Gu Hua had rushed back home, seething with anger from the humiliation he had suffered at the car dealership. As he entered the luxurious mansion, he found Madame Gu seated on the couch, as she usually was, drinking tea with a serene smile. She turned her head and looked at Gu Hua, her eyes curious.

"What happened, my dear? You look quite agitated. Who’s responsible for this?"

Gu Hua seized the opportunity to gain sympathy and support from his mother, and he said with indignation, "Mum, it’s that wretched Li Chen. He’s flaunting his wealth, thinking he’s on top of the world with a mere 6 million yuan."

Madame Gu’s expression transformed from tranquility to annoyance, and she scoffed, "That Li Chen again? Why do you even bother with such insignificant people? He’ll squander that money soon enough and be back where he belongs, on the streets."

Gu Hua persisted, "But, Mum, you won’t believe it. I encountered him at the BMW car dealership today, and he had the audacity to slap me! Look at this," he said, turning his face to reveal the palm print still visible on his cheek.

Madame Gu stood up, anger evident in her eyes as she examined Gu Hua’s reddened cheek. She clenched her fists and spoke through gritted teeth, "That insolent brat dares to touch my son. Your father was too lenient on him."

Gu Hua saw the opportunity to stoke the flames of his mother’s anger. He replied, "Mum, he says he doesn’t care about the Gu family, and we don’t scare him." Gu Hua didn’t flinch as he spun the lie, and Madame Gu’s frustration intensified.

Madame Gu gritted her teeth and said, "Just you wait. I will teach that brat a lesson he will never forget. We are the Gu family, and no one dares to mess with us like this."

Gu Hua couldn’t hide his satisfaction and asked, "Mum, what do you plan to do?"

Madame Gu chuckled darkly, "Son, you don’t know me well. I have connections everywhere. Since he’s squandering the 6 million yuan Old Madame Gu gave him, I will get him blocked, and he’ll never find a job."

Gu Hua was pleased with his mother’s vindictive plan, but his thirst for revenge was not yet quenched. He voiced his lingering desires, "That’s a great idea, Mum, but I still need some personal revenge. It’s not the first time Li Chen has laid his hands on me."

Madame Gu assured him, "Did you think I was going to let him go that easily? Just you wait and see."

Gu Liang entered the room with her hands full of shopping bags, overhearing the intense conversation between her mother and brother. Her brows furrowed as she questioned, "Mum, Brother, what’s going on?"

Gu Hua explained with frustration, "I met Li Chen at a car dealership, and he slapped me."

Gu Liang was taken aback and exclaimed, "What? Where does he get the courage to lay his hands on you? He needs to be taught a lesson."

Gu Hua agreed, saying, "You’re right, sister. He was also with some woman. I have a feeling I know her, but I can’t remember from where."

Gu Liang added, "I saw him with a woman a few days ago at the mall, and it was that poor Zhang Mei."

Gu Hua realized, "Right, no wonder I felt like I knew the woman."

Madame Gu expressed her disdain, "Well, they deserve each other."

Gu Liang shared her own grievances, saying, "Mum, he was also disrespectful to me and Hu Yunxuan that day."

Madame Gu comforted her daughter, promising, "Don’t worry, sweetheart. He will pay for it."

Madame Gu picked up her phone and made a call to an old acquaintance, moving away from her children to speak in a hushed tone for a few minutes. When she returned, there was a victorious smile on her face.

Gu Hua couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked, "Mum, who was that?"

Madame Gu replied confidently, "Someone who will take care of Li Chen."

Gu Hua and Gu Liang exchanged knowing glances, and both of them couldn’t help but smile. Gu Liang had been feeling increasingly irritated ever since she saw Li Chen with Zhang Mei at the mall. Although she never truly loved Li Chen, she didn’t want to see him with another woman. She told herself that her feelings stemmed from a desire to see him suffer alone. Even though she knew Zhang Mei was also from a less privileged background, seeing them together, smiling and enjoying coffee, had been a thorn in her side.

Madame Gu asked the butler for a tea refill, and they all sat in contemplative silence, each savoring their tea while relishing the thought of Li Chen’s impending suffering at their hands.

After Madame Gu finished her cup, she turned to Gu Liang and inquired, "Liang, how are things between you and Sun Gang?"

Gu Liang blushed slightly and admitted, "Mum, we went on a second date a few days ago, but I’m just not ready for what he wants."

Madame Gu felt a tinge of irritation but decided not to voice her thoughts. Instead, she turned to Gu Hua and listened to his response.

Gu Hua offered support, saying, "If he truly likes you, he can’t force you, sister. Don’t do anything you don’t like just to please him."

Gu Liang smiled at her brother’s words and replied, "Thank you, brother."

Madame Gu concealed her discomfort with a stiff smile as she continued to listen to her children’s conversation.

Gu Liang stood up, shopping bags in hand, and announced, "I have to go put these shopping bags in my room." She began ascending the stairs, her mind occupied with thoughts of her recent purchases.

Madame Gu, curious about her daughter’s acquisitions, couldn’t resist and called out, "Hey, I want to see what you bought today."

Unaware of her mother’s intentions, Gu Liang cheerfully responded, "Okay, Mum."

Gu Hua, overhearing the exchange, chuckled and decided to head to the game room. He shook his head in amusement at how the women in their household shared a penchant for shopping and their love of new clothes and jewelry.

Madame Gu followed her daughter to her room and walked in, ensuring the door was securely locked behind her. Gu Liang, taken aback by her mother’s actions, inquired, "Mum, why did you lock the door?"

Madame Gu replied firmly, "Because I have something I need to talk to you about."

Gu Liang felt her heart race and replied hesitantly, "Okay." She took a seat on her bed, and Madame Gu settled down beside her.

Madame Gu gently caressed Gu Liang’s hand as she began to express her thoughts. "My daughter, do you know that by following your brother’s advice, you might lose the chance to marry Sun Gang?" Gu Liang looked at her mother, puzzled. "What do you mean, Mum?"

Madame Gu continued, her tone earnest. "You have to give him what he wants. That’s the only way he will know that you like him."

Gu Liang hesitated and said, "But Mum, he has many women in his life. How can I be sure that he will marry me afterward?"

Madame Gu tightened her grip on Gu Liang’s hand and said sternly, "You will listen to me and do as I say. I am your mother, remember?"

Gu Liang nodded and replied, "But, Mum..."

Madame Gu cut her off, saying, "No ’buts,’ Liang. You’ve wasted so many years on Li Chen, and you can’t miss an opportunity to marry such a man. Do you understand?"

Gu Liang, resigned to her mother’s wishes, responded, "I understand, Mum."

Madame Gu smiled and praised her daughter. "Good girl. So, what will you do from now on?"

Gu Liang replied, "I will give him what he wants."

Madame Gu expressed her approval. "That’s my girl."

Madame Gu stood up and asked, "When will you be seeing him again?" Gu Liang hesitated and replied, "I don’t know." Madame Gu’s frustration became evident as she asked, "What do you mean you don’t know?"

In a low voice, Gu Liang admitted, "I was waiting for him to call me for the next date."

Madame Gu raised her voice in frustration and scolded her daughter, saying, "Why? Because you don’t have his number?"

Gu Liang responded, "I do, but I’m too shy to call him."

Madame Gu shook her head and declared, "You will call him after office hours, and you will ask to meet him, understand?"

Gu Liang reluctantly replied, "Yes, Mum."

Madame Gu emphasized the importance of making her intentions clear and said, "Listen, dear, if you want a man, you have to show him. Give him visible signs so he knows that you want what he wants."

Gu Liang agreed, saying, "Okay, Mum, I will call him."

Madame Gu encouraged her by saying, "Good girl. Let me know when you’ll be going out so I can teach you a thing or two about men because clearly, you are clueless."

Madame Gu was not one to take things lightly, especially when it involved the prospect of a brighter future. Her intentions were crystal clear. Since her daughter couldn’t inherit the company, she believed that Gu Liang had to marry a wealthier man to ensure she’d never suffer. The potential benefits that Gu Liang’s marriage could bring into their lives gave Madame Gu all the more reason to press her daughter into marrying a man like Sun Gang.