Chapter 1048: Gossip About Gu Zi

Chapter 1048: Gossip About Gu Zi

It was immediately clear to Gu Zi that Professor Xu was not one for socializing. After taking his seat, he exchanged brief pleasantries with Su Shen, but beyond that, he paid no mind to anyone else at the table. It was only then that Gu Zi recalled something Su Jing had once mentioned—Professor Xu was a man of military lineage. In fact, the only reason he had accepted Su Jing as his student, despite traditionally refusing female apprentices, was because of her artistic talent and her status as Su Shen’s younger sister.

Professor Xu’s visit today, ostensibly to deliver an admission letter, was, in truth, likely an excuse to meet Su Shen—the legendary Wolf King of the Imperial Military District. One could hardly blame him; admiration between heroes was only natural.

After a satisfying meal and plenty of wine, Professor Xu finally set down his chopsticks and instructed Su Jing to book him a hotel. As he rose to leave, he turned to Su Shen and Gu Zi. “Forgive my intrusion tonight, but I must thank you for this exquisite feast.”

This was Su Shen’s first time meeting Professor Xu in person, though he had long heard stories of the old general’s unwavering integrity from his days in the military. Naturally, he treated the man with the utmost respect. “Professor Xu, you’re too kind,” he replied. Then, turning to his sister, he instructed, “Su Jing, make sure to escort Professor Xu to his hotel and see that he is well taken care of.”

Professor Xu gave Su Shen an appraising glance before shifting his gaze to Gu Zi. Then, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, he chuckled. “I must confess, I didn’t just come here to deliver your admission letter, young lady. I took on this task because I was curious to meet our top scholar in person! A rare opportunity to kill two birds with one stone—ha! And if I may say so, you two make quite the pair. No need to see me out, no need at all!”

With that, the old master made his departure, with Su Jing trailing dutifully behind. Meanwhile, Gu Zi, deciding there was no point in leaving just yet, opted to wait until Su Shen had finished sending off the other guests so they could return home together.

…

Meanwhile, back at the Su residence, Su Li was crouched outside the bathroom door, his face full of impatience. “Brother, how long are you going to take?” he called out.

The only response was the steady rush of water from the shower. Seconds passed, and still, there was no reply.

Losing interest, Su Li took the opportunity to sneak into the kitchen, retrieving two large bags of food from the fridge. With practiced efficiency, he darted out of the house and arrived at his designated meeting spot with Xu Sheng. Carefully, he placed the neatly packed meal boxes into the Xu family’s shrubbery, one by one.

Once he was done, he stepped back to inspect his work, only to frown. The Xu family’s flower beds were clearly neglected, the foliage sparse and unkempt. Annoyed, he reached out and manually rearranged the branches, ensuring the food was well concealed. Satisfied, he then pulled three small paper-wrapped packets from his bag—the same cough medicine he had been taking recently.

But something was odd.

The paper wrapping had detailed instructions on dosage and usage. That was strange. He distinctly remembered that the packets hadn’t come with any labels before. And he certainly hadn’t written anything himself—there were words on the label he didn’t even recognize!

A memory suddenly flashed in his mind.

Earlier that evening, after their younger sister had fallen asleep, their eldest brother, Su Bing, had acted rather strangely. Instead of letting her sleep in her own bed, he had carried her into Su Li’s room, stating, “Tonight, the three of us will sleep here.”

At the time, Su Li had thought nothing of it. As long as his brother let him stay with him, he didn’t care where they slept. He had simply continued playing with his toy gun, unaware of what Su Bing had been doing in the meantime.

Could it be… that was when Su Bing had written the instructions on the medicine packets?

With his head full of questions, Su Li ran back home, only to find his brother already seated on the couch, waiting for him.

“Brother,” he blurted out, “how did you know I was going to give Xu Sheng medicine?”

Su Bing, clad in a bathrobe, cast him a cool glance. “Was it that hard to figure out?”

This foolish younger brother—did he not realize? Su Bing had raised him from the time he was a child. He knew, down to the smallest detail, whether Su Li would step forward with his left foot or his right. How could he not see through something as simple as this?

…

By the time Gu Zi and Su Shen returned home, they found their two sons still awake. She wasted no time in sending them off to bed. “Don’t call me naggy, but you’re both still growing. Even if there’s no school tomorrow, you still need to go to bed on time. Now, off you go.”

As expected, Su Bing and Su Li obeyed without question, disappearing into their rooms. Gu Zi herself retreated upstairs. She hadn’t done much that evening, but the events of the day had still left her feeling drained. She ran a warm bath, sinking into the water, letting it wash away her fatigue.

The next morning, she allowed herself the rare indulgence of sleeping in. Fortunately, with An Yun around, there was always a hot meal waiting whenever she woke up. Life remained comfortable, full, and unhurried.

Two days later, the Lin family, busy with their business, prepared to return home. Gu Zi personally saw them off.

On her way back, she passed by a newsstand, only to be stopped by the shopkeeper. “Miss Gu, have you seen the news? Big headlines today!”

Curious, Gu Zi accepted the newspaper. It was the front page of the Education Daily. Expecting another feature on her remarkable academic achievements, she flipped through it—only to feel a jolt of surprise.

It wasn’t about her being the province’s top scorer.

Instead, an eye-catching headline practically screamed at her:

[Top Scholar Gu Zi: Abandoning Her Birth Parents, Forgetting Her Upbringing—Proof That Grades Aren’t Everything!]

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