Explosive gossip

Gu Zhiyue was in his room playing a game with Xie Zhen and Luo Yunhe. He sat cross-legged in his gaming chair, smoothly aiming with the mouse in his right hand while tapping the keyboard with his left and firing several shots at the enemy.

Luo Yunhe's voice came through his headset. "Zhiyue, nice! We're counting on you to carry us."

Gu Zhiyue said, "Hurry up and loot some supplies. Get a different gun. Yours doesn't have enough range."

Xie Zhen added, "You charge into battle. We'll provide support from the rear."

"The poison's coming. Run! No, wait, someone's in the grass. Kill him first!"

"Leave this one to me!"

Even the shortest round took nearly an hour. Gu Zhiyue moved his arms and neck, which ached from staying in one position for so long.

Luo Yunhe's voice came through the headset. "Let's take a break and keep playing tonight. My doctor's almost here. I need to wait downstairs."

Gu Zhiyue nodded reflexively. "Sure. We can play together tonight if we have time."

Xie Zhen said, "All right. Let's meet up tonight."

He moved the mouse to the "X" and clicked, closing the game.

Gu Zhiyue rose from his chair and stretched his arms and legs. This chair's pretty comfortable. Before, my back would start aching after half an hour of gaming. I sat in this one for an hour and I'm actually fine.

He pressed the water dispenser's touch button, filled half a cup, then pressed it again to stop the flow. Gu Zhiyue tipped his head back and drained the cup, finally soothing his dry throat.

Xiao Jiu appeared and sat on Gu Zhiyue's shoulder. Host, it's past eleven. The explosive gossip is starting.

Gu Zhiyue set down his cup and quietly opened the door, leaving his bedroom with a mischievous grin. Shh-we'll sneak over. Where's the gossip?

Xiao Jiu folded both arms and smiled smugly. In Gu Jiangfeng and Zhao Wanling's bedroom!

What?!

"What?!" Gu Shuoyan quickly clapped a hand over his mouth before he could shout too loudly, then hurriedly pulled out his phone to message Zhao Wanling.

[Mom, Mom! Come back now! Something huge has happened!]

[What are you up to in the middle of the day? I haven't even had my hair done yet.]

[Mom, today's explosive gossip is happening in your and Dad's room. I feel like something huge is going to happen if you don't come back soon!]

There was a full minute of silence before Zhao Wanling sent a three-second voice message. "Who's got the nerve to be in my room?!"

Gu Shuoyan slipped his phone back into his pocket and quietly followed Gu Zhiyue, crouching outside the couple's bedroom to peek inside.

Gu Zhiyue gently opened the bedroom door. With an extremely faint click, it opened a crack wide enough to give him a view of the entire room.

Inside was a middle-aged maid, crouched in front of the laundry hamper and rummaging through the clothes.

Gu Zhiyue was puzzled. What's there to rummage through in dirty laundry? What's she looking for?

Xiao Jiu dropped a bombshell. She's looking for Gu Jiangfeng's underwear.

Oh, she's looking for my dad's underwear... what?! She, she, she!

That's right. It's just as you're seeing, Host. This maid's name is A Cui. She became infatuated with Gu Jiangfeng a long time ago and thinks he's particularly masculine. Host, here's another big piece of gossip. A Cui stole three pairs of underwear Gu Jiangfeng had worn and hid them in her private locker. When no one's around, she takes them out to look at and touch.

Hiss... she... uh... I have nothing to say.

Behind him, Gu Shuoyan exclaimed, "I never imagined we had someone like that in our house."

The sudden voice startled Gu Zhiyue. If he hadn't been trying to avoid alerting the person inside, he would have cried out. "You scared me! Shuoyan, when did you get behind me?"

"I followed you when I saw you sneaking this way. Never mind that. Let's keep watching and see what she does."

"Oh, all right."

Two fuzzy heads, one above the other, stared straight into the bedroom.

Xiao Jiu continued. Host, A Cui has always dreamed of becoming Gu Jiangfeng's second wife.

Second wife? She really is dreaming. Never mind that having wives and concubines isn't allowed these days-even if society allowed it, my mom wouldn't. Gu Zhiyue sucked in a breath. But how could she become his second wife? Force herself on him?

Gu Shuoyan nearly choked on his saliva. What kind of language was his little brother using?

Xiao Jiu shook his head. Of course not. She has the desire, but not the guts. A Cui's thinking is very simple. She believes that as long as she stays by Gu Jiangfeng's side, one day she'll make Gu Jiangfeng fall in love with him.

Gu Zhiyue scoffed. We have five or six maids who started working here before she did. If spending enough time together makes people fall in love, like she says, she'd have to wait until the seventh lifetime. Besides, the masters and servants keep different schedules. The servants and the family don't even see each other all day. And she still managed to fall in love?

Gu Shuoyan was impressed too. He was very curious how this maid named A Cui had fallen in love with his dad.

No, wait. That system called Xiao Jiu had just said A Cui had secretly stashed away three pairs of his dad's underwear. Did that mean A Cui had sneaked into his parents' bedroom three times before this? Perhaps even more.

Gu Shuoyan hurriedly took out his phone and messaged Zhao Wanling. [Mom, where are you? Something really huge has happened!]

Zhao Wanling replied, [I'm outside the main gate. Let's see what this earth-shattering business is.]

Gu Shuoyan turned and ran downstairs. As Zhao Wanling entered the foyer and was about to speak, he swiftly covered her mouth.

"Shh!" Gu Shuoyan held his other hand to his lips. "Mom, if we're too loud now, we might alert her. Let's keep our voices down."

Zhao Wanling pulled his hand away and unconsciously lowered her voice too. "What on earth are you all doing?"

"Mom, come see for yourself."

They went upstairs, where Zhao Wanling saw Gu Zhiyue crouching outside the bedroom she shared with Gu Jiangfeng, holding the door open a crack and peering at something inside.

Zhao Wanling was about to approach when she heard Gu Zhiyue's thoughts. What expressions will Mom and Dad have when they find out someone in the house wants to become Dad's second wife?

Xiao Jiu thought for a moment. Either way, this maid won't be staying with the Gu Family anymore. Host, she's coming out.

Gu Zhiyue stood, gently closed the door, and took a step back. Four or five seconds later, A Cui opened the door from inside and came face-to-face with Gu Zhiyue, startling her into taking two steps back.

"Y-young master, why are you here?"

Gu Zhiyue smiled. "I was about to ask you the same thing. What were you doing in my parents' bedroom with the door closed? Stealing?"

"No! N-no, I wasn't stealing anything!"

"A Cui!" Zhao Wanling shouted angrily as she strode over. "A Cui, what are you doing in my room at this hour?"

"Madam, I... I came to..." A Cui tightly clutched the pair of black boxer briefs she had just found.

Gu Zhiyue asked Gu Shuoyan, "When did Mom get back?"

Gu Shuoyan said, "Just now. All we need to do is watch quietly."

Zhao Wanling lowered her gaze to the garment in A Cui's hand and sneered. "Sneaking into your employers' bedroom in the middle of the day to steal clothes?"

A Cui hurried to explain. "No! Madam, these clothes are... are going to be washed."

Zhao Wanling raised her hand and slapped A Cui across the face. "There are so many clothes in the hamper. Why didn't you take all of them? You only took my husband's underwear. What are you trying to do?"

A Cui dropped to her knees. "Madam! Madam, I know I was wrong. Madam, for the sake of the more than ten years I've spent serving you and the master in the Gu Family, please forgive me this once! I'll never do it again, Madam."

Gu Zhiyue clicked his tongue. If Mom finds out this isn't the first time A Cui has stolen Dad's clothes, and that she keeps looking at them and touching them, won't she go crazy on the spot?

Zhao Wanling was already furious. Hearing this made her feel dizzy.

"Shuoyan, call your dad. Tell him to come home right this instant!"

"Oh, okay!"

Looks like this afternoon's gossip is going to last a very, very long time.