Grandpa Gu also poured all his energy into his second grandson.

Grandpa Gu had always kept a low profile, as the Gu Family was considered a family of scholars in the Imperial City.

Although they weren’t a prominent or powerful clan, he and his son, Gu Chengzhou, often appeared in the public eye.

His eldest grandson was handsome, too. Had he been in the Imperial City, he would have surely been the kind of ideal partner girls dreamed of.

But unfortunately, for the sake of that ungrateful wretch, he had let himself become a wreck.

He still hadn’t found a suitable partner, which made Grandpa Gu, Mr. Gu, and Mrs. Gu extremely anxious.

"Grandpa, Dad, Mom, please don’t worry so much. I’m getting married in a few days, and Eldest Brother will be back for it."

Seeing his grandfather and parents in low spirits, Second Brother Gu offered some words of comfort.

"Jingtai, is your eldest brother really coming back?" Mrs. Gu stopped what she was doing and asked, her voice laced with excitement.

"I heard from Xiao Wu that he’s coming back. He even said he’ll stay through the New Year before leaving."

"Thank heavens! Thank all the Immortals and Bodhisattvas! I pray they bless your brother and help him come to his senses."

Mrs. Gu immediately clasped her hands, knelt at the doorway, and bowed several times toward the heavens.

"Mom, don’t be so superstitious. Xiao Wu said Eldest Brother has changed a lot. He didn’t even give his salary to Sheng Yueyue this month. If he meets a girl he actually likes, he’ll change for good."

"..."

Mrs. Gu’s heart was a mix of emotions, and she didn’t know what to say.

But Grandpa Gu said with a sigh of resignation, "You say your brother values family, but he’s cast us aside for Yueyue. Do you really think he’ll change himself for some girl?"

Mr. Gu, however, clung to a sliver of hope. "It’s hard to say. When people are chasing their dreams, they might overlook those who are quietly supporting them.

Perhaps, on the chaotic stage of life, the things most worth cherishing are often buried in the mundane details.

Life, much like my own path in literature, may be winding and full of hardships, but every step is a mark of the struggle.

We must learn to look with tolerant eyes and understand the story behind every person.

Because everyone deserves to be understood, just like Jinghua. He will eventually understand our love and what we’ve done for him."

"Sigh." Listening to his son, Grandpa Gu could only let out a long sigh.

Mrs. Gu and Second Brother Gu simply looked at Mr. Gu without a word.

Eldest Brother Gu, the very subject of the Gu Family’s worries, was currently sitting on a train from Qing City to the Imperial City, staring blankly out the window.

Even though it wasn’t the New Year yet, the train was packed. His three-person seat was now crammed with five people.

The trip from Qing City to the Imperial City took a full day and night; otherwise, he would have just given up his seat and stood.

The older woman next to him kept deliberately leaning against him, forcing him to scoot over and try to put some distance between them.

"Aren’t you afraid of freezing to death in this weather, young man?!" a complaining voice came from his left.

Before Eldest Brother Gu could say a word, a fierce, angry female voice shot back from across the way.

"You’re an old woman, how can you be so vicious? If you’re going to wear filthy clothes, at least have the decency not to rub them all over someone else’s clean ones."

Eldest Brother Gu glanced up. It was the young woman who had boarded at the previous station. She was the one who’d asked him to help pull her luggage in through the window.

He simply offered a polite smile and said nothing. It wasn’t that he was worried about getting dirty; he just disliked how the older woman was pressing up against him.

’He felt like the woman was deliberately trying to get handsy, but he didn’t explain. A grown man complaining about that would just be laughed at.’

So, not wanting to take sides, he remained silent and went back to watching the scenery outside.

"Hmph. Young people these days have no respect for their elders. A young lady, opening her mouth just to insult an old woman."

"You’re going too far! Am I not allowed to speak the truth?" The young woman across from him was furious.

"Exactly. What’s wrong with huddling a little closer on a cold day like this? It helps everyone stay warm," the older man next to the woman said with a lecherous grin.

"Then why don’t you switch places with him? You two can huddle together as much as you like." The young woman wasn’t about to put up with their nonsense and shot back immediately.

Seeing that the young woman was like a lit firecracker, the older woman and man instantly fell silent, not daring to say another word.

When the young woman noticed the man beside her didn’t dare lean any closer, she, too, fell silent.

After all, they still had four hours until they reached the Imperial City, and she couldn’t spend the whole time arguing with them.

Eldest Brother Gu shook his head to himself. ’Those two were in the wrong, but that girl is way too aggressive about it.’

’Girls these days are so fierce,’ Eldest Brother Gu thought. ’You don’t want to get on their bad side.’

Suddenly, he felt a weight on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw the older woman’s head resting there.

Furious, he quickly pushed her off and scooted even farther to the side, giving her more room.

He hoped she wouldn’t touch him again. He was genuinely angry this time, so his movements were a bit rough.

The woman didn’t get angry. Instead, she brazenly sidled closer, looked at Eldest Brother Gu with a grin, and said, "Young man, I’m a little cold."

"You’re cold? What’s that got to do with me?" Eldest Brother Gu was stunned by her shamelessness and replied with disgust.

"A young man like you is full of warmth. What’s the harm in letting an older woman lean on you for a bit? Why be so mean?" someone from the seat behind, unaware of the situation, chimed in to defend the woman.

"Everyone, please don’t say anything. I’ll be fine if I’m a little cold, as long as the young man isn’t upset."

The woman appeared to be defending Eldest Brother Gu, but her words only served to mislead everyone into criticizing him.

"How can young people be so heartless these days! If that were my son, I’d slap him silly."

"Exactly. Whose kid is this? So cold and inconsiderate."

"..."

Eldest Brother Gu frowned as he listened to the chatter around him. Their words were incredibly hurtful.

’I’m the victim here, aren’t I?’ he thought. ’Would I have gotten this angry if this woman hadn’t insisted on leaning on my shoulder?’

Eldest Brother Gu glanced at the people around him. His expression darkened, and a flash of disgust crossed his eyes.

These people were... they made him feel even worse than Sheng Yueyue did.

Seeing how useless the man across from her was, the young woman felt nothing but contempt.

She hadn’t wanted to say anything more, but she remembered how he had helped her with her bag earlier.

So she spoke up. "Ma’am, if you’re that cold, you can have my seat. I’ll switch with you."

"..."

The older woman was reluctant to switch. The man across from the girl was stout and coarse-looking—an eyesore.

Meanwhile, the older man next to the young woman was a little intimidated by her, so he immediately stood up. "Young man, I’ll switch seats with you."

Eldest Brother Gu saw the disdain in the young woman’s eyes. ’She probably won’t try to get close to me,’ he figured.

So, without a second thought, he stood up and swapped seats with the older man.

The older woman scooted to her left in disgust, again and again. "Ma’am," her new seatmate said, "if you squeeze over any more, we’re both going to fall into the aisle."

"..." The people around them were stunned.