Chapter 308: Chapter 308: The Truth Revealed, Yun Nianzhou Breaks Down

Xu Huaian returned to the home he’d been away from for over twenty years. Just as his parents had said, there was a room for him, warmly decorated.

The drawers and cabinets were filled with all sorts of things: birthday gifts prepared by his father, various items his mother had set aside for him—everything he could possibly need.

What shocked him most was the drawer full of amulets by the door. They didn’t seem to come from a single temple; some were old and worn, all jumbled together.

Had she really gone to so many temples to pray for him?

Xu Huaian gently picked up a red ribbon nearby. On it, in neat calligraphy, were the words: “May my son be simple and foolish, safe from disaster, and reach high office.”

Liang Zhiqiu took it from him softly. “This is a prayer ribbon from a temple. I won’t need them anymore.” The Buddha had already granted her greatest wish.

Xu Huaian was stunned. So, even in places he never knew, someone had loved him this deeply. That was enough—more than enough.

The knot in his heart suddenly loosened.

After all, who in this world isn’t at the mercy of fate? To have been loved is enough.

You never know which will come first—tomorrow or an accident. Enjoy life while you can, savor love and being loved.

In the end, he accepted the Yun family as his parents, though he declined their invitation to move back in.

On one hand, everyone had their own lives—there was no need to force togetherness.

On the other, he was now married; living with his parents wasn’t appropriate. When Gu Qinghuan returned, they’d have their own home.

Besides, he was still studying, and it was more suitable for him to stay at school.

Liang Zhiqiu was a little disappointed, but respected his choice. There was plenty of time ahead.

Yun Runtong and his wife brought Xu Huaian to meet Grandma Yun.

Grandma Yun was overjoyed when she heard her grandson had been found. She hugged him and cried for a long time. She’d been under a lot of pressure over the years—after losing the child, her relationship with Yun Runtong and his wife had hit rock bottom.

She’d pinned all her hopes on Yun Nianzhou, but never got the understanding of Yun Runtong and his wife.

After years apart, the family reunited for a meal.

During the meal, everyone deliberately avoided mentioning Yun Nianzhou, worried Xu Huaian might be upset.

Yun Runtong and his wife simply felt this was their own family matter, unrelated to Yun Nianzhou—he didn’t need to be involved.

Grandma Yun had raised Yun Nianzhou for so many years and had deep feelings for him. On one hand, she worried the returned grandson would feel out of place; on the other, she feared Yun Nianzhou wouldn’t be able to accept the truth and would throw a tantrum.

Because Yun Nianzhou still didn’t know he wasn’t the Yun family’s biological child.

Grandma Yun had always deliberately kept it from him, protecting him carefully.

But the truth can’t be hidden forever.

Sometimes, what you fear most is exactly what happens.

The four of them were eating together when Yun Nianzhou suddenly came home with his wife.

Yun Runtong and his wife lived separately from Grandma Yun. In the past, Grandma Yun and Yun Nianzhou lived here together. After Yun Nianzhou moved out, she lived alone, and he’d visit occasionally.

Yun Nianzhou looked at his suddenly-returned parents, then at the vaguely familiar man at the table, utterly confused.

“Dad, Mom, you came back to have dinner with Grandma—why didn’t you call me and Qingyue? Qingyue made Grandma’s favorite mung bean cakes. Let’s all try some.”

He still hadn’t realized anything was different, speaking cheerfully.

Xu Huaian looked up at him, feeling complicated. He should have felt jealous or resentful toward Yun Nianzhou—after all, Yun Nianzhou had lived as the Yun family’s young master for over twenty years, enjoying every privilege.

But now, he didn’t feel jealous at all. In fact, he pitied him a little. It’s easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go back. Some things, once lost after having them, are impossible to let go.

Gu Qingyue chimed in, holding out the box, “Dad, Mom, Grandma, I made mung bean cakes for you all to try.”

Grandma Yun awkwardly stood up to accept the cakes, not knowing how to handle the situation.

Out of the corner of her eye, Gu Qingyue spotted Xu Huaian and suddenly shouted, “Aren’t you that country bumpkin Gu Qinghuan’s man? What are you doing in my house?”

Yun Nianzhou, reminded by her, realized why Xu Huaian looked familiar and stared at everyone suspiciously.

Liang Zhiqiu’s face darkened. She slapped the table and stood up: “Gu Qingyue, where are your manners?

Qinghuan is your sister in name. The Gu family raised you, and you speak so shamelessly, with not a shred of gratitude!

And what do you mean by ‘country bumpkin’? And what do you mean by ‘your house’?

Huaian is the true heir of our Yun family. This is his home. He can come and go as he pleases—he doesn’t need to report to you!”

Her words left Yun Nianzhou and Gu Qingyue stunned, their faces a mess of emotions.

“Grandma, what does Mom mean?” Yun Nianzhou was bewildered.

He still clung to a last shred of hope. He knew his parents had always been dissatisfied with him, thinking he was unfit to inherit the Yun family, a hopeless case.

He thought they were just joking to annoy him. How could the heir be some random person off the street?

Grandma Yun felt sorry for Yun Nianzhou and glared at Liang Zhiqiu for being too blunt.

Couldn’t this have waited for another day? Did it have to be today?

“Nianzhou, listen to Grandma. You should call him ‘big brother.’ He came before you,” Grandma Yun said.

“Don’t I only have one set of parents? Where did this brother come from?” Yun Nianzhou refused to accept it, glaring fiercely at Xu Huaian.

Xu Huaian said nothing, quietly watching. Faced with Yun Nianzhou’s challenging stare, he remained calm.

Yun Runtong knew some things couldn’t be glossed over anymore. Otherwise, both would be hurt—it was time to cut the knot.

If someone had to be hurt, it couldn’t be Huaian. They owed him too much.

“Nianzhou, Grandma was afraid you’d feel inferior or sad because of your background, so she never told you. You’re not our biological child!”

Yun Runtong’s words hit Yun Nianzhou like a thunderbolt. Gu Qingyue was dumbfounded.

What did that mean? Not their biological child?

“Runtong, let the child process this, don’t say any more!” Grandma Yun pleaded. After all, she’d raised him—her feelings were different.

Yun Nianzhou broke down, shouting, “Grandma, let him talk. I want to hear it.”

Yun Runtong pressed on, ignoring their emotions. “Back then, when we lost our child, Grandma happened to find you at the door and decided to adopt you.

So, you’re not a Yun by blood.

We’ve found our real child—Huaian. No matter what, you have to accept reality.

If you can get along, you’ll still be part of the Yun family.”

What he left unsaid was: if you can’t accept it, then sorry. He couldn’t keep someone around who would only make things difficult for his own son.

“No wonder… No wonder you never cared about me. No matter how hard I tried, you never noticed. No matter how naughty I was, you never got mad.

I was never allowed to go to your house. You never came to my parent-teacher meetings, never took me out, not even when I was sick.

You always said I had to be independent when I grew up, that I had to take responsibility after starting my own family.

So, I’m not your real son… Ha, ha…” Yun Nianzhou laughed hysterically.

Memories flooded back. So many things he’d never understood now made perfect sense. It was all because he wasn’t the Yun family’s biological child.

Liang Zhiqiu and Yun Runtong exchanged a glance, a flash of guilt in their eyes, but it quickly vanished. Compared to the hardships Xu Huaian had endured, what did this count for?

“You’ve been the Yun family’s young master for over twenty years, enjoying the best of everything.

We have nothing to feel guilty about. We’ve given you everything you deserved,” Liang Zhiqiu said. He should be grateful.

Yun Nianzhou, in a frenzy, swept the mung bean cakes off the table and ran out.

Gu Qingyue hurried after him.

“Nianzhou…” Grandma Yun wanted to follow.

“Mom, if you go after him, the three of us won’t come back to this house again. You can have it to yourself and him,” Yun Runtong said coldly.

Grandma Yun’s actions today had already angered Yun Runtong. He didn’t know how Huaian would feel seeing his own grandmother care so little for him and so much for an outsider.

Their son’s first meal back home should have been a happy occasion, but it turned out like this.

Grandma Yun paused, weighing her options. She knew what mattered most. But after raising someone for so many years and pinning her hopes on him, it was hard to let go.

“Runtong, you can’t just kick Zhouzhou out because your own child is back. We’ve raised him for so many years—we have feelings for him.”

“You insisted on raising him. I never agreed!

Look what you’ve done—spoiled his temper.

Did we kick him out? He just can’t handle anything.

I’m telling you, don’t go after him. If he doesn’t come back, we’ll just pretend we never raised him!” Yun Runtong said angrily.

Grandma Yun, seeing how angry he was, didn’t dare say more.

Liang Zhiqiu quickly tried to smooth things over, serving Xu Huaian some food. “Huaian, I’m sorry. Your first meal back turned out like this.”

Xu Huaian wasn’t actually angry. In fact, he felt like he was watching a show. He enjoyed the way Yun Runtong and his wife stood up for him—it was the first time in his life he’d felt protected by his parents.

He didn’t even have to say anything—someone was there to fight for him.

Maybe it was out of guilt for all those lost years, but this attitude was enough. He was satisfied.

As for Grandma Yun favoring Yun Nianzhou—so what? He wasn’t money; not everyone had to like him."

"Chapter 309: Warning

He actually understood Yun Nianzhou’s breakdown very well. After all, for more than twenty years in this family, whatever he wanted, he got.

Then one day, someone suddenly told him that everything he once had never truly belonged to him.

Judging from the current situation, Yun Runtong and Liang Zhiqiu were firmly on his side. As for Grandma, she couldn’t let go of her feelings for Yun Nianzhou for the time being, and he understood that too.

He decided to just wait and see. After all, he had gone from having nothing to where he was now all on his own—he wasn’t afraid of anything.

But Yun Nianzhou was a different story. Without the Yun family’s protection, what was he?

After all this turmoil, no one had any appetite left. They ended the meal quickly after a few bites.

Yun Runtong suggested he change his surname back to “Yun” and move his household registration back. He agreed—it was only a matter of time anyway.

As for his name, after being called Xu Huai’an for so many years, it felt strange to suddenly become Yun Jiuzhou.

But seeing how happy Yun Runtong and his wife were, he felt it didn’t really matter. After all, it was just a name.

After chatting for a while, he said he wanted to leave. Yun Runtong had a guard take him back to school.

The couple stayed behind to have a long talk with Old Madam Yun.

“Mom, what you did today was really hurtful. It was Jiuzhou’s first time coming home to see you. Even if you weren’t going to give him a warm welcome, you shouldn’t have embarrassed him. You treat the child you picked up from outside like a treasure—where does that leave him?

I remember you always said that if Jiuzhou came back, you’d be willing to give up ten years of your life. Now he’s really back, and you’re not even happy to see him?” Yun Runtong took a sip of tea as he spoke.

As the daughter-in-law, Liang Zhiqiu had always had a lukewarm relationship with the old lady over the years. Only Yun Runtong, as her son, could say these things without making her angry.

Old Madam Yun looked a little embarrassed. What her son said was true. Her reaction today had clearly been to protect Yun Nianzhou, which wasn’t how a real grandmother should behave.

But in her heart, she felt that the bond of raising a child was greater than blood. The feelings between adults and children were built during the process of raising them.

She hadn’t raised Yun Jiuzhou, but she had watched Yun Nianzhou grow up with her own eyes. The bond from raising him was deeper, so it was only natural she would protect the child she had raised.

“You two have been away all these years and didn’t care about this old woman. Nianzhou and I depended on each other, so of course our relationship is special. That child treats me well.

Now you’ve found your own child, and you don’t care whether he lives or dies. If I, this old woman, don’t look out for him, what will he do?

It’s normal for you to dote on Jiuzhou now that he’s back, but you can’t push Nianzhou to the brink for Jiuzhou’s sake. Otherwise, I won’t let this go!

Most of the Yun family’s assets are already in your hands. In the future, you can give them to whoever you want. But what I have left, I’m saving for Nianzhou. Don’t even think about it!” Grandma Yun dropped all pretenses and laid her cards on the table.

Liang Zhiqiu nearly blacked out with anger. She wished she could drag her late father-in-law out of his grave and ask him what kind of wife he’d chosen—someone who couldn’t see the bigger picture!

She didn’t care about her own grandson, but treated someone else’s child like a precious treasure.

She’d objected to raising this child from the start. Their own child had just gone missing, and someone immediately brought a child to their door—wasn’t that suspicious?

And it was a boy. It was common for girls to go missing in those days, but boys were rare—unless the family couldn’t afford to raise him.

As it turned out, her worries back then were justified. This damned old woman actually wanted to leave the family inheritance to an outsider!

Fortunately, Runtong had the foresight to entrust the family business to reliable people long ago. The old lady had almost nothing left in her hands—just her own private savings.

The couple exchanged glances, both seeing the exasperation in each other’s eyes.

“Mom, let me make myself clear. Tell Nianzhou this: If he behaves himself, takes care of you, and doesn’t try any tricks, everything will stay the same. He’ll still be the Yun family’s adopted son, and I, Yun Runtong, will acknowledge him as my son.

But if he’s not satisfied and tries to cause trouble behind our backs, making things difficult for Jiuzhou, then don’t blame me for being ruthless.

Zhiqiu and I have only one son, Jiuzhou. For him, I’ll do whatever it takes. I mean what I say!”

Yun Runtong didn’t care about the little bit of money the old lady had. She could give it to whoever she wanted.

When his father passed away, he knew the old lady wasn’t clear-headed, so he left the family’s savings and estate in Yun Runtong’s hands. There was a lot—probably more than the old lady herself realized.

The old lady understood this was Yun Runtong’s final bottom line, and nodded repeatedly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep him in line. I know the child I raised. He may be a bit slow and a bit willful, but he’s kind at heart.

He just couldn’t accept it for a moment and said those things. Once he calms down, I’ll talk to him.”

“I hope so,” Yun Runtong said, not very optimistically.

Hearing the truth, Gu Qingyue was just as shocked and upset as Yun Nianzhou.

After all, she’d married him for his status as the Yun family’s young master. Without that aura, what did he have left?

When they got married, the Yun family had set them up to live separately. They gave them a house and a dowry, but Yun Nianzhou had nothing else.

He was willful and ambitious, always thinking he was destined for greatness. He refused to do any job he thought beneath him or that paid too little, spending his days drinking and partying with his friends, burning through her dowry and wedding money.

At one point, they barely had enough to eat. Luckily, when she got pregnant, Yun Nianzhou brought her home and told the old lady the good news. That finally appeased the old lady, who began to help them out regularly.

For the past two years, their family had lived comfortably by currying favor with the old lady. Even though they hadn’t moved back into the main house, they still lived well on their own.

The old lady was kind and soft-hearted. She believed everything Yun Nianzhou said, and would give them a thousand or two thousand yuan at a time. When she gave birth to their son, Xiaocong, the old lady even gave her a three-thousand-yuan reward.

She’d never realized that to rich people, a few hundred or a thousand yuan was pocket change. How much money did the Yun family have? Probably enough to last several lifetimes.

Gradually, she figured out how to please the old lady. Rich people liked it when others put thought into them—it wasn’t about the results, but the effort and attitude.

She started learning to cook, often making dishes and snacks the old lady liked and bringing them over. The old lady was so pleased by the couple that she gave them money and gifts without hesitation.

Yun Nianzhou often told her that the Yun family would be his sooner or later. His parents might act tough, but he was their only son—who else would inherit the family fortune?

She’d always believed that too. But now, out of nowhere, a dark horse had appeared—her husband wasn’t even the Yun family’s biological son!

It was like the sky was falling. What should she do?

In recent years, she’d grown used to a life of luxury, often going to high-end places with wealthy ladies, buying whatever caught her eye, leaving her child with her mother—after all, her mother had another son, so watching two children was no different from watching one.

Her mother had enjoyed a couple of good years with her, thinking the hard times were over. Who could have expected this to happen now?

What infuriated her most was that the Yun family’s real son could have been anyone, but why did it have to be the country bumpkin Gu Qinghuan married?

She’d spent years getting out from under Gu Qinghuan’s shadow, thinking she could keep her underfoot for the rest of her life.

Who would have thought that the man Gu Qinghuan casually married in the countryside would turn out to be the Yun family’s biological son?

She felt like she’d become that pitiful, dependent girl from years ago, watching Gu Qinghuan and her brother with envy.

No matter how hard she tried, she could never escape the curse that was Gu Qinghuan.

Heaven was just too unfair—everything good went to Gu Qinghuan.

Yun Nianzhou’s attitude today had clearly angered Yun Runtong and his wife. Although they could live comfortably as long as they kept the old lady happy, for the sake of the future, they couldn’t afford to offend the Yun couple.

Especially at such a critical moment, they couldn’t push them away.

So she immediately followed Yun Nianzhou.

“What are you throwing a tantrum for? If you offend your parents, things will only get worse for us. Can’t you just pretend? Act obedient in front of them, and we’ll figure something out behind their backs!”

She was an expert at playing both sides.

Back then, she and her mother had used this tactic to drive a wedge between Gu Yunchuan and his children, letting them rule the Gu family.

She believed that as long as Yun Nianzhou cooperated, their lives wouldn’t be bad.

Blood ties and affection were nothing compared to tangible benefits. This big fool still cared about love and affection.

Yun Nianzhou had calmed down after walking outside in the cold air. He’d just been unable to accept the truth that he wasn’t their biological son.

Especially when he saw how much more they valued that other person—it made him jealous, fearful, and afraid they’d abandon him now that they’d found their real son.

But thinking about it, he’d never really gotten their approval. All along, only Grandma had truly loved him.

The change in his identity left him at a loss. He used to think he was the Yun family’s only son, the young master, and it was natural for everyone to dote on him. Now, looking back, he realized he was actually useless. If the Yun family abandoned him, he wouldn’t even be able to support himself.

Gu Qingyue was right. Now was not the time to fall out with them. He couldn’t leave the Yun family or lose everything he had now.

Even if he had to pretend, he needed to keep up appearances and wait for the right opportunity.

Only now did he regret not listening to Grandma’s advice to learn a skill—he’d always ignored her words.

Yun Nianzhou calmed down and accepted the fact that he wasn’t the Yun family’s biological son. Now, the couple’s only goal was to get more money, preferably gain some real power in the Yun family, and never let that interloper take it all away.

Fortunately, they still had their best ally—Grandma Yun. From her attitude today, it was clear she still cared deeply for Yun Nianzhou, and they could use that.

Just as the couple reached their door, they heard Yun Runtong inside, issuing a stern warning."

"Chapter 310: Figured It Out, Used, Declared War

“If he’s not willing to accept this and tries to stir up trouble behind our backs, making things difficult for the Yun family, then he can’t blame me for being ruthless.

Zhichou and I have only one son—Jiuzhou. For him, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do. I mean what I say!”

Yun Nianzhou’s tears fell uncontrollably. He clenched his fists tightly, biting his lips to keep from making a sound.

He used to long so much for Yun Runtong’s fatherly love, and now, he hated his coldness just as much.

Thinking back to all those times growing up when he’d craved his father’s approval and praise, he now found it laughable. Back then, Yun Runtong probably thought he was a joke too, didn’t he?

In this life, he was destined never to receive any love from him. Fine, then let’s both go down together!

The two of them hid behind the door, watching as Yun Runtong and his wife strode away.

After a moment, Yun Nianzhou composed himself, wiped away his tears, and returned to the house.

Grandma Yun hurried over as soon as she saw them come back.

“Zhouzhou, don’t be afraid. Grandma’s here. As long as you’re with me, you’re a true Yun family child—no one can do anything to you!”

“I’m sorry, Grandma. I got too emotional just now. I must’ve upset Mom, Dad, and my brother, right?

I’ll apologize to them next time. It really was my fault today. I ruined my brother’s reunion dinner, made everyone leave unhappy, and even spilled the mung bean cakes I brought for you. I shouldn’t have done that,” Yun Nianzhou said, sobbing.

“Grandma knows you’re a good child. Anyone would get emotional in this situation. You’ve already behaved very well.

Your dad said, no matter what, you’re still a child of the Yun family. From now on, you and Jiuzhou should get along. Your parents will see your good side in time. Even if they don’t care about you, you still have Grandma. I love you.”

Seeing how sensible he was, Grandma Yun felt comforted. She always said that a child she raised herself couldn’t have a bad character.

But when Yun Nianzhou heard the name “Jiuzhou,” he felt deeply uncomfortable. So that’s his name—Jiuzhou.

Nianzhou, Jiuzhou.

Was he named “Nianzhou” because they missed Jiuzhou?

He was just a stand-in for Yun Jiuzhou. Even his name existed because of him. How pathetic.

Gu Qingyue saw him fall silent and quickly chimed in, “We will, Grandma. It’s such a coincidence that both Qinghuan and I married into the Yun family. I’m sure we’ll all get along well.”

“That’s right. After all the twists and turns, Qinghuan still ended up marrying into our family. It’s fate,” Grandma Yun sighed.

“Grandma, can you tell me about my brother? Things ended badly just now, and I don’t know much about him. I’m afraid I’ll say something wrong next time.” Honestly, when a man plays the “tea” act, women don’t even stand a chance.

When Grandma Yun started talking about Yun Jiuzhou, her face was full of pride. Though she felt more for Yun Nianzhou, she liked this newly returned grandson too—especially since he was so outstanding. He was truly a Yun, and even after growing up outside, he’d turned out so well.

After Yun Nianzhou and Gu Qingyue heard all about Yun Jiuzhou, they couldn’t even force a smile.

In their eyes, Yun Jiuzhou came from the countryside and was ignorant and uncouth. They thought that, given time, the family would see through his roughness.

They wanted to find some sense of superiority in Yun Jiuzhou’s past.

But he was so outstanding—any one of his achievements would be dazzling.

He made them look like dust in comparison.

Gu Qingyue dug her nails into her palm without even noticing.

Why? Why did fate give all the best things to Gu Qinghuan? He was just some random country bumpkin, yet he got a complete reversal of fortune.

That “country bumpkin” even went to college, while the man she’d schemed so hard to get was a useless good-for-nothing who couldn’t do anything right.

“Grandma, my brother is so outstanding. Am I just too worthless?” Yun Nianzhou deliberately lowered his head and rubbed his hands together, acting all insecure.

“Silly child, everyone has their strengths. You don’t need to compare yourself to your brother.

I’ve always told you to learn some skills—you’ll need them someday. See, now you regret it, don’t you?”

“You’re right, Grandma. I really should learn something. What if one day even you don’t like me anymore? At least I’d be able to support myself.”

“Nonsense! Grandma likes you. But it’s never too late to learn a skill. I’m glad you’ve figured it out.”

Grandma Yun was pleased. Nothing she’d said before had worked, but now that there was competition in the family, it had motivated him. That was a good thing.

Using the excuse of learning a trade, Yun Nianzhou managed to get another two thousand yuan from the old lady.

To reassure him, she even showed him her private savings.

“Look, this is what Grandma has saved over the years. The jade and jewelry will go to your wife. The rent from these shops is a decent sum every month, and there are two apartments—those will go to you and Xiaocong.

After Grandma’s gone, everything will be yours.”

But human greed knows no bounds. Grandma Yun’s sincere love for her grandson was not cherished.

Gu Qingyue had never seen so many good things before—her eyes went wide with delight. She was secretly thrilled; it seemed she’d picked the right old lady to cozy up to.

But Yun Nianzhou wasn’t really grateful. He didn’t know the full extent of the Yun family’s wealth, but he understood that what Grandma had was just a fraction. The real assets were all in Yun Runtong’s hands.

He hated it. Hated himself for not working harder before, hated the Yun family for shortchanging him, hated Yun Jiuzhou. Why couldn’t he have just died in the countryside? Why did he have to come back?

On the surface, though, he put on a grateful face and flattered Grandma Yun. “Thank you, Grandma. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even know if I still have a place in this family.”

Grandma Yun stuffed another five hundred yuan into his hand. “Silly child, as long as I’m here, this will always be your home. But you can’t just drift through life anymore. I believe in you—you’re not worse than anyone else.”

Afterwards, Yun Nianzhou went to find out more about Yun Jiuzhou.

When he learned that Yun Jiuzhou cared most about his wife and children, a cruel plan began to form in his mind.

Luckily, he had a habit of keeping things.

He rummaged through the attic at home and found a lot of old stuff.

When he was about ten, the two families were close, so he often saw the Gu siblings. Gu Qinghuan had given him a few gifts back then—just little things kids exchanged, nothing valuable, but meaningful.

He took these things and went to see Yun Jiuzhou (from now on, he’ll be called Yun Jiuzhou in the story).

“Do you know who gave me this folding fan? Gu Qinghuan! She made it herself, even wrote the characters on it.

And this scarf—she knitted it herself. The stitches aren’t great, but she said she’d never made anything like this for anyone else. I bet you’ve never gotten anything handmade from her, have you?

This string of beads—she got it for me at a temple, praying for my safety and happiness.

And these—these are all things she gave me!” Yun Nianzhou shoved the box toward Yun Jiuzhou.

At first, Yun Jiuzhou’s face went dark—he was furious and jealous.

Except for food, he’d never received anything handmade from Gu Qinghuan. She always thought it was too much trouble and just bought things instead.

But then he quickly realized—why was he getting jealous over this? The person who gave those gifts wasn’t the Gu Qinghuan he knew now, but the one who was already gone.

What mattered to him was the Gu Qinghuan of today. What happened before had nothing to do with him.

He cared too much—anything related to Gu Qinghuan made him lose his cool. He’d almost fallen for Yun Nianzhou’s trap. This guy was sly, trying to use Gu Qinghuan to provoke him. Luckily, Gu Qinghuan had already told him everything. Otherwise, he really would have been jealous.

“So what’s your point with all this? Showing off? Gu Qinghuan is my wife now—she has nothing to do with you. She already told me everything that happened back then. You were the one who kicked her when she was down and chose someone else. You had no taste!

Now, with me, she’s a princess—a treasure. She doesn’t have to please me. She can do whatever she wants and be herself.

My wife doesn’t need to knit me sweaters or scarves. It’s too hard on her hands! I’ll buy them myself!

She doesn’t need to give me any gifts or do anything special. As long as she’s there, I’ll love her.”

Yun Nianzhou had seen him scowl at first and thought he was just pretending to be calm. He was secretly delighted.

Anyway, he and this so-called brother were destined never to get along. So let’s declare war! Let’s see who takes down whom first!

“But your princess used to love me! She almost married me! She loved me! Doesn’t that bother you?”

Yun Jiuzhou shook his head, looked Yun Nianzhou up and down, and clicked his tongue.

“Look at you—not as handsome as me, not as tall, not as good-looking, not as charismatic, uneducated, unemployed, only interested in pleasure, a total failure, still mooching off your parents. Now, you don’t even have the status I do. Tell me, is there anything you’re better at than me? Anyone with a brain would know who to choose.

Even if Qinghuan liked you back then, that was just your luck. If I’d shown up a little earlier, you’d have had nothing to do with it.”

Yun Jiuzhou’s words cut him to the bone—it was revenge for the original, pitiful Gu Qinghuan.

Yun Nianzhou exploded on the spot!

“Yun Jiuzhou, don’t think that just because you’re back, you’re really part of the Yun family.

Other than Mom and Dad, no one else will accept you—not Grandma, not the other relatives and friends.

No matter what, I’ve been the Yun family’s son for over twenty years. And you? You’re just a stray dog from the countryside. How can you compare to me?

Even if I do nothing, Mom, Dad, and Grandma will still feed and clothe me well. And you? You’re just a jinx who got thrown away! Pathetic!”

A shadow flashed in Yun Jiuzhou’s eyes. Yun Nianzhou had enjoyed everything that should have been his, yet felt no gratitude and even turned on him. Truly disgusting."

"Chapter 311: Trouble Arrives