"Holy shit—!"
Yu Bai let the classic national swearword fly in perfect, ringing tones.
Gu Yang looked at him as though he'd suddenly developed an illness and tapped a finger against his own temple in a gesture of concern.
"Nothing, nothing! I just remembered something. Carry on." Yu Bai shook his head hurriedly and mimed zipping his lips shut.
Gu Yang thought nothing of it and returned to his gossip.
[And Yu Zhou is the son of the woman Ying Jiayi's father loved back in high school. He fell for this goddess at first sight back then, and the plan to marry their children has two purposes. Returning the surname to the Liu family in the third generation is only one.]
Gu Yang read the following lines in a completely emotionless inner voice:
[For Liu Chaoyin, failing to be with Zhou Qinqin had been his life's greatest regret. His love for her was so profound that, even if fate would never bring them together in this lifetime, he still hoped their children might fulfil the romance their parents had been denied.]
[Hahahaha.]
"Holy shit. Do you think what Gu Yang just said is true?"
Quite a few students from Class Eleven were at the banquet, and the group chat instantly sprang back to life.
"Return to the ancestral surname in the third generation… Good lord. That's an impressively obscure expression."
"Jiayi's dad is unbelievably shameless, isn't he?"
"I remember Liu Chaoyin married into the Ying family willingly, and he promised their children would take the Ying surname. That's why the Yings helped him become the company's president. He's only been secure in that position for a few months, and he's already hatching schemes like this? What a petty little man."
"Cheng Zishi, he's still an elder. Couldn't you show a little restraint? It's her family's private business, after all. Our Miss Ying isn't going to thank you for insulting her father."
"Stop stirring things up, Ye Chen. Even a guard dog knows when to bark for its owner. You bark at random in every direction. All you make people want to do is kick you."
"Cheng Zishi, you bitch…"
"Now, now, why are we fighting? We're all classmates. Let's not damage our friendship. ^_^ And shouldn't we be worrying about little Ying right now?"
"…Could you all just shut up? If you want to fight, make your own group. Stop cluttering up my screen."
After typing that, Ying Jiayi stopped looking at her phone. Her expression was as cold as ice, revealing no sign of distress.
Inside, however, she was nowhere near so composed. The shock had emptied her mind, leaving no time for any emotion to take hold, while her body reacted with a wave of nausea.
Was this some kind of joke? What sort of person could be so selfish that he'd sacrifice his daughter's entire future to make up for a regret from his youth?
And where did that leave her mother?
…No. No.
What Gu Yang had said wasn't necessarily true!
Their families weren't even that close. Why should he know more than she did?
Others in the group were questioning the story as well.
"Wait. Is what Gu Yang said actually true?"
"Yeah, I'm wondering the same thing. What do you think, @ShenMingjun?"
The question was so directly aimed at Shen Mingjun that he nearly ground his teeth to dust. Yet he was too spineless to find a single insult in reply.
Because at least everything Gu Yang had said about him at lunchtime was! Completely! And! Utterly! True!
"Gu Yang's never been right in the head. And you all believe everything he says? Unbelievable."
"Hey, hey. We're classmates. No personal attacks. I'm going to have to penalise you. ^_^"
A moment later, Shen Mingjun, who had been furiously typing a long message, discovered he couldn't send it.
Fuck. That bastard He Ming'an had muted him.
Never one to miss the chance to flatter someone in power, Yu Bai chimed in: "All hail the mighty class monitor! (clapping_seal.jpg)"
Shen Mingjun was so furious that his face turned scarlet. The Shen and Yu family companies worked closely together, so he couldn't afford a falling-out with Yu Bai. Nor did he dare confront He Ming'an. All his resentment therefore poured onto the real culprit: Gu Yang.
Objectively, his family background wasn't especially distinguished in this class. But academically he stood head and shoulders above most of them. If one thought about it, weren't they all supposed to be at school to study? He never showed it openly, but he had always felt quietly superior to these students who seemed to be here just to waste time.
Of them all, the person he looked down on most was Gu Yang.
And yet that was precisely the person who had made it impossible for him to hold his head high. Even when no one said anything to his face, Shen Mingjun felt that every whispered conversation was mocking him.
Suddenly an idea occurred to him. He opened his contacts and found someone saved as Little Chen.
Their chat history was full of messages from the other person, who addressed him as "Young Master" with almost embarrassing enthusiasm.
The man was an employee of the family company. Shen Mingjun had accepted his contact request after being flattered, then barely paid him any attention. Unexpectedly, he had a use for him now.
The Shen family company specialised in public opinion and public relations. Since Gu Yang dared humiliate him like this, how could he not repay the favour with a little gift of his own?
While he was typing, Zhou Yinyin tugged gently at his sleeve. "Mingjun, your cousin's coming this way. Stop looking down at your phone and say hello."
"Could you stop going on and on about my cousin? Anyone listening would think he's your real son, you love him so much." Shen Mingjun was already irritated, and his words came out dripping with sarcasm.
In the direction Zhou Yinyin indicated, a refined, handsome boy in a blue-and-white school uniform was chatting happily with a man in a smart suit.
Yu Zhou.
He was the son of his mother's younger sister, several months younger than Shen Mingjun and in the same school year. Technically, they were maternal cousins, but they rarely met and weren't particularly close.
Shen Mingjun had never felt strongly about his cousin. They saw each other only a few times a year. Unfortunately, Yu Zhou's grades were considerably better than his, so Shen Shan often used him as a convenient example when belittling his own son.
Yu Zhou saw Shen Mingjun too and nodded with a smile. But instead of stopping to exchange pleasantries, he hurried on with the man beside him.
They were heading straight toward Ying Jiayi and Gu Yang.
Though Shen Mingjun had been fuming over his own humiliation a moment earlier, watching Yu Zhou walk away now filled him with a twisted delight. He almost laughed.
Only someone who had fallen into that trap personally could know just how deep it was.
He couldn't wait to see Yu Zhou thoroughly humiliated in front of Gu Yang!
Trying to marry into a wealthy family, was he? Where did he get that confidence?
The nerve of him!
[That live-in son-in-law's first love seems like an interesting character too. Surely she has more of a role than this?]
Gu Yang's curious voice continued to sound like a death knell in Shen Mingjun's ears. His heart lurched, and a terrible premonition swept over him.
[Huh? How does this connect to Shen Mingjun too?]
Shen Mingjun's hand jerked. He nearly coughed up blood.
No! If you're digging up dirt on Yu Zhou, then dig up dirt on Yu Zhou. Why drag me into it again?
Gu Yang scanned the text rapidly. [Following that logic, doesn't that mean Yu Zhou and Shen Mingjun are actually half-brothers? Same father, different mothers?]
Huh?
Huh???
The gossiping students looked completely bewildered. The revelation was such an abrupt leap that they couldn't work out how it fit together.
Shen Mingjun was stunned.
What nonsense was this? Weren't he and Yu Zhou cousins? How could they be half-brothers? Wasn't their family connection through their mothers?
In his confusion, his eyes met Ying Jiayi's equally blank stare. Neither looked away for a long time.
"Jiayi, you silly girl. Didn't I tell you to come find me?" The suited man approached Ying Jiayi. Though his words were a gentle reproach, his tone was affectionate and indulgent.
"This is Yu Zhou, the son of an old schoolmate of your mother's and mine. He's visited our home before. I don't know if you remember him."
Yu Zhou greeted Ying Jiayi politely, a smile resting on his lips.
"He's never been to an event like this, so I thought you could look after him," Liu Chaoyin said with a smile. "You're the same age, after all. I'm sure you'll get along."
Countless burning gazes settled on the boy. Ying Jiayi's face darkened at once.
At that moment, the familiar voice sounded again as Gu Yang raised an eyebrow.
[Oh? So this is the second-generation live-in son-in-law?]
