“Yaoyao, you look beautiful today.”

Gu Xuesong’s voice carried genuine praise. After all, anyone chosen by his wife wouldn’t be lacking in any way—this young girl really was outstanding.

“Of course, she’s my daughter. How could she be anything less?”

Chen Hui’s eyes sparkled with pride. Her heart was as sharp as a needle, and with just one glance, she could tell that the men in her family were all impressed, their gazes filled with admiration. This gave her an overwhelming sense of pride—like she had stumbled upon a hidden treasure.

“You boys, don’t just stand there like wooden poles. Quickly introduce yourselves to your little sister,” Chen Hui said, her tone teasing but firm.

The Gu brothers exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. As they had previously discussed, they would introduce themselves according to their birth order.

“Yaoyao, I’m your eldest brother,” Gu Heng said, stepping forward. He was dressed in an impeccably tailored suit, his hair slicked back, exuding the air of a polished businessman.

“I’m your second brother, Gu Mian,” said the man next to him, who was dressed casually in a simple shirt. Thick glasses rested on his nose, giving him the scholarly aura of an academic.

Yaoyao tilted her head slightly, remembering what her mother had told her. Her second brother was deeply immersed in the world of antiques. His eyes seemed to only have room for ancient relics, and if it weren’t for the risk of damaging them, he’d probably sleep hugging one.

“Yaoyao, I’m your third brother. If anyone dares bully you, just tell me, and I’ll drive my car over to collect them,” Gu Jinnian said with a grin.

Third Brother’s features were sharp and bold, with thick eyebrows and large eyes. He resembled their uncle—Chen Hui’s brother—and carried a natural air of righteousness.

The fourth brother, Gu Qiao, worked in research. He hadn’t even changed out of his lab uniform, the logo of his research institute prominently displayed on his chest.

With his long, slender fingers, he waved and said, “I’m Fourth Brother. This is our first meeting, so I didn’t have time to prepare much. Here, take this monocle—it’s the latest product of my research institute.”

“A gift!”

Yaoyao’s eyes lit up as she accepted the monocle from Fourth Brother.

It was an elegant single-lens device, and with some assistance, she put it on.

Gu Qiao explained, “Yaoyao, you can rotate the lens to adjust its magnification. Its functionality rivals that of the most advanced telescopes and magnifiers. Additionally, you can switch modes on the frame. The monocle can scan and analyze the composition of objects and create 3D models, which will help with your studies.”

“That’s so cool! Fourth Brother, you’re amazing!” Yaoyao exclaimed, her large eyes sparkling with excitement. She tried out the different modes and was instantly captivated. It was the first time she had seen something so high-tech, and she immediately fell in love with it.

“Damn it, Fourth Brother! That’s cheating—you didn’t tell us you brought a gift!” Gu Li, the fifth brother, couldn’t help but stomp his foot in frustration.

He had assumed that, as a lawyer, his eloquence would make him the most likable brother. After all, he was confident in his ability to charm anyone with his words.

But now, Fourth Brother had pulled out a cutting-edge research product—how was he supposed to compete with that?

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“People bringing gifts for their little sister is perfectly normal. How is that unfair?” Gu Qiao adjusted his glasses with a calm expression, his tone indifferent.

His words left Gu Li speechless, and the other brothers’ expressions became equally awkward.

“Fourth Brother is right. If you didn’t prepare anything, don’t blame others for being prepared,” Chen Hui chimed in, her face lighting up with amusement as she watched her sons bicker.

Even though Gu Li was still fuming, he had no choice but to plaster on a smile and say, “Yaoyao, I’m your Fifth Brother. I’m a lawyer, you know.”

He expected Yaoyao to be impressed—after all, most children thought lawyers were cool, with their ability to argue passionately in court.

However, Yaoyao was no ordinary child. She simply nodded and said, “Oh,” before turning her attention back to the monocle.

Gu Li: ...

Why just “Oh”? This wasn’t how he’d imagined things would go—he felt utterly defeated.

Seeing Yaoyao’s focus on the monocle, Gu Li shot a glare at Fourth Brother, looking like a rooster who had just lost a fight.

Gu Yu, the sixth brother, was laughing so hard his face hurt. “That’s what you get for your overconfidence. Looks like you’ve been completely humbled.”

However, Gu Yu wasn’t the only one who had come prepared.

The sixth brother, Gu Hanzhen, reached into his pocket and pulled out a handgun.

“Damn it, Sixth Brother! That’s way too much!” Gu Li exclaimed in shock. Even Gu Xuesong couldn’t hide his surprise, his eyes narrowing as they swept over the weapon.

“What are you panicking for? It’s not a real gun. I’m in the military, not some outlaw gang—I know what’s appropriate,” Gu Hanzhen said calmly.

Gu Li was speechless. He could understand giving a monocle, but a gun? How did that make sense? Did Sixth Brother not see Yaoyao as a girl?

Gu Hanzhen explained, “Yaoyao, I’ve modified the gun’s barrel to widen its caliber. It doesn’t fire bullets but rather special clay pellets and smoke bombs. It’s perfect for self-defense.”

“Thank you, Sixth Brother! I love it!” Yaoyao said happily, her eyes shining as she accepted the gun.

She remembered how, during her trips to the mountains, she had to rely on stones to scare off birds. With this, everything would be much easier!

However, since her dress didn’t have any pockets, she had to tuck the gun into the handbag her mother had prepared for her.

At this point, only the youngest brother, Gu Yu, hadn’t spoken. All eyes turned to him.

Everyone knew that Gu Yu had the advantage of being closest to Yaoyao—they were practically inseparable. The family was curious to see what he had prepared.

Sensing the attention, Gu Yu remained calm, even giving Yaoyao a subtle signal. “Yaoyao, my gift is a bit of a secret. Come to my room after the banquet to get it.”

Yaoyao immediately caught on to the signal—it was their secret code for sneaking snacks. Her smile brightened as she replied, “Thank you, Seventh Brother. Seventh Brother is the best!”

The Gu brothers were stunned. Gu Yu hadn’t even revealed his gift, yet Yaoyao was already so happy.

Gu Li nearly ground his teeth to dust in his jealousy.

“That’s all your brothers. Aside from your Second and Sixth Brothers, who aren’t home often, the others are usually around,” Chen Hui said, before adding, “And don’t forget your nephews! Xiaowei, Panpan, come say hello to your little aunt.”

Yaoyao was pleasantly surprised to learn she was an aunt. Following her mother’s gaze, she spotted two little boys.

The sturdy, sun-kissed one was Panpan, Third Brother’s son. Outgoing and cheerful, he grinned widely and called out, “Little Aunt!”

The other boy was pale and delicate, with a hint of sickness in his complexion—this was Xiaowei, Eldest Brother’s son.

Yaoyao’s bright eyes lingered on Xiaowei, and she suddenly let out a soft “Huh?”

“What’s wrong?” Chen Hui asked, noticing the change in Yaoyao’s expression.

Turning to Gu Heng, Yaoyao asked, “Eldest Brother, was Xiaowei born in the year of Yiyou, the month of Guiwei, on the day of Dingsi, at the hour of Wei?”

Caught off guard by the use of heavenly stems and earthly branches, Gu Heng was momentarily confused. But after calculating in his head, he realized Yaoyao was correct.

“Yes, he was born at the start of the Wei hour. Is there a problem?” Gu Heng asked, his expression serious.

Chen Hui’s face also grew tense. Xiaowei, as the eldest grandson of the Gu family, had always been frail, but he was deeply cherished by everyone.

Under the worried gazes of the family, Yaoyao nodded slowly. “Xiaowei’s birth chart is pure yin—born in a yin year, yin month, yin day, and yin hour.”

“In simpler terms, his constitution is light and vulnerable to unclean energies. At first glance, his condition seems like simple frailty, but that’s not the case.”

“Why is that?” Gu Heng asked, his heart sinking.

Yaoyao’s tone turned grave. “Because Xiaowei is missing one of his souls.”

[--------------------------------------------]

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