City: I Started As A Rich Second Generation Villain - Chapter 24 – Heartache
Gu Junqing and Lin Qingzhu walked into the hall chatting and laughing.
What Gu Junqing didn’t expect was that his parents had returned again.
Both his father, Gu Junxiong, and his mother, Xie Ying, were looking at him with rather peculiar expressions.
When Xie Ying saw that Gu Junqing had brought a young girl home, her expression turned complicated.
She realized her son’s preference might not actually be for older women, since this one didn’t look particularly mature either—yet Gu Junqing liked her too!
She sighed emotionally. Her son had truly grown up! But upon further thought, her son seemed rather indiscriminate—liking both mature and young women—which made her feel somewhat distressed.
Turning to Gu Junxiong with tearful eyes, she cried,
“┭┮﹏┭┮, sob sob, Junxiong, I’ve raised our son wrong!”
Gu Junxiong’s expression held a mixture of complexity, pride, and satisfaction.
Although his son was outstanding, his tendency to attract women everywhere made Gu Junxiong wonder who he had inherited it from.
He himself didn’t have the habit of philandering, though he still felt rather proud.
Hugging Xie Ying, he comforted her. “It’s fine. Our son has grown up. If he gets into trouble, we can handle it.”
The servants who hadn’t gone to bed yet were snickering nearby.
Only the professionally trained butler remained composed. He sighed inwardly, thinking, “Thankfully I’ve undergone professional training—no matter how funny it is, I won’t laugh.”
Watching his dramatic parents, Gu Junqing could only force a stiff smile, metaphorical black lines forming over his head as he explained everything clearly.
His parents truly doted on him—they never blamed him for mistakes, only thought about protecting and covering for him. This naturally contributed to Gu Junqing’s somewhat arrogant personality.
“Sigh.”
Gu Junqing could only sigh silently. If he didn’t indulge his parents, who would?
Coincidentally, they had been present during the incident with Teacher Yu, and now they were here again when he brought Lin Qingzhu home.
They always seemed to appear whenever a potential daughter-in-law candidate showed up.
Gu Junqing began to suspect there was a mole around him.
Turning around, he indeed spotted his driver Baldy and bodyguard Qi Jue sneaking away furtively.
His lips twitched. He decided not to pursue it. His parents understood his affairs and never interfered, allowing him to do as he pleased. As long as his safety was guaranteed, Gu Junxiong and Xie Ying could accept anything.
With parents like these, Gu Junqing didn’t know whether to feel happy or helpless.
It took considerable effort for him to finally convince them that Lin Qingzhu was someone he had hired to work.
Although he did harbor certain improper thoughts, now was not the time.
Gu Junqing’s parents felt genuine heartache after hearing about Lin Qingzhu’s circumstances.
Lin Qingzhu herself was moved to tears—it was her first time experiencing such a warm family atmosphere.
Lin Tian’s parents had passed away when she was very young. Though she had been too little to understand much, she always felt they hadn’t loved her as much.
The best things had always gone to her brother. She could only watch as he ate the best food and wore the warmest clothes.
By the age of four or five, she had already learned to handle many household chores.
She had wanted attention too—but she never received it.
After chatting for a while, Gu Junqing’s parents noticed how late it had become and urged him to take Lin Qingzhu to choose a room.
Gu Junqing helped her select a room next to his own bedroom so he could assist her quickly if she needed anything.
He had already arranged for her clothes to be brought upstairs earlier, filling an entire wardrobe. Not only that, but there were cosmetics, bags, jewelry—everything imaginable.
Lin Qingzhu had never seen such things before.
She was stunned.
Was she here to work or to enjoy life?
Perhaps this was the charm of a wealthy young master—approachable and generous beyond measure.
This life was far more luxurious than following a penniless, tasteless protagonist.
Gu Junqing explained the tasks she would need to do.
In truth, there was barely anything to do. The household staff already handled everything efficiently.
Lin Qingzhu understood that he was deliberately making the job sound important so she wouldn’t feel like a burden.
Naturally, this also included treating her like a younger sister.
At first, she had been slightly afraid of Gu Junqing, but as she gradually relaxed, she began chatting with him normally.
“Brother Junqing, who do you like more, Murong Wan or Luo Ningyu?”
“Do they ever get angry with you?”
“Brother, are you usually very busy?”
“Unlike me… I only know how to feel sorry for you.”
Gu Junqing’s lips twitched. He suddenly thought:
“Qingzhu, I think you could also be in charge of brewing tea—especially green tea. I believe you could make it sweet and mellow. You’ll definitely become a tea master in the future.”
Lin Qingzhu quickly agreed. Although she didn’t understand why he wanted her to brew tea or why he was so certain she would become a tea master, she resolved to work hard and brew delicious tea for him.
Looking at her youthful face, Gu Junqing knew she was putting on a brave front. After everything she had experienced today, anyone else would have been exhausted. Seeing her pretend nothing was wrong made him genuinely feel sorry for her.
He stepped forward and hugged Lin Qingzhu, pulling her into his embrace.
“Qingzhu, you’re very strong—but you also need to learn to release the pain inside. From now on, let Brother Junqing be your emotional trash can, alright? Let your feelings out however you need to.”
“You can treat this place as your home.”
It was the first time Gu Junqing had spoken so gently.
Lin Qingzhu didn’t understand why, but this man seemed able to see through all her pretenses.
“Wah…”
He felt the fabric on his chest gradually grow damp. Her crying sounded soft, like a kitten’s whimper.
Having lost her parents young, she had only her brother left. Yet now her brother clearly had no time for her, forcing her to remain strong alone. All the grievances she faced outside had been bottled up, with no one to confide in.
No matter how strong someone was, a heart stretched too tight would eventually snap.
Gu Junqing patted her back gently, offering comfort and encouragement. He truly believed she had been incredibly strong, almost single-handedly supporting both herself and Lin Tian.
The small inheritance left by their parents had long been spent when Lin Tian insisted on attending Tianlin High School.
Lin Qingzhu never complained. She only hoped Lin Tian would spend more time with her, giving her the motivation to keep going. But clearly, Lin Tian did not.
In the original storyline, without Gu Junqing’s interference, Lin Tian would have handed all the money he earned to Lin Qingzhu, easing her burden so they could live happily together.
But in this life, Lin Tian earned far less due to Gu Junqing’s interference and was repeatedly cheated by casinos. Although he possessed considerable strength, he couldn’t understand why these casinos had so many skilled fighters. Even with his enhanced physique, he could only fight them to a draw, and when outnumbered, he stood no chance.
Of course, all of this had been arranged by Gu Junqing, who had no intention of letting Lin Tian live comfortably.
As a result, Lin Tian’s life became increasingly difficult—to the point that he even asked Lin Qingzhu for money. She herself had very little, relying entirely on constant work to earn a meager income. If not for her excellent grades and school scholarships, she might have starved long ago.
Although Lin Tian possessed the Golden Eyes, his Protagonist Halo had been seized by Gu Junqing, and his mental resilience had already begun to collapse. He became addicted to gambling, hoping to make a fortune overnight and start over.
Yet he failed to realize that there were far more reliable ways to make money quickly in this world than gambling.