Chapter 57: You Are a Guest

Gu Ci was silent. There was really no need for all this.

She hadn’t expected that even after she’d chosen such a distant seat, Zhao Wenyu would still follow her over.

Gu Changrong had been sitting on Gu Ci's other side, just as far from Su Wan as he was from her, but the moment Zhao Wenyu sat down, she ended up between them.

It was the first time he’d sat down to dinner with his own “daughter” only to have someone in between them, and Gu Changrong couldn’t help feeling a little vexed.

Zhao Wenyu had always been sensitive, so she immediately picked up on the sudden heaviness that hung over the table, even if it vanished in a moment. Still, it made her stiffen visibly.

“Here, Wenyu, don’t be shy—have some more,” Su Wan said cheerfully, picking up some food for Zhao Wenyu and breaking the awkward silence.

Gu Changrong quickly followed suit, offering polite encouragement. “Wenyu, make yourself at home, just like you’re with your own family.”

“Thank you, Uncle Gu, Aunt Su,” Zhao Wenyu smiled sweetly as she ate the food they’d served her, acting as though she belonged.

“You even remember what I like!” she said with a soft laugh, covering her lips, and then she picked up some food for Gu Changrong and Su Wan in return. “Uncle Gu, Aunt Su, I know your favorites too.”

Gu Changrong and Su Wan smiled. “No need to be so polite.”

Then Zhao Wenyu glanced lightly at Gu Ci. “What about you, Sister Ci? What do you like to eat? Tell me, and I’ll pick something for you. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll get it wrong.”

On the surface, she was saying she didn’t know Gu Ci’s preferences. In truth, she was reminding Gu Ci that Uncle Gu and Su Wan hadn’t picked anything for her because they didn’t know what she liked.

But Gu Changrong immediately interjected, “There’s nothing here Ci doesn’t like. I made everything today with her in mind.”

If he hadn’t served her any food, it was simply because Gu Ci was family; there was no need for such polite gestures.

Zhao Wenyu didn’t understand this, but even so, her eyes reddened with jealousy at Gu Changrong’s words: “I made everything today with her in mind.”

Sensing Zhao Wenyu’s shifting mood, Su Wan quickly nudged Gu Changrong under the table, giving him a look to stop talking.

Gu Changrong closed his mouth, puzzled but a little reluctant. He’d only wanted Gu Ci to feel more of their affection!

When Gu Ci heard Zhao Wenyu call her “Sister Ci,” she got goosebumps all over again.

She looked at Zhao Wenyu, chewing her food slowly, her mind wandering, her eyes unfocused—a look of lazy indifference.

For Gu Ci, eating was a pleasure; she rarely spoke at the table and had no patience for others’ conversations.

This was one of the few times she let her thoughts drift. Even if someone spoke to her, it would take a while for her to respond.

After she’d swallowed her bite, Gu Ci gathered her thoughts and recalled what Zhao Wenyu had just said. She answered, one short sentence at a time, “Mm, I like everything. You’re a guest, there’s no need to worry about me.”

Her slow speech gave nothing away, so no one noticed anything amiss.

But—You’re a guest, there’s no need to worry about me.

Hearing this, Zhao Wenyu’s hand clenched the tablecloth so tightly she almost couldn’t control her expression.

After lazily uttering her polite response, Gu Ci ignored Zhao Wenyu. She paused, then looked at Gu Changrong, her tone more genuine, “Everything’s delicious. Thank you… Dad.”

She remembered there was an outsider present, so she needed to call Gu Changrong “Dad.”

Gu Changrong’s face instantly lit up, and he smiled broadly. “Silly child, we’re family. There’s no need for thank yous.”

Zhao Wenyu’s body stiffened again. She realized that staying here tonight was nothing but inviting humiliation.

When she said thank you, Uncle Gu and Su Wan responded with polite “you’re welcome.”

But when Gu Ci said thank you, Uncle Gu said they were family and there was no need for formality.

So, did blood ties truly mean that much?

Zhao Wenyu barely managed to finish dinner with Gu Ci and the others, then could endure it no longer. She claimed she was tired from her flight and needed to go home to rest, and left hastily.

As she walked out, her eyes finally betrayed her, turning bright red—clearly stung by the way Su Wan and Gu Changrong had so clearly distinguished between her and Gu Ci at the table.

In truth, Gu Changrong and Su Wan’s attitude toward her had not changed. It was just that, in the past, there had never been anyone named Gu Ci to compare her to.

Watching Zhao Wenyu’s retreating figure, Su Wan rubbed her temples, leaned against Gu Changrong’s shoulder, and murmured, “Do you think we were wrong before?”

Zhao Wenyu’s family also had a home in this neighborhood, but she often came to stay with them, and Su Wan had never refused her.

But after what happened tonight, Su Wan realized that perhaps Zhao Wenyu had begun to misunderstand something.

Gu Changrong, however, completely missed her point. He wrapped his arm around Su Wan’s shoulders, sighing, “That’s right. We should’ve let Ci stay in a hotel for a few days, gotten her room ready, and had those three boys come back before we brought her home.”

Su Wan was immediately sidetracked, her face full of remorse. “Right, Old Gu, why didn’t we think of that before?”

At 1:35 in the morning, the Gu couple were already asleep. Gu Ci changed into a black tracksuit, pulled on a baseball cap and a mask, and quietly slipped out the door.

When the elevator arrived and the doors opened, she found herself face-to-face with a man inside, also wearing a cap and mask.

Their eyes met, and both paused.

Gu Ci slowly lowered her gaze, while the man in the elevator looked away. The two passed each other without a word.

After leaving the elevator, the man headed toward his apartment, grumbling inwardly about why someone would be out at this hour.

Halfway down the corridor, his scattered thoughts abruptly snapped into focus and his steps faltered.

Wasn’t his family the only one living on this floor?

A jolt of clarity shot through him. He couldn’t help but retrace his steps, carefully checking the floor number once again.