“Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog.” Gu Meiting hadn’t forgotten. Back when she’d insisted on marrying Jiang Chen, her mother had laid out the pros and cons for her.

Since ancient times, the saying went that a daughter should marry upward, while a son should take a wife from below — meaning a woman should marry into a family of higher standing, while a man should take a wife of lower standing.

And yet Gu Meiting had insisted on marrying into the Jiang family, a family a thousand times beneath the Gu family, despite Jiang Chen’s own inflated sense of his worth. Had Gu Meiting had any pride, had Jiang Chen had any pride, had the couple supported themselves and shared hardship and joy alike, it surely would have become a celebrated tale on Liuxian Island.

But instead, ever since their marriage, this couple had continued living at the Gu residence — not merely as guests, but practically as if they were the masters of the house, with Gu Meiting frequently insisting on interfering in the Gu couple’s decisions.

Had Madam Gu not personally managed the Gu family’s internal affairs, concealing a great many things and silencing a great many mouths, there was no telling what kind of story this would have become across Liuxian Island by now!

Seeing her mother’s brow furrowed, saying nothing for a long while, Gu Meiting suddenly grew alarmed. “Mother, is it because Beiyue’s back, and you want to send us away? Is it that once a daughter’s married off, she can’t come back to the Gu family anymore?”

Jun Beiyue’s arrival — even though it was only because he lay unconscious — had stirred up thoughts in nearly everyone within the Gu family who knew of it!

And nearly everyone shared the very same thought: the moment that man woke, the moment he accepted his role as head of the Gu family, everything about the Gu family’s current order would be turned completely upside down!

Jiang Chen had discussed this with Gu Meiting more than once already — without question, the two of them, as a couple, stood to be affected the most!

Gu Meiting had no designs on seizing power herself, but neither was she willing to give up everything she and her husband currently held within the Gu family!

She also believed that her parents, who doted on her so much, would never simply abandon her!

Sure enough, Madam Gu immediately denied it. “No, no! That’s not what your mother meant at all!”

Under normal circumstances, unless a married daughter had been cast out by her husband’s family, it would hardly be so simple for her to move back to her parents’ home — let alone have her husband live there with her long-term.

Madam Gu understood this well enough, but how could she bear to part with her daughter and grandson? The Jiang family, though weak in standing, hadn’t the slightest fear of the Gu family patriarch, precisely because Meiting had set her heart so firmly on Jiang Chen. If Meiting returned to the Jiang household, she’d inevitably have to live under her mother-in-law’s thumb.

Madam Gu quickly explained, “Meiting, things are different now, and they’ll be even more different going forward. Your father and I are only too happy to have you and Jiang Chen stay — our Gu family needs capable hands now more than ever!”

Madam Gu paused, then continued, “Meiting, your mother only wants to remind you and Jiang Chen of one thing — this household will belong to Beiyue’s authority going forward, so the two of you should show some restraint where it’s due.”

Gu Meiting hadn’t the slightest awareness of her usual high-handedness within the Gu household, and immediately grew angry. “Mother, who’s been complaining about me? Who said something about me — was it that Physician Gu, or that bodyguard Yingzi! I’m in my own home — what do I need to restrain myself for?”

“No one said anything about you. I’m simply reminding you — just now, however urgent things were, Physician Gu is still a guest. Was it really necessary to be so rude to him?” Madam Gu scolded.

“I was just anxious, how was I being rude? I was treating him like family, that’s why I spoke to him that way!” Gu Meiting immediately protested.

“If you truly treated him like family, then you should understand — he’s the person Beiyue trusts most!” Madam Gu reminded her.

Gu Meiting froze for a moment, then suddenly laughed. “Mother, I understand now. You mean I shouldn’t offend Physician Gu and that bodyguard, that I should watch what I say around them, in case they complain to Jun Beiyue later?”

Madam Gu nodded helplessly, saying earnestly, “Meiting, you need to understand, you and Jiang Chen are, after all…”

“After all outsiders, right? After all, I’m already married off — I belong to the Jiang family now, not the Gu family anymore, right? So I need to live carefully under someone else’s roof, watch my step, and not offend anyone?” Gu Meiting laughed coldly, mocking herself.

Seeing this, Madam Gu’s heart ached. What she feared most was seeing her daughter give up on herself like this. She shook her head repeatedly. “Meiting, that’s not what your mother means at all. You need to understand your mother’s difficult position! The Gu family cannot be without an heir, and the Bai family has always had its eye on us! By the end of the year, it’ll be time for the once-in-a-decade Liuxian ranking tournament for rising talents. If our Gu family has no one to enter, we truly won’t be able to hold our ground at the summit of Liuxian Island anymore!”

“So Jun Beiyue is the most important person to you, after all,” Gu Meiting said, still smiling coldly.

“No, no, Meiting — you, your sister, and Beiyue all hold the same place in your father’s and my hearts. We’ve never once played favorites!” Madam Gu explained hastily. “Your mother just wants all of you to do well. I believe Beiyue won’t shortchange you two, either, once he’s himself again.”

Gu Meiting looked at her mother, her face full of disbelief.

Madam Gu, growing more anxious, was about to try explaining again when, from not far behind them, a servant boy’s panicked shouting suddenly rang out. “Physician Hua! Something’s happened at the summit residence — the master says you must come at once!”

At these words, Madam Gu’s face changed instantly, and she hurried off in alarm, with Gu Meiting chasing after her. Neither of them had imagined that Physician Hua’s brief delay with the acupuncture needles would have caused such a catastrophe!

On the bed, Jun Beiyue’s face had turned a terrifying shade of black!

“His pulse has gone erratic again — his qi and blood seem to be flowing backward! Physician Hua, if anything happens to my master, I will absolutely not let you off!” Yingzi said coldly, though inwardly he was in a panic, at a complete loss for what to do.

Physician Gu kept checking the pulse over and over, desperately hoping he was somehow mistaken — but the pulse only grew more chaotic by the moment.

Physician Hua stood there dumbstruck. Just moments ago, he’d been dragged out by Master Gu without a second thought — how could he have foreseen a consequence like this?

Acupuncture could, admittedly, tolerate some delay under normal circumstances — but who could have known Jun Beiyue’s condition would prove so unforgiving of any interruption? For a moment, he too could only stammer, unable to find words.

“This isn’t the time for arguing — quickly, think of something!” Madam Gu urged anxiously. Master Gu, filled with regret, saw Gu Meiting entering the room and immediately said, “Meiting, quickly go fetch Jiang Chen! Right now, his internal energy is the only thing that can stabilize the flow of Beiyue’s blood and qi!”

Gu Meiting glanced once at the figure on the bed, and for the moment set aside all past grievances, turning and running off at once.

The moment she left, Yingzi could no longer hold back his anger and was about to speak, when suddenly Jun Beiyue coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood!

“Master!” Physician Gu cried out in alarm. Yingzi rushed forward as well, but was pushed aside by Physician Hua, who had no time to spare for courtesy either, shoving Physician Gu aside just as roughly as he hurried to check the pulse. The instant his fingers found it, the color drained entirely from his face, and he cried out instinctively, “The blood and qi are surging backward, rushing straight toward the brain! Quick, use internal energy to force it back down at once, or if the blood and qi reach the brain, the consequences will be unthinkable!”

Of everyone present, aside from Master Gu, whose internal energy had still not recovered, the only other person was Madam Gu — whose own physical condition wasn’t particularly strong either.

She couldn’t wait for Gu Meiting to bring Jiang Chen back. She stepped forward at once. “I’ll do it!”

But Master Gu blocked her. “Wife, you mustn’t!”