nonsense."

His voice was serious, but the action of peeling his daughter off his neck was gentle.

Guo An was thrown back onto the sofa.

"I'm not talking nonsense. Even if you want to marry him, I won't! "

"Guo An!"

Guo An covered her ears and whimpered before curling up in Jiang Yuan's arms again.

Jiang Yuan didn't even bother to look at her handsome husband with a stern face. She just gently rubbed her daughter's hair with her soft fingertips. "Oh, so it's because you and He Ran had a fight? Is it because you lied to him about the person who saved him after he was kidnapped years ago?"

Guo An didn't answer, which was as good as confirming it.

"Silly girl, why did you lie to He Ran if you're okay? Even if you didn't lie to him, you two would still get married!" Jiang Yuan's voice was warm and gentle, "It's like picking a fight for no reason."

Guo An buried her head deeper and cried, "Waaah."

Only then did Jiang Yuan lift her eyelids and glance at Guo Yuqing.

The latter looked somewhat uncomfortable under scrutiny, after all, he had always known that his wife was not very satisfied with He Ran, their future son-in-law. She always felt that he wasn't steady enough, and didn't value their daughter enough.

Every other day, she would pick out a gap in their schedule to discuss whether this engagement was reliable or not. However, no matter what she said before, Guo Yu always managed to dismiss it with a few words.

After all, the Guo and He families had been in constant contact for years, and their open and honest cooperation made them both winners. The two young people had grown up together and knew each other inside out.

Unlike other major families, the He family never took the cultivation of their younger generations lightly, nor did they indulge them. Therefore, although He Ran was easygoing in his personality, he was actually one of the best among his peers in terms of hard strength.

Guo Yu really believed that He Ran was the most suitable son-in-law.

After much persuasion, Jiang Yuan reluctantly agreed to the engagement.

In the past, Guo An and He Ran had some minor quarrels in private, but no one had ever heard of her wanting to break off the engagement before.

Thinking of this, Guo Yu's gaze darkened. Although he had no idea what had happened, he was still unhappy with He Ran.

Although it was their daughter who had lied first, the Guo family had never taken advantage of the He family because of this.

He adjusted his open collar and pretended to scold his daughter: "What is all this noise? Get up from your mother's arms, tidy up, and if you have something to say, say it clearly in front of the He family tonight."

Guo An was stunned: "What tonight?"

Jiang Yuan patiently explained to her: "He Jingxing has returned, and He Grandpa intends to hand over the entire He Family to him. He has been preparing to invite everyone to a family banquet these days, and we are the first on the list. It will be held tonight at the adjacent He Mansion."

"What? I'm not going," Guo An said.

"Guo Yu," Jiang Yuan frowned.

Guo Yu was already accustomed to this "coercing the vassal state with the emperor" pattern in their family, and he unbuttoned his collar with a click and said irritably to Jiang Yuan: "Fine, indulge her then. Indulge her to the point of lawlessness, and she still wants to break off the marriage with He Ran!"

Guo An ignored him and buried her face in Jiang Yuan's arms. Guo Yu threw away the tie he had been holding.

Seeing this, Jiang Yuan relaxed and gave him a soft smile: "Do you want to skip the tie?"

"No need, it's not some important occasion," Guo Yu said, sounding annoyed. He looked down at his daughter, who was still clinging to her mother, and said, "Guo An, you're an adult now. Get up from your mother's lap. If you don't want to talk to He Ran, it's okay, but he's not the main character tonight."

It was He Jingxing who would be the center of attention tonight.

Guo An remembered the cold and aloof man she had seen that rainy night under the black umbrella.

"Friendliness level 10, the friendly reminder light is as black as night..."

Tsk.

He already found her annoying enough.

Shivering silently, Gu An reluctantly went upstairs to change her clothes.

...

Although it was supposed to be a banquet for various families, given the relationship between the He and Gu families, tonight's gathering felt more like a family dinner, with a relaxed atmosphere.

While everyone was relaxed, when Gu An arrived at the He residence after changing her clothes, the elders had already gathered together happily. Old Master He sat on the main sofa and, upon seeing Gu An, beckoned her over with a smile, shaking her hand and chatting with her for a while.

Thanks to some strange curse, there were mostly boys among the He family's younger generation, and the girls were all distant relatives. Compared to them, Gu An seemed more like Old Master He's beloved granddaughter, and his affection for her was genuine.

At the moment, they had no idea that their true grandson and Gu An had almost torn each other's faces off. Patting the back of the little girl's hand, Old Master He said with a smile, "He Ran is upstairs talking to his younger uncle in the study. You can go find him and help him out. Don't let him get lectured again over trivial matters."

Old Master He didn't mention a word about Gu An's impersonation.

Looking around at the He family members, except for He Ran's mother, whose expression was slightly unnatural, everyone else shared the same attitude as Old Master He. No one thought the matter was a big deal. After all, as Jiang Yuan had said, whether or not there was a "benefactor," Gu An was going to marry He Ran anyway...

As for the young Miss named Lu, she would definitely receive the compensation and gratitude she deserved, but they never thought of giving her anything more.

Gu An's mouth was like a goldfish, opening and closing incessantly. But in the face of Gu Yu's warning gaze, she finally gave up on discussing the matter of the engagement in front of all the elders.

Taking one step and looking back three times, she made her way to the elevator and went up to the fourth floor study. As soon as the elevator door opened, however, Gu An found someone who was even more anxious than she was.

...

The door to the study was vigorously pushed open, and He Ran rushed out like a reckless bull, shouting behind him, "Don't forget, if it weren't for Lu Wan, I'd be dead by now!" "You're forcing me to forget my gratitude!" "I treated Gu An like my sister, but when did I lose my right to choose my own marriage?"

When Gu An heard the name "Lu Wan," she fell silent.

Across the corridor, she unexpectedly made eye contact with He Ran, who was red-eyed and stunned for a moment, unable to react.

It wasn't until the second before, when he had called her "sister," and smiled at her, that he suddenly realized--

he had just encountered the other key figure in the whole incident--

and judging from her expression, she had clearly heard everything he had just said.

For a moment, He Ran didn't know what to do, and he suddenly felt a bit nervous, as if he had been caught doing something unseemly and was caught in the act. His face gradually turned pale.

...

Gu An watched as the friendliness score above He Ran's head jumped from 35 back up to 40, and she raised an eyebrow in surprise. She then realized that he was probably just feeling embarrassed.

"It seems like I came at the wrong time," she said calmly.

He Ran moved his lips, and he could have told Gu An to leave.

But he didn't, he just stared at Gu An. "Why are you here?"

"My grandfather sent me up to save you from Mr. He," Gu An said, "If he knew what you were talking about with Mr. He just now, I would probably be up here delivering a beating with a bamboo stick."

Even though she hadn't seen He Jinhang very often, she kept calling him "Mr. He" without hesitation.

He Ran was a bit puzzled and underestimated her in his mind, but then he suddenly changed the topic, "It's good that you're here, I was just about to ask you, why did you leave the basketball game in the morning before it was finished?"

"Hmm?"

He noticed that she left early?

Oh, no.

It was pointed out to him by Lu Wan later.

"You didn't even say anything before leaving."

"..."

God, he was complaining again.

Gu An really thought she had a good temper.

Just because she left early, he was complaining about it so self-righteously. If she were anyone else, they would have exploded at her and called her a vicious supporting female character.

"Heir He, are you alright?" Gu An hugged her arms. "Given what happened today, where else could I go if I didn't leave? Do I look like I have a party spirit, getting slapped in the face in front of everyone and still sticking around to show off my sadness?"

He Ran pursed his lips and looked a bit unnatural, "Who slapped you in the face?"

"..."

Although He Ran didn't really show much enthusiasm towards Gu An, in most cases when Gu An made their relationship clear in social situations with peers, He Ran wouldn't deny it.

But today, he jumped out and put the blame on her to defend Lu Wan, to prevent others from saying that Lu Wan was a third party in someone else's relationship.

Now everyone is saying that she's Gu Missy, not doing anything as a wealthy heiress and instead being self-righteous, trying to please the He family, and wanting to get married.

The culprit dared to come and ask her who slapped her face.

With a cold glint in her eyes, Gu An's fists clenched.

He Ran stared at her face. The young girl didn't have the same kind of cold and noble air about her, and over the years, she was spoiled by her parents and still had some childishness on her face...when she was angry, she looked like a steamed bun, round and white with a faint pink flush of anger.

He Ran couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, then paused, realizing what he was doing, and forced himself to look away. "What are you staring at? Are you angry about what I said in the group chat?"

"Do you think you were right? Are we just strangers now?" Gu An said coldly, "You can think that way, but in return, I don't have to report to you where I'm going in advance."

As Gu An gave him a dismissive look, He Ran gradually furrowed his brows, and that familiar feeling of discomfort appeared again.

For his fiancée, Gu An, He Ran had neither liked nor disliked her for many years. Most of the time he just ignored her. But these past few days, something was different. When there was nothing to do, she seemed to enjoy looking at him with a gaze that made him feel like she wanted to turn and run away. It gave He Ran the illusion that he was a hornet's nest, and it made him feel like something was slipping out of his control.

He took two steps forward, towering over Gu An, and frowned while lowering his head to cast his shadow over her. "Today, Zhou Yanji left early," he said.

"Oh, really? I didn't know," Gu An replied.

"What's going on between you and Zhou Yanji?"

"What?"

"He's not good enough for you."

Gu An tried to find some traces of a joke on He Ran's face, but there were none. Instead, he waited for her response for a long time, then bent down in impatience and accidentally inhaled the faint scent emanating from the young girl in front of him.

Their breaths became entangled in a messy tangle.

Gu An furrowed her brow slightly and harshly poked He Ran's chest with her finger, which was still moving closer to her. "What's it to you what's going on between Zhou Yanji and me? Hey, don't come any closer."

He Ran reflexively caught her finger, his large, slightly rough hand gripping the boneless fingertip...

The completely different sensation made both of them freeze.

His Adam's apple rolled, his gaze slightly hardened, and his voice became deep. "Gu An, mind your words. What do you mean by 'what's it to you'? Don't forget, even if one day we really cancel our engagement, I'm still your brother. I'm telling you, Zhou Yanji is not good enough for you."

He almost shouted at the end.

Her fair fingers were pulled painfully and turned red.

Gu An harshly tried to snatch her finger back, but He Ran seemed to be entangled with her and used opposite force to resist her. "Let go! He Ran, you're hurting me!"

"You can let go, but first tell me where you went after leaving early today! Just for the chat record? It's just a chat group. What can those people do to you?"

"They made fun of me!"

"So what if they made fun of you? Wasn't it your fault that Lu Wan was inexplicably blamed by them? Don't forget, you owe her a lot!"

"He Ran! Don't be ridiculous! It was you who believed everything that people said, even when your life-saving benefactor couldn't even recognize you, and you were scammed to death! And Lu Wan was blamed because you begged her to give you a bottle of mineral water!"

[Jiaojiao: If you don't speak, no one will think you're dumb. The supporting actor wants to make you angry.]

Gu An: Ahhhhh! I can't bear it anymore! Why do they blame me for everything? Let me go, I want to vent on him!

Gu An: "Go to hell! I hate you! I wanted to beat you up ever since you said that 'you only lost a cat, but she lost a glass of red wine' nonsense!"

He Ran: "What did you say?"

[Jiaojiao:............................................]

Gu An: "If you're dying, can you trade your dog's life for my cat's? Ugh! Give me back my cat! It's the precious cat that I picked up from the roadside, raised and took care of since it was a kitten!"

[Jiaojiao: ☆A☆ Master!!!]

He Ran: "What nonsense are you talking about again!"

Gu An: "Just die!"

[Jiaojiao: "The female lead couldn't believe it and fell backwards, heartbroken."]

Gu An: "But I'm just a vicious supporting character!"

[Jiaojiao: "Using the female lead's catchphrase without paying her fees! It's called improvisation! Fall! Fall, damn it! Miracles will happen!"]

In the struggle, Gu An lost her balance and stumbled backwards!

Seeing her about to fall, He Ran was startled and reached out to pull her!

At the same time, probably because of their argument, the door to the study was opened, and a tall figure appeared behind it. Just in time, the long arm stretched out and embraced the person who had stumbled towards the door—

Caught off guard, her back hit the warm and solid chest.

His cologne had a unique smell, like a serial killer who had killed ten people and then took a bath in a honey bucket, with a strong and sweet masculine scent that penetrated her nostrils.

Extremely aggressive.

Extremely imposing.

"He Ran, did you take the wrong medicine tonight and went wild everywhere?"

The low magnetic voice penetrated her senses deeply.

The voice was right above her head.

The white shirt sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, and the warm and broad hand was subtle and polite, supporting her waist to help her stand firm.

Then he withdrew.

The tone was as bland as water, with a flat and unemotional command.

"Apologize to her."

Author's Note: At this time, the young uncle is still a righteous and busybody elder.

But not for long "doge".

Keep sending red envelopes and praising me, I'm feeling generous today, Labor Day, I worked hard, praise me.

Happy holidays everyone, have fun!