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"Xiao Bai, wait here for a bit. We can take our time chatting later, just the two of us."

The moment he turned to Chu Zeshen, his expression changed. "You little brat, come here. You ruined what should have been a perfectly nice family gathering today," he said sternly.

Chu Zeshen glanced at Gu Bai before walking over to Elder Chu. "They came because of the announcement about Second Uncle's transfer. I already saw them at the company."

"Work matters should be settled at work. What do they think they're doing bringing them home?" Elder Chu said displeasedly.

The grandfather and grandson from the Chu Family left the living room, and the large crowd dwindled back down to the one man and one dog from the start.

Gu Bai got up and took his coffee cup to the kitchen to pour himself another mocha.

He had planned to drink his coffee while he waited, but the matter in the front courtyard was settled before he had even finished a cup.

When Gu Bai walked into the front courtyard, coffee cup in hand, he happened to run into the three of them leaving. The way they looked at him was completely different from before. Their initial disdain had given way to a hint of scrutiny and disbelief.

As the second master of the house, Gu Bai displayed excellent hospitality, smiling at them as he said, "Take care. I won't see you out. Come by whenever you have time."

The three visibly faltered in their steps, then quickened their pace as they left the Chu family home.

A round table stood in the front courtyard, with a sun umbrella beside it casting the table in shade. Nearby, a chef was grilling meat and preparing dishes, sending the aroma of meat wafting through the air.

When Elder Chu saw Gu Bai approaching, he said to his grandson, "Go sit somewhere else. I don't want to look at you."

Chu Zeshen rose and stood to one side.

Elder Chu beckoned to Gu Bai. "Xiao Bai, come sit beside Grandpa."

Gu Bai glanced at Chu Zeshen and sat down.

Elder Chu said to the butler, "Li, remove the chairs on the right."

Uncle Li removed the three extra chairs, leaving only the chair beside Gu Bai.

Chu Zeshen sat down beside Gu Bai.

Elder Chu quietly looked at the two sitting together, his little scheme on full display.

Then Elder Chu asked a few everyday questions: whether he was settling in, telling him to buy anything he needed and change anything he was unhappy with, to treat this place as his own home, and that he was the master of this house.

Gu Bai answered each question in turn, every response a model answer that had Elder Chu nodding repeatedly in satisfaction.

Elder Chu caught a familiar scent of cologne. In the car earlier, he had casually told Chu Zeshen not to wear such a cold fragrance, as it made him seem a little unapproachable.

Sitting beside Gu Bai, Elder Chu could tell that his cologne smelled exactly the same as his grandson's.

"Are you two wearing the same cologne?"

Chu Zeshen had been quietly listening to their conversation and pouring tea for them. At his grandfather's sudden question, his hand paused, and he turned to look at Gu Bai.

He had not paid much attention when he first smelled the cologne on Gu Bai. Since they were close together, he had assumed it was his own scent. What he had sprayed on that morning had already reached the base notes, but the scent now was more of the top notes.

Gu Bai was perfectly open about having used Chu Zeshen's cologne without asking. "I really like his cologne, so I couldn't resist using it."

Elder Chu's eyes were full of amusement. "Hahaha, that's good. If you like it, use it. You've already registered your marriage; why draw a line between what's yours and his? Living together means you use mine and I use yours. That's what gives life its charm."

Gu Bai laughed along. It seemed he was off to a good start. His first performance had been a great success.

Seeing his grandson sitting there like a block of wood without saying anything, Elder Chu could not help speaking up. "Did you hear that? Xiao Bai likes your cologne."

Chu Zeshen chuckled. "I heard. I'll buy him whatever he likes."

Chapter 12

Elder Chu snorted at the sight of his grandson's hopelessly besotted smile. "Buy him whatever he likes? When I was young, your grandmother managed my money. Back then, her ability to manage finances was who knows how many times better than mine, even though I was the boss. She was the one running the household."

As he spoke, Elder Chu suddenly began reminiscing. Chu Zeshen had heard these stories countless times and was not listening closely. The chef brought the grilled meat to the table, while he served as the waiter for the day, attending to the two of them.

Gu Bai, beside him, was hearing this for the first time. He showed great interest and asked a question.

"How did Grandma manage the money back then?"

After all these years of telling the story, Elder Chu finally had someone who showed enthusiasm.

"Your grandmother studied literature, but she had a real gift for investing. In the nineties, when the stock market was just getting started and hadn't stabilized yet, even an old hand like me couldn't make up my mind. While I was still hesitating, she invested all the salary I'd handed over to her in stocks, and it had already multiplied several times over." At the mention of his beloved, Elder Chu's eyes softened. "That was the daring of an outsider. She got in early and got out early, too. Even I had to admit I couldn't match her."

Gu Bai naturally knew how volatile the stock market had been when it first opened. For Grandma Chu to have invested so precisely at that time, she truly did have a gift.

"Grandma was amazing. She had the makings of a financial elite."

Elder Chu beamed at that. "She was just dabbling. She spent her whole life being a university professor."

Elder Chu suddenly remembered something. "Xiao Bai, I seem to remember you majored in literature too."

Caught off guard by the mention of something from before he had transmigrated here, Gu Bai froze for a few seconds. By the time he gathered his wits, Chu Zeshen had already answered for him.

"The Chinese Department at B University."

Elder Chu nodded at the mention of B University. "B University is good. An excellent institution. Your grandmother wanted to get into that school when she was young. It was a shame she didn't."

Chu Zeshen placed the sliced meat on Elder Chu's plate. "If Grandma had gotten into B University, you two would have been in a long-distance relationship. Grandma used to tell me your grades in high school weren't very good."

Elder Chu glared at Chu Zeshen. "Bullshit. My grades were excellent. You, on the other hand, had to copy everyone else and go through a rebellious phase in high school. Who knows how many times your teachers called us in."

Chu Zeshen placed some meat on the plate in front of Gu Bai. "I got into B University's Finance Department."