ASPWL Ch87: Fowl in the Air, Eggs on the Ground

Ye Leyao suppressed his excitement, and his gaze fell first on Wei Qing, who was walking beside Gu Song.

At first, Gu Song hadn’t noticed Ye Leyao and his group and was still speaking to Wei Qing: “… Xiao Yu is just a little too playful. You’re older than him, so in many matters, you should try to accommodate him more…”

Wei Qing nodded, looking as if he had taken Gu Song’s words to heart.

Seeing this, Gu Song let out a sigh of relief. But when he turned his head, he noticed Ye Leyao and his group approaching, and his eyes immediately lit up.

What Gu Song didn’t notice, though, was that at the moment he turned away, a faint trace of dislike appeared in Wei Qing’s eyes. Even when he saw Ye Leyao’s group, he didn’t bother to hide it.

Ye Leyao blinked:

[Hmm? Did I see that right? Wei Qing looked like he really dislikes Gu Song?]

[That can’t be right—I remember in the original story, Wei Qing admired Gu Song greatly. Why would Wei Qing dislike Gu Song? Could it be he finally woke up and realized that the whole family is trash?]

The story featuring Gu Yu and Wei Qing was a “reformed bad boy, forced love” novel. Gu Yu was the wealthy young master of a prominent family, while Wei Qing was an ordinary student who graduated from a prestigious university and joined the Gu Group through campus recruitment.

Because of Wei Qing’s outstanding work ability, two years later, Gu Song promoted him to be his assistant, and it was precisely for this reason that he caught Gu Yu’s eye.

Wei Qing, with his delicate, feminine features, had a face that was hard to forget at first glance.

When Gu Yu first saw Wei Qing, he immediately had impure thoughts. Unfortunately, Wei Qing had no interest in Gu Yu and ignored all his attempts to win him over.

Wei Qing’s repeated avoidance only served to arouse Gu Yu’s desire to conquer him, and Gu Yu practically tried every method he could think of on Wei Qing.

After about a year, Wei Qing finally relented and confirmed his relationship with Gu Yu.

Yet even after they got together, Gu Yu couldn’t change his ways. He cheated countless times, though he was careful each time, and Wei Qing never discovered it.

If Ye Leyao hadn’t remembered incorrectly, this “catching a cheater” scene happened midway through the novel, where Wei Qing discovered Gu Yu’s infidelity purely by chance.

But looking at the intense disgust in Wei Qing’s eyes, Ye Leyao suddenly felt something was off.

[Could it be the plot has deviated? So, today’s “cheating discovery” is—]

Lost in thought, the two groups came face-to-face.

Seeing Ye Leyao again, Gu Rou and Gu Song’s expressions became somewhat complicated.

Gu Rou disliked Qin Yao, and she disliked Ye Leyao even more.

Thinking of how Qin Hongxi had just scolded her because of Ye Leyao, a flash of resentment appeared in Gu Rou’s eyes.

Indeed, in this family, there was no place for her anymore!

As she thought this, her eyes suddenly reddened.

But she had just been warned by Qin Hongxi, so she didn’t dare confront Qin Yao, let alone make things difficult for Ye Leyao.

So, Gu Rou simply turned away, planning to leave to avoid seeing them.

Just then, Gu Song suddenly grabbed her arm.

Gu Rou immediately frowned.

Gu Song looked at her disapprovingly and then whispered, “Sis, you can’t leave now—do it for Xiao Yu.”

At the mention of Gu Yu, Gu Rou paused.

Recalling what Gu Song had just said to her, her expression shifted several times; although she still looked displeased, she no longer left directly.

Gu Song thought he’d spoken quietly, but everyone present heard it.

The Huo parents rolled their eyes without holding back.

Ye Leyao muttered inwardly:

[Truly, there’s no one more shameless; still trying to send Gu Yu into the Qin Group.]

With that, Ye Leyao paused, then chuckled to himself:

[Alright, since you love your worthless son so much, let’s hope that when you see him cheating right in front of you, you can still hold onto that attitude.]

Hearing this, everyone’s lips curled up in the slightest smirk.

Qin Yao wasn’t planning to greet them, so he held Ye Leyao’s hand, intending to keep walking.

But Gu Song couldn’t just let Qin Yao leave. He quickly stepped forward, saying, “Hey, Xiao Yao!”

Qin Yao didn’t even stop.

Panicking, Gu Song hurriedly blocked their way, smiling as he said, “Just now, it was wrong of your uncle. I’m here to apologize—don’t stay mad at me, alright?”

Then he quickly pulled Gu Rou forward. “And you, too, shouldn’t keep getting upset with your mom. After all these years, you know her temperament—she didn’t mean to make you angry…”

“So it was intentional then?” Ye Leyao suddenly interrupted Gu Song.

As the words landed, everyone fell silent for a moment.

Wei Qing suddenly looked up at Ye Leyao.

The Huo family had amused looks on their faces.

Huo Ze mentally told himself not to laugh, but after holding it in and holding it in, he couldn’t resist and burst out laughing.

Gu Rou and Gu Song’s faces instantly turned pale; Gu Rou glared fiercely at Ye Leyao. She was about to say something when Gu Song stretched out his hand to stop her.

Huo Ze, who’d initially planned to brush things off with an excuse, saw the anger in Gu Rou’s eyes, so he didn’t hold back anymore and laughed even louder.

Anyway, seeing Gu Song unhappy made Huo Ze feel great.

Who told Gu Song to mess with him first?

And while the rest of the Huo family had been trying to hold back, seeing Huo Ze laughing so happily, they all joined in.

Gu Song clenched his teeth.

If it were just Ye Leyao, he wouldn’t have held back from cursing. But now Ye Leyao was with Qin Yao and the whole Huo family.

Gu Song wasn’t afraid of Ye Leyao and didn’t feel he had to be polite to him, but he couldn’t afford to offend the Huo family right now.

So, despite his fury, he could only swallow his anger.

Gu Rou, too, knew this wasn’t the time to argue with them, especially since Qin Hongxi had just warned her and their purpose in coming here hadn’t been achieved—

The siblings stood in front of the group, visibly seething but forced to suppress their anger.

Ye Leyao observed their expressions with amusement but still didn’t feel satisfied.

After all, because of these two, Qin Yao had nearly died that snowy night.

How could Ye Leyao not be angry at the sight of them?

Sensing Ye Leyao’s emotions, Qin Yao tightened his grip on Ye Leyao’s hand slightly.

Ye Leyao looked up at Qin Yao in confusion.

[What’s wrong?]

Qin Yao said softly, “Don’t be angry.”

Ye Leyao’s eyes widened. “How did you know I was angry?”

[I shouldn’t have shown it too obviously, right?]

[Ah, as expected, Qin Yao and I are truly in sync!]

Ye Leyao’s eyes curved into a smile, his mood lifting immediately.

Seeing this, Qin Yao let out a small sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on his face as he said, “Come on, let’s go to the backyard.”

With that, the group bypassed Gu Rou and Gu Song, who were still standing there stunned, and headed straight for the backyard.

Ye Leyao had sharp hearing, so even as they reached the backyard, he could still hear Gu Rou’s furious voice coming from the hall—

“…How dare he speak to me in that tone, why should I have to apologize to him…”

Gu Song tried to calm her. “But there’s nothing we can do right now. Xiao Yao’s no longer a child… And besides, Qin Hongxi has said it: the Qin Group’s decisions are now up to Qin Yao. If Qin Yao doesn’t give the nod, what’s going to happen to Xiao Yu?”

“And by the way, where on earth is Xiao Yu?” Gu Song yelled at Wei Qing, “Wei Qing! Hurry! Go find Xiao Yu and bring him to me right now!”

A glass door separated the backyard from the hall, and from afar, Ye Leyao saw Wei Qing quickly leaving. Not long after, Gu Rou and Gu Song were headed toward them again.

In the backyard, fresh barbecue had been prepared for guests, with two stone tables under the gazebo, and not far off, a chef was grilling meat.

After Huo Yan sat down, he took a sip of soda and then turned to ask Qin Yao, “Are they really not like clingy plasters?”

Qin Yao looked in the direction Huo Yan was looking and nodded without hesitation. “They are like clingy plasters.”

But now wasn’t the right time to drive them away.

Thinking this, Qin Yao first glanced at Ye Leyao, then looked at Huo Yan.

Huo Yan was slightly surprised.

Did Qin Yao also realize that they could hear Ye Leyao’s inner thoughts?

Qin Yao didn’t miss the surprise in Huo Yan’s eyes and knowingly nodded.

It seemed he hadn’t guessed wrong—sure enough, the Huo family could also hear Ye Leyao’s inner thoughts.

Ye Leyao was still nearby.

No one said a word; only Huo Yan lowered his head and quickly sent a WeChat message in the family group chat: [Qin Yao found out!]

Mama Huo was the first to pick up her phone and check the message.

The three Huo brothers followed suit.

A moment later, Mama Huo replied in the group: [Don’t say anything for now.]

Ye Leyao was still there.

So everyone suppressed their surprise and put their phones away.

Freshly grilled skewers were soon brought over, and Qin Yao first handed one to Ye Leyao, then distributed the other skewers to the rest.

This was when Gu Rou and Gu Song walked over.

To avoid seeming too deliberate, the two of them even circled the garden before approaching.

“What do you want now?” Qin Yao asked unkindly upon seeing them.

Gu Song and Gu Rou’s expressions changed slightly. But Gu Song, being the most composed, smiled and said, “Xiao Yao, we just wanted to come over and apologize, didn’t we?”

“Just now, your mom and I were wrong. Can you stop being upset with me?”

Qin Yao didn’t even look back at him, keeping his head down as he patiently used chopsticks to remove the meat from the skewers. Before long, he had filled a small plate and handed it to Ye Leyao.

Gu Song hadn’t expected Qin Yao to stay silent for so long after he spoke, and a trace of awkwardness flashed across his face. He quickly nudged Gu Rou beside him.

Gu Rou glanced at Gu Song. She hadn’t wanted to come and take this, but then she thought of Gu Yu and finally spoke up. “I… I was wrong earlier. I shouldn’t have shown a bad face… but I’m your mom, Qin Yao. You don’t have to…”

“Done talking?” Qin Yao interrupted her impatiently, his tone icy. “If you’re done, then leave.”

Gu Rou choked. “That’s your attitude when talking to me—”

Gu Song quickly stopped her. He had just told Gu Rou to apologize sincerely, but now she was switching tones again. Gu Song was inwardly furious and shot her a sharp look.

Under Gu Song’s glare, Gu Rou finally came to her senses, muttering, “I… Xiao Yao, I’m sorry.”

Gritting her teeth, she finally forced out the words. “It was all my fault. Is that good enough?”

[Is that even an apology?]

Ye Leyao muttered to himself:

[Such an insincere apology.]

Qin Yao gently squeezed Ye Leyao’s fingers in a comforting gesture before turning to face the two. “So, what is it you want from me again?”

Whenever they needed something from Qin Yao, this was how they acted. Over the years, Qin Yao had gotten used to it.

Gu Rou looked displeased, but this time she finally learnt her lesson and stayed silent.

Seeing Qin Yao relent, Gu Song was pleased and quickly said, “It’s like this, Xiao Yao. You probably know about Xiao Yu’s current situation…”

Gu Song spoke for a while, essentially trying to get Qin Yao to allow Gu Yu into the Qin Corporation.

Ye Leyao didn’t want to listen, so he focused on the skewers in front of him. After finishing, he glanced at the time.

[Time’s almost up! There’s about ten minutes left.]

Thinking of this, Ye Leyao couldn’t resist standing up and glancing towards the villa.

One look, and Ye Leyao froze.

[Huh? That’s Wei Qing, and the person next to him is…]

[Isn’t that filming equipment?]

Ye Leyao’s heart was thrilled:

[So the photos from the affair weren’t just a coincidence?]

Before Ye Leyao could take a closer look, Wei Qing separated from the man and walked over to the group.

Seeing Wei Qing approach, Gu Song was the most excited and hurriedly asked, “Where’s Xiao Yu? Did you find him?”

Wei Qing glanced at the others, hesitating a little. “Not exactly, I can’t reach him, but…”

“But what?” Gu Song’s brow furrowed instantly.

Qin Yao had finally shown some patience, so missing this chance would mean all previous efforts were wasted.

In the end, Wei Qing couldn’t even find the person he was supposed to. No wonder Gu Yu had been arguing with him about breaking up lately.

Gu Song felt a bit of resentment toward Wei Qing but held back from saying anything. He just asked, “What’s going on?”

Wei Qing looked around, seeming a bit hesitant.

Gu Song lost his patience. “Spit it out!”

Prompted by Gu Song, Wei Qing finally said, “I did reach Gu Yu, but he didn’t answer. However, as I passed by a room over there, I heard his phone ringing inside.”

Ye Leyao’s eyes widened:

[So Wei Qing already knew?]

[He realized it but didn’t go in right away. Instead, he first found a reporter before coming over to inform Gu Song and the rest of us about it—]

Ye Leyao was almost certain that today’s confrontation was Wei Qing’s deliberate plan.

But why would Wei Qing do that?

Thinking of the look Wei Qing had given Gu Song earlier, Ye Leyao suddenly had a bold guess:

[Could it be that the storyline deviated, and Wei Qing finally saw Gu Yu’s true colors, deciding to leave him?]

That would truly be a good thing!

“What room?” Gu Song asked.

Following Wei Qing’s direction, Gu Rou glanced over and spoke up, “That’s a maid’s room, but right now…”

She hadn’t returned to the Qin family villa in a long time, and now, she wasn’t even sure if that room was occupied.

The Huo family had long figured out what was going on, but they held their tongues with patience, only glancing frequently at Qin Yao.

Ye Leyao, on the other hand, was eager to take action.

[The phone’s inside; can he still run off?]

[Not picking up the call now, huh…]

[He must be busy!]

Hearing Ye Leyao’s comment, everyone couldn’t help but feel amused.

A faint smile flickered in Qin Yao’s eyes before he spoke, “That room’s currently vacant, so it should be empty. If the phone’s ringing from inside…”

“Could he be asleep?” Gu Song suggested, recalling that Gu Yu had only gotten home late last night. It seemed very possible, so he asked Qin Yao, “Can we use the key to unlock it? I’ll go wake that rascal up!”

Qin Yao replied, “I’ll ask the butler to open it.”

With that, Qin Yao stood up, looking over at the eagerly awaiting Ye Leyao, “Leyao, want to come with me?”

Without a second thought, Ye Leyao nodded. “Alright!”

Then he turned to the group, “Mama, Papa, are you coming?”

Of course they were!

Both Mama and Papa Huo rose to their feet simultaneously.

Mama Huo chuckled, “We’re free anyway, so let’s go take a look.”

Huo Ze nodded vigorously.

Yes, yes indeed.

There’s nothing quite like catching someone in the act! Just listening over the phone can’t compare to live action!

Seeing the whole group getting ready to go, Gu Song thought it was a bit strange, but since Qin Yao hadn’t objected, he didn’t either.

More importantly, he was now terrified of provoking Qin Yao.

Today, Qin Yao had finally agreed, so he had to hurry up and convince him to let Gu Yu join the Qin Corporation.

Only then could they begin their next steps!

With that in mind, Gu Song’s mood suddenly lifted.

Qin Yao made a call to the butler, and soon, he arrived with the key.

Seeing the crowd standing outside the maid’s room door, the butler showed a hint of confusion but asked no questions.

“Young Master, should I unlock the door?” asked the butler.

“Quickly, please,” Gu Song urged, “Gu Yu should be asleep inside. We need to see him about something.”

The butler didn’t move, waiting for Qin Yao’s nod.

The first floor of the Qin family villa was vast, with the maid’s room on the right side. A path led to the back garden, so as the group stood there, guests passing by couldn’t resist stopping to curiously glance over at Qin Yao’s group.

After a long pause, Qin Yao gave a slight nod.

Ye Leyao’s heart leapt into his throat as he watched the butler’s movements and kept an eye on Wei Qing beside him.

With a “click,” the door unlocked. The butler gripped the handle and gently pushed the door open.

In fact, as soon as the door cracked open, the security guard standing nearby heard a faint, indecent sound, but without hesitation, he pushed the door further open, then took a step back.

The maid’s room was outfitted with a small sitting area, so upon opening the door, no one was immediately visible. But the sound of intimate murmurs, spreading throughout the hallway, was unmistakable—

“Tell me, am I better, or is my dad better? Hmm? Quick, answer!”

“Stop… slow down, of course, you’re better! Your dad’s just an old geezer…”

A string of shameless words followed, leaving Gu Song and Gu Rou frozen in place.

“Is there… could this be a mistake?” Gu Song was stunned.

Ye Leyao couldn’t hold back his laughter.

[A mistake?]

[Impossible, isn’t Gu Yu’s phone inside?]

Ye Leyao quickly glanced at Wei Qing, who seemed to snap back to his senses and said, “That’s impossible. When I called Gu Yu, the ringtone was clearly coming from here…”

“Could you have misheard?” Gu Song’s face flushed.

Wei Qing, acting quickly, dialed Gu Yu’s number again. Just then, Gu Yu’s familiar ringtone sounded from within the scandalous room, followed by a sultry complaint: “Who’s calling you again?”

This time, Gu Song recognized the voice.

Wasn’t that Han Wei?!

Gu Rou recognized it too— it was Han Wei’s voice.

But how could Han Wei be here…

What shocked them even more was the next male voice they heard: “Damn, it’s Wei Qing again. He just never stops…”

Gu Song and Gu Rou’s faces turned pale.

Gu Song’s voice trembled, “This… what’s going on?”

[What else would it be? Obviously, your son and your wife are up to something!]

In the next instant, before anyone else could react, Wei Qing suddenly stormed into the room: “Gu Yu! What are you doing—”

“Aahhh—”

Two startled screams followed.

Only then did Gu Song and Gu Rou snap out of it and hurried into the room.

As soon as they entered, the crowd that had been watching from the side couldn’t resist following in single file.

Ye Leyao, not wanting to risk seeing too much, waited until everyone else had gone in, then took Qin Yao’s hand and entered. Just as they stepped inside, they heard Gu Song’s furious shout, “Gu Yu! That’s your stepmother!!”

Ye Leyao could no longer hold back, covering his mouth to stifle his laughter.

[Perfect, they really caught them red-handed.]

Qin Yao suddenly whispered, “Take a look.”

Only then did Ye Leyao glance up.

Gu Yu and Han Wei had already put on their clothes swiftly. Standing side by side, they looked around the crowded room with sheer panic written on their faces.

Gu Song, his hands trembling as he looked at the scene, couldn’t manage to utter another word.

Wei Qing reacted faster than Gu Song. Without a second thought, he charged forward and landed a heavy slap across Gu Yu’s face with a resounding “smack.”

“Gu Yu! You’re nothing but a scumbag! A beast!”

Gu Yu was already stunned by the sudden turn of events. The slap from Wei Qing left him even more bewildered, and he mumbled, “You… you all… how did you—”

Gu Song’s face turned beet red with fury as he pointed a trembling finger at him. “You—you actually have the nerve to question us? Do you even know what you’ve done?!”

Only then did Gu Yu snap out of it, his whole body shaking slightly as he began to explain, “It’s not what it looks like… Wei Qing, Dad, Aunt, please let me explain…”

“Explain my ass!” Wei Qing’s eyes were red with rage as he clenched his fist and swung it straight at Gu Yu’s face.

Gu Yu instinctively dodged back. “Wei Qing, calm down… Han Wei and I, we…”

“I saw everything!” Wei Qing shouted furiously. “Don’t try to tell me that with both of you stripped down, there’s nothing going on!”

Gu Rou, still in shock, couldn’t stand watching Wei Qing hitting him any longer and quickly stepped forward to pull Wei Qing back. “What are you doing? How dare you hit him?”

Wei Qing shook her off. “Why shouldn’t I hit him? He’s cheating on me right in front of my face, and I can’t hit him?”

Gu Rou wasn’t nearly as strong as Wei Qing, so she quickly turned to Gu Song for help. “Gu Song, you—”

Before she could finish, she saw Gu Song’s face turn pale with anger before he collapsed backward.

The scene erupted in chaos again.

Qin Yao nodded to the butler, who immediately turned to find a doctor.

Ye Leyao, standing just behind Qin Yao, couldn’t hold back his grin as he watched Gu Song faint from the shock.

Gu Rou shrieked in terror when she saw Gu Song collapse and hurried to his side. “Gu Song! Gu Song! Wei Qing, stop hitting him—”

But Wei Qing was beyond reason. He picked up Gu Yu’s belt from the floor and started lashing it at Gu Yu with force.

Gu Yu yelped in pain, dodging around the room, trying to escape. “Wei Qing, have you gone crazy?”

“Yes! Damn right, I’ve gone crazy, so today I’m going to beat you to death!” Wei Qing shouted in rage.

Gu Yu, having taken several lashes from the belt, finally lost his temper as well. He grabbed the belt in Wei Qing’s hand, shouting, “You…”

Before he could finish, Wei Qing raised his leg and delivered a swift kick, his movements smooth as water.

The next moment, the entire villa was filled with Gu Yu’s blood-curdling screams—

“Aaaahhhhhh—!”

Quite a few of the male onlookers around couldn’t help but wince.

Ye Leyao could hold back no longer, leaning his head on Qin Yao’s shoulder as he laughed heartily.

[What a true case of chickens coming home to roost!]

The corners of the Huo family’s mouths all curved up in satisfaction.

Ah, the richness of the Chinese language!