Gu Jiaojiao and Su Shuochi were chatting and laughing the whole way, so they weren’t driving very fast. As a result, Geng Haoyi and the others arrived at the Gu home first.

Sure enough, Grandpa Gu was standing at the courtyard gate, looking out. He recognized the people getting out of the car, but it wasn’t the granddaughter he was waiting for.

Grandpa Gu didn’t move, waiting for them to approach before asking, "Haoyi, Shi Jing, you’re here? Where’s Jiaojiao?"

"Hello, Grandpa Gu. Jiaojiao is in Su’s car right behind us," Geng Haoyi said as he locked his car door.

The moment Grandpa Gu heard his grandson-in-law was back too, his face broke into a wide smile that smoothed out all his wrinkles. "It’s cold out here. Let’s go inside."

"Hello, Grandpa Gu. Aren’t we going to wait for Jiaojiao?" Sheng Shijing asked in surprise.

"No need. With Shuo Ci with her, I’m not worried at all," Grandpa Gu said with a chuckle.

With that, he turned and headed into the house, leaving the others with no choice but to follow.

In the Gu Family’s living room, Eldest Brother Gu was wearing an outfit he had bought after a long falling-out with Sheng Yueyue, having finally scraped together a little money for himself.

Since Mrs. Gu hadn’t expected her eldest son to come home, she hadn’t bought him any new clothes for the New Year.

The clothes on Eldest Brother Gu were considered completely out of style in Qing City, whereas the coat from Gu Jiaojiao’s dimensional space was the pinnacle of fashion for the era.

When Eldest Brother Gu saw how well-dressed his grandfather, father, and mother were, he felt so ashamed of his own appearance that he wished the ground would swallow him whole.

But being flat broke, he couldn’t dream of anything better and could only force himself to remain calm, claiming he preferred simple clothes.

However, when he saw Sheng Shijing wearing a particularly high-end, long down jacket, his eyes practically bulged out of their sockets.

Sheng Shijing was already handsome with well-defined features, and the uniquely styled down jacket made him look incredibly dashing and full of life.

His eyebrows swept upward at the corners, and his pupils were like obsidian, as if a dark green fire burned within them. His lips were pressed into a firm line.

In the gentle winter sun, that long down jacket accentuated his figure, making him a captivating sight—like a living, moving scroll painting.

He was especially struck to see the girls from the train yesterday flanking Sheng Shijing.

Geng Haoyi wasn’t that much more impressive than him, yet he also had a beautiful woman by his side.

His second younger brother wasn’t as exceptional as him, yet he had a gorgeous wife. And him?

Not only was he dressed shabbily and all alone, but even the looks from his own family were filled with pity.

Eldest Brother Gu’s expression twisted. He absolutely refused to accept that his life would end up this pathetic. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Though he desperately wanted to find a hole to crawl into, he still managed an awkward greeting. "Eldest Brother Sheng, Haoyi, you’re here?"

"So you’re Eldest Brother Gu? Why are you... MMPH..." Fu Guoguo, as tactless as ever, started to ask the first thing that came to her mind.

But Sheng Shijing quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. In his heart, he already considered Fu Guoguo his fiancée.

"Eldest Brother Sheng, why’d you cover Guoguo’s mouth? I was also going to say that he looks so... MMPH..."

Geng Susu didn’t get to finish her sentence before Geng Haoyi also covered her mouth. Eldest Brother Gu did indeed look pathetic.

’But they couldn’t just say that out loud!’

The moment Gu Jiaojiao walked in, she saw Sheng Shijing and Geng Haoyi, each with a hand clapped over Fu Guoguo’s and Geng Susu’s mouths.

She had overheard what they were about to say before she even came inside. ’Eldest Brother is a pathetic sight,’ she thought, ’but pitiful people always have their own hateful faults.’

So she looked at Eldest Brother Gu and said, "Eldest Brother, are you feeling unwell? Why is your face so red?"

"Jiaojiao, you’re here! Quick, come have some hot tea. Oh, Shuo Ci is back too. Come and sit down," Mr. Gu immediately interjected, trying to smooth things over.

"Thanks, Dad. Grandpa, please, you sit down. This is my friend, Fu Guoguo—she’s visited before. And this is Haoyi’s younger cousin, Geng Susu."

Gu Jiaojiao took the cup of hot tea from Mr. Gu, handed it to Grandpa Gu, and helped him sit down.

Mr. Gu handed over another cup of hot tea. Su Shuochi immediately took it and passed it to Gu Jiaojiao, saying, "Here, honey. You sit."

"Jiaojiao, you’re here," Eldest Brother Gu said, his voice a bit hoarse. As he looked at his increasingly beautiful and captivating sister, the rims of his eyes grew red.

Gu Jiaojiao had always been a beautiful girl. Ever since she was little, she’d loved to dress up in flamboyant, eye-catching outfits.

The Sheng Family had three sons before her, so they doted on their only daughter.

But after Sheng Yueyue returned to the family, it wasn’t long before the Shengs married her—Jiaojiao—off to the half-paralyzed Su Shuochi.

After getting married, however, she stopped flaunting her looks and figure as she once had. Instead, she began dressing very modestly, keeping herself covered up.

This didn’t diminish her image in people’s eyes, however. If anything, it made her seem more mysterious and alluring.

Today, Gu Jiaojiao was wearing a long, white down jacket. Her hair was swept up high, revealing a smooth, full forehead.

She wore no makeup, yet her skin was fair and radiant, as smooth as polished jade.

Her features were the very picture of exquisiteness. Her large, bright eyes seemed to hold the stars themselves.

A straight nose, small, rosy lips... every single feature was impeccably perfect.

Standing across from Eldest Brother Gu, she pursed her lips and asked again, "Eldest Brother, your eyes are red, too? Are you feeling that unwell?"

Her voice was gentle and clear, as elegant as a wild orchid, and incredibly pleasant to the ear.

Eldest Brother Gu gave an extremely awkward smile, lowering his gaze to hide the dejection in his eyes. His voice choked slightly as he said, "Jiaojiao, it’s me... I’m the one who’s let you down."

As he spoke, he reached out, wanting to pat his sister’s head.

But before he could touch her, Gu Jiaojiao took two steps back, evading his touch.

Her gaze was cold, sharp as a blade, and it made Eldest Brother Gu’s heart throb with a sharp pain.

Eldest Brother Gu knew his actions had left everyone deeply disappointed. Even his own sister was no longer willing to get close to him.

A profound sense of dejection washed over him.

Looking at Eldest Brother Gu’s defeated expression, Gu Jiaojiao felt a flicker of pity, but she quickly suppressed it and returned to her indifferent state.

’Who’s to blame but himself for being such a simp?’

She said icily, "Eldest Brother, you haven’t done me any wrong. Perhaps you think you’ve done nothing wrong at all."

"Are you complaining that your family doesn’t understand how deeply you feel? That you’re just trying to pull the sister you’ve known your whole life back onto what you consider the right path?"

"Does this mean you don’t approve of her ideas, either? And yet, your actions have already hurt our innocent family."

"You should think more about our elderly grandfather and our parents who placed all their hopes in you. This way of thinking is incredibly immature."

"You don’t have much ability yourself, yet you’re delusional enough to think you can ’fix’ other people. To do it, you’re willing to ignore all reason and refuse to listen to your own family’s advice."

"And what have you gotten out of it in the end? There’s an old saying: don’t bite off more than you can chew."

"Jiaojiao, I know I was wrong! Please, I’m begging you, don’t say any more! You know how I usually treat Yueyue."

"Everyone in Qing City knows! I’d go without eating myself just to make sure she was full. I’d go without new clothes just so she could wear the best."

"She took every cent I earned! I did everything short of digging out my own heart for her, but she still refuses to see reason!"

As Eldest Brother Gu spoke, his body began to tremble. He looked so broken and helpless that anyone’s heart would have gone out to him.

And everyone in the Gu Family’s living room was his family...