Seeing the middle-aged woman’s disgusted look, the girl beside Eldest Brother Gu covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. She glanced sideways at Eldest Brother Gu.

But she saw a flash of disgust in his eyes. Her heart sank, and she quickly looked away, not daring to peek again.

In truth, Eldest Brother Gu despised that middle-aged woman. He was now certain she was trying to grope him, which sent a chill down his spine.

It was enough to make him want to throw up last night’s dinner. How could Eldest Brother Gu’s expression be anything but foul?

He’d seen plenty of women fawn over him before. A few times, he’d run into young married women on the street whose stares were so intense he had to take a detour to avoid them.

But to be approached again and again by such a sloppy middle-aged woman... ’I’ll need to shower ten times when I get home,’ he thought.

However, lost in his anger, Eldest Brother Gu had no idea the girl beside him had misunderstood.

The girl was a proud person. Though she was filled with a deep sense of grievance, she wouldn’t voice her questions.

The two of them didn’t speak again until it was time to get off the train. She finally looked at him and said coldly, "Excuse me, I need to get off."

Her words took Eldest Brother Gu aback for a moment. Then, he smiled faintly and said, "I’m getting off here, too."

With that, he picked up his luggage and strode toward the carriage door, not even asking if the girl needed help with her bags.

This infuriated the girl. All she could do was shake her fist at his retreating back before resignedly taking her own luggage down from the rack.

Just as she struggled to the carriage door, she saw Eldest Brother Gu also waiting there to disembark.

However, just as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and said to her, "Thanks for your help today."

His words pierced her heart like a sharp blade. Her eyes reddened with hurt, but she stubbornly refused to let the tears fall.

She clenched her jaw and said, "Don’t mention it. I just didn’t want to sit next to that woman."

Then she got off the train without a backward glance and left. She walked quickly, almost breaking into a desperate run.

Eldest Brother Gu stood where he was, watching her retreating figure for a moment, then followed the crowd out of the station.

He hadn’t even reached the plaza when he saw a familiar figure. He thought Geng Haoyi had come to pick him up.

After all, he’d always had a good relationship with Uncle Geng back at the pig farm.

But Geng Haoyi quickly ran off in another direction. Eldest Brother Gu gave a bitter smile. ’So he wasn’t here to pick me up after all.’

He curiously looked over and saw Geng Haoyi running toward the girl who had been sitting in the same row as him.

On a strange impulse, he followed them.

Geng Haoyi jogged over to the girl, reaching out to grab her arm as he called out breathlessly, "Susu."

The girl jumped in surprise. When she turned and saw Geng Haoyi, she was both shocked and delighted. "Cousin, it’s you? I thought it was..."

Geng Haoyi cut her off before she could finish. "Who did you think it was? I’m here to pick you up on Grandpa’s special orders."

Hearing this, Geng Su shot Geng Haoyi a playful glare and said, "So if Grandpa hadn’t told you to come, you wouldn’t have picked me up."

Geng Haoyi nodded, then realized that wasn’t the right response and quickly explained, "It’s not that, Cousin. I just didn’t know which train you were on."

"Heh, smooth talker," the girl said cheerfully.

"Here, Susu, give your luggage to your big bro. I’ll carry it for you."

Hearing this, Geng Su immediately handed her luggage to her cousin and gave him a sweet smile.

The cousins then started walking out side-by-side, neither of them noticing Eldest Brother Gu nearby.

"Haoyi, who’s this with you?" Eldest Brother Gu took a step forward to greet them.

Geng Haoyi was startled to hear someone call his name. Then, seeing who it was, he cried out in pleasant surprise, "Eldest Brother Gu, what are you doing here?"

"What? Is it so strange to see me?" Eldest Brother Gu retorted, a little displeased.

"No, no, I just didn’t expect to run into you at the train station. What a coincidence." Geng Haoyi didn’t dare say what he was really thinking.

’Of course it’s strange.’

’Rumor has it that this Eldest Brother Gu only has eyes for that ungrateful adopted sister of his, even neglecting his own parents and younger siblings.’

But he wouldn’t say that out loud. To avoid any awkwardness, Geng Haoyi quickly made the introductions. "Oh, this is Susu, my cousin. She’s in college out of province and is home for winter break, so I came to get her."

"I see," Eldest Brother Gu said dryly, nodding after listening to the explanation.

When Geng Su heard her cousin introduce her by just her nickname, she looked displeased and immediately shot her cousin a glare.

Geng Haoyi pretended not to see it. "Eldest Brother Gu, didn’t Gu Er come to pick you up? Let me give you a ride."

"I wouldn’t want to trouble you." Eldest Brother Gu politely refused. ’He wasn’t here for me, after all.’

"It’s no trouble at all. It’s hard to get a ride right now anyway, and it’s on my way," Geng Haoyi said quickly.

"Even if it’s on your way, it’s probably not a good idea." Eldest Brother Gu could see the girl didn’t like him and didn’t want to impose.

But Geng Haoyi quickly tossed his cousin’s luggage into the trunk, then came over, pulled Eldest Brother Gu along, and opened the passenger side door.

Geng Su, for her part, got into the back seat on her own. She didn’t have a strong opinion of Eldest Brother Gu.

She just looked down on him a little. ’A grown man, so indecisive and arrogant.’

As he drove, Geng Haoyi asked, "Eldest Brother Gu, you came back specially for Gu Er’s wedding, right?"

Eldest Brother Gu nodded. "Yes. And since it’s almost the New Year, I took some time off to come home."

The moment Geng Haoyi heard that, a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Eldest Brother Gu, if you’re spending the New Year at home, what about that adopted sister of yours?"

"She’s spending the New Year in Qing City. Her family is in Qing City," Eldest Brother Gu said wearily.

"Eldest Brother Gu, I don’t mean to criticize, but she’s a total ingrate. Your grandpa and the others want nothing to do with her, so why do you bother trying to manage her?"

"She can be a bit thoughtless, but I’m the one who raised her. It’s my fault for not teaching her better, so I feel like I should try to set her straight."

"And does she listen to you? Does she let you manage her?" Geng Haoyi almost burst out laughing.

Geng Su, having heard enough to get the gist of it, said contemptuously, "Look at the state of you. What right do you have to manage anyone else?"

"What about me? What’s wrong with me?" Eldest Brother Gu asked, genuinely angry now.

"On the train, you let some creepy old woman grope you and didn’t even fight back. You just took it. Why would you tolerate someone like that?"

"You... You..."

Eldest Brother Gu was too mortified to speak. He thought no one else knew about it, but now this girl had called him out right to his face.

"Haha... Susu, there’s a story here? Tell your big bro all about it. I know Eldest Brother Gu is handsome enough to make countless girls swoon."

Geng Haoyi roared with laughter. He really hadn’t expected that even a creepy old woman would have the hots for Eldest Brother Gu.

"Stop the car. I’m getting out," Eldest Brother Gu yelled, furious. The fact that these two cousins were openly mocking him was deeply humiliating.

"Alright, alright, Susu was definitely just kidding. Let me just take you home. Otherwise, my sister-in-law will blame me if she finds out."

"Bro, which sister-in-law is going to blame you?" Geng Su asked curiously.