Chapter 2: Gu Zhaoping saw her dazzling future.

“This child is acting a little strange.”

Madam Hua Bingfan murmured, staring at the elevator for a long time without shifting her gaze.

She spoke in a low voice, “That boy from the Shen family must have really broken her heart this time.”

Father Gu didn’t know how to react for a moment.

Awkwardly, he sat back down.

“Ahem, since she didn’t go see that male model, let’s inform Yifeng from the Shen family and smooth things over.”

After all, the two families were supposed to form a marriage alliance.

Gu Zhaoping was their only daughter, and her marriage was crucial.

Even though her previous reckless behavior had caused a scandal, making Shen Yifeng deeply dissatisfied with her so much so that he even rejected her heartfelt invitation to attend the New Year’s banquet together now she seemed to have turned over a new leaf.

Although Father Gu was skeptical about how long this change would last, Madam Hua, eager to maintain the engagement, still called her future son-in-law.

“Hello… Yifeng.”

Her tone was gentle, filled with the warmth of an elder speaking to an outstanding younger generation.

“Did you and Zhaoping have a fight?”

On the other end, Shen Yifeng pinched his brow the moment he heard the question.

His patience with this fiancée had long been exhausted.

A marriage alliance was one thing, but he preferred to have no entanglements with her before the wedding.

He could already imagine how much trouble she would bring him after marriage there was no need to step into the cage early.

“Aunt Hua, what happened?

What did Zhaoping say to you?”

He remained courteous and polite, his speech carrying a slight Hong Kong accent that he couldn’t shake.

At this hour, she was probably clinging to some male model, groping broad chests.

Suppressing his emotions, he asked calmly, “She’s still not home?

Or have you lost contact with her?

Don’t worry, I can’t reach her either.

You should probably ask Miss Fang…”

“No, no, that’s not it!”

Madam Hua immediately interrupted, her voice even carrying a hint of joy.

“She came home!

She even came back to the old mansion!”

At this moment, Hua Bingfan’s excitement was almost like a mother whose child had just passed the imperial examination.

“She even told me she doesn’t stay up late anymore she’s going to bed early!”

“Yifeng, don’t you think you should start seeing her in a new light?”

Shen Yifeng was momentarily stunned.

After a brief pause, he said thoughtfully, “I understand.

You should rest early too.”

After hanging up, he was still pondering could it be that his ruthless scolding finally knocked some sense into her?

Just then, his assistant called.

“Mr. Shen, Nyx just reported that the card you issued to Miss Gu was used for a huge purchase.

She basically covered all the male models’ annual earnings in one go.”

Shen Yifeng’s hand twitched slightly.

He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes.

“When did she use it?”

“About twenty minutes ago.

She said she’d cover all expenses for the night, told them to enjoy themselves, and left.”

“Where is she now?”

“She left right after saying that.”

Shen Yifeng hung up, feeling that this engagement might still need to be called off.

And the next time he saw her, he would definitely have to scold her again.

Gu Zhaoping didn’t care about the stunned expressions on her parents’ faces.

That was simply her personality she managed everything that appeared before her, always handling matters in an orderly fashion.

Arranging things for her parents was just a simple task.

The Gu family was still under the authority of her grandfather.

Although her father was already the acting chairman, the real decision-making power remained in her grandfather’s hands.

He was a very traditional man.

Decades ago, he was sent abroad for studies and was deeply influenced by a blend of Eastern and Western education.

A true gentleman, he valued proper lineage and despised scandalous gossip.

That was why the three branches of the Gu family often used tabloid scandals to sabotage each other.

During her ride home, Gu Zhaoping quickly gathered background information about the family.

She repeatedly familiarized herself with the preferences and characteristics of the key figures around her.

She found that her starting position wasn’t too difficult it wasn’t like a hell-level challenge.

At first, she had assumed that the original Miss Gu was completely disregarded by the family.

But upon closer observation, she realized that she still had all the necessary resources.

With what she had now, she could already take another step forward to control the Gu family.

Even though her younger brother, Gu Zhaoye, had access to ten times more resources than she did, he had yet to accomplish that.

Gu Zhaoping frowned.

Why was such a large family not prioritizing the eldest daughter’s development?

She was two years older than her brother.

She had more time to learn and familiarize herself with the business.

In a family power struggle, two years was a significant advantage it could put someone ahead for a long time.

Yet, it seemed the Gu family had poured the majority of their resources into the second son, Gu Zhaoye, without hesitation.

How odd.

Why abandon a clear advantage and chase an uncertain one?

It was getting late.

The alarm she had set earlier went off.

She finalized a simple schedule for the next day and stepped into the bathroom to freshen up.

Miss Gu’s bathroom was enormous a full suite.

As she unbuttoned her shirt, she finally realized what had been making her uncomfortable all day.

She had been wearing a tightly cinched corset, fastened at the smallest setting.

In order to wear her outfit perfectly, Miss Gu had constrained herself, endured scolding from the fiancé she adored, and ultimately, her life had ended at that moment.

Gu Zhaoping reached behind her and untied the strings, letting the corset drop to the floor.

Stepping into warm water, she soaked her long legs, which were marked with red indentations.

After finishing her routine, she stood before the mirror and patted her already-flat stomach.

“Be kinder to yourself.”

The next morning, Madam Hua and Father Gu were still wondering if Gu Zhaoping would actually wake up on time today.

As soon as they woke up, reality hit them.

“Today, all three branches of the family are sending their younger generation to visit the old master.

Can we really count on Zhaoping for this?

Maybe we should just send Zhaoye instead.”

Father Gu agreed wholeheartedly.

Gu Zhaoping wasn’t exactly the best at speaking.

And with her usual behavior, the old man would probably get angry just from seeing her.

On the other hand, Gu Zhaoye was their most outstanding child.

Seeing him would make the old master happy.

And that would, in turn, score some extra points for their branch of the family.

Moreover, the second and third branches of the family were sending their sons.

This was a gathering of men.

It seemed somewhat inappropriate for Gu Zhaoping to attend.

As the couple discussed, they stepped out of their room.

Before they even reached the dining hall, they were so startled that Madam Hua nearly collapsed against a pillar.

Gu Zhaoping was sitting on the sofa, holding a cup and drinking calmly.

She was reading a freshly delivered newspaper.

It was entirely in English.

A foreign newspaper?

Everyone knew how little she had actually studied during her years abroad!

Madam Hua clutched the back of her husband’s clothes in panic, looking up at him helplessly.

Old Master Gu wasn’t any better.

For the first time, they realized just how slippery these indoor slippers could be.

Hearing the commotion, Gu Zhaoping turned her head, raised her cup slightly, and greeted them.

“Mom, Dad, good morning.”

She put down the newspaper and placed her cup aside.

Seated on the sofa with a composed posture, she lowered her gaze and continued looking at something.

“…Good… good.”

Gu’s parents finally managed to respond awkwardly.

After greeting her, they unconsciously chose to sit on the side sofas instead of the main one next to her.

It was only then that they noticed what she was holding.

A tablet.

“Zhaoping, up so early?”

Gu Zhaoping lifted her head and nodded politely.

“I have a habit of drinking a nutritional smoothie at 5:45 a.m.

Antioxidants help with alertness.”

Madam Hua’s mouth dropped open as if she had been struck by lightning.

Waking up early for skincare, she could understand.

But what kind of absurd behavior was this?

Father Gu asked, “What are you looking at?”

Gu Zhaoping raised it slightly to show him.

“This is a simple schedule.”

The neatly arranged words flowed across the page in strong, confident strokes, some extending past the lines.

Yet the layout remained structured and aesthetically pleasing, giving an instant sense of order.

Father Gu was visibly shaken.

He had never realized she had such calligraphy skills.

Even the old master would likely praise this.

Looking at Zhaoping as if she were possessed, they found themselves struggling to find the right words.

Had she really turned over a new leaf this quickly?

Gu Zhaoping actually had a routine of checking work emails for an hour after waking up.

During breakfast, she would listen to industry news podcasts.

But when she opened her inbox this morning, there were no important messages just fawning emails from luxury hotels worldwide, eagerly awaiting her next visit.

She marked them all as read with a single tap.

Then, she headed to the gym for a run.

By the time her parents woke up, she had finished showering and was reading the newspaper, catching up on global industry trends.

Printed newspapers were better for the eyes than digital screens.

She did have a sofa in her room.

But she preferred this one in the main hall.

It had good feng shui and was positioned perfectly.

Sitting here gave her a sense of absolute power.

She looked at her parents.

They seemed like they had something to say.

Madam Hua hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.

“Zhaoping, it’s like this…

Your change in attitude makes us very happy.

And your initiative to visit the old master is a great thing.

He would definitely want to see you, but”

Father Gu smoothly took over.

Clearing his throat, he said, “But today, only the men from the second and third branches are going.

It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to go.

They’ll be playing chess with the old master would you just stand there watching?

You represent our family.

You can’t”

Gu Zhaoping frowned slightly, puzzled.

“I know how to play chess.”

Father Gu choked on his own words, nearly coughing up a lung.

“It’s not Go or Chinese chess.

It’s international chess!”

Gu Zhaoping’s brows relaxed slightly.

She nodded.

“I’m quite good at it.”

Quite good?

That was an understatement.

She was an International Master (IM) with an Elo rating of 2450.

At eighteen, she had dominated online rapid chess tournaments.

Because she refused to appear on camera, people even suspected her of cheating.

Chess was like business something she excelled at.

If the old master enjoyed it, that made things even easier.

Father Gu: “…”

That wasn’t the point.

The point was that this was a men’s gathering

Wait.

Since when did Gu Zhaoping know how to play international chess?

This was getting ridiculous.

He was starting to suspect that his daughter had been replaced by someone else.

Feeling parched, Father Gu decided to change tactics.

“No, listen.

I don’t want to put it so bluntly, but this is a men’s gathering.

It’s not appropriate for you to go.

Let Zhaoye go instead.

It’ll be easier for you.

Don’t you want to go shopping with Fang Yining?

Buy whatever you want Dad will cover the cost today!”

Whenever she went shopping with her best friend, she would always spend extravagantly.

Maybe she’d take this chance to buy some jewelry or even an airplane.

Whatever it took to keep her happy, he was willing to pay.

Surely, she would agree.

But to his surprise, Gu Zhaoping merely relaxed her expression slightly.

It was as if she suddenly understood the entire conversation.

At last, she realized something.

This world was deeply divided by gender.

Women seemed to be excluded from the center of power.

No wonder the eldest daughter had been abandoned in favor of the second-born son, even though she was two years older.

She lowered her head slightly and chuckled.

Her teeth, impeccably maintained, flashed briefly in her smile.

Gu Zhaoping took off the sunglasses clipped to her chest and put them on.

Adjusting them on her ears, she finally lifted her head.

She asked, “That’s a good question.

But…

Is Gu Zhaoye even home?”

Father Gu and Madam Hua stiffened.

Their faces instantly turned pale.

Today was Ruan Nian’s birthday.

Gu Zhaoye had gone to chase after her!!!

Last night, the reason Gu Zhaoping had gone out drinking was that, on the eve of Ruan Nian’s birthday, Gu Zhaoye abandoned his fiancée, Fang Yining, to be with her.

Furious, Gu Zhaoping had confronted Ruan Nian, causing a scandal.

That was when her own fiancé, Shen Yifeng, had publicly scolded her.

And now, the heir they were counting on to attend this all-important gathering

Wasn’t even home.

Gu Zhaoping glanced at the Patek Philippe Ref. 7130 on her wrist.

Sixty-two diamonds sparkled, as dazzling as her future.

She had thought her brother was a competitor.

But he was so blinded by personal affairs that he wasn’t even worth competing against.

“It’s getting late.

Let’s not keep Grandfather waiting.

I’m heading out.”

She draped her coat over her shoulders.

Only then did her parents notice her outfit.

The usual skin-tight dresses were gone.

Now, she wore simple yet sophisticated tailoring an elite professional look.

No longer the battle attire of a reckless socialite.

Housekeeper Zhang scrambled to open the door for her.

Before stepping out, Gu Zhaoping turned to her parents and nodded.

“Mom.

Dad.

Wait here for Gu Zhaoye’s return.

Tell him he missed the gathering for the men of the family.”

With that, her silhouette disappeared down the steps.

Gu’s parents stood there, mouths agape, as if someone had stuffed an egg down their throats, leaving them speechless.