Volume 1, Chapter 12: The Young Divine Physician of the Gu Family

"Yes, eight years old." Yan Chu nodded, her tone heavy. "Did you not expect that an eight-year-old child could do something so insidious?"

Gu Ruolin felt as though her entire worldview was collapsing. The person who had administered the poison was Ran Shuyi, the very person who had mocked Ruoruo the most viciously.

Gu Ruoruo was also stunned, her eyes blurring with tears. She had never imagined that the person who had forced her to live in the shadows for a decade was actually her own sister.

"Auntie, how... how did you know?" Gu Ruoruo’s voice trembled. "My sister was so young back then. Could you have been mistaken?"

Yan Chu offered Gu Ruoruo a comforting look. "Auntie naturally has her ways. Besides, age cannot be the standard by which one judges a person’s actions." She patted Gu Ruoruo’s head. "Though you are young, it is time you learned how sinister the human heart can be. From now on, remember to protect yourself and love yourself."

"Then..." Gu Ruoruo’s voice carried a sense of pity. "Will my sister... suffer severe karmic retribution?"

Yan Chu and Gu Ruolin exchanged a helpless glance. This child was so kind that even now, she was still feeling sympathy for the one who had harmed her. Perhaps for her, this reality was just too much to bear.

"Ruoruo, Ran Shuyi’s downfall is a matter of cause and effect. As for the severity, that depends on her own fate."

Gu Ruolin fell silent. Although it was hard to believe, the facts were right in front of her, and she had no choice but to accept them. If Ran Shuyi had resorted to such twisted methods at such a young age, the person pulling the strings behind the scenes was almost certainly Gu Rong. She looked at Yan Chu with a mix of admiration and gratitude. "Thank you, Xiao Chu. If it weren't for you, we might never have known the truth."

Yan Chu looked at Gu Ruolin with a gentle gaze. She could tell from her eyes that this sixth sister of the Gu family was different from the others.

Ever since curing Gu Ruoruo, Yan Chu had become the "little miracle doctor" of the Gu household. Old Madam Gu wanted nothing more than to worship her like a living deity. She spoke of "Xiao Chu" constantly and would frequently give her pocket money—usually starting at one hundred thousand. Yan Chu simply instructed the old lady to deposit the money into her master’s account. Though perplexed, the old lady was sensible enough not to ask why and complied immediately.

The other members of the Gu family also began to treat Yan Chu with more respect. After all, they had seen with their own eyes how Ran Shuyi had suffered from the backlash. Aside from the sixth sister, the rest of Gu Chenxiao's sisters were terrified that if Yan Chu were displeased, she might ruin their faces as well.

"Xiao Chu, the weather looks lovely this afternoon. Why don't you let Chenxiao take you out for a stroll?" Old Madam Gu beamed, winking at Gu Chenxiao. Yan Chu hadn't been married into the family for long, they had no emotional foundation, and Chenxiao was so wooden. If they didn't go out more to cultivate their relationship, that would never do!

Gu Chenxiao continued eating in a slow, measured way, his elegant posture making even the white rice in his bowl look expensive. "I have matters at the company this afternoon," he said flatly.

At those words, the smile on Old Madam Gu’s face froze. "Chenxiao, work is never-ending. Spending time with family is what matters most."

"Hmm." Gu Chenxiao frowned slightly and said nothing more. He was grateful to Yan Chu, but he understood the old lady’s intentions. His marriage to Yan Chu was merely to fulfill a contract; beyond that, he had no other thoughts.

"Mom!" Gu Caiwei said with schadenfreude. "Chenxiao doesn't even want to pay attention to his wife. Are you really going to let Yan Chu be the one to offer a warm face to a cold shoulder?"

Old Madam Gu felt a bit awkward and turned to Yan Chu. "Well, Xiao Chu, is there anywhere you’d like to go? Mom will go with you."

Yan Chu smiled slightly, expressing her thanks, but politely declined the offer. "Thank you, Mom, but I have some things to attend to this afternoon, so..."

"I'll go with you." Gu Chenxiao suddenly interrupted. While Yan Chu was still in surprise, Gu Chenxiao had already set down his chopsticks and stood up to head upstairs. "I'm going to change. Wait for me."

Old Madam Gu and Gu Caiwei both watched him in astonishment. The old lady was puzzled, "Did Chenxiao... have a change of heart?"

Gu Caiwei gripped her chopsticks tightly, gnashing her teeth. Gu Chenxiao hadn't had a change of heart; he was clearly slapping her in the face!

Yan Chu and Gu Chenxiao left the house and sat in the back seat of the car. As the vehicle pulled out of the Gu estate, Yan Chu looked out the window. She knew their marriage was merely a formality; his willingness to accompany her today was simply to ensure she wouldn't be embarrassed in front of Gu Caiwei.

"You..." Yan Chu suddenly spoke, breaking the silence in the car. "If you have work, you don't have to accompany me. You can go handle your business." She turned to meet Gu Chenxiao’s deep gaze and smiled slightly.

Gu Chenxiao’s eyes flickered with surprise, and he nodded gently. Yan Chu was indeed a thoughtful person. He pulled out a black card and handed it to her. "Buy a few clothes you like."

Yan Chu thought for a moment. Since they were putting on a show, she couldn't return to the Gu house empty-handed. "Alright," she said, accepting it.

*Screech—* The car suddenly braked hard. Yan Chu was caught off guard and lurched forward. Gu Chenxiao reached out his hand, blocking her path to prevent her from hitting anything.

The driver, Old Zhang, said in a flustered tone, "Young Master, the car in front stopped suddenly, I..."

Gu Chenxiao waved his hand, signaling it was fine, and told him to keep driving. As the car continued toward the city center, Old Zhang let out a long breath, suddenly realizing that the Young Master seemed to have changed—his temper was much better. Could it be... that this was all thanks to the Young Mistress? And, he had just touched the Young Mistress on his own initiative!

Old Zhang, entering gossip-assistant mode, quietly placed his foot near the brake, ready to perform another sudden stop.

Gu Chenxiao’s cold voice rang out, "If you dare to do that again, pack your bags and leave."

Old Zhang froze, gave an awkward laugh, and quickly moved his foot away.

The car finally pulled up in front of a high-end shopping mall. Yan Chu got out first. The car window rolled down, revealing Gu Chenxiao’s refined profile. "I'll pick you up in two hours."

"Alright."

The car drove away slowly. Inside, Old Zhang said with a gossipy tone, "Young Master, this is the first time I've ever seen you pay so much attention to a woman!"

Gu Chenxiao was speechless. That was true; after all, besides Yan Chu, he was allergic to every other woman. Old Zhang was thinking that having Gu Chenxiao accompany Yan Chu would be good for their relationship. After all, this Young Mistress was gentle and quiet—much better than the women who used to cling to the Young Master!

"Young Master, there are many young socialites shopping in this mall. If the Young Mistress is dressed so plainly, will the shop assistants look down on her?" Old Zhang’s intention was to have Gu Chenxiao go with her so that no one would dare slight her.