Second Brother Gu didn’t know how to comfort Li Xiulan, so he simply led her away from the crowd, the thought of buying clothes forgotten.

Once they were in the car, Second Brother Gu pulled her into his arms and coaxed her gently, "It’s okay, Lanlan. Don’t be sad. I’ll help you. Trust me."

"Mhm," Li Xiulan leaned on Second Brother Gu’s shoulder, a warmth spreading through her heart. "Thank you, Second Brother."

"Silly girl, no need to be so formal with me. We’re getting married soon. Don’t cry anymore."

As he spoke, he gently wiped the tears from Li Xiulan’s cheeks with the pad of his thumb.

"Second Brother, thank you..." Li Xiulan mumbled through her tears.

"You silly girl..." Second Brother Gu gently tapped Li Xiulan on the head. "I really don’t know what to do with you. Your crying is giving me a headache and making my heart ache."

He gently patted her back and said softly, "Don’t cry anymore, okay?"

Li Xiulan said between sobs, "Mhm, thank you, Second Brother... You’re so good to me."

"You’re my fiancée, so of course I have to be good to you. I won’t let anyone bully you ever again." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Second Brother Gu smiled gently. "If you ever feel wronged in the future, you can tell me anytime. You’re my wife, you know?"

"I know. Second Brother is amazing, and you’re the best to me." Li Xiulan snuggled in Second Brother Gu’s embrace, her heart filled with bliss.

Looking at his gentle, pliant fiancée in his arms, Second Brother Gu’s heart suddenly softened. A wave of emotion washed over him, and he leaned in to kiss her lips.

"Mmph..." Li Xiulan instinctively struggled for a moment.

But her resistance instantly crumbled under his passionate advance, leaving her to do nothing but let him savor her sweetness.

"Mmm..." Second Brother Gu sighed in contentment. He pulled the woman in his arms tighter, deepening the kiss.

The two were lost in a passionate kiss...

Meanwhile, the forgotten Gu Jiaojiao was resignedly paying for her items at the department store.

She was surrounded by a gaggle of older women, who peppered her with questions. "Young lady, was that man from before your older brother?"

"..."

Gu Jiaojiao didn’t want to speak. She knew that the moment she answered, it would be endless. ’My time is valuable.’

"What are you shouting for? Don’t scare the poor girl. That was her second brother."

"Second brother? Does that mean you have an older brother too? Does your older brother have a girlfriend?"

"My older brother doesn’t have a girlfriend yet, but he doesn’t work in the Imperial City." Gu Jiaojiao figured she wouldn’t be able to leave unless she answered.

"Oh, he doesn’t work in the Imperial City? Then he’s not suitable for my daughter," one of the women sighed, utterly disappointed.

Gu Jiaojiao seized the opportunity to squeeze through the crowd and hurried outside. It wasn’t that she was afraid of them; she just didn’t want to get drawn into any more conversation.

As you go through life, you meet all kinds of people. Some are open and good-hearted; they can become your friends.

Others harbor malicious intent, always scheming for their own gain, even if it means selling out someone else’s privacy.

Every casual word you say might be twisted into something else entirely.

For example, say a subordinate tells his boss that his entire family relies on his salary.

The result? His boss will cut his pay, and yet he’ll just work even harder.

Because the boss knows he can’t afford to lose the job, he’ll exploit him mercilessly.

A wise person never easily reveals their family’s financial situation to others, whether it’s good or bad.

Wise people don’t use a wealthy background to flaunt their superiority, nor do they use a poor one to fish for sympathy.

People like that aren’t easily bullied by the petty-minded, and they can also avoid attracting sycophants.

Gu Jiaojiao knew all these social intricacies far too well. She understood that telling strangers anything about herself could only lead to trouble, with no possible upside.

If your income is higher than average, people will inevitably get jealous, spread rumors behind your back, and try to drag you down.

And if your income is too low, snobs will be passive-aggressive and attack you with harsh, cutting words to make themselves feel superior.

That’s why she kept her mouth shut about her income and her family. It was an easy way to avoid unnecessary trouble, so why wouldn’t she?

As she walked out of the department store, she could still hear people gossiping with great relish. "That girl from before, Xiao Man, is she really the sister of a hoodlum?"

"What a shame. She’s a good-looking girl, too. Why does she have to have a hoodlum for an older brother!"

"..."

Gu Jiaojiao couldn’t help but wonder, ’If Xiao Man hadn’t gone out of her way to slander Li Xiulan today...’

’...would she have eventually met a good man, gotten married, and had children?’

She had originally planned to help her mom, Su’s mother, and Su Qinchun pick out some winter clothes, but it looked like that wasn’t happening today.

Thankfully, she had already bought two sets of thermal underwear and two shirts for Su Shuochi. She wondered how long it would take him to complete his mission.

Su Shuochi, the subject of Gu Jiaojiao’s thoughts, was not, in fact, completing his mission as quickly as he’d hoped.

Although the minor gang leader was spineless, he knew next to nothing.

They were the only group operating in Yunhe County, but he had no way to contact his direct superior; he always had to wait to be contacted.

Fortunately, Su Shuochi had other things to occupy him. His wife wanted him to help develop their hometown, and naturally, he had to put on a good performance.

These days, most people in the countryside lived by the same rhythm: work from sunrise to sunset.

Many years ago, Su Shuochi had hoped to find a way for everyone to prosper, to the best of his ability.

Unfortunately, this idea was stifled time and time again because he had no money... and in the end, he himself had ended up crippled.

But he was lucky. He was blessed by the heavens and met his wife.

Now, as a couple, they had the ability to lead their fellow villagers toward prosperity.

But they needed the approval of the county’s leadership, so Su Shuochi’s first stop was to find Zhang Zhigang, the current director of the Yunhe County Agriculture Bureau.

He confidently explained his ideas to Zhang Zhigang and then waited for a response.

"I know your idea is a good one, but this isn’t something I can decide on my own."

Zhang Zhigang said to Su Shuochi with a frown, "Wait here for a moment. I’m going to my office to call my superiors and report this."

Su Shuochi nodded and sat down in the reception area to wait. ’It’s just one phone call,’ he thought. ’Ten minutes, tops.’

But the minutes ticked by, and soon an entire hour had passed, yet Zhang Zhigang still hadn’t emerged from his office.

Su Shuochi grew anxious, but he decided to wait patiently for another half an hour. He wanted to give Zhang Zhigang a chance.

He had deliberately introduced himself as a resident of Shuanghe Village because he didn’t want any special treatment.

If he had come as an investor from the Imperial City, he would have undoubtedly received very different treatment.

Another half hour passed, and still, Zhang Zhigang did not emerge.

Finally, Su Shuochi couldn’t take it anymore. He reached for the phone on the table, but just as he picked it up, an angry roar came from the doorway: "What do you think you’re doing?"