Chapter 29: Wind Chimes (Part 1)

  As for Gu Yujuan and Chu Lianyou suddenly returning to the old Gu residence, Gu Tianxi was not particularly concerned. The matter was something he had let He Muyang secretly manipulate after all. If anything, what made him unhappy was that he had inadvertently dragged Gu Huanli into it again, which made him somewhat displeased. Although his sister's solution was not wrong, in Gu Tianxi's view, what he truly hoped for was for his sister to be completely uninvolved.

  Gu Tianxi slowly leaned down, until his black hair just touched Gu Huanli's cheek, and a meaningful smile appeared on the edge of his lips. "It seems that you still haven't learned your lesson."

  "No one can completely stay out of it." Gu Huanli sat on the edge of the bed, answering in a low voice. Although Gu Quan had married into the Chu family, she was still a member of the Gu family after all. Moreover, at that time, she was in school when such a big thing happened, how could she not go? She understood her brother's dissatisfaction and the profound meaning behind it. She also understood the outbreak of that matter.

  The person who revealed this matter was her after all, but Gu Huan Lian didn't think that her brother would be so protective of his younger sister. She had secretly flipped through the newspaper and found out that her uncle's software company had gone from leaking secrets to being on the verge of bankruptcy and had to be sold at a low price. A series of events were probably all related to her brother. Although she didn't know what attitude her father had towards this matter, but since her brother was able to stay in the country, other things could be guessed even if they weren't clear.

  But anyway, Gu Huanli thought to herself. She needed some time to think about how to persuade her cousin. However, Cassidy's glance when he sent her to the second floor made Gu Huanli a bit hesitant. So, she tried hard to calm herself down, but no matter what, everything was in vain. In that case, she decided to face it head-on.

  Watching others in pain is indeed a joyful thing, and then? Gu Huanli began to recall everything that had happened just before, carefully analyzing it. Obviously, analyzing the behavior at school earlier seemed easier than making some people painful. After this tangled brain cleaning, Gu Huanli had to admit that in the last moment, she said too much.

  Yes, that's right.

  Those words were clearly meant for her own ears. Or rather, she had once hoped that her loved ones would scold her in such a way, even if it was just a wake-up call.

  She finally buried her face deeply in her hands and sighed regretfully. Meanwhile, Gu Tianxi took the freshly brewed red tea from He Muyang's hand and handed it to Gu Huanli, with a calm smile on his lips.

  Gu Huanli raised her head wanting to say something, but Gu Tianxi put his hand gently on her shoulder indicating that she didn't need to say anything. It wasn't that he didn't want to listen, it's just that he knew his sister had already reflected on herself. This version of her was already very satisfying to him. The Gu family didn't need so-called pride; true pride came from understanding others, controlling oneself, and grasping life. "On the first day back at school, do you have any different feelings?"

  "At the very least, I can hear less of Cassidy's nagging." Gu Huanli said so, she had always been puzzled as to why her brother would hire a clumsy angel as her private tutor. Could it be that the clumsy angel had used some sort of magic spell? But according to Cassidy's personality, he was extremely disdainful of such mind-boggling magic spells.

  Gu Tianxi leaned down, her slender fingers gently crossing and tying the ribbon at the end of her sister's hair into a bow. Only then did she say faintly, "Cassidy is a qualified home tutor, apart from English, he is also proficient in German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and excels in painting, horse riding, tennis, social dance... So, I signed a long-term contract with him, hoping that under his guidance, you will become a true lady.

  “Lady...” An inexplicable sadness came from nowhere, Gu Huanli couldn't help but whisper to herself, “Auntie was also a famous lady in the social circle before she got married, what happened? She still couldn't keep her husband, and had to face the embarrassment of losing her marriage and family.”

  "Xiao Li..." Gu Tianxi stretched out his hand and gently pulled her into his arms, his black hair covering his expression, but the corners of his lips were indeed curved into a warm smile. "Although Mother's body is not well, their feelings are still there. So, don't worry unnecessarily."

  Gu Huanli didn't know how to explain the deep-seated stains in her heart to her brother, so she could only try her best to prevent them from obscuring her gaze at the sky and others. YZUU asked, "Brother, which floor do you plan to arrange for Auntie and Lian You to live on?"

  Gu Tianxi smiled and turned his sister's body around, gently brushing away the loose hair on her forehead, gazing deeply into her eyes and said, "According to the Gu family rules, they are not qualified to stay in the main building anymore."

  "What about me? If one day I get married, won't I also be unqualified to stay in the main building?" Gu Huanli raised her head and gazed at those amber-colored eyes, lightly self-mocking, loneliness, desolation, despair, and so on, as well as the painful memories of the past, all were the gifts given by the dark abyss.

  "Xiao Li——" Gu Tianxi had been silently staring at her, after a long while, he chuckled softly and said, "When you were little, you always cried and threw tantrums wanting to marry your brother as his bride, it's only been a few years... yet you're still just a little girl, but you've already started worrying about life after marriage. I think you really have too much free time!" After finishing speaking, he bent his fingers and lightly flicked Gu Huanli's forehead.

  "Not really!" Gu Huanli covered her forehead with both hands, pouting, "Just because I said I wanted to marry my brother, doesn't mean he'll actually marry me! Is it just because I'm a kid that you can tease me like this?"

  "If you want me to make a promise, then have the courage to fulfill it."

  Gu Tianxi's unfathomable amber eyes made Gu Huanli feel fearful and alienated. She knew that those words were just childish nonsense, but what she didn't understand was why her brother would say such promises and make them come true. They were clearly siblings, so how could they get married...

  Thinking of this, Gu Huanli couldn't help but punch her own head hard. As a twenty-something-year-old, what was she thinking?! Her brother just wanted to express their deep sibling bond, and if she dared to think otherwise, she'd punish herself by facing the wall. But with her brother saying something like that, how could she respond?!

  Gu Huan was deep in thought, to be honest, she really had an urge to both cry and laugh.

  "Xiao Li." Gu Tian Xi stretched out his slender index finger, gently placing it on her slightly parted lips, gazing at her seriously. Gu Huan Li could even see her own deep eyes through his unfathomable amber pupils. "If you want Aunt and Lian You to live in the main building, I won't refuse your request."

  He paused for a moment and continued, "So, Little Li, what is your hope?"

  Her hope?

  Her hope is...

  Tear open the freshly healed wound, letting blood and flesh intertwine into a fragmented flower. Bury the pain deeply in the chests of those who once hurt her, using fresh blood to soothe her trauma.

  Gu Huan Lian was lost in thought, and suddenly she froze. Under the excitement of trembling, she suddenly realized that her emotions at this moment were too complicated and complex. Perhaps, Cassidy was right, when a person succumbs to hatred, the devil's consumption is not only reason, but also the soul.

  "I want my brother to help Aunt find the best lawyer." Gu Huanli said slowly, not paying attention to Gu Tianxi's slightly raised eyebrows and playful smile, "After all, this amount of money is still affordable for the Gu family." Everyone will change, everyone can change. Before making a final decision, it's actually a very simple thing to make subtle adjustments. Just like fireworks, they changed direction as they scattered, but their ultimate destination was still the ground. No matter how high they flew or how far they drifted, there was no way to escape.

  Revealing the truth, getting hurt, this is the ending she wanted. She has achieved her goal, so no matter what she does, it can only be an extra gift, not a overtime in the ordinary sense. Moreover, she should be grateful that such a change has no effect on hatred. It's just that when writing down the ending, there will be some slight differences.

  She doesn't need to make her aunt or Chu Lianyou suffer so much, because reality has already plunged them into deep confusion, helplessness and sorrow. If there's despair, it should be directed at her uncle, as for how to retaliate, that's no longer something she's interested in knowing.

  In Gu Tianxi's amber-colored eyes, a mysterious flash of light flickered, and the fine rays of light were now falling into his deep eyes. "How, worried that relying solely on Auntie's financial resources can't find a suitable lawyer team to fight the divorce lawsuit?"

  Gu Huanli didn't respond, she just gently leaned her head on Gu Tianxi's shoulder, the sunlight illuminating her youthful face. Listening to her brother's steady breathing, she closed her eyes and fell into a light sleep.

  Gu Tianxi looked at her sister's sweet sleeping face, smiled faintly, and her icy fingertips brushed against her cheek. "Muyang, tell Fang Bo to tidy up the room in the side building. He should still remember what Aunt likes to eat. Let's make those dishes for dinner tonight."

  The dim light made He Mu Yang's black clothes look even more somber, and he said slowly, "Miss Shen's DNA report will be sent to Mrs. Chu as soon as possible according to her instructions. Also, Mrs. Chu just called the private investigator to thoroughly investigate the relationship between Mr. Chu and Miss Shen."

  Gu Tianxi gently laid Gu Huanli down on the bed and covered her with a thin quilt, then looked at He Muyang and said calmly, "What do you think?"

  "Deal the finishing blow to Chu."

  "What about those who have worked for the Chu family all their lives, and relied on them to survive?" Gu Tianxi smiled lightly, with a pale flame burning in his amber-colored eyes. His slender fingers gently swept across Gu Huanli's head as he spoke frankly, "So, I... no, my respected aunt only wants the most competitive subsidiary under the Chu family flag. As for those companies that seem profitable but are actually on the verge of collapse, let's leave them to that person to continue operating."

  "Does the young master think that Madame Chu will disregard her many years of marriage with Mr. Chu?" He Mu Yang lowered his head, his gaze slowly flowing over Gu Tian Xi's serene and gentle profile.

  "How can something that's already lost be retrieved?" Gu Tianxi asked back, the silence in her eyes shattered by a few ripples on the lake of her heart, forming an emotional tide. The foam dissipated, the ripples faded away, leaving only a pair of calm eyes. "Is it returning home with empty hands and a disheartened expression after losing everything, or is it taking back what should belong to oneself and starting anew? If even such a simple choice is difficult for you, Lady Aunt, then even if Xiaolong has mercy in her heart, I have no reason to lend a helping hand again."