Chapter 18: Third Brother Must Come Back!

Gu Wenyan walked over with a calm expression and sat down before them: "Mom, if you have something to ask, just ask it directly."

"I heard that yesterday afternoon, you met the young lady of the Xiao Corporation?"

Facing her mother's suspicious gaze, Gu Wenyan nodded openly: "Yes, I went for afternoon tea yesterday afternoon and ran into Miss Xiao."

"What did you do after running into her?"

"What did I do? You might as well ask directly—what do you think I did?"

Gu Wenyan met her mother's gaze: "I suppose you've already made up your own mind."

She calmly seized the initiative; this counter-question was clearly something Ye Yiwen had not anticipated.

She was stunned for a moment before saying: "Did you say something to her that was unfavorable to your sister, which led to her going to your sister's friend's birthday party last night to … slander your sister?"

"Mom, what other people choose to do has nothing to do with me. Or are you assuming from the start that I would do something like that?"

Gu Wenyan's expression was calm with a touch of hurt grievance: "You think your daughter is so despicable, so vicious?"

She deliberately spoke with great emphasis.

Ye Yiwen frowned and denied it as expected: "How could Mom possibly think that! I'm just worried there might be some misunderstanding between you and your sister. Look at your sister's face … how pitiful!"

She said resentfully and indignantly: "That girl from the Xiao family has no manners, no propriety at all! If Bao Sihan hadn't already dealt with her, I certainly wouldn't have let her off either …"

Gu Wenyan reminded her without changing expression: "It seems you also know the problem lies with Miss Xiao, but just because the problem lies with her, does that mean it's only her problem?"

Gu Mianmian pressed her lips together, her expression turning awkward: "Sister, what do you mean? Are you trying to say again … that I caused all of this? But I clearly haven't done anything. I haven't even been in contact with her for several days!"

She said pitifully: "Xiao Yiling slandered me in front of my friends—who taught her to say those things?"

Gu Mianmian was once again sparing no effort to sling mud at Gu Wenyan. However, Gu Wenyan had long been prepared, so she was not surprised in the slightest and had even thought of a way to respond. She immediately countered: "In that case, tell Mom everything Miss Xiao said."

"Let's see what exactly you said, and where exactly the problem lies."

Gu Mianmian indeed hesitated for a moment. She had not dared to tell her mother what exactly Xiao Yiling had said.

She had only complained about being insulted and slapped, which had triggered Ye Yiwen's sympathy.

But this time Gu Wenyan's mind was clear and her thinking was precise, directly seizing her weakness. Would she dare tell her mother what exactly Xiao Yiling had said?

She certainly wouldn't dare.

Because once she said it, it might cause her mother to take these issues seriously from then on.

"Mom, the things Xiao Yiling said—I don't even know where she heard them. They're all just mud slung at me … so I didn't want you to hear them."

Ye Yiwen was puzzled. After a moment of thought, Gu Mianmian seized the chance to say again: "Sister, let's just let this matter pass. I don't really care that much anymore."

"Perhaps it's because the outside world has had a big influence on us. I'd like to find some time for us sisters to have a good talk, to be frank and open and clear up all the misunderstandings. What do you think about that?"

Ye Yiwen also agreed: "I think that's a good idea. Some outside gossip is nothing to fear, as long as you two sisters communicate well and clear up the misunderstanding."

Gu Wenyan, in a leisurely mood, rested her arm on her leg and smiled lightly: "Sure, you find the time."

"By the way, Sister … I heard that Second Brother is going to attend an auction this weekend?"

Having failed in her attempt to sow discord and having nearly fallen into a trap, Gu Mianmian breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly changed the subject.

She came up with another scheme to draw Ye Yiwen's attention.

"What? An auction?"

"Mom, you don't know yet—it's a painting Sister somehow got hold of. Maybe the Bo Family Head gave it to her. It's Bai Lao's Ink Wash Landscape Painting."

"Bai Lao's Ink Wash Landscape Painting is very precious, and Second Brother has always wanted to find a painting like this as the grand finale piece for the opening of his Art Museum. Unfortunately, he never had the chance to find one before …"

Gu Mianmian deliberately let out a long sigh and said with great regret: "This time Sister has this painting. Actually, I think Sister could just give it directly to Second Brother, but instead she donated it to the Charity Foundation, so Second Brother will have to go to the auction and might have to spend around two hundred million to buy the painting back."

The Gu Family was wealthy, but not to the point of reckless extravagance. Spending two hundred million on a painting that could have been obtained for free was clearly something Ye Yiwen found hard to understand.

She questioned Gu Wenyan: "How could you think of donating the painting to the Charity Foundation?"

Gu Mianmian concealed the smug darkness in her eyes: "Maybe it's because Sister had a fight with Second Brother that day, so in a fit of anger she just … But Sister, why don't you take the painting back? There's still time."

Ye Yiwen's expression shifted slightly. She was about to instinctively rebuke Gu Wenyan for doing so, but before she could speak, Gu Wenyan had already shaken her head firmly: "I never thought of taking it back."

She cut off her mother's emotional outburst: "Mom, maybe Second Brother spending that money is a bit much, but it's not necessarily a bad thing."

"Oh?" Ye Yiwen's displeasure subsided, and she became quite curious about Gu Wenyan's reasoning.

"If Second Brother buys this painting, he can heavily promote the opening of his Art Museum. After all, those two hundred million will ultimately go to charity. It's equivalent to doing a very good deed, and it also serves as publicity for our Gu Family."

For wealthy families, reputation was extremely important.

"If I had simply given the painting to Second Brother, the outside world might be surprised, but that would be the end of it. Afterwards, the outside world would inevitably have different opinions."

Ye Yiwen quickly figured out the deeper meaning, and her gaze at Gu Wenyan held a hint of approval: "Your consideration is very thorough. For our Gu Family, it really is a very favorable piece of publicity."

"…" Gu Mianmian's fingers clenched tightly, nearly exploding with rage. Damn it, Gu Wenyan!

Ye Yiwen even let go of Gu Mianmian and chatted quite warmly with Gu Wenyan about some recent developments in the Gu Family, also asking about Gu Wenyan's plans going forward.

This kind of attention made Gu Mianmian look like an outsider.

Gu Mianmian began to panic. She—she couldn't just let Gu Wenyan take everything away …

Third Brother! Right! She had to hurry and get Third Brother to come back! With him around, he definitely wouldn't let Gu Wenyan have it easy!