The conflict between Li Xunwen and Gu Zhaoping had been brewing for a long time.
The wealthy elite moved in the same circles, constantly crossing paths inside and outside their social bubble. Even if they weren’t particularly close, everyone knew each other’s names.
This was especially true for Li Xunwen and his sister Li Xunxi, who had grown up alongside Shen Yifeng—a fact that spoke volumes.
Shen Yifeng had been an idol to the Li siblings since childhood. Older than them, he had achieved success early, always carrying himself with steady, reliable maturity.
Both the elders of the Shen and Li families held him in exceptionally high regard.
Yet, despite his brilliance, the person he eventually became engaged to was none other than Gu Zhaoping—a name synonymous with disgrace in their circles.
It wasn’t that Gu Zhaoping had committed any crimes. Rather, their world operated on an unspoken hierarchy.
At the top stood figures like Shen Yifeng—highly educated, accomplished, and already steering their family businesses with remarkable competence. He was a role model, inspiring countless admirers eager to emulate him.
Next came those who had made their mark in other industries, at least respectable in their own right. And then there were the ordinary heirs, content to squander their fortunes—still tolerable, if unremarkable.
But at the very bottom was someone like Gu Zhaoping: talentless, disruptive, and a constant embarrassment to the Gu Family, even dragging Shen Yifeng’s reputation down with her.
To them, an idol like Shen Yifeng was sacred. The thought of him standing at the altar with Gu Zhaoping was unbearable.
What had they heard about her?
Despite holding dual degrees in business and law, she had once humiliated herself in front of an elder by failing to answer even the most basic questions about her field. Clueless about commerce, she had spouted nonsense, leaving everyone stunned. The Gu Family elders had been mortified, and Shen Yifeng had to step in to salvage the situation. From then on, the Li siblings held a poor opinion of her.
Later, they heard she had pretended to be an art connoisseur at a renowned painter’s exhibition, criticizing the works with baseless arrogance. The artist had been furious, and she was publicly exposed as a fraud.
Then there was the time she made a spectacle of herself at a gala, trying too hard to stand out and failing miserably.
And worst of all—flaunting her patronage of male models!
This was the final straw. How could Shen Yifeng’s fiancée stoop so low? It was shameless.
As for her feud with Ruan Nian, that came later—hardly worth mentioning compared to the rest of her infamy.
They assumed even Gu Zhaoye must share their disdain for his sister.
The Li siblings secretly hoped Shen Yifeng would eventually call off the engagement. They couldn’t bear the thought of their perfect idol being tied to someone like Gu Zhaoping forever.
Sometimes, hatred needed no justification. They had never even interacted with her, yet their disgust ran deep.
Then Li Xunwen remembered something: as a child, he had taken up chess because the elders favored it.
Shen Yifeng, though not deeply invested, had learned the basics early. Eager to fit in, Li Xunwen had studied hard—and unexpectedly developed real skill.
He took pride in this. Opportunities for hobbies were plentiful in their world, but genuine talent was rare.
Now Gu Zhaoping was suddenly bringing up chess. Was she trying to impress Shen Yifeng? Did she finally realize how unworthy she was of him?
Her recent displays of competence left them uneasy, but they dismissed it.
The siblings scoffed.
“She’s probably staging some underdog act to get Yifeng’s attention. Too little, too late—after all her past scandals, how could he possibly see her in a new light?”
No one wanted a sister-in-law like Gu Zhaoping.
As for Shen Yifeng himself, he had noticed the change.
His last visit to the Gu residence was meant to discuss ending the engagement. But then Ms. Hua mentioned how Gu Zhaoping had exposed flaws in Gu Zhaoye’s team at Yuanqi Tech, demanding a restructuring.
The Shen family fell silent. How could they bring up the engagement now?
One thing was clear: Gu Zhaoping didn’t care about the marriage at all.
They didn’t know why she had changed, but years in business had taught them to suspect ulterior motives.
Was the Gu Family’s infighting so vicious that she had hidden her abilities all along?
Had her relentless pursuit of Shen Yifeng been nothing but a smokescreen?
The thought was unsettling, even humiliating.
Shen Yifeng avoided dwelling on it, quietly waiting for the inevitable—for Gu Zhaoping to call off the engagement herself.
Though he felt nothing for her, the anticipation weighed on him like a pending verdict.
When someone predictable suddenly shifts, revealing that their past behavior may have been an act—that you never mattered to them—every past dismissal, every flicker of irritation, becomes a joke at your own expense.
The prouder the person, the harder it is to swallow such pride.
He shouldn’t have cared. Yet the question gnawed at him, leaving only confusion in its wake.
Does he really have so many flaws? After all these years of being together, has Gu Zhaoping never actually been interested in him? Could she have faked her infatuation so convincingly that even he believed it?
The thought that he had genuinely taken it to heart filled Shen Yifeng with a subtle, creeping irritation.
After hearing that Gu Zhaoping had gone to participate in a show, he tried to divert his attention away from the matter.
But the buzz around Gu Zhaoping was too overwhelming. No matter how much he tried to avoid it, news of her inevitably found its way to him.
And so, when Shen Yifeng saw Gu Zhaoping’s name again, it was in connection with her plans to acquire a jiu-jitsu gym.
He frowned. Why would Gu Zhaoping suddenly take an interest in a jiu-jitsu gym? He had never heard of her having such a hobby.
He told himself he didn’t want to look into it, that he should focus on his own affairs.
Yet, as he stared at the flood of news reports filling his screen, he couldn’t resist clicking on one.
Only after reading did he understand the full story.
Turns out, everyone else was just as surprised as he was—no one had ever imagined Gu Zhaoping having anything to do with jiu-jitsu.
But in the face of their skepticism, Gu Zhaoping effortlessly proved them all wrong.
She was, in fact, a hidden jiu-jitsu master.
Shen Yifeng’s pupils dilated slightly. He had never once pictured Gu Zhaoping with such a skill.
On screen, she looked calm and composed, impeccably dressed in an elite, polished style. With effortless ease, she flipped her opponent multiple times without a single hair out of place, then crouched down and asked in a gentle voice, "Had enough?"
Shen Yifeng pressed his lips together.
For the first time, he was struck into silence.
He couldn’t explain the complex, sinking feeling in his chest—what exactly was it?
Meanwhile, Old Master Gu, who had been watching the show live on TV, was utterly dumbfounded by the time it ended.
Wait… who was this?
Was this really his granddaughter?
Since when did she know how to play chess, let alone fight?
When had she secretly learned jiu-jitsu behind their backs?
As he reeled in shock, a memory flashed in Old Master Gu’s mind—the last time he visited the Gu residence, he had seen Gu Zhaoping effortlessly pinning down Gu Zhaoye and putting him in his place.
A chill ran down his spine. The signs had been there all along!
Just what else had Gu Zhaoping quietly learned and practiced over the years, unnoticed and unappreciated by them?
The more of her hidden talents came to light, the more enigmatic she seemed.
After much deliberation, Old Master Gu still couldn’t make sense of it. Finally, he called the one person who should have known her best—Gu Zhaoping’s mother, Hua Bingfan.
"Bingfan, did you see today’s show?" Old Master Gu’s voice was laced with disbelief. "Do you have any idea what’s going on with Zhaoping? Did she secretly train in jiu-jitsu? What was she even doing during her college years?"
Hearing Old Master Gu’s questions, Hua Bingfan broke into a cold sweat. She had no clue either. But since she had previously vowed to understand Gu Zhaoping better, she forced herself to reply, "Old Master, I’m not entirely sure. But it seems Zhaoping hasn’t been idle these past few years. Maybe… we’ve just overlooked her too much."
Suddenly remembering something she hadn’t yet reported, Hua Bingfan’s eyes lit up.
"Oh, Old Master, did you know? Earlier, Zhaoping actually caught a major financial discrepancy in Yuanqi Tech—one that even Gu Zhaoye missed. Though it led to his failed financing attempt, it also exposed a critical risk.
The failure itself is minor, but if left unchecked, it could’ve led to a disaster down the line. Zhaoping really did well this time."
"What?" Old Master Gu was stunned. He hadn’t heard a word about this.
The Gu Family’s business empire was vast, and what had been handed to Gu Zhaoye was merely a small, insignificant branch—hardly a priority.
Having dominated the business world all his life, Old Master Gu now spent most of his days in the retirement villa, far removed from trivial matters.
This was the first he was hearing about Gu Zhaoye’s blunder!
He was utterly shaken.
If Gu Zhaoping’s previous displays had only made him think of her as resilient, intelligent, and low-key—with a talent for chess—then this revelation left him completely speechless.
For the first time, he saw Gu Zhaoping stepping into the Gu Family’s corporate affairs—without any guidance from him.
Somehow, Gu Zhaoping had suddenly awakened to her potential, spotting a critical issue in the company and proving herself right. Old Master Gu was baffled.
Had she changed so drastically, or had she always been this capable—just hiding it?
Swallowing hard, Old Master Gu couldn’t help but ask, "Bingfan, what about Zhaoye? How did he handle such a major mistake?"
A part of him still hoped to hear that Gu Zhaoye had pulled off some miraculous recovery, but the line fell silent.
Hua Bingfan’s expression turned awkward. She had been the first to question Yuanqi Tech’s executives about this, but their answers had been… less than satisfactory.
"Old Master… after this incident, Gu Zhaoye… left the company. He went on a trip to clear his mind."
She wiped her brow, feeling uneasy. It didn’t sit right with her—Gu Zhaoye shouldn’t have reacted this way. But she couldn’t pinpoint what he should’ve done instead.
Hesitantly, she added, "He’s been keeping to himself lately. Right now, the mess at the company… seems to be handled by Zhaoping."
At this, Hua Bingfan paused.
Wait—shouldn’t Gu Zhaoye have stayed behind to manage the crisis, just as Gu Zhaoping was doing?
If there were financial issues, he should’ve restructured the team and taken charge of the recovery. How could he just run away?
He was the CEO of Yuanqi Tech! The future heir of the Gu Family!
The realization struck both Hua Bingfan and Old Master Gu at the same time, plunging them into silence.
Unspoken but mutually understood, one thought echoed between them:
How could this be? Why had Gu Zhaoye acted so irresponsibly, while Gu Zhaoping seemed more like the true successor?
The silence stretched on, thick and heavy.
Finally, Old Master Gu spoke again, his voice measured.
"Does Zhaoping… want to be involved in the family business?"
Hua Bingfan quickly responded with an "Mhm," then continued, "Yes! Gu Zhaoping has changed quite a bit recently. Maybe she’s grown up and wants to better herself, to do something meaningful."
Her heart pounded uneasily, unsure of what Old Master Gu would say next. But to her surprise, he merely fell silent for a long moment before finally uttering an "Mhm" and stating,
"There’s a business deal to discuss in the U.S. soon. Originally, Gu Zhaoye was supposed to handle it, but since he’s unreachable now, we can’t just leave it unattended. Let Zhaoping go instead."
Hua Bingfan froze.
What did this mean? She remembered that the deal in the U.S. was supposed to be a highly important collaboration…
She hurriedly said, "But what about her variety show—"
"Missing an episode or two is nothing. Our family’s business takes priority," Old Master Gu replied coolly.
This collaboration represented the Gu Family’s presence—it wasn’t even something Yuanqi Technology could aspire to. Gu Zhaoye had seemingly treated it lightly, while Gu Kaichang had fought hard for this opportunity to make an impression. Yet Old Master Gu had never relented before.
Why had Gu Zhaoye never bothered to compete for something so important?
Ms. Hua was stunned again. Perhaps… it was because he was the sole heir, the eldest grandson of the Gu Family, the only legitimate successor in the main lineage. He had never felt any sense of crisis, nor had he ever truly taken these responsibilities to heart.
At this realization, Ms. Hua fell silent—a long, heavy silence. On the other end, Old Master Gu sighed and finally hung up.
It had suddenly dawned on him in that moment.
Why had Gu Zhaoye always seemed somewhat unreliable, yet he had never noticed? Or perhaps he had noticed but simply dismissed it?
Had he always assumed that Gu Zhaoye was just young and reckless, that even his obsession with that actress was just a phase?
That shutting himself away after occasional scandals was just youthful temper?
But then… Old Master Gu thought of Gu Zhaoping’s composed face on television. She had pinned down a man trained in jujitsu, her expression devoid of arrogance—she was simply handling the matter.
Calmly, she had said, "I am the owner of this establishment."
She had said, "Learn to attack first, then consider your next move."
Every word, every action, was measured and unshaken, as if nothing could rattle her.
Only now did Old Master Gu suddenly reassess his eldest granddaughter in a new light.
Yes… she had been his first grandchild.
She was the true eldest heir.
Old Master Gu was silent for a long while.
Well, since Gu Zhaoye wasn’t here, sending Zhaoping was reasonable—it wouldn’t cause any issues.
Given her recent behavior, she likely wouldn’t stir up trouble or become a laughingstock as before. In fact, her current demeanor made Old Master Gu curious to see just how far she could go.
"When the time comes, I’ll personally take her to Los Angeles. Let everyone meet Zhaoping properly."
…
Before long, the day arrived for the guests to move into the manor and begin filming.
Ruan Nian repeatedly steeled herself—she couldn’t afford any more surprises.
With a dark expression, she demanded of the system:
"Have you figured it out yet? What kind of punishment can you use to threaten that supporting female character?"
The system replied: [Her main method of redemption right now is this variety show—to reshape her image and humiliate you. If she refuses to revert to her villainous role, I’ll force her to miss filming due to an "accident."]
Finally satisfied, Ruan Nian smirked.
She had already confirmed that Gu Zhaoye wouldn’t be appearing this time, so she had no choice but to resort to her backup plan.
Her excuse? Old Master Gu’s recent poor health, hence Gu Zhaoye’s absence.
She had heard before that Old Master Gu lived in seclusion at a sanatorium, detached from worldly affairs. The excuse was plausible—after all, he wasn’t likely to make a public appearance anytime soon.
She wouldn’t be exposed.
She also had a rough understanding of the Gu Family. No one would bother calling her out.
