Chapter 30: The Blind Date—Can You Accept Brother Jinzhou Living with Us?

Su Ruanruan fell asleep in Gu Jinzhou’s broad, warm embrace. It was a testament to her carefree nature that she could slumber so soundly while still under punishment in the ancestral hall.

Before long, Gu Jinzhou carried Su Ruanruan out of the hall. Those standing guard outside dared not intervene. Halfway there, they encountered Gu Changxiao. Gu Jinzhou tightened his hold on the young girl, his dark, piercing gaze meeting his father’s without a hint of restraint.

Gu Changxiao was the first to look away. His eldest son’s wings had grown strong; he could no longer win a battle of wills against him.

"Your mother told you to kneel, so you knelt... since when have you become so obedient? She also tells you to smile more—why don't you do that? Regardless, do not hold a grudge against your mother. Go and get some rest."

"Father," Gu Jinzhou replied. His magnetic, elegant voice was lowered, carrying the faint, masterful smile of one who holds absolute control. "Please, try to persuade Mother. It is impossible for me to be separated from Ruanruan. If Mother insists on interfering, she will only end up hurting herself."

Gu Changxiao sighed in defeat. "I understand."

Back in her bedroom, decorated in a romantic, girlish pink, Gu Jinzhou did not bathe Ruanruan, but simply changed her into her pajamas. His whispers were tender and lingering, yet laced with cold, mocking undertones. "You say you love me, but you should be saying it to me directly, not just in front of others."

Su Ruanruan slept deeply, though faint tear tracks were visible on her delicate, fair cheeks. She hadn't cried in the ancestral hall, yet for some reason, she had shed tears in her sleep. "You’ve been by my side since childhood, yet you never learned how to make others cry—you’ve wasted all your own tears instead."

His eyes, clear and intoxicated, scrutinized Su Ruanruan with sharp intensity, as if examining his own love. The young girl turned over, causing the hem of her dress to slide up to her waist. Gu Jinzhou straightened it, then, with a neurotic impulse