Chapter 55: Walking the Path of a White Lotus

"Tingyuan, you shouldn't frighten the child; she simply has a birthmark and is no less than anyone else. You shouldn't set such strict expectations for her. Yicing, come sit beside Grandpa," Grandpa Fu said kindly, pulling Gu Yicing to sit next to him.

Feeling a mix of emotions, Gu Yicing pouted slightly, her lips trembling with distress. "Thank you, Grandpa, but this really isn't right. My sisters might think I'm stealing the spotlight. Plus, Aunt Chen told me to keep my mouth shut, so I think I should go upstairs," she replied, feigning modesty.

"Yicing, we didn't say that at all! You are all daughters of the Gu family; I treat everyone equally," Chen Huilan interjected quickly, trying to smooth over the situation with a reassuring tone.

Her sharp gaze flicked toward Gu Yicing, who seemed to be on the brink of another emotional breakdown. This girl might explode at any moment, and in hindsight, Chen Huilan regretted allowing Gu Tingyuan to bring her back.

As she spoke, Chen Huilan subtly pinched Gu Tingyuan from behind, signaling him to find a way to send Gu Yicing away before she spoiled the chances of his other two daughters.

"Are you really treating everyone equally? Because Aunt Chen, that's not how you sounded just now. I know you don't like me, and I've known it for a long time," Gu Yicing replied, her eyes glistening with tears, the distress evident in her voice as she struggled to hold back her emotions. 

She was determined to walk the path of the white lotus, ensuring her rivals had nowhere to turn.

Meanwhile, Fu Hanning, lounging lazily on the nearby sofa, felt his understanding of Gu Yicing shift yet again. He had initially assumed she was merely thick-skinned, but now he realized she was an actress in her own right, effortlessly embodying different roles.

It would be a shame for her not to pursue a career in acting.

"I didn't say anything at all just now; you're making baseless accusations," Chen Huilan retorted, her elegant face losing its composure as her frustration mounted.

"I'm not making baseless accusations; I'm speaking the truth. If you don't believe me, listen to this recording," Gu Yicing said defiantly, pulling out her phone to play the audio she had just captured.

The recording filled the room:

"Gu Yicing, when the Fu family arrives, you better keep quiet, do you hear me?" 

"...Don't forget, you're just a supporting role, always a supporting role." 

"Grandpa Fu would never look at her. Besides, I heard she got out of the police station and is back at Ling University for classes because she's being kept by a rich businessman who's ugly and fat, probably in his fifties or sixties. Ugh, just thinking about it is disgusting."

These words echoed painfully in the ears of Grandpa Fu and Fu Hanning.

Hearing how the Gu family members had exposed their ugly side in their desperate bid to enter the Fu family, Grandpa Fu's expression darkened considerably. Their inner ugliness was far worse than Gu Yicing's birthmark, a stark contrast he could not ignore.

It seemed he needed to reconsider the choice of his granddaughter-in-law based on the Gu family's behavior.

Fu Hanning's face was even more severe than Grandpa Fu's. The description of an "ugly and fat businessman" in his fifties was downright ridiculous.

He had originally intended to accompany his grandfather to the Gu family to pay a visit, but now his focus shifted. All he wanted was to clarify his and Gu Yicing's identities publicly.

Chen Huilan and Gu Wenxuan, after hearing the recording, were thrown into disarray.

They had never anticipated that Gu Yicing, the "little vixen," would have the foresight to record them.

"Grandpa Fu, please listen to me! Those words were not ours. She must have used some special technique to fabricate that recording," Chen Huilan hurriedly explained to Grandpa Fu, her voice shaky.

Gu Tingyuan gripped the armrest of the sofa, trembling with rage.

At this rate, the Gu family would surely be brought down by these two loose tongues.

"Yes, Grandpa Fu, our third sister is a computer science student; she must have some way to manipulate the recording," Gu Wenxuan quickly stood up to back Chen Huilan's claim, her voice laced with desperation.