What to Do if You Transmigrate Into the Body of the Number One Scumbag? - Chapter 7

It was only after Master Gu finished his business and took his seat that the family officially began their meal.

During dinner, the servants and the butler withdrew, leaving only the family in the dining room. This allowed Luo Mu to relax considerably. Within just a few minutes, he spent almost all his time placing food into Gu Shiyan’s bowl, hardly taking a bite himself. It seemed as though seeing the other man eat was enough to make him feel full.

Just as Gu Shiyan was about to tell him to eat his own food and stop serving him, Master Gu spoke up first. “Gu Shiyan, I just told you to treat Mu-mu well. Look at you! Acting like you’re too grand to even lift a finger for your own dinner while he serves you. How thick is your skin?!”

Without giving Gu Shiyan a chance to explain, he turned to Luo Mu with a gentle tone. “Mu-mu, ignore him. Just make sure you eat well yourself. He has hands and feet of his own.”

Luo Mu, whose entire world currently revolved around Gu Shiyan, hadn’t expected his good intentions to cause a misunderstanding. He waved his hands frantically in explanation. “It’s alright, Father. I am eating. It’s just that I want to give my husband food… He’s usually so busy, I just want to understand him a little more.”

In truth, he didn’t just want to “understand” him; he was too shy to ask questions, so he had simply picked up a bit of everything he could reach on the table. Gu Shiyan’s bowl was now nearly overflowing.

Master Gu shot Gu Shiyan a sidelong glance. “Look at Mu-mu, then look at you. You don’t even know how to be proactive with your own wife.”

Gu Shiyan was utterly speechless: “…”

He hesitated for a moment, recalling that the youth seemed to enjoy the crystal shrimp dumplings in front of him. He reached out, picked one up, and placed it in Luo Mu’s bowl. “Thank you. You don’t need to give me more. You should eat too.”

Master Gu paused. What kind of newlyweds spoke to each other with the stiff politeness of a business meeting? It seemed his advice had gone in one ear and out the other.

Mother Gu watched the scene and shook her head helplessly. She ladled a bowl of soup and handed it to Luo Mu, saying softly, “Mu-mu, dear, have some soup. It’s good for your health. Look how thin you are; you must eat more. Don’t mind Shiyan; he’s always been like this—very blunt and straightforward.”

Luo Mu had been genuinely happy when the man proactively gave him food, but the subsequent “thank you” and “no need” felt like a splash of cold water. Even with Mother Gu’s comfort, he couldn’t hide his inner disappointment. He picked up his chopsticks awkwardly but didn’t actually reach for anything. He simply offered a small smile, accepted the soup, and drank it silently. To anyone watching, he looked like the picture of someone putting on a brave face while feeling deeply hurt.

Beside them, Gu Yuxuan was a non-entity. He was far too simple-minded to notice the atmosphere, keeping his head down and focusing entirely on his food. However, he had a knack for being dragged into things unintentionally. As the table fell into a chilly silence, only the sound of his enthusiastic eating remained.

Master Gu’s attention shifted instantly. He glanced at his younger son, knit his brows, and snapped, “Is there no food at home for you?! Day in and day out, eating like a starving ghost. Eat, eat, eat—is that all you know how to do?!”

Gu Yuxuan: “?”, What did I do?

“Alright, that’s enough,” Mother Gu said, tugging on Master Gu’s sleeve. “Don’t scare Mu-mu.”

She then gave Gu Shiyan a pointed look, signaling him to comfort his wife. Gu Shiyan caught her meaning and, after a moment of thought, placed another shrimp dumpling into the boy’s bowl.

“Eat more,” he said.

Mother Gu: “…”, This child is truly beyond help.

******

After dinner, the servants had already prepared their rooms so they could rest at any time.

Master Gu insisted they stay at the old residence for a few days. His reasoning was twofold: first, so Luo Mu could get to know the family better; and second, to prevent his eldest son from acting up again. Since the daughter-in-law was so easy to push around, the parents felt they had to keep watch so the boy wouldn’t suffer. Incidentally, it was also a chance to teach their emotionally stunted eldest son how to actually cherish a spouse.

After the meal, Luo Mu accompanied Mother Gu for a stroll in the garden, while Gu Shiyan went to the game room to play a round of chess with his father.

Gu Yuxuan had sprinted upstairs the moment dinner ended to lock himself in his room, presumably to play games. He wasn’t addicted; he just liked to play a match or two with friends, so Master Gu didn’t limit his screen time.

They had just finished a game, and Master Gu was in the middle of lecturing Gu Shiyan on how to coax a wife, when they were interrupted by a clamor approaching from the hallway.

“Brother! Brother, where are you?!” It was Gu Yuxuan. Master Gu rubbed his temples, wondering how he had sired such an annoying pest.

He used to find the boy annoying when he was small, and now the boy annoyed his older brother. The lecture he had prepared for Gu Shiyan died in his throat; he suddenly felt that his eldest son actually had a very difficult life.

Gu Shiyan glanced at his father and set down his chess piece. Gu Yuxuan had already reached his side. He stood up and asked, “What is it now?”

“Hehe, it’s nothing major, actually. I just wanted you to take a look at this. I don’t understand what this person means by their message…”

Gu Shiyan took the phone. The contact name was “Pei Jue,” and the message history was displayed on the screen:

[Pei Jue: Why haven’t you replied?]

[Pei Jue: Don’t overthink it, I just want to invite you to a movie.]

[Pei Jue: If you don’t want to, then forget it.]

[Pei Jue: Xiaoxuan, say something.]

[Pei Jue: ?]

It was a perfectly normal conversation. Gu Shiyan could tell at a glance that this person was a pursuer, but his brother clearly hadn’t realized it. Even though he had a male “sister-in-law” now, Gu Yuxuan evidently didn’t think in those terms for himself or rather, the boy hadn’t even considered the idea of dating yet.

To Gu Shiyan, it was just an invitation from a suitor, but his brother was too dense to process it. Still, it wasn’t worth seeking a deep analysis over, so he asked directly, “Isn’t it stated very clearly? If you don’t want to go, then don’t go.”

Gu Shiyan felt his “cheap” brother really wanted his involvement in every little thing.

“Ah? But I don’t know how to reject him…” Gu Yuxuan scratched the back of his head, looking troubled and innocent.

Gu Shiyan didn’t understand the difficulty. He hesitated, then quickly tapped a few keys on the phone before handing it back.

Gu Yuxuan smiled and took it, eager to see how his brother had solved the problem. The screen showed a two-word reply:

[You: Okay.]

Gu Yuxuan was even more confused: “?”

Master Gu had been listening for a while. Seeing that his foolish son had come running and howling just for a few text messages, he glared at Gu Yuxuan. “Stupid boy. Coming to bother your brother over such a tiny thing. All that schooling wasted on a useless brat…”

Gu Yuxuan was once again scolded for no apparent reason. Feeling aggrieved, he stood to the side clutching his phone and muttered something under his breath. Master Gu caught it and snapped again, “What was that? Speak up! All that food you eat is going to waste!”

Gu Shiyan remained perfectly calm and stepped in to mediate. “Alright, that’s enough. Go play on your own if there’s nothing else.”

Gu Yuxuan’s mood brightened instantly. He gave Gu Shiyan a wide grin and vanished in a flash.

“That brother of yours… I suspect his brain never quite finished developing,” Master Gu sighed, looking back at the chessboard.

“He just reached adulthood; he’s still a child. You don’t need to be so anxious, Father,” Gu Shiyan said evenly.

“What do you mean ‘just reached adulthood’? He’s twenty! Some child—the boy is built like a bear.”

Gu Shiyan: “…”

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