Chapter 87

Chapter 87

During this time, Mingcheng has been a total circus.

Gu Yihong deliberately waited until Gu Yubai returned to the sanatorium before taking his sweet time packing his luggage to go back to the country for school.

As he packed his clothes, he asked Gu Yubai what exactly had been going on with the Su family in Mingcheng recently.

"I saw some crazy rumors online—Su Shengli is really something. I even saw him blowing off the Su family at your engagement party, and then suddenly they patched things up."

"Hah, and what’s the story with Su Wanlin and his wife? The media released statements saying they’d reconciled, but not even a few days later, Su Wanlin’s mistress and illegitimate child were already waltzing right into the mansion. And then there’s Lin Xuyan! Like, seriously? Dude was a top student at Mingcheng University with good grades, and he’s been interning and working at your company for years—how did he suddenly become Song Manman’s lover?!"

"What kind of messed-up logic is this?! If he can’t have your affection, he’ll just become your dad—"

Gu Yihong spoke too fast, throwing shade at Gu Yubai and successfully earning himself a deadpan stare.

Gu Yihong chuckled and sat back down beside Gu Yubai, propping his chin on his hands with a somewhat amused expression.

"But we’ve known what kind of person he is for a long time. Back in high school, he followed that rich second-generation senior around for his studies and living expenses—that was understandable. But he always complained about how hard and miserable his high school life was, saying the girls who liked him didn’t truly care about him, just pitied him for being a pretty-boy sob story... Pfft."

"Acting like he’s some prize catch, even gatekeeping how people could like him. What bad intentions could those high school girls have had? At most, they were just curious or had a crush—none of them actually disrupted his life or studies. But instead of just brushing it off, he actually used it as a sob story to win Brother’s sympathy. Did he really think we couldn’t see through him?"

"Scholarship kids are a dime a dozen, but that doesn’t reflect character. Back then, he claimed to like you, but how long did he even stick around? The moment he saw Brother Yu as a strong competitor by your side, he backed off immediately."

"Someone who folds at the slightest pushback and only weighs pros and cons—how dare he claim it was love?"

"His ‘love’ ain’t worth squat."

Most men’s so-called love hinges on whether they can obtain the object of their desire.

Once rejected or realizing they can’t get what they want, they simply withdraw. That kind of affection is naturally worthless.

"Still, I knew Lin Xuyan was good at weighing pros and cons, but I only ever imagined him gold-digging—never expected he’d become Song Manman’s fifth sugar baby. Given that his four predecessors were all male models, I don’t even know whether to call him ‘himbo’ or ‘alumni’ now."

"Hah."

Gu Yubai: "...Lin Xuyan is Su Shengli’s man."

Gu Yihong’s eyes widened instantly. "Holy shit!"

"Then I’ll have to enjoy the Su family drama properly once I’m back in Mingcheng."

But Gu Yihong didn’t even need to wait until his return.

That very night, an entertainment blogger, while live-streaming on the way back to their hotel, happened to witness Lin Xuyan and another male model leading a wasted out of her mind Song Manman—her makeup smudged—into a room.

The live footage had barely been broadcast for a moment before the blogger themselves froze, wondering if they’d mistaken the identities. But then Su Wanlin arrived with a group of people, storming into the hotel. Soon after, the two male models—fresh out of the shower—were beaten up by bodyguards and thrown outside to continue taking a beating.

The blogger didn’t dare say another word, hugging their live-streaming equipment while trembling in a corner.

The live chat went nuclear, and when the drunken Song Manman was shoved into view at the doorway, the internet lost its damn mind!

Gu Yihong, who had just finished discussing his foster father’s condition at the sanatorium with Gu Yubai, was lounging on the sofa when the trending live stream suddenly popped up on his feed. His eyebrows damn near flew off his face.

His eyes filled with disbelief: "Did Su Shengli really pull this off? I didn’t think he had this much influence..."

Then, after a pause, he muttered: "The Su family really pissed off a jinx. Fine, I admit—I might’ve underestimated Su Shengli’s ruthlessness."

Gu Yihong had never clashed directly with Su Shengli, but Gu Yubai had been targeted multiple times by people sent by Su Shengli. If not for his precautions, he might’ve long become another ‘statistic’ of a fatal car crash.

The same tactic left his uncle Gu Mingliang a bedridden vegetable to this day.

No one had enough proof to tie Su Shengli to any crimes.

Even when the Su family later caught Liao Anyang, who had been hiding by Su Shengli’s side, over the incident years ago where Su Shengli’s uncle got the Su matriarch killed.

Everyone thought Su Shengli’s crimes would finally come to light, but in the end, Liao Anyang took all the blame himself.

Without solid proof against Su Shengli, he remained unscathed up to now.

When they crossed paths again, Su Shengli—now exiled from the Su family—shot him a death glare in a hot pot joint.

Gu Yihong seethed, but Gu Yubai yanked him back, warning him not to act rashly.

“Why’s he here? To feel out where we stand with the Su family,” Gu Yubai scoffed.

Clearly pissed at Gu Yubai’s cold shoulder, Su Shengli stormed out, liquidated his assets, and skipped town.

But Gu Yihong knew, just as his elder brother had said, that at this point, Su Shengli hated the Su family more than this ‘True Young Master’ nonsense.

They could just sit back—once Su Shengli reappeared, he and the Su family would go at each other’s throats—no winners here.

Sure enough, Su Shengli had now returned.

And as expected, the Su family was drowning in scandals.

Before, whispers of Song Manman and Su Wanlin’s sham marriage and their respective affairs had only circulated within Minghu’s elite circles.

Only Mingcheng’s elite and their hangers-on knew the tea.

But now, with Su Wanlin leading his bodyguards to ambush Song Manman and her two lovers—captured live on camera—all of China saw how trashy this Su couple really was.

Kick ’em when they’re down—that’s the game. And the Su family was no longer the respected, prestigious household it had been years ago.

The internet exploded with hot takes, and netizens showed no mercy toward the Su family.

Insiders posted detailed accounts online, even airing her dirty laundry—like her thing for pretty-boy models.

Her first kept male model, eager to milk his 15 minutes, even went live to gossip about the high-society secrets he’d accidentally uncovered during his time as her lover.

The web devoured every juicy morsel.

Before long, they even unearthed dirt on Su Wanlin’s side piece and love child.

The public also learned that his mistress and illegitimate child had already moved into the Su household. The mess got so bad even the eldest son Su Linyuan camped out at HQ, rarely returning home.

Rumor was, the old man popped a vein over his trashy kids, collapsing during his birthday banquet and getting hospitalized.

Amid this chaos, news finally came that the old man had regained consciousness.

Within two days, Su Wanlin and Song Manman officially divorced, and Mrs. Su reverted to being Miss Song.

Folks figured Su Wanlin’d rehab his image by marrying his mistress.

But no one expected his next headline? A local crime blotter special.

A runaway semi plowed into downtown, flattening some poor schmuck’s ride.

People immediately began treating the wounded on-site, while news reporters rushed to report on the rescue operation in real-time.

Fortunately, both individuals in the car were not in life-threatening condition.

The catch? The two looked disturbingly familiar—they were none other than the newly divorced couple, Su Wanlin and Song Manman, who had just been the subject of viral online debate.

Despite their very public falling-out, the pair had apparently maintained private contact.

The internet exploded, speculating whether these two, who had fought bitterly and were seeing other people, might actually share the real deal.

Though they would survive, both suffered severe injuries.

Su Wanlin was left paraplegic, and doctors revealed he still hadn't woken up—even if he woke, he would likely spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Song Manman, shielded by Su Wanlin, got off comparatively easier, but her right hand was shattered beyond repair, possibly requiring amputation.

With everything in chaos, all affairs of Su Group were passed to the heir apparent, Su Linyuan.

The current head of the Song family—Su Linyuan’s aunt on his mother's side—personally stepped forward to support the young successor.

Even Su Shengli, who had only recently acquired a small stake in Su Group, attended the shareholders’ meeting, throwing his full support behind every decision Su Linyuan made.

The frail Su family patriarch, upon hearing of his son Su Wanlin’s misfortune, took only a moment to collect himself before having the butler contact Yu Li and arrange for Su Wanlin’s transfer to an overseas rehabilitation facility.

The old man himself stayed behind, summoning his remaining strength to return to Mingcheng long enough to officially install Su Linyuan as the official head of the Su family.

He even left two right-hand men to assist him.

Before departing, the nearly ninety-year-old patriarch swallowed his pride to personally visit several influential families with ties to the Su family. Swallowing his dignity, he even sought out former long-time employees of Su Group, begging them to support Su Linyuan however they could.

Only after tying up loose ends did the old man return to the rehabilitation center. As for Song Manman, she was sent back to the Song family.

The Su family’s soap opera seemed to hit pause here with a question mark.

Yet everyone following the saga knew the real war was just getting started behind the scenes.

Fortunately, the patriarch appeared unaware of something fishy behind Su Wanlin’s accident. After handling affairs, he left for overseas without digging deeper.

Su Shengli let out a sigh of relief, his face curling into a smirk.

“He’s just too old—even if he wanted to stick his nose in, he lacks the energy now.”

Little did he know, the “energy-lacking” patriarch secretly returned to Mingcheng after sending his son abroad.

Gu Yubai only learned of this during a visit to the old man’s hospital room.

Su Wanlin had regained consciousness, but his gaze was bone-chillingly empty—he didn’t even glance at Gu Yubai when he entered.

Compared to his and Song Manman’s clean deaths in a plane crash in their past life, being left a paraplegic might seem merciful.

But if given the choice, Su Wanlin would likely have preferred the plane crash over living trapped in never-ending torment.

Gu Yubai could only shake his head. He refused to believe Su Wanlin had been totally blindsided by Su Shengli’s return, yet the latter had still succeeded.

It all stemmed from that instinctive underestimation—Su Shengli was no longer the pushover from years ago.

Now, even if Su Wanlin wanted revenge, the patriarch had cut him off at the knees.

He considered getting Su Linyuan to deal with Su Shengli, but the old man had cut off all his outside contacts.

Su Wanlin understood clearly: the patriarch wasn’t shielding Su Shengli out of affection. There had to be a bigger game being played.

But what could an old man’s sense of fairness achieve against the ruthlessness of a cornered, desperate middle-aged man?

Su Wanlin’s eyes smoldered with hatred.

When Gu Yihong first called to report the incident, Gu Yubai had brushed it off.

For one, the patriarch was awake—he could handle his own family.

As someone who’d never been back to the Su household this lifetime, Gu Yubai showing excessive concern would only arouse suspicion.

Secondly, his adoptive father Gu Mingliang was finally showing signs of waking.

The first glimmer of awareness came one evening as Gu Yubai was telling him a joke. Suddenly feeling watched, he looked up to find Gu Mingliang staring directly at him.

Gu Yubai’s heart skipped a beat. Before he could process it, Gu Mingliang’s eyes drifted closed again, as if exhausted.

Only then did realization strike.

He jumped up, hands trembling so violently he dropped his phone, immediately hitting the nurse call button installed for patients.

Even then, he couldn’t quite believe it.

Had Gu Mingliang really opened his eyes?

Dazed, Gu Yubai’s mind raced through every memory of Gu Mingliang across both lifetimes.

It wasn’t until medical staff ushered him aside that he snapped back to reality, waiting anxiously until doctors confirmed:

“Definite signs of awakening, though brief. Continued care is critical.”

Once the room cleared, Gu Yubai studied Gu Mingliang’s wasted-away body—and felt the first flicker of hope.

News of the eye contact soon reached Gu Yihong, who called in exhilaration, bubbling over with excitement.

“Fine, take leave now. We’ll return to Mingcheng for finals,” Gu Yubai chuckled.

Gu Yihong agreed eagerly: “I’ll wrap things up and fly over.”

Subsequently, Gu Mingliang opened his eyes several more times. Close observation revealed these were mere physical reflexes—his hands now twitched unconsciously, progressing from finger movements to grasping objects.

Specialists explained some patients in vegetative states could even sit up to eat, but that didn’t equate to cognitive awakening—just bodily automation.

Still, Gu Mingliang’s brain activity intensified. Experts deemed his increasing physical responses genuine precursors to consciousness, advising family members to take shifts recounting shared memories to stimulate his will to live.

Gu Yubai promptly forgot all about the Su family’s theatrics.

But while he and Gu Yihong tuned out, the Su household remained restless.

A new CEO’s arrival naturally stirred unrest in Su Group.

Initially, things ran smoothly under the patriarch’s arranged oversight. But soon, inexplicably, every board-approved project began hemorrhaging money. Su Linyuan, no pushover, endured the old guard’s antics before purging them under various pretexts.

Su Shengli remained at the company, though Su Linyuan kept him at arm’s length—barring him from major decisions while secretly monitoring his interactions with major shareholders.

Meanwhile, Su Linyuan worked to reclaim scattered company shares.

Sensing the veiled hostility beneath Su Linyuan’s cordiality, Su Shengli wisely kept his distance.

In this tense atmosphere, rumors began circulating online about the Su family's baby swap scandal years ago.

Some claimed that Song Manman, disliking her biological son's unlucky astrological sign when giving birth to her second child, purposely threw her own newborn in the trash and stole another baby to pass off as her own.

Su Shengli, the adopted son of the Su family, was allegedly that stolen infant.

The Su family had already been the center of public attention during this period, and once this news broke, the spotlight intensified.

Before Su Wanlin could identify who leaked the story, Zhou Jiarou, recently released from prison, suddenly appeared in the media, claiming to have smoking-gun evidence proving the true culprit behind the switched sons was none other than the original Mrs. Su, Song Manman herself!

Moreover, she claimed that the Su family had never truly doted on Su Shengli as rumored but had instead subjected him to emotional abuse over the years.

Otherwise, why had Su Shengli been cut loose so quickly by the Su family a couple of years ago?

Now, only because he was useful again, they were luring him back.

Su Shengli was no cherished golden child chosen by the Su family—he was merely an expendable pawn, the first to be abandoned in times of crisis.

Zhou Jiarou directly posted online several photos she had coincidentally taken with Song Manman in the same delivery room before giving birth, along with recordings of Su Wanlin bargaining with her to keep her mouth shut.

With evidence backing her claims, the media went wild.

Many began revisiting old gossip about the Su family from years ago and uncovered numerous clues that seemed to corroborate Zhou Jiarou's account.

This time, however, for some reason, the trending topics could not be taken down.

Already under intense scrutiny, Su Group was once again thrown into another PR nightmare.