Chapter 2
It took Gu Tang almost an hour to return to the old mansion. During this time, his mother, Mrs. Jiang, called.
Wen Xinyi was Gu Tang’s birth mother’s name, but for this dodder flower-like woman, after marriage, she lost her independent personality, living by clinging to her husband’s tall frame. Compared to Ms. Wen, she preferred to be called Mrs. Jiang.
The voice on the phone was somewhat distorted, but one could still hear Mrs. Jiang’s soft Wu dialect accent. Even when she was angry, she spoke softly, her voice very gentle, not sharp or piercing: “Xiao Tang, today is Young Master Huaisheng’s celebratory banquet, why didn’t you even show your face?”
Although it was called a celebratory banquet, just like Jiang Huaisheng’s birthday banquet, classmates and teachers only occupied a very small and inconspicuous part. Those coming and going were all prominent figures from various circles, and many leaders from the city and even the province had arrived.
Such a grand banquet was an excellent occasion for networking.
Those ordinary businessmen seeking opportunities had to pay a high price to get an invitation, while Gu Tang, considered half a member of the Jiang family, could enter for free, but he stubbornly missed this opportunity himself.
Gu Tang asked her: “Wen Xinyi, do you remember what day it is today?”
The latter was silent for a moment: “Of course I remember, today is also your birthday. I made you a birthday cake myself and brought it here to Mingyuan Hotel. Mom wishes you a happy birthday.”
She was always like this, not a very good mother. At least, with her weak personality, when encountering problems, she would definitely not stand on Gu Tang’s side without hesitation like other mothers.
Even if she became the rightful Mrs. Jiang, she was timid, needed protection, and couldn’t withstand half a year of hardship, let alone hold an umbrella for her young child.
“Gu Tang, Mom is useless. Be obedient and don’t cause trouble.”
“Your Uncle Jiang He has it hard, and his work is very tiring, be obedient…”
“Gu Tang… Mom has to take care of your little brother, I don’t have time, let the teacher answer the phone.”
Anyway, with a new family, Gu Tang, the child from her previous husband, was no longer important.
Mrs. Jiang might have loved Gu Tang’s father, but what she loved was the stability and security that man brought. All unimportant things had to give way to this sense of security, including her own son, Gu Tang, whom she carried for ten months.
But she wasn’t a terrible mother. She would firmly remember Gu Tang’s daily needs and wouldn’t forget his birthday, just like today.
Gu Tang felt a little disgusted. Before his father died, he had unconditional parental love and a happy family, but now he didn’t.
He hated it, yet he was like a small insect stuck in a spider web, unable to easily break free from this fragile web of warmth, because once he struggled to break free, he would inevitably injure himself, and the bloody wounds would be cruelly torn open.
Gu Tang said: “Today is also Dad’s death anniversary. I haven’t celebrated my birthday since ten years ago, and I don’t like cake.”
Gu Tang’s biological father died in a car accident on the way to order a birthday cake for Old Master Jiang. There were several people in the car at the time, including Jiang Huaisheng’s parents.
To protect the safety of Jiang Huaisheng’s parents, Gu Tang’s father sacrificed himself.
Although the culprit was a drunk driver, Gu Tang couldn’t help but feel resentment. He lost the father who loved him most in the world, and then lost the mother who loved him most because of the Jiang family.
Oh, his mother never loved him the most, she loved herself the most, but because of his father’s death, she revealed her true face early on, and he was forced to experience the pain at a young age.
Gu Tang often hated himself: Why was he always so greedy for this little bit of false maternal love, so spineless?
There was another silence on the other end of the phone, but Mrs. Jiang’s emotions were still very stable. She very skillfully changed the subject: “Mom knows our Gu Tang is a filial child, obedient and sensible, so where are you now?”
“I’m back at the old mansion.”
Mrs. Jiang’s mood brightened again: “That’s great. Young Master Huaisheng is also coming back to the old mansion. He seems to be in a bad mood today. Take good care of him. I’ll celebrate your birthday with you tonight, without your Uncle Jiang He and your little brother.”
Yes, she was clearly very good at manipulating her eldest son from her previous husband. She also knew that Gu Tang didn’t get along very well with her current husband and son.
But so what? She needed a facade, a seemingly perfect family. No matter how excellent her son was, he couldn’t replace her husband, let alone provide her with sufficiently superior material conditions like her current husband.
Her current husband, Jiang He, was the CEO of Mingyuan Group, with an annual salary of several million, handsome, capable, and morally upright.
As for Gu Tang, he had a good father. Old Master Jiang felt somewhat guilty towards Gu Tang because of his biological father and thus showed kindness to his mother and Jiang He.
Besides that, Gu Tang didn’t have much to show for himself. His grades were only above average, unlike Jiang Huaisheng, who could get first place every year.
If it weren’t for the extra points for independent enrollment in the college entrance exam, Gu Tang might not even be qualified to attend the same university as Young Master Huaisheng.
The accumulated wealth of the Jiang family was something Gu Tang couldn’t reach even if he worked hard for ten lifetimes.
Wen Xinyi didn’t think she had done anything wrong. She brought her son into the Jiang family, allowing him to enjoy superior material conditions that were simply unavailable in their small town.
Although Gu Tang had become increasingly silent and taciturn, and no longer smiled as much as he did when he was a child, what did children understand?
This child, Gu Tang, was too much like his biological father, valuing relationships and loyalty. This wasn’t good.
Mrs. Jiang hung up the phone, smoothed the wrinkles on her dress, walked out in her thin high heels, and skillfully took her current husband’s arm. She whispered with a smile: “Xiao Tang is back, he will take good care of Young Master Huaisheng.”
Everyone complimented her. In this feast with flowing wine and mingling toasts, extravagant occasion, the young and beautiful Mrs. Jiang was poised and elegant, leaving a good impression on many people.
Wen Xinyi was very good at being a good wife in the eyes of others, gentle, beautiful, cultured, and polite. She also enjoyed this kind of life.
After hanging up the phone, Gu Tang’s face remained gloomy. He looked down at the matching report again, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. The mirror reflected an ugly smiling face, looking like a clown killer from a movie.
After waiting for nearly an hour, Gu Tang waited for Jiang Huaisheng’s return.
The other party didn’t have anyone push his wheelchair, he operated the electric wheelchair himself and drove into Gu Tang’s home.
The young master seemed to be in a very bad mood, driving his wheelchair recklessly around the house, heading straight for Gu Tang who was standing there, as if he was going to break his legs with the wheelchair.
He had just been discharged from the hospital not long ago, his body still somewhat weak. The torment of illness bred violence, and Jiang Huaisheng felt very irritated looking at Gu Tang standing there: This country bumpkin from a small town, why did he have such a strong and perfect body?!
Eating almost the same food every day, he was only 1.79 meters tall, while Gu Tang was even 1.88 meters.
Damn Gu Tang, disobedient dogs should have their legs broken!
Gu Tang stopped Jiang Huaisheng’s wheelchair with one hand, successfully immobilizing the mischievous young master.
That’s right, this country bumpkin Gu Tang also possessed a bull-like strength, incredibly strong, so Jiang Huaisheng disliked Gu Tang, yet couldn’t do without him. A lackey was indeed very useful.
“Gu Tang, how dare you, let go of me!”
The veins on Jiang Huaisheng’s hands resting on the wheelchair bulged, the blue and purple veins particularly obvious on the back of his fair hands, clearly like fine white jade and emerald.
Gu Tang placed a piece of paper in front of Jiang Huaisheng: “Jiang Huaisheng, take a look at this first.”
“What is this?” The latter glanced at the A4 paper casually, and when he saw the familiar data, his pupils suddenly dilated.
It was a matching notification, a success notification!
Jiang Huaisheng’s entire face turned pink with excitement, he even stood up directly from the wheelchair!
That’s right, Jiang Huaisheng’s legs were fine. He only had a rare blood disease, occasionally needing to go to the hospital. When the illness acted up, his body was weak, so he would sit in a wheelchair, too lazy to walk himself.
“Great, let’s do the surgery now, I want to arrange the surgery immediately!”
The excited Jiang Huaisheng was forcefully pulled back by a hand and then thrown onto a bed that emitted the fresh scent of laundry detergent.
“You can be excited, but don’t get too excited yet.”
Gu Tang said: “I can sign the voluntary bone marrow donation form, but I refuse.”
Jiang Huaisheng felt his tailbone hurt from the fall. He was as delicate as the Princess and the Pea, sleeping on a super soft bed, while Gu Tang liked to sleep on a hard bed board.
But before he could get angry about the pain, he was stunned by Gu Tang’s words, and he asked incredulously: “Do you know what you’re saying?”
“If you didn’t hear clearly, I’ll say it again, I said I refuse.”
Jiang Huaisheng laughed in anger: “Gu Tang, do you know who you are refusing?”
“Of course I know, Jiang Huaisheng.” Gu Tang said these super sarcastic words in a calm tone, “The Jiang family’s young master, the future heir of Mingyuan Group, the son of my stepfather’s boss, someone who can make City A tremble with a stomp of his foot.”
“Since you know, you understand that I have ten thousand ways to make you volunteer.”
He felt that Gu Tang was really getting ahead of himself. Old Master Jiang had shown some care for him in the past for the sake of Gu Tang’s father, but that was only for the sake of the Jiang family’s reputation. When it really came to interests, the Jiang family didn’t care about that little bit of gilding the lily.
Gu Tang looked at Jiang Huaisheng very calmly: “Then what if I die before I volunteer?”
Under his calm face was suppressed madness. Gu Tang didn’t hold a knife to his neck, but Jiang Huaisheng could see it, this guy was serious.
If he dared to bring up Old Master Jiang, Gu Tang really dared to die!
Jiang Huaisheng was scared. Don’t look at how crazy he acted, but in reality, tormented by illness, he was more sensitive than anyone else. He really wanted to live.
Jiang Huaisheng clenched and unclenched his fists: “Gu Tang, are you crazy?!”
He quickly calmed down from his excited state. Since Gu Tang had asked to meet him alone, he definitely didn’t really want to die, perhaps the conditions weren’t negotiated enough.
“Say it, what do you want? Do you want your mother to divorce Jiang He? Any conditions are fine.” Jiang Huaisheng casually promised, he had the capital to be this arrogant.
Gu Tang took out another paper contract, a handwritten contract, and then made a copy and archived it with his own printer.
Jiang Huaisheng showed a smug look, he knew they could negotiate.
After glancing at the content of the contract, the arrogant young master threw the paper directly to the ground, his pale face flushing red.
“Gu Tang, what kind of crap is this you wrote?”
Gu Tang was willing to donate bone marrow, on the condition that Jiang Huaisheng be his boyfriend for four years of college, and fulfill his boyfriend’s obligations. After four years, Gu Tang would go abroad for further studies, and Jiang Huaisheng couldn’t try to keep him and ruin Gu Tang’s life.
“You toad wanting to eat swan meat, be your boyfriend for 4 years, how is that possible?!”
Gu Tang said: “Not boyfriend, bed partner, the kind that’s on call.” He had no interest in having a sweet and loving relationship with Jiang Huaisheng, he simply wanted to control him.
It definitely wouldn’t work in daily life, because it would be too obvious, so he took a step back, it could work in bed.
Just as Jiang Huaisheng said, the Jiang family had ways to make him voluntarily sign the contract, and Gu Tang also had ways to make the other party volunteer, using this worthless life.
He had always been tolerant for his mother’s sake, for more than ten years. Gu Tang had to be crazy for himself once. In fact, he had already gone crazy.
Jiang Huaisheng’s cheeks puffed up and deflated like a frog’s. After a while, he squeezed out a sentence, trying to persuade Gu Tang to turn back: “This kind of transaction is illegal!”
“So I won’t pay you.” Gu Tang said with a serious face, “Free, not illegal.”
