Chapter 110 Haunted House (ETL) Part 1
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[Banana: I’m finally back, guys (0w0)/ The house moving was very tiring T^T To those who are still here, thanks for reading~]
Chapter 110 Oh no! There’s another fire again!
The first guest on [The Way to Success] show was Gu Decheng, the ‘National Dad’. His immense fame garnered widespread attention, attracting viewers of all ages, genders, and even professions. The first episode’s ratings were incredibly high, and it became a trending topic that very evening.
Many viewers of the show who were interested in wealthy families’ affairs were shocked to see the Gu Family in this state. It turns out that aside from the large and beautifully decorated homes, the relationships in wealthy families seem to be no different from those in ordinary families. Isn’t that all good? There’s nothing of those rumoured melodramatic dramas?
Due to Gu Decheng’s presence in the news being so rare and he’s so serious in public, many people are curious about what he’s like at home. Can he possibly get by with such a stern face every day? Hence, this episode completely overturned public perceptions, and Gu Decheng has amassed a huge following. People used to call him ‘Papa Gu’, but now they do it with even greater vigour, with many calling him ‘Dad’ or ‘Father-in-law’.
Netizens commented: [I used to think Gu Decheng was quite serious and intimidating. But now, how can he be a stuffy entrepreneur? He’s just a cute uncle. He appears serious, but he’s constantly craving his son’s approval and admiring gaze. But then he gets rejected over an egg. That look makes me laugh every time I see it!]
[Comparing this with my own dad, I suddenly realized he’s like that too. After Gu Ye’s interpretation, my strict dad doesn’t seem so unapproachable anymore.]
[I don’t care! I’m going to tease my dad! If I get beaten, it’s all Gu Ye’s fault!]
The phrase ‘tease dad’ quickly became popular online, with many people saying that after coming to terms with it, their relationship with their dads has become closer.
Gu Ye’s performance also amazed many people. He was a good student, good-looking, and had a good temper. He was polite and measured in his words. In a crowd, he was instantly recognizable; his charisma was truly unmatched. Other than that, his eloquence, his ability to please his parents, and his ability to help his older brother with his work and his younger brother with his studies were amazing. Even his stepmother doted on him. He was practically perfect, impeccable, and beyond envy.
Many parents expressed, “If this were my son, I would love him too and take him everywhere.”
Suddenly, Gu Ye became everyone else’s child, a child whose parents wished they could raise their own children to be like him.
Some also argue that, from a psychological perspective, Gu Ye must have endured considerable hardship as a child, meeting all kinds of people, which is why he’s so perceptive, understands the emotional needs of his family, and manages family relationships so well. Someone raised in a pampered environment wouldn’t be so caring. Of course, this claim was met with scoffing online. “What kind of hardship could the third son of the Gu family endure? Could he beg for food or sweep the streets? Don’t be ridiculous!”
Nowadays, netizens don’t care about the past; they just want to divide the Gu brothers equally. Many young women say they’d be utterly blissful marrying any of the four Gu brothers. Gu Ye, in particular, had so many people vying for him. A group of playful girls suggested, “Let’s compete fairly, and if all else fails, draw lots to decide Gu Ye’s fate.”
Others also said that marrying Old Third was a definite no-no because there were so many people vying for him. It means that without some tactics in hand, it would be impossible for his partner to keep him under control. After a long commotion, someone silently said, “Cut it out! Let’s all give up on Gu Ye! He’s Yu Ze’s, and they’ve been photographed together, hand in hand. Their families must know—otherwise, they wouldn’t be so brazen about it!”
Unexpectedly, netizens stopped saying that the two men were fooling around and accepted it: [Hehe! Perfect! If I can’t have him, you guys can’t either! Get him a boyfriend, so we all can be heartbroken together, hahaha!]
This sentiment surprisingly garnered considerable support, with some even calling for Yu Ze to come forward and publicly take Gu Ye away, thus saving them from all the bickering: [For the sake of online peace, Big husband must work hard!]
Mrs. Gu’s beauty salon also went viral online. She was once the target of online bullying, but now, when she reappears, many people sympathize with her. Furthermore, she has a well-maintained face and is gentle at home, which has garnered countless fans. Mrs. Gu’s team at the salon was recently researching a new skincare product and was considering how to promote it. Unexpectedly, she became a viral sensation before even launching the ads.
Recalling what Gu Ye had told her, Mrs. Gu happily called her son. “Son, Mom’s making money. Is there anything you want?”
At this moment, Gu Ye had just finished class. After a moment’s thought, he smiled and said, “I want to buy a new car.”
The voice on the other end paused. “Why would you want to buy a new car when the current one is perfectly fine? Has it stopped working?”
“No, Yu Ze said my car is too cheap and not very safe. There’s a new sports car on the market for 20 million yuan, and it’s said to be super stylish. Mom? Mom? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Hearing that, Mrs. Gu suddenly sneered and said angrily, “You prodigal son! If you want something delicious, your mom can still buy it for you. But buying you a 20 million yuan sports car? You’re crazy! Let Yu Ze buy it for you!”
The reply made Gu Ye helpless. “Moms are so unreasonable. They can turn against you at any moment. Forget it. Just buy me something delicious. I’ll be back this weekend because I don’t have classes.”
Mrs. Gu was immediately delighted. “No problem. Whatever you want to eat, Mom will buy it for you.”
“Steamed pork buns with human meat stuffi… hello?” Gu Ye stared at his phone speechlessly. The other party had already hung up. Seeing that, Gu Ye couldn’t suppress a smirk; his little stepmother couldn’t take the teasing.
[Banana: Not sure if anyone heard of this below, but that’s an actual case in Macao where victims were made into steamed bun stuffings to dispose the body – LINK]
…
After class on Friday afternoon, Gu Ye went home for dinner and discovered his dad had left work early. Surprised, Gu Ye asked, “Did you really retire early?”
Papa Gu answered irrelevantly with a question, “Why are you back so early?”
Gu Ye said happily, “No (supernatural) work, so I’m just going home to rest.”
Just then, Gu Ye saw his dad pull a few bottles of wine from the liquor cabinet. Gu Ye’s mouth twitched. “Dad, you’re not really going to go drink with Old Yu, are you? You can’t beat him.”
Gu Decheng said seriously, “If I can’t handle white wine, I can still give red wine a try.”
Gu Ye frowned. “Even though your blood pressure hasn’t been high lately, you can’t act like that, right?”
“What did you say?”
“I told you you’re handsome, so go ahead and pretend I didn’t say anything.” Gu Ye sighed. This time, his father was destined to lose again.
After Gu Decheng left, Gu Lin hurried back. “I heard Dad went out for a drink with his idol. Did he bring some wine out this time?”
Gu Ye blinked, “Yeah, it seems like he took out the wine he had been collecting for a long time. He was determined to make Old Master Yu drunk and get back at him.”
Gu Lin palmed his forehead before asking. “How long has he been gone?”
“About half an hour. I guess they’ve started drinking by now.” Gu Ye pulled up a chair. “Have you eaten yet? I’ll get you some food.”
Gu Lin’s expression darkened. “I’m doomed. I’m not eating anymore.” He didn’t even sit down. “Don’t look for me anytime soon. I’m not going home.”
Hearing that, Mrs. Gu asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Why would you suddenly decide not to come home?”
Gu Lin looked embarrassed, “I’m done, I’m in trouble.”
Seeing Gu Lin’s expression, Gu Ye’s eyelids suddenly twitched. He put down his chopsticks, counted nervously on his fingers, and then stood up immediately. He grabbed his second brother’s arm and pulled him back. “You can’t leave. You have to explain yourself. What did you do?”
Gu Lin was at a loss for words, “Don’t make a fuss.”
But Gu Ye held onto his brother, “Explain it clearly before you run!”
All of a sudden, Gu Lin blinked and looked at Gu Ye. Then he smirked. “Actually, I don’t have to run, haha.”
Gu Ye’s mouth twitched. “Brother1!”
…
Inside the hotel, Gu Decheng took out the wine he had brought and poured it for Old Master Yu. “I’ve collected this fine wine for years. Let’s drink it tonight.”
Old Master Yu took a glass with interest. He took a sip and promptly spat it out.
Seeing that, Gu Decheng was puzzled and asked, “Is it really that bad?”
Old Master Yu couldn’t help but laugh and asked, “Are you afraid of getting drunk again? How much water did you mix in this?”
Confused, Gu Decheng took a sip as well. “Pff!” He couldn’t help but spit it out with a frown. There was very little alcohol, with mostly water. Perhaps from the long time it had been mixed in, there was also a musty smell.
“It must have been that little bastard Gu Ye who stole the drink. No one else would dare do that!”
Papa Gu angrily tossed the bottle into the trash. He’d been trying to get even, but now both his dignity and his face (reputation) were gone. Thinking of the 4 children in the family, Gu Decheng started filtering. The eldest was calm and composed and wouldn’t do such a thing. The second child, if he wanted to drink, would have bought it himself. Plus, he didn’t come home often. Old Fourth simply didn’t have the guts to do such a thing; he wasn’t even old enough. Only Old Third, a bratty kid, could do such a thing.
Old Master Yu advised, “Let them be if they want to drink it. It’s normal for young people to be curious about alcohol. Let’s have something else. Waiter, bring me two bottles of Moutai, 53% proof!”
Papa Gu: “…”
…
Gu Ye ran away after dinner. He’d already calculated that he would take the blame on behalf of his 2 older brothers, and there was no way he could get away with it. Because in their father’s eyes, he was the only one who dared to do anything. Even if the eldest and second brothers admitted to it, their father probably wouldn’t believe it. To avoid being scolded, Gu Ye ran away.
Gu Lin secretly messaged his eldest brother: [Dad went to PK with Old Yu with watered-down wine. It was Old Third who drank it. This kid is so outrageous, causing Dad to be embarrassed in front of his idol. To avoid being implicated, I won’t be home lately.]
Gu Sen: […Me too.]
The two brothers reached a consensus. After being annoyed by Gu Ye for so long, they finally understood the true meaning of the saying ‘The younger brother is the scapegoat’.
[Banana: The brothers drank the wine in this chapter lol – Chapter 73 Part 2]
…
Gu Ye spent the Sunday hiding at Yu Ze’s place and returned to school feeling quite happy. He had been off from any cases for a month and three days, that’s a record. Now, he felt that sincere prayers worked. The reason the King of Hell hadn’t blessed him before must have been because he wasn’t devout enough.
After school on Wednesday afternoon, Gu Ye, Zhao Pengyu, and Xia Xiang decided to go to the newly opened restaurant near the gate to eat spicy roasted rabbit. As they left the school gate, they saw a tall young man approaching, his eyes fixed on Gu Ye, clearly looking for him.
Gu Ye thought the other person looked familiar, but for a moment, he couldn’t place who they were. The person walked up to him and politely asked, “Master Gu, do you still recognize me?”
Gu Ye shook his head, a bad feeling building in his heart. He thought, “I really shouldn’t praise the King of Hell. The moment I do, he’ll find me work.”
“Master Gu, do you remember a year ago when you and Master Xie solved the case of the evil spirit hidden in the roly-poly toy? It was the one where the mother, worried about her son after her death, kept protecting him and fighting the evil spirit.” [Banana: Chapter 46 Part 1]
Gu Ye thought about it and finally remembered, “Oh, that doll shop that made a girl’s skin into a doll and the skeleton into a work of art. You are that internet celebrity.”
Seeing that Gu Ye remembered, the other person happily said, “Yes, I’m an internet celebrity who livestreams supernatural happenings. People online call me Wang Dadan. My real name is Wang Xueliang.”
Hearing that, Zhao Pengyu and Xia Xiang were speechless. When exactly had this psychotic case been resolved? It sounded so cruel.
Wang Xueliang: “Are you guys going to lunch? I’ll treat you. We can chat while we eat.”
Gu Ye sighed. After this meal, there would definitely be more work to do.
Raw word count: 6252 (whole chapter)
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