Chapter 21: Receiving a Report from the Public

Gu Luosheng remained unmoved by Ren Fang’s words. If Ren Fang truly cared about their mother-daughter relationship, she wouldn’t have ignored Gu Luosheng for all five years of her captivity.

“Auntie, this isn’t appropriate,” Gu Luosheng replied.

But Ren Fang’s thoughts were clearly elsewhere; after a perfunctory remark, she steered the conversation to Lin Yichen.

“Luosheng, what do you think Yichen really wants?” she asked. “Back then, you pursued him and he refused; now Qingwan is chasing him, and he still refuses.”

Gu Luosheng had no desire to waste words on this matter, so she simply replied, “I don’t know either.”

Ren Fang mused that Gu Yanfeng would speak to Lin Yichen soon enough, and then they’d know his intentions for certain.

…

At nine in the morning, at the Gu Corporation.

Gu Yanfeng glanced at the time and said to the anxious Gu Qingwan, who was pacing back and forth, “Qingwan, sit down. There’s no need to be so nervous. Yichen just said he’ll be here soon.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Lin Yichen walked through the main doors, heading straight for Gu Yanfeng and Gu Qingwan.

Gu Qingwan hurried to greet him, offering a sweet smile. “Yichen, brother.”

“Mm,” Lin Yichen replied coolly, taking a seat before Gu Yanfeng.

The color drained from Gu Qingwan’s face. Why was Lin Yichen so cold to her?

“Yichen, have you made up your mind about marrying Qingwan?” Gu Yanfeng pressed, eager for an answer so his daughter would stop being so distraught.

Lin Yichen answered seriously, “Uncle Gu, I can get married, but only to Luosheng.”

Gu Qingwan’s dark eyes immediately reddened, as if struck a heavy blow. She bit her lip, desperate for an explanation.

Gu Yanfeng was speechless for a long moment. So after all this, the one Lin Yichen wants to marry isn’t Gu Qingwan but Gu Luosheng?

“Nonsense!” Gu Yanfeng thundered. “Lin Yichen, when Luosheng pursued you back then, you refused her. Now, when you’re about to marry Qingwan, you say you want Luosheng instead? Do you take the Gu family for a joke? Are my daughters just yours to summon or dismiss at will?”

Lin Yichen’s gaze was steady, his tone neither servile nor arrogant. “Uncle, you and my parents arranged a childhood engagement between me and Luosheng. Wanting to marry her now isn’t unreasonable.”

“But Luosheng already pursued you before and you rejected her. And now you want to abandon Qingwan?” A vein throbbed at Gu Yanfeng’s temple.

Lin Yichen lowered his head and said in a deep voice, “It’s true I owe Luosheng a debt, and I will make it up to her…”

“But I’ve only ever regarded Qingwan as a younger sister. I’ve never done anything to wrong her.”

“As a sister…” Gu Qingwan was incredulous, her body trembling for a moment. In the end, she was nothing more than a “sister.”

“Get out!” Gu Yanfeng could no longer contain himself and shouted at Lin Yichen.

Lin Yichen stood up and left without hesitation. As he passed Gu Qingwan, he said softly, “I’m sorry.”

Gu Qingwan collapsed against the glass wall, sliding down until she crouched in the corner, weeping into her arms.

Gu Yanfeng couldn’t bear to see her like this. He went over and gently embraced her. “Qingwan, it’s all right. It’s just a man. We’ll find someone even better. You’re outstanding; the one at a loss is Lin Yichen.”

Gu Qingwan stayed silent, and Gu Yanfeng personally took her back home.

Ren Fang was still waiting in the living room. Seeing Gu Qingwan’s red eyes, she immediately understood things hadn’t gone as hoped.

“Where’s Luosheng?” Gu Yanfeng looked around and, not seeing her, asked Ren Fang.

“She went out—said she was selling barbecue,” Ren Fang replied absently, her mind on Gu Qingwan.

Gu Yanfeng, puzzled, muttered, “Selling barbecue? She really does look for trouble when there’s none to be had.”

Ren Fang spent a long time offering comfort to Gu Qingwan, though who knew if any of it reached her.

“Mom, I want to be alone for a while.”

“All right, don’t think about anything else,” Ren Fang replied.

Gu Qingwan returned to her room, locked the door behind her, collapsed onto the bed, and wept bitterly. She gripped the sheets tightly, her eyes bloodshot with fury. “Gu—Luo—sheng!”

“Why is it that I can never win against you? Even the best things are only leftovers after you’ve had your pick?”

“I’ll make you regret ever coming back to the Gu family!”

…

Gu Luosheng was completely unaware of what had transpired with Gu Qingwan. By evening, she was back out, setting up her stall at the nameless intersection.

Just as she finished getting things ready, a message from Shen Mo arrived: “Are you setting up tonight?”

Gu Luosheng grinned; this regular NPC was coming to show support again. She replied, “Yes, the stall’s open! Thanks for coming.”

But her happiness was short-lived. Two city management vehicles rolled up, and the other vendors nearby began packing up at once.

Even if she was slow to grasp the situation, Gu Luosheng knew enough to pack up and leave.

The city officers shouted, “We’ve received complaints from the public. No vending allowed here! If you keep blocking the road, we’ll confiscate all your carts!”

“Yes, yes, we’re leaving now,” the vendors replied, all smiles as they quickly packed up and left.

Gu Luosheng was a beat behind and, by the time she finished, had lost sight of the others.

Now what? She had no idea where she could set up her stall.

“Who’s so bored they’d report us?” she grumbled, teeth grinding in frustration.

Blocking the road wasn’t right, sure, but they weren’t causing any real trouble! Weren’t they just trying to boost the city’s GDP a little?

She tried several other intersections, but each time she stopped, a city management car would appear.

Frightened, Gu Luosheng quickly started her tricycle and fled.

It was as if the city officers were targeting her—wherever she went, they followed. This wouldn’t do. In the end, she drove into a parking garage, resigned to giving up for the night.

How troublesome. It really felt like someone had it in for her.

Gu Luosheng frowned. Could it really be Gu Yunzhou targeting her? That couldn’t be—she hadn’t had any recent conflict with him.

Just then, her phone chimed with a message.

Shen Mo: “Where are you? I don’t see your stall.”

Gu Luosheng: “Shut down by the authorities. The city officers chased us all away…”

Shen Mo: “What? Why would they suddenly clear you out? That area’s always been a free zone.”

Gu Luosheng: “No idea! Seems like someone reported us… Wherever I go, the city officers follow. I’m stuck in a parking lot now. Guess I’ll call it a night and head home.”

Shen Mo: “Haha, don’t worry about it. Just treat it as a day off.”

Gu Luosheng: “Mm…”