Chapter 5

Yuan Wangyue stood inside the room that would be hers from now on.   The Yuan family lived in a single-entry courtyard. She was given the west wing. The room was a little small, didn't get much sunlight, and had only simple furnishings, but Yuan Wangyue didn't care about any of that.   “Father, I'll have my own room from now on.”   Yuan Wangyue's eyes filled with tears of excitement.   “I've dreamed of having a room of my own.”   Yuan Meiliang imagined what his daughter must have experienced while living with the Gu family.   One girl and six men. The Gu family was poor, too. His daughter must have suffered. He couldn't even imagine where those people had made his precious daughter sleep.   “Good girl. Father won't let you suffer anymore.”   “Thank you, Father.”   Yuan Wangyue broke into a smile through her tears.   “You're the best father in the world.”   “I’m a rough man. I don't know what things young girls like, so take this money and buy whatever you want. If you like it, buy it.”   Yuan Meiliang generously handed her a hundred-tael silver note.   “Fix up the room properly. A girl's boudoir should actually look like a girl's boudoir!”   Yuan Wangyue's eyes lit up.   She leaned into Yuan Meiliang's arms, tears of excitement filling her eyes.   “Father, you're so good to me. I've dreamed of having a father who would cherish me. Now, my dream has finally come true.”   A hundred taels of silver!   She could replace the bed and wardrobe, buy several new outfits, some rouge and powder, and two pieces of jewelry.   She could still have several dozen taels left over.   “Silly child, you're Father's own flesh and blood. If I don't treat you well, who should I treat well?”   Yuan Meiliang affectionately stroked Yuan Wangyue's head.   “I'll make up for all the happiness you missed out on these past ten-odd years. I'll give it all back to you.”   Yuan Wangyue was so moved that tears filled her eyes.   Father and daughter embraced.   One cried while the other smiled.   The scene of familial affection was warm and harmonious.   As the sun began to set, it had been many years since the Gu family had eaten at a restaurant.   Gu Er supported their father while Gu Si accompanied Gu Qingluo. The four of them slowly made their way toward Wenshan Academy.   They planned to eat somewhere closer to the academy so that Gu Wanzhou could easily make the trip there and back.   Kangzhuang Avenue was the main thoroughfare through Dexing County and the busiest street in the entire county.   Even during the day, it was crowded with people. Buildings stood closely packed together, and all kinds of shops displayed an endless variety of goods. There were businesses of every kind.   Besides the main street, several smaller streets branched off from Kangzhuang Avenue, providing convenient places for street vendors to set up their stalls.   The entire area was bustling, a clear sign of how prosperous Dexing County was.   Gu San and Gu Wanzhou were standing on Kangzhuang Avenue, anxiously looking in the direction from which Gu Qingluo and the others were coming.   Gu Wanzhou looked nervous.   What was his biological sister—the sister who shared his blood—like?   And what about their former sister?   She was in the Yuan family now.   Was she doing well?   A jumble of emotions surged through him, making Gu Wanzhou increasingly uneasy.   “Big Brother, are you nervous?” Gu San asked.   Their eldest brother only rubbed his fingers like that when he was especially nervous.   “No. I just don't know what kind of person our sister is.”   Gu San was qualified to answer that question.   “Second Brother and Fourth Brother both say she's pretty good. She speaks softly, but she isn't spoiled or delicate. She doesn't dislike Father's illness. In fact, she even helped pat his back to loosen his phlegm and supported him outside to get some sunlight. She told Father that he should come outside and walk around more often.”   Gu Wanzhou was astonished.   “She really did all that?”   “Yes. You know what kind of personality Father has. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken the initiative to suggest going out for a meal.”   Previously, whenever they tried to take Little Sister out to eat, their father refused no matter what.   Gu Wanzhou hummed thoughtfully.   Now he was actually looking forward to meeting this sister.   “Isn't that Gu?”   A voice came from behind them.   Gu Wanzhou turned around and saw his classmate, Yuan Shicong.   The two of them didn't interact much at the academy.   Yuan Shicong came from a good family and was an excellent student. On top of that, his younger sister would bring him food at the academy every few days.   He often had to share it with his classmates, so he was particularly popular among the students.   Gu Wanzhou had never tasted the food himself, but he had heard the others mention that the chef at Yuan's residence was excellent.   “Brother Yuan.”   By now, both of them knew that their sisters had been switched at birth.   “Your biological sister has returned home. Are you also heading to Wangjiang Restaurant for a reunion dinner?” Yuan Shicong reminded him, “The food at Wangjiang Restaurant is good, but it's expensive.”   It sounded like a warning.   But the mockery and disdain in his words were completely blatant.   Gu Wanzhou was just about to answer when he heard a familiar voice.   “Brother.”   Gu Wanzhou abruptly turned around.   He saw the younger sister he had cherished for more than ten years running toward him with a bright smile.   Without thinking, Gu Wanzhou stepped forward to meet her.   “Little Sister.”   Yuan Wangyue acted as though she hadn't even seen him.   She brushed past him and ran straight toward Yuan Shijun.   “Brother.”   The smile on Gu Wanzhou's face instantly froze.   Yuan Shijun smiled as he introduced them.   “Big Brother, Third Brother, this is our biological sister. She's our Wangyue.”   They stood on Kangzhuang Avenue.   The bright red lanterns lining the street and the glowing candlelight illuminated the group, making them look especially striking.   One of the young men was tall and elegant, one hand resting in front of him and the other behind his back. His indigo straight robe made his proud, scholarly bearing even more apparent.   He merely cast a casual glance at Yuan Wangyue.   Her heart immediately began beating faster.   “Wangyue greets Big Brother.”   The cold and aloof young man was none other than Yuan Shicong—the eldest brother who would later rise to become a second-rank official at a remarkably young age.   “It's good that you're back.”   A smile played at the corners of Yuan Shicong's lips, and his voice was surprisingly gentle.   “Wangyue greets Third Brother.”   Yuan Shifu took Yuan Wangyue's hand and looked her up and down, smiling warmly.   “You really are a member of the Yuan family. The moment I saw you, I felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Wangyue, now that you're home, your brothers will cherish you like the apple of their eyes.”   Yuan Wangyue nodded repeatedly, her eyes growing moist.   These were the very brothers who would later become enormously wealthy!   More than ten years from now, all three brothers would stand at the peaks of their respective lives.   Power, influence, and wealth would all fall into their hands.   And their younger sister, Yuan Wangyue, would be lifted up by her brothers and stand at the very top of society, becoming the mistress of a prestigious household.   Yuan Wangyue suppressed the delight bubbling inside her.   As she looked at her three brothers, her eyes were filled with happiness and excitement.   From beginning to end, she saw only the three Yuan brothers.   She didn't notice Gu Wanzhou and Gu San at all.   Gu Wanzhou looked dejected, deeply hurt.   “Little Sister.”   Only then did Yuan Wangyue seem to notice them.   She smiled and called out, “Oh, it's Young Master Gu and Third Young Master Gu. What brings you here?”   Young Master Gu?   Third Young Master Gu?   Gu Wanzhou felt as though someone had ripped his heart to pieces.   He didn't even have the strength to speak.   Yuan Shicong smiled.   “They seem to be heading to Wangjiang Restaurant for dinner too. Their biological sister has returned home on the very same day. It seems we had the same idea.”   The Gu family was going to eat at Wangjiang Restaurant?   No one understood the Gu family's circumstances better than Yuan Wangyue.   She lowered her eyes, hiding the endless grievance in them.   Yuan Wangyue sneered inwardly, but on the surface, she revealed a trace of sorrow.   “There’s a little food stall in this alley. They sell stir-fried dishes that are cheap and delicious. My Gu brothers used to take me there to eat. Their chili-fried pork had one plate of chilies and only ten slices of meat, and it cost just five coins. It was the most delicious thing I'd ever eaten.”   “I never expected that as soon as their biological sister returned home, the Gu brothers would take her to Wangjiang Restaurant.”   “So it turns out I wasn't that important to my Gu brothers after all.”   Yuan Wangyue's tears came instantly.   Seeing the little sister he had cherished for more than ten years crying, Gu Wanzhou panicked.   He was both anxious and heartbroken.   Afraid that Little Sister would feel she had been wronged, Gu Wanzhou exposed his own family's poverty right in front of the Yuan family.