Chapter Thirty-One: Damn the Shandong Etiquette

"When is the heat going to be turned on? Good heavens, I’m freezing to death!"

Gu Yin, squatting in the entryway to change into his slippers, tossed the empty yogurt pouch he had been chewing on into a trash bag waiting by the door, licking his lips as he walked into the living room.

The temperature lately was truly infuriating. It was over twenty degrees yesterday, and today it had plummeted to less than ten. How were people in the north supposed to survive without central heating?

Madam Wang Yan lay on the chaise longue of the sofa, wearing a pair of reading glasses and frowning at her phone, completely ignoring Gu Yin.

"What's wrong?" Gu Yin asked as he approached. "Where’s Gu Yue? Isn't she back yet? What time do you think it is?"

Because of the tussle with that female Cadillac owner at the police station and the trip downtown to drop off Xia Qianyi, Gu Yin had come home late. As he expected, it was already nearly nine-thirty.

Gu Yue finished evening self-study at nine. Her high school wasn't far—just two streets away—and it usually took her about ten minutes to bike home. By nine-twenty, she should have been back.

But it was already nine-thirty, and not only was she not here, but Gu Yin hadn't seen her coat in the entryway, which meant she most likely hadn't returned.

"It’s about that precious little sister of yours..." Mom made a pained expression and said, "Aunt Tian messaged me a while ago. She said when she was picking up Ruoruo, she saw Yueyue at the mall with a scrawny little boy. I don't know what they were buying, and she hasn't answered any of my calls."

As she spoke, Mom looked down at her own feet and sighed silently.

"Sigh, if it weren't for these bum feet of mine making it hard to walk, I would have gone over there to check myself."

Having said that, Madam Wang Yan scanned her eldest son, the pillar of the family who had just returned from a hard day's work.

"...Couldn't you have just told me to go check?" Gu Yin rolled his eyes.

"Oh, forget it, forget it. You’ve had a long day too. Let her be; whatever she wants to do, I can't control her anymore..." Mom waved her hand.

"Alright, alright, stop nagging. I'll go, is that okay?"

Gu Yin’s eyes were practically rolling into his head. This damned "courtesy" of the people in Shandong—was it really necessary to be this polite with one's own family?!

It was nine-thirty, and he hadn't even warmed his seat yet, but he had to get back up and head out. Gu Yin had plenty of complaints, but she was his own sister, after all.

He might as well go check it out. If he caught sight of that "yellow-haired punk," he would definitely have to teach him a lesson.

With that thought, Gu Yin headed back to the entryway. Just as he was about to change his shoes, he heard the door opening.

A moment later, the door swung open. Gu Yue, dressed in her black-and-white school uniform and carrying a pink backpack, walked in looking thoroughly annoyed.

She glanced at Gu Yin, didn't say a word, and headed toward her room after changing her shoes.

"Hey, hey, hold it right there." Gu Yin seized the opportunity to lecture her. "Where have you been?"

"At school, obviously. Where else would I be?"

The young girl’s high ponytail was quite long, her dark hair partially obscuring her cheeks. Her fair skin was translucent, exquisite even without a trace of makeup.

"I’m not asking about school," Gu Yin said, taking her backpack from her. "I’m asking where you went after school."

At this moment, Gu Yin was playing the part of the guardian to some extent. Their father had passed away early, and as the saying went, "the eldest brother acts as a father," so he naturally had to take on that responsibility.

It is worth noting that upon hearing this, a flicker of panic crossed Gu Yue’s bright eyes. She subconsciously averted her gaze and said:

"Do... do you have the right to care?"

"If I don't care, who will?" Gu Yin pressed further.

Mom watched the whole scene from the side, acting as if nothing was wrong; she certainly wasn't going to exert herself as a mother.

"I... I..." Gu Yue lowered her head, stammering.

Gu Yin, completely unaware of the gravity of the situation, prepared to press her further. But suddenly, Gu Yue lunged forward, snatched the backpack from his hands, and retorted:

"You have the nerve to lecture me? Your car is a wreck, and you haven't even bothered to take it to the shop in two days. Why don't you worry about yourself first!"

The girl fled as she spoke. By the time Gu Yin reacted, she had darted into her room like a kitten, slammed the door shut, and locked it instantly.

"You..."

Gu Yin’s mouth twitched. He hadn't expected that despite hiding it for two days, Gu Yue would still find out.

The little brat was good at changing the subject. He was talking about her not coming home after school, yet she had completely diverted the topic!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Gu Yin went up and pounded on the door. "Open up! Open the door!"

His voice fell on deaf ears. There was no response from inside the room. Gu Yin, exasperated, was just about to kick the door when he felt a cold, sharp chill behind him—a chill so intense it felt bone-piercing.

"Gu Yin."

Mom, who hadn't said a word since Gu Yue came home, had somehow produced a needle and thread from the desk drawer.

As she pulled out a sharp, gleaming silver needle, she looked at her eldest son with a smile and asked softly:

"So, the car is wrecked? What's that all about?"

"Ah, this... um..." Gu Yin was momentarily speechless, his face showing the same guilty look his sister had just displayed.

People in small counties didn't really have much experience with the wider world, and their thinking was conservative. In the eyes of many parents in such towns, a car accident was a monumental event. If they knew, they would worry about it every single day. That was why Gu Yin hadn't told his mother.

But he never expected Gu Yue to have such sharp eyes. He had specifically taken a detour when parking to avoid her route, and he couldn't figure out how she had found out.

"Come over here." Mom threaded the needle and beckoned to him.

"I'll come over..." Gu Yin took two tentative steps... then did an about-face, dove into his own room, slammed the door, and locked it, just like his sister.

"Gu Yin!"

At nearly ten o'clock, a furious shout echoed through the old apartment building:

"Neither one of you is a source of peace for me!"

In daily life, Wang Yan was usually a gentle person with a kind smile for everyone. The whole neighborhood knew her for her legendary kindness.

Of course, that was before their father had passed away.

Gu Yin remembered that in the years following his father's death, when he was in high school, some mean-spirited classmates would bully him and Gu Yue, calling them fatherless children. Some even spread rumors that their father hadn't died but had run off with someone else, or worse, that their mother was about to remarry and they would have to change their last names.

Gu Yin couldn't take it and started a fight, but the other boy knew a lot of people; he dragged Gu Yin into the restroom and gave him a brutal beating...

"It’s been a long time since I felt that."

Recalling that incident, the memory was still vivid for Gu Yin even now.