Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Yu Li showed Su Shengli no mercy, ordering him to be dragged out immediately.

This decisive and straightforward attitude momentarily surprised Gu Yubai.

He felt a surge of satisfaction, yet it was quickly followed by a wave of questions.

Gu Yubai directly addressed Yu Li, who was walking beside him.

"Weren't you too harsh on Su Shengli just now? He's still a member of the Su family, and he clearly harbors feelings for you. He even hinted at some... agreement? Aren't you worried that if word of this gets out, people will call you cold-hearted?"

Gu Yubai’s eyes flickered. Yu Li glanced back at him, then ushered him into the office and casually closed the door.

With an exasperated look, Yu Li pointed at the corner of Gu Yubai’s lips.

"Could your schadenfreude be any more obvious? At least try to rein in that smile. It’s so radiant, it’s hard to believe you were genuinely concerned for me just now."

Gu Yubai could no longer hold back.

"HAHAHAHAHA, I’m sorry, but I’m genuinely thrilled! I thought you’d at least show him some courtesy, given the Yu and Su families' long-standing friendship. But you were even more ruthless than I expected—completely dismissing Su Shengli."

"Seriously, though, you’re just a collateral relative of the Yu family. Won't the Yu Family Patriarch come after you for treating Su Shengli like this?"

Gu Yubai barraged him with questions but didn’t wait for an answer, instead rubbing his chin in thought.

He mused aloud,

"But why would Su Shengli admire you? From what I know, he’s only interested in men with high status, exceptional ability, and elite family backgrounds—at least those in line to be family heirs."

"Last time, I saw him here delivering an invitation. Now he’s back again. The Su family has no shortage of people to run errands. He clearly likes you—enough to create opportunities to see you. But you’re just a collateral member of the Yu family..."

Gu Yubai’s clear, bright gaze swept over Yu Li. Yu Li clasped his hands behind his back, a smile playing on his lips as he waited for Gu Yubai to finish his analysis.

"Unless... you’re not just a collateral member, but also the Yu Family Patriarch’s..."

Yu Li’s heart leaped into his throat. His palms grew slightly damp, but his expression remained unperturbed.

Yu Li: "His what?"

"...Could you be the Yu Family Patriarch’s chosen successor? I’ve heard his health isn’t great. There haven’t been any public images of him in years. If he’s truly unwell and has no siblings or children, selecting a collateral member as his heir would make sense."

Yu Li let out a relieved breath, a wry, exasperated smile on his face as he looked at Gu Yubai.

"Where did you hear that our patriarch is in poor health? And no, I’m not some collateral member chosen as his successor. But I am very close to him."

"I guessed!"

"Your family’s patriarch is a total enigma. There’s no public record of him whatsoever. If it’s not poor health, what else could it be? It’s not like he’d hide a relationship or marriage. The only explanation is that he’s frail and has retreated from public life."

Otherwise, why would Gu Yubai—an outsider—have received part of the inheritance after the patriarch’s mysterious death in his past life?

The Yu Family Patriarch had no close relatives, possibly not even parents. That’s why his assets were divided among collateral members after his death.

But none of that concerned Gu Yubai.

The only Yu family member he knew was the man before him.

He tsked, his expression radiating confidence in his deduction.

"See, I knew I wasn’t wrong. Unless you’re someone important, why would Su Shengli be so taken with you?"

"I even puzzled over those last words Su Shengli said—something about an agreement between the Yu and Su families. He seemed so sure of himself. But then I realized, you’re not the patriarch himself. Any agreements between the families wouldn’t involve you. He must just be drawn to your position. Turns out, you really are an important figure in the Yu family."

"Even if you’re not the heir, you’re definitely influential."

Yu Li was both amused and exasperated. "Couldn’t it just be my personal charm? Does Su Shengli’s interest in me have to mean I’m some big shot?"

"Besides, he’s just barely legal. I’m not a pervert who’d be into someone that young." Yu Li defended himself.

Gu Yubai scoffed.

Affecting a mocking, lilting tone, he teased, "Brother Yu~ He’s not that young~ He just turned eighteen~"

The affected tone made Yu Li cringe.

Yu Li gave him a look of utter disgust.

Gu Yubai waved a hand, his voice returning to normal.

"Not my words—that’s how Su Shengli called you earlier. ‘Brother Yu~’ HAHAHA, so nauseating!"

Yu Li: "...I didn’t feel disgusted before, but now I kind of want to vomit."

"Show some decorum. Even if it’s just the two of us, don't talk like this. Maintain some dignity!"

Even when criticizing, Yu Li spoke slowly, sounding more teasing than reproachful.

Gu Yubai raised an eyebrow. "Relax, it’s just a joke. Don’t take it so seriously. I refuse to believe no one ever shared gossip with you in school."

What could Yu Li do?

He could only offer a faint smile.

Gu Yubai usually appeared gentle and refined, but he could be razor-sharp when he spoke.

He claimed his younger brother, Gu Yihong, had a vicious tongue, but Gu Yubai himself was just as cutting.

Right now, he probably didn’t even realize how animated he became while talking.

Compared to the withdrawn, brooding figure Yu Li had first met, he was now lively and vivid.

Yu Li’s gaze softened at the thought.

Then, hearing Gu Yubai’s next words, his heart melted completely.

"I was worried you’d really been exiled back to China. Then I thought, someone as capable as you—the Yu Family Patriarch wouldn’t be so blind as to relegate you from the overseas operations. Now I finally understand the real reason."

Gu Yubai looked at Yu Li and smiled.

"It’s great. You weren’t lying—the patriarch really did send you back to develop the family’s domestic ventures. He values you."

He combed through his memories of his past life but found no trace of the Yu family’s expansion into China.

There were only two possibilities: either Yu Li had never returned to China, or something had happened to him later, erasing all evidence of the Yu family’s domestic endeavors.

The first scenario was unlikely.

His rebirth couldn’t have affected someone who’d had no connection to him in his past life. That left only the second possibility.

Yu Li couldn't stay in the country for very long.

Worried about Patriarch Yu's potentially failing health, Gu Yubai frowned slightly—could Yu Li have been one of those branch family members who later fought for the Yu family's assets in the rumors?

The idea gave him complicated feelings.

He'd died before ever meeting Yu Li in his previous life.

If he hadn’t died so inexplicably in his previous life, given Yu Li’s capabilities and the friendship between the Yu and Su families, they would have met eventually.

And they would have surely become good friends.

--------------

Gu Yubai didn't ask for specifics about the agreement between the Yu and Su families.

He instinctively felt it didn't concern either of them.

He handed the documents Yu Li needed to him.

“Working late again? Here are the documents you wanted.”

“Thanks.”

Yu Li took them and gestured to the sofa opposite his desk, inviting Gu Yubai to sit.

After setting down the files on his desk, Yu Li walked over to the tea cabinet and turned to ask,

“Tea or coffee?”

“Water, thanks.”

Gu Yubai had already moved to the floor-to-ceiling window in the office. After circling a few times, he quickly found the angle from which Yu Li had taken the photo he’d sent him.

Remembering the middle finger Yu Li had sneakily included in the photo, Gu Yubai tsk'd.

“You just lectured me about manners for Su Shengli’s sake, but you’re no better. What’s with the middle finger in the photo?”

Yu Li handed him the glass of water. He started to scoff, but when he looked up, he found Gu Yubai standing right in front of him.

The distance between them was close—just inches apart. If Yu Li lowered his head, his chin would graze Gu Yubai’s hair.

At that moment, Gu Yubai happened to take the glass, instinctively tilting his head down. Yu Li caught a hint of the fresh shampoo scent in his hair.

Yu Li suddenly forgot what he’d been about to say.

He paused for a beat, then abruptly laughed.

“Do you know what your tone just now sounded like?” Yu Li asked.

Without waiting for Gu Yubai to respond, he answered himself.

“Like a scolding spouse.”

“Nitpicking everything, someone's jealous, even getting jealous over past matters.”

Gu Yubai’s eyes went wide.

He could tell Yu Li was joking, but he hadn’t expected him to compare him to that.

Gu Yubai was momentarily speechless.

Truth be told, it did come off kinda naggy.

He glared at Yu Li before finally blurting out,

“You—the nerve!”

Yu Li’s office was just as he’d imagined—minimalist but bright, much like the man himself: seemingly reserved and steady, yet with thoughtful personal touches.

“Nothing but overtime—either on the way to overtime or already doing overtime.”

“President Yu, I genuinely feel sorry for your future boyfriend. Your whole life is work, work, work.”

Yu Li didn’t even look up from the documents as he casually replied,

“That's not true—I workout regularly.”

Gu Yubai: “No hope for you. You’re not planning to stay and work late tonight, are you?”

Yu Li: “...Yeah.”

Under Gu Yubai’s disapproving stare, Yu Li suddenly lost confidence.

He glanced at the newly arrived materials, then at the time, then suddenly snapped the folder shut.

“You’ve never tried our company cafeteria, right? How about I take you there?”

“Sure, call it my delivery fee.”

It was just the after-work rush hour—peak hour for the overworked office staff to swarm the cafeteria.

The Yu Corporation cafeteria was on the second basement level. When the elevator doors opened, the crowd was thick.

The moment Gu Yubai and Yu Li walked in, every head turned their way.

President Yu, who never visited the cafeteria, was not only present but also accompanied by a young man, chatting and laughing shoulder-to-shoulder—it was downright shocking.

Someone immediately whispered,

“Since when does President Yu smile like that? I thought he was all work and no play. Who’s that kid with him?”

Coincidentally, the person sitting across from them was the receptionist who'd just sat down.

Recalling how their President Yu had once publicly confronted the Su family’s famous social media influencer, the False Young Master Su Shengli, for this very young man, her face showed mixed emotions.

Their President Yu was terrifying.

Who knew he could balance work and love!