Chapter 51: Does it hurt?

Although fear and panic flickered in Gu Mianmian's eyes, she unexpectedly did not cry out to stop it, as if she had already prepared herself mentally to accept whatever the cost might be.

Gu Wenyan asked, "Are you sure you want to seriously reflect on your mistakes?"

"Mm!"

The first to react were the parents. Ye Yiwen furrowed her brow: "Wen Yan, no matter what, she's still your sister… Although she made a mistake this time, we all believe she didn't do it on purpose. There must be a lot of…"

After her mother's attempt at persuasion, Gu Yefeng's attitude did not change in the slightest; the cold glint in his eyes made one worry without meaning to.

He looked straight at Gu Wenyan and stressed once more, "You decide."

Gu Mianmian's fingers tightened; she was now completely shrouded in panic, but her attitude no longer mattered at this point—no one cared.

Gu Wenyan looked over at her. At first glance, Gu Mianmian did look rather pitiful, as if she had already recognized her mistake and had already decided that she would bear whatever cost it took.

But in reality…

What thoughts Gu Mianmian was hiding at this moment, Gu Wenyan understood better than anyone, and saw through them with particular clarity.

She couldn't help but curve her lips, deliberately making her tone much more serious: "Second Brother, since you're willing to trust me, then I'll do exactly as you said."

"Gu Mianmian, you admit your mistake, right? And you're willing to pay the full price for it?"

Gu Mianmian clenched her teeth: "Yes!"

She said firmly, "That's right, no matter what it takes, I'm willing to bear it!"

"Good. First, the most basic part: for this incident, you must publicly admit your mistake."

"However, there are still some other things that need to be done."

Gu Wenyan didn't hold back either; everything that needed to be said now came straight out: "This year, all of your pocket money, all the money the family gives you—every cent is deducted, none for you, and you are not allowed to spend freely."

"You said you were worried that I would snatch everything away from you, so let you experience in advance what your life would be like if I did snatch everything away from you."

Gu Mianmian's pupils dilated; she could hardly believe it.

The punishment Gu Wenyan proposed was actually this demand??

With all her money gone, how was she still supposed to move in this circle?

How would she go shopping and traveling with the other young ladies from prominent families in the future?

Although Gu Mianmian's usual spending wasn't exactly extravagant, she had absolutely never been frugal either…

Besides the money her parents gave her, her three brothers would also transfer money into her bank account from time to time.

At least several million a month.

So even when it came to various limited-edition bags, Gu Mianmian would buy them on a whim, never having practiced any restraint.

Now… Gu Wenyan demanded that all her pocket money be deducted, meaning she could only live a frugal, tight-fisted life from now on!

Anything she had her eye on, she could no longer buy. How would the others in her circle look at her?

They would surely gossip that she had fallen out of favor, suspect that she would be driven out of the Gu Family…

When that time came, would anyone still be willing to associate with her?

While Gu Mianmian's mind was racing, facing her mother's uncomprehending gaze as well, Gu Wenyan explained with ringing conviction: "I'm doing this for her own good."

"She overthinks because she has too much, so she's afraid of losing it."

"The reason I don't overthink is that I once had nothing, so I have nothing to fear… Perhaps she should put herself in that position and experience what it's like to have nothing."

"When she realizes that she wasn't born possessing everything, but should be grateful to you for bringing her the happiness she has now, perhaps in the future she'll be able to have a deeper understanding."

Ye Yiwen seemed to grasp her intention a little; in any case, it was also for Gu Mianmian's own good.

They had always indulged Gu Mianmian, and indeed they had somewhat spoiled her. What Gu Mianmian did this time was the best proof of that.

Previously, the excessive indulgence and pampering had made Gu Mianmian unable to bear even the slightest grievance; simply because Gu Wenyan had come back, she began to worry about losing everything she currently had.

If Gu Mianmian couldn't calm her heart, she might still do the same thing in the future…

So it was indeed possible to do as Gu Wenyan said, and let Gu Mianmian experience a different way of life.

Ye Yiwen sighed: "You're not wrong. I agree."

As the head of the household, Gu Jue could understand Gu Wenyan's meaning and did not speak up to stop her.

As for Gu Yefeng, he had already handed all decision-making power to Gu Wenyan in the first place.

Gu Yechen also nodded in agreement, and the one who reacted most strongly was Gu Yeting.

"Do you have any idea what kind of life Mianmian has lived since she was little? Now you want all her pocket money to be…"

Gu Wenyan cut him off: "How did that slap taste just now? Does it still hurt? If it hurts, then shut your mouth, don't get involved, and don't interfere with my decision."

Gu Yeting's chest heaved up and down; although furious, he was powerless to retort, and could only grit his teeth and silently accept it all.

Gu Mianmian's eyes welled with tears as she cried: "I have no objections. Sister is right, I really should do this. Maybe I've just lived too comfortably all this time, that's why I was so muddled… I should be more mature."

"If there's nothing else, I'll head back to my room first." Gu Yefeng seemed to have already used up all his strength, with no extra heart to spend here.

Gu Yefeng turned and left. Although Gu Wenyan knew he wasn't feeling great right now, she didn't go disturb him; some things he needed to digest on his own.

The taste of being betrayed by a beloved sister should be… very hard to bear.

Enough for him to remember for a long time.

Just like when she discovered that the person she trusted most had betrayed her.

The rest of the Gu family also returned to their rooms one after another. Gu Mianmian took a few steps toward Gu Yeting: "Brother, can I talk to you about something?"

Gu Yeting thought of his trust being betrayed, and his emotions rarely stirred. With an expressionless face, he said: "It's too late today. Go back to your room and rest first. We'll talk about whatever it is tomorrow."

As for Gu Yechen, he said to Gu Wenyan: "Want to go for a walk?"

Gu Wenyan nodded and left with him. In the blink of an eye, in this vast villa, only Gu Mianmian was left standing where she was.

She clenched her fists tightly, her face growing colder and colder. But even though she now hated Gu Wenyan to the bone, in the short term she had no way to deal with her.

After leaving the villa, a ripple of emotion crossed Gu Yechen's stern, cold face: "This is what you told me before."

"Yes, Big Brother. I warned you before that Gu Mianmian isn't as simple as you all imagined."

"…But she is still our sister, after all."

Gu Wenyan smiled faintly: "I know. I'm only reminding you to see her true nature. As for how you treat her from now on, I won't interfere."

Gu Yechen sighed soundlessly, then suddenly reached out and ruffled Gu Wenyan's hair: "Being misunderstood back then must have hurt, didn't it?"