Don't call me a singing god, I just want to go back to doing scientific research.

After the meal, Gu Yang felt like he had been fed so much that he looked like a hamster preparing for winter, his belly round and full.

Ling's mother's cooking skills are truly remarkable. Her sweet and sour pork ribs are delicious, her potato and beef stew is tender and flavorful, and even the simplest stir-fried vegetables have a wonderful aroma from the wok.

After being chased out by Ling's mother with a spatula again, he slumped on the sofa, let out a satisfied burp, and felt that he had made up for all the energy he had used up that afternoon, and even exceeded it.

Ling's mother was busy in the kitchen, the sounds of washing and rinsing carrying a comforting, homey atmosphere.

Gu Yang took out his phone and habitually opened Weibo.

Several familiar names were on the trending topics list. He was about to scroll through to see what new gossip was coming when a headline made him pause.

#Guyang's relationship with a rich man#

It was followed by a purplish-red "爆" (explosion) character.

Gu Yang's heart skipped a beat, and he clicked on it.

The most popular Weibo post on the square was a nine-grid image posted by a marketing account, accompanied by extremely sarcastic text: "[A netizen spotted Gu Yang at a high-end shopping mall, accompanied by a mysterious middle-aged woman. The two shopped through luxury stores, spending lavishly, with Gu Yang carrying bags the entire time, appearing very intimate. Has he found a new backer? @Lingluo, do you know?]"

The accompanying photos were taken from different angles. The images were somewhat blurry, but they clearly showed him and Ling's mother walking through various brand stores, and him carrying a lot of shopping bags.

There is a photo taken when they were resting in a coffee shop. Ling's mother is leaning over to talk to him. The angle is extremely tricky, making it look like they are whispering intimately.

The comments section has exploded.

[I knew it! He's just a newcomer from a talent show, how come he has so many resources? Turns out he has connections behind the scenes.]

No wonder they seemed so awkward on the last episode of "The Voice of China"; apparently, they've already found new employers.

That woman looked quite old, old enough to be his mother. How could she do that?

[Watch your mouth, upstairs! Maybe they're relatives?]

What kind of relatives can spend money like that? Did your relatives buy you head-to-toe luxury goods? Don't even try to wash it off, it's disgusting.

I feel so sorry for Luo Shen, he's wearing this green hat...

Some who heard the rumors about Gu Yang's identity immediately took action.

[Nonsense. Last time, someone in the industry said that Gu Yang was from the Gu family. Do people from the Gu family need to rely on rich men?]

[Exactly, my aunt's brother's son works at Fanyin Entertainment. He said the major shareholder of Fanyin Entertainment is Gu Yang's brother. With that kind of background, why would he need to be with a rich woman?]

Gu Yang's face gradually darkened. He didn't care what others said about him; from the moment he chose to stand in the spotlight, he was prepared to be discussed.

But they can't insult Lingluo's mother like that.

  

That was Ling Luo's mother, an elder who genuinely cared for him and treated him like her own son.

He gripped his phone tightly, his knuckles clenching.

"Yangyang, come watch TV, this show is really good." Ling's mother came out of the kitchen with a plate of cut fruit and saw Gu Yang sitting on the sofa without moving, and his expression was not right.

"What's wrong? Why do you look so grumpy?" She put down the fruit plate and leaned over to take a look.

Gu Yang instinctively tried to put his phone away, but it was too late.

Ling's mother's gaze fell on the screen. With her sharp eyesight, she immediately recognized the words and photos on it.

"Oh my, this is how the photo was taken, making me look so fat." This was Ling's mother's first reaction.

She picked up her phone, swiped through a few pictures, and then looked at the comments. Her brows furrowed, but not out of anger; rather, she felt a little amused.

"Rich woman? Me? Are they blind? I don't look like a rich woman at all."

Seeing her reaction, Gu Yang didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Auntie, you're not angry?"

"Why are you so angry?" Ling's mother handed the phone back to him, forked a piece of apple, and held it to his mouth. "People can say whatever they want. But they're saying you followed me, so doesn't that mean I snatched you away from Ling Luo? My son's going to be jealous."

Gu Yang was amused by her, and his anger subsided considerably.

He took the apple, took a bite, and crunched it.

Looking at him, Ling's mother's smile faded slightly: "However, this matter still needs to be dealt with, so as not to affect you and Ling Luo."

Gu Yang nodded. He thought so too. He picked up his phone and was about to dial Ling Luo's number.

But after thinking about it, he realized he couldn't rely on Ling Luo entirely. These kinds of things would happen again in the future, and when Ling Luo got busy, she wouldn't have time to help him deal with them.

Gu Yang exited Ling Luo's phone page and dialed another number.

"elder brother."

A deep, steady male voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hmm, what trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"Uh...bro, am I really that much of a troublemaker?"

The scene remains undecided.

"Hehe, this is just a small matter." Gu Yang leaned against the balcony wall, his tone lazy. "I would like to ask you to help me prepare a statement. You can write the content as you see fit, but the main point is to highlight my own 'financial strength'."

On the other end of the phone, Gu Jing, the eldest brother of the Gu family and the current CEO of the Gu Group, remained silent for a moment before letting out a helpless sigh. "Finally, our young master has revealed his identity?"

"Isn't it because they went too far?" Gu Yang kept picking at the leaves of Ling Luo's orchid. "Brother, just tell me, are we going to do it or not?"

"Yes, young master. How could I dare disobey your orders?" Gu Jing seemed busy, and after a quick joke, he said, "Just wait here, I'll hang up now."

Before Gu Yang could speak, the phone was abruptly disconnected.

Gu Yang chuckled softly, then flipped through his photo album, searching for a long time before finally finding a satisfactory one.

That photo was taken during the Chinese New Year last year. In the photo, he is standing in the middle, with his older brother Gu Jing, who is wearing a bespoke suit and exudes a powerful aura, on his left, and his older sister Gu Yue, who is wearing a red dress and is bright and beautiful, on his right.

The three of them, with their superior genes, look like they're shooting a fashion editorial no matter where they stand.

He edited a new Weibo post and uploaded the photo.

Then, he typed a line of text.

[I want a wall of medals V: Marrying a rich man? If I'm not mistaken, I am a rich man myself. Right, @GushiGroup @YueyueChloé [Image]]

Click to send.

After doing all this, he tossed his phone aside, slumped back into the sofa, and let out a long sigh of relief.

In the living room, Ling's mother was engrossed in a family drama, watching a scene where the male and female leads were arguing fiercely due to a misunderstanding. She shook her head, saying, "Oh dear, these two, can't they just talk things out? They have to fight."

She turned her head and saw Gu Yang looking "lifeless," and assumed he was still troubled by things online.

"Yangyang, stop thinking about those things. Come on, have some fruit."

Gu Yang picked up a piece of cantaloupe and put it in his mouth; it was sweet and delicious.

He smiled at Ling's mother, his eyes curving into crescents: "Auntie, it's alright now."

It's just a small matter.

But at that moment, his Weibo post stirred up a huge wave on the internet.