A pampered little thing

Ji Yonglin turned it over in his mind. Gu Shang wasn't someone who needed a few million. There could only be one reason he had said that: he wanted to stand up for Ji Mingzhu and didn't believe what Ji Yonglin had just told him.

His face fell at once, and he said miserably, "My dear son-in-law, don't you trust your father-in-law?"

Ji Yonglin sounded pitiful, but inwardly, he couldn't help cursing viciously.

They had married into the Gu Family, yet that stingy Gu Shang wouldn't even give them this little benefit. Not only had the Ji Family gained nothing, it was as though they had saddled themselves with a demanding ancestor to serve.

They were already married, so Gu Shang should have started calling him Dad, yet he still addressed him as Uncle! That left Ji Yonglin too afraid to assert his seniority. Anyone who heard about it would laugh him to death!

"I've always cherished Mingzhu like a treasure! If you don't believe me, ask him. So many people saw him making a scene back then, but didn't I still run around taking care of everything? I was afraid he'd suffer lasting complications, so I arranged the best hospital room for him. I didn't even ask him to pay me back for his hospital bills!" Ji Yonglin protested.

"And when he went shopping, I gave him a whole card for spending money. He still hasn't returned it! Look, doesn't that prove how well I treat him?"

Ji Mingzhu thought it over for a moment. That had indeed happened.

He felt around his clothes with his uninjured hand and took a Gold Card from an inside pocket, letting out an amused laugh. "Do you mean this card that couldn't even cover two outfits?"

Ji Yonglin choked. He wanted to curse at him, but a glance at Gu Shang made him swallow it back down.

Ji Zhian seized the opening and chided, "Are you still upset that Dad gave me a Platinum Card while yours was a Gold Card with a lower limit?"

He pouted, looking innocent and carefree, like someone raised in luxury who knew nothing of hardship, and cast a shy glance at Gu Shang. "I've never lacked anything, and you only came back after missing out on so many years. We should treat you twice as well. Why don't I give you my card? Spend whatever you like. I-I don't mind."

Ji Mingzhu gave him a puzzled look. "Sorry, I'd completely forgotten about this card. I don't need it now, either, so you can have it back."

"Don't say that out of anger. I won't fight you for anything. I-I'm willing to share everything with you..." Ji Zhian stole a quick glance at Gu Shang, then lowered his head again.

Ji Yonglin hadn't meant for him to return the card at all. Right now, he was desperate to strengthen Ji Mingzhu's ties to their family. Never expecting his plan to backfire, he hurriedly said, "Mingzhu, that's not what I meant. I meant to show Mr. Gu how close we are! How well we get along! Look, your younger brother treats you so well, too. Even your phone came from him."

"We're family. Why draw such clear lines?" Cao Wanhua said, trying to smooth things over.

Ji Mingzhu frowned down at his phone. He hadn't even known it belonged to Ji Zhian. If he had, he would never have accepted it.

Ji Mingzhu's own phone had been ruined when he fell into the water. The phone he received after waking up was an old one Ji Zhian no longer used.

There was nothing important on it anyway, and he had already sent Gu Shang a copy of Wang Chuan's photo. Ji Mingzhu unlocked the phone, logged out of WeChat, and handed it back.

"Then I don't want this, either. You can have it back," the young man said with a frown, looking displeased.

Ji Yonglin scrambled to catch it, then flew into a rage. "Mingzhu! What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to distance yourself from us?! Have you forgotten your own surname?!"

Ji Mingzhu lowered his eyes in distaste, their outer corners forming a cool, aloof curve. "You're overthinking it. I simply don't like using other people's things."

Ji Yonglin's chest heaved several times. "That temper of yours is really... Your brother doesn't even mind, yet you're the one turning your nose up at it."

"Xiao An doesn't just have excellent grades. He's talented in all sorts of things, too. Whatever class he attends, he always comes first. You have such an outstanding younger brother, and you still look down on him?!" Ji Yonglin demanded angrily, pointing at Ji Zhian.

He wasn't just berating Ji Mingzhu. He was also indirectly promoting his outstanding, perfect younger son to Gu Shang.

Although he didn't know what Ji Zhian had in mind, their original plan had been to use their connection to the Gu Family to get Ji Zhian into high society early and introduce him to Gu Shang's younger brother, Gu Yan.

So it was a good thing to show Gu Shang that he had an even more outstanding younger son. Perhaps Gu Shang would remember him sometime and help introduce Ji Zhian to more powerful, influential people.

Ji Zhian glanced shyly at Gu Shang and protested coyly, "Dad..."

Hearing the mention of classes, Ji Mingzhu suddenly made a curious sound and turned to ask, "Honey, that course you wanted me to take-was it something like this?"

"More or less," Gu Shang said. "You can take those classes too, if you want."

Ji Zhian's classes probably covered much the same things-some sort of elite arts education. That supposedly required course for wealthy spouses had only been meant to scare Ji Mingzhu a little. No such course actually existed; they were really just ordinary hobby classes.

There were only a handful of well-known teachers in their circle. A few casual inquiries would reveal which one taught Ji Zhian.

Ji Zhian couldn't hold back a laugh. "You? You want to take the same classes as me?"

"Can't I?" Ji Mingzhu asked.

Ji Zhian smiled, but disdain showed in his eyes. "It's not that you can't... It's just that all my classes are top-level courses. It's hard to keep up without a foundation. You don't know how to do anything, and if you join halfway through... I'm afraid you won't even find anyone willing to partner with you. You'll be shut out."

Ji Mingzhu said nothing, merely turning to look at Gu Shang.

The man gave the pampered little thing's soft cheek a squeeze. "Go if you want to."