Chapter 1: Return to the Gu Family

Zhangshu Village.

The afternoon sun was merciless, beating down relentlessly. In front of a warehouse, a large truck stood parked, and five laborers were busily unloading cargo. What drew the eye, however, was that among the workers was a woman.

She strained to lift boxes heavier than herself, her hairline damp with sweat, trudging steadily toward the warehouse. When she set one box down and reached for another, a bright red Ferrari rolled to a stop at the entrance.

From the car stepped a young man, impeccably dressed in a suit, who approached the warehouse with an air of distaste, pinching his nose.

“The country really reeks. If my elder brother hadn’t insisted I bring Gu Luosheng back to the family, I wouldn't bother setting foot in this godforsaken place.”

Muttering, he glanced inside and spotted the woman emerging from the shadows of the warehouse.

“Gu Luosheng!”

Hearing her name called, Gu Luosheng looked up in confusion, her gaze meeting his. She froze, recognizing him instantly—a flood of buried memories overwhelming her.

The young man was Gu Yunzhu, her second brother, though he had never truly accepted her.

Once, Gu Luosheng had been the cherished daughter of the Gu family in Yuncheng. But when she turned eighteen, her father, Gu Yanfeng, brought home a girl named Gu Qingwan, claiming she was his real daughter and that Gu Luosheng was merely a child adopted by the family patriarch.

The old master of the Gu family adored his granddaughter, yet feared she might be blinded by wealth. He resolved to keep her identity secret and raise her himself. The day his granddaughter was born, the old man switched her with Gu Luosheng—leaving the true child, Gu Qingwan, by his side, and placing Gu Luosheng in the Gu family’s care.

For eighteen years, Gu Luosheng had never imagined she was adopted. It was on her birthday, when Gu Qingwan appeared, that she learned the truth about her origins.

She could still recall the scene: the family huddled together in happiness after Gu Qingwan’s return, while she stood awkward and out of place.

She tried to accept her new identity as a foster child.

Eighteen years of affection could not be erased easily. Gu Yanfeng and his wife, Ren Fang, continued to treat Gu Luosheng as before. Yet people’s hearts inevitably change.

Gu Qingwan felt no kinship toward Gu Luosheng—on the contrary, she despised her for having usurped her parents’ love for eighteen years. Again and again, Gu Qingwan schemed to make the family misunderstand Gu Luosheng. Once, she even threw herself in front of Gu Luosheng’s slow-moving car, insisting she had been gravely injured, as if her very bones had shattered.

That time, the whole family erupted in anger at Gu Luosheng.

Fortunately, Gu Qingwan was taken to the hospital, and tests revealed nothing serious—only that she had suffered considerable “emotional trauma.”

Gu Yunzhu had pointed at Gu Luosheng and shouted, “Gu Luosheng, you would-be murderer! If not for our parents’ lingering feelings, I’d have called the police and had you arrested long ago.”

Gu Luosheng could only repeat over and over, “Second Brother, I didn’t mean to hit Gu Qingwan, she ran out in front of me!”

But with a resounding slap, Gu Yunzhu’s palm left a vivid print on her cheek. She stared at him in disbelief, her hand pressed to her face.

“From this day forward, you are no longer a member of the Gu family!” he declared harshly. As punishment, he sent Gu Luosheng to the countryside warehouse, forcing her to earn her keep by manual labor.

At first, she tried to flee, seeking work in the city. But Gu Yunzhu wielded the family’s influence, ensuring she was dismissed from every job she found the very next day.

No matter where she ran, it was always the same.

In the end, Gu Luosheng had to resign herself to fate, returning to Zhangshu Village to work as a loader. At least the job paid enough to keep her from starving.

Five years had passed. Gu Yunzhu still looked radiant, exuding confidence and vigor. In contrast, Gu Luosheng was pale and gaunt, her arms beneath her sleeves calloused by hard labor.

“Young Master Gu, what brings you here?” Gu Luosheng drew a deep breath, striving to keep her voice steady.

Hearing her distant tone, Gu Yunzhu frowned unconsciously.

With an air of authority, he announced, “Elder Brother has returned and wants to see you. Pack your things and come with me. There’s no need for you to stay here any longer.”

“Elder Brother…” Her thoughts wandered. The eldest of the Gu family, Gu Yunqi, had always been the one who cared for her most.

Even after Gu Qingwan returned, his affection for Gu Luosheng never wavered. When Gu Qingwan’s schemes began, Gu Yunqi was already abroad; otherwise, perhaps someone would have spoken in her defense.

Five years had passed. Gu Yunqi had finally come home.

Gu Luosheng clenched her fists. After five long years, she could finally leave this place.

“All right.”

As she walked away, Gu Yunzhu called after her, “Oh, and take a shower before you go. You smell terrible.”

…

An hour later.

Gu Luosheng climbed into Gu Yunzhu’s car, and the two set off for Yuncheng.

She had little to pack. In five years, she had bought no new clothes; aside from what she’d brought with her to Zhangshu Village, only her work uniform remained.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, Gu Yunzhu saw Gu Luosheng gazing absently out the window, her eyes clouded with an emotion he couldn’t decipher.

“Gu Luosheng, remember your manners when you return. Don’t act reckless as you did before, relying on your status as the Gu family’s daughter. You’re not part of the family anymore!” he couldn’t help but admonish her, his eyes watching for her reaction.

He had expected her to plead for acceptance, to beg for her place.

But Gu Luosheng only replied softly, “Yes.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the car felt stifling.

Since getting in, that was the only word she had spoken.

“When you get back, don’t be jealous of Qingwan anymore. I hope these five years have taught you a lesson,” he continued, adopting the tone of an elder brother, warning her not to overstep her bounds.

“Yes.”

Her meek compliance seemed to satisfy him.

At last, they arrived at the Gu family villa.

Gu Yunzhu led her inside. “Pick any room you like,” he said offhandedly.

“Elder Brother is still at the company and won’t be back for a while.”

“Yes,” Gu Luosheng replied.

She didn’t go upstairs, but instead, carrying her small bundle, entered a room on the ground floor—the area typically reserved for the servants.

Gu Yunzhu noticed, but said nothing. In his mind, Gu Luosheng truly no longer belonged to the Gu family.