The moment the variety show "Seasons of the Wealthy" was announced, it sparked heated discussions among netizens.
"Is it the Gu Family? Will that century-old prestigious Gu Family participate?"
"The Gu Family is practically the most high-profile wealthy family these days. If they don’t join, who will? The notoriously low-key Shen Family?"
"Pfft, the Gu Family only stays relevant because Ruan Nian carries them. Otherwise, with their snobbish attitude, how could they possibly maintain this level of popularity?"
"Just think about how much Ruan Nian has improved the Gu Family’s public image. If they dare look down on her for marrying into wealth again, they’ll truly learn the power of public opinion."
"And especially that elder sister, Gu Zhaoping—the epitome of a bitter, meddlesome troublemaker! If not for her interference, Ruan Nian would’ve married into the family ages ago!"
As the online debates raged on, the young woman scrolling through Weibo comments in the nightclub grew increasingly irritated.
She glanced at Gu Zhaoping, who was resting her forehead in her hands, nursing a drunken headache, and whispered, "Zhaoping, Zhaoping, are you just going to let them talk about you like this?"
The intoxicated woman furrowed her brows, seemingly still half-asleep.
Gu Zhaoping’s heartbroken, self-destructive drinking spree left her close friend Fang Yining feeling helpless.
Was she giving up after being so deeply hurt?
Gu Zhaoping, the eldest daughter of the century-old Gu Family. At 27, she had accomplished nothing meaningful, couldn’t tell crops apart, and her greatest achievement was earning dual degrees in Business and Law at Stanford.
—But everyone who knew her was aware that the Gu Family had simply donated buildings to secure her spot, right?
Unlike her second brother, Gu Zhaoye—a true prodigy, with an impeccable MIT diploma, standing tall at 188cm with striking looks, and a natural-born CEO (albeit a notorious playboy).
Even her third brother, Gu Zhaosi, was an outstanding and handsome talent…
In the entire Gu Family, Gu Zhaoping was the only failure.
As for the online discourse, it all started like this:
Ruan Nian was a long-beloved sweetheart of the entertainment industry—adorable and pure as the nation’s darling child, then blossoming into the youthful "first love" of the public, with countless admirers and an unusually strong fanbase.
Her conflict with Gu Zhaoping stemmed from being Gu Zhaoye’s first love.
Gu Zhaoye was indeed a womanizer. In his youth, he didn’t understand love—only that he wanted to keep this innocent starlet as his caged songbird.
Their relationship dragged on for years, a cycle of chasing, escaping, heartbreak, and tears, yet even now, Ruan Nian remained without an official title—just "with him."
The biggest obstacle between them? Gu Zhaoye’s sister, Gu Zhaoping, who always stuck her nose in.
She was a snob who looked down on Ruan Nian’s humble background, constantly meddling to sabotage their relationship and publicly humiliating her.
Her shrewish antics frequently made tabloid headlines, and since the internet loved a dramatic love story, Gu Zhaoping became the villain—the meddler who tore apart true love.
But Fang Yining felt indignant on Gu Zhaoping’s behalf.
The reason Zhaoping disliked Ruan Nian was simple: Gu Zhaoye had a fiancée arranged since birth. Ruan Nian knew this yet still insisted on testing her importance to him. Worse, the fiancée was Gu Zhaoping’s best friend—how could she tolerate that?
…Oh, right. The fiancée was Fang Yining herself. She sometimes forgot.
"Zhaoping, Zhaoping?" Fang Yining nudged her again, and this time, Gu Zhaoping finally stirred.
She lifted her gaze, her calm eyes locking onto Fang Yining, sending an inexplicable chill down her spine.
Her light brown irises, illuminated by the club’s neon lights, seemed piercing—as if they could see through everything.
For the first time, Fang Yining noticed the sharp shape of Gu Zhaoping’s eyes, the faint color at the outer corners giving off an intimidating "older sister" aura that made her heart skip.
Strange. This was the same Zhaoping as always—why had she never noticed before?
Gu Zhaoping had just wrapped up a day of meetings and fallen asleep when she encountered a "system" that told her:
[You’ve transmigrated into the role of the CEO’s older sister in a wealthy family novel.]
[You know what the older sister of a wealthy CEO is supposed to do…]
At first, Gu Zhaoping was stunned. But she had invested in an AI research project with rapid progress, so her acceptance of this "system" was relatively high.
After a brief pause, she replied graciously, "I know."
She was already the eldest daughter of a wealthy family, with younger siblings. This identity was familiar, and she knew how to handle it.
Even in another world, she trusted her honed abilities to excel.
She was born for this.
The system seemed satisfied, and the next moment, she opened her eyes to this scene.
Gu Zhaoping stood, sweeping her gaze across the private room. It should’ve been a casual glance, and one of the male models even moved to tease her.
"Sister Zhaoping~ Not drinking anymore~?"
But for some reason, her gaze this time was icy, devoid of any warmth. When her eyes landed on him, the male model felt the same spine-chilling dread as when his boss caught him slacking off at work.
Gu Zhaoping frowned, scrutinizing him head to toe before finally saying, "Button your shirt."
The male model flinched, realizing she meant his half-unbuttoned silk shirt, which showed off his carefully sculpted abs—his livelihood.
—Wait, wasn’t this exactly what you liked before? Who was the one groping and crying into his chest, slapping wads of cash against his pecs while declaring she no longer believed in love, only male models?
Sister Zhaoping, what game are you playing today? A scolding?
Trembling, the male model glanced at Fang Yining for help, but she looked just as lost. He swallowed hard, mustering his courage before obediently fastening each button with shaky fingers.
His voice was soft, laced with cautious flattery. "Okay, Sister Zhaoping. Next time, I’ll wear whatever you like."
"I have pressing matters to attend to lately. I doubt I’ll return." Gu Zhaoping’s tone was oddly formal today, leaving the entire room stunned—Fang Yining included.
Noticing Fang Yining’s shock, Gu Zhaoping gave a gracious nod. "The bill is on me. Spend freely, no limits. Enjoy yourselves. Goodbye."
She picked up her coat, draped it over her arm, and walked out.
She preferred the pure, innocent type. This place no longer suited her tastes.
Gu Zhaoping stepped into the back of her chauffeur-driven car—a stretch Lincoln.
The driver checked the rearview mirror, surprised the young mistress was leaving so early. Off to the next venue?
With a knowing smile, he said, "Miss, which club next? Oh!" He suddenly remembered a new male model in the neighboring city, rumored to be exactly her type. Tonight was supposed to be his champagne tower celebration.
Proud of his insight, he prepared to change course—until a cool voice from the backseat cut in.
"To the Gu Family estate. I’m visiting my parents."
"Got it, heading to—... Huh?!"
The driver’s eyes widened in shock, his expression horrified—the seasoned chauffeur nearly stomped on the brakes like they were a drum set. He glanced in the rearview mirror again to confirm that the person who had entered the car was indeed the young mistress and not some ghost possessing her!
Wasn’t Gu Zhaoping the one who hated returning to the Gu Family mansion the most? Why would she suddenly decide to go back now?!
Gu Zhaoping pulled down the vanity mirror and wiped off her meticulously applied makeup with a cleansing wipe from her bag. She was used to exercising and disliked wearing makeup—it added an extra step to her skincare routine, which didn’t align with her strict sense of time management.
Her parents were probably fuming over the recent scandal surrounding her. The sooner she returned to settle the matter, the sooner she could take over the family business.
As the eldest daughter of a wealthy family, this was her duty.
Rumor had it that her younger brother was too busy tangled up in romantic affairs to be reliable. How could anyone depend on a man who couldn’t even handle his own love life?
She glanced down at her feet, still clad in a pair of delicate high heels. Bending over, she swapped them out for a pair of disposable flat slippers she kept in the car.
The expensive designer heels—identical to those seen on the runway—were casually tossed aside.
The driver noticed her actions and shuddered.
Those shoes had been a gift from her fiancé… If she could treat them so carelessly, she must have been deeply hurt by Young Master Shen.
Had his latest rejection shattered her so completely that she wasn’t even bothering with male models anymore and was actually going home?
The driver muttered to himself but didn’t dare show any further reaction, smoothly pulling the car to a stop at the entrance.
A security guard hurried down the steps to open the door, gloved hand raised to shield the car’s roof. But when he saw Young Mistress Gu Zhaoping step out in disposable slippers, he froze, eyes bulging.
As she strode forward without a second thought, the guard snapped out of it and gestured frantically to the others. The staff exchanged bewildered looks before scrambling to roll out a carpet.
Gu Zhaoping, draped in an overcoat, marched up the steps with steady footing, tossing back only a single word: "Thanks."
The driver and security guards stared at each other in stunned silence.
What was wrong with the young mistress today? Since when was she this polite?
Had she lost her mind from the shock?
Inside the Gu Family mansion, the atmosphere in the grand hall was thick with tension. Old Master Gu and his wife, Hua Bingfan, radiated fury—everyone knew better than to provoke them now.
"Where is the young mistress? Off ogling male models again?"
When no one answered, Old Master Gu’s rage boiled over. He slammed his hand on the armrest. "With the old man bedridden these past few days, she’s out there stirring up scandals! First, it was that humiliating rejection from Shen Yifeng, then picking fights with that celebrity Ruan Nian, tarnishing the Gu Family’s reputation—and now she’s off playing with male models!"
"The old man despises these kinds of indecent rumors. Let’s go drag her back right now. If the paparazzi catch her again, I swear I’ll—"
"Mom."
Gu Zhaoping’s voice cut through the room as she stepped inside. She spotted Hua Bingfan standing first, then her father—frozen mid-rant on the sofa, face red from choking on his own words. She nodded. "Dad. You’re here too?"
Old Master Gu nearly suffocated on his own shock. He gaped at her, horrified that she’d actually returned—and to the family mansion, no less, instead of her own residence.
Like father, like daughter—right now, he felt like he was seeing a ghost. Especially when he took in Gu Zhaoping’s bare face, devoid of makeup or the flush of alcohol, her expression cool and composed. It was like he’d swallowed an egg whole.
"You… you’re back so early?" Old Master Gu managed, still half-risen from his seat, face red.
Gu Zhaoping nodded. "I’m visiting Grandpa tomorrow morning. He wakes up at dawn for his breathing exercises, so I should be there early to accompany him."
Her father’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. Hua Bingfan’s teacup trembled in her grip.
…Was this really Gu Zhaoping?
Since when did she speak so politely, so thoughtfully, so… normally?
Gu Zhaoping continued, "Do the two of you have plans tonight? I don’t stay up late, so I’ll head to bed first. Oh, and staying up late is bad for your health."
She turned to the housekeeper. "Sister Zhang, if my parents have any engagements, make sure they’re taken care of."
Sister Zhang flinched, so thrown off she nearly drowned a potted plant with her watering can. "O-oh… yes, Young Mistress."
Only after Gu Zhaoping’s slender, icy silhouette disappeared into the elevator and the doors slid shut did the room’s occupants snap out of their daze.
Wait… Had they just been lectured by the most spoiled, irresponsible, party-obsessed, scandal-magnet in the entire Gu Family?
And she’d told them not to stay up late?!
Since when was that her line?! Since when did Gu Zhaoping of all people worry about their well-being?!
