Chapter 37

With the truth abruptly laid bare, the meal ended in heavy silence.
Qiao An wanted no part in the aftermath, and Gu Ting was in no position to get involved. So, she took him back to their room early. She began doing her homework while he basked in the sunlight.
The commotion downstairs couldn’t reach them.
Meanwhile, Gu Chi faced the hostile glares of the Gu family, still dazed. He was an ambitious man, but his ambitions had been repeatedly crushed. Under Grandpa Gu’s guidance, Gu Ting’s father had grown increasingly shrewd, winning the full support of the board. Gu Chi, still inexperienced, stood no chance in the competition.
Yet what Gu Chi desired wasn’t merely the title of the Third Young Master of the Gu family, he wanted to be the head of the Gu Corporation.
Even as he gained some influence, Grandpa Gu continued to overlook him. Resentment festered in his heart, though at that time, Gu Chi still held back out of respect for their familial bonds.
That changed when Gu Chi met someone.
This person told him that his biological father had once built the Gu empire from scratch alongside Grandpa Gu but was falsely accused of embezzlement and driven to take his own life along with his family, leaving behind an infant Gu Chi.
Gu Chi investigated the claim and, through DNA testing, confirmed that he shared no blood relation with the Gu family.
With no familial ties to hold him back, Gu Chi felt no reservations, especially after learning that his father had died under the stain of false accusations.
No one could verify the truth of this claim, but with ambition driving him, Gu Chi chose to believe it.
He hadn’t anticipated Gu Ting’s father changing the destination for the eldest family’s trip, but perhaps it was fate, their destined calamity unfolded even more seamlessly.
Although Gu Chi hadn't arranged everything, he had discreetly sent a car to follow them. When the car accident occurred, he remotely directed his people to take Gu Ting away.
Gu Ting's genius made Gu Chi uneasy about letting him remain in the Gu family. Otherwise, it would take at least ten years for his plan to be implemented, and by then, Gu Ting would have already grown up!
So when the police and others arrived, Gu Ting was gone, along with the kitten that had secretly snuck into the car.
No one could guess that he was the one behind it.
Later, when he heard that Gu Ting had been found, Gu Chi once again felt the urge to kill him. However, one thing put his mind at ease: Gu Ting had been forcibly knocked unconscious as a child, likely injuring the back of his head. Combined with over a decade of wandering, his mental state had deteriorated.
When he returned, he was even afraid of strangers, ate with his mouth like an animal, and would scratch people with his claws. At that time, Grandpa Gu, like Gu Ze, resented him for ruining the son he had placed high hopes on. He showed little warmth toward Gu Ting and forcibly tried to "correct" him.
Such a person was nothing but a waste. The Gu family had plenty of money, so keeping him around was no issue, there was no need to dirty his own hands.
All he had to do was wait for Gu Xun, that useless fool, to hand over the position of company director to him.
Everything went so smoothly.
It seemed completely normal, and nothing could be traced back to him. Over the past decade, all he had to do was build his own connections and reputation, waiting for the position of power to fall into his lap without any struggle or competition.
The only thing he hadn't expected was that during this seemingly ordinary lunch, Gu Ting suddenly remembered everything.
In fact, Gu Chi had come so early this morning precisely to check on Gu Ting's condition when no one else was around, so he could respond promptly if there were any issues.
But the Gu Ting he saw was still the same as before, and he never imagined he would overhear things he shouldn't have.

By afternoon tea time, when Qiao An went downstairs to get some fruit, the Gu household had already quieted down again.
Xu Hui, still shaken, pulled her aside and said, "Oh my, what happened? Why would Gu Ting tell you all that?"
She had been in the kitchen but knew everything that had happened in the living room.
Qiao An smiled but didn't address the question. Instead, she asked, "Where is Grandpa Gu?"
"They've all gone to the company. It seems like there's going to be a big shake-up at Gu Corporation. You just focus on taking care of Gu Ting and don't get involved in these matters anymore." Xu Hui was still a bit frightened.
Grandpa Gu was usually amiable with them, but when he left the table at noon, his expression was as if he could erupt in anger at any moment. Worried about his health, Qiao Yi had even called Dr. Zhang to be on standby.
The other members of the Gu family had ganged up on Gu Chi, especially Gu Ze, who was barely seventeen and had fought with such ferocity that his eyes turned red. Gu Chi had even coughed up blood.
It was only then that she learned Gu Chi wasn't actually Grandpa Gu's son. His father had been forced into embezzlement due to his mother's insatiable demands and vanity. When he was quickly discovered and faced imprisonment, his mother demanded a divorce, leading to the tragedy.
Because everything had happened so suddenly, Xu Hui was terrified and couldn't help but chatter a bit.
Qiao An listened patiently to the gossip when suddenly she heard a soft call: "An An!"
Qiao An looked up and saw Gu Ting leaning over the second-floor railing, watching her, his little mouth pouting. "An An!"
He had promised to go get fruit, but she had been gone so long, turns out she was talking to someone else!
Gu Ting was a little angry.
Qiao An slapped her forehead and quickly coaxed him, "I’ll be right there. You go back first."
"Okay," Gu Ting nodded but didn’t move, his eyes fixed on her as if afraid she’d slack off again.
Resigned, Qiao An went to fetch the things.

With the truth now revealed, the Gu family was indeed thrown into turmoil.
The first to face consequences was Gu Chi, who ended up in prison. While he couldn’t be charged with murder, the crime of abandoning Gu Ting was undeniable. Grandpa Gu was relentless, pressing for a swift investigation that uncovered evidence and led to all involved being handed over to the police.
Naturally, the Gu Corporation’s upper management also underwent changes.
Qiao An Yi was so busy he barely had time to catch his breath, and Grandpa Gu fell ill from exhaustion during this period, yet he couldn’t afford to stop.
It was at this time that Gu Ze took the initiative to approach Gu Ting.
Gu Ting, who had a deep-seated impression of him, quickly hid behind Qiao An, eyeing him warily as if fearing an attack.
Seeing his own brother react this way, a shadow entirely of his own making, Gu Ze smiled bitterly but felt helpless. As he watched Gu Ting retreat in fear at his approach, even pulling Qiao An along, Gu Ze halted, his shoulders slumping in defeat, and murmured, "I’m sorry."
At this point, it seemed there was nothing he could do to make up for his past mistakes.
Surprisingly, though Gu Ting was afraid of him, there was no trace of hatred in his gaze, not even the hidden coldness he reserved for Gu Chi. It was simply a pure fear of his proximity.
Qiao An’s feelings toward Gu Ze were somewhat complicated. After the truth came out, she roughly guessed why Gu Ze had resented Gu Ting, he believed Gu Ting had cost him his parents.
She despised the way Gu Ze had acted, even considering him colder than Gu Ting, and had no desire to interact with him.
But now, seeing the once coldly dressed boy reduced to this haggard, guilt-ridden state, her inner "face-appreciator" couldn’t help but soften a little.
Qiao An turned around, about to ask Gu Ting what he thought, when she saw the boy’s clear pupils reflecting Gu Ze’s image. A mistiness veiled his usually bright eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned downward.
He still huddled behind Qiao An, shrinking his neck, but he stole glances at Gu Ze.
This behavior suddenly made Qiao An keenly aware that Gu Ting didn’t seem to dislike Gu Ze; in fact, when Gu Ze was upset, he even seemed to feel a bit sorry for him?
Qiao An thought back carefully: there had been a period when Gu Ze had been following the two of them. Though Gu Ting was always frightened and stuck close to her, he had never tried to drive him away.
In contrast, when the two boys assigned to care for Gu Ting entered the room where they were, Gu Ting would show clear rejection and displeasure.
Realizing this, Qiao An felt a complex mix of emotions, which only made her feel more heartache for him.
The tall, slender boy was hunched over, leaning on her shoulder. Qiao An smiled gently, turned around, and patted his head softly, saying, "It's okay, he won’t bully you anymore."
Gu Ting blinked, looking at her as if asking with his eyes: Really?
Lately, Gu Ting had been repeatedly provoked, and Qiao An’s efforts had nearly been undone. In front of others, he was almost unwilling to speak, his condition fluctuating, and he could only be coaxed along.
Qiao An nodded firmly. "Really." Then, she turned to Gu Ze and asked, "You won’t bully Gu Ting anymore, right?"
Gu Ze, who had been feeling down, suddenly heard the question and quickly nodded, stammering anxiously, "I’m sorry, I won’t bully you anymore. You can bully me, even hit me if you want!"
He looked at Gu Ting with hopeful, narrow phoenix eyes, his brows furrowed with obvious unease as he waited for a response.
Gu Ting pursed his lips and whispered, "Then, can I hit you once?"
"Okay!" Gu Ze nodded eagerly, his eyes instantly reddening as he flusteredly added, "You can hit me as many times as you want. Do you need a stick?"
"No!" Gu Ting quickly shook his head, holding up one finger. "Just once!"
Once was enough.
Gu Ting blinked, stepped forward, closed his eyes, and said, "Go ahead, you can hit me hard if you want."
Gu Ting hadn’t expected him to be so resolute. His eyes widened slightly in surprise as he looked at Qiao An.
Qiao An gave him an encouraging smile. "It’s fine, hit him hard!"
Take back all the grievances you’ve suffered before!
Gu Ting pursed his lips, smiling a little sheepishly, looking so innocent and harmless that Qiao An’s lips twitched. She thought to herself, With that little white bunny look, he’s definitely not going to hit him hard.
Sure enough, he reached out, patted Gu Ze’s head lightly, then stroked it gently before withdrawing his hand. He smiled contentedly and whispered secretly into Qiao An’s ear, "He’s sick, I can’t hit him hard."
Gu Ze heard this and tried to hold back his tears, but he couldn’t stop himself from crying. "Wah… I’m sorry…"
He was sick, that was something from when he was two years old.
He remembered how Gu Ting had insisted on going to the amusement park, and he also remembered why he hadn’t gone at the time. Back then, his parents had told him he was sick and that they would celebrate his brother’s birthday properly when they returned, but for now, they would take his brother out to play.
In the end, none of them came back.
Gu Ting still remembered him, but it was the version of him from when he was two years old. That was why, no matter how much Gu Ze bullied him, Gu Ting never hated him or resented him, because he was his younger brother, and his younger brother was still small and sick.
Qiao An watched as Gu Ze crouched on the ground, covering his face and crying so hard he could barely catch his breath. She felt like crying too, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and tried her best to hold back.
Gu Ting looked guiltily at his own hand, clearly wondering: Did I hit him too hard?
Why is he crying like this?
Qiao An found his reaction both amusing and exasperating, but she didn’t intervene. Her impression of Gu Ze wasn’t great, and forgiving him so easily didn’t sit well with her. But then again, she couldn’t really do anything to Gu Ze either.
At this point, Gu Ting’s mind was still childlike. Although Gu Ze hadn’t tried to kill him, he had hurt him badly. If they were to retaliate in kind, even Qiao An wouldn’t be able to bring herself to do it, let alone Gu Ting.
Gu Ze's poor mental state stemmed from his early memory retention. The shadows of his childhood filled him with deep resentment toward Gu Ting, while Gu Ting's own memories might still be preserved from when he was five years old, remembering that he had such a younger brother.
His apology was sincere, and that was enough.
However, it was likely that even if Gu Ting accepted the apology, he would still be unable to let down his guard. They might never be as close as they were in childhood.