After my luck was stolen, I led my whole family to defy fate and change our destiny.

Why is Chapter 116 still in this state?

Zhou Zhixing poured Gu Mingtang another glass of wine. Gu Mingtang calmed down and realized, "Wait a minute, you seem to be older than me, why are you calling me 'big brother'?"

Gu Linglong covered her mouth and chuckled in mid-air. [Hehehe, of course I'll call her that like my aunt! Let's ship them!]

Zhou Zhixing paused in pouring the wine: "Respectful address, respectful address. Besides, I'm not much older than you."

Gu Mingtang glanced at Zhou Zhixing. Over the years, the two brothers had indeed had a good relationship, but he had never called him "elder brother."

"Oh, call me whatever you want. If it weren't for the fact that Cui Sheng saved my sister's life, and my sister is such a stubborn person, I would have crippled him if I had found out he wanted to take a concubine."

"Pah! That bastard even said which man doesn't have three wives and four concubines. He guaranteed me that his concubines wouldn't give birth to illegitimate children, and that the eldest son would definitely be Xinyi's. How could I believe his nonsense? If his concubines were pregnant, how would I know if they hid them?"

“Actually…” Zhou Zhixing said.

"Someone else saved your sister back then."

"Someone else? You mean it wasn't that bastard Cui Sheng who saved my sister? He's taking credit for saving her life? Then who saved my sister?"

Zhou Zhixing coughed twice and straightened his back.

"Did you catch a cold?"

Zhou Zhixing: "..."

"No," Zhou Zhixing coughed twice more.

"That means the environment is just too bad."

Zhou Zhixing: "..." Was my hint not obvious enough?

"Neither"

Gu Mingtang: "..."

Gu Mingtang looked at Zhou Zhixing by candlelight. His wheat-colored skin was slightly flushed, but you wouldn't notice it unless you looked closely.

Seeing his awkward manner, Gu Mingtang suddenly realized something and his eyes widened: "You weren't the one who saved Gu Xinyi, were you?"

"Big brother is really smart."

"Hey, hey, hey, don't call me big brother!" Gu Mingtang raised his hand to block him.

He finally understood why this kid called him "Big Brother." He looked at Zhou Zhixing warily: "You don't have designs on my sister, do you?"

Zhou Zhixing's ears immediately turned red: "I... um..."

"Yes, I have admired your younger sister for many years."

Gu Mingtang jumped up and instantly flew into a rage, grabbing the chopsticks next to him and about to hit someone.

"Hey, big brother, please stop! I...I...I really like Xinyi!"

"You dare say that? You think you can call Xinyi that?"

Zhou Zhixing ran and dodged, with Gu Mingtang chasing after him: "Stop right there!"

"I'm not stupid."

Gu Mingtang: "..."

Gu Mingtang's stamina was not as good as Zhou Zhixing's, and he got tired after running for a while, holding his knees and panting heavily.

"If you dare do anything to my sister while I'm in jail, I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"

"Look at you, after all these years, don't you know what kind of person I am?"

Gu Mingtang sat down and continued to drink a glass of wine. In fact, ten years ago, he had wanted to be the matchmaker for Zhou Zhixing and his sister, but Cui Sheng suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

He couldn't understand what was so good about Cui Sheng, but after hearing Gu Xinyi say that Cui Sheng had saved her, he was able to understand a little.

It turns out that the life-saving grace was fake; it was Zhou Zhixing who saved his sister. Now it seems that it was all fate, and this was just a matter of setting things right.

Zhou Zhixing poured Gu Mingtang a glass of wine: "Brother Gu, don't be so angry. We've known each other for so many years, you know I'm not that kind of person."

"Besides, in what way am I inferior to Cui Sheng? I'm better than him in appearance, official position, and character, aren't I?"

Gu Mingtang nodded. He had to admit that Zhou Zhixing was indeed much stronger than Cui Shengqiang.

"So many years of friendship? So many years of friendship, and I still don't know you've been eyeing my sister all along?"

Zhou Zhixing scratched his head awkwardly: "Sigh, I did propose marriage, but Old Madam Gu beat me up."

Gu Mingtang frowned, probably because that old hag didn't want his sister to marry well, and his resentment towards Gu Chenshi grew even stronger.

Zhou Zhixing continued, "I planned to propose marriage after your case was closed and you were cleared of wrongdoing."

Gu Mingtang sighed softly. Actually, he was most at ease entrusting his sister to Zhou Zhixing.

"Easier said than done."

Zhou Zhixing: "Don't worry, we're all working very hard outside. It's just that the case has been suppressed by the Prime Minister recently, and we don't know why."

Gu Mingtang was also puzzled: "Is everything alright at home?"

"Everything's fine, except Gu Linglong has gained a little weight."

Gu Linglong, suspended in mid-air, glared resentfully at Zhou Zhixing. [I'll say it again, this isn't fat, it's adorable to the point of bursting.]

Gu Mingtang nodded, his eyes softening with tenderness upon hearing news of his daughter.

"Brother Zhou, if—and I mean if—the Gu family is doomed this time, you, in charge of this case, would surely know the outcome beforehand. Since you married Gu Xinyi before that, the misfortune shouldn't befall a married woman; she must be safe. Please protect her for me."

Zhou Zhixing said solemnly, "Don't worry, that day will never come."

"It's not her fault that she's been married before; it's my fault as her older brother for not choosing her carefully. Please don't look down on her."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhou Zhixing said seriously, "I'm hoping every day that Gu Xinyi and Cui Sheng will divorce, or that Cui Sheng will die suddenly from an accident."

"We've finally achieved our long-awaited goal, we're overjoyed, how could we possibly look down on her?"

Gu Mingtang: "..."

"Then you have to promise me first."

Zhou Zhixing held up three fingers: "I swear to God, I will treat Gu Xinyi well, take care of her, protect her, cherish her, and will not take a concubine or keep a mistress."

Gu Mingtang was surprised but also very satisfied that Zhou Zhixing could make such a vow.

"Thank you, brother. But what if... what if Xinyi can't get pregnant?"

After all, Gu Xinyi hadn't conceived in ten years, and many women would be rejected without children. He feared that Zhou Zhixing's actions were just a momentary impulse.

"No, if I really wanted children, I would have had them all these years ago."

Gu Mingtang raised an eyebrow: "You mean you've been waiting for Gu Xinyi all these years?"

Zhou Zhixing gulped down a glass of wine: "What do you think?"

Gu Mingtang glanced at Zhou Zhixing and teased, "You used to follow me around every day, always asking me to drink. I thought you liked me."

"puff"

"cough cough cough cough"

Zhou Zhixing hadn't even finished his drink when he spat out most of it, choking so badly that he couldn't stop coughing.

Gu Mingtang quickly patted him on the back, "What's the rush? I was just joking."

"Cough cough cough, it's...it's not funny at all."

Could it be that the rumors about him liking men were spread by Gu Mingtang?

So the rumors about Zhou Zhixing liking men were spread by my dad? Hehe, karma's finally coming out; even our own sister has to be with him now.

Wang Fugui nodded in deep agreement: "Your father is a good older brother."

Gu Linglong said proudly, "Of course, he's a good father now. My dad doesn't have anything to do here, so let's go back first."

Wang Fugui and Gu Linglong flew back together. Gu Linglong lay down inside the body, and after a while, she opened her eyes.

【Huh? Why am I still in a state of separation between my primordial spirit and my soul?】