Chapter 379: I Don

After the Lantern Festival, Jiang Lai received a call from Lord Gu, telling her to return to B City a day early; someone would meet her at the airport, and she should first move into the Gu family's old residence.

When the call came in, Ke Zhongyu was standing nearby, using a speaker, and typed on his phone for Jiang Lai to read aloud.

Jiang Lai: "Regarding moving into the Gu family, you need to discuss it with my boyfriend."

She glanced at Ke Zhongyu, then added, "I already said I won't move into the Gu family."

Lord Gu: "A temporary stay, you're already back; being absent the two days before and after the banquet is against the rules."

Ke Zhongyu typed four characters to Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai glanced and said, "Find Ke Zhongyu."

Lord Gu: "……"

In the end, Ke Zhongyu is just a junior; telling someone is no big deal, but the problem is that it isn't enough for a senior to just tell a junior—when it comes to serious matters, Ke only negotiates, and who knows what outrageous demands this kid might make.

"You and Ke Zhongyu aren't married yet, so why is he making the decisions?"

Ke Zhongyu typed: "He's domineering, he's a male chauvinist."

Jiang Lai: "……"

She didn't say that, but in her own words: "I'm already with him; I have to respect his suggestion."

Lord Gu had nothing to say, gave a "Hmm" and hung up.

"Why aren't you following what I said?" Ke Zhongyu slowly spoke, "You push everything you don't want to do onto me."

He had already thought it through; Jiang Lai returning to the Gu family is fine. In the future, any task the Gu family asks Jiang Lai to do that she doesn't want to do can be shifted onto him—if he says he doesn't agree, no one can force her.

Jiang Lai: "I don't want you to become a villain."

Ke Zhongyu: "What kind of good person am I?"

Jiang Lai looked at him seriously: "In my eyes, you are."

Ke Zhongyu suddenly smiled: "I'm not a good person, especially to you, in certain ways."

Jiang Lai, curious: "I haven't seen it yet. Which aspect?"

"Don't ask," Ke Zhongyu kindly reminded her, "Do you need to pack luggage?"

Jiang Lai nodded: "At least three days."

Ke Zhongyu: "Pack what?"

A question mark appeared above Jiang Lai's head, and she asked him: "What are you going to do?"

"Not packing luggage?" Ke Zhongyu's meaning couldn't be clearer.

Today Mo Yi wasn't home due to something, but Jiang Lai used to do things herself, so now Mo Yi always jumps ahead of her.

Now Ke Zhongyu also wants to pack her luggage.

"I just got back from B City, the suitcase is still lying in the bedroom; just put in two pairs of shoes and two pieces of clothing, no need for you," Jiang Lai said as she went into the bedroom to tidy up.

Ke Zhongyu stood in the living room, announced in the group chat to his assistants that he was going on a business trip and would temporarily work at the B City branch.

That night, Ke Zhongyu received a call from Lord Gu of the Gu family; regarding Jiang Lai staying in the Gu family's old residence, no one backed down.

Lord Gu knew that his concession meant the Gu family's control over Jiang Lai would lessen.

Ke Zhongyu didn't concede either, fearing the Gu family would overstep with Jiang Lai, letting her mentor younger members of the Gu family; if they used Jiang Lai's name carelessly, it could ruin her.

Even over the phone, both sides were already a bit tense.

Ke Zhongyu used his trump card: "If the Gu family insists on doing this, I will at this banquet reveal that the real reason Jiang Lai grew up in an orphanage wasn't a mistaken adoption; I have already met Zhao Zheng."

Whether Zhao Zheng said it or not, Ke Zhongyu seeing Zhao Zheng meant he had already uncovered the crucial point.

Yet Ke Zhongyu's position here gave his words, evidence or not, heavy weight.

The Gu family can't afford to gamble.

Lord Gu hung up, and Ke Zhongyu knew Jiang Lai wouldn't have to stay at the Gu family's old residence for a night.

Ke Zhongyu gave Secretary Cen a new task, transferring his large flat in a B City complex to Jiang Lai's name.

The tax on the property transfer was frighteningly high, but Ke always has money; Secretary Cen replied with an OK and asked what other personal assets needed to be transferred to Dr. Jiang's name? She decided to handle it all at once.

Ke Zhongyu sent a voice message: "In every provincial capital city across the country, one apartment in the city center, one car—keep the car low‑key; her status driving a luxury car would cause trouble; be careful with this, provide a driver."

Secretary Cen: "Understood."

Jiang Lai was still packing, unaware of anything.

She didn't actually need to pack anything; she just said it. She has a slight obsession with cleanliness, so she can't return from a trip and let the suitcase lie open in the bedroom.

The day Jiang Lai returned to B City, she received a call from Fu Youqing, who asked, "Are you still in B City or somewhere else? You really are a Gu family member, huh?"

The following sentence came with surprise.

Jiang Lai: "Hmm, I haven't had a chance to tell you all."

Fu Youqing: "My god, Gu Yinxue is really a fake? I couldn't tell; it's not her looks, it's her personality."

"Hmm?" Jiang Lai was puzzled.

Fu Youqing: "Families like the Gu family, who pursue official careers for the whole clan, share a trait: outwardly low‑key and easygoing, but their speech is circuitous, sounding harmless yet packing multiple meanings in a simple sentence; they avoid useless talk. Pleasant sounding is called 'officialese'; unpleasant is just pretentiousness. Gu Yinxue has this aura, fitting well in the Gu family; your return worries people."

Jiang Lai's heart softened a bit; the focus was no longer on Gu Yinxue but on Fu Youqing's worry.

"Worry about what?"

"It's like a wind‑blown lily growing on a cliff, transplanted into a courtyard's fertile soil enriched with manure."

Jiang Lai couldn't help but laugh: "You know that using manure to grow vegetables in the countryside is considered green and healthy, right?"

"But that's a cabbage for everyone to pick and eat, not a lily; lilies in manure?"

Jiang Lai, even through the phone, could see Fu Youqing's displeased face and explained, "It hasn't been transplanted, don't worry; how did you know about this?"

"Oh, because our family also received an invitation; my parents let my brother and me go, we have a flight tomorrow morning." Fu's family has some connection with the Gu family; she continued, "Li Dan is also going, the one you met before; speaking of it, Li Dan should call you cousin."

Li Dan has recently been close with Xie Yongsi; after receiving the Gu family's invitation and confirming Jiang Lai is a Gu family member, he told Xie Yongsi.

Xie Yongsi immediately said: "Take me!"

Li Dan: "? How could I take you? This is a Gu family banquet, the kind where you can't even bring a female companion, let alone a friend."

"No, if I don't personally bring that matter before Gu Zhiyan, I won't feel at ease."

"I said I'd go and tell them; do you still not trust me?"

"You and Gu Zhiyan are already as close as if you're wearing the same trousers; you usually aren't short with Gu Yinxue either, and Jiang Lai hasn't given you any favor, so you're certainly not putting in effort."

Li Dan gave him a thumbs up: "You're really something; all this time of brotherhood has been for nothing."

"I'm just about to go to B City for a stroll; think of a way to get me into the Gu family." Xie Yongsi pulled out a stack of documents, "I've reorganized a set."

Li Dan looked at him in shock: "Why are you so proactive?"

"You know nothing." Xie Yongsi flicked the cigarette to the ground, grinding the heel of his leather shoe, "If Jiang Lai doesn't mention me, and Brother Xun doesn't loosen his mouth, if I marry Shen Xi, my later life won't be peaceful; I won't even be able to lift my head when I'm out."