Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Gu Yubai already knew why these people had come.

Amused, he looked at them and asked, "Before Su Shengli sent you to cause trouble for me, didn’t he tell you who I am?"

"I leveraged my status as the top scorer in the college entrance exams to serve by Mr. Yu’s side, only to then sow discord between Su Shengli and Mr. Yu for the sake of the Su family’s true young master, Gu Yihong. Heh."

A mocking glint, betraying his scorn for their intelligence, flashed in his eyes.

"Doesn’t that statement sound logically flawed to you?"

"Su Shengli didn’t even dare to tell you plainly that I’m Gu Yihong’s older brother, yet you had the nerve to come directly to cause trouble for me on his behalf!"

The group exchanged nervous glances.

"Wh-what? You’re the true young master’s older brother?! No wonder Su Shengli told us to..."

Someone abruptly cut him off: "Enough babbling! Do you still want to be friends with Su Shengli or not? What’s more important—being the older brother of some so-called true young master, or pleasing Su Shengli, who’s highly favored by the Su family?"

"Just go for it! He’s just an ordinary guy. So what if he’s Gu Yihong’s older brother? The Su family doesn’t even want the true young master, let alone care about some nobody. It’s not like he’d dare to call the police!"

With a disdainful scoff, the speaker strode toward Gu Yubai, raising his fist with a malicious grin.

The next second, Gu Yubai coolly kicked him to the ground.

---

The VIP auction suite the Su family had prepared for Yu Li was on the top floor.

The sofa was placed less than a meter behind the one-way glass, offering a clear view of every expression and movement of the attendees below.

By now, nearly all the bidders had arrived.

Under the spotlight, the auctioneer was conducting the first segment of the event—showcasing the precious jewelry brought by the ladies.

Beautiful celebrities, dressed in the latest seasonal collections from various brands and adorned with the precious jewelry donated by the ladies present, paraded back and forth on the red carpet under the auctioneer’s guidance.

Each guest had a personal viewing screen in front of them. Whenever the auctioneer introduced a piece of jewelry worn by a celebrity, the camera would zoom in for a close-up.

Gu Yubai quietly made his way upstairs from the small garden and returned to the private room, where Yu Li lounged casually while sipping tea.

Yu Li was as still as a mannequin, his gaze faintly resting on the dazzling celebrities below, though his expression showed he was clearly distracted.

Recalling the men who had accosted him earlier, Gu Yubai couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Yu Li glanced over, his manner composed and serene. He offered Gu Yubai a slight smile, stood up to pour him a cup of tea, and slid a chair toward him.

Gu Yubai sat down with the tea and sighed.

"Where are the others?"

Each private room was assigned two attendants in qipaos—one to handle the bidding and the other to attend to refreshments.

But now, not only were these two missing, but even the bodyguards at the door and the man who had been chasing Yu Li with project proposals earlier had vanished.

Yu Li’s voice was lazy and slightly raspy with amusement.

"Gone. I sent them all away. By the way, how did things go on your end? I also suspected there was something off about that person’s project. Assistant Jin didn’t mention it earlier, so I had you call the project department on short notice."

Gu Yubai waved a hand. "The project department said the proposal itself is fine, but the representative is problematic. They suggest you take some time later to meet with their company’s management and discuss replacing him."

Yu Li nodded thoughtfully, pulling out his phone to send a message to someone before putting it away. When he looked up, he noticed Gu Yubai giving him an odd look.

Yu Li paused, wondering if something was wrong. He glanced down at his clothes before looking back at Gu Yubai in confusion.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" As if he were some circus attraction.

The ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of Yu Li’s eyes.

Gu Yubai raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing, his smile knowing yet direct.

"You never told me the 'arrangement' between the Yu and Su families was a marriage contract. Su Shengli just sent people to ambush me in the garden. Can you sort out your own business properly and not rope in an innocent bystander like me?"

Suddenly recalling the incident before their hike—when Su Shengli had been dragged away by security at Yu Corporation—Gu Yubai couldn’t help but laugh.

He had never given this so-called marriage contract a second thought.

Yu Li’s previous avoidance of the topic had already made his position clear.

Moreover, in his past life, Gu Yubai had never heard of any marriage contract between the Yu and Su families.

Unlike this lifetime, in his previous life, he had actually been brought back to the Su family. Though he had stayed less than half a year before storming out in disgust, he was later forcibly brought back by Su Wanlin after Su Linyuan was crippled, kept under surveillance for years.

Throughout all that time, the Su family had never publicly mentioned any marriage contract—this was all in Su Shengli’s head.

Su Shengli would never get his wish.

Precisely because he understood Yu Li’s and the Su family’s attitudes, Gu Yubai had never taken Su Shengli’s claims seriously.

If Su Shengli wanted to get the upper hand, he shouldn’t treat others—especially Yu Li himself—as fools.

Sure enough, the moment Gu Yubai mentioned the word "marriage contract," Yu Li frowned.

"Don’t talk nonsense. What marriage contract?"

He paused, then realized what had happened. His expression darkened, and he snapped his head up in alarm.

"Are you alright?!"

His eyes swept over Gu Yubai twice, confirming he was unharmed, before he relaxed slightly.

Gu Yubai smirked at him, waiting expectantly for Yu Li to explain the so-called marriage contract.

Yu Li shook his head and heaved a resigned sigh.

"It all goes back to the year the Yu Family Patriarch’s parents passed away."

The Yu Family Patriarch Yu Li referred to was the mysterious, ailing patriarch Gu Yubai had long speculated about.

According to Yu Li, when the Yu Family Patriarch was in middle school, his parents died in a plane crash. Contrary to popular belief, the young heir hadn’t relied on the elite team that had been assembled since birth, nor had he used hired guns to intimidate ambitious relatives at the negotiation table.

Yu Li gave a bitter smile. "What a joke. Genius or not, he was still just a child. Losing both parents was trauma enough."

"It was thanks to my never-married uncle—who stepped in to support the Yu Family Patriarch—that the Yu family stabilized. As for me, it’s only because of that uncle and growing up alongside the Yu Family Patriarch that I’ve gained his trust."

Yu Li’s eyes gleamed with emotion, his expression shadowed with sorrow, as if he felt keenly the Yu Family Patriarch’s suffering.

Gu Yubai listened intently, his gaze lingering unconsciously on Yu Li’s face. For some reason, his heart gave a sharp twinge.

The feeling of heartache was almost identical to when he learned that his adoptive father Gu Mingliang would never wake up again.

But Gu Yubai knew it was different—how could Yu Li even compare to his adoptive father?

"There's no so-called engagement between the Yu family patriarch and the Su family. There is, however, an agreement, one that Madame Su had me convey before her passing."

Madame Su...

This was someone Gu Yubai had never met, though nominally his biological grandmother.

Yu Li smiled and said, "She told me to relay to the Yu family patriarch that the Su family is not the Yu family's responsibility. The main line of the Yu family consists of only him now. If the Su family oversteps, he should sever ties without hesitation!"

"You should've seen Old Master Su's face when Madame Su said this, but he couldn’t do anything about it. In the Su family, Madame Su was the only one who treated me and the... patriarch the best."

Gu Yubai didn’t quite understand that smug look on Yu Li’s face, but if he imagined it as the kind of favoritism his adoptive father Gu Mingliang showed him, he could somewhat empathize.

It was rare to see Yu Li acting so childlike. When he mentioned the late Madame Su, he looked like a bear cub clutching a honey pot.

"So, even for the sake of Madame Su's words, there will never be any so-called engagement between the Yu family patriarch and the Su family. He... will always honor Madame Su's wishes and take good care of himself."

Yu Li’s gaze met Gu Yubai’s, his eyes crinkled into crescents, shining brightly.

At this moment, he was almost entirely different from his usual composed and silent self—now, he looked like a happy kid.

Gu Yubai couldn’t help but be caught up in his happiness.

He suddenly stood up and, under Yu Li’s stunned gaze, pulled him into a tight hug.

"I’m really happy for you!"

Gu Yubai withdrew his arms, then hugged Yu Li again abruptly. "And for your patriarch too!"

No wonder Yu Li had agreed to Old Master Su and the Yu patriarch’s request to take care of him.

His relationship with the Yu family patriarch was indeed close—not as some chosen heir, but as a friend.

Yu Li was a good friend of the Yu family patriarch, and the patriarch wasn’t as sickly and reclusive as Gu Yubai had guessed—he was just private.

Now, Gu Yubai had completely figured out Yu Li’s position in the Yu family.

Su Shengli had been wrong about the engagement—even his flattery toward Yu Li was based on a wrong assumption.

With a mischievous glint, Gu Yubai asked bluntly, "I want to tell Su Shengli this news. Do you think he’ll be so shocked that he clutches his chest in shock, lamenting all his wasted acting?"

Yu Li: "...Sometimes I can’t tell if you think too poorly of Su Shengli, or if he really is that conniving."

Gu Yubai’s dislike for Su Shengli was obvious, and he made no effort to hide it in front of Yu Li.

Yu Li felt both amused and conflicted.

Gu Yubai... really trusted him a lot. So trusting—it almost worried him. Yu Li sighed inwardly.

Just as the two were about to continue talking, the VIP room door was suddenly knocked.

The two attendants in qipaos Yu Li had dismissed earlier pushed the door open with smiles, one of them carefully holding up a number plate as she looked at Yu Li.

She said, "Mr. Yu, the auction's about to start in three seconds. May we come in now?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the auctioneer’s voice rang out through the venue outside the private room.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to tonight’s charity auction, generously presented by the Su Group and specially hosted by the country's top auction house. I’ll be your auctioneer tonight, and I hope my service brings good fortune to each and every one of you!"

Hearing the auctioneer begin the bidding, Gu Yubai quickly straightened up, peering down through the private room’s glass.

Yu Li stopped speaking and waved for the two attendants to enter.

Turning to Gu Yubai, he said, "I’m not very familiar with the specific rules of Mingcheng’s auctions. Yubai, tonight, the Yu family’s spending spree is in your hands. There’s only one goal—make sure the Yus dominate tomorrow’s headlines across all major media outlets."

Spending money? Piece of cake!

Gu Yubai raised a brow slightly and shot Yu Li a brilliant grin.

Yu Li narrowed his eyes slightly, returning the smile before turning his attention back to the auction below, his gaze fixed on every movement.

But in truth, his heart hammered, racing nonstop.

Then, his muted phone vibrated in his pocket.

Yu Li instinctively glanced at Gu Yubai before checking his phone, where a message from Assistant Jin awaited.

"Mr. Yu, we've got a lead on the matter you asked me to investigate. The heart transplant received by that driver’s wife was indeed specially sourced from elsewhere. According to those involved, whoever arranged it is indeed in Mingcheng—but their surname isn’t Su."

Yu Li’s calm expression finally cracked, his brow furrowed deeply.

Not Su Shengli?

How was that possible?

His gaze dropped to the last line of Assistant Jin’s message.

"The surname is Liao."