Chapter Twelve: Subsequent Compensation (Part 1)

This time, Gu Zhiheng and his group were clearly at fault, so they agreed to the compensation without hesitation. Fortunately, only two households were affected, and the damage was limited to the exterior walls; nothing else was harmed. Gu Zhiheng compensated each household with a million yuan and gifted them a bottle of expensive red wine, thus settling the matter privately.

At the police station, Mo Han took the group to receive a lesson on safety awareness, and after an hour, they emerged. After some thought, he led them to the fire department, where the three dutifully learned about fire and gas safety, along with preventive measures. Only when he was sure they fully understood did he let them leave.

Chen Yuan felt extremely wronged; she was only a child, yet she hadn’t been spared from the lectures. Chu Xingran didn’t care; she had learned what needed to be learned and remembered what should be remembered. Gu Zhiheng looked pale, staring at the obviously unrepentant Chu Xingran, wishing he could give her a few kicks.

“Stay out of the kitchen from now on. You’re even more dangerous than the contraband kept out of there,” Mo Han remarked lazily, then watched Chu Xingran’s angry reaction from the side.

“Fine, fine, I won’t go into the kitchen anymore. With you all waiting on me, how could I not be happy?” she huffed, indignant that they all seemed to dislike her.

But the Gu family was surprisingly generous; Gu Zhiheng had given out so much money. Judging by the old woman’s usual attitude, she neither cared about Gu Zhiheng’s life nor allowed anyone else to. For Gu Lan to part with such a sum—could it be that Gu Zhiheng could return to the family and infuriate that group of ignorant fools?

Although the ancestral shrine was in Jinfeng Town, the old family house was in Mingmu Town. In other words, they could return at any time these days.

“Brother Han, has anything interesting happened at the Gu family lately?” she asked, raising her brows in an adorably mischievous manner. Chu Xingran loved nothing more than causing a little chaos.

“Tonight’s event is organized by the Gu family. Want to go?” Mo Han sneered at the idea of the Gu family.

“Sis, you’re not thinking of picking a fight at the Gu house again, are you?” Oh heavens, someone please keep Chu Xingran in check! Every time she accompanied him back to the Gu family, she ended up quarreling, sometimes even brawling with the family members.

“It won’t come to that. That was in the past. I’m a mature and steady adult now,” she replied, though in her mind she was determined to deal with that old witch if she saw her.

“Honestly, I’ve grown up without ever visiting the Gu house!” It was only when she was in her mother’s womb that she had been there. After being born in the hospital, she was sent directly to the ancestral shrine in Jinfeng Town, where Chu Xingran and a group of old men raised her.

Other than during ancestral rites, no one from the Gu family had ever visited him—not even his parents.

“Wait, isn’t the owner of the house to your right named Gu Zhixin?” Chen Yuan suddenly interjected. Both Gu Zhiheng and Chu Xingran’s faces darkened at once.

Gu Zhiheng looked grim. He had suspected from the start that the matter wasn’t so simple.

Gu Zhixin was his eldest sister, twenty-eight years old. Because she had a child out of wedlock, she had been expelled from the family. Yet, behind the scenes, the Gu family still indulged her, especially when it came to mischief.

He had never met Gu Zhixin, but she certainly knew about him. Everyone in the Gu family called him a jinx. Ever since his mother was pregnant with him, his grandfather had predicted his unfortunate destiny. To ensure the family’s continued prosperity and his own survival, he had been sent away at birth.

At that time, everyone at home had cursed his parents, and even the unborn baby was condemned as a scourge, a bringer of misfortune. Not even his mother had been spared, especially his grandmother, who had started it all.

“If I remember correctly, my eldest sister has studied the arcane arts,” he said, the implication clear. If Gu Zhixin wanted to set a fire, she could do it easily without anyone knowing.

“What do you mean?” How could a girl’s mind be so malicious?

No wonder, when Gu Zhiheng delivered the compensation and wine, the neighbor was so agitated, repeatedly saying she wished the fire had finished off Gu Zhiheng, blaming him for their fright. In contrast, the other affected family had been much more gracious, making no trouble for Gu Zhiheng at all.

“Enough. I’ll handle this. You all get ready—I’ll take you to the Gu house tonight.” The Gu family truly was an interesting case, beset by internal and external woes. No wonder their legacy weakened with each generation. The root of the problem was not outsiders or fate, but the Gu family themselves.

Tonight’s concert featured a singer from the Gu family’s younger generation—a boy named Gu Yaming.

The Gu family, once a proud lineage, now chose to forsake their heritage in favor of public attention. A venerable family of over a hundred years had degenerated into a rabble of unremarkable characters, a group unfit to appear in polite society. Other than the family head, who studied the arcane arts from birth, few others were willing to pursue their ancestral craft. Who knew what their sealed ancestor would think if he saw the current state of affairs?

“The rise and fall of the Gu family is not merely due to punishment or a twist of fate,” Mo Han observed sarcastically to Gu Zhiheng, tugging Chu Xingran toward Villa 8 nearby. “It’s largely due to the endless greed and discontent of its members.”

He lived in Villa 9, close enough to keep an eye on things and prevent any more foolishness.

“There’s no need to mention the compensation again. Settle in for now—my villa will be compensated for.” The person who started the fire would eventually pay the price. He cared little about losing a villa, but what mattered was that Chu Xingran had been targeted; he would never forgive that.

The group fell silent, each lost in thought, and the atmosphere turned cold.

The villas here were identical inside and out, and the rooms assigned to them were just as before. However, before they entered, Mo Han strictly forbid anyone from cooking in the kitchen. If they wanted to eat, they were to call him, and he would send someone over.

He had no desire to see his villa go up in flames as well.

As for what had happened, ordinary people would never uncover the full truth—but he was no ordinary person. He had understood everything the moment he arrived at the scene, but had said nothing in order to keep Chu Xingran calm.

If Chu Xingran found out, she would undoubtedly rush over and tear the perpetrator to pieces, leaving nothing of their soul behind. Knowing Gu Zhiheng as he did, Mo Han was certain that if Chu Xingran acted, Gu Zhiheng would side with her without hesitation, likely joining her in retaliation.

In many ways, he envied Gu Zhiheng; though he didn’t understand love, Chu Xingran’s devotion was unwavering. She would give up everything for Gu Zhiheng—even herself.

Even though, earlier that day, Chu Xingran had agreed to be with him, her heart remained with Gu Zhiheng. It always had been, from the very beginning.