After this short video was released, it sparked heated discussions from all sides.
Like a stone thrown into a calm lake, it created endless ripples.
Gu Kaichang had been abroad recently and wasn’t in the country. In order to snatch the next public appearance opportunity from Gu Zhaoye, he had been working diligently, running around and pulling strings everywhere.
When the old patriarch told him to watch Gu Zhaoping’s show, he scoffed—what a joke! Gu Kaichang didn’t take it seriously at all.
That was, until a few days later, while he was wine-tasting with someone, the other person casually remarked, "Did you know your cousin is trending right now?"
Gu Kaichang paused. He had been under the impression that Gu Zhaoping was always in the spotlight for her eccentric behavior—when had she ever not been talked about?
He didn’t care for the topic, so he just smiled dismissively. "Hah, I’m not really close to her."
The other person continued, "Oh, so you don’t know about her Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills either? Her level is insanely high. Among our entire circle, I’ve never seen anyone with that kind of mastery. She must’ve started training when she was really young, right?"
Gu Kaichang froze. "What? Gu Zhaoping knows jiu-jitsu?"
He frowned in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind?"
But when he went back and watched the show he had sworn he would never click on, Gu Kaichang was completely dumbfounded.
Wait… is this really Gu Zhaoping? What happened to her? Did she get brainwashed by some organization?
Or did she stumble upon some cheat code and awaken hidden talents?
Maybe she has a system that lets her draw skill books?
His mind was flooded with wild theories, but none of them made sense.
Just then, the old patriarch called. Gu Kaichang hurriedly answered, "Hello, Grandfather!"
"Gu Kaichang, did you watch your cousin’s show like I told you?"
He had literally just finished watching it ten minutes ago. Gulping, he forced himself to reply, "Yes, yes, I’ve seen it."
The old man sounded satisfied. "Good. Zhaoping has been taking things seriously lately—not only has she mastered chess and jiu-jitsu, but she’s also been doing impressive work in the company. You should learn from her instead of idling around all day."
Gu Kaichang was stunned. Learn from Gu Zhaoping? This was the first time in his life he’d ever been given such an order.
Not that he was completely useless, right?
But he couldn’t defy the patriarch’s wishes, especially since he had been desperately trying to win his favor lately to secure the upcoming public appearance opportunity. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to say, "Understood, Grandfather. Oh, by the way… do you know where Gu Zhaoye is right now?"
Gu Kaichang was up to his usual tricks—he wanted to throw shade at Gu Zhaoye. He already knew where Gu Zhaoye was; he had heard that Yuanqi Tech was facing some trouble, so Gu Zhaoye had gone off to "clear his mind."
As if he wasn’t the one slacking off at such a critical moment!
The thought made Gu Kaichang smirk. At a time like this, Gu Zhaoye, you really think you’re the untouchable heir, huh? That Grandfather would never give the opportunity to anyone else?
Meanwhile, Gu Kaichang had been running around, building connections and proving his worth. Just thinking about how effortlessly Gu Zhaoye carried himself made his blood boil.
The old patriarch sounded indifferent. "No idea."
Gu Kaichang feigned concern. "Ah, what a shame. Oh, but now that I think about it, I did hear that Gu Zhaoye was somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere recently. Tsk, tsk… at such a crucial time for our family, as the heir, he should be more considerate of your plans. What if he can’t make it to the event…?"
He casually dropped a few more "worried" remarks before smoothly shifting the topic. "I’ve been in Los Angeles lately, reconnecting with some elders we’ve met before. They were all surprised by how capable I’ve become—"
"It’s fine." The patriarch suddenly cut him off. Gu Kaichang froze.
"If he’s not here, then someone else can go. It’s not like our family is short on people."
Gu Kaichang’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
Then, elation surged through him. What did this mean?! Was Grandfather planning to bypass Gu Zhaoye and choose him instead? After all this time, had he finally done something right?
Gu Zhaoye, you brought this on yourself!
As for Gu Yingjie and Gu Zhaosi? He didn’t even consider them competition. Gu Yingjie wasn’t as proactive as him, and Gu Zhaosi had been completely out of touch with the family ever since he buried himself in that useless school.
So… Grandfather was really going to pick him?
Gu Kaichang’s grin was so wide it hurt. He struggled to keep his facial muscles under control as he gushed, "Ah! Grandfather, you’re truly wise! Whatever decision you make is undoubtedly the right one. I’ll follow without question, and I’m sure all of us in the younger generation will respect your judgment!"
The old man hummed in approval. "You used to be quite arrogant, but it’s rare to see you so level-headed now. That was well said."
Gu Kaichang turned even sweeter. "Of course! Isn’t it our duty as the younger generation to uphold the Gu family’s legacy? Does it really have to be Gu Zhaoye by your side? Whoever you choose must be the best—your judgment is impeccable!"
For the first time, the old patriarch chuckled faintly. "Well spoken."
Then, he hung up.
Gu Kaichang’s grin nearly split his face in half. He knew it—if he kept up the act long enough, kept flattering himself and proving his worth, the old man would eventually see his potential!
For the upcoming appearance, he needed to polish his image even more. No, he had to do more—something that would make Grandfather value him above Gu Zhaoye.
…
That morning, Gu Zhaoping was ready to leave.
As she stepped out, she saw her new bodyguard, Mao Xinci, waiting stiffly in the living room. The moment she noticed Gu Zhaoping, she stood up and greeted her, "Good morning, Boss."
Gu Zhaoping nodded, then paused. She turned to her assistant, Little Zhao, and said, "From now on, address me like that."
Little Zhao blinked in surprise but quickly complied. "Yes, Boss."
This title felt much more natural.
Being called "Young Miss Gu" had started to feel uncomfortable. Compared to "young miss," she preferred "Boss."
Mao Xinci walked ahead to open the door. She had already asked which car to drive and had taken it for a test run.
The original driver rushed over to open the car door for Gu Zhaoping, greeting her eagerly, "Young Miss, please get in."
But Gu Zhaoping shook her head. "Not today. Mao Xinci will drive."
The driver was stunned, while Mao Xinci simply acknowledged him before calmly asking for the car keys and taking the driver’s seat without hesitation.
The driver was even more dumbfounded: "Why isn’t the young mistress letting me drive today? This… this bodyguard is just a bodyguard, after all. How could she be as professional as me?"
"Besides, our family rarely has female drivers. She’s also new—what if she doesn’t know the roads or how to handle certain situations? What if it delays the young mistress’s schedule?"
"It’s fine. You talk too much," Gu Zhaoping said flatly as she closed the door and rolled up the window.
She still remembered the last time she’d tried to remove the ashtray—this driver had been uncooperative, insisting it was reserved for some so-called fiancé, the second young master. Back then, she hadn’t had a suitable replacement, so she’d tolerated him. Now, she didn’t need to.
Driving wasn’t that hard. With navigation, anyone could do it.
The driver stood frozen, watching them drive away.
Mao Xinci didn’t say a word more than necessary. Whatever the boss asked, she did. Though the car was unfamiliar, she’d studied it beforehand and quickly got the hang of it.
Her driving was steady, and she didn’t engage in unnecessary chatter—not even with assistant Little Zhao, who couldn’t help but glance at her a few times, thinking this bodyguard was far more reliable than the previous driver.
The old Gu Zhaoping wouldn’t have cared about such details.
But now, she was determined to arrange everything to her liking, crafting the most comfortable environment for herself.
Everyone had to meet her standards. No minor annoyance would be overlooked.
On the road, Fang Yining called her.
She sounded shocked: "Zhaoping! When did you learn jiu-jitsu? You actually know it?!"
After watching the program, Fang Yining had been floored. The Gu Zhaoping she saw on screen was almost unrecognizable—someone she thought she knew better than anyone.
Gu Zhaoping replied, "I told you I learned it in college. You forgot again."
Fang Yining could hardly believe it. All these years, and she’d never had a clue.
For a moment, Fang Yining was too excited to question it, her mind racing with possibilities: "Then next time Gu Zhaoye pisses you off, you can just beat him up! With his weak frame, he wouldn’t last two punches—"
"I already have."
"What?! You’ve already fought him?"
Typical Zhaoping—always one step ahead. Just hearing about it felt satisfying.
Now, thinking back to how unfazed Zhaoping had been when Fang Yining accidentally charged a male escort service to her card, Fang Yining suddenly understood.
She didn’t care about Shen Yifeng anymore.
Why even bother explaining herself to a mere fiancé?
Fang Yining realized how much Zhaoping had changed in such a short time. She fell silent for a moment before asking, "Zhaoping, why have you changed so much lately?"
Was it really just that argument with Shen Yifeng that had shaken her up this badly?
But the way Gu Zhaoping dismissed Shen Yifeng now didn’t seem like someone who’d transform herself over a man’s words.
"No," Gu Zhaoping said calmly. "I just realized that, as the eldest daughter of the Gu family, this is how I should’ve always been."
"Among all the younger generation in the Gu family, I’m the eldest. Of course I should set an example. And right now, with the heir selection at a critical stage, I need to be serious—unless I want someone else to take my place."
Fang Yining was speechless.
What was up with Zhaoping lately? Every word she said made Fang Yining pause and reconsider things she’d never even thought about before.
But it all made sense.
Right—Zhaoping was the firstborn of this generation. Why shouldn’t she inherit the family business?
The thought almost startled Fang Yining.
It was like she’d been blind to something obvious until Zhaoping pointed it out.
Imagining Zhaoping as the head of the Gu family, a domineering CEO commanding respect, Fang Yining nearly saw stars—it was too dazzling.
Why had she always assumed only Gu Zhaoye could take that role?
Her best friend was just as capable!
This was how CEO romances worked. In real life, subconscious biases existed—but in a novel steeped in status and class wish-fulfillment, those biases were amplified to the extreme.
In these stories, the male lead was always the most powerful tycoon, and the female lead, by winning his love, became the envy of all. His affection was treated as the ultimate prize.
At high-society gatherings, the attendees were almost always men. The domineering CEO and his circle of privileged, rebellious heirs would smoke and joke, treating women as accessories while their girlfriends could only follow along.
After skimming a few of these stories, Gu Zhaoping had only scoffed lightly.
For the characters in these worlds, recognizing this dynamic wasn’t easy—their entire framework was built around it.
The rich, overbearing CEO’s sister was supposed to be a mere plot device, stepping aside for the main couple, never getting in the way of the male lead and his younger brother.
She wasn’t meant to have talents or preferences of her own.
So any display of skill from her was seen as shocking—not just to the Gu family, but even to strangers who’d gasp in awe at the slightest hint of competence.
But if she were Gu Zhaoye? Suddenly, everything would be normal, even admirable. As a wealthy heir, any skill would be attributed to his elite education and charisma.
The image and space for women in these circles were severely limited.
Yet no one seemed to realize—she and Gu Zhaoye shared the same background, the same education, the same resources. She was even two years older.
She should be more outstanding.
Of course, Gu Zhaoping didn’t care what they thought. As the eldest daughter of a wealthy family, she had her own duties and responsibilities. She’d do what needed to be done. Their opinions meant nothing to her.
After a long silence, she assumed Fang Yining had nothing left to say—but then Fang Yining suddenly spoke up:
"Zhaoping… I’m starting to think whether this engagement continues or not… doesn’t really matter anymore."
This was the first time Fang Yining had ever entertained such a thought. Ever since her engagement to Gu Zhaoye was finalized, she had been enduring nothing but frustration from his side.
Gu Zhaoye didn’t like her, nor did he care for this arrangement. He despised the idea of a business alliance through marriage and sought his own true love outside of it. For years, he tangled back and forth with Ruan Nian, and after she left him, he went searching for a replacement.
Throughout it all, he never once spared a thought for the woman who was, on paper, his fiancée.
Fang Yining, however, had always believed that since their families had agreed to this marriage, she should dutifully uphold her role as Gu Zhaoye’s betrothed.
She even admitted that her initial friendship with Gu Zhaoping had been motivated by the assumption that she would eventually marry into the Gu family—so it was only practical to establish good relations with Gu Zhaoye’s sister early on.
But over time, her bond with Gu Zhaoping had far surpassed the importance of her engagement to Gu Zhaoye.
It wasn’t until now—until Gu Zhaoping casually dismissed her own engagement to Shen Yifeng as something trivial, something she never took seriously—that Fang Yining suddenly realized:
Wait, why couldn’t she do the same?
If Gu Zhaoye could play around outside, why couldn’t she? Why had she been so uptight before, feeling guilty just for innocently admiring a male model?
Damn, she had been way too disciplined and principled!
What kind of tragic narrative had she been trapped in? If Gu Zhaoye could play, then so could she—and she’d do it without holding back!
Gu Zhaoping had access to so many male model contacts. If Fang Yining just asked for a list, she could have fun for half a year without repeating a single one.
Wouldn’t that be far more exciting than Gu Zhaoye’s back-and-forth between Ruan Nian and her replacement?
Gu Zhaoping paused, unsure what had suddenly dawned on Fang Yining, but she was all for it.
"Exactly. You’ve got it now. Don’t take marriage too seriously. Even if you end up married, it’s just keeping a man at home. If he’s suitable and beneficial to your career, then fine—keep him around. If he’s useless and uninteresting, just kick him out."
Gu Zhaoping spoke coolly. "As long as you handle prenuptial agreements, asset division, and reproductive rights properly—never compromising—then marriage is just another battlefield you control."
Fang Yining was stunned. It was like a revelation.
Neither Gu Zhaoye nor Shen Yifeng would ever stay in an engagement that made them unhappy or offered no advantage.
The only reason they remained in these arrangements was because the women’s families were prestigious enough to match theirs. Breaking things off carelessly would affect business collaborations.
Fang Yining, on the other hand, had stayed out of a sense of duty.
Gu Zhaoping had never worried about losing out in a marriage alliance—or rather, the thought had never even crossed her mind. To her, Shen Yifeng was just an ornament. If he looked good, she’d keep him around; if he became inconvenient, she’d discard him. That was all.
Fang Yining fell silent for a moment. Gu Zhaoping wondered what she was thinking—until Fang Yining suddenly spoke again, her voice now tentative and even tinged with admiration:
"Hey, Zhaoping… next time, can I touch your muscles? You looked so cool when you were fighting!"
Gu Zhaoping: "…"
Was the topic shift really necessary?
She stayed silent for two seconds before hanging up.
The car was quiet, and the sound of the call filled the space. Up front, Little Zhao struggled to suppress his laughter—though his expression remained stern, his shaking shoulders betrayed him.
Fang Yining’s words had voiced his own thoughts. After seeing the boss fight, his first instinct had also been to admire those muscles up close.
And in that car, only Mao Xinci—gripping the steering wheel with quiet intensity—seemed lost in thought, her resolute gaze hinting at something deeper.
…
"Professor Ruan, you’re here!" The production team greeted Ruan Nian warmly.
Though the live-stream mishap had made things awkward between them, people in the entertainment industry were used to weathering scandals. They quickly moved past it and welcomed her with enthusiasm.
Ruan Nian, however, wasn’t in high spirits today. Too much had happened recently.
She managed a faint smile, and the crew, seeing her mood, hesitated to ask whether Gu Zhaoye was still coming.
The promised "Gu-Nian CP" angle for the show had completely fallen through, and with viewers already questioning it, the team could only fret helplessly.
But if they wouldn’t ask, others would.
The Li Xunwen siblings arrived and immediately pressed, "Ruan Nian, is Gu Zhaoye really not coming today? That means our team will be one person short compared to the others."
Li Xunxi spoke as if it were obvious. She hated losing, especially in team settings. Though confident in her and her brother’s abilities, being a member down meant extra work.
Sure, Gu Zhaoping’s team was also short, but they subconsciously wanted to match the other full team of four. What happened to Gu Zhaoping’s group was none of their concern.
And Ruan Nian didn’t strike them as particularly capable either. Li Xunxi was unimpressed.
Ruan Nian’s lips twitched. Finally, she could use the excuse she’d prepared: "The Gu family patriarch hasn’t been well lately. I heard he’s been staying at a rehabilitation center. Gu Zhaoye is filial, and as the eldest grandson, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to appear on an entertainment show right now."
The Li siblings exchanged glances. They had heard about this, and if Ruan Nian knew the details, it suggested her relationship with Gu Zhaoye was still solid.
Half-convinced, they dropped the subject.
"Well, if the patriarch’s health is poor, we can’t force Gu Zhaoye to come…"
Just then, Gu Zhaoping appeared. The group stiffened slightly, their gazes flickering toward her with unspoken tension.
These days, no one had dominated online discussions like Gu Zhaoping.
Even those with good public images couldn’t compete with her level of buzz. Seeing her now felt… strange.
Li Xunwen scowled at her, recalling what Ruan Nian had just said. With a sneer, he asked:
"Gu Zhaoping, your brother’s busy tending to the patriarch, yet here you are, flaunting yourself on a variety show. Don’t you care about the old man’s health at all? Or is it that he doesn’t care about you?"
Gu Zhaoping walked straight ahead without glancing sideways, only stopping when she heard those words. She turned to look at them.
Li Xunwen’s heart skipped a beat under her gaze, an uneasy feeling creeping over him, as if her presence alone was enough to subdue him.
“Gu Zhaoye is with the old man?” Gu Zhaoping lowered her sunglasses, her calm eyes lifting slightly. “Since when was this arranged?”
