Chapter Fifty-Four: Chen Hao's Compromise

Although she had strongly opposed Chen Hao’s business partnership with Fan Yirou and resisted the idea of traveling together back when they were still at home, Gu Mengyan found herself silent now that the moment had truly arrived.

Firstly, Gu Mengyan understood that no matter how much she tried to persuade him, Chen Hao was unlikely to change his mind. Secondly, she admitted to herself that her unwillingness for Chen Hao and Fan Yirou to be together was somewhat selfish and unreasonable.

Gu Mengyan clearly knew that if Chen Hao truly wished to find a girlfriend, Fan Yirou was undoubtedly the most suitable choice. Their family backgrounds were similar, and they had shared a strong bond since childhood. Most crucially, unlike herself and Chen Hao, they were not siblings.

Though she and Chen Hao shared no blood relation—she was simply an adopted sister in the Chen household—by name, they were siblings. Their families and friends were well aware of this relationship. If she were to realize her wish and finally be with Chen Hao, she feared people’s gossip.

This had always weighed heavily on Gu Mengyan. Despite all these years of affection for Chen Hao, she never confessed her feelings.

Sometimes, Gu Mengyan thought that if she hadn’t invited Fan Yirou to live with them back then, she wouldn’t be torn between her best friend and the boy she liked.

Or perhaps, if Uncle Chen hadn’t adopted her, she wouldn’t have met Chen Hao at all. Without knowing him, she wouldn’t have developed feelings for him.

Had it been that way, perhaps she would’ve been taken in by the national child welfare agency, grown up in an orphanage, and by now married an ordinary man—also an orphan—and started a family. But now... Ah, forget it. She would just take it one step at a time. Maybe the future would bring unexpected changes.

Who knows, in the end, Chen Hao might choose neither herself nor Fan Yirou. Why worry so much now?

Having sorted out her thoughts, Gu Mengyan felt her heart at ease, and her mood improved. Thus, when Chen Hao suggested picking up Fan Yirou before heading to the supermarket, Gu Mengyan didn’t object. Instead, she pulled out her phone and began considering what to buy.

Seeing Gu Mengyan’s acceptance, Chen Hao was naturally pleased. He cared about Gu Mengyan’s feelings and knew that deciding to partner with Fan Yirou without discussing it beforehand might upset her. But he meant well; the two sisters hadn’t spent time together in ages, and he hoped this would rekindle their childhood bond.

Yet when Chen Hao returned home, he suddenly doubted his intentions. He remembered very clearly that before leaving for the illusory company to resign with Gu Mengyan, he had asked Fan Yirou to tidy up the house. But when he opened the door to his apartment, the scene before him was simply unbelievable.

He had never seen his home so chaotic and filthy. The living room table was piled high with an assortment of takeout boxes, most abandoned after just a bite or two.

Food scraps covered the table, sauces and grease had spilled everywhere—even onto the floor. Thankfully, his living room had tiled floors, not wood, or he’d have needed to replace the flooring entirely.

That wasn’t all. Chen Hao found his wardrobe wide open, with clothes and bedding strewn across the floor. Even more outrageous, his favorite painting, which once hung on the wall, had been taken down by Fan Yirou, and the wall behind it had been gouged out with a hole.

“Damn it! Fan Yirou, what have you done?” Chen Hao exploded with rage, not even bothering to change his shoes as he marched over and twisted her ear, demanding, “Are you trying to demolish my house? What did I tell you before I left? I asked you to watch the place and tidy up a bit. But look at what you’ve done!”

Fan Yirou cried out from the pain, yet showed no remorse, slapping at Chen Hao’s hand repeatedly. “Ow, ow, ow! Let go! Let go!”

Chen Hao sneered coldly. “Hmph! I should let go, huh? So you can keep wreaking havoc? If I let you keep destroying my house, how am I supposed to live here? If Mengyan and I had come back any later, I’d probably get a call from the fire department telling me my place had burned down.

And inside, they’d find a charred female corpse clutching a half-eaten chicken leg.”

After spending so much time with Gu Mengyan and Fan Yirou, even his sarcasm began to mirror theirs.

“Oh, stop talking nonsense!” Fan Yirou pouted. “I was seriously cleaning and organizing your house! I didn’t rest for a second!”

Chen Hao’s lips twitched as he surveyed the disaster before him. “This is your idea of cleaning and organizing?”

Fan Yirou nodded earnestly. “Of course!”

“Maybe your definition is different from mine, because everything you did while I was gone is the exact opposite of what I asked for!” Chen Hao said.

“Just listen to me!” Fan Yirou waved her hand impatiently. “I know the place looks a little messier now than when you left—”

“That’s not ‘a little’!”

“Don’t interrupt!” Fan Yirou snapped, clearly displeased. “If you’re going to clean and organize, I say do it properly or not at all—I’m a thorough person. I take things seriously.”

Chen Hao’s eyelids twitched.

“And since it’s so rare for me to help clean your house, it had to be done perfectly. I’m not used to doing chores for others, so you should feel honored.”

Chen Hao’s veins bulged.

“And to make sure my effort wasn’t wasted, I decided to do a full overhaul. What counts as thorough? The dirtier and messier the place, the more thorough the cleaning. And how to make it dirtier and messier? Well, you can see what I did while you were gone! Now you have a chance to redecorate—your current setup is far too dull. Compared to the house we lived in as children, it’s downright dreary!”

Chen Hao’s heart skipped.

“Since the three of us will be living together, I think it’s only fair to follow the principle of majority rule and redecorate according to Mengyan’s and my aesthetic preferences. So everything needs to be redone!” Fan Yirou finally finished her argument. Her logic, which seemed utterly nonsensical to outsiders, sounded completely justified in her mouth.

Chen Hao, hearing Fan Yirou’s words, nearly stopped breathing. When she mentioned the three of them living together, he could no longer remain calm. “What nonsense is this? We’re just business partners, not roommates—why should we live together? Don’t you have a place of your own?”

Fan Yirou actually nodded pitifully.

Chen Hao knew full well that although Fan Yirou’s father had never cared for his children after those events years ago, once Fan Yirou came of age, he handed over all the authority and finances of the family business to her. Now, Fan Yirou was the true head of the family. Even her father needed her approval to buy anything. How could someone like her not have a place to live?

“I really don’t have anywhere to stay! My wretched brother, being the eldest son, snatched all the power from me. Worried I’d sabotage him, he kicked me out and forbade me from ever returning home.”

At this, not only Chen Hao but even Gu Mengyan couldn’t take it.

“Yirou, you’re going too far! We all know your brother is incredibly close to you, always deferring to your wishes. If you say ‘one,’ he’d never say ‘two,’ and if anyone dared cross you, he’d be the first to stand up for you.

With a brother like that, are you saying he seized power and threw you out? If he threw you out, I doubt you’d even have dinner!”

“Hmph! I don’t care. I want the three of us to live together, and your objections are useless!” Fan Yirou began to act up.

“Forget it!” Seeing this, Gu Mengyan started persuading Chen Hao. “Let her be. If she wants to stay, let her stay. Even if you object, do you think she’ll just give up? If you really refuse, she’ll probably camp out at your door with her suitcase, playing the victim. Better to grant her wish now than let everyone know about the drama later!”

Gu Mengyan’s persuasion was not without ulterior motives. Since Fan Yirou insisted on the three living together, not two, it meant she intended to include Gu Mengyan, not exclude her. This perfectly matched Gu Mengyan’s own hopes.

Though she had untangled her heart, it didn’t mean she was giving up on Chen Hao. On the contrary, she planned to spend more time with him and let him make his own choice. Having the three live together was surely the best approach. So, while she appeared to comfort Chen Hao, she was actually speaking up for Fan Yirou.

Chen Hao, unaware of Gu Mengyan’s thoughts, couldn’t guess her intentions. But the clever Fan Yirou saw through her instantly, giving Gu Mengyan a knowing smile—everything understood without words.

“Alright, alright! Whatever you say. Let’s just head to the supermarket and grab dinner while we’re at it.” Chen Hao surrendered helplessly.

Fan Yirou and Gu Mengyan exchanged triumphant smiles, and everything seemed to return to how it was in their childhood...