Free Web NovelChapter 53: Chapter 53: In Trouble? Goodbye
As the road became more and more remote, Gu Zhao finally realized the gravity of the situation.
"Where are you taking me?"
Zhang Bai smiled gently. "To see your brother, of course."
"My fourth brother?" Gu Zhao looked at him.
Zhang Bai’s mouth twitched, but before he could speak, Gu Zhao spoke up again. "My fourth brother should be at the hospital. Are you taking me to see my eldest brother?"
Seeing that he couldn’t fool her any longer, and that they had arrived at their destination anyway...
Zhang Bai nodded. "The Commander-in-Chief was very worried about you. The moment he heard you’d been kidnapped, he had me bring people to rescue you."
He wasn’t lying, either.
"Our base has lots of amazing chefs, plus things like airplanes and cannons—you name it, we’ve got it. We even have some animals," Zhang Bai said, trying hard to convince Gu Zhao to stay.
Gu Zhao got angry. "So, did you or did you not tell my fourth brother that I’m safe?!"
Zhang Bai froze for a second, seemingly not having realized this was what Gu Zhao was angry about.
"I told your eldest brother."
Gu Zhao grew even angrier. "Give me a phone! Now!"
’What stupid eldest brother! Do I even know him?’
Of course, Zhang Bai couldn’t give her his own phone, so he took the driver’s phone.
Gu Zhao took the phone and immediately called Gu Xulin. Thankfully, Gu Xulin had tempted her with snacks last time to get her to memorize his number.
The call had barely rung for a few seconds before the other end picked up instantly.
Gu Xulin’s anxious voice came through the receiver. "Hello? Do you have news about my sister?"
He spoke very quickly, as if he had repeated the line many times.
"Fourth Brother, did you miss me?" A smile crept onto Gu Zhao’s face. Just hearing Gu Xulin’s voice put her in a much better mood.
Hearing her voice, Gu Xulin also calmed down. "Where are you? I’ll come get you."
Gu Zhao said, "Eldest Brother’s people brought me to their place. They even lied and said he cared about me, treating me like a kid they could just fool."
Zhang Bai: ...
The moment Gu Xulin heard that, he exploded with anger.
"Zhang Bai? Are you listening?! You treacherous, scheming bastard! Bring my little girl back to me!!"
"You don’t have your own kids, so you steal them, is that it?! And you’re using my eldest brother as a scapegoat? Can he even raise a child? You want my little girl to sleep in the sewers with him?!"
"Right now! Immediately! Instantly! Bring my little girl back!"
Gu Zhao thoughtfully held the phone out toward Zhang Bai, but didn’t let him take it, keeping her guard up.
Gu Zhao giggled, her little feet swinging back and forth happily.
Zhang Bai: ...
"Oh, dear, the signal is getting bad! Little Lin, I’ll help you take care of Miss Gu Zhao for now, haha! I’ll send her back after a while! Besides, you’re in the hospital right now, you can’t take care of a kid."
"Don’t worry, you can’t get in here~"
Zhang Bai pressed his palms together and bowed slightly toward Gu Zhao.
’My lady! I’m begging you!’
Just as Gu Zhao was about to tell the driver to stop so she could have Gu Xulin send someone to pick her up, a long-unheard voice rang out.
[Host, where are you? I was just slacking off for a bit, where have you gotten to now? Were you abandoned again?]
Gu Zhao paused, dazed for a moment as she remembered she actually had a system.
[Huh, Gu Xulin’s Favorability is already at eighty! That’s high enough that he considers you one of his own! Awesome, Host! Making big moves in silence!]
The system was cleaning up a backlog of work messages from its slacking-off period when it suddenly discovered a mission.
[Host, want a free gift? According to the original plot trajectory, your eldest brother is about to get robbed, and it might implicate your entire family.]
Gu Zhao wasn’t particularly concerned.
[It might cause your family to become poor.]
Gu Zhao instantly sat up straight.
’What kind of mess is this?! Trouble’s brewing before I’ve even had a chance to enjoy any of the benefits?’
’No way! I’m already here! Even if I don’t help, I’ve got to at least pack some stuff to take back with me!’
"Brother, since I’m already here, I’ll just go and see Eldest Brother. You can come pick me up in three days."
Three days from now was exactly when the next season of the variety show was scheduled to start filming.
Before Gu Xulin could say anything, Gu Zhao hung up on him.
「The hospital.」
Gu Xulin laughed in anger. "You little heartless thing!"
Gu Yunqi was still fiddling with that stupid fountain pen of his! Gu Xulin’s anger flared up. "Second Brother! Do any of you even see Gu Zhao as our sister?!"
Gu Yunqi glanced up at him and said nonchalantly, "I’m the one who brought her back. How could I not see her as my sister?"
Gu Xulin was speechless. "Fine! You’d better keep that same attitude!"
"I’ll raise my sister myself!"
Gu Yunqi was completely unconcerned. He stood up and smoothed out his clothes. "Whatever. I’ve already notified your manager. He’ll be here to take care of you. Don’t cause me any more trouble."
With that, he walked out the door without a second glance.
Gu Xulin picked up an apple from the bedside table, took a vicious bite, and then spat it out!
"Fuck! Who sent this apple?! Is it for worms to eat or for me to eat?!"
A worm lifted its head, glanced at him, then buried its head again and continued to eat diligently.
...
After the car passed through layer upon layer of security checks, Gu Zhao finally stood before a three-story villa.
Zhang Bai led her inside. Almost everything was in the same color scheme: gray and black.
"Where’s my eldest brother?" Gu Zhao glanced at the staircase.
’Is this some kind of power play? He’s not even coming out to meet me?’
Zhang Bai’s expression was difficult to describe. He pursed his lips, seemingly trying to figure out how to phrase his words.
"He... might be in the lab, the basement... or possibly the sewer."
Gu Zhao: ???
"Is my eldest brother a janitor? Or a sewer worker??"
’Is he really that down on his luck? When the system mentioned robbing, did it mean my eldest brother was the one robbing other people?’
Gu Zhao turned to leave. "I don’t have an eldest brother."
’We stick together when we’re rich, but when things get tough, it’s goodbye.’
Zhang Bai quickly blocked the talented prospect!
"Of course your eldest brother is the base’s Commander-in-Chief! He just has some social anxiety; he’s not intentionally avoiding welcoming you!"
Gu Zhao shot him a look that said, "Don’t try to fool me."
Zhang Bai talked until he was blue in the face, but Gu Zhao remained unmoved.
"Just treat this villa as your own. There’s no one else here. Stay wherever you like."
Zhang Bai was out of ideas.
’A whole villa to myself? Fine by me. And no parents to stop me from staying up all night! Awesome!’
"Can I get a phone?"
Zhang Bai: "Of course. But you can’t take pictures of anything here or share them."
After saying that, he had someone bring her a phone.
"DING-DONG DING-DONG..."
Zhang Bai’s phone was buzzing nonstop. Only after Gu Zhao ran off to play did he open his messages.
"Whoa! First time I’ve seen this many messages."
Zhang Bai chuckled in amusement.
Gu Xingyu: Send her away!!
Gu Xingyu: I don’t want her!!!
Gu Xingyu: Throw her out!!!
Gu Xingyu: I’m docking your pay!!!!
The messages kept coming, but Zhang Bai calmly turned off his phone and looked at Gu Zhao. "Miss Gu Zhao, I’m going to get back to work. Just message me if you need anything. Meals, snacks, and fruit will all be delivered to you on time."
"As for your eldest brother’s food, just leave it by his door. He’ll sneak out and eat it when no one’s around."
He left after saying that, leaving Gu Zhao standing there, utterly bewildered.
’Sneak out and eat??’
’My god, this is getting weirder and weirder.’
That evening, someone actually delivered a huge pile of snacks, fruit, and two meals.
The meals were identical.
Gu Zhao polished off one portion herself. Then, in the instant she went to put the fruit in the fridge...
...a figure appeared from out of nowhere, swiftly snatched the meal from the dining table, and made off with half the snacks.
By the time Gu Zhao had organized the fridge, washed the fruit, and come back out, she was completely dumbfounded.
’Where’d the stuff go??’
Gu Zhao immediately called Gu Xulin. "Brother! Eldest Brother’s house is haunted!"
