Su Yiran obediently didn’t insist on looking back. He ignored Grandfather Gu behind him, and holding Gu Yuanting’s hand, they left the nursing home, preparing to return to the Gu residence.

On the way back, questions swirled in Su Yiran’s mind, but after some thought, he decided not to ask immediately, planning to question Ting-ge after they returned.

To his surprise, upon returning to the Gu residence, Su Yiran found an unfamiliar person in their main villa, sitting on the living room sofa, as if waiting for them.

The newcomer was about fifty years old, with graying hair and glasses, looking very haggard. Upon seeing them enter, he immediately stood up agitatedly, his finger trembling as he pointed at Gu Yuanting: “Unfilial son! What have you, what have you done to your elder brother?”

Su Yiran was startled. From his words, the person seemed to be Gu Yuanting’s father. He couldn’t help but look at Gu Yuanting.

Gu Yuanting, seeing his father, frowned, ignored him, and cast a cold glance at the butler standing nearby.

The butler stood trembling, and seeing Gu Yuanting’s gaze, he shivered and said with a bitter face, “Sir, this, we really couldn’t stop him.”

After all, Father Gu was one of the masters of the Gu residence. If he wanted to come over, they truly couldn’t stop him.

Father Gu saw Gu Yuanting ignore him, and he trembled with anger. He rushed towards Gu Yuanting. Gu Yuanting frowned, shielded Ranran behind him, and turned to him, saying, “Ranran, go upstairs first.”

Su Yiran hesitated, but Father Gu had already noticed his presence, and his anger-clouded mind calmed down. Father Gu scrutinized Su Yiran, then smiled ambiguously: “So you are Su…”

Father Gu couldn’t recall Su Yiran’s name and stumbled.

Su Yiran smiled and said, “I am Su Yiran, hello.” After hesitating, he still didn’t utter the word “father.”

He believed that although Ting-ge’s father might not have known about the abduction by the stepmother, he bore significant responsibility.

Father Gu had an affair not long after marriage and had an illegitimate son, who was the current Big Brother Gu. After Ting-ge’s birth mother died young, he immediately married his mistress and brought back the illegitimate son who was several years older than Gu Yuanting, and this mistress became Gu Yuanting’s stepmother.

So, Su Yiran had always held a grudge against Father Gu in his heart and didn’t want to call him “father.”

This visit to Ting-ge’s home to pay respects to elders was mainly to visit Grandfather Gu and fulfill his duties. After consulting Gu Yuanting, he hadn’t planned to visit Father Gu, but he hadn’t expected to meet him under such circumstances.

Father Gu ignored Su Yiran. Anxiously, he wanted to rescue his elder son and turned back to Gu Yuanting, sternly saying, “You refuse to let Mingfeng transfer hospitals, keeping him confined in that hospital. What are you trying to do? You—”

“Shut up!” Gu Yuanting cast a cold glance at his father, interrupting him. Father Gu, encountering Gu Yuanting’s intimidating gaze, instinctively averted his eyes, swallowing the words he was about to say.

But then, Father Gu realized his own cowering and couldn’t help but feel both hatred and fear towards Gu Yuanting. After all, Gu Yuanting was his own son, and he believed he had the right to discipline him, so there was no reason to be afraid.

Gu Yuanting had already looked at Ranran, his gaze softening as he stroked his head, “Ranran, be a good boy, go upstairs first, okay?”

Su Yiran looked at Ting-ge, then at Father Gu, and finally nodded: “Okay, I’ll go up first.” Saying that, he walked towards the stairs, leaving Ting-ge to talk with Father Gu.

Father Gu saw Gu Yuanting’s tenderness towards Su Yiran, and something occurred to him. He suddenly called out, “Stop.”

Su Yiran turned to look at Father Gu, and saw Father Gu smiling at him strangely: “Do you know how he treats his own biological father, how he treats his elder brother?”

Seeing Ranran stop, Father Gu was about to say more. Gu Yuanting’s face changed, and he sternly stopped him: “Gu Hong!”

Father Gu, meeting Gu Yuanting’s piercing, icy gaze, actually froze and couldn’t continue speaking.

Gu Yuanting looked at Su Yiran anxiously: “Ranran, you go upstairs and rest first.”

Su Yiran gave Ting-ge a reassuring smile: “Okay, you two talk. I’ll wait for you upstairs.”

Only after watching Ranran go upstairs did Gu Yuanting let out a sigh of relief.

He adjusted his cuff and then turned to his father, giving a small, unfeeling smile: “What were you going to say just now?”

Father Gu inexplicably shivered.

---

Su Yiran waited in the bedroom upstairs for Gu Yuanting to finish talking with his father and come up.

He recalled what Father Gu had just said. The “Mingfeng” in Father Gu’s words must be Gu Yuanting’s half-brother. Father Gu said that Ting-ge refused to let Gu Mingfeng transfer hospitals and kept him confined…

And that last remark from Father Gu, it sounded as if Ting-ge was a very bad person.

Su Yiran, of course, couldn’t be influenced by Father Gu’s words. However, he knew too little about Ting-ge’s family affairs. Before, fearing he might touch on Ting-ge’s painful memories, he hadn’t dared to ask much, and Ting-ge hadn’t actively told him anything.

Now it seemed that not understanding these matters could still lead to many hidden dangers. Su Yiran also thought of Ting-ge’s depressive state; family factors could also affect one’s psychology, right?

He decided to ask Gu Yuanting about everything concerning the Gu family later, believing that only by understanding it clearly could he resolve any potential knots in Ting-ge’s heart.

Su Yiran thought he would have to wait a long time, but unexpectedly, Gu Yuanting came over shortly after. He was surprised: “Did you finish talking so quickly?”

As soon as Gu Yuanting saw Ranran, the emotions he felt when facing his father receded. He looked at Ranran, feeling a little nervous, walked over and hugged Ranran: “It’s done. Don’t worry.”

Su Yiran touched Ting-ge’s face and asked hesitantly, “Did he… leave?”

“He left.” Gu Yuanting didn’t want Ranran to bring up his father. He kissed Su Yiran’s soft lips, “Shall we have dinner first?”

After dinner and a shower, the two lay in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms, quietly embracing. Only then did Su Yiran speak: “Ting-ge, tell me about the Gu family, please?”

Gu Yuanting was silent for a while. He knew Ranran would ask, and there were some things he could tell Ranran without harm: “…The Gu family called me back because Gu Mingfeng had a terminal illness and was going to die.”

---

Initially, Grandfather Gu was so eager to find Gu Yuanting because something had gone wrong with Gu’s eldest brother, Gu Mingfeng.

The Gu family had a history of lung cancer, and genetic factors for lung cancer played a role. If one didn’t take care of their body and was also addicted to smoking, the risk of developing lung cancer was more than ten times higher than for ordinary people.

Grandfather Gu did not have lung cancer. Father Gu knew about it, but only smoked occasionally and also did not develop lung cancer. However, Gu Mingfeng, despite knowing, did not take it seriously and smoked heavily. By the time he was diagnosed with lung cancer, it was already late.

When the test results came out last year, Gu Mingfeng only had early-stage lung cancer, and there was still a possibility of cure. However, Grandfather Gu, having lived his entire life within the Gu family, had seen too many lung cancer patients who, despite receiving the best medical resources, still ultimately succumbed to the disease.

Grandfather Gu believed Gu Mingfeng was incurable and doomed to die. He immediately gave up on Gu Mingfeng and simultaneously grew anxious. The Gu family’s empire was without a successor. How could this be?

After Gu Yuanting went missing in childhood, Gu Mingfeng was the only remaining third-generation heir of the Gu family’s direct lineage. Now, Gu Mingfeng was dying, and the position of heir was about to fall into the hands of a collateral branch of the Gu family.

Grandfather Gu would never allow the family business he had fought for his entire life to fall into the hands of other collateral branches. The Gu family could only be passed down through his direct lineage.

He also had a strong patriarchal观念, viewing daughters and granddaughters as outsiders. For him, the option of a direct lineage girl inheriting the family business simply did not exist.

At this point, Grandfather Gu remembered Gu Yuanting, who had been separated from the family, and began secretly searching for him. He used almost all his resources, determined to find him at any cost. Gu Mingfeng was no longer useful; the Gu family’s empire had to be inherited by a direct descendant.

Gu Mingfeng believed he only had early-stage lung cancer and would definitely recover. After discovering Grandfather Gu’s actions, he also began searching for Gu Yuanting, hoping to eliminate him before Grandfather Gu found him.

This was the timing when Gu Yuanting first transmigrated to this parallel world.

Later, everything unfolded naturally.

Grandfather Gu found his healthy, capable direct grandson to inherit the family business and was very pleased. He found this direct grandson, who had been separated from the family, to be exceptionally outstanding and was very satisfied with him in all aspects.

Gu Mingfeng, terminally ill and worthless, was immediately cast aside.

Everything else went smoothly for Gu Yuanting.

Gu Yuanting held Su Yiran, carefully choosing what to say, and generally explained to him: “…Gu Mingfeng’s lung cancer quickly progressed to late stage. He’s been hospitalized for treatment. The current hospital is already the best. Gu Hong, however, suspected I would harm Gu Mingfeng. Yesterday, Gu Hong tried to transfer him and caused a scene, and unexpectedly, he even caused a scene here today.”

He kissed Su Yiran’s forehead: “I’m sorry I scared you.”

“How could I be so easily scared?” Su Yiran was already heartbroken. He held Ting-ge tightly, his eyes reddening, “Ting-ge…”

If Gu Mingfeng hadn’t had problems, would the Gu family never have thought to find Ting-ge back?

If Gu Mingfeng hadn’t had problems, even if Ting-ge returned to the Gu family, how would he have been treated?

Even more so, what if the person who had problems… was Ting-ge?

Su Yiran dared not think further. He hugged Gu Yuanting and kissed him, their lips touching, their cheeks caressing. He was too sad to speak. Finally, he looked intently at Gu Yuanting: “Ting-ge, don’t be sad. I’m here.”

Gu Yuanting’s heart softened. He kissed Ranran intimately: “You love me, right? Ranran.”

Su Yiran quickly said: “I love you.” He kissed Ting-ge again, gently sucking and kissing him for a while, repeating, “I love you.”

Sweetness surged in Gu Yuanting’s heart. Holding Ranran, he felt he possessed the whole world.

The two made gentle love under the covers.

…

Afterward, Gu Yuanting held Ranran, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion, and kissed him affectionately.

In the darkness, his thoughts drifted, recalling his past life.

What Ranran knew about him wasn’t the whole him.

He wasn’t like the original owner, who grew up happily after meeting Ranran.

He was worse than the original owner.

He was a bad person who had done many bad things in his past life, and in this life, he also had many dark sides.

Gu Yuanting looked at Ranran in his arms, kissed him again, and then stared blankly at his sleeping face.

What would Ranran do if he knew… what kind of person he actually was, after knowing his other side?

Ranran would definitely not be able to accept it, and would definitely not fall in love with him again.

Gu Yuanting thought about what Gu Hong had said to Ranran today, his eyes darkening.

He was very angry.

Nothing could destroy his hard-won happiness.