There’s nothing like a sense of crisis to bring out one’s survival instinct.
So this ti, when Gu Shen spoke to Gu Xi again, his words ca out a little faster—
"After your mother rejected that man, he couldn’t accept it and went to his cousin—my third aunt. My third aunt is the type of person..."
He paused here, as if unsure how to put it. After a mont, he said tactfully, "...My third aunt is fiercely protective of her own. She believed her cousin’s malicious words without doing any investigation and went to my third uncle to whisper poison in his ear."
"Back then, Grandfather was planning to hand over control of the family. My own father had passed away young, but my uncles were all in their pri. And Grandfather had always doted on my youngest uncle the most..."
"To outsiders, the Gu Family looks powerful and prosperous, but the truth is..." Gu Shen sighed, putting on an expression that said ’every family has its own troubles,’ a look of helplessness on his face.
Unfortunately for him, he received no response from Gu Xi.
He had no choice but to continue. "In short, Third Uncle thought this was his chance. He went to Grandfather and said so..." Gu Shen glanced at Gu Xi, his voice tinged with bitterness. "...things that were not very kind to your mother..."
"Grandfather always had a soft spot for his youngest son and had placed high hopes on him since he was little. After hearing Third Uncle’s provocations, he went to my youngest uncle and made it clear that he did not approve of him continuing to see your mother..."
"But my youngest uncle was deeply in love with your mother... After she graduated from college, he renounced his status as a mber of the Gu Family and returned with her to her hotown to live an ordinary life."
"Then, your uncle broke into the entertainnt industry..." He looked at Gu Xi and said cryptically, "A place like showbiz is a ssy, complicated world. Your uncle was just an ordinary guy with no power or connections. When he first started, he was bound to have a rough ti..."
"The two of them, brother and sister, had relied on each other since they were children and were very close. So when your mother found out, she ca back with your father..."
"Later, your uncle beca a household na, and then your mother had you."
"After you were born, my youngest uncle paid a visit to the Gu Family. Grandfather had started to feel regretful after he left, and upon learning of your mother’s pregnancy, he finally relented and approved the marriage."
"But who could have known that the apocalypse would suddenly break out right then..."
Gu Shen sighed. "To be honest with you, Grandfather has been living with guilt and regret all these years. Because on that day, he was the one who called my youngest uncle back to discuss the wedding preparations. And just like that, with the worst possible timing..."
The apocalypse broke out.
Gu Shen fell silent for a mont before continuing with the story.
"Xiaoxi, you know how suddenly the apocalypse began. Everything was chaotic. Even the Gu Family was overwheld and struggling to cope. As soon as things settled down, my youngest uncle imdiately gathered a group and went to find you, without a mont’s rest..."
A look of grief filled Gu Shen’s eyes. "But it was too chaotic then. My youngest uncle... he... he had an accident while searching for you and your mother..."
At this, Gu Shen’s eyes reddened. He squeezed them shut, paused, and then went on, "Xiaoxi, whether you believe or not, we have been searching for you all these years. Especially Grandfather..."
Perhaps because he had reached the emotional climax of his story, Gu Shen’s tone grew urgent.
But he was cut off by Gu Xi’s airy voice.
"I believe you," she said.
Gu Shen froze, apparently not expecting her to believe him so easily.
But then he heard her continue in an exceptionally calm, detached voice, almost as if talking to herself, "When I was a child, Li Ming taught many things. One of them was called the Spring and Autumn Pen Skill..."
"’Back then, I never really understood it. If you have sothing to say, just say it. Why make it so complicated? What’s the point of beating around the bush? In the apocalypse, strength is what matters most, right? If words fail, you can just settle it with a fight, can’t you?’"
’Why waste all that breath?’
"’But now...’" Gu Xi tilted her head to glance at him. "’I think I’m starting to understand.’"
Hearing this, Gu Shen’s heart sank. A terrible premonition suddenly washed over him.
He was just about to speak when he t Gu Xi’s placid gaze. It was as if her eyes were saying, ’That was a nice story, but you can stop now.’
Gu Shen opened his mouth, but feeling the thing on his neck grow more and more impatient—now trembling erratically with greater intensity—he ultimately clamped it shut.
At that mont, he understood with perfect clarity: his younger cousin was done listening to stories.
But Gu Xi hadn’t been lying to him.
’She really did believe him—that the Gu Family had been searching for her all these years.’
’As for the rest of it... she wasn’t so preschooler from before the apocalypse, was she?’
’She wasn’t that gullible!’
Still, Gu Shen’s half-truths today had allowed Gu Xi to fill in so gaps in the fragnted information she and Li Ming had once discussed—
’For example, her mother. A woman who grew up in an orphanage but still managed to protect her younger brother and help him beco a huge star couldn’t possibly be so sweet, naive girl. How could soone like that be so obsessed with love that she’d fall headfirst into a fairy-tale romance fabricated by so rich playboy?’
’There are no fairy tales in the adult world.’
’Of course, that’s not to say a poor woman doesn’t deserve a beautiful romance. It’s just that life is hard, and girls from impoverished backgrounds tend to experience more of its hardships. To put it bluntly, they’re too busy just trying to get by. Who has ti for anything else?’
’And when you’ve seen more of the world, you’re naturally not so easy to fool.’
’But what if, just as she was starting her career, she was bullied at work, only to be rescued by a dashing hero?’
’An old, powerful family that has weathered the business world for a century without collapsing would surely have plenty of tricks up its sleeve. If they were determined to ensnare a young woman fresh out of school, they would have endless ways to do it.’
’But clearly, her mother was no love-struck fool. She had, at the very least, remained calm and clear-headed throughout this high-society hunting ga.’
’—The fact that her uncle ultimately beca a household na, and... that the Superpower Seed remained in her possession, was proof enough.’
’So the Gu Family’s sche must have failed.’
’Or perhaps, it would be more accurate to say her mother was clever. She didn’t act like one of those pitiful ’little white flowers’ from the movies, born into poverty, who firmly reject the rich hero to prove their noble character.’
’Instead, she played along. She not only used the Gu Family’s influence to help her brother achieve his dream, but she also made sure their lives beca better and better... ’
Having figured this out, Gu Xi let out a soft sigh.
’All one could say was that her parents’ union, in a sense, was filled with mutual calculation and exploitation from beginning to end... It all just ca down to who played the ga better.’
’With parents like that, it was no wonder she was born so cold.’
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