1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 198 It wasn't him who abandoned me, it was me who dumped her.
"Shall we meet him at the hospital?"

Lin Xiyu racked her brains for a solution.

"if not?"

Gu Bin raised an eyebrow, amused as he watched her delicate face scrunch up like a bitter flower.

"I think Sixth Grandpa will definitely be very angry."

Lin Xiyu's mood instantly plummeted, her previous cheerful demeanor vanished: "You think I'm the one who dragged you down."

Remove the word "feel".

Gu Bin smiled slyly, then changed the subject, saying, "But he's not angry with you, he's angry with me. He doesn't think you've dragged me down, he's angry that I'm incapable of protecting you and that you've suffered because of me."

Lin Xiyu was utterly speechless: "At a time like this, you still have the mood to joke?"

"I'm an optimistic person by nature."

Gu Bin teased her, saying, "The kind of person who would laugh even if you threw her into a pile of corpses."

"Sixth Grandpa is here. Let's see if you can still laugh now."

Lin Xiyu couldn't stand his carefree attitude, so she rolled her eyes at him.

At that moment, she only wanted to tease him, but little did she know that her words would become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

As soon as the old man arrived, Gu Bin was indeed no longer happy.

Because he didn't come alone; he brought four cousins ​​with different intentions.

Lin Xiyu recognized these four people: Gu Peng, Gu Feng, Gu Lan, and her cousin Gu Hui, who had a five-year drinking contest with Qu Peng and ultimately broke up with him.

-

Five years later, the four of them have changed quite a bit.

Gu Peng works in the family business, where he is responsible for the import and export of large machinery.

Gu Hui works in a state-owned pharmaceutical company and is a highly intelligent and educated research researcher.

Gu Feng got a job at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Gu Lan got a job at the Customs. Both of them had good jobs, and as long as they didn't do anything reckless, their futures were bright.

Sixth Grandfather truly loved Gu Bin, but the others weren't so sincere.

The younger generation in the Gu family are all in competition with each other.

Gu Bin wasn't originally surnamed Gu; he was just a grandson who somehow managed to outshine his other siblings, much to the resentment of Gu Peng and the others.

Five years ago, Gu Yuelan got into trouble, and Gu Bin chose the most difficult path, which was equivalent to giving up his own future and bearing the stigma of being the son of a corrupt official, to accompany his mother to the United States for medical treatment.

The younger members of the Gu family had different thoughts upon hearing the news: some were sympathetic, some were indifferent, and some were gloating.

“Gu Bin, I’ve always thought that we’re different from others. We’re intelligent and have foresight. But I never expected that you would make the same mistake again and again.”

While Sixth Grandfather and Lin Xiyu were talking, Gu Hui leaned close to Gu Bin's ear and said sarcastically, "Giving up Tsinghua and choosing Fudan was a mistake. Giving up Fudan and going abroad to study was an even bigger mistake."

"Five years is enough time to change a lot. No one will wait for you in the same place. You are no longer qualified to be compared with me. Facts have proved that I am the most outstanding one in the family, while you will only be left further and further behind."

-

"Now I understand why Qu Peng gave up on a five-year relationship."

Gu Bin didn't tolerate her either, and his words were sharp: "You've been spoiled rotten. Even a high IQ can't make up for a lack of character. Qu Peng was wrong. You're not just self-absorbed, you're extremely selfish. You think no one is worthy of your company, but in reality, they look down on you. No one wants to see your cold face, let alone cater to your ignorance."

"It's not that he abandoned me, it's that I dumped him."

Gu Hui's voice carried a hint of anger when she mentioned Qu Peng.

In her view, a woman as outstanding as herself should be accepted unconditionally, no matter how demanding her requests are.

Qu Peng's decision to give up pursuing her is a betrayal of their relationship, and it is unforgivable.

"You will regret this."

A cold glint flashed in Gu Bin's eyes: "I'm telling you this now, in less than five years, you will pay the price for your ignorance and stupidity. By then, even if you beg Qu Peng to get back together, he won't pay any attention to you anymore."

-

"What did you two say?"

The siblings' sharp exchange caught the attention of their sixth grandfather, who turned around with considerable displeasure and glared at them.

Gu Hui's lips twitched a few times, then she fell silent.

"Sixth Grandfather, I've made up my mind."

Gu Bin remained calm and composed, facing the old man's anger with equanimity: "Thank you for your kind offer, but regarding your wish for me to work in the family business, I think we should forget about it."

"why?"

The old man's eyes flashed with displeasure: "Give me a suitable reason?"

The reason is that some people don't welcome me.

Gu Bin glanced at Gu Peng and saw that he visibly relaxed when he heard Gu Bin's refusal, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

"Sixth Grandfather, if Gu Bin doesn't want to do it, then forget it."

Lin Xiyu defended him, saying, "I've already talked to him about it. He should focus on recovering. Health is the foundation of everything. Nothing else matters. I don't care if he spends a lot of money or a little. Even if he doesn't work, I'm still here. I'll earn money to support him."

"hehe."

Upon hearing the word "nurture," Gu Bin let out a pleasant laugh.

"You truly care about Xiaobin."

Sixth Grandfather smiled, his gaze towards Lin Xiyu full of affection: "Xiao Bin is fortunate to have married you."

"Sixth Grandfather, you don't need to worry about me."

Gu Bin smiled and agreed, "Xi Yu told me to take good care of my injury, so I have to listen to my wife. There's no rush with work; we can talk about it later."

The old man feigned displeasure: "You really want to stay at home and let your wife support you?"

"Being able to live off a woman is also a skill."

Gu Bin deliberately cracked jokes to make the old man happy.

"You little brat, what can I say to you?"

The old man chuckled in exasperation, tapped his forehead with his hand, and couldn't bring himself to scold him.

"Sister-in-law, let's have a couple more drinks sometime."

Gu Lan lost the drinking contest at her engagement banquet the worst and was carried out of the restaurant.

He was still unconvinced and wanted to take this opportunity to save face.

"Shut up."

Gu Feng interrupted him rudely: "Trying to outdrink your sister-in-law is just asking for trouble. Do you expect us to have to carry you out of the ward?"

"I didn't say I'd drink it now."

Gu Lan muttered defiantly.

"Never have that thought."

This time, not only Gu Feng, but even Gu Peng gave him a cold look.

"Tsk."

Gu Lan clicked her tongue, about to explode, but was glared at by the old man: "Xi Yu's health hasn't recovered yet. Don't you, as her cousin, have any sense of propriety? You're thinking about drinking at a time like this?"

"I was just kidding, I just wanted to lighten the mood."

Gu Lan didn't dare to contradict the old man, and explained with an awkward smile.

“All of you, remember this: I brought you here to make you understand one thing—brothers are connected by blood, even if the bones are broken. You are all descendants of the Gu family, and none of you are allowed to have any disloyal intentions. If I hear any more words that are detrimental to harmony…”

The old man spoke sternly, his cold gaze sweeping over the four siblings one by one before finally settling on Gu Hui.

Gu Hui shuddered in shock and lowered her head in fear.

"Don't worry, Sixth Grandfather, we know what to do." Among the four siblings, Gu Feng is the most tactful and rarely offends anyone.

Faced with the old man's anger, only he had a clear conscience and dared to step forward to ease the atmosphere: "We're family, so let's not be formal. We've always treated Xiaobin like a brother. If Xiaobin needs anything, just say so. As his cousin, it's my duty to help. As long as it's within my responsibilities and capabilities, I'll do my best to get it done for you."

"Thanks."

Gu Bin thanked him politely.

What are Xiaobin's plans for the future?

Seeing that his cousin had gotten there first, Gu Peng coughed twice while covering his mouth and feigned concern: "Do you need our help to find a law firm with better benefits?"

"no need."

Gu Bin smiled and declined, saying, "I've said before that I won't limit myself to one industry. Maybe one day I'll get the urge to start my own business and do what I like to do more."

Gu Feng didn't understand: "You studied hard in the United States for so many years and finally got your international lawyer's license. How can you give up so easily?"

"I initially studied law simply to learn more about basic legal knowledge."

Gu Bin smiled indifferently: "Too many people these days are ignorant of the law. Businessmen who don't understand the law and just blindly go about their business will eventually land themselves in jail."

"That's true"

Gu Feng nodded in agreement: "I've heard similar jokes before, saying that almost all of the first people to go into business have already been in there."

"Xiaobin has been smart since he was little, we have high hopes for you."

When Gu Peng heard Gu Bin say he wanted to start his own business, he was completely at ease, and his smile became much more genuine.

"Xiao Bin's brain is meant for scientific research."

Gu Feng smiled and flattered, "With your intelligence, if you settle down and do some research, you might just benefit humanity."

"It could also harm society."

Gu Lan responded smoothly, drawing everyone's attention.

The old man scolded him unhappily: "If you can't speak, then don't speak. Nobody thinks you're mute."

"Doing research is good."

Gu Hui's tone was a little sour: "Why don't you come to our pharmaceutical company? Gu Feng has been praising you to the skies. I'd like to see what kind of new drugs you can develop to benefit mankind."

"Every profession has its own secrets, I won't embarrass myself by going there."

Gu Bin smiled good-naturedly and ignored her provocation.

"Okay, stop talking."

The old man felt sorry for Gu Bin and didn't want him to be tired, so he got up to say goodbye: "Xiao Bin's injury hasn't fully healed yet, so let's not keep him from resting."

"Sixth Grandfather, are you leaving already?"

Gu Bin's eyes darkened, a hint of reluctance welling up within him.

"Sixth Grandfather came to see you and was relieved to know you were alright."

"Why don't you stay in Shanghai a few more days and let Xiyu show you around?"

"No."

The old man looked at him with loving eyes: "You're still in bed, how can she leave? We won't go shopping this time, we'll wait until you've fully recovered."

"You must have been exhausted from traveling back and forth in one day."

A look of emotion flashed in Gu Bin's eyes, and he wanted to persuade the old man to stay, but the old man insisted on leaving the ward with his cousins ​​as he spoke.

-

"Sixth Grandfather came and went in such a hurry, I wonder what he's up to?"

After seeing the group downstairs and returning to her ward, Lin Xiyu felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.

He was trying to give me a heads-up.

As clever as Gu Bin was, he could easily see through the old man's intentions: "Let me see my predicament clearly, so that I won't misjudge people and get myself into trouble."

He wants you to go through Gu Peng and his group.

After being enlightened by him, Lin Xiyu suddenly realized: "See how the people of the Gu family treat you."

"She truly is my wife."

Gu Bin chuckled and joked, "You got it right away, that's a perfect answer."

"Sixth Grandfather is so kind."

Lin Xiyu sighed with emotion: "I even brought them here so you could distinguish between good and bad for yourself."

"It's probably because someone let it slip during the Chinese New Year."

Gu Bin secretly guessed: "That's why my sixth grandfather was unhappy and deliberately used this method to remind me that even his own relatives may not be trustworthy."

"Gu Peng and the others could never have imagined the painstaking efforts of Sixth Grandfather."

Lin Xiyu said jokingly, "Especially Gu Hui, she revealed her true colors as soon as she arrived and was caught red-handed by the old man."

"She's outspoken, so she's not a cause for concern."

Gu Bin knew what was going on, and a cold smile appeared on his lips: "I'm afraid that some people may seem friendly on the surface, but in reality they are smiling tigers who will devour people without spitting out the bones."

Lin Xiyu frowned slightly: "You mean, Gu Lan?"

"No."

Gu Bin scoffed: "He's at best a fox borrowing the tiger's power; he's not even worthy of being called a tiger."

"not him?"

Lin Xiyu looked surprised: "Could it be Gu Feng?"

"It wasn't him either."

Gu Bin shook his head: "Gu Feng is a smooth person and doesn't offend people easily. As long as there is no conflict of interest between you and him, he won't deliberately target you."

Neither of them are.

Lin Xiyu was truly shocked: "Then there's only one person left. Gu Peng looks quite mature and composed, but I never expected him to be the one who was hiding the deepest secret."

"It's not surprising that you would have such thoughts if you don't know him well."

Gu Bin analyzed rationally: "Gu Peng is the oldest among the male grandchildren of the Gu family. He has been raised as the family heir since childhood, but his talent and ability are not enough to shoulder this heavy responsibility. That is why he is particularly wary of me and hostile towards me."

I really didn't notice until you pointed it out.

Lin Xiyu could not hide her shock: "I always thought that Gu Lan was the one who was hostile to you, but I didn't expect it to be him."

"It's not too late for you to know now."

Gu Bin deliberately gave her a hint: "Actually, Sixth Grandfather deliberately brought them here not only to give me a hint, but also to remind you, so that you would have a clear idea of ​​how to get along with them in the future."

Now that you put it that way, I understand.

Lin Xiyu was quick-witted and understood immediately: "If we encounter a tiger again, we'll stay far away and avoid it altogether. As for foxes..."

At this point, she changed the subject and smiled leisurely.

"How do you plan to deal with the fox?"

Gu Bin raised an eyebrow, intrigued by what she was about to say.

"Grandpa Liu left in a hurry this time, so let's let him off the hook for now."

Lin Xiyu did not disappoint him, declaring domineeringly: "He shouldn't be so lucky in the future. We'll get him drunk every time we see him, and he'll be completely drunk every time he sees us. When he sees the two of us, he'll only be able to kneel down."

"hehe."

Gu Bin adored her haughty little appearance and let out a pleasant laugh.

(End of this chapter)