Not only was her back drenched in cold sweat, but her legs also felt weak.
Ms. Hua still hadn’t fully processed what had just happened. Wait… did Gu Zhaoping just knock down that punching bag?
With a single punch???
She wasn’t well-versed in boxing, nor did she understand strength and striking techniques, but she knew her daughter.
This… this absolutely couldn’t have been done by Gu Zhaoping!!
She was always dieting and toning, struggling to even twist open a bottle cap in front of Shen Yifeng—how could she possibly knock down a punching bag with one punch??
Seeing Ms. Hua still frozen in shock, Gu Zhaoping checked the time and walked over. "Mom, did you need something?"
As her daughter approached, Ms. Hua inexplicably felt an overwhelming sense of pressure—so intense it was almost unfamiliar. She nearly took a step back, but they were mother and daughter, after all, so she forced herself to stay rooted.
"N-no, nothing," she stammered, the scolding she’d intended to deliver suddenly lodged in her throat.
Watching Gu Zhaoping, who radiated a faint satisfaction after her workout, Ms. Hua broke into another cold sweat. A remark from the mahjong table resurfaced in her mind:
"If it weren’t for her status as his sister, without the Gu Family’s protection, Gu Zhaoping would’ve been beaten beyond recognition by Gu Zhaoye long ago."
Suddenly, her daughter seemed like a stranger.
Just how much had she overlooked about Gu Zhaoping lately?
She didn’t even know when she’d taken up boxing.
A thought flickered in Ms. Hua’s mind—Afraid of Gu Zhaoye beating her? At this point, she wouldn’t be surprised if Gu Zhaoping was the one reducing him to begging for mercy out of sheer sisterly kindness.
People instinctively grow timid in the face of overwhelming strength. Ms. Hua’s voice softened considerably.
"…Oh, I meant to ask—how was your visit to Grandpa today?"
"Pretty good," Gu Zhaoping replied, hanging up her gloves.
Ms. Hua eyed her skeptically. Really? Those two troublemakers from the second and third branches had been there too—she doubted they’d kept their mouths shut.
She wanted to press further, but the words wouldn’t come. "Was Grandpa in good spirits? Should we… visit again?"
Gu Zhaoping twisted the cap back on her water bottle and nodded. "He was in great spirits."
Ms. Hua opened her mouth to say more, but Gu Zhaoping was already walking out of the gym. Stunned, she hurried after her, heels clacking loudly against the hallway floor as she steadied herself against the wall.
"Are you sure everything’s alright, Zhaoping? Really—"
Her words were cut short as she tripped over a piece of equipment, nearly tumbling forward with a startled "Ah!"
Before she could hit the ground, a hand shot out and caught her firmly.
Ms. Hua looked up in shock. Her daughter’s grip was stronger and quicker than she’d ever known.
"Be careful, Mom," Gu Zhaoping said calmly. "Wait until the third floor is tidied up before coming up. I’m going to shower now."
Ms. Hua gaped at her retreating figure.
Different.
This was too different.
What kind of transformation had Gu Zhaoping undergone?
Still staring blankly, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out—Gu Zhaoye was calling.
Swallowing her unease, she answered. His voice was low, simmering with suppressed fury.
"Mom. Is Gu Zhaoping there?!"
After a full day of appeasing a heartbroken Ruan Nian, Gu Zhaoye had finally managed to soothe her—though her sadness lingered. He’d humbled himself, showering her with priceless jewelry and even gifting her a matching couple’s watch.
For him, this was practically a declaration of commitment—he’d never gone to such lengths for anyone before.
Yet when he tried to pull her into an embrace, Ruan Nian pushed him away, her eyes downcast.
"Mr. Gu… your sister despises me. A relationship without family approval is doomed."
"Let’s both take some time to think."
Gu Zhaoye’s anger flared.
He’d been this close to winning her back—until Gu Zhaoping barged in and ruined everything!
Ruan Nian had always been fragile, her trust eroded by past wounds. The engagement with Miss Fang had already left her spiraling.
He’d sworn to prove his devotion, even abandoning his fiancée to be with her—and Ruan Nian had been moved.
But then Gu Zhaoping happened.
Damn Gu Zhaoping!
She’d stormed in, screaming at Ruan Nian, calling her a homewrecker, daring to seduce her brother. "The Gu Family would never accept a low-born actress like you! Only a noblewoman is worthy of my brother—give up on marrying into this family!"
Ruan Nian had stood there, trembling, her delicate shoulders bare as she hugged herself, tears welling in her eyes.
"Zhaoye… is it true?"
"Am I… just a mistress?"
"I never should’ve come between you and Miss Fang… This is all my fault…"
Gu Zhaoye’s veins bulged with rage, his expression darkening. After years dominating the business world, he had zero tolerance for those who disrupted his plans.
Everyone knew crossing Gu Zhaoye never ended well.
This wasn’t something a mere warning could fix.
He’d make sure Gu Zhaoping learned the cost of meddling—and of hurting Ruan Nian.
Leaning against the window, he pulled out a lighter and lit a cigarette, the smoke curling around his shadowed gaze. His voice was icy.
"Is she at the estate?"
After a day of consoling Ruan Nian, he’d finally freed himself to deal with this. His patience was threadbare.
"…Ah, yes, Zhaoping’s home," Ms. Hua answered absently, still reeling from earlier.
"Tell her to wait. I’m heading back now." He snapped the lighter shut, took the cigarette from his lips, and strode down the hallway.
It took Ms. Hua a moment to register his tone. Wait—since when did Zhaoye sound like he was coming to settle a score?
She knew why, of course—but she hadn’t expected his fury to last all day, let alone drive him back to the estate.
Then she remembered Gu Zhaoping’s punch. A chill ran down her spine. "Hey, wait—!"
But Gu Zhaoye had already hung up. She tried calling back, but his line was dead—shut off again.
Ms. Hua pressed a hand to her forehead, dizzy with the sense of an impending storm.
But what was even more terrifying was when she hurried downstairs to tell Father Gu that Gu Zhaoye was coming back, Father Gu was holding the receiver with a stunned expression on his usually meek face: "Ah, ah... What? You’re coming over now, Old Master?"
Ms. Hua froze. What did that mean? Was he talking to the Old Master?
Father Gu covered the receiver, looked up at his wife, and said in a dazed, cautious tone, "The Old Master said he can’t make sense of things over the phone. He’s coming here now?"
Ms. Hua’s heart skipped a beat, completely dumbfounded: "The Old Master is coming too?!"
"Too? Who else?"
"Gu Zhaoye just said he’s back and told Zhaoping to wait!"
Father Gu nearly choked: "The Old Master said the same thing—told Zhaoping to wait for him!!"
This was it. They were truly done for!
How did Zhaoping manage to offend two people in just one day?! She pissed off the Old Master so much that he left the sanatorium in the middle of the night to rush back to the estate—medical miracle!
"How did the Old Master sound? Was he angry or very angry?"
"He was agitated! Urgent! I couldn’t tell anything else! What about Zhaoye?"
"Zhaoye was furious. He was also agitated! Urgent!"
Forget the Old Master—even Gu Zhaoye was someone Gu Zhaoping should have maintained a good relationship with! Wasn’t he the one who would inherit the Gu Family? If she was already on such bad terms with him now, how was she supposed to survive in the family later?
Even if Gu Zhaoping had access to the family trust fund and other assets, without someone managing them for her, wouldn’t they just end up in the hands of her future husband?
It was rare for an older sister to clash so openly with the heir—her younger brother. After all, marriages weren’t stable, but a brother was a lifelong safeguard for both wealth and security. Seeing Gu Zhaoping and her brother at each other’s throats made them anxious on her behalf.
The couple paced in distress, gripped by a sense of impending doom—when suddenly, the doorbell rang. Gu Zhaoye had arrived.
He strode in with his head held high, dressed in an impeccably tailored, exquisitely expensive suit that accentuated his tall, lean frame. His sharply chiseled features—high nose, deep-set eyes—made him the pride of the family.
"Zhaoye, Zhaoye…" Ms. Hua’s heart raced as she hurried forward, trying to ease the tension with a few placating words. But Gu Zhaoye merely lifted his gaze coldly, his demeanor that of a ruthless, decisive business tycoon—even toward his own mother.
"Where’s Gu Zhaoping?" His icy question left Ms. Hua speechless. Father Gu froze too, and the room fell into stiff silence.
Just as Father Gu cleared his throat, preparing to assert some paternal authority, a voice cut in before his, breaking the stalemate:
"I’m here."
Gu Zhaoping hadn’t taken the elevator but descended the stairs instead. She had changed into loungewear—soft and unassuming, the kind that should have made her seem approachable. Instead, she had rolled up her sleeves, revealing toned arms, and leaned against the spiral staircase’s landing, watching her suddenly appearing younger brother with a cool detachment.
Her face was bare and composed, her hair neatly brushed even after washing. The rectangular frames of her glasses caught the light, casting a reflective glare over her eyes, making her gaze even colder and more scrutinizing.
Gu Zhaoye had arrived seething with fury, ready to explode the moment he saw Gu Zhaoping. Yet when he opened his mouth to speak, the words inexplicably died in his throat.
Perhaps it was the way she stood above him, looking down—something he had never experienced from her before, and it unsettled him.
Realizing his momentum had been disrupted, a flicker of frustrated embarrassment shot through him. He deepened his voice, growling, "Gu Zhaoping, do I have to invite you down?! Or do I need to remind you again what you did to Ruan Nian right in front of me?"
At that, Gu Zhaoping descended the rest of the way.
Her steps were unhurried, one after another, hand gliding along the railing as she turned—completely ordinary.
Gu Zhaoye had been ready to unleash his anger, but with no one meeting his rage head-on, it fizzled out, leaving him looking almost foolish.
His chest heaved. "Gu Zhaoping!"
But as his gaze helplessly followed her descent, the force behind his shout wavered, losing its earlier conviction.
Gu Zhaoping showed no reaction, simply walking toward him in silence—yet that silence was more unnerving than any outburst.
It threw Gu Zhaoye off so much that he forgot what he had been about to say next, watching her approach warily, unsure what she would do. Even Ms. Hua and Father Gu stood frozen, not a single person moving.
When Gu Zhaoping finally stopped in front of him, she asked, "Was I the one who went after you yesterday?"
Gu Zhaoye stiffened before his temper flared again. Was she trying to turn the tables?
He let out a cold laugh. "Gu Zhaoping, are you seriously denying it? Everyone saw what you did—"
"Meaning, I actually laid hands on her?" Gu Zhaoping cut in again.
Gu Zhaoye choked back another retort, growing impatient. "Yes! Gu Zhaoping, don’t make me—"
Before he could finish, a sharp gust of wind whipped past his ear—followed by a crushing force slamming into his face, rattling his cheekbone and teeth.
His head snapped to the side, and he staggered, barely catching himself as he touched his face in disbelief. Had he just been hit?!
Before he could process it, another brutal impact drove him to the ground—so fast he didn’t even see the move before his head hit the floor!!
Gu Zhaoye was dazed!! What the hell just happened?! Who hit him?! Gu Zhaoping?!
Gu Zhaoping expertly pinned him with her thigh locked around his neck, her hand gripping his jaw with controlled force as she half-knelt over him. Still in her loungewear, her rectangular glasses remained perfectly in place, even lending her an air of elegance.
She adjusted her frames with one hand—only now did a single strand of hair finally slip loose from the otherwise neat style.
"You’re right. I made a mistake."
"I was so focused on hitting Ruan Nian that I forgot to hit you too."
"Who taught you to call me by my name instead of 'sister' in front of me?"
