The Sweetest Medicine

Jiang Qi hesitated for a moment and said carefully, “I’ll tell you then. But, don’t tell my brother that I told you this.”

“Of course,” Yu Gangan nodded as she looked around. She the pointed to a cafe in a small garden ahead, “Let’s go there and sit. We can chat while we have some coffee.”

“OK.”

The two women entered the cafe and sat in a quiet corner. One sip of the steaming hot coffee warmed one’s heart…

Jiang Qi’s expression was serious, “Her name is Gu Shuling. She is the eldest daughter of the Gu Family. But, she is not Uncle Gu Chen’s biological daughter. Uncle Gu’s daughter died in an accident.”

“When did this happen?” Yu Gangan queried.

“Over a decade ago. At that time, I was only 6-years-old. Everything I know is just hearsay and what my father told me.”

Jiang Qi stirred her coffee a few times and said slowly, “The current Mrs. Gu isn’t Uncle Gu’s first wife. Uncle Gu’s previous wife went by the surname, Yan. They were childhood friends. They grew up together and got married as soon as they graduated from university. Afterwards, they gave birth to a daughter, Gu Yanyu. My father once told me that the meaning of her name was Uncle Gu’s wish for him and Auntie Yan to have an undying love.”

“What does this have to do with Fang Zhihan?” Yu Gangan asked confusedly.

“Auntie Yan and my brother’s mother were good friends. Before my brother and Gu Yanyu were born, the two of them already made a promise that if they gave birth to opposite genders then they would marry their children to each other and become family. So, as soon as Gu Yanyu was born, the two of them were engaged.”

Yu Gangan was shocked, “Fang Zhihan has a fiancee?”

Jiang Qi sighed, “She’s no longer here, so the engagement doesn’t count.”

Yu Gangan smiled, “Continue.”

“Auntie Yan’s health wasn’t too good so she passed away two years after giving birth to Gu Yanyu. Brother and his mother really liked Gu Yanyu, so Brother’s mother took good care of Gu Yanyu after her mother died, shouldering the roles of both mother and future mother-in-law. Until…”

As she spoke, Jiang Qi stopped.

Her knees folded and her hands clenched into fists, looking a little nervous and uneasy.

“Until Brother and his mother discovered the existence of me and my mother. At that time, it caused quite a mess. Brother’s mother had a fight with my father, got divorced, and left. Perhaps, due to the fact that their mothers were good friends and they both left, my brother and Gu Yanyu could relate to each other and they grew even closer. Uncle Gu Chen loved and doted on Gu Yanyu so he was very protective of her. Due to his relationship with Gu Yanyu, Uncle Gu Chen also treated my brother really well.”

Jiang Qi broke into laughter at this point, “My father once told me that he was upset and jealous because of this. He said he felt like he helped the Gu Family give birth to a son because my brother was closer to Uncle Gu Chen than him. In fact, Uncle Gu Chen seemed more like his father.”

“Then, what happened after that? Why did Gu Yanyu…” Yu Gangan began to ask.

“Uncle Gu and Auntie Yan had an extremely good relationship. Even after she passed away for many years, he did not find another partner until the current Mrs. Gu appeared. This Mrs. Gu was a divorcee that was all alone with her daughter. No one knows how she ended up with Uncle Gu Chen. All they know was, she was pregnant when she started dating him. Gu Yanyu disliked the appearance of Mrs. Gu in their lives and did not want her father to remarry. So, my brother ran away from home with her and took her to look for his grandfather. But, an accident happened: my brother was injured and Gu Yanyu went missing.”