These years, the shared teaching from Mister Jing and Madam naturally had a great effect on Julian, making him the best heir in the Gu family.
Another young master in the Gu family became more and more troublesome. The Gu family had become emptier over the years because of this.
Moreover, Mister Jing's health got worse year by year. Sometimes when an old illness flared up, he would fall into a coma and sleep for months. Many things then could only rely on Mister Jing again.
Although the Gu family was clearly declining, no one understood why Mister Jing was so blind. He could not see this simple truth.
Still, relying on Mister Jing, he secretly treated the Gu family as a thorn in the eye.
The Gu family's power had indeed become stronger over the years.
Although Gabriel did not hold any official position, and strictly speaking was only half a businessman, no one in the southern region dared to openly show dissatisfaction with him.
Mister Jing thought Gabriel's power was too great, harming the Gu family's interests. Since Madam controlled almost half of the southern market's finances, the Gu family felt the Gu family was too difficult to deal with and tried every way to block Gabriel and Madam.
But now, what good was blocking them? It only made Mister Jing angrier and sped up the Gu family's decline.
Besides the Gu family, those few rats secretly encouraging Mister Jing to make such a choice needed to be dealt with.
Gabriel went last time to handle those rats.
He did not expect Madam to suffer such pain.
However, it was also their fault for not discovering Madam's special condition after so many years.
Recently, Gabriel stayed close to Madam.
The butler looked at Gabriel through the rearview mirror, not knowing what to say or dare to speak.
Gabriel looked at the prescription in his hand. His mind flashed back to that day when Eleanor was drunk, and the old doctor asked him to feed her medicine.
After leaving with the bowl of medicine, he found the mark on Eleanor's wrist the next day and saw her indifferent expression.
He gently twisted the prescription between his fingers and tightened his grip.
He had spent ten years with Eleanor and five years as her husband, but thinking carefully, he had not spent much real time with her.
Eleanor was not like ordinary women, not even like women of this time.
She was not a fragile vine in the back courtyard but a beautiful red maple in the front yard, able to give shade under the summer sun.
They met by accident ten years ago, and she saved him.
If the Gu family had not fallen, he would have thanked her properly and treated her with sincere respect.
But back then, the Gu family had already fallen. He struggled through years of life and death and betrayal.
His whole body was eroded by hatred. He had lost the ability to trust others.
Except for finding the girl from the past and avenging the Gu family, he had no other desires.
He knew every gain had a loss. To complete these two things, he had already paid enough.
Besides finishing these two things, he had little left and did not expect more.
Eleanor met him that year and insisted on marrying him. The life that followed was the price she had to pay.
He once thought since it was a price, there was no need for complaints or regrets.
Now hearing the sudden news, Gabriel lowered his eyes to the Buddhist mark on his wrist and found no peace inside as he expected.
At that time, to investigate the Gu family's fall and regain power quickly, he allowed her to stay by his side.
Five years ago, he agreed to her proposal, also with ulterior motives.
Because of those motives, he accepted many differences she had from other women and gradually got used to and even admired her.
She was busy with her career, and he planned his revenge.
They slept on the same bed, but his knowledge of her was very little in hindsight.
Serious scars, sensitive constitution, past injuries, and fundamental damage?
What were all these?
He had no clue after ten years?
That should not happen. Even if not a husband's understanding, at least to know weaknesses for control was necessary.
Gabriel had learned and practiced this well after the Gu family fell.
Now, it failed with Eleanor.
The car smoothly drove on the road. Everything outside the window moved backward in a blur.
Gabriel looked up into the distance and suddenly said, "Stop the car."
The butler immediately hit the brakes. Gabriel looked at the attendant behind him, "Go check if she suffered serious injuries while abroad all these years."
Eleanor met him just after returning ten years ago. In the first five years, she came to him every day, surrounded by many bodyguards helping with various affairs.
She was skilled herself. Even if attacked, she could fight back completely. Serious injuries were impossible, much less ones he didn't know about.
In the latter five years after their marriage, she restrained her former arrogance and gradually became a real Madam Gu. Her behavior became more proper, and she went out less, making injuries even less likely.
The attendant immediately obeyed, got out of the car, and ran to the nearest secret Gu family location.
The car started again. Gabriel still held the prescription and said, "Go to Yao County."
Yao County was the common name for a county near Anhai City that produced all kinds of medicine, including rare and precious herbs, hence called "Medicine County."
The butler turned the steering wheel and accelerated, "Yes."
......
Gabriel went to Yao County himself to pick the medicine. All were top-grade precious herbs.
The shop owners in Yao County smiled broadly and said many flattering words.
"Sir, your prescription is highly nourishing but has been specially balanced. The medicine is gentle and can be brewed twice a day. It strengthens the body and stabilizes the foundation. With your natural noble aura's blessing, you will surely live long, lively and strong even at ninety."
Gabriel got in the car amid the owners' flattery.
Back in Anhai City, Gu family's mansion, the butler immediately ordered the medicine packages to be taken to the kitchen to brew, then prepared to go to the study with Gabriel.
But Gabriel did not go straight to the study like usual. He looked at Maid Yu, Eleanor's personal servant, "Where is Madam?"
Gabriel rarely asked about Madam actively. If it were before, Maid Yu would happily answer.
Now thinking of Madam's situation, Maid Yu hesitated and did not speak.
The butler winked hard at Maid Yu behind Gabriel, "What are you waiting for? The master is finally going to see Madam. Use this chance to improve their relationship!"
Maid Yu noticed Gabriel's gaze turn cold and finally said, "Madam… Madam is in the guesthouse talking to… Second Young Master Bernard."
The butler was stunned.
Second Young Master Bernard? Miguel?
Why was it that Bernard again?
Thinking of Bernard's past close years with Madam, the butler almost subconsciously looked at Gabriel.
Gabriel's face showed no emotion. Just as the butler thought Gabriel would not ask more, Gabriel said, "What is the matter?"
"Seems like… it's about your sealing of Second Young Master Miguel's 'Yueqiu Bar.'"
......…
About "Yueqiu Bar," Miguel had been pestering Eleanor for many days.
Before, he sent servants to ask for appointments. Seeing the servants get kicked out in various ways, Miguel wanted to come personally and knock on the Gu family's back door.
But he was no longer the young man from ten years ago. Watching Eleanor cut off his sharp edges over the years and become a proper Madam Gu, he held back his emotions.
He feared truly ruining her reputation and did not come himself, only sending servants repeatedly.
Perhaps finally tired of knocking, Eleanor allowed the servant in today.
Inside the guesthouse, Eleanor stared directly at Miguel with an expression that said "Why bother, young master?"
"You, a second young master of the Mo family, own half the street, yet keep watching a bar every day? What's the point? I already said your bar was sealed not because of me, but because Gabriel focused on something else."
Miguel smiled, "That bar was built by my own hands, so I care. I don't want some people to throw away the old for the better."
His words seemed pointed. Since Eleanor stopped "partying" with him, Miguel carried a sort of abandoned resentment, always acting like this when seeing her.
Eleanor looked at him twice, tired of arguing, and directly handed him a deed.
"Sign it."
Miguel immediately brightened. "Ling Lou? The best restaurant in Anhai City, just giving it to me? So generous?"
Ling Lou was the best restaurant in Anhai City and Eleanor's top restaurant.
When she first settled in Anhai City, Ling Lou collected news from all over the city and gradually developed into the biggest restaurant, attracting officials, nobles, and all classes.
Because of that, everyone in Anhai City knew Ling Lou was hers. People came either for her or for Gabriel, making the news there one-sided and flattering. The truly important secret meetings and news were no longer held there.
By then, Eleanor's power had grown, and many "Ling Lou" restaurants spread across the city. She gradually made the original Ling Lou a pure restaurant.
It was a kind of "peak and decline," since a place for spying must not be too obvious.
Now Miguel's bar was sealed by Gabriel. Though no one knew what Gabriel targeted, the bar was unlikely to return.
Ling Lou was no longer necessary for her. If Miguel wanted it, she would give it.
Besides, Eleanor had been back in Anhai for ten years. In the first five years, Miguel spent more time with her than anyone else, even more than with Gabriel.
Though now moody and sometimes reckless, he never truly harmed her, so she helped him when there was no principle issue.
Miguel looked at the deed for a while, then signed it.
But his mischief was not over. Holding the deed with one hand, he smiled at Eleanor and said,
"Since that's the case, help me rename the restaurant. I want a new sign."
"What name?"
"Yueqiu," Miguel slowly said one word at a time, "Yue as in 'pleasure,' Qiu as in 'autumn.'"
The word "Qiu" rolled around his mouth like it was being bitten and twisted, giving a seductive tone, like his gaze at Eleanor, where something flickered and surged.
Outside the guesthouse, Gabriel had just arrived and clearly heard Miguel's words.