Chapter 12: Young Madam Gu

The grand birthday banquet had been turned utterly upside down. The ballroom was a shambles, the aftermath of a violent struggle.

Yet, because the one who had caused the scene was Gu Qingshuang, no one dared to utter a word of complaint.

The elderly CEO Lu arrived late with the star of the night, Lu Guixiao, trailing behind. After a single glance at the wreckage, he ordered staff to clear the scene and began offering apologetic smiles to the distinguished guests.

As for Gu Qingshuang, she had already been whisked away by Gu Xueqiang and a team of bodyguards, headed for a high-end private hospital in a Gu family car.

Ming Li instinctively moved to follow, but Gu Xueqiang swept a sharp gaze over the lingering crowd of onlookers and commanded, “You stay. Clean up this mess.”

Ming Li stole a glance at the pale Gu Qingshuang. The woman’s previously clenched fists had finally relaxed; her knuckles were stained red with blood, though Ming Li couldn’t tell if it was her own or her victim’s.

With her eyes tightly shut, the ruthlessness and ferocity had vanished from Gu Qingshuang’s face. She looked like a child who had finally let down her guard.

She lay quietly against Gu Xueqiang’s lap. It didn’t look like a coma; it looked like she was merely sleeping.

Ming Li’s complexion was poor, her eyes brimming with worry. Gu Xueqiang, however, had already regained her icy composure. “It’s nothing serious. Don’t worry about it.”

After that dismissive remark, seeing that Ming Li was still in a daze, Gu Xueqiang’s voice grew even colder, shifting into a tone of absolute command: “Ming Li.”

Ming Li finally pulled her gaze away from Gu Qingshuang. A shiver ran down her spine as she looked back at Gu Xueqiang with a slightly vacant expression.

Gu Xueqiang spoke with rapid-fire precision. “You are the daughter-in-law of the Gu family now. You are the Young Madam Gu. Carry yourself with authority. Today, Shuangshuang stood up for you. It was the others who provoked us, so we were not in the wrong to strike back. Do not hang your head as if we’ve committed a crime. Don’t give anyone the chance to look down on you. Furthermore, weigh your words carefully. Don’t let those who want to see the Gu family fail get their way—especially those who want to see our branch of the family become a laughingstock.”

Ming Li slowly came back to her senses and let out a soft breath. “I understand.”

Only then did Gu Xueqiang look somewhat satisfied. “Go.”

Ming Li still couldn’t help but look toward Gu Qingshuang one last time.

Gu Xueqiang knit her brows but said nothing more.

It was only after the Gu family car had departed that the cold wind cleared Ming Li’s head. She turned and walked back into the banquet hall with a steady, unhurried pace.

The hall had already been scrubbed clean. There was virtually no sign that a brawl had occurred just moments before.

The man Gu Qingshuang had beaten into a “pig-head” was the owner of a technology firm. His company had recently secured a round of financing, and he had used every connection he had to snag an invitation to this birthday party.

He wasn’t particularly old, but he was a typical “otaku” type who couldn’t help but make lewd remarks in a setting like this. Unfortunately for him, he had run into a brick wall.

In truth, no one at a gathering like this was a pushover.

Even if they didn’t tear their masks off and try to beat someone to death like Gu Qingshuang, they would still strike from the shadows.

For a company that had just finished a financing round, one wouldn’t even need to show their face to ruin them. A few phone calls and a month’s time would be enough to drive such a company into bankruptcy.

In the vanity fair of the elite, there was never a shortage of power players.

The greatest mistake one could make was overestimating their own importance.

The “pig-head” man had been rushed to the hospital. Even while lying in the ambulance, he had been screaming, “So what if it’s the Gu family?! I’m going to sue her until she’s bankrupt!”

But the moment he stepped off the ambulance, the Gu family’s elite legal team was already waiting.

In less than half an hour, the matter was brushed aside quietly, reaching a conclusion that satisfied everyone involved.

When Ming Li returned to the hall, she felt the weight of prying eyes on her from time to time. She stood her ground gracefully, allowing them to look all they wanted.

Even though she had just performed on stage with Chun Liuyi, no one dared to gossip about her anymore.

This was the aura of the Gu family.

To be precise, this was the power of the Gu family at work.

Ming Li took the initiative to greet several older women—”aunts” whom Gu Xueqiang had introduced her to before. Each had their own unique character, but more importantly, each sat at the center of a complex web of influence.

One of these women was the founder of a well-known national media outlet, possessing immense influence in both entertainment and economic news.

Ming Li chose her targets strategically. She was internally frazzled because of Gu Qingshuang, yet she had to suppress her anxiety to navigate this social minefield. She could only afford to greet those who would be useful to her current situation.

After one round of socializing, order had been fully restored to the ballroom. The attention focused on Ming Li began to fade.

The birthday girl, Lu Guixiao, took the stage leaning on CEO Lu’s arm—a picture-perfect scene of a doting father and a filial daughter.

In a far corner, Ming Li spotted Chun Liuyi. She had changed her clothes and stood indifferently among the crowd, watching the stage with a cold gaze as if the spectacle had nothing to do with her.

Inadvertently, Ming Li’s eyes met Chun Liuyi’s.

Chun Liuyi’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smile. It was unclear whether she was mocking Ming Li or herself.

On stage, CEO Lu began his speech. He spoke first of how difficult it had been to have his youngest daughter, then about how her birth had supposedly brought luck to his business. In short, this daughter was the “brick and mortar” that had helped him build his empire to new heights.

Even though he had several children before her, he claimed she was his favorite. He lamented that she had no interest in business and instead insisted on applying to film school. He expressed his hope that everyone present would give her a helping hand in the future, if only to save him some face.

Every word CEO Lu spoke dripped with affection for his youngest daughter. It was a stark contrast to the cold indifference he had shown Chun Liuyi, for whom he hadn’t even bothered to show his face during her performance. On stage, he was the picture of a perfect father.

As CEO Lu finished his speech, the guests below responded with enthusiastic flattery.

“CEO Lu must be joking. With her looks, your daughter was born for the silver screen. She’s destined to be a superstar.”

“I happen to be looking to invest in a film. Guixiao should play the female lead.”

“…”

Lu Tingsong’s face wrinkled with smiles as he repeatedly thanked them for their support, offering humble deflections.

The scene felt hauntingly familiar to Ming Li, though she couldn’t quite remember where she had seen it before.

As the birthday wishes and cake-cutting began on stage, Ming Li felt the air grow stifling. She retreated to the restroom to escape.

Only after locking herself in a stall did she finally feel a sense of relief.

She had never been one for crowds. Even when the Ming family held banquets in the past, she would hide in her room, and her father had never forced her to come out.

Ming Li had hidden under her parents’ wings for so many years, but in the end, she couldn’t hide forever.

According to modern personality tests, Ming Li was a textbook “I-type”—an introvert. But lately, she felt she was becoming terrifyingly “E-type”—extroverted—in these social settings.

Her phone vibrated. Ming Li pulled it out and saw a WeChat message.

[Lu Shuang: Dr. Gu, I’m sorry.]

Another message followed quickly: [Sticker: Kneeling and kowtowing]

Ming Li was familiar with the name. Lu Shuang was the daughter of Gu Qingshuang’s mentor and an intern she had encountered at the hospital.

Ming Li tried to tap in a passcode, but it showed an error. After turning the phone over, she realized it was actually Gu Qingshuang’s phone.

In the chaos earlier, she must have picked it up while cleaning up Gu Qingshuang’s things.

Since she didn’t know the passcode, she couldn’t reply. She decided to ignore it.

However, she couldn’t help but wonder: why was Lu Shuang suddenly apologizing to Gu Qingshuang?

Before she could form a theory, she heard voices laughing outside.

“Lu Tingsong is a piece of work. He puts his eldest daughter on stage to perform a sultry dance, but talks about his youngest like she’s the apple of his eye. I wonder what he’s planning.”

“Who knows? They’re both daughters of starlets, even if they have different mothers. Why the double standard?”

“Maybe in a few years, the younger one will end up just like the older one.”

“Lu Tingsong’s capital chain is broken. He’s got a gap of nearly seven or eight hundred million. He’s probably looking to sell his daughters off.”

“Truly disgusting.”

“…”

As the gossip continued, the sound of running water abruptly stopped. The conversation died, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps leaving.

Overhearing gossip in a restroom was never a good thing. Ming Li waited until she was certain they were gone before stepping out of the stall.

To her surprise, she came face-to-face with Chun Liuyi.

Chun Liuyi was standing before the mirror. She clearly hadn’t expected anyone else to be there and looked startled. However, after staring at Ming Li for a few seconds, she turned back to the mirror, pretending she hadn’t seen her.

Ming Li hesitated, then decided to maintain the facade of “peace” and stepped up to the sink to wash her hands.

It was obvious: they were both hiding, both painting over the cracks.

But as Ming Li turned on the tap and the cold water hit her hands, an even colder voice drifted into her ear.

“You meddle too much, Ming Li.”

The tone was aggressively hostile. Even Chun Liuyi’s reflection in the mirror radiated blatant loathing.

It was the same look she had given Ming Li right after they stepped off the stage.

Ming Li feigned composure. “I was only helping Gu Qingshuang.”

“Gu Qingshuang meddles too much, too.” Chun Liuyi paused, then let out a sneer. “Just like always… it’s nauseating.”