Chapter 44

Chapter 44

The charity banquet concluded amidst the opulent atmosphere of clinking glasses and lively chatter.

Outside, the Su family’s argument was also nearing its end, with every member present looking somewhat disheveled and distressed.

Old Master Su’s face was set in stern lines, his gaze sharp and displeased. Su Wanlin remained silent, while Song Manman’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

Su Shengli stood to the side, his expression numb and his entire body radiating exhaustion, as if completely drained of energy.

The most absurd of them all was Su Linyuan, whose face was a picture of inner conflict.

He gazed at Su Shengli with pity, sighed disapprovingly at Old Master Su, and turned to Song Manman with a complicated mix of emotions. When his eyes met Su Wanlin’s, both men’s shoulders sagged in unison.

Hmm...

Now that's what you call family.

Gu Yubai and Yu Li had remained silent throughout, standing off to the side.

The moment the Su family’s argument began, the two exchanged a knowing glance and wordlessly moved even farther away.

Yu Li occasionally cast a worried look at Old Master Su, while Gu Yubai was completely indifferent. Instead, he pulled out his phone and began scrolling through the list of business contacts he had just acquired at the banquet, making a mental note that he should organize the information into a document and return it to Yu Li later.

Having observed the entire spectacle as an outsider, Gu Yubai found it... somewhat amusing.

In his past life, Su Shengli had targeted him countless times, blaming him with venom in his voice for returning to the Su family and "stealing" his legitimate position as second heir. Yet in this life, even though Gu Yubai hadn’t gone back, Su Shengli’s life still had nothing to do with carefree happiness.

Long before Gu Yubai’s appearance, the rift between Su Shengli and Old Master Su had already been as deep and perilous as an ocean trench.

Even before this, Old Master Su had never spared Su Shengli any dignity in public, openly displaying his dislike for him. So now, as he berated Su Shengli harshly in the small garden outside the banquet hall, he naturally had no fear of being seen.

What truly hindered Su Shengli’s happiness was his own way of engaging with the world—it had nothing to do with whether Gu Yubai was the True Young Master or whether he returned to the Su family.

One thing was rather strange, though. Old Master Su wasn’t an irrational person, so why was his attitude toward Su Shengli so unrelentingly harsh?

Gu Yubai glanced thoughtfully at Yu Li beside him.

The man was frowning deeply, clearly knew something.

His gaze also pensively lingered on Su Shengli, his eyes glinting coldly—a night and day difference from the casual indifference he had shown toward Su Shengli before.

There was something going on here.

And it wasn’t small. Yet in his past life, even after Old Master Su’s accidental fall from the building and subsequent death, Gu Yubai had never heard even a whisper of it.

The mellow, flowing notes of a piano drifted over from nearby.

Yu Li seemed lost in thought, his expression slightly vacant as he snapped back to attention. Gu Yubai leaned closer to him and, under the other man’s gaze, smiled faintly before letting his head loll onto Yu Li’s shoulder.

"When can we bail?" he murmured. "The party's winding down anyway."

Yu Li lowered his eyes for a beat before answering, "Wait a little longer. I need to speak with the old man."

About Su Shengli?

Gu Yubai pondered this but let it drop.

Though the two spoke in hushed tones, the surroundings were too quiet for their words to go unnoticed.

The moment Gu Yubai opened his mouth, the Su family’s gazes whipped in their direction.

Su Shengli’s woeful expression froze abruptly, as if he had only just realized he had made a complete fool of himself in front of Gu Yubai. His eyes locked onto Gu Yubai with unmistakable animosity before shifting to where Gu Yubai had instinctively wrapped his arms around Yu Li—the fury in his gaze so intense it seemed capable of burning Gu Yubai’s hands to cinders on the spot.

Gu Yubai: "..."

Sometimes, he really felt like he was being unfairly targeted.

Ambivalently, he withdrew his hand from Yu Li’s arm, earning a puzzled glance from the other man.

Gu Yubai let out a hollow laugh. "I don’t know why, but I feel like we just crossed into flirty territory."

Yu Li quirked his lips slightly, his eyes filled with tolerant amusement.

Though he didn’t understand what Gu Yubai was talking about, it didn’t matter—he didn’t need to overanalyze Gu Yubai’s train of thought right now.

Su Shengli scorched him with a glare for a long moment before abruptly turning back to Old Master Su.

"Grandfather," he said, "I don’t know why you have it out for me, but it is what it is. I won’t give up on Mom and Dad, or my brother, just because you don’t like me."

This was the first time he had openly torn apart the facade of harmony between himself and Old Master Su. After speaking, his eyes reddening slightly, and after a final glance at Song Manman, he turned and strode away.

Song Manman instinctively made to grab him, but Su Shengli moved too quickly, nimbly dodged around the others and heading off into the distance.

He certainly knew how to pick his direction—though he claimed to be leaving, he walked straight toward Gu Yubai.

Su Shengli’s approach was anything but friendly, his gaze fixed on Gu Yubai with unbridled fury.

Gu Yubai’s eyes gleamed.

Just as he thought Su Shengli was about to confront him in front of everyone, the other man brushed past him without stopping, not even gracing him with a glance.

If not for the faint, derisive snort that dissipated into the air, Gu Yubai might have thought Su Shengli’s hostility toward him was just his imagination.

Gu Yubai arched a brow.

Su Shengli had barely taken a few steps past him when he suddenly halted.

He turned back to glare at Gu Yubai, his animosity now completely unveiled.

"I just hate you!" he spat. "I hate anyone who tries to take my parents and brother away from me! And I don’t like you either—who told you to be Gu Yihong’s brother?"

Before Su Shengli could finish, Su Linyuan immediately cut in, his voice low and stern.

"Shengli, that’s enough! Apologize at once!"

Su Shengli let out a cold laugh. His eyes, already red, now shimmered with unshed tears.

"I won’t apologize!" he shouted at Su Linyuan, his voice cracking. "I hate him! I don’t want to see him anywhere near our family, or near Yu Li! He’ll steal all of you away from me!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, tears began rolling down his cheeks like pearls, pitiful and endearing.

Su Linyuan and Song Manman immediately softened, their expressions full of heartache as they instinctively moved to comfort Su Shengli.

Between choked sobs, Su Shengli pleaded with Su Linyuan.

"Big brother... I’m so scared you’ll stop loving me. Can you stay away from him? I feel like he’s up to no good."

Never before had Gu Yubai seen someone so skilled at playing the victim—and with such shameless conviction.

At this point, Gu Yubai couldn't help but laugh.

Su Shengli had grown. In his past life, he had only known how to cause trouble for Gu Yubai at this moment, but now he had learned to use others' feelings for him to achieve his goals.

As expected, Su Linyuan looked at Su Shengli with heartache, without a trace of blame toward him.

Su Shengli's strategy of yielding to advance was brilliantly executed.

Su Shengli then turned to Yu Li, his eyes filled with melancholy and deep emotion.

He said, "President Yu, I truly did like you. But I know you have no feelings for me."

"Regardless, I’m grateful that you saved me from... the 'gardener uncle’s' hands many years ago. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the peaceful and happy life with Mom, Dad, and my eldest brother."

"I know you hold some prejudice against me because of certain people, but rest assured... I, I will never bother you again."

After speaking, he threw a complicated look at Gu Yubai before turning and running off.

Even as he left, Su Shengli didn’t forget to tarnish Gu Yubai’s reputation. Resigned, Gu Yubai hugged himself, bearing the blame Su Shengli had thrown his way.

When he turned back, however, he saw Yu Li frowning heavily, his eyes filled with confusion and a flash of realization, as if he had finally confirmed a long-held suspicion.

Gu Yubai asked instinctively, "What’s wrong?"

Yu Li said coldly, "Did you hear what Su Shengli just said? How could he be so certain that even if I hadn’t saved him back then and he’d been taken by that gardener surnamed Liao, he wouldn’t have faced real danger?"

Gu Yubai was momentarily confused. Su Shengli’s words... could they really be interpreted that way?

Yu Li finally realized Gu Yubai wasn’t following his line of thinking. He sighed subconsciously and walked toward Old Master Su.

Before leaving, he threw out a sentence.

"Wait here for me."

Yu Li was deeply suspicious of the "gardener uncle" mentioned in Su Shengli’s words. Apparently, Yu Li had rescued Su Shengli from the gardener many years ago. But as the victim of a kidnapping, years later, Su Shengli actually referred to the gardener as... "gardener uncle."

With a hint of respect—this went against all reason.

Gu Yubai suddenly understood that Yu Li was pondering something about Su Shengli’s kidnapping.

Perhaps it was also connected to Old Master Su’s dislike of Su Shengli. But since Gu Yubai didn’t know what had happened between them all those years ago, he couldn’t speculate further.

Song Manman had already run after Su Shengli, and Su Wanlin had been sent away by Old Master Su. Only Old Master Su, Su Linyuan, and Yu Li remained at the scene.

Gu Yubai shrugged as he watched Yu Li lead Old Master Su aside for a private conversation. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Su Linyuan walking toward him.

Gu Yubai suddenly recalled the look Su Shengli had given him before leaving—triumphant but resentful, as if mocking Gu Yubai for being nothing special.

What exactly was he so proud of?

Gu Yubai was filled with questions.

But from Su Shengli’s open hostility, Gu Yubai confirmed one thing.

Su Shengli had indeed known for a long time that he was the true biological young master of the Su family. And this realization had come far before his adoptive father, Gu Mingliang, had had his accident.

Then... was his adoptive father’s car accident related to Su Shengli?

Even though his relationship with Su Shengli was tense, Gu Yubai didn’t want to falsely accuse anyone.

But now that he was certain Su Shengli had known his identity all along, the suspicions surrounding him had grown greater than ever before.

As he pondered, Su Linyuan had already reached him.

His eyes held an apology. "I apologize for Shengli’s childishness. I hope you won’t—"

"I won’t forgive him," Gu Yubai raised his eyes, his expression indifferent.

"There’s no need for you to say anything. If it were you, you wouldn’t forgive such unprovoked malice either. Besides, Su Shengli himself feels no remorse toward me, so there’s even less reason for you, as his elder brother, to apologize on his behalf."

"No one would forgive someone who harbors inexplicable and baseless hostility toward them."

Gu Yubai raised his head with a slight smile, and Su Linyuan’s words caught in his throat.

At the same time, Yu Li and Old Master Su finished their conversation.

Old Master Su’s face carried a trace of unintentional seriousness. After exchanging a few more words with Yu Li, he actually came walking toward Gu Yubai.

Su Linyuan instinctively called out, "Grandfather..."

Old Master Su ignored him. His gaze was kindly as he looked at Gu Yubai, moving from his soft black hair to his pale, soft cheeks, then finally locking onto Gu Yubai’s calm, clear eyes.

Old Master Su laughed softly and spoke warmly.

"Yu Li has told me you’re a good child. My family was rude earlier, and it’s only natural you wouldn’t forgive them. If it were me, I would ignore them either."

Su Linyuan’s eyes widened in shock. He seemed to have something to say, but Old Master Su didn’t even spare him a glance, leaving him speechless.

Gu Yubai looked at Old Master Su, whose face was now full of warm affection, and suddenly recalled their limited interactions in his past life.

Back then, Old Master Su had always treated him well, even mentioning several times that if he was unhappy living with his parents, he could come stay at the old residence.

Unfortunately, before Gu Yubai had completely lost hope in his parents and brother, Old Master Su had passed away unexpectedly after a fall down the stairs.

Gu Yubai felt slightly dazed, realizing that Old Master Su already knew who he was.

Out of respect, he hadn’t directly exposed Gu Yubai’s hidden identity, implicitly showing his willingness to keep it a secret for him.

Gu Yubai’s gaze suddenly softened, and he smiled.

"Thank you for your kind words. I’ve heard your health isn’t the best—I hope you take care of yourself and live a long and healthy life."

Old Master Su’s eyes were unprecedentedly tender as he looked at Gu Yubai, almost overflowing with emotion.

"I will. And I hope you take good care of yourself out there too. If you ever need anything, go to Yu Li—feel free to ask him for help."

Hearing Yu Li’s name, Gu Yubai instinctively turned to look at him.

Yu Li wore a slight smile as he solemnly assured Old Master Su,

"Don’t worry, Old Master. Even if I neglect myself, I’ll never let anything happen to Yubai."

Su Linyuan stood nearby, completely confused, feeling as though their conversation was coded.

Just... who was Gu Yubai? Why was Old Master Su treating him so well?!