Chapter Seventeen: The Gu Family Changes Hands

In the Gu family’s back garden pavilion, Gu Zhiheng lounged lazily to one side, watching the three others play cards. Together, these three spirits boasted over fifteen hundred years of age, making for rather amusing company.

“Zhiheng, you need to learn to accept the world outside. Don’t keep shutting yourself away,” Chu Xingran urged him, never tiring of her attempts to coax him into joining group activities, despite his persistent reluctance.

Even Mo Han, usually indifferent, found himself bothered by Gu Zhiheng’s demeanor. They’d already left the ancestral shrine behind, yet he always seemed weighed down by worry, a perpetual look of melancholy etched onto his face. And then there was his appearance: though nothing was wrong with his health, he looked as if he were on the brink of death.

“Your body’s fine, so why do you look so pale? Your face is always bloodless,” Mo Han couldn’t help but voice his curiosity.

Gu Zhiheng rolled his eyes in exasperation, answering coolly, “I’ve lived with dozens of ghosts and a horde of spirits since I was little. How could I possibly look healthy?”

At that, Chen Yuan burst out laughing, unable to hold it in. It was true—no matter how strong his vitality, living and eating every day among ghosts would drain anyone’s life force.

“I won’t stoop to your level, you bunch of old guys. All you do is complain about me.” They were all over five hundred years old, yet they still bullied a kid like him.

He rose and walked out of the pavilion. In another couple of days, once the Gu family stabilized, it would be time for him to take care of business.

Mo Han... how could he obtain the essence blood from between his brows without expending any effort? Last time, Gui Zhi had been too weak, so taking her heart had been a breeze. But Mo Han was different; his cultivation was at least several times higher than Gui Zhi’s. How could he get what he needed from him?

Truthfully, for years he had relied on Chu Xingran for everything. If one day she were gone, what would he do?

“Big Sister, will you ever get married?” He supposed she would. No matter their age, girls always dreamed of marrying someone they liked.

Although he’d heard Chu Xingran say she liked him countless times, she’d never said she wanted to marry him. Perhaps, in her heart, he was simply a little brother she’d raised herself. Just as, to him, Chu Xingran would always be family—his sister.

He felt gratitude and awe towards her, but not the kind of love that slipped so easily from the tongue. Maybe he simply didn’t understand love and thus couldn’t sense the sort of affection Chu Xingran felt for him. Even when he saw the emotion in her eyes, he noticed it, but never truly understood what it was.

Suddenly, Chen Yuan shouted, “Hey, you two tricked me!”

Gu Zhiheng’s train of thought was broken, though he hadn’t heard Chu Xingran’s answer.

“Gu Zhiheng, three days from now, let’s have a sparring match. If you can withstand three of my moves, I’ll give you the essence blood from between my brows!” Mo Han was not unreasonable. At his level, a few drops of essence blood meant little—it wouldn’t affect him—so using it to make Gu Zhiheng owe him a favor seemed worthwhile.

“Alright.” The word was spoken softly, neither revealing any emotion nor disturbing his perpetually cold, stoic face.

With Gu Zhiheng’s agreement, Mo Han returned to playing cards with Chu Xingran and Chen Yuan. None of them thought Gu Zhiheng’s behavior was out of the ordinary. That was simply the way he was: no matter how changeable he might be elsewhere, in Chu Xingran’s presence, he was always his truest self.

So far, Gu Zhiheng only ever showed his true face when dealing with major issues. Most of the time, he acted quietly, harmless as a lamb, using this guise to mislead others—a skill Chu Xingran had taught him as a child. Back then, he’d been so gullible that anyone—human or spirit—could have taken advantage of him.

“With the Gu family changing hands, the timid Second Master has taken over. There shouldn’t be any more trouble, right?” Chen Yuan, ever lazy and fond of leisure, hated trouble of any sort. Though staying with Chu Xingran and Gu Zhiheng guaranteed her safety, dealing with endless problems was exhausting.

“There won’t be. Second Master is just like the old crowd at the ancestral shrine. Don’t worry,” Chu Xingran replied, patting Chen Yuan’s head. She couldn’t help but find it odd that Chen Yuan always appeared as a child; it made her look quite endearing. Still, that little body could be inconvenient at times—especially when they went out to cause mischief together.

…

“Mom, big brother is amazing! Dad’s in charge of the family now,” Gu Zhixia exclaimed excitedly, sharing the news with Madam Gu in the hospital room after checking her phone.

She’d always known her brother was the best.

Madam Gu looked at her daughter, feeling a deeper sense of guilt toward Gu Zhiheng, yet she smiled and echoed her daughter’s praise. Yes, her son was truly remarkable—he’d taken care of all those rotten problems as soon as he returned.

She was grateful he’d come back in time, or she might never have seen him again in this life. Though they’d video-called every few days before, it wasn’t the same as seeing him in person. Now, she could see her son every day and finally make up for lost time.

“Hello, brother!” Gu Zhixia suddenly answered a call from Gu Zhiheng, her voice cheerful.

At first, Gu Zhiheng hadn’t been particularly fond of this younger sister, but she was growing on him. Now, whenever he spoke to her, he strove to be gentle. “How’s Mom doing? Want me to come and help?”

“Don’t worry, Mom’s feeling much better. The doctor said she can come home in two days after a final observation.” Soon, their family would be reunited. Now, she had a brother too, and as for the eldest sister—well, she didn’t care for family, so let her be.

“Auntie, is that Uncle on the phone?” The three-year-old girl asked Gu Zhixia in a soft, childish voice, and Gu Zhiheng heard her on the other end.

“Yuer, it’s Uncle. Did you miss me?” Now that was a truly adorable little one—unlike Chen Yuan.

“I missed you, Uncle! Can you come take me out to play?” Although He Yu was only three, she knew perfectly well who treated her kindly.

“Be good, sweetheart. Uncle’s busy, but I’ll come see you tonight, alright?” What was he to do—he suddenly realized how much he liked this little bundle of joy.

With a new child in the family, his parents would have less energy to devote to other concerns. Once he left, perhaps they wouldn’t miss him too much.

After hanging up, he stood alone for a long time. Sometimes, it was enough just to let things go.

Time passed quickly, and the sun began to set.

Clouds gathered, darkening the sky. This afternoon, there was no escaping a rainstorm.

After the rain, the Gu family would be renewed.

Gu Zhiheng and his companions would resume their own affairs, and everything would proceed in perfect order.