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Chapter 3

Zhan Yiran still wanted to lift up the painting, but she was worried about being clumsy and damaging it. So she ran to find Aunt Qian, the housekeeper.

"Aunt Qian, Aunt Qian, please arrange for someone to mount the painting. Be very careful. Find two deft and meticulous servants. Don't damage the painting, it was painted by Sister-in-law Gu Nanyan."

At first, Aunt Qian thought Zhan Yiran had suddenly gotten the idea to paint something and wanted it mounted. It was only at the end that she realized it was painted by Gu Nanyan.

Could Gu Nanyan paint?

As she wondered, her mind suddenly buzzed—

Just now, what did the Third Miss call Gu Nanyan?

"Third Miss, what did you call the Madam?"

"Sister-in-law."

Really sister-in-law?

Aunt Qian couldn't believe it. It was like a triple jump. Yesterday, the Third Miss was still complaining about Gu Nanyan looking good. Today at breakfast, she called her sister-in-law, and now she even added "elder" before it.

An elder brother is like a father, an elder sister-in-law is like a mother.

This was a complete acceptance of Gu Nanyan's status.

Aunt Qian was utterly dazed, wanting to ask what magic power Gu Nanyan had. Before she could open her mouth, Zhan Yiran urged her, "Aunt Qian, hurry up. Don't let Sister-in-law wait. The painting needs to be well mounted."

After saying that, Zhan Yiran ran back to the study, like a child, asking Gu Nanyan for praise, "Sister-in-law, I asked Aunt Qian to send people. I'm fidgety and afraid I'll damage the painting you made."

"You did well. You know your strengths and weaknesses and understand how to use people accordingly," Gu Nanyan nodded approvingly.

Sister-in-law praised her!

Zhan Yiran's heart blossomed with fireworks. It was beautiful. Like a puppy, she circled around Gu Nanyan.

This scene was simply unbelievable.

Aunt Qian shook her head, finding it hard to understand. She brought servants and approached the desk, glancing down casually.

With just that one look, she was completely stunned!

This... this was really painted by Gu Nanyan!

Aunt Qian couldn't believe it. She herself was a graduate of the Steward Academy and had even pursued further studies. She had a great appreciation for calligraphy, paintings, and art. She was an accomplished connoisseur herself.

This painting could be said to be no less impressive than the works of contemporary master painters.

If it weren't said to be painted by Gu Nanyan, Aunt Qian would have thought it was by some renowned master.

No, not just any renowned master could paint something like this.

This "Thousand Li Rivers and Mountains" painting captured not just the form but the essence. The towering, fierce, and surging energy. The dominating aura of having mountains and rivers within one's grasp. That imperial majesty—it was something ordinary painters could never comprehend.

Aunt Qian's hands trembled, not daring to touch the painting carelessly.

She hurriedly called two more servants to cautiously take the painting away, carrying it with utmost care.

Afterwards, she approached Gu Nanyan respectfully, "Madam, where would you like this painting hung after it's mounted?"

"Let's hang it in the living room."

The living room originally had an ugly landscape oil painting that Gu Nanyan disliked.

Aunt Qian obeyed the order and left, her attitude much more respectful than before.

After Aunt Qian left, Zhan Yiran wanted to talk to Gu Nanyan, but before she could speak, her phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID and her whole body stiffened, her face turning pale.

Taking a deep breath, she answered, "Hello, Leng Zihao."

"Zhan Yiran, did you snatch the Xin Lian Innovation Competition spot?" Leng Zihao's tone was extremely stern. "You went too far. Just because you have money and power, you can bully others? Xin Lian's group's work was clearly better than yours. How could you be the one who didn't get eliminated when you didn't even pass the exam? How could you have won third place?"

He launched into a barrage of scoldings, disparaging Zhan Yiran as completely incompetent.

Zhan Yiran's eyes turned red as she stubbornly explained, "It's clearly because she has no talent. Why blame me? I may have failed the exam, but what does that have to do with the innovation competition? And it's not just me in our group, there are other excellent members too."

Leng Zihao sneered coldly, "Anyone who hangs around you can't be a good person. They're just sucking up to you because of your family's status. Zhan Yiran, I'll emphasize this one last time, return the spot to Xin Lian, or I'll never speak to you again!"

He hung up abruptly, leaving Zhan Yiran to the dial tone as she screamed angrily.

Why didn't he believe her? Why didn't he believe her? Was she really that bad? Did she not even have true friends who cared about her?

Why did Leng Zihao always look down on her?

Zhan Yiran crouched on the ground, crying bitterly. After a while, she looked up at Gu Nanyan with tear-filled eyes, "Sister-in-law, do you think I'm pathetic? I've liked Leng Zihao for 5 years, from middle school to high school, and then university, chasing after him. But I've never even gotten a kind look from him.

He always scolds me, disdains me, and even wrongly accuses me.

How pathetic am I?"

Zhan Yiran called herself pathetic, but her eyes were full of vulnerability, gazing at Gu Nanyan apprehensively. She was afraid Gu Nanyan would look down on her, even more afraid that Gu Nanyan would lie to comfort her.

She didn't even know what her own mindset was? It was very contradictory.

Gu Nanyan ignored Zhan Yiran's question and was looking at a book on the shelf. Hearing Zhan Yiran's inquiry, she turned to her puzzled, "What's pathetic about you?"

Zhan Yiran wiped the tears from her face and said, "Leng Zihao doesn't like me. He thinks I abuse my wealthy family's status and do whatever I want. He hates me, this rich young lady. But I don't care about his cold words and just chase after him everywhere. My mother and brother think I'm embarrassing myself and lowering my status.

Sister-in-law, don't you think I'm embarrassing myself?"

"How is that embarrassing?" Gu Nanyan was surprised. "You clearly have a pure heart. Your status is high, yet you don't use your family's power to force Leng Zihao to accept you. Instead, you pursue him on equal terms. That's an extremely rare quality."

Gu Nanyan didn't understand why Zhan Yiran's mother and brother would look down on her.

In ancient Great Qi, if Gu Nanyan was willing to interact with officials on equal terms, those officials would be moved to tears of gratitude, praising her for honoring the humble and not relying on noble status.

Countless scholars would write essays praising her.

The whole of Great Qi would spread her good reputation.

Not relying on privilege and being willing to treat others as equals—this was such a rare quality.

Zhan Yiran was stunned. She had expected Gu Nanyan to comfort her, but she never imagined that Gu Nanyan would so highly praise her behavior, and sincerely at that.

A pure heart?

Was she really that good?

Zhan Yiran couldn't believe it. "Sister-in-law, do you really think I'm that rare?"

Gu Nanyan nodded: "Of course, the Zhan family is powerful and influential. You have countless ways to force Leng Zihao to obey, yet you don't use them. Instead, you pursue him on an equal footing, and even when he insults you and misunderstands you, you don't get angry. This proves that you are a genuinely kind and magnanimous girl."

Zhan Yiran's face turned red from the praise.

She scratched her head shyly and asked, "Elder Sister Gu, you said there are countless ways to force Leng Zihao to obey, what are they specifically?"

She couldn't think of a single one.

"It's simple!" Gu Nanyan said calmly. "First, tempt him with money. If ten thousand doesn't work, throw a hundred thousand. If a hundred thousand doesn't work, throw a million. If he still doesn't budge, go after his parents.

Or use force to coerce him. First, break his left leg. If he still doesn't obey, break his right leg."

Zhan Yiran: "......"

Elder Sister Gu is so fierce!