After Becoming the Family Head, I Got an Unofficial Fiancée (GL) - Chapter 3
On this weekend morning, Gu Weiyan was still lying on her traditional carved wooden bed, sleeping. The soft bedding was pressed against her smooth back, and her long black hair spread out on the pillow. She buried her face in the center of the pillow, enjoying the cool air from the air conditioner.
Last night, Gu Weiyan had to attend a social event and didn’t get home until after 1 AM. She had drunk some alcohol too, so now she was in a state of a hangover. Even though she was awake, her head still felt groggy and uncomfortable.
In addition to the hangover, Gu Weiyan vaguely heard some noise coming from downstairs. It seemed like someone had arrived at her house, and Aunt Zhou was talking to that person. From the tone, it seemed like they were familiar with each other.
Who could it be, disturbing her sleep so early?
Gu Weiyan lifted her head, glanced at the curtains that hadn’t been fully drawn, and judging by the sunlight, she guessed it must be around 9 or 10 AM.
The noise downstairs continued, so Gu Weiyan covered her head with one hand, sat up on the bed, and shook her head to try and clear the fog.
She picked up her coat from the floor, put it on, and walked barefoot to the door. The spacious villa was bright, with sunlight flooding in. She walked over to the railing and looked down to see Aunt Zhou talking to a young girl.
“Aunt Zhou.”
Gu Weiyan rested her hands on the railing and called down to the two people, “We have guests?”
Aunt Zhou looked up and noticed Gu Weiyan had woken up. She said, “Weiyan, your mother came by earlier and left this young lady here. She said she’ll be living with you from now on.”
Miss Jiang?
Gu Weiyan was still wondering who this “Miss Jiang ” was when the girl standing beside Aunt Zhou looked up.
The girl had clear, bright eyes and was dressed in a clean white dress. She looked up at Gu Weiyan with an innocent expression, making Gu Weiyan pause for a moment.
Jiang Man, looking up at Gu Weiyan, noticed her standing above her. Gu Weiyan was wearing a silk camisole and a black coat, her arms crossed on the glass railing as she looked down at Jiang Man with cool green eyes.
“Hello,” Jiang Man nervously looked at her, lifting her head and speaking, “I’m Jiang Man, we’ve met before.”
“Oh.” Gu Weiyan responded carelessly, but in her mind, a question instantly popped up—
How on earth did this girl end up in her house?
Despite her inner turmoil, Gu Weiyan remained calm and said to Aunt Zhou in a steady voice, “Please make a cup of tea for Miss Jiang, I’m going to wash up. Also, can you heat up breakfast for me?”
Aunt Zhou nodded and saw Gu Weiyan head back to her room. She smiled at Jiang Man and said, “Miss Jiang, from now on we’ll be living together. Just call me Aunt Zhou like Weiyan does. I live on the first floor.”
Jiang Man, feeling a little awkward, looked at her and said, “Aunt Zhou, no need to call me Miss Jiang. Please just call me Xiao Man. That’s what my family calls me.”
“Alright,” Aunt Zhou smiled at Jiang Man, clearly pleased by her polite demeanor. “You sit down, I’ll make you some tea. Or would you prefer a drink?”
“No need for trouble, just a glass of water is fine.”
“Okay, okay, Xiao Man, please sit and relax for a bit.”
Aunt Zhou poured Jiang Man a cup of warm water and went to the kitchen. The whole large living room was now empty, leaving Jiang Man alone.
Being in a new place made Jiang Man feel uneasy. She recalled what Aunt Jiang had told her—Gu Weiyan had a bad temper, and she should be very polite.
She glanced up at the second floor. From the first floor, she could only see the glass railing of the second-floor hallway, not much further inside. Jiang Man thought to herself that since she was here, she should at least greet Gu Weiyan. After all, she would be living here in the future.
With that in mind, she placed her cup down and stood up, walking to the stairs. As she peered upstairs, she heard some movement coming from Gu Weiyan’s room and mustered the courage to go up.
In Gu Weiyan’s villa, only she and Aunt Zhou lived there. This was her property, and since she became independent, she didn’t live with her parents anymore. Living alone, with no one checking on her, gave her complete freedom.
At this moment, Gu Weiyan had just finished washing up in the bathroom and was looking through her closet to decide what to wear. While she was deep in thought, she suddenly heard someone approaching.
Turning around, she saw Jiang Man standing at the door, their eyes meeting.
“Um…” Jiang Man looked at her awkwardly, her voice soft, “I just wanted to come up and say hello. Aunt Gu said she’d be back today…”
“I know,” Gu Weiyan interrupted her, turning to face her. “I don’t like anyone coming into my room.”
Jiang Man lowered her head, looking at her feet on the bedroom carpet. She couldn’t help but step back, retreating to the hallway and quietly apologizing, “Sorry, I didn’t know…”
“It’s fine.” Gu Weiyan turned around and took a black dress from her wardrobe. She said, “There’s a guest room next door. You’ll be staying there from now on. Aunt Zhou is a live-in housekeeper. She works six days a week, while I’m usually out for business, so you won’t see me much. I’m mostly only here to sleep or eat.”
Gu Weiyan paused and then continued, “Since you’ve moved in, I can’t really say much, but there are a few things I need to go over with you. Now…”
She walked slowly to the door and looked at Jiang Man.
“I’m changing now,” Gu Weiyan said softly. “You can entertain yourself.”
With that, she closed the door in front of Jiang Man, the ‘click’ of the lock echoing behind her.
Jiang Man: “…”
She wasn’t going to peek, so why lock the door?
Letting go of the hem of her clothes, Jiang Man sighed deeply. It seemed like the owner of this house wasn’t exactly welcoming her either.
Just like the Jiang family—despite being her bl00d relatives, they still pushed her around when it came to raising her. What more could she expect from a stranger she had only met a couple of times?
Standing at the door of Gu Weiyan’s room, Jiang Man couldn’t help but feel a surge of sadness. No matter where she went, she was always dependent on others, never truly welcomed.
When Gu Weiyan finally came downstairs half an hour later, Aunt Zhou had steamed some buns. The little soup dumplings were plump and white, still oozing golden broth. From a distance, they smelled delicious.
“I’m going to change,” Gu Weiyan said softly to Jiang Man, looking at her. “You can entertain yourself.”
With that, she closed the door right in front of Jiang Man’s eyes, and Jiang Man heard a faint click — it sounded like the door was locked.
Jiang Man: “……”
She wasn’t going to spy, so why lock the door?
Letting go of the hem of her clothes, Jiang Man sighed deeply. It seemed that the host of this house wasn’t exactly welcoming her.
It was the same with the Jiang family. Even though they were bl00d relatives, they would push her back and forth when it came to raising her. So, how could she expect better from a stranger she had just met twice?
Standing in front of Gu Weiyan’s door, Jiang Man couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness rising in her chest. No matter where she went, she was always an outsider, unwelcome.
Half an hour later, Gu Weiyan came downstairs after changing. Aunt Zhou had steamed some buns. The little dumplings were plump and golden, with juices oozing out. Just the smell from a distance made them seem delicious.
As Gu Weiyan entered the dining room, she saw Jiang Man chatting with Aunt Zhou. The girl had tied her hair up into a high ponytail, which bounced along with her small frame. If Jiang Man weren’t so small, it would’ve been hard to guess her age just by looking at her from behind.
“I’ll teach you how to make these next time. Right now, I need to serve the buns.”
“Aunt Zhou, let me help you.”
“Then you can take this plate over there.”
“Okay!”
As Jiang Man turned to walk over, she saw Gu Weiyan sitting at the table, looking at her. Startled, she quickly gripped the plate tighter, afraid that her hand might shake and spill the buns on the floor.
Gu Weiyan noticed her reaction and couldn’t help but laugh. “Am I really that scary?”
Jiang Man shook her head, her ponytail swishing behind her as she walked over and placed the plate in front of Gu Weiyan. “Aunt Zhou just steamed these. Eat them while they’re hot.”
Aunt Zhou, holding a small dish of pickled vegetables, came over and smiled. “Weiyan, here’s the pickles. The soup will be ready soon, so don’t eat too fast.”
At the sound of this, Gu Weiyan put the buns down and looked at Jiang Man. “Have you eaten?”
“I’ve eaten,” Jiang Man smiled. “Aunt Zhou gave me a bun earlier.”
“Aunt Zhou’s buns are always delicious. You can have more in the future,” Gu Weiyan said. Honestly, she didn’t particularly dislike the girl. But every time she remembered that Jiang Man was her business marriage partner, it left her feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
Besides, she had already spoken to her mother upstairs, and her mom had been very clear about the situation. The idea was for the two of them to live together and build a relationship.
Gu Weiyan was curious, though. Didn’t the Jiang family worry about her eating this little girl alive? Were they just sending her straight into the lion’s den?
Her mother laughed on the phone, telling her, “They’re more than happy about it.”
The whole thing left Gu Weiyan feeling frustrated, and as she sat at the dining table, she couldn’t help but have her own thoughts.
“We’ll live together from now on,” Gu Weiyan said to Jiang Man. “I have a lot of quirks, so living with me might be hard for you. Have you really thought this through?”
Jiang Man instinctively grabbed her clothes and began to nervously twist them. Gu Weiyan noticed the small gesture and realized the girl was getting anxious.
“My aunt said you’re a good person,” Jiang Man said softly, looking at Gu Weiyan. “She wants us to get to know each other better…”
Gu Weiyan could guess what the Jiang family had said to Jiang Man. It was probably something about developing a good relationship so they could live together more easily.
Thinking about living under the same roof with this girl, who was still in high school, made Gu Weiyan feel like her life was about to get a lot more difficult. After thinking for a while, she finally said to Jiang Man, “Since you’ve decided to stay, I’ll set a few rules.”
“Rules?” Jiang Man asked, looking at her curiously, unsure of what kind of rules Gu Weiyan meant.
Leaning back in her chair, Gu Weiyan casually crossed her arms and rested them on her legs. She looked at Jiang Man and said, “Just a few ground rules for our ‘cohabitation.’ After all, we’re still in the phase of getting to know each other, and we’re not actually dating.”
Jiang Man immediately understood. Her expression darkened. Living under someone else’s roof meant there were rules to follow — she got it.
Gu Weiyan didn’t notice the shift in Jiang Man’s mood and continued calmly, “First, you’re not allowed to tell anyone I’m your fiancée. Just say I’m your cousin.”
“Second, I have my own life, so you’re not allowed to investigate my whereabouts. If there’s anything you need to know, I’ll tell you.”
“Third, even though you’re an adult, the legal age for marriage is 20. So, we’ll just take these two years to get along. During this time, we won’t interfere with each other. If you find someone you like, you should tell me. We can always break off the engagement.”
After stating these rules, Gu Weiyan looked at Jiang Man and asked, “That’s everything from my side. What about you?”
Jiang Man fell silent for a long while after hearing Gu Weiyan’s conditions, especially the last one. Her mind was a little blank, unsure of what to say. But seeing Gu Weiyan waiting for her to speak, she thought for a long time before asking, “How should I address you?”
Gu Weiyan was a bit taken aback. She hadn’t expected Jiang Man to ask that question.
Since Gu Weiyan was the third in her family, people in her circle sometimes called her “Third Miss.” Those who knew her more casually would call her “Weiyan.” But for Jiang Man, who wasn’t part of her circle or someone she knew well, neither “Third Miss” nor “Weiyan” felt quite right.
“Just call me Gu Weiyan,” Gu Weiyan said. “It’s more proper to use my full name. That way, no one will get suspicious.”
“I understand,” Jiang Man replied, still clutching her clothes. “From now on, it’ll be a hassle for you, Gu Weiyan.”