Gu Qingyan had just returned home when he saw his parents looking at that incident online. His face flushed red as he quickly snatched the phone from them, "Stop watching it."
Gu Qingyan was the youngest child in the family, with an older brother Gu Wei and an older sister Gu Ru.
Being the youngest, he was particularly pampered, which made his personality rather spoiled.
At this moment, he asked his father, "What's the deal with that marriage arrangement?"
Gu's Father said, "Well, when we were drinking, I did mention it. I thought that girl looked quite pretty, but it was just a casual remark!"
They hadn't brought it up again for years, thinking it was settled.
"Your Uncle Shen sent me a message, apologizing for his careless words during his first live broadcast when viewers kept asking about it."
Gu Qingyan said, "But... people online are mocking me now. How can they say such things about an innocent boy like me?"
"So what do you want to do about it?" His parents had always indulged him, so they tried to placate him when they saw he was upset.
Gu Qingyan said, "It must be clarified."
"That might not be a good idea. It was just a joke, and everyone would have moved on after some banter. Getting so serious about it makes it seem like we look down on their family."
Besides, their family's business was doing better than the Shen Family's. The situation was quite delicate.
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyan's handsome face fell. He then snorted and returned to his room.
Gu's Mother said, "Do whatever you want, but don't ruin the harmony between our families!"
There was an unspoken rule in their social circle not to offend others.
"I know!" Gu Qingyan said curtly.
His parents wanted to ask what he had in mind, but he slammed the door shut in anger, refusing to let anyone in, so they left him alone.
The next day, they saw their son in Shen Wei's live broadcast room.
This kid didn't seem to realize it was a kindergarten live broadcast.
He kept pestering Shen Wei, saying, "Your fans are attacking me now, saying I'm dishonorable!"
As he said this, even his parents felt awkward watching the screen, while the online viewers were laughing uproariously. It was Shen Wei's first time meeting Gu Qingyan.
She never expected the online "Young Master Gu" to have such a personality.
He was very handsome, with eyes that always seemed to contain a pool of water, gazing at people with an inexplicable sense of affection. At the moment, he looked aggrieved.
Having spent a long time in kindergarten, Shen Wei was skilled at comforting children. "So what do you think we should do about it?"
"You should say online that we have no relationship at all, that you don't even know me."
"Okay!" Shen Wei readily agreed.
Gu Qingyan let out a sigh of relief, then stole a glance at Shen Wei.
Come to think of it, Shen Wei was quite pretty, and her straightforward nature was refreshing.
Shen Wei's earlier gaze had an inexplicable doting quality that made Gu Qingyan's face flush again.
Soon, Shen Wei picked up the phone and pointed the camera at their faces.
The online viewers were in a state of double bliss. Shen Wei was already beautiful, and her alleged fiancé was equally handsome. They didn't know which one to admire more.
They were both too good-looking.
Flattering comments flooded the live broadcast:
"Wow, the future brother-in-law is so handsome, I'll allow this marriage."
"Can I sleep in between you two?"
"The comment above is too thirsty."
"Well, since you three don't mind, let me join too."
People said all sorts of things.
Gu Qingyan had never been teased online by so many people before. Flustered, even the corners of his eyes turned red.
Shen Wei said, "Everyone, please don't say such things anymore. Today, in front of everyone, I hope you can help spread the word that we have no relationship whatsoever! We're not even friends."
"We've never even met before. These comments have really brought a lot of trouble to the people involved!" Her words were firm, carrying a sense of righteousness.
It made those who had been shipping them feel somewhat discouraged.
At this point, Young Master Gu stared intently at Shen Wei's face, "You look down on me." Why else would she say they weren't even friends?
Not only were viewers from all over the country watching the live broadcast, but also the local socialites.
Since Gu Qingyan had appeared in the broadcast, his friends from high society were watching too.
Someone even shared the live stream with Gu Wei, Gu Ru, and Gu's parents.
Their son had originally intended to distance himself, but upon seeing Shen Wei deny any connection, he couldn't take it anymore.
That statement, "You look down on me," made the Shen Family members cover their faces, unable to watch further.
Gu Qingyan had never pursued a girl in his life.
He was so good-looking that from elementary school to high school and college, countless girls pursued him.
So he had enjoyed special favor from girls, and for the first time encountering a girl who so firmly stated that they weren't even friends, his pride and sense of entitlement crumbled.
Shen Wei said, "I don't look down on you. It's just that this matter has caused you trouble."
While Gu Qingyan's family members found the situation cringeworthy, his friends couldn't help but cheer him on from their screens.
So earlier, was Gu Qingyan throwing a tantrum?
The online viewers went wild: "Sorry, Shen Wei, I didn't want to ship you two, but Young Master Gu has forced my hand with his pitiful act."
"Could this be love at first sight?"
"Absolutely, look at his puppy-dog eyes, I really want to bully him until he cries."
"Here's a pen for you to keep writing."
Shen Wei soon ended the live broadcast and switched to other content.
But everyone continued discussing the recent events endlessly.
It would have been better if she hadn't explained at all.
Gu Qingyan returned home dejected.
As soon as he got home, he was taken aback. His whole family was there - parents, brother, and sister.
The TV kept replaying a recorded clip of him saying, "You look down on me?" with Gu Qingyan's shocked expression, like a haunting echo.
Gu Qingyan, like a ruffled little rooster, rushed over and turned off the TV. "What are you doing?"
Gu's Mother said to Gu's Father, "You handle our son's pursuit of a girlfriend." As a mother, she couldn't advise on how her son should court a girl.
That would just make him the kind of "mama's boy" everyone online disliked, so it had to be left to his father.
Gu's Father looked at his children, "As the older brother and sister, you need to take some responsibility too."
Young Master Gu didn't want his family meddling in his affairs. "I don't need you all to worry about it."
Gu Wei was 14 years older than him, so the age gap made him seem more like a father than an older brother to Gu Qingyan.
At this moment, he was speechless about his younger brother's situation.
Gu Ru was three years older than Gu Qingyan. She mocked him, "You shouldn't have gone at all. If you hadn't, you'd still have the title of 'future husband'!"
"Now you have nothing, and you've only just realized you like her. Isn't this a classic case of 'pursuing a wife to the crematorium'?"
Gu's elderly parents didn't know what "pursuing a wife to the crematorium" meant, but they felt it sounded ominous. "Don't talk nonsense."
As good-looking as the Gu Family members were, they had never pursued anyone before.
After much discussion, which seemed like armchair strategizing, they decided to let him start by sending flowers.
