CHAPTER 424: CHAPTER 424: FAILING TO BECOME THE THIRD PARTY

Mrs. Yu felt too ashamed to say anything more. It was truly her son’s fault. Though he and You Lifen hadn’t done anything substantial, the two of them still slept together, which was no different from cheating.

She complained to her husband for several days. Mr. Yu summoned their son home and scolded him, then told her, "We need to leave it to fate. We’ve done everything we can. These young people need to sort out their issues themselves. Intervening won’t help."

Mrs. Yu sighed heavily, "I’ve been waiting to drink the tea offered by my daughter-in-law. Why is it so hard?"

When Father Gong and Mrs. Gong heard about this, they were furious and wanted to call off the engagement immediately, "He’s like this even before marriage. Wouldn’t he be even more likely to cheat after marriage? Even if our daughter remains unmarried her whole life, we cannot let her suffer such humiliation!"

Gong Xiaoyu struggled greatly to persuade her parents, "I’m already distressed enough. If you continue to make a fuss, I’ll move out."

Her parents dared not upset their daughter anymore. Mrs. Gong spoke earnestly, "We only care about you. If you truly don’t want to marry him, we won’t force you."

Gong Xiaoyu knew her mother was thinking of her. She said, "Mom, Yu Zheng and I will handle it."

An Junxi called Gu Kuangyong. Knowing that elders care about their pride, she tried to give him a way out, "Dad, Ai Xi misses you. How about coming over for a meal with the kids?"

Gu Kuangyong wanted to come, of course. He spoke slowly, "I’ve been busy playing golf with old friends these days."

Liang Huiyun, sitting beside him, pushed him, "Stop being stubborn."

Gu Kuangyong covered the microphone, "Go away, stop making noise."

An Junxi rolled her eyes discreetly and motioned for Ai Xi, "Baby, ask grandpa if he wants to come over for a meal?"

The little child sweetly called out, "Grandpa!"

Gu Kuangyong’s heart melted, "My little Ai Xi, do you miss grandpa?"

"Miss grandpa!"

An Junxi told her daughter, "Ask grandpa to come over for a meal."

The little child repeated her mother’s words, "Grandpa, come over for a meal."

Gu Kuangyong reluctantly responded, "Since Ai Xi asked, I’ll come over."

Liang Huiyun showed a look of disdain. This old man was even more dramatic than she was.

An Junxi said, "You can come anytime to see the kids, Dad. It’s Ai Xi’s birthday in a few days, and Aunt will be back too."

Gu Kuangyong got angry when Gu Kuangyuan was mentioned. Afraid he might start swearing, Liang Huiyun grabbed the phone, "Got it. We’ll come over later."

She hung up and said, "You’ve been angry long enough. Don’t cause a scene at the party in a few days."

Gu Kuangyong said, "If I see Cheng Ye, I’ll still scold him."

Liang Huiyun pushed him out of the room, "I don’t want to see you acting stubborn. Go stay in the study room!"

An Junxi called Cheng Ye, as Aunt hadn’t turned on her phone recently. She and Cheng Ye were abroad for a leisurely trip, putting studio matters aside.

Hearing An Junxi’s invitation, Cheng Ye promised on Gu Kuangyuan’s behalf, "We will return."

An Junxi said, "Dad is stubborn but soft-hearted. Don’t take his words to heart. Aunt truly loves you, Cheng Ye, you must not let her down."

Cheng Ye responded firmly, "I won’t let her down, no matter what."

"Alright, Jin Xiu often says he misses you two. We’re waiting for your return at home."

Cheng Ye and Gu Kuangyuan were vacationing on a small island in Australia. They loved places that hadn’t yet become tourist attractions. These places were very quiet and comfortable, perfect for relaxing.

When Gu Kuangyuan first arrived, she constantly thought about matters back home, her elder brother’s opposition, and his unkind demeanor, often shedding tears secretly.

Cheng Ye found out and stayed with her at every moment, "Xiao Yuan, time heals all wounds. We should live our own lives well. When your elder brother sees you happy, he’ll gradually accept us."

Gu Kuangyuan leaned into his embrace. She had grown increasingly dependent on him, "Cheng Ye, my brother doesn’t want me, now I only have you."

Cheng Ye felt compassion for his little woman, "Xiao Yuan, you left your family for me. I’ll work hard to give you a family."

Gu Kuangyuan knew what she had done was nothing compared to his sacrifices for her.

He was willing to give up everything for her.

"Cheng Ye, about what my brother said to you..."

"I didn’t take it to heart. I’ll prove with my efforts that I can make you happy. Xiao Yuan, Ai Xi’s birthday is coming up. Let’s return home tomorrow."

Gu Kuangyuan was hesitant to face her elder brother. Cheng Ye held her hand, "Xiao Yuan, I’ll always be by your side. You don’t need to be afraid."

Gu Kuangyuan trusted him completely, "Alright, we’ll return home tomorrow."

The two embraced under the blue sky. The place was so quiet they could hear each other’s heartbeats. Gu Kuangyuan loved this tranquility and loved having him by her side.

No matter what they went through, they would always be together.

Zhang Miaoyan and Xie Yuchen couldn’t make it back. Zhang Miaoyan told An Junxi, "We’ll get Ai Xi an extra gift when we return. Xiao Yang’s right leg has started to feel pain. We finally see some hope. The doctors said gradually clearing the necrotic nerves and combining it with physical therapy will help."

An Junxi was delighted to hear the good news, "That’s great. It’s tough for you both to stay there."

Zhang Miaoyan said, "Xiao Yang still secretly follows Xiao Yu’s news. I think he really wants to return home to beat up Yu Zheng."

An Junxi sighed, "Yue Xiaoyang can’t seem to forget Xiao Yu."

She didn’t plan to intervene or pity Yue Xiaoyang. Yue Xiaoyang would always make Xiao Yu sad.

That night, Gu Kuangyong and Liang Huiyun came over for dinner. The kids played happily with their grandparents. Little Ai Xi asked her grandpa, "Grandpa, aren’t you staying here?"

Gu Kuangyong felt very conflicted. He wanted to watch his granddaughter grow and not miss out on it, "Ai Xi, Grandpa and Grandma will come over often."

The little child didn’t understand why they couldn’t all live together. Since having a granddaughter, Liang Huiyun’s demeanor as a strong woman had vanished, replaced by endless tenderness for her little granddaughter, "Ai Xi, we can stay together."

An Junxi didn’t want to soften. She had said before that once Aunt returned, she would consider moving back to the mansion.

Gu Qianlan hadn’t said a word all evening. After her parents went upstairs with the two grandkids, she gleefully told An Junxi, "Aunt He is back, An Junxi, you’re in trouble now!"

An Junxi pondered for a moment, "You mean He Sirui’s mom? Why would I be in trouble? What can she do to me?"

Gu Qianlan said, "Aunt He is even more domineering than my mom. You’ll see once you’ve tried."

An Junxi laughed dismissively, "I actually want to see. Her daughter couldn’t be a mistress, does she want to confront me, the lawful wife? Doesn’t she fear ridicule if word gets out?"

Gu Qianlan retorted, "Who do you think you are? My brother can’t see clearly right now. Don’t assume you’re truly cherished."

Gu Yikun returned home just in time to hear the comment, his handsome face darkening, "Gu Qianlan, I still haven’t settled last time’s score with you."