I Heard You Liked Me First - Chapter 8

 That night, Gu Yue clenched her teeth and endured every blow her mother landed on her without making a single sound.

This was her punishment she was the one who caused Gu Nan’s grandmother’s death. What right did she have to cry out in pain?

This time, Gu Hongyun didn’t just use her fists and feet. She took out a long wooden stick.

She’d always believed in the saying “Spare the rod, spoil the child.”

That stick had followed Gu Hongyun for over ten years. It was her favorite tool whenever she punished Gu Yue.

In the end, Gu Yue didn’t even have the strength to struggle anymore. She lay on the cold floor like a corpse, the breath of life drained from her body.

Only then did Gu Hongyun drop the stick and coldly say, “You have two days to pull yourself together. You’re coming with me to meet the young master of the Xiao family.”

“Don’t even think about running away again. If you dare try, I’ll break your legs!”

Gu Yue knew this wasn’t an empty threat. Her mother really would do it.

She stayed on the freezing floor for a long time. Even with the heating on, the cold wouldn’t leave her body.

She didn’t understand why she had to be born into a family like this. She didn’t even know what the point of living was anymore.

If it were only her suffering, she could have borne it. But now, she had caused someone’s death Gu Nan’s grandmother and she would never forgive herself for it.

For the next two days, Gu Yue stayed locked inside her room and never stepped out.

Gu Nan only found out after hearing it from the housekeeper.

When they’d first returned to the Gu residence, the housekeeper discovered that Gu Nan’s mother’s old room had been carefully preserved. It showed no signs of being lived in, but it was spotless someone had clearly been cleaning it regularly.

That pleased Gu Nan. She decided to tidy it up and let Gu Yue stay there.

These days, she hadn’t been idle either. Moving back meant having to deal with the other servants, and through casual conversation, she’d gradually learned a lot about what went on in the household.

That’s how she learned that Gu Yue hadn’t left her room since returning. Even the servants whispered that Gu Hongyun must have beaten her again.

At dinner, the housekeeper placed two pieces of carrot onto Gu Nan’s plate. “Don’t just eat meat. You need your vegetables too.”

Then, after some hesitation, she said, “You know, that Gu Yue child… she really has it rough. Even the servants feel sorry for her. Since she came back, her mother hasn’t let her out of the house once.”

“Her mother keeps trying to marry her into a rich family not for the girl’s happiness, but because she wants to use her daughter’s marriage to bring benefits and connections to her own nephew. Can you imagine? Favoring a nephew over your own child people like that are rare these days.”

Women who valued nephews over their own sons or daughters were more common in ancient times or maybe a few decades ago.

The housekeeper sighed. “It’s like my parents’ generation. Back then, people believed only boys could carry on the family line. If a woman couldn’t have a son, she’d try to help her brother’s boy or her husband’s nephew instead, just so the family wouldn’t ‘die out.’ I didn’t expect people today to still think like that. It’s ridiculous.”

Gu Nan nodded. “That’s always been how the Gu family is. They’ve always favored boys. When my mother gave birth to me, she suffered a lot of humiliation for it.”

The housekeeper fell silent for a while, then murmured, “The Gu family really is a place that destroys women.”

After dinner, Gu Nan said, “I’m going out today to handle the transfer procedures. I need to move everything that man left me into my own name. I’ll also go to the company and get an idle position while I’m at it.”

The housekeeper frowned. “Oh dear, so you’re really going to start working there? Working at Gu Corporation won’t be easy.”

Gu Nan smiled faintly. “That’s fine. Just knowing that my being there will make them uncomfortable already makes me happy.”

After dinner, Gu Nan and Chi An went out together.

Chi An accompanied her everywhere, helping her take care of every bit of paperwork. It was already late at night when they finally drove back to the Gu estate.

As Gu Nan’s car approached the gate, something suddenly darted across the front of her headlights. Startled, she slammed on the brakes. A chill ran through her body.

She got out of the car and walked forward only to find a cat crouched there, its back arched, hissing fiercely at her with its fur all puffed up.

Gu Nan had always felt a strange kind of kinship with animals.

She could never bring herself to easily trust people, but when it came to animals, she could release her emotions freely. They were simple, pure, and wouldn’t hurt her without reason.

Looking at the furious cat, she felt her heart skip, realizing she might have frightened it. She forced her face into a serious expression and spoke softly, “I’m sorry. Did I scare you by driving too fast? I didn’t hit you, did I?”

The cat hissed again, baring its teeth.

Gu Nan tried, “How about this I’ll make it up to you. Come with me, and I’ll ask the housekeeper to give you a fish.”

The cat: “Hss!”

Gu Nan: “Two pieces of beef, then?”

The cat: “Hss!”

Gu Nan sighed helplessly. “You’re really fierce, huh?”

The cat: “Hss!”

Gu Nan relented. “Alright, alright, one chicken drumstick too, okay?”

But just as she took a step closer, the cat bolted, disappearing into the bushes in an instant.

“Ah!” Gu Nan called out, but it was gone.

She stood there for a moment, feeling oddly disappointed.

When she turned back toward her car, she thought she saw Chi An’s car door move behind her.

Frowning, she got back inside, wondering if she’d imagined it. If Chi An had really gotten out of her car, how could she not have noticed?

When they arrived home and parked, Gu Nan was immediately handed a cup of warm milk by the housekeeper.

Taking a sip, she said, “I scared a cat at the gate tonight.”

The housekeeper gasped. “You shouldn’t go around bullying poor kittens.”

Gu Nan looked wounded. “I wasn’t bullying it! It ran in front of my car. I stopped right away 

I didn’t hit it. But it… yelled at me for quite a while.”

The housekeeper chuckled. “That’s normal. I’ve never met a girl that animals seem to dislike as much as you.”

Gu Nan sighed into her milk. “But I’m always so gentle with them.”

The housekeeper glanced out the window. “Still, in this kind of cold weather… There aren’t many homes nearby. If that cat’s a stray, I wonder how it’s going to survive the winter.”

Gu Nan froze. “I offered it fish and beef, but it wouldn’t accept them.”

The housekeeper just shook her head, urging her upstairs. “You’ve had a long day. I’ve already drawn your bath go soak and get some rest.”

Outside Gu Yue’s door, Chi An who had overheard the conversation quietly abandoned her original plan and turned to leave.

She didn’t know why, but in Gu Nan’s brief, gentle words, she could hear a trace of longing.

It felt like Gu Nan had wanted that cat had wanted to bring it home but hadn’t managed to coax it.

She remembered how Gu Nan had stood there earlier, her tone soft, coaxing that angry little creature, only to be hissed at again and again.

Thinking of it now, Chi An’s lips curved unconsciously, and a faint warmth flickered in her eyes.

She returned to her room in the Gu family estate a building meant for the servants, security staff, and housekeepers. The facilities were simple, and each room was just around ten square meters.

Fortunately, Chi An didn’t have to share with anyone, and her room was tucked away in a quiet corner on the second floor.

But instead of heading upstairs, she went straight to the kitchen, turned on the stove, and started cooking a steak.

A servant offered to help, but she quickly refused. “It’s nothing difficult. I can handle it. You should go rest.”

Once the steak was done, she cut it into small pieces, packed them neatly into a lunchbox, and carried it to the front gate of the Gu estate. She crouched beside the hedge and opened the box.

After a short while, the same fierce little kitten from earlier crept out. It meowed softly at her its voice now tender and delicate, completely different from before.

Chi An slid the box toward it. “It’s winter now. Can you really survive out here?”

The kitten began eating the meat in quick, eager bites. It was small and thin, barely four or five months old. Chi An couldn’t help but wonder how such a tiny thing had the nerve to hiss at Gu Nan earlier.

The memory made her laugh quietly.

When she reached out to pet its head, the kitten rubbed against her palm, let out another soft meow, and continued eating.

Though Chi An was a cold person by nature, animals never seemed to fear her. Stray cats and dogs would often come to her on their own, letting her touch them without hesitation.

She watched as the little kitten’s belly slowly rounded from eating.

When it was full, the kitten sat upright beside the box and began washing its face with a paw.

Chi An petted its head again. “You’re so little. Winter’s coming can you really make it out here alone?”

The kitten flicked its ears, raised its eyes to look at her, and meowed softly in response.

Chi An said, “If I take you with me, there’ll be someone else who’ll want to pet you too. You’ll have to put up with it, okay?”

The kitten tilted its head slightly, as if trying to understand.

Thinking of what Gu Nan had said to the cat earlier, and remembering the conversation she’d overheard between Gu Nan and the housekeeper, Chi An didn’t wait for a response. She reached out, slid her arm under the kitten’s chest, and scooped it up easily.

Grabbing the lunchbox with her other hand, she stood and said matter-of-factly, “You’ve just been kidnapped. Don’t bother resisting.”

The kitten struggled a little, but once she adjusted her grip to make it more comfortable, it curled up quietly in her arms and stopped moving.

Striding toward the servants’ quarters, Chi An murmured to the kitten, “Alright, here’s the deal. I’ll take care of you. You can do whatever you want most days, but if Gu Nan wants to hold or pet you, you’re not allowed to fight back.”

The kitten’s eyes stayed open, darting around as the scenery changed. Whether it understood her or not, she couldn’t tell.

As Chi An neared her building, she overheard a few servants gossiping in the hallway.

“Miss Gu Yue hasn’t eaten for two days now. Second Miss still won’t let anyone bring her food does she want to starve the girl to death?”

“Probably. You know how cruel the Second Miss is. She’s never liked Miss Gu Yue.”

“Poor thing. Why didn’t Miss Gu Yue stay with her father? Living with that mother of hers must be hell. That woman only ever cares about her nephew. Do you think that boy will even look after her when she’s old?”

“You didn’t hear? Gu Yue’s father is just as bad he brought his illegitimate son home. They both believe only a man can inherit the family business.”

Chi An tightened her hold on the kitten and quickened her pace. The chatter in the living room stopped the moment she stepped in. She nodded a greeting to everyone before heading toward her room.

One of the servants spotted the kitten in her arms and gasped. “Oh my, where did that little cat come from? Miss Chi, are you keeping a pet now?”

Chi An replied simply, “Mm. I’ll keep it in my room. It won’t bother anyone.”

“Of course not,” someone said quickly. “It’s adorable!”

“Right! And if you’re ever busy, we can help take care of it.”

“Thank you,” Chi An said with a small nod.

Another servant took the empty lunchbox from her hands. “I’ll take this. Go on upstairs and get that little one warm it must be freezing outside.”

Chi An thanked her again, handed over the box, and went up to her room.

The servants’ conversation lingered in her mind. She took a towel and gently wiped the kitten’s fur. It was surprisingly clean, so she didn’t bother with anything more and set it down on the warm floor.

The kitten immediately sprawled out and fell asleep in a little puddle of fur.

Chi An sat by the window on a single-seater sofa, frowning slightly as she stared into the pitch-black night.

It had been her idea to send Gu Yue to find Gu Nan. She had planned a way to protect her, but after Gu Yue’s return, the girl had been avoiding her completely, making it impossible for her to step in.

But she couldn’t just do nothing. Gu Hongyun would kill her own daughter one day.

Chi An pulled out her phone and looked at a number she had saved, but never dialed Mrs. Xiao’s number.