Third was quite startled to see Ms. Gu.
Yesterday, during the video call, Third noticed that Ms. Gu looked very young.
However, seeing her in person was something different.
Today, Ms. Gu was dressed even more youthful than Third.
She wore a pink puff dress, crystal shoes, her hair braided and hanging in front of her chest, with the stray bangs pinned with a crystal hair clip.
She looked like a teenage Princess, not at all like a middle-aged woman who has given birth to a child, with the child already thirty years old.
Ms. Gu’s gaze was pure, and her smile was incredibly clean.
She looked like someone who has been pampered all her life, never encountering any troubling issues.
"Hello, sister."
Third blurted out.
Ms. Gu was absolutely delighted, bouncing over to grab Third’s hand: "Hello, hello, oh my, you’re much prettier than you looked in the video."
Having already called her sister, Third threw caution to the wind and continued: "You’re very pretty too, sister. Although I know you are Kai Zhi’s mother, meeting you makes me want to call you sister naturally. I even wanted to call you younger sister but couldn’t bring myself to say it."
These words made Ms. Gu beam with joy.
Gu Kai Zhi touched his nose, thinking who was calling her mother-in-law before coming in the door.
"Do you want something to drink?"
Ms. Gu smiled at Third and asked.
Third shook her head: "No need, I just want to chat with sister."
Ms. Gu then glanced at Gu Kai Zhi: "Kai Zhi, I’ll talk with Pingping, you don’t stand around here blocking our view, go do what you have to do."
Gu Kai Zhi didn’t want to leave.
He glanced at Third.
Third waved her hand: "Listen to sister, if you have business, go handle it, the driver can send me home later."
Third understands being practical, and she won’t demand Gu Kai Zhi abandon his work just to care for her, attending to her every day in the name of romance.
She’s not that kind of person.
She’s pragmatic, love is important but doesn’t mean abandoning work.
Gu Kai Zhi also understood Third’s character, he leaned in to hug Third: "I’ll head to the company first, definitely be back for lunch, and will spend the afternoon with you."
"Alright." Third smiled.
Ms. Gu saw the interaction between Third and Gu Kai Zhi, feeling overjoyed.
Once Gu Kai Zhi left, Ms. Gu said to Third: "I can see that my son truly has genuine feelings for you. He has been very happy this period. Over the years, I’ve never seen him so happy before. You wouldn’t know, my son used to be so aloof, always with a cold face, like a block of ice, scarcely smiling throughout the year. But since my return, I’ve noticed he seems more human, even having a bit of warmth."
Who talks about their son like this?
But Third is carefree and straightforward, not one to dwell on such details.
"I don’t know what Kai Zhi was like before, but he is gentle to me and treats me well."
Speaking of which, even someone like Third got a bit shy.
Ms. Gu watched and felt even more relieved.
She chatted with Third, sharing stories of Gu Kai Zhi’s childhood.
"Let me tell you, if Kai Zhi’s father ever approaches you, you must ignore him. That man is truly disgusting. I don’t want to mention him at all, but I’m worried you’ll suffer loss, so I have to tell you. He’s a fraud, drenched in the stench of money, yet he’d pretend to be deeply devoted. Just thinking about him makes me lose my appetite."
Third listened attentively.
It turns out, Gu was originally Ms. Gu’s family heritage, founded by Gu Kai Zhi’s maternal grandfather, Gu Xun. During his youth, he and his wife worked tirelessly, often neglecting Ms. Gu.
By the time they could properly guide their daughter, Ms. Gu, influenced by love dramas and ill-advised extended family suggestions, turned into a naive girl obsessed with romance.
She only thought about love, ignoring everyone’s advice.
Gu Xun was deeply saddened but with only one daughter, had to make plans for her future.
Initially, Gu Xun intended to groom a son-in-law himself, but who would’ve thought Ms. Gu got attracted to Kai Zhi’s father, Cao Hua.
Cao Hua was a typical "Phoenix man," his family too poor to get by, he attended college by draining his family’s resources. In college, he met Ms. Gu and began pursuing her for better days ahead.
At the time, Ms. Gu was a gullible young woman, deceived by Cao Hua’s false affections, resolute on marrying him.
Ms. Gu couldn’t see Cao Hua’s true nature, but Gu Xun certainly could.
Concerned but unable to scold his daughter, Gu Xun reluctantly accepted Cao Hua.
Yet, Gu Xun kept a sharp eye, tricking Cao Hua into signing an agreement and doing a prenuptial property notarization before allowing them to marry.
After marrying Ms. Gu, Cao Hua continued sweet-talking her until Gu Kai Zhi was born.
Only when he felt his position secure did Cao Hua start showing his true colors bit by bit.
Gu Xun didn’t succumb to him. Gu Kai Zhi was guided by Gu Xun from a young age and wasn’t close to his parents.
Alongside raising Gu Kai Zhi, Gu Xun introduced Ms. Gu to many elite gentlemen, intentionally guiding her for this, exposing her to numerous handsome men. Gu Xun even established an entertainment company for Ms. Gu to manage.
Male celebrities in the company vied for her favor to gain fame.
Compared with those stars, Cao Hua was lacking in both looks and tactics, inevitably defeated.
The most significant thing was that they were fresh talents, whereas he had become an old relic, losing the passion they once had in Ms. Gu’s eyes.
Seeing Ms. Gu change, Cao Hua, out of impulse, cheated.
The incident was caught by Gu Xun, putting the facts before Ms. Gu.
Ms. Gu was already weary of Cao Hua, but contemplated their past feelings, tolerated his presence. Now Cao Hua cheated, how could she endure?
To Ms. Gu, love was extremely valuable, pure and flawless, any blemish to it must be discarded.
Hence, they divorced, Gu Kai Zhi followed Ms. Gu, inheriting the Gu.
Ms. Gu didn’t force Cao Hua away with nothing, allowing him to take money accumulated from Gu Family over the years.
After that, Ms. Gu never paid attention to Cao Hua.
Third was impressed.
She truly admired Gu Xun’s tactics, coming up with such ways to deal with an ungrateful son-in-law was exceptional.
Ms. Gu sighed deeply with Third: "Finding eternal love is truly difficult. I’ve yet again lost in love, not sure how to move on."
Third laughed: "It might not take too long, maybe tomorrow you’ll meet someone making you believe in love again."
Ms. Gu smiled: "Perhaps, maybe in the next meal I’ll encounter them."
She said to Third: "You and Kai Zhi must stay happy, although you’re so young and beautiful, Kai Zhi is already aging. Honestly, you’re at a disadvantage. If you ever dislike him, tell me, it’s better to part amicably. Though I like you very much, even if you two can’t stay together, we could remain friends."
What an eccentric mother.
Third was rather speechless, she managed a forced smile: "Kai Zhi is very good, I’m... hoping we can have a complete ending, maybe we could have forever, which would make up for your regret."
The conversation between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was interrupted by the doorbell.
The maid opened the door, several middle-aged men and women squeezed in.
Ms. Gu turned pale on seeing them.
She held Third’s hand tightly, sweat in her palms.
Third looked at those people, puzzled.
"Ah, Third Sister, you’re not easy to find these days."
A middle-aged man stepped forward, speaking with aggression: "Are you purposely avoiding us? If Second Uncle knew you acted this way, he’d be furious in the afterlife. Third Sister, we’re all Gu Family descendants, you can’t ignore us like this. Kai Zhi is too ruthless; firing us just like that, today we’re here to demand fairness."
Beside him, a middle-aged woman patted her thigh and wailed: "Third Sister, you’re forcing us into despair. Second Uncle, in your spirit, look at these ungrateful descendants, look how Gu Kai Zhi forces his uncles and aunts to nothing, this truly defies justice."
Third deciphered it; these were Gu Family branches causing trouble.
She vaguely recalled Gu Kai Zhi mentioning the Gu Family’s branches have gotten too greedy and disgraceful, intending to rid the parasites.