Chapter 23

Big Brother

Madam Gu’s eyes darted around, unsure if Gu Yuan already knew.

Gu Yuan took a few more steps forward as if he had not heard anything. His burning gaze was fixed on Gu Yanfei. His feet seemed to be filled with lead as he walked slower and slower.

When his mother passed away, Gu Yuan was only three years old. He could still vaguely remember his mother’s face. As he grew older, his memories became more and more blurry. At this moment, when he saw his sister, the beautiful and exquisite face in front of him overlapped with his mother’s face in his dream.

His sister looked so much like his mother!

He used to love to lean against his mother’s swollen belly and feel his sister’s fetal movements.

The family had been happy then.

Gu Yuan stared at her without blinking, his eyes moist.

A pulse that rose from the bottom of his heart told him silently that she was his blood relative.

He composed himself and said, “I’m your brother, Gu Yuan.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.”

The young man’s voice was slow and hoarse. The warmth, determination, and sincerity in his words overflowed.

“Big Brother,” Gu Yanfei called out softly, revealing her first smile of the day.

Gu Yuan felt a lump in his throat and controlled his emotions in an extremely short period of time. He turned to Madam Gu and said, “Grandma, Sister has just returned and is tired. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take her away first.”

Without waiting for Madam Gu to answer, Gu Yuan grabbed Gu Yanfei’s hand and left, completely ignoring the others.

“Yuan’er!” Madam Gu shouted from behind, trying to stop Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan pretended not to hear her and did not stop.

“Big Brother,” Gu Yunrong called from behind them, his voice a little low.

Gu Yuan still did not turn around. He only paused for a moment and clenched his fists.

He hadn’t told anyone that he’d made a solo trip to Huaibei in the past few days.

At the beginning of the month, Gu Yuan secretly returned to the capital for an errand. However, he accidentally found out that Madam had left the capital to pick up the “Second Lady” from Danyang City.

This “Second Lady Gu” was not Gu Yunrong. She said that she was the lost pearl of the Gu family’s eldest branch and had just been found by Madam Gu.

Gu Yuan felt that things were a little strange. After finishing his errand, he gritted his teeth and applied for leave from the higher-ups. He first went to Danyang City. Unexpectedly, Danyang City closed its gates tightly, so he could only rush to Huaibei.

After checking, he realized that his biological sister was not Gu Yunrong!

His biological sister been replaced by the vicious Mother Su and had also been tortured and abused by that family in Huaibei for 14 years.

Gu Yuan traveled day and night. Halfway through, he changed a few horses before finally rushing back to the capital. He did not expect that the moment he returned to the residence, he would see Madam Gu giving the order to punish his sister, whom she had just acknowledged!

Gu Yuan closed his eyes. His limbs were cold as he decisively pulled Gu Yanfei through the curtain.

The curtain flapped up and down, swaying in midair.

The room was silent and the air slightly oppressive.

After walking out of the Benevolent Harmony Hall, Gu Yuan let go of Gu Yanfei. He looked down at the little girl who was a head shorter than him. He had a thousand words to say, but he did not know where to start. His heart was filled with guilt.

14 years ago, his mother gave birth to his sister during the war and died in childbirth.

He had sworn on his mother’s memorial tablet that he would look after his sister.

Later, Gu Yunrong was sent to the capital from afar by Mother Su. Madam Gu took pity on her and raised her in the Benevolent Harmony Hall.

Gu Yuan wanted to study and practice martial arts. Usually, other than being in a daze in the morning, he did not have many opportunities to meet Gu Yunrong. However, after so many years, Gu Yuan was still very concerned about his sister, Gu Yunrong. He thought of her in everything and prioritized her in everything.

He hadn’t expected to get even his sister wrong.

His real sister had suffered outside for 14 years!

Thinking of what he had seen in Huaibei, Gu Yuan’s eyes darkened.

“Sister.” Gu Yuan wanted to tell his sister that he would protect her in the future. Just as the words were about to leave his mouth, he saw the little kitten in her arm from the corner of his eye, so he changed the topic abruptly. “… Is this your cat?”

“Its name is Qing Guang.” Gu Yanfei casually caressed the top of the kitten’s head.

Having heard its name, the kitten instinctively wanted to open its eyes, but a white hand blocked it.

In Gu Yuan’s eyes, this small action of hers became pity for the cat.

After some consideration, Gu Yuan said seriously, “Sister, Grandma doesn’t like cats. Any cat in the marquis’s residence will be killed by Grandma’s orders.”

“I’m working at the West Mountain Camp now. There’s a small farm nearby that’s Mother’s dowry. Why don’t you move there?”

The reason why Gu Yuan suggested this was not only because of this cat, but also because he knew that if his sister stayed in the Marquis Mansion, her life would probably not be easy.

Grandma clearly did not have any affection for his sister. If there was a disagreement, she would be punished by the family law. The servants in the residence were used to stepping on the weak and flattering the strong. Most likely, they would not give face to his sister. Hence, there was no need for her to stay here and suffer.

“…” Gu Yanfei looked at Gu Yuan in a daze.

In her previous life, Big Brother had also suggested this to her. However, at that time, she was too inferior and ignorant. She thought that Big Brother, Madam Gu, and Granny Xu all looked down on her.

“Big Brother, I’m not leaving.” Gu Yanfei’s eyes curved slightly, and her clear pupils seemed to be filled with water. Her smile was as bright as spring. “Don’t worry.”

In her previous life, she did not go to the manor.

She would not go in this life either. She would stay.

The kitten in her arms meowed a few times, meaning that no one would dare to kill it. Afterall, it was a spirit beast that all humans would worship.

Gu Yuan’s eyelashes fluttered twice. He was a little hesitant, but he did not force her in the end.

After thinking for a while, he changed to another suggestion. “Then you can stay in Yuheng Garden. That’s the courtyard where our mother lived when she was still alive. It’s been empty all these years. You can stay there after it has been tidied up a little.”

Yuheng Garden was located on the north side of the mansion’s inner courtyard. Although it had been empty for 14 years, it did not mean that it was abandoned. There were servants in the courtyard who were in charge of sweeping and tidying it to maintain its former appearance.

Gu Yuan was afraid that his sister would reject him again. He was so nervous that his palms were sweating.

...

When she said, “Okay,” Gu Yuan grinned and said eagerly, “I’ll bring you there!”

“If you need anything in the future, just let me know.”

“If I’m not there, tell my pageboy, Wu Tong.”

“In a few days, I’ll think of a way to transfer back to the capital!”

Gu Yuan rambled on and on, a little long-winded and even a little clumsy.

Gu Yanfei listened quietly with a faint smile.

Her Big Brother was trying desperately to make it up to her and to be kind to her at all costs, just as he had been then…