Chapter 8
Two days later was Ye Li's birthday. Luo Zhengzheng had arranged a driver to pick up her parents the day before her mother-in-law's birthday.
During the day, Gu Shi sent Xiao Zhang to his company to retrieve two set of dresses, shoes, and jewelry. She knew these were the outfits Gu Shi had prepared for her to wear to Mother-in-law's birthday banquet.
Previously, Gu Shi would always prepare outfits for her to wear to banquets. She thought he was doing this to avoid embarrassing him. Later, she learned that many designer dresses were custom-made and unavailable to the average person.
Wang Yaning was also worried about what to wear to Mother-in-law's birthday banquet. As the eldest daughter-in-law of the Gu Family, her manners and attire were always under scrutiny. She was always competitive and didn't want to be outdone.
She knew Gu Shi had already prepared Luo Zhengzheng's outfit for the banquet and she couldn't help but envy her. Gu Shi was aloof and reserved, yet he was remarkably attentive to Luo Zhengzheng, anticipating her every need and even arranging things in advance. The three brothers, Gu Ming, Gu Xian, and Gu Ling, were clearly inferior in this regard.
The three sisters-in-law, none of whom had their husbands prepare their dresses in advance, went shopping together.
These past few days, news about Ye Li, Gu Shi, and Luo Zhengzheng had been circulating widely online, drawing more attention to the Gu Family. When the three sisters-in-law went shopping, they were recognized and photos were taken and posted online. Instantly, some people said that although Luo Zhengzheng had married into the Gu Family and gained Mother-in-law's favor, she was being ostracized by her sisters-in-law. The other three daughters-in-law went shopping, but Luo Zhengzheng was missing, clearly indicating that people looked down on her and didn't want to include her.
Logically, let alone their daughter-in-law, Gu Ming, Gu Xian, and Gu Ling, who have never given interviews or appeared in the media, were rarely known outside of the entertainment industry despite how wealthy the Gu Family was. The reason they were recognized was because Liu Hanyue had participated in a singing competition and achieved a good ranking. She was just playing around and wasn't signed to a company. but as a wealthy heiress, she didn't hide her background and it was easily uncovered. Later, her marriage to Gu Xian even made headlines in entertainment news.
Only when Gu Ming and Gu Xian were scolded by old Master through the phone at the company, did they learn that their wives had made the entertainment news while out shopping. They checked online and were shocked to see that while fourth younger sister-in-law was in the news and brought a positive impact to the company, their wives were being accused of looking down on her. They couldn't help but curse inwardly. "You three went shopping without inviting fourth younger sister-in-law? Let alone netizens, even I think you three are ostracizing her!"
The three sisters-in-law returned with their shopping bags and, upon hearing the news, secretly felt wronged. Even if they hadn't ostracized fourth younger sister-in-law, they wouldn't have dared to be so blatant. Who was the idiot who took the photos and released the press release? It was utter nonsense and had caused immense harm.
Su Zhilan saw the news at home and smiled as she sent Liu Hanyue a text message: "Luo Zhengzheng is already married to Gu Shi. Even if you don't like her, at least pretend. After all, even if Aunt Ye doesn't like Luo Zhengzheng, she's her daughter-in-law and she would protect her. With you, she might not."
Liu Hanyue saw the message, scoffed, and showed it to Gu Xian: "Su Zhilan thinks I'm stupid. Even if I don't like Luo Zhengzheng, that's our family matter. What's she doing? Wolf pretending to be a rabbit?"
Gu Xian was quite surprised, not understanding women: "Didn't you grow up together?"
Weren't they close friends, both disliking Luo Zhengzheng?
Liu Hanyue glanced at him, thinking, "What do you know? It was true that they grew up together, but they also secretly competed. On a large scale, they competed in family background and in-laws. On a smaller scale, they compete in clothes, looks, and even friends. Luo Zhengzheng was, after all, her sister-in-law from in-law’s side. No matter how many conflicts they have at home, they must unite in public.”
Gu Xian became respectful and said seriously, "Quite insightful. Not bad."
Liu Hanyue asked him, "What should I say to her?"
Gu Xian patted her forehead, "Just now I said you are insightful! Just ignore her."
Back then, Gu Shi and Su Zhilan suddenly broke off their engagement. Besides Gu Shi and Su Zhilan, no one knew the reason.
Liu Hanyue rolled her eyes at him, lowered her head and insincerely replied to Su Zhilan's text message: "I actually quite like Luo Zhengzheng. We went shopping to prepare for Mother-in-law's birthday banquet. Gu Shi prepared Luo Zhengzheng's dress and jewelry. They are all privately ordered, so we didn't ask her to come along. Online is all nonsense."
After sending the message, she waited for Su Zhilan's reply, but after a long time, there was no response.
She pointed to her phone: "I knew Su Zhilan wouldn't reply to my message after I said that. Although I don't know why Gu Shi and she broke off the engagement, I know Su Zhilan definitely regrets it."
Gu Xian: ......
So you two really were just fake friends.
That evening, Liu Hanyue showed her phone to Luo Zhengzheng. After looking at it, Luo Zhengzheng stared at her speechlessly: "You’re showing off to me?"
Liu Hanyue glared at her: "Showing off what? Did you see that? Su Zhilan openly flattered me while secretly trying to sow discord between us. I didn't fall for it and even turned the tables on her."
Luo Zhengzheng smiled slightly: "Isn't this the day you've been waiting for? That's why you came to show off to me."
Two girls of similar age and family background and people liked to compare them. Su Zhilan was bright, dignified, gentle, and sensible—the kind of girl elders liked. Liu Hanyue, on the other hand, was spoiled, willful, and naive. People would only mention how cute she was. Over time, Liu Hanyue realized what people thought and couldn't bring herself to like Su Zhilan anymore. Nobody liked being compared, especially being the losing party.
Liu Hanyue glanced at her. Though she didn’t want to pay her any more attention, she still retorted, "That's Gu Shi's ex-fiancée, why are you reacting like this? What if she and Gu Shi rekindle their old flame? With her methods, how can a country girl like you possibly be a match for her? I'm only doing this for your own good."
Luo Zhengzheng said slowly, "How can I not be worried? Isn't this just praising what you said?"
Women always knew where to hit when dealing with women. If Liu Hanyue sent that message to Su Zhilan, Su Zhilan would be so angry she wouldn't be able to eat. Thinking of this, she even found her sister-in-law, who often picked fights with her, somewhat more agreeable.
Liu Hanyue smiled smugly: "Since you know I spoke well, let's take some photos and post them online so those people can see we haven't ostracized you."
Luo Zhengzheng looked at her: "So that's what you were waiting for."
Although she said that, Luo Zhengzheng still cooperated with the three sisters-in-law to take a few photos, showing that the sisters-in-law had a good relationship.
Gu Boyuan watched the sisters-in-law whispering amongst themselves. Normally, as a father-in-law, he shouldn't interfere in his daughters-in-law's affairs, but things on the internet involved not only family matters but could also affect the company. He couldn't help but ask, "Isn't your relationship quite good?"
Liu Hanyue's heart tightened. She was afraid her parents-in-law would hold them accountable, mainly because she frequently appeared in entertainment news, while Elder Sister-in-law and Third Sister-in-law weren't well-known.
Luo Zhengzheng explained, "Elder Sister-in-law asked if I wanted to go shopping this morning. Gu Shi prepared an outfit for Mother's birthday banquet, so I stayed home with Chengjia and didn't go."
Gu Shi looked up at Luo Zhengzheng. He had also seen the news online and thought she would feel wronged, but judging from her expression, she clearly didn't.
Gu Boyuan turned to Gu Ming, Gu Xian, and Gu Ling: "Gu Shi manages such a large group and he still had time to prepare dresses for his wife. Why didn't you think of preparing dresses for them?"
Gu Ming, Gu Xian, and Gu Ling felt aggrieved. They were women with nothing to do all day. Did they really need them to care about their clothes? Even if they felt aggrieved, what could they do? It was their dad who said this, so they could only endure it. They couldn't help but complain about Gu Shi. Was he that idle? He even helped buy clothes and jewelry for his wife. Didn't this make them seem like bad husbands?
Gu Boyuan internally shook his head. Was this about them caring about their wives' clothes? This was about showing the public that their marital relationship was good and their family harmonious, resulting in better work mentality and others would trust them more.
Seeing the photos online, netizens had mixed reactions. Some said their predictions were definitely correct, otherwise why would they rush to post photos as proof? Others said that since they were willing to take photos together, their relationship, even if not good, wouldn't be bad. Good and bad opinions were all over the place. As long as they said their relationship was good, it represented their attitude. As for what others thought, as long as it didn't affect the company, no one cared.
Seeing the online discussion, Su Zhilan's dad said to his daughter, "You're not young anymore, you should start thinking about your personal life. President Zhou from Tang's Building Materials is quite nice, how about we arrange a meeting?"
That country girl's position in the Gu Family was secure. Zhilan's efforts were wasted.
Su Zhilan's expression changed slightly: "I'm not going."
President Zhou from Tang's Building Materials was far inferior to Gu Shi.
"You'll have to get married eventually," said Father Su.
Su Zhilan knew her dad was serious. She tried to say, "Dad, I don't want to marry just anyone. Since I was little, you've always wanted me to be engaged to Gu Shi and I always thought I would marry him. I can’t accept it."
Father Su's expression softened. "But he's already married and even has a child. A few days ago, that country girl went back to her maternal home and Ye Li and Gu Shi both went. Ye's company even saw its shares rise because of this. Even if Ye Li isn't satisfied with this daughter-in-law before, she'll be satisfied now."
What he wanted to ask her more was, if she wanted to marry Gu Shi so much, why did she agree to breaking off the engagement in the first place?
Su Zhilan lowered her head and remained silent.
Unable to bear her sadness and disappointment, Father Su said, "Come with us to Ye Li's birthday banquet."
Su Zhilan finally smiled. Even as the eldest daughter of the Su Family, she couldn't live as she pleased. what right did this country girl have to live a carefree life in the Gu Family?
On Ye Li's birthday, Gu’s home was filled with guests. The four sons and daughters-in-law accompanied Gu Boyuan and Ye Li in greeting the guests, while the grandchildren stayed with their maternal grandparents.
Unlike before, this time everyone's attention was somewhat focused on Luo Zhengzheng. After all, Ye's shares had increased significantly because of her. Seeing her dressed in a dignified and elegant gown, standing out even among the many handsome men and beautiful women, and effortlessly following behind Ye Li to greet the guests, one couldn't help but sigh. There was a reason this girl could marry Gu Shi. Her poise alone was unmatched.
Arm in arm with her mom, Su Zhilan arrived at the Gu Family’s home. She immediately spotted Luo Zhengzheng and puffed out her chest. Today, she wore a red dress that was not only elegant and graceful but also dazzlingly beautiful. She refused to believe she would lose to Luo Zhengzheng. Seeing Luo Zhengzheng in a light pink dress, she smiled. Today, she had won.
Following Luo Zhengzheng, she saw Gu Shi. Of the four Gu brothers, Gu Shi was the most handsome. He inherited his looks from Ye Li, possessing a cool and handsome appearance. The composed personality and an innate noble elegance made him unforgettable.
What irritated her was that Gu Shi and Luo Zhengzheng looked surprisingly well-matched standing together. She felt a little deflated. Had she come to the Gu Family just to see how well-matched they were?
Standing between Wang Yaning and Yu Shuang, Liu Hanyue tugged at Wang Yaning's arm and whispered, "Is Su Zhilan out of her mind? Wearing such a bright color, is she trying to steal Mom's thunder?"
Everyone knew that red dresses exuded more presence and today's protagonist was Mother-in-law, so naturally she wore a red dress. The daughters-in-law all tacitly wore light-colored dresses and makeup. They were young and looked good even in casual clothes. Not wanting to overshadow Mother-in-law, they could only find a way to do so through their clothing. Of all the guests, only Su Zhilan wore a red dress, clashing with Mother-in-law's color.
Su Zhilan wasn't stupid. Seeing Ye Li's dress, her expression changed slightly. "Mom," she said, "why didn't you remind me?"
She had been so focused on competing with Luo Zhengzheng that she had completely forgotten it was Ye Li's birthday and she would be wearing a red dress. Luo Zhengzheng's online fame had unsettled her and caused her to lose her composure.
Mother Su thought to herself, "How did I not remind you? You also need to listen!"
Since it concerned her daughter, Mother Su had to mediate: "This child said it's your birthday today, so she wore something festive."
Ye Li didn't care that much, nor did she forbid others from wearing the same color scheme as her. Even though she was older, she was confident that she wouldn't lose out if her clothes clashed with others.
At her age and status, she was the center of attention. This was the confidence of a group chairman. She didn't care much about her clothing. Her assistant always chosethem for her, so she accepted it without raising an eyebrow.
Su Zhilan could only distance herself from Ye Li, which went against her original intentions. But it couldn’t be helped. She couldn't resist glancing at Luo Zhengzheng standing next to Ye Li and her eyes narrowed instantly. She had heard that Gu Shi had spent over a hundred million yuan at auction to buy a necklace. She thought it was just hearsay, but seeing the necklace around Luo Zhengzheng's neck, she knew it wasn't. She had been to that auction and she liked that necklace too, but it was too expensive. She didn't have that much money to buy it. It wasn't that her family didn't have that much money, but she knew her dad wouldn't spend over a hundred million yuan on jewelry for her. She could only watch as the necklace was sold.
Su Zhilan felt a mix of emotions. The necklace she had longed for was now being worn by Luo Zhengzheng, this country girl. The thought was incredibly stabbing.
Luo Zhengzheng wasn't surprised by Su Zhilan's attire. In her past life, Su Zhilan's online reputation was mixed and she was prone to outbursts. At first, Luo Zhengzheng thought it was just publicity stunts, but after Su Zhilan exposed Gu Shi's affairs online, offending parents-in-law, Luo Zhengzheng realized Su Zhilan was prone to acting impulsively and doing outrageous things when angry.
Yuan Mei and Luo Yongsheng sat on the sofa, watching the guests come and go, feeling like they were in another world. Touching her dress, Yuan Mei felt uneasy: "Zhengzheng, what kind of dress did you buy? It's too tight."
Luo Can was dressed in a casual suit and trousers. Little Jiajia sat obediently in his maternal uncle's lap. Hearing his mom's words, he said, "Mom, this is a formal dress. It won't look good if it's too loose."
He didn't really understand either. He could hear and observe. A quick glance at the guests' dresses revealed they were all like this. It wasn't that elder sister didn't know how to buy dresses, but rather that this was the style they were supposed to wear.
Yuan Mei glared at him: "Do you think I don't know what a formal dress is? You think I don't know anything? It's just that I'm not used to it."
Luo Can chuckled, picked up Jiajia, and planned to go outside for a stroll. It was too stuffy inside. Yuan Mei and Luo Yongsheng were both good-looking and their two children inherited their best features. Luo Zhengzheng was beautiful and charming, while Luo Can was sunny and handsome. Neither was outdone. People who didn't recognize Luo Can guessed his identity upon seeing him carrying Gu Chengjia.
Su Zhilan went outside, feeling gloomy. She couldn't understand why Gu Shi had married a village girl, and even more so, why he treated her so well. Was he deliberately humiliating her?
Luo Can was in the yard watching birds and holding Xiao Jiajia. The bird belonged to Gu Boyuan and he didn't recognize its breed. He was about to take out his phone to look it up online when a voice behind him interrupted him, "Who are you? Why are you holding Gu Shi's child?"
Luo Can turned around and saw a woman. Without thinking, he said, "What's it to you?"
His dad, Luo Yongsheng, was a farmer, but handsome. When he was little, he had seen village women approach his dad more than once. This woman mentioned elder brother-in-law but not elder sister, so they weren't exactly good women. Especially since elder brother-in-law was rich and handsome, he was sure to attract more women than his dad. Thinking of this, he felt worried for elder sister.
Su Zhilan was surprised that a mere boy dared to speak to her like that: "Whose family are you?"
Luo Can retorted, "What's it to you?"
Su Zhilan was already in a bad mood and hearing his words, she couldn't help but say, "How can you talk like that?"
Luo Can scoffed, "That’s how to talk?"
Su Zhilan looked at him in astonishment: "Don't you know any manners?"
Luo Can didn't want to deal with the ill-intentioned woman: "How do you know I know manners if you don't talk to me?"
Su Zhilan: ...
Where did this brat come from, so impudent?
Having finished entertaining the guests, Luo Zhengzheng didn't see her younger brother and son. She asked her parents and learned they were outside. Just as she came out, she heard younger brother's words and looked over to find Su Zhilan.
She frowned and turned to younger brother, "What happened?"
Luo Can considered how it was auntie's birthday today and this woman must have come to celebrate, he didn’t want to cause trouble and replied, "Nothing."
Luo Zhengzheng hummed in agreement, took little Jiajia, and looked at Su Zhilan. As a guest, even if she didn't like Su Zhilan, she still said, "Miss Su."
Seeing their interaction, Su Zhilan knew this young man was a member of the Luo Family. Knowing she was in the wrong, she didn't say much. Just as she turned around, Gu Shi came out of the house.
Gu Shi saw Su Zhilan, nodded to her, and said to Luo Zhengzheng, "Let's go in."
Luo Zhengzheng glanced subtly at Su Zhilan and Gu Shi. Seeing Gu Shi's expression was normal, she followed him into the house without making a sound.
Su Zhilan watched their retreating figures and followed them into the house. She saw Gu Shi and Luo Zhengzheng sitting down next to a middle-aged couple, with Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu also accompanying them. They were chatting and laughing, clearly enjoying themselves. She knew those must be Luo Zhengzheng's parents. She hadn't expected Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu to value Luo Zhengzheng's parents so much, leaving their guests to accompany them, even if only for a short while. This showed Luo Zhengzheng's status in the Gu family.
Not only was Su Zhilan surprised, the other guests were also astonished. Judging from Gu Boyuan and Ye Li's attitude towards Luo Zhengzheng's parents and brother, the online rumors that Ye Li liked Luo Zhengzheng as her daughter-in-law seemed to be true.