Old Master Gu had held power in the Gu family for many years and had been a dominant figure in Beicheng for just as long. In Gu Yunhao’s memory, his grandfather was not only perpetually stern in front of him but also harsh to the point of severity even with his father.
Gu Yunhao would never forget the first time he saw his father kneeling before Old Master Gu to admit his mistakes as a child. The image of his usually authoritative father being berated mercilessly without daring to utter a single word in response left a profound impact on him.
As he grew older, Gu Yunhao gradually understood that back then, his father wasn’t just kneeling to his grandfather—he was kneeling to power itself.
Though Old Master Gu no longer wielded absolute authority in the Gu family as he once did, the reverence and fear he inspired remained deeply ingrained in Gu Yunhao’s bones.
When Steward He came downstairs to fetch Gu Yunhao, he was in the middle of comforting a visibly nervous Cen Meng.
"Young Master Yunhao," Steward He said, "Old Master Gu requests your presence upstairs."
At the steward’s words, Gu Yunhao stiffened and instinctively released Cen Meng.
Cen Meng, who had been leaning most of her weight against him, suddenly lost her balance and let out a soft gasp. She stumbled slightly before steadying herself. Seeing that the intruder was merely an elderly man in a steward’s uniform, her dissatisfaction grew.
He had promised to introduce her to everyone, yet at the mere sight of a steward, he was quick to let her go.
Biting back her irritation—since this was the Gu family’s territory and she still needed Gu Yunhao’s support—Cen Meng forced herself to remain composed.
Gu Yunhao couldn’t hide his unease. "Steward He, are you certain Grandfather wants to see me now? The birthday banquet is about to begin..."
Steward He replied with calm deference, "Yes. If Old Master has summoned you, he must have his reasons. It would be best not to keep him waiting, Young Master."
Gu Yunhao hesitated before finally saying, "...Very well."
He glanced back at Cen Meng.
Steward He spoke again, "Young Master Yunhao, it would be unwise to bring... unrelated individuals upstairs and risk upsetting Old Master Gu."
The words "unrelated" and "upsetting" struck Cen Meng like barbs. Her smile faltered, her lips twitching with barely suppressed anger.
Knowing this was Old Master Gu’s will, Gu Yunhao didn’t dare argue. He could only nod in acquiescence.
Once upstairs, Steward He gestured toward the door before discreetly withdrawing, leaving Old Master Gu and Gu Yunhao alone in the spacious room.
The silence between them was suffocating.
Old Master Gu simply stared at him without speaking, his stern gaze enough to make Gu Yunhao’s heart pound with guilt.
Unable to endure the pressure any longer, Gu Yunhao broke the silence. "Grandfather, what did you wish to discuss?"
Old Master Gu studied him for several seconds before finally speaking in a measured tone. "Yunhao, did you know that Yuxuan hasn’t come today?"
Gu Yunhao’s heart skipped a beat.
He hadn’t dared to personally inform his grandfather about his breakup with Ning Yuxuan. Instead, he had asked his mother, Wang Yahui, to relay the news to Old Master Gu.
Wang Yahui was a woman of remarkable social finesse—her ability to navigate delicate situations was no less impressive than her husband’s.
After speaking with Old Master Gu, she had returned and advised Gu Yunhao to avoid mentioning Ning Yuxuan in front of the old man for the time being. They would wait a while before explaining that the two simply weren’t compatible.
Gu Yunhao had agreed, thinking he could at least pretend to be on good terms with Ning Yuxuan during the birthday banquet to placate his grandfather.
Yet in the end, he couldn’t resist Cen Meng’s whispered pleas and agreed to introduce her to the guests at the birthday banquet.
Gu Yunhao thought to himself that his grandfather was advanced in years and in poor health—surely the old man wouldn’t interfere in the personal lives of the younger generation.
He could simply take Cen Meng around to greet the guests privately. That way, he wouldn’t upset his grandfather while still making it clear to everyone that he had broken up with Ning Yuxuan and was now with a new girlfriend.
Unexpectedly, his grandfather summoned him at that very moment and deliberately brought up Ning Yuxuan.
Gu Yunhao lowered his head, not daring to meet the old man’s gaze, and deflected the topic. "Grandfather, I… I even reminded Yuxuan in person two days ago, telling her not to forget your birthday celebration."
Old Master Gu snorted coldly. "So you’re saying she chose not to come on her own?"
Gu Yunhao stiffened. "P-perhaps."
The sharp thud of a cane striking the floor echoed through the room.
"Lies!" Old Master Gu’s face darkened with anger. "Yuxuan sent me birthday wishes and even prepared a thoughtful gift. If not for you keeping her away, why would she not show up?"
"Grandfather!" Gu Yunhao’s voice trembled with panic. "No, that’s not it! I truly don’t know why she didn’t come! I really did remind her to attend your celebration!"
The old man studied his grandson’s flustered expression.
He knew this grandson of his—clever in small ways, but not bold enough to lie so blatantly to his face.
After a moment of silence, Old Master Gu’s tone softened slightly. "Enough. After the ceremony, we’ll discuss this in detail. The banquet is about to begin—come downstairs with me now."
At noon, as the auspicious hour approached, the Gu family’s birthday banquet was about to commence.
Meanwhile, Ning Yuxuan was having lunch with Ning Fei.
Ning Shiyue’s schedule was packed, and he had an event to attend that day—he wouldn’t be home until evening.
Just as Ning Yuxuan was picking up a piece of braised pork to place in her bowl, her phone rang.
When she answered, Steward He’s voice came through the speaker. "Miss Ning, Old Master Gu asked me to call you—"
First, the steward conveyed the old man’s appreciation for her gift, then emphasized how sincerely he wished for Ning Yuxuan to attend the celebration.
After hanging up, Ning Yuxuan hesitated.
Steward He’s words had been exceedingly polite, without a trace of pressure—only repeated assurances of Old Master Gu’s hope that she would come.
Ning Yuxuan had always been more swayed by kindness than coercion. Had they tried to force her with authority or seniority, she would have refused without a second thought.
Ning Fei noticed her daughter’s conflicted expression and asked gently, "Was that the Gu family?"
Ning Yuxuan nodded.
Ning Fei spoke softly, "Old Master Gu has always treated you well, and today is a grand occasion—his eightieth birthday. You should go."
Her daughter’s connection to the Gu family stemmed from her ex-husband’s ties.
When they first arrived in Beicheng after the divorce, no matter how difficult life became, Ning Fei had never considered seeking help from her former husband.
But her daughter was different—Ning Fei didn’t want her to endure the same hardships.
So when her ex-husband mentioned his friendship with the Gu family and offered to introduce their daughter to Old Master Gu for support, Ning Fei hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing.
Her daughter had mentioned the birthday banquet earlier, and Ning Fei knew it was today. But fearing that bringing up Gu Yunhao would upset her, she hadn’t asked about it until now.
Hearing her mother speak, Ning Yuxuan pondered for two seconds before replying, "I'll text you once it's over."
"Alright," Ning Fei said. "I'll have Uncle Li drive you there."
The Gu family's ancestral home wasn’t located in the city center, and the drive from the Ning residence would take about half an hour.
As Ning Yuxuan settled into the car, a thought crossed her mind.
She had arranged to meet Xie Zhiyan at three that afternoon to discuss their marriage.
The timing should work out, but unforeseen delays were always possible, and the commute would take additional time.
She sent Xie Zhiyan a message:
[President Xie, something came up unexpectedly this afternoon, so I might be a little late. Could you wait for me? It’ll be no more than half an hour. If that doesn’t work, we can reschedule.]
Ten minutes later, Xie Zhiyan replied:
[Old Master Gu’s birthday banquet?]
Ning Yuxuan was only surprised for a second.
The elite circles of Beicheng were small, and with the Gu family hosting a celebration, it was no shock Xie Zhiyan would know about it.
Ning Yuxuan: [Yes.]
She debated whether to elaborate—explaining why she suddenly had to attend the banquet.
Xie Zhiyan was a busy man and might not have the patience for her reasoning, but leaving it unexplained felt impolite.
Before she could decide, two more messages popped up:
Xie Zhiyan: [No need to reschedule.]
Xie Zhiyan: [Around three, keep an eye out for my message.]
Ning Yuxuan: "…"
What did he mean by keep an eye out for his message?
Under normal circumstances, she would have pressed for details.
But this time, since she was the one asking for a delay, she held back. After a moment’s hesitation, she simply replied with a "Okay."
Inside the banquet hall, the celebration had just begun.
Old Master Gu descended the stairs with Gu Yunhao at his side, making their entrance before the gathered guests.
Cen Meng, who had been uneasy until now, felt a wave of relief at the sight.
The fact that Gu Yunhao was accompanying the old master suggested that whatever discussion they’d had earlier couldn’t have been too serious.
As long as Gu Yunhao was fine, she had nothing to worry about.
Given Old Master Gu’s frail health, the ceremony was kept brief.
Everything proceeded smoothly, and once the formalities concluded, the guests approached the main table to offer their well-wishes.
The old man was flanked by his sons, while Gu Yunhao, being younger and less senior, exchanged pleasantries with other attendees nearby after paying his respects.
Cen Meng hadn’t had a chance to speak with Gu Yunhao earlier, but now, seizing the opportunity, she moved closer.
She naturally linked her arm with his. "Yunhao."
A nearby guest inquired, "And this is…?"
Remembering the reprimand he’d received from Old Master Gu upstairs, Gu Yunhao hesitated.
Cen Meng, displeased by his silence but masking it with a smile, answered for him, "Hello, I’m Yunhao’s girlfriend."
The guest nodded in understanding. "Ah, I’ve heard—you’re… Miss Ning, right?"
Cen Meng stiffened. "I—"
Gu Yunhao abruptly coughed. "Alright, Uncle and I are discussing business matters. You wouldn’t understand, so why don’t you wait for me over there?"
Cen Meng: "…"
Resentment surged within her—how many times today had Gu Yunhao embarrassed her?
Not only had the guest mistaken her for that woman, the one she couldn’t stand, but Gu Yunhao hadn’t even bothered to correct him.
Yet, given the setting, she couldn’t afford to show her frustration.
Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile. "Alright, Yunhao. I’ll wait for you on the other side."
After turning to leave, Cen Meng's footsteps suddenly halted, her eyes widening slightly.
Not far away, that slender figure—wasn't that—
Over the past few days, Cen Meng had repeatedly watched the livestream replays of Dear Mother, especially the scenes featuring Ning Yuxuan, trying to find flaws she could exploit.
So she recognized Ning Yuxuan’s back at a glance.
But hadn’t she been absent just moments ago?
Cen Meng instinctively glanced in Gu Yunhao’s direction, wanting to ask him what was going on.
Gu Yunhao was also staring blankly toward Ning Yuxuan.
Among the crowd, Ning Yuxuan’s outfit wasn’t particularly elaborate—just a formal light green dress.
Elegant and refined, yet not stealing the spotlight.
Back when Ning Yuxuan had dated him, her style had always been bold and eye-catching. Gu Yunhao had never seen her like this before.
Gentle and understated, almost reminiscent of…
He knew he shouldn’t think this way, but today, Ning Yuxuan’s aura bore an uncanny resemblance to Cen Meng’s.
Except compared to Cen Meng’s delicate, demure charm, Ning Yuxuan carried a more poised grace, without any trace of fragility.
Gu Yunhao couldn’t help but compare the two. Once he reached this conclusion, a strange feeling settled in his chest.
Ning Yuxuan hadn’t overthought her choice.
It was the old master’s birthday banquet, so dressing too flashy would’ve been inappropriate. She’d simply picked a modestly colored dress from her wardrobe.
Had she known Gu Yunhao would use it as grounds to compare her to Cen Meng, she might’ve scoffed: How dull must your life be to sit around judging people like this?
Old Master Gu was surrounded by a crowd, but Steward He spotted Ning Yuxuan immediately.
Remembering his earlier instructions, the steward didn’t dare delay and quickly whispered into the old master’s ear.
Soon, Old Master Gu turned and beckoned to her. “Yuxuan, come here.”
As Ning Yuxuan approached, the old man patted her shoulder warmly.
“This is Ning Yuxuan, the one I mentioned earlier,” he said with a smile. “That double-sided embroidery screen of cranes and pines—it was her gift.”
When the guests had admired the birthday presents earlier, Old Master Gu had been especially taken with that screen, praising the thoughtfulness behind it.
Though most attendees weren’t familiar with Ning Yuxuan, they all played along out of respect for the old master.
“Who would’ve thought someone as young as Miss Ning could choose a gift that resonates so deeply with the old master? It puts the rest of us to shame.”
“Miss Ning is as discerning as she is beautiful. Truly, the younger generation surpasses the old—what remarkable talent these days!”
Praise poured in from all sides, smiles plastered across every face.
From a distance, Cen Meng watched, her fists clenching unconsciously, nails leaving deep crescents in her palms.
Gu Yunhao’s emotions were even more tangled.
In his eyes, Ning Yuxuan had always been immature, troublesome, and unfit for high society.
Yet here she was, effortlessly charming among these influential figures, shining far brighter than she ever had beside him.
Could it be… that he was the one who’d dimmed her light?
The thought surfaced, only to be swiftly dismissed.
Impossible. He must be overthinking it.
Gu Yunhao tightened his fists and stepped forward.
He’d already displeased the old master earlier—perhaps making amends with Ning Yuxuan now would smooth things over.
Ning Yuxuan was smiling politely as she dealt with the crowd, but when she saw Gu Yunhao approaching, she immediately understood what he was scheming.
Today was Old Master Gu’s eightieth birthday, and she had no intention of making a scene in front of everyone. However, pretending to be deeply in love with Gu Yunhao was out of the question.
Ning Yuxuan turned slightly to glance at Old Master Gu.
The old man took one look at Ning Yuxuan’s expression, then at his grandson walking toward them, and instantly grasped her meaning.
He patted her gently on the back. "Go on. There are plenty of young people here today—you’ll have more to talk about with them."
Ning Yuxuan nodded, offered a few pleasantries, and then left the main seating area.
Steward He followed her. "Miss Ning, shall I take you upstairs to rest? Whatever happened between you and Young Master Yunhao—whether it’s a misunderstanding or not—you can always speak privately with Old Master Gu later."
Knowing Ning Yuxuan, the steward assumed she wouldn’t be interested in such a social gathering.
But Ning Yuxuan only smiled. "No need, I’ll take a walk around on my own. Please don’t trouble yourself."
Since she was already here, she might as well make the most of it.
She would soon be helping her mother manage their family’s hotel business, and tonight’s banquet was filled with influential figures—a perfect opportunity.
……
By the time Ning Yuxuan’s figure disappeared into the crowd, Cen Meng realized she had been staring at her, lost in thought.
When she turned back, Gu Yunhao was no longer where he had been standing.
The banquet hall was filled with guests clinking glasses and chatting, but not a single familiar face she could lean on.
A flicker of panic rose in Cen Meng’s chest. She glanced around, only to accidentally lock eyes with the same guest who had earlier mistaken her for Ning Yuxuan.
The person looked at her briefly before turning away.
Yet in that fleeting moment, Cen Meng felt her cheeks burn as if scalded by fire.
That one-second glance had carried disdain, scorn, disgust—as if mocking her for pretending to be Ning Yuxuan and then being exposed in front of everyone.
Out of all the humiliations she had endured today, this one cut the deepest.
Tears welled up instantly. Fighting back the sting in her nose, Cen Meng hurried toward the restroom.
It took her a long time to finally stop crying.
As she fixed her makeup in the mirror, her phone buzzed several times—messages from Gu Yunhao.
[Mengmeng, where are you? Should I come find you?]
[I know you’re upset, but today was just an unfortunate situation. I never expected Grandfather to take her side.]
[Mengmeng, you know you’re the only one I truly love.]
Those messages were like a lifeline to Cen Meng, pulling her back from the brink of collapse.
So much so that she didn’t stop to wonder why it had taken Gu Yunhao this long to finally reach out.
She smiled at her reflection. The woman in the mirror was once again flawless—delicate, charming, and unassuming.
It didn’t matter. Ning Yuxuan’s triumph was only temporary, Cen Meng thought.
What she had—Gu Yunhao’s genuine love—was something Ning Yuxuan could never obtain, no matter how hard she tried.
Old Master Gu was already on his last legs. How much longer could he last?
As long as she held onto Gu Yunhao’s heart, the higher Ning Yuxuan climbed now, the harder she would fall later.
With renewed confidence, Cen Meng stepped out of the restroom and headed toward a secluded corner of the banquet hall.
She and Gu Yunhao had agreed to meet there.
As Cen Meng appeared, Gu Yunhao led her through the corridor into a secluded little balcony.
"Mengmeng, listen to me..."
...
A few minutes later, Cen Meng returned alone to the banquet hall and heard a commotion at the entrance.
Several people nearby turned to look, and someone gasped in a hushed voice, "Is that... Xie Zhiyan? CEO Xie?"
Another person echoed in shock, "It really seems like him... I heard the Xie family’s representative said he was too busy to attend today and sent someone else to offer birthday wishes instead."
"No idea, but come on, let’s go greet CEO Xie. We’re really lucky to see him here today."
Xie Zhiyan’s name was legendary, and Cen Meng had naturally heard of him.
While the older generation of the Gu family had stepped down, leaving the sons locked in endless power struggles, Gu Yunhao—a grandson—held a title with virtually no real authority.
In contrast, Xie Zhiyan, nominally of the same generation as Gu Yunhao, was already the true power behind the Xie family.
Among their peers, Cen Meng had never heard of anyone else who had risen to the top seat of a conglomerate like Xie Zhiyan had.
Xie Zhiyan—here at this birthday banquet?
Cen Meng’s heart skipped a beat as she followed the two whispering guests, nearly forgetting what Gu Yunhao had just told her.
The imposing man strode into the banquet hall, surrounded by a crowd.
Old Master Gu had gone upstairs and couldn’t greet him immediately.
Someone asked, "CEO Xie, what brings you here today?"
