Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Of course, Gu Yubai didn't attend the Su Group's banquet.

Time seemed to speed up afterward, with news about the Su family continuously reaching Gu Yubai's ears.

After Su Shengli returned to the Su family, Song Manman and Su Wanlin, the couple who had seemingly been on the brink of divorce, suddenly reconciled.

Su Wanlin got rid of his mistresses, and his illegitimate child born prematurely was taken away, never appearing in the Su household.

Song Manman also dropped all her male models she had been keeping outside.

They became a loving couple once more, putting on a show of being devoted partners to the public.

It was as if Su Shengli's return had resolved all misunderstandings between them, leaving everyone who paid attention to the Su family rather surprised.

He really seemed to have something special about him!

What surprised them even more was that Su Wanlin announced at the banquet and in the media that Su Shengli was now eligible to inherit shares in the Su Group—something the Su family patriarch had adamantly refused to allow any non-heir to touch while he was alive.

These were not just nominal dividends but actual shares that granted real power and status within the company.

Apart from not being a biological child, Su Shengli's treatment was nearly the same as for the Su family's blood relatives.

Moreover, even as an adopted son, he now had the right to a share of the Su family's wealth, and with actual shares in hand, who would dare look down on him?

The Su family had sincerely buried the hatchet to welcome Su Shengli back, and Su Shengli naturally threw in his lot with them. He once again became the dutiful and attentive son in the eyes of Su Wanlin and Song Manman, acting the part of a well-behaved younger brother following Su Linyuan.

At the end of November, during the patriarch's birthday celebration, Gu Yubai received another invitation from the Su family.

This time, the old master called personally to invite Gu Yubai.

Yu Li had set a time with him and returned from the company at noon to pick him up.

After dawdling around for a while, they finally left after three in the afternoon. By the time they arrived at the Su family's banquet venue, most guests had arrived.

The moment they arrived, they saw the four members of the Su family, with Su Wanlin at the forefront, standing at the entrance to greet guests.

They were smiling and making small talk with others, but when they turned and saw Gu Yubai and Yu Li arriving hand in hand, their smiles froze for a second before they greeted them with even more enthusiasm.

"President Yu! President... Gu, you've arrived."

Su Wanlin's tone was overly polite, while Song Manman stood beside him, hanging on his arm, smiling. Su Linyuan looked at Gu Yubai as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. Only Su Shengli seemed completely at ease, gazing at Gu Yubai with a friendly smile.

Gu Yubai responded with a politely distant smile. "President Su, no need to stand on ceremony."

He said little else, and Yu Li had no desire to chat with them either. After exchanging a glance with Gu Yubai, Yu Li mentioned they would first go speak with the old master.

Su Wanlin naturally let them pass, well aware that the two had no interest in further conversation. He quickly stepped aside.

Su Shengli glanced around and spotted someone waving at him in the distance. "Dad, a friend is calling me over. I’ll go for a moment."

A hint of fatherly warmth flickered in Su Wanlin's eyes. "Go ahead."

He merely glanced at the young man in a black suit before waving Su Shengli off.

Su Shengli’s presence here was never truly necessary—it was merely another charade to display the Su family’s harmony and happiness, just as before.

Whether it was effective... those who understood would know.

A cold glint passed in Su Shengli’s eyes, but his expression remained calmly smiling. He nodded at Song Manman and Su Linyuan before turning and walking quickly toward the young man.

The moment he left, Su Linyuan’s smile vanished, replaced with concern. "Who is that? Why does Shengli look so happy to see him?"

Song Manman instinctively distanced herself from Su Wanlin, arms crossed in disdain. Her eyes flickered slightly as she replied indifferently,

"What does it matter to you? Who are you to Su Shengli?"

Su Wanlin, lost in thoughts of his newborn son from his mistress, absentmindedly reassured Su Linyuan.

"Come on, everyone has friends. As long as Shengli is happy, why worry about who he’s with?"

As soon as Su Shengli reached the young man in the black suit, his warm smile disappeared.

His tone was flat. "Are you sure the medicine has been switched?"

The young man nodded, his face breaking into a beaming smile.

"Of course. Once the old master appears, you’ll see for yourself."

Su Shengli nodded, then looked back at Song Manman at the banquet entrance and sneered.

"In that case, don’t stop the medicine for Song Manman and Su Wanlin either. As for Su Linyuan, he’s not a concern. If the entire Su family gets sick at the same time, people will suspect me."

"After some time... the Su family will implode on its own."

By then, he would naturally have the right to make the Su family his own.

Su Shengli looked down.

Halfway through the banquet, the old master finally came downstairs.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the old master looked pale and clearly unwell.

Su Wanlin and the others immediately hurried over. Su Shengli also stepped forward, standing behind the old master as they smiled for a family photo.

Gu Yubai, of course, was not in the picture. He and Yu Li stood aside.

His gaze fixed on the old master, Gu Yubai couldn’t suppress a frown.

He glanced at Yu Li. "Don’t you think the old master looks unwell?"

Yu Li frowned. "The old steward isn’t with him either. We can’t compare. Maybe we should have him leave soon and call the family doctor."

Just as Gu Yubai was about to nod, pandemonium broke out on the stage.

In full view of everyone, the old master suddenly grabbed his chest, his eyes widening in shock before he swayed and collapsed backward.

Those behind him caught him, but his face was already beet red. He seemed unable to breathe, his hands flapping weakly. Yet, in the panic, neither the old steward nor the family doctor was present to help.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Quick, lay Grandpa on the ground! I... I know some first aid—it might help!"

The voice belonged to Su Shengli. Without hesitation, Su Wanlin dispersed the surrounding guests and immediately sent an assistant to call for a doctor.

Su Shengli crouched beside the suffocating old master, his movements urgent as he searched the old man’s pockets. His expression, however, was ice-cold behind his downcast eyes.

He pulled out a medicine bottle from the old master’s pocket, a glint flashing in his eyes. Just as he was about to open it and administer the life-saving drug, his arm was abruptly grabbed.

He looked up—it was Gu Yubai. Instantly, his entire body froze.

Gu Yubai shot him a strange glance, casually tossed Su Shengli's arm aside, unbuttoned the collar of Old Master Su, and bent down to listen to the heartbeat in his chest.

Frowning, he rolled up his shirt sleeves, crouched over Mr. Su, and performed chest compressions on his chest with both hands.

From time to time, he listened for a heartbeat, then pried open Mr. Su’s mouth and gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Mr. Su’s breathing finally eased slightly. With great effort, he opened his eyes, saw it was Gu Yubai, and closed them again in relief.

A commotion rose from the crowd as Yu Li quickly arrived with others: "The ambulance is here. The old butler has also been notified and is heading to the hospital. Make way—let them take Mr. Su to the vehicle."

Medical staff immediately stepped forward to take over Mr. Su’s treatment.

Su Shengli stood up from the back of the crowd, watching as Mr. Su was carried away, and discreetly pocketed the medicine bottle in his hand.

"Tough old bird..."

The black-suited young man beside him remarked under his breath, "I wonder if the hospital will detect the residual drugs in his bloodstream. If they find out his previous dizziness was caused by medication... would he suspect you?"

Su Shengli sneered, "What does that have to do with me? He messed up his own medication."

"But he really is lucky. Even after taking the drugs, he didn’t take a tumble down the stairs. Just now, I tried to delay saving him, but Gu Yubai stopped me."

"Still, it’s better if he lives. Only then can he watch the Su family crumble step by step."

A dark glint flashed in Su Shengli’s eyes.

He glanced back at Song Manman, lowered his gaze, and sent a message to one of the toy boys she'd kept before.

"Mrs. Su might come looking for you tonight."

There was never any happy reunion.

It was all just an act.

Did they think he could still be won over with a few breadcrumbs of affection?

No. He wasn’t that person anymore. What he wanted was the total destruction of the Su family!

----

Mr. Su, after all, was old.

After being taken away by ambulance from the birthday banquet, he was hospitalized and began an extended convalescence.

Gu Yubai and Yu Li visited him.

Whether it was Gu Yubai’s imagination or Mr. Su had actually deteriorated, the old man now appeared frail, sickly, and confused—as if he didn’t have much time left.

A twinge of sadness rose in Gu Yubai’s heart.

In the previous timeline, Mr. Su had died first after falling down the stairs, then Su Linyuan was run over by a car and lost his leg. Not long after, Su Wanlin and Song Manman perished in a plane crash.

Just as he turned to speak to Yu Li, his phone rang.

Checking it, he saw it was the company’s CEO calling to inform him that there was a mole in a recent project.

Gu Yubai twisted his lips in a mocking smile. "Don’t worry about it. I doubt anyone would dare cause trouble in my territory now. Even if there is a mole... whose side they’re really on isn’t certain."

Who was the mole?

Gu Yubai had known for two years.

A couple of days later, Gu Yubai took time off again and went to a small island in Jasmine Country to stay with his adoptive father at the rehabilitation center.

This time, Mr. Su remained in the country to recuperate and did not return.

Not long after, someone at the company informed him that during a project bid, Lin Xuyan, acting as a mole, had leaked their company’s pricing to a competitor.

Lin Xuyan resigned on the spot. The company he defected to was a mid-sized internet firm that had been making waves in Mingcheng over the past two years, led by a young overseas returnee. The owner seemed to have no intention of antagonizing Gu Yubai and even paid compensation for Lin Xuyan’s breach of contract—an amount far exceeding the labor costs of the bidding project.

Gu Yubai snorted derisively, searched for the company’s owner, and sure enough, found a vaguely familiar face on the wiki page.

It was the black-suited young man who had stood beside Su Shengli at Mr. Su’s banquet.

Gu Yubai said to the other end, "No matter, this definitely isn’t a move against us."

Perhaps Lin Xuyan had originally been a planted agent arranged by Su Shengli and his backers. But ever since Su Shengli reappeared in Mingcheng, and with Gu Yubai being the confirmed future husband of the Yu Family Patriarch, anyone with any sense wouldn’t dare scheme against him.

Thus, Lin Xuyan, who had spent two years at Gu Yubai’s company, became an expendable asset. Su Shengli found an opportunity to cut him loose.

Not long after, Gu Yubai saw Lin Xuyan’s pretty-boy face in Mingcheng gossip about the Su family.

His identity? The fifth paid boytoy of Mrs. Su, Song Manman.

The Su family, which had finally quieted down for a while, was once again in turmoil.

At the same time, Su Wanlin brazenly moved his mistress and their love child back to the family villa.