1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 192 A Photograph, a Catalyst for Emotions
"Can't you file an international lawsuit in China?"

Wu Meng was single-mindedly trying to win someone's favor: "He's an internationally renowned lawyer with an international law license."

"You're talking too much nonsense these days."

Lin Xiyu could easily see through her little scheme, and gave her a disdainful look: "All you ever talk about is Gu Bin like this and Gu Bin like that. People who don't know you would think he's your boss. You're just making him sound like he's flying to the sky."

That's right, they're the big spenders!
They're incredibly generous, transferring a thousand yuan at a time.
Wu Meng thought to herself, smiling like a cunning little fox.

The unintentional little expression that flashed across her face was irresistible, and Lin Xiyu laughed, teasing her, "What are you secretly grinning about again? No wonder Wang Fan calls you 'cute and silly,' all your shrewd calculations are written on your face, it's obvious at a glance."

"Gu Bin is a good person, isn't he?"

Wu Meng was really going all out to earn some extra money, continuing her endless flattery: "I have to say, you're incredibly lucky to have married Gu Bin. Men as capable and devoted as him are practically extinct. Take Wang Fan for example, you two only broke up a few days ago, and he already has a new girlfriend, driving around in a sports car with her on Huaihai Road."

"Is he still in Shanghai?"

Lin Xiyu frowned slightly: "Didn't you go back to Germany?"

"exist."

Wu Meng was very certain: "His Ferrari sports car is very eye-catching, you can recognize it at a glance, and his new girlfriend is a minor celebrity. They were photographed by paparazzi when they went in and out of hotels, and it was even published in the newspapers."

This is the real him.

Lin Xiyu was stunned for a moment, then smiled with relief: "He has been so abstinent these past few years in order to confess his feelings to me. It's really too much of a sacrifice for him."

"You actually believe he's a man of few desires?"

Wu Meng pursed her lips: "He was just saying that, he was lying to you. If you can believe what he says, pigs can fly."

"You mean it like that?"

Lin Xiyu smiled wryly: "It makes me feel even dumber."

"Don't mention that womanizer."

Wu Meng quickly changed the subject: "Gu Bin bought you a house and helped you get revenge. Haven't you thought about thanking him?"

"How should I express my gratitude?"

Lin Xiyu glanced at her sideways: "Only someone with that gossipy expression on their face could match it."

"At the very least, you should treat them to a meal."

Wu Meng gave her a knowing look: "It's rare for you two to have a chance to meet, so I won't get involved. Let's pick a nice place and have a romantic candlelight dinner."

"You're pretty good at making arrangements?"

Lin Xiyu smiled jokingly and asked, "Then, where do you think would be a suitable place? Where is the best place for a candlelight dinner?"

“I think your place is pretty good. It’s a bit small, but it’s cozy. Gu Bin isn’t a picky person. He’ll definitely come if you’re the one treating.”

"So, according to you, it's beneath him to come here for a meal?"

"Hey, that's not what I meant!"

Wu Meng laughed and said, "I just feel that hosting guests at home is different from hosting them at a restaurant. Food made by hand shows more sincerity."

"You're quite good at explaining yourself."

Lin Xiyu smiled and gave her a reproachful look.

"I didn't lie to you."

Wu Meng continued cheerfully, "I genuinely think that home is better than outside. Besides, you've kept her out for a long time. It's time to give her a chance to show her face in front of the neighbors and become familiar with her. Otherwise, if her husband is often away from home, people will be suspicious, and it won't have a good impact on her."

"I'm certain now, you've been bribed by Gu Bin."

Lin Xiyu looked at her quietly and smiled meaningfully: "With your intelligence, you couldn't say something so profound. He must have made you say it."

"No, absolutely not."

Wu Meng blinked, feeling a little guilty.

"Denial is useless."

Lin Xiyu was very confident: "With Gu Bin's ability to control people's hearts, it's too easy for him to make someone do things for him willingly. He can achieve his goal with just a little trickery."

"You know him so well."

Wu Meng reacted quickly, teasingly saying, "Why don't you believe him? He cares about you so much, I'm so envious. If I had such a good husband, why would I need a contract marriage? I'd make our marriage official on the day we got the certificate, so he can't run away even if he wants to."

"You're pretty tough, I admit it."

Lin Xiyu gave a thumbs up to express her admiration: "That's how your Li Liang fell for you. It was love at first kiss. Even Director Du and the others said that they wouldn't dare to portray it like that in a TV series."

"I'm just that tough, so what?"

Wu Meng raised her eyebrows, quite proudly: "If I hadn't acted quickly back then, my good husband would have been snatched away. You didn't see how popular the three services honor guard was when they raised the flag at Tiananmen Square. So many infatuated women had their eyes glued to them and couldn't take their eyes off them."

"I can tell."

Lin Xiyu laughed and chimed in, "You're really quite proud of yourself."

"Ugh."

Wu Meng deliberately acted silly, and then sighed in a pitiful tone, "It's a pity that we live in different places, one in the south and one in the north, so far apart that we can't watch the flag-raising ceremony in front of Tiananmen Square every day. We can only lick the screen in front of the TV."

"Pfft."

Lin Xiyu couldn't help but burst out laughing.

-

Wu Meng had a well-thought-out plan: to persuade Lin Xiyu to invite Gu Bin to her home for dinner, hoping to use the candlelight dinner to enhance their relationship.

However, things didn't go as planned. Before she could successfully deceive him, an unexpected incident occurred.

A postman delivered a registered letter to Lin Xiyu's home, which contained a photo of Gu Bin when he was injured in the United States.

In the photo, a woman stands in front of the hospital bed, leans down, and kisses his cheek.

Even though it was just a side profile, Lin Xiyu recognized the woman at a glance. It was none other than Zhang Xiaoqian, who had fled to the United States with her mother five years ago to avoid trouble.

-

Gu Bin harbored some resentment towards his grandfather's family's decision back then, and refused financial assistance from relatives in China.

He had to go to school and take care of his mother. Since international students were not allowed to work in the United States, he could only work illegally at night.

When he first arrived in the United States, he was unfamiliar with the local environment and, in order to save money, he stayed in a predominantly Black neighborhood with a relatively high crime rate.

Returning home late at night, I am often harassed by people with ill intentions, and beatings and robberies occur frequently.

At first, he didn't want to cause trouble and forced himself to endure it until he could no longer tolerate it and had a conflict with them.

He was surrounded by a group of black people, and in the chaos, someone fired a shot that hit him in the abdomen.

He fled for his life, evading their pursuit, and collapsed outside a local private clinic.

Perhaps it was fate's arrangement, but his ill-fated relationship with Zhang Xiaoqian was not over.

After Zhang Xiaoqian and her mother went abroad, they happened to live in that city as well.

That night she had a fever, and a Chinese friend she knew locally took her to the clinic. As they drove by, they found her collapsed on the side of the road.

Zhang Xiaoqian was unaware that her father's death was related to Gu Bin. She was overjoyed to recognize him and, together with her Chinese friends, took him to the hospital for treatment.

Fortunately, Gu Bin received timely medical attention and was able to save his life.

From then on, Zhang Xiaoqian considered herself his savior and began to try every means to pester him.

Her Chinese friend also fell in love with him at first sight and, using her status as a senior, extended an olive branch to him.

This woman is Liu Rushi, the one who called Gu Bin from the Bund that night after he returned to China.

-

Zhang Xiaoqian is impulsive and easily angered, while Liu Rushi is clearly a level above her. The fact that Gu Bin spent a fortune to buy a luxury house to win a smile from the beauty reached Liu Rushi's ears through the deliberate spread of someone with ulterior motives.

Zhang Xiaoqian is a good-for-nothing; she's all looks and no brains, and poses no threat to us.

Lin Xiyu is different. She is someone Gu Bin has cherished in his heart for five years. As soon as he returned to China, their old feelings rekindled and they became close.

Liu Rushi was extremely shrewd and didn't want to eliminate her rival herself, so she turned her attention to Zhang Xiaoqian.

As expected, Zhang Xiaoqian couldn't handle the stimulation. After only a few words, she was so agitated that she rushed back from the United States.

-

"Do you know how Gu Bin has managed to get through all these years in the United States?"

"How much suffering and hardship did you endure?"
Where were you when he was surrounded and attacked?

Where were you when he was injured?

Where were you when his mother committed suicide and he was emotionally devastated?

"Over the years, it's been Ru Shi and me who have been there for him, comforting him and caring for him. You haven't done anything, so why should you enjoy the fruits of his labor? What right do you have to accept the house he bought for you?"

Liu Rushi had planned it all out. First, she sent a registered letter to Lin Xiyu, letting her see that Gu Bin was having an intimate relationship with another woman. Then, she deliberately had Zhang Xiaoqian call to provoke her.

As expected, Zhang Xiaoqian did not disappoint her. As soon as she got off the plane, she couldn't wait to take out her phone and yell at the other party.

The two thought they could strike back at their rival, but their foolish actions turned out to be a catalyst for each other's feelings.

-

When Lin Xiyu saw the photo, the scar she had seen on Gu Bin's abdomen involuntarily came to mind.

Tears instantly blurred my vision and streamed down my face uncontrollably.

Zhang Xiaoqian's words were like a steel needle piercing her heart, causing her so much pain that she could hardly breathe.

She didn't resent Zhang Xiaoqian; on the contrary, she was very grateful to her.

If she hadn't bluntly stated the truth, she wouldn't have known how much Gu Bin had suffered in America over the years.

Given his personality, he would never say it under any circumstances.

-

"This idiot."

Outside the airport, Wang Fan sat in his sports car and heard Zhang Xiaoqian's words through the car window. He immediately realized that his efforts had been in vain.

He thought Liu Rushi was a smart woman capable of breaking up Gu Bin and Lin Xiyu, but he didn't expect her to be too afraid to take action herself, instead trying to hide behind the scenes and push the responsibility onto Zhang Xiaoqian, making him happy for nothing.

Zhang Xiaoqian was still rambling on and on, and he lost interest in listening. He slammed on the gas pedal, and the sports car roared away from the airport.

-

Wu Meng never expected that Zhang Xiaoqian would accomplish what she had tried so hard to achieve.

When Lin Xiyu learned the truth, she was heartbroken and immediately cooked a meal for Gu Bin to come to her home that very night.

Gu Bin was pleasantly surprised. After getting off work, he didn't go back to his apartment but came straight over from the law firm.

As soon as she entered the room, she was embraced tightly.

Lin Xiyu found it difficult to express her tenderness and affection for him, so she could only express her feelings in this way.

Gu Bin's back stiffened, sensing something was wrong. Just as he was about to ask, his soft lips were sealed by someone's.

Lin Xiyu tiptoed and kissed him with awkward yet urgent movements, as if she wanted to vent her emotions, not giving him any chance to speak.

Gu Bin was stunned for only a second before pulling the person into his arms and taking control.

The candlelight flickered in the cramped little house, rendering the meticulously prepared dinner a mere formality.

The two kissed their way from the doorway to the bedroom, their pent-up emotions finally erupting at that moment.

-

"Am I officially hired now?"

The next morning, Gu Bin watched as Lin Xiyu tore up the contract agreement herself, and the corners of his lips couldn't help but curl up slightly.

"No."

Lin Xiyu gave him a playful glare and then poured cold water on him: "You've passed the test with me, but you'll have to explain to my mom and the others yourself. These days, my mom doesn't think you're the ideal son-in-law. Whenever I come home for the New Year, she'll be obsessed with all sorts of blind dates, forcing me to forget about you."

"hiss."

Gu Bin gasped, feeling a slight toothache: "Getting past the mother-in-law is really tough."

"Who told you to leave without saying a word?"

Lin Xiyu gloated: "You reap what you sow."

"So heartless?"

Gu Bin hugged her from behind, his voice tinged with resentment: "You just have the heart to watch me get scolded by your mother all by myself, without saying a good word for me?"

"It would be better if I didn't say anything, because if I did, my mom would be even angrier."

"What about Grandma? Is she more understanding than your mother and less likely to be overly critical?"

"Grandma won't help you either, you'd better pray for yourself."

"Then I can only kowtow and admit my mistake. I hope your floor isn't too hard."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you again, but my house still has the same floor tiles from five years ago; they're cold and hard."

"At least put down a soft cushion."

"Don't even think about it. You want to make demands after you've kowtowed and admitted your mistake?"

"Is there absolutely no room for negotiation? You're just going to stand by and watch me get bullied by your mother?"

"No."

"If you're so heartless, then don't blame me for being ruthless."

"What do you want to do?"

"Your mother bullies me, so I'll bully her daughter."

Gu Bin smiled slyly and then picked the person up in his arms again.

"No! Put me down!"

Her soft, weak replies were drowned out by the passionate kisses.

-

Lin Xiyu is passionate about making money and has long had a financial plan. She has also allocated her limited savings reasonably, including safe and stable fixed deposits and government bonds, as well as a small amount of stocks.

From 96 to 97, the Shanghai Composite Index rose from 512 points to 1510 points, a sustained increase of 195% over a year and a half.

At the time, many students at school were talking about stocks, so she followed suit and bought some, making a small profit.

Since then, she has been keeping an eye on a few stocks she likes, and when the opportunity arises, she will buy low and sell high to make a profit.

Having followed the stock market for a long time, she has also figured out that Chinese people have a strong attachment to the Chinese New Year and like to sell their stocks before the New Year and hold cash for the holiday.

The index usually falls before the Spring Festival, but a turnaround is expected during the Two Sessions after the holiday, with a decent rise expected.

Thinking conversely, the period of index decline before the Lunar New Year is also a good time to buy.

With a month to go before the Spring Festival on February 16th, she plans to divide the money Gu Bin entrusted to her into three parts: one part to deposit in the bank, one part to buy a house, and another part to invest in stocks.

As for the amount, she still needed to discuss it with him. After all, the A-share market is characterized by short bull markets and long bear markets. If she made a wrong bet and lost tens of thousands of yuan, she wouldn't be able to explain it to him.