Chapter Twelve Records (Part Two)

  When they returned to the Chu's house, it was already late afternoon. Gu Tianxi originally wanted to go straight to the restaurant to stay, but as his aunt, Gu Wenjuan would not agree. After all, there were plenty of rooms in the house, and even if a few more people stayed, it wouldn't be a problem.

  The car was silent until Chu Lianyou, sitting between Gu Wenjuan and Gu Tianxi, grasped Gu Tianxi's hand, her small mouth opening and closing like a machine gun as she talked about Gu Huanli's school affairs. Gu Tianxi's eyes finally softened slightly. However, his hand still instinctively pulled away. He didn't like others getting close to him, especially after he learned the truth that his sister was kidnapped as a substitute for Chu Lianyou. He wasn't disgusted with Chu Lianyou, just indifferent.

  Time seems to have passed for a long time, why haven't we arrived yet? Gu Tianxi turned his head away, looking at the scenery outside the car window quickly retreating and becoming blurred, what remained unchanged was his cold face. Gu Tianxi closed his eyes in annoyance and lowered the car window with a wave of his hand.

  Suddenly surging wind, no outline, no weight, can't even keep it on oneself. Flowing scenery, fleeting soul, Gu Tianxi suddenly had a little melancholy in her heart. Things happened too suddenly, and the solution was very smooth, everything seemed so perfect, perfect to the point where Auntie had already sent someone to book his return flight ticket, as if she wanted to pack him up and send him back to England overnight.

  Actually, Auntie just didn't want Father to notice this matter. Gu Tianxi turned his head and glanced at Gu Wenjuan, a faint smile hanging on his handsome face, but the smile did not reach his eyes. Even if Father was too busy to care, his secretary would still do her job diligently and report every detail about the Gu family. Whether or not to react, and how to react, were things for Father to decide.

  Cover-up? Since the matter involves Universal Medical Group and Luo's Media, if Father doesn't take advantage of this incident, Gu Tianxi would find it strange.

  So, some people are busy day and night, but they don't even know what they're busy with or what they're pursuing. However, this numbness is like a layer of smooth fish scales that can protect them from being hurt by friction in the water; otherwise, the water would be even murkier, a murky bloody mess.

  But some people are too awake. They clearly know their goals, and they clearly know what to use and what to give up. Will he become such a person someday?

  Because he had guessed the tension, anxiety and struggle in his aunt's heart, as if he had discovered a secret hidden deep within her, Gu Tianxi agreed to her invitation. Where to live was not a complicated issue, nor was it a trivial matter for Chu Lianyou to take her sister to and from school by car. For Gu Tianxi, he didn't even need an answer, because the mistakes that arose from giving people opportunities were mostly due to the person's own lack of consideration. He had no reason to blame his father for leaving his sister behind, after all, when he himself left at the beginning, he only thought about his studies and his future.

  He has now made a new choice, and although there will be no transfer in the end, he can still make subtle adjustments in the process.

  Finally saw the Chu family's villa.

  The person who let out a long sigh was Gu Wenjuan.

  Ah Ling had already prepared the meal and, seeing them enter, hastily set out the bowls and chopsticks in the dining room. After all, this meal was both a welcome for Gu Tianxi and a celebration of Gu Huanli's safe escape, so Ah Ling followed Gu Wenjuan's arrangements to choose the more formal first-floor dining room as the location for dinner.

  Chu Lintao sat at the top of a twelve-person long table, Chu Lianyou sat on his right, Gu Wenjuan sat on Chu Lintao's left, and Gu Tianxi sat on Chu Lianyou's right.

  The rest of the seats were all left empty.

  The four people present all had their heads buried in the plates of food in front of them, without exchanging a word.

  For a moment, the vast room was filled with nothing but the faint sound of tableware touching each other.

  Chu Lian had never seen such a grand sight, she felt awkward all over, yes, this eerie atmosphere was almost suffocating her. She glanced at Gu Tian Xi beside her with the corner of her eye, only to see him slightly lowering his head, elegantly cutting the steak on his plate into uniform small squares with his knife and fork, just like a work of art.

  A flash of envy crossed her mind, and Chu Lianyou also picked up the knife and fork to start cutting the steak in front of her. Who knew that the more she tried, the more mistakes she would make? No matter how hard she tried to cut it, she just couldn't, and even the knife and plate were scraping against each other with a "screeching" sound, but the steak was still intact, lying on the plate, mockingly smiling at her.

  It can't be that she, Chu Lianyou, couldn't even handle a thick-cut steak? She refused to believe this! Thinking so, Chu Lianyou grasped the dinner knife and stabbed it into the steak with great force, finally cutting off a small piece. Smugly, she sent the hard-won meat into her mouth, but forgot that there was still a tall glass of clear water beside her hand.

  Oh no! Chu Lian's heart skipped a beat as she watched the cup of water splash towards Gu Tianxi, and she couldn't help but cover her mouth and whisper: This time, she was really done for!

  "You silly girl! You can't even eat honestly!" Gu Wenjuan glared at her daughter, her eyes filled with impatience, annoyance, and deep disappointment. "Quickly, quickly apologize to Tianxi! You're getting more and more unruly as you grow up, you can't even remember the most basic etiquette at the dinner table. I've wasted my efforts raising you!"

  "It's okay." Gu Tianxi slowly stood up, the corners of his mouth slightly curved upwards, and casually folded the pure white napkin and placed it on the table. "Auntie, today's dinner was very sumptuous, thank you."

  He paused for a moment and continued, "Please excuse me for being rude, as I still have some things to discuss, so I'll take my leave first."

  "Tianxi!" Gu Wenjuan bit her lower lip tightly, hesitated for a long time before saying, "This time's matter is our fault towards Huanli, fortunately, Huanli and Lianyou are both fine. You... just don't tell your brother about this, after all, he's so busy, it's really not necessary to trouble him over such a small matter."

  "Yes. If Father didn't ask about it, I wouldn't have reported it to him on my own initiative." Gu Tianxi stopped in his tracks on the stairs, and under the dim light, his profile was soft yet revealed a hint of elegance. His fingers slowly stroked the carved volute pattern on the wooden handrail, and he said softly, "Does Aunt have any other instructions?"

  Gu Wenjuan looked back at her husband who shook his head at her and stuttered, "N...nothing."

  "Well, goodnight, I hope you and your uncle have a good dream." Although there was a smile on Gu Tianxi's lips, the faint sarcasm in his words couldn't be concealed.

  Watching him disappear at the stairs, Chu Lian let out a long sigh and leaned her body against the back of the chair, "Tian Xi Gege is so elegant, who can compare to me, looks like a poor little girl no matter how you look."

  "Yes, and a poorly bred poor girl at that." Gu Wenjuan sat down in anger and began another round of lectures. "Just eat your meal, why make such a big noise? Especially when drinking soup, the whole house can hear you slurping away. And have you not drunk water all day?! You actually finished the soup in one breath, didn't I teach you to savor it slowly?"

  "Alright, my daughter is still young, besides, she's had a long day too, so don't scold her." Chulintao turned his head and looked at Chu Lianyou who was pouting and staring at him, then he burst out laughing. "This little girl is competing with her father to see whose eyes are bigger? Well, I admit defeat."

  Chu Lian's eyes were still dim and her mouth was pursed, without saying a word.

  "Hey!" Chu Lin Tao stretched out his hand and rubbed Chu Lian's messy short hair, "I never hoped you'd be like Fang Li, because you're just yourself. Although, drinking soup with a loud slurp, cutting steak and knocking over water glasses isn't very good, next time you must pay attention. But this puffed up look of yours, it doesn't make me feel comfortable to see. Besides, if Tian Xi sees it, he'll think you're being too delicate!"

  Chu Lianyu let out a "heh" and laughed, embracing her father's neck and kissing his cheek forcefully. "Daddy, Daddy, you're the best dad in the whole world! I love you the most!"

  "Then do you love your mom or not?" Chu Lin Tao said seriously, looking at his daughter sideways. "I remember when you were little and people asked if your dad was good or your mom was good, you always answered that your mom was good!"

  "I didn't say Mom was bad!" Chu Lianyou stood up, ran to Gu Wenjuan's back, hugged her neck tightly and said with a smile, "Mom, my good mom, don't be angry anymore, because TV says women who love to get angry are not beautiful!"

  "You little girl, after making a mistake, you always have something to say, and that small mouth of yours is as sweet as if it's been smeared with honey." Gu Wenjuan patted her daughter's hand with a mix of anger and amusement, then said to Chu Lingtao, "I'll go up and check on Tianxi anyway, after all that's happened, he must be feeling terrible."

  Chu Lin thought for a moment and said, "Let Lian You go instead, after all they are just children, easier to talk to."

  "This is also the case." Gu Wenjuan nodded, recalling as she spoke, "Just now in the car, if it wasn't for Lian You always talking about Tian Xi and Huan Li's affairs at school, I really didn't know what to say to him. This child, more and more like his brother, is getting harder to grasp."

  "That's because you haven't seen the essence beyond the surface." Chu Lintao, after all, was the boss of a listed company and had met countless people. He said slowly, "Just because Tianxi rushed back from England overnight after Huanyu was kidnapped, you should understand what position Huanyu holds in Tianxi's heart."

  "But they haven't been together for many years..." Gu Wenjuan muttered a few words under her breath, then raised her head and said to Chu Lintao, "You're right, I remember now, he even told us today not to call him 'gege'."

  Chu Lian leaned on her mother's back, nodding vigorously, "Yes, yes! Tian Xi brother was so fierce that year!"

  "He's in a bad mood and says some childish things, it's normal. Even if he doesn't let you call him brother, you're still his cousin." Gu Wenjuan said softly, still being considerate of her own daughter.

  "Then I can call him brother?" Chu Lian was overjoyed and stood up, then smiled and spun around in place, her skirt flying out. "I have a brother too, and such a handsome one! Now my classmates will be so jealous of me! Mom, mom, on the day we announce our semester grades, can Tianxi brother drive his car to take me to school? That car is really beautiful and comfortable!"

  "With your grades, you even have the nerve to let others see! Thinking of her daughter's forever low-flying grades, Gu Wenjuan couldn't help but sigh heavily. Besides, even if she goes to school, it's as Fanting's older brother, nothing to do with you."

  Chu Lian was furious upon hearing this and stomped her foot, "Why does everything good happen to Xiao Li? Every single thing revolves around her, never me!"