Chapter 491 - 431: Offending the Grand Duke
Chapter 491: Chapter 431: Offending the Grand Duke
When Grandpa Gu got agitated, his voice rose, drawing a quick glance from the others in the living room. They promptly returned to their own activities, knowing better than to pry into a private conversation between grandfather and grandson. Granny Gu, however, grew worried and walked straight over to ask what was happening.
Grandpa Gu told her to sit down and irritably recounted the events. Granny Gu was stunned for a moment before standing up and leaving the living room to find Gu Shaofeng.
Gu Shaojun continued his conversation with his grandfather, this time discussing matters of Cultivation.
At eleven o’clock sharp, Grandpa Tang and Grandma Tang led their family in saying their goodbyes. Even though they had arranged for someone to set off New Year’s Eve firecrackers back home, they still needed to return and prepare to welcome the new year at the stroke of midnight.
Everyone in the living room walked them to the door. Tang Haocheng was dragging his sister along, intending to ride in his uncle’s car, when Gu Shaojun suddenly reached out a long arm from behind, whisked Xiao Man away, and ushered her into a military jeep parked nearby. Tang Haocheng turned around, dumbfounded. Stomping his foot and gritting his teeth, he had no choice but to climb in after them.
The door on the other side opened, and Gu Shaoqin cleverly slipped in. He shot Tang Haocheng a mischievous grin. "Shaoying fell asleep, so I don’t have to stay and light fireworks with her. I can go with my big brother!"
Tang Haocheng shot him a withering look. "Do you even know how to talk? We’re going to *my* house. What do you mean, ’go with your big brother’? Go where?"
From the passenger seat, Xiao Man turned around. "Tang Haohao, what’s with the short fuse tonight?"
Tang Haocheng lifted his chin defiantly. "No!"
"Isn’t it great that Shaoqin is coming with us? I was even hoping Brother Shaolian and Brother Shaojin could come too. The more, the merrier for the New Year. It’s more fun and festive, you know?"
"You’re so dramatic. I never said it was bad!"
Xiao Man glared. "What was that? Say it again?"
"Fine, I get it!" Tang Haocheng shouted. At that, Xiao Man let him be. She was all too familiar with his awkward methods of surrender.
Gu Shaojun started the car, smiling at Xiao Man while glancing at Tang Haocheng in the rearview mirror. He was happy for the pair. ’This is what real, blood-related siblings are like. I always thought the way Tang Yaxuan and Hao Hao interacted was a bit strange, and now I understand why.’
’Tang Yaxuan tried to act like a big sister to Hao Hao, but she always seemed overly cautious. She would never dare to scold her brother at the drop of a hat like Xiao Man does. And while Hao Hao might have respected and protected Tang Yaxuan, he never showed it directly. At the very least, he would never have offended any of the Gu family brothers for her sake, especially not me or Gu Shaoqin.’
’The impression one got from Tang Yaxuan and Tang Haocheng was that their sibling bond was distant and lukewarm. They looked out for each other, to be sure, but they weren’t close.’
’Xiao Man and Hao Hao are completely different. Whether it’s their uninhibited bickering and scolding or their shameless way of sticking together and following each other around, anyone can see the unbreakable connection between them. That’s what a blood tie is. That’s family.’
The three cars slowly drove away. Gu Shaojun had gotten Grandpa Gu’s permission to go to the Tang Mansion. Gu Shaoqin, being younger, tagged along with his big brother without anyone objecting. Gu Shaozhen, Zheng Shaolian, and Zheng Shaojin had actually wanted to tag along too, but Grandpa Gu said, "If you all go, it’ll be too quiet over here. Can you imagine how much your grandmother would nag? Just wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow is the first day of the New Year, and our whole family will go over there. We can stay the whole day!"
That night at the Tang Mansion, after setting off fireworks and eating dumplings, Gu Shaojun and Gu Shaoqin were to stay over. Seeing Xiao Man and Gu Shaojun happily playing chess, Ai Wenli had intended to tidy up the second-floor study and put out fresh bedding for Gu Shaojun to sleep there. However, Tang Qingshan stopped her, pointing to the third floor. "The guest rooms are up there. Let them sleep on the third floor."
Ai Wenli pouted and shot Tang Qingshan a sideways glance. It was her first time meeting Gu Shaojun, and she thought such an outstanding young man was like a male protagonist straight out of one of her books. She was thoroughly pleased with her future son-in-law and was unhappy with Tang Qingshan for treating him so poorly. ’Zheng Shaolian and Zheng Shaojin could sleep in the second-floor study when they visited, so why can’t Gu Shaojun?’
Tang Qingshan just smiled without explaining. He simply guided Ai Wenli into their room, sat her down on the bed, helped her take off her coat, and tucked her in. He told her not to worry about such things and to just get some rest with the baby.
Once Ai Wenli had fallen asleep, Tang Qingshan quietly left the room. He checked Xiao Man’s room and then the study, but no one was there. Realizing his daughter must have followed Gu Shaojun to the third floor, he shook his head with a helpless sigh and went upstairs to have a look.
Tang Qingshan had previously admired and liked Gu Shaojun a great deal. Back when he believed Tang Yaxuan was the Tang Family Girl, he thought of him as an excellent son-in-law. But ever since they found Manman, he, like his mother, doted on her endlessly and couldn’t bear to let her go. He was unwilling to see her claimed by someone so early, even if that someone was Gu Shaojun—the eldest grandson of the Gu family, a brilliant and talented scion of a famous clan, admired and adored by countless socialites in Beijing!
Seeing his own daughter gradually become captivated by Gu Shaojun and willingly accept her role as his fiancée already left a sour taste in Tang Qingshan’s mouth. If he knew that Ai Wenli was also so smitten with their future son-in-law that she couldn’t wait to lock him down, his jealousy would have likely flared even more. He might have, in a fit of pique, thrown Gu Shaojun out and sent him back to the Gu family, not even letting him sleep on the third floor.
Gu Shaojun must have been having an unlucky year. That night, Tang Qingshan was merely giving him the cold shoulder, but Tang Qingyun found every little thing about him an eyesore and wished he would vanish immediately.
The third floor had been designated as the living space for Tang Qingyun and his family. After divorcing Wu Xiaowen and returning to Beijing, Tang Qingyun had constantly dreamed of Xiao Man coming to live on the third floor. ’I may not have a wife anymore, but I still have a son and a daughter. Having my children around me would be a comfort and a joy.’ But for all his wishing, Xiao Man rarely came upstairs. Now that she had finally made an appearance, Tang Qingyun was overjoyed and bustled about, planning to show his daughter the precious, immovable treasures he had collected in each room. ’My library is no less impressive than Tang Qingshan’s on the second floor,’ he thought proudly, ’it’s full of foreign masterpieces and ancient Huaxia texts that I collected in my youth... there are so many fun and interesting things on the third floor! If Manman sees them, maybe she’ll start to like coming up here.’ But that Gu Shaojun was so clueless! He kept distracting Manman with rambling stories about primeval jungles, raptors, savage beasts, man-eating plants, massive sinkholes, dark abysses...
’Are those things you should be talking to a girl about?’
’Fine, so my Manman isn’t like other girls, but can’t you find another time to tell your stories? This is New Year’s Eve! We’re supposed to be having a family reunion, all gathered together. But you’ve completely stolen the spotlight and captured all of Manman’s attention. And then Gu Shaoqin dragged Hao Hao up to the roof. So what am I, her father, supposed to do? Just pace around here by myself? This is ridiculous!’
When Tang Qingshan came up, he saw Tang Qingyun sitting with a gloomy expression at the mahogany round table, tending to a small, red clay stove where tea was brewing. Gu Shaojun and Xiao Man were leaning together on the balcony, watching the city’s fireworks and laughing softly. Faintly, from the roof above, came the sounds of Gu Shaoqin and Tang Haohao. He couldn’t tell what the two of them were doing, but their boisterous laughter and clamor made it sound as if there were five or six people up there.
Tang Qingshan called everyone over to sit and drink a few cups of tea. He then pulled Xiao Man downstairs, telling everyone else to go get some rest too, since the Tang Mansion would be hosting guests tomorrow and there was much to be done.