SFBF CH104.2

The melon-eating crowd watching were practically clutching their chests—

No, President Gu, at a time like this, your main focus is still on explaining your relationship with your suspected ex-‘white moonlight’ to your wife?

Shouldn’t the main focus right now be exposing the true colors of this two-faced, white lotus green tea btch?!*

You’re actually just afraid your wife will misunderstand your relationship? …

Is this also a manifestation of being completely love-struck?

…So President Gu is completely love-brained?

But as soon as Assistant Li’s words came out, it caused another massive uproar throughout the venue.

The gossip everyone had just digested was: back then, Film Emperor Xiao chose the Fifth Young Master between the Fifth and Sixth Young Masters. Ignoring the entanglements in between, the current situation was that the Fifth Young Master was still in a vegetative state, so Film Emperor Xiao came back to find the possibly recovered Sixth Young Master.

But what the crowd hadn’t expected was that Film Emperor Xiao didn’t just not choose the Sixth Young Master. In the middle of it, during the Sixth Young Master’s severe injury, not only did Film Emperor Xiao not express a single word of concern, he kicked him while he was down when President Gu was in low spirits, and even completely disappeared after learning President Gu was paralyzed!

“Whoa, then isn’t this both ‘green tea’ and ‘white lotus’?!”

“No way, I had a filter for Film Emperor Xiao, please don’t let his image collapse!”

Amidst the crowd’s pointing and gossiping, Xiao Hangying was still flatly denying it. He said to Gu Huaiyu, “It’s not like that, Huaiyu. Huaiyu, you know I’m not that kind of person. I just panicked at the time…”

“Panic about what? You’re the smartest person around, how could you panic?”

The one speaking was Gu Huaiyao. By now, he had realized that Old Sixth was no longer the dying Old Sixth of the past. The most important thing right now was to pass the buck and avoid drawing Old Sixth’s aggro, so he immediately joined Gu Huaixiang’s team.

He was never polite with his words, and right now he practically pointed his finger at Xiao Hangying’s nose and said, “Back when Old Fifth and Old Sixth were in the car accident together, one became a vegetable and the other ended up in a wheelchair. Did you run away by yourself after you found out about this? If my dad and Old Fifth’s mom hadn’t personally gone to find you, and if you hadn’t already gotten your marriage certificate with Old Fifth in Country M, would you have come back to take care of Old Fifth? You probably would have run so far we couldn’t even catch your shadow!”

The crowd: …

Uh… After eating all this gossip up to now, they were no longer surprised by the fact that Film Emperor Xiao had run away alone.

But Film Emperor Xiao and the Fifth Young Master of the Gu family had already gotten a marriage certificate??

…

In other words, Film Emperor Xiao wasn’t even single right now???

“No!” Xiao Hangying directly shook his head in a breakdown and denied it loudly.

And having consumed gossip up to this point, even Shen Qing was curious.

Taking advantage of Film Emperor Xiao fiercely confronting the Gu family, with both sides arguing inextricably, Shen Qing asked Gu Huaiyu, “What exactly is going on between you and the great Film Emperor?”

The two of them were close together, and Shen Qing asked in a low voice. Plus, it was noisy on the opposite side, so no one could hear what they were saying.

Gu Huaiyu had been gazing steadily at Shen Qing. Seeing Shen Qing ask, his eyes flickered, and he took the lead to say in an equally low voice, “I’m sorry.”

Shen Qing: “? Sorry for what?…! Don’t tell me you two really…”

“No, we didn’t.”

Gu Huaiyu directly interrupted him, stating for the third time: “We have never had any relationship. Not in the past, and not in the future.”

He was overly nervous, making Shen Qing feel like his own reaction was too intense, as if he didn’t believe what his husband was saying.

Shen Qing lowered his head. “Then what are you apologizing for?”

Gu Huaiyu gripped his hand tightly with one hand, while the fingertips of his other hand lightly brushed across the young man’s jawline, saying once again, “I’m sorry.”

“My matters still ended up dragging you into them.”

“…Heck, it’s about that!” Shen Qing immediately raised his head again.

So he was apologizing just because of that…

He knew Gu Huaiyu had always been guarding against the Gu family disturbing him. Gu Huaiyu also rarely talked about his own affairs; presumably, besides not feeling there was anything worth mentioning, he also didn’t want to involve him.

But really, President Gu, there was absolutely no need for that.

Shen Qing blinked at the other man and smiled. “It’s fine, I like eating gossip too!”

—He was even a bit excited.

President Gu didn’t talk about his past, and Shen Qing hadn’t proactively asked.

But if he had known that there was someone like Film Emperor Xiao in Gu Huaiyu’s life trajectory… he definitely would have asked!

Taking advantage of Xiao Hangying and the Gu family biting each other like dogs, mutually pointing out each other’s faults, Shen Qing turned his head again to look at Shen Yuan.

“Just now you said there was some gossip you weren’t sure was true, so you wanted to share it with me privately?”

Shen Yuan: …

He answered subconsciously, “Mhm, yeah.”

After answering, he glanced at Gu Huaiyu, and simultaneously looked at Shen Qing again: But Qingqing, this gossip also involves your President Gu! Do you really want to listen to my sharing?

Shen Qing looked at Gu Huaiyu again.

The implication was to ask if President Gu objected to them eating gossip.

Gu Huaiyu had no reaction, just casting a sidelong glance at Shen Yuan, as if saying to him: Speak.

Shen Yuan immediately perked up. “…Okay, then I’ll say it!”

Shen Yuan looked at Shen Qing again, covered his mouth, and began whispering quietly.

Actually, this really was some ancient, aged gossip. The version Shen Yuan had heard said that when Xiao Hangying was young, he and the Gu family’s Fifth Young Master, Gu Huaiyu, were childhood sweethearts of the same age. As everyone knew, the Fifth Young Master and the Sixth Young Master—who is the current President Gu—were born to the same mother. The relationship between the brothers was close. Despite the three-year age difference, Gu Huaiyu (President Gu) and Gu Huaiyu (Fifth Brother) had a very good relationship, and accordingly, they also met Xiao Hangying frequently.

As they grew into adolescence, Xiao Hangying wandered back and forth between the two brothers.

When he debuted, he borrowed the Gu family’s reputation, and it was said he even used resources given to him by the Fifth Young Master of the Gu family.

But it seemed that, a few years later, as Gu Huaiyu (President Gu) gradually came of age, compared to the sickly, frail, and smaller Fifth Young Master, Xiao Hangying began to favor the Sixth Young Master Gu, who was growing increasingly tall and handsome, and possessed more ability and business acumen.

It was said that the feelings between the two brothers began to sour at that time, and it was also then that Gu Huaiyu began to detach himself from the Gu family.

Later on, entertainment paparazzi captured images of Xiao Hangying and the Fifth Young Master Gu Huaiyu going out together as a couple.

And Shen Yuan heard it was because—compared to the indifferent and maverick Gu Huaiyu, the Gu family’s patriarch, Gu Yuan, favored Old Fifth Gu Huaiyu more.

Even though familial affection was thin in the Gu family, among the eight children, Gu Huaiyu (Old Fifth) was the most favored and the only favored one. The fact that Gu Huaiyu could mobilize Gu family resources at eighteen to support Xiao Hangying in movies and TV dramas was enough to explain a few things.

Thus, after much deliberation, Film Emperor Xiao still chose the Fifth Brother, who had the entire Gu family behind him, and gave up on Gu Huaiyu (Old Sixth), who had already left the Gu family and started his own business alone.

It was said that Film Emperor Xiao even adopted a child with the Fifth Brother. Film Emperor Xiao’s ability to take on Hollywood roles and develop his career abroad also relied on the connections of the Fifth Young Master of the Gu family. It was said that when they went to Country M, they got their marriage certificate.

Then came that accident over two years ago.

It was a car accident. At the time, both Gu Huaiyu (Old Sixth) and Gu Huaiyu (Old Fifth) were in the car. The Fifth Brother became a vegetable, and Gu Huaiyu (Old Sixth) was severely injured, with rumors saying he could only use a wheelchair from then on.

As for the gossip after that, it seemed Shen Qing didn’t need to be told, as the argument over there was still ongoing.

Shen Yuan only knew that after the accident occurred, Film Emperor Xiao only stayed in Hua City for a little over a week before going abroad again.

And for the past two years or so, without the Fifth Brother’s resources, he didn’t have any new roles to film… Looking at it now, it seemed that for the past two years Xiao Hangying had been pinned down by the Gu family and the Fifth Brother’s mother. He not only had no work, but he also needed to take care of the vegetative Fifth Brother.

“Tsk, that is a bit miserable. No wonder a person like him would get drunk and complain, and even get recorded by someone.”

Shen Yuan clicked his tongue and analyzed again, “Could it be that he returned to the country this time to get rid of that burden?”

Shen Qing: …Revealing the expression of a badger eating a melon (a gossiper happily consuming drama).

If his husband wasn’t among the parties involved, it would have been even better…

Shen Qing and Shen Yuan simultaneously looked at Gu Huaiyu again.

Gu Huaiyu only said two words: “It’s fake.”

“What’s fake? Which parts are fake?” Shen Yuan also followed up with a gossip-hungry expression.

Gu Huaiyu: “Aside from the matters between Xiao Hangying and Gu Huaiyu (Old Fifth), everything else is fake.”

The implication was that the parts concerning him were all incorrect.

Shen Yuan: “Oh, oh, oh.”

He memorized President Gu’s words. Later, he would organize the content of the gossip he had just shared, see which parts were fake, extract the essence, and discard the dregs!

Shen Qing beside him: …Looked at Shen Yuan in shock.

No, Young Master Yuan, so you were actually this gossipy?

Are you an undercover reporter from some tabloid?

Summarizing the series of information, Shen Qing also pretty much understood what was going on.

It seemed that in this whole affair, the Fifth Brother Gu Huaiyu was actually quite an important figure.

Shen Qing knew of this person. He was mentioned in the book and also existed in the original owner’s memories, but probably because he was a vegetable who would never wake up, his presence had always been low.

Whether it was on the Gu family’s side or Gu Huaiyu’s side.

The Gu family’s side was due to cold-bloodedness; even if he was the Fifth Young Master favored most by the Gu family patriarch, once he became a vegetable, who would have the energy to think about him all day?

And on Gu Huaiyu’s side, Shen Qing roughly knew beforehand that the rumor about the Fifth Young Master and the Sixth Young Master having a good relationship was probably not true.

They were indeed born to the same mother, but it seemed even President Gu’s mother was very biased toward the Fifth Young Master. Moreover, this Fifth Young Master’s brotherly affection toward President Gu was not like Duoduo’s toward Aozai.

Before his accident, the Fifth Young Master was quite high-spirited and vigorous, otherwise Film Emperor Xiao wouldn’t have chosen to be with him.

But it was said that his personality was a bit sinister and domineering.

After all, he was the Gu family’s most favored young master, who had legitimately thrown his weight around Hua City for over twenty years!

And in Gu Huaiyu’s description of his siblings, he had a bad relationship with everyone.

He had never specifically mentioned that Fifth Young Master, so it seemed it was equally bad.

But what puzzled Shen Qing was—Film Emperor Xiao had chosen Gu Huaiyu (Old Fifth) in the past. After the accident left him a vegetable, he probably didn’t want to accompany the Fifth Young Master anymore, wanting to fly their separate ways in the face of disaster.

But the question was, what did this have to do with Gu Huaiyu (Old Sixth)? …

Bringing up this question, Shen Yuan sneakily glanced again at President Gu beside Qingqing.

It was obvious, President Gu was the life-saving straw that Xiao Hangying had chosen.

Shen Yuan analyzed, “It just, it feels like President Gu’s mother… is quite formidable too, to actually be able to keep Film Emperor Xiao under control! When I was in Country M, I heard that several capital bigwigs over there wanted to develop some relationship with Film Emperor Xiao, but in the end, it was all ruined due to President Gu’s mother’s interference.”

Shen Qing nodded and said, “I heard President Gu’s mother has indeed been abroad these past two years.”

Because the vegetative Fifth Brother had been sent abroad for convalescence, President Gu’s mother followed him there to take care of him.

And prior to this, Mother Gu had already been divorced from Father Gu for many years. To the Gu family, she was completely a person who had vanished. It was said that even President Gu couldn’t find her…

Thinking of this, Shen Qing suddenly had another thought: Xiao Hangying had kicked Gu Huaiyu while he was down after the accident, stabbing him in the heart.

Then what about Mother Gu, did Mother Gu go to the hospital? …

After the accident happened, she accompanied the Fifth Brother to convalesce abroad, but what about President Gu?

Did she go visit Gu Huaiyu?

Or, like Xiao Hangying, did she go as the Fifth Brother’s family member to interrogate President Gu about what happened…

Suddenly, Shen Qing remembered the first time he saw Gu Huaiyu. The other man was sitting in a wheelchair, without a trace of vitality on his pale cheeks, bone-thin, never seeing the sunlight.

…If only there had been a single person who cared about him back then, would Gu Huaiyu have not become like that…

Shen Qing instantly fell silent.

Suddenly he was very unhappy.

Meanwhile, the eyes of Shen Yuan, who was immersively eating gossip, flashed with the light of wisdom. “So rationally analyzing, Film Emperor Xiao returning this time is either wanting to use President Gu to persuade his mother into giving him his freedom. Or else… it’s intentionally causing some trouble, disgusting President Gu’s mother, and dragging everyone down to die together.”

Hearing this, Shen Qing forced the corners of his lips up with difficulty: The first scenario was probably impossible now.

He was spacing out when a hand suddenly rested on his shoulder.

It was Gu Huaiyu.

Gu Huaiyu wrapped an arm around his shoulders, lowered his eyes, and looked at him seriously, asking him what was wrong.

Shen Qing instantly snapped back to his senses. Not wanting Gu Huaiyu to see that his heart was aching for him, he immediately perked up, shook his head to indicate he was fine, and even smiled at the other man.

Gu Huaiyu blinked his eyes.

The young master Shen beside them was still passionately stringing these events together into a coherent timeline.

Shen Qing, however, was now completely looking at Young Master Shen in a new light.

He had always felt that Young Master Shen was thick-nerved, got along well with everyone without much of a temper, and was the thoughtless and carefree type most of the time.

He hadn’t expected Young Master Shen’s intelligence-gathering abilities to be this strong… As expected, the protagonist of a book isn’t just given that title for nothing!

What was quite ironic was that, on this side, even Gu Huaiyu had rubber-stamped that the relationship between the Fifth Brother and Xiao Hangying was real.

Over on the other side, Xiao Hangying was still loudly saying, “I was tricked by him into getting the marriage certificate. He said he wanted to adopt a child and needed a marriage certificate, so I only…”

Shen Qing’s train of thought was interrupted. He only heard Gu Huaiyao directly curse, “Bullsh*t! If Old Fifth was aiming to adopt a child, with his qualifications, could he not find someone else? Did it have to be you?”

Xiao Hangying: “Then you’ll have to go ask Gu Huaiyu!”

The Third Miss of the Gu family was not one to back down in an argument either: “You’re banking on the fact that our Old Fifth is a vegetable and there’s no use asking him, right?!”

The others: …

Those taking photos took photos, those eating gossip ate gossip, and those discussing discussed.

At this moment, Gu Huaiyu suddenly spoke up: “Third Miss Gu.”

As soon as he spoke, the surroundings quieted down again.

It seemed everyone tacitly agreed they should listen to him.

Sensing that his wife’s mood was off, Gu Huaiyu didn’t plan to waste any more time here. “Regarding the matter of the Third Miss and Second Young Master fabricating rumors and deliberately slandering me today, my lawyers will step forward to resolve it.”

“Huaiyu!…”

Gu Huaixiang’s eyes widened, not expecting Gu Huaiyu to say such a thing in public.

…Fabricating rumors and slandering weren’t the big issues. The key was that the siblings of the Gu family were going to court, and it was Gu Huaiyu who was taking the initiative to sue them… If this got out, the Gu Group’s stock would plummet tomorrow!

Especially since the number of onlookers was growing, and she could see media personnel carrying cameras rushing over here!

“We’re all one family. If there’s a misunderstanding, let’s resolve it. What are you talking about, Huaiyu…” Gu Huaixiang’s attitude continued to soften.

Gu Huaiyu remained unmoved. He was expressionless the entire time, only tightening his grip on the hand of the person beside him, looking coldly at those members of the Gu family. “When you took the initiative to provoke my lover, you should have thought of the current consequences.”

Regardless of how much these members of the Gu family tried to pass the buck, everyone present was an adult, and even old foxes who had played their fair share of tricks—who couldn’t see through the fishiness of the Gu family bringing Xiao Hangying right in front of Teacher Shen?

“If they really thought Xiao Hangying and President Gu had something going on in the past, and they still brought Xiao Hangying to see President Gu’s wife at a time like this… isn’t that stirring up President Gu’s family conflicts? What, does the Gu family support their own family members having affairs?” The gossiping crowd seriously analyzed.

“If they knew Xiao Hangying and President Gu weren’t in that kind of relationship, and they still brought Xiao Hangying here, then it’s even more intriguing.”

“The key is that President Gu and Teacher Shen have such deep feelings! ‘Jewel in the Palm,’ man! It happens to be from SMB, which Teacher Shen endorses, and was once their most prized treasure! If you say it wasn’t specially requested from Elder Song to give to Teacher Shen, no one would believe it! Does the Gu family not know about such profound affection? Has their relationship become this estranged?”

…

No matter what, the purpose behind the Gu family’s actions today was ultimately impure; this was beyond doubt.

Under these circumstances, if the party involved didn’t want to make a fuss, they might be able to let it slide. But if the party involved wanted to pursue the matter, those few from the Gu family wouldn’t be able to defend themselves even with a hundred mouths.

Seeing Gu Huaiyu say he was going to pursue the Gu family’s responsibility, Xiao Hangying, who had just been angered to the point of being red in the face by Gu Huaixiang, Gu Huaiyao, and the others, had his eyes light up.

He looked at Gu Huaiyu and simultaneously pointed at the Gu family members, saying, “Right, Huaiyu, you have to be careful of them. …It was Gu Huaixiang who found me, saying it was hard for their Gu family to even get a meeting with you right now, asking me to come back and see if I could find out your current situation. At the same time… at the same time…”

Xiao Hangying looked at that tall figure, his eyes involuntarily filling with a bit of bashfulness and deep affection. “At the same time, they said that the Shen family and the Gu family are now almost incompatible like fire and water. They felt that I, I could stay and take care of you. Huaiyu, I, could we not talk here, and have a private chat?”

Xiao Hangying spoke very tactfully.

But his demeanor was full of hope, his eyes glistening with moisture, having already given enough of a hint.

Xiao Hangying didn’t know how he managed to say these words.

If it weren’t for doing it under the guise of the Gu family, someone as arrogant and noble as him would never, under any circumstances, take the initiative to hint at staying to take care of someone in front of so many people!

But Xiao Hangying comforted himself: It’s okay. If others heard something wrong and called him thick-skinned, he would just say it was the Gu family who said it.

He also comforted himself that Gu Huaiyu suddenly saying he was going to sue the Gu family was actually secretly protecting him… He still had a trace of… toward him.

“Apologies, Mr. Xiao, but I believe you’ve always held a misconception.” A harsh and cold voice rang out. Gu Huaiyu’s voice was deep, “I have never said, done, or made any behavioral moves that showed I was interested in you. On the contrary, I have stated to you more than once that I have no interest in you.”

“You…” Xiao Hangying stared blankly. Before he could speak the words he wanted to say, Gu Huaiyu impatiently said, “I originally thought you were narcissistic and thick-skinned enough, but I didn’t expect your skin to be even thicker than I imagined.”

Rarely showing such a violent and impatient side, the cold harshness in Gu Huaiyu’s eyes almost spilled out directly, and the temperature around him instantly dropped to the freezing point.

He still stood tall and straight. His speaking speed was very slow, and every word he spoke pressed down heavily on Xiao Hangying.

Xiao Hangying’s eyes widened little by little.

…Gu Huaiyu, the so dignified, seemingly strict but actually very considerate, reticent Gu Huaiyu, actually… said such a long paragraph in public, and it was even to call him narcissistic and thick-skinned???

For a moment, Xiao Hangying felt like he couldn’t catch his breath.

And with President Gu’s public declaration, the others couldn’t hold back anymore and all started complaining, “I really can’t watch this anymore. What’s his status, to still stay and take care of President Gu? Is he even worthy??”

“He was nowhere to be seen when help was needed most, and he even got his marriage certificate with President Gu’s brother a long time ago. In this situation, how does he have the nerve to say these words!”

“Is there something wrong with Film Emperor Xiao’s character? Status-wise, he should be President Gu’s male sister-in-law, right? Bleh, so disgusting! How can he look at his own brother-in-law with that kind of look!”

“The way Film Emperor Xiao puts it, who wouldn’t want to take care of President Gu! Even I want to! I’m dying of laughter, hahaha… No, I’m just kidding. I wish President Gu and Teacher Shen a hundred years of harmony.”

Xiao Hangying: “…”

The situation was completely different from what he thought. Suddenly facing Gu Huaiyu’s reprimand and the accusations of a thousand pointing fingers, Xiao Hangying couldn’t control his face from flushing bright red.

He had always been arrogant, a lone narcissist admiring his own reflection, and in relationships, he had always been the one in control.

Even when Gu Huaiyu (Old Fifth) was in front of him, he had to coax him with a soft voice and gentle words. When had he ever lost face like this!

Gu Huaiyu… He used to be very silent, but in Xiao Hangying’s impression, the silent Gu Huaiyu had always been magnanimous, extremely tolerant, and possessing depth.

The Gu family members often said they didn’t know what dirty tricks Old Sixth was plotting, but in Xiao Hangying’s eyes, even if Gu Huaiyu saw through everything, he would never publicly make someone lose face. At least not with this kind of blatant, verbal…

“Gu Huaiyu, how can you say this about me… You still owe me!…”

“I don’t owe you anything.” Having lost his calm, President Gu spoke more than usual, and his aura was much more terrifying. His phoenix eyes were sharp and indifferent. Looking at him head-on, he was a picture of righteousness with a clear conscience, his imposing manner overwhelming. “If Mr. Xiao feels that I owe you something, we can meet in court as well.”

It seemed this was the first time Gu Huaiyu had lost his temper this much. Never mind others being scared as quiet as cicadas in winter; even Shen Qing was seeing this kind of Gu Huaiyu for the first time.

He felt that President Gu, who mainly emphasized emotional stability, should continue to remain silent at a time like this. At worst, he could just directly call the bodyguards over to separate the people across from them, and then see how to resolve it later, leaving it at that.

This was the first time President Gu had personally gone onto the battlefield to roast someone…

Subconsciously tightening their intertwined hands, Shen Qing pulled the other man and asked, “What’s wrong, getting this angry.”

Hearing this, Gu Huaiyu slowly looked toward him. His eyes steadied, and his expression finally eased somewhat.

Afterward, his voice also returned to its usual mildness. Gu Huaiyu said seriously, “I’m married, I have a wife.”

Shen Qing: “Mhm, yeah.”

Staring straight at the young man in front of him, Gu Huaiyu was expressionless, but looking at his demeanor, he seemed to be considering how to express himself.

Finally, President Gu simply lowered his eyes and continued trying to speak, “I can’t be misunderstood by my wife, nor can I embarrass my wife. …It concerns my reputation.”

Shen Qing, who completely didn’t expect his main focus to be this, paused for a moment. “…Oh.”

Gu Huaiyu saw that he understood and lifted his eyelids to look at him again. “Mm.”

Shen Qing: “…”

Alright, he really understood.

Translated, President Gu’s words meant that the reason he was so angry was because the other party’s series of words and actions could easily make people feel that there really was something between the two of them, making President Gu feel like his purity was almost tainted!