Reborn as the Reluctant Saint - Chapter 4 - Who's More Malicious

“Is Gu Hanyu really that kind?”

The viewers were genuinely taken aback this time.

They had been discussing how Gu Yuanyuan’s arrival brought laughter to the traditionally stern Gu Family, making the rigid Gu Zhiguo smile and the serious Zhang Shuhui happy. They praised Gu Yuanyuan’s lively and adorable nature and eagerly anticipated the next meeting between the male and female leads-as the plot had arranged, Gu Yuanyuan and Shen Hui had already met before she returned to the Gu Family, without knowing each other’s identities.

When Gu Yuanyuan was found, she was facing her college entrance exams. To avoid affecting her grades, the Gu Family waited until her exams were over to reunite with her. Gu Yuanyuan couldn’t immediately accept the fact that she wasn’t Zhang Wei and Wang Zhen’s biological child, nor could she accept that they had bought her from human traffickers. This completely overturned her understanding, and coincidentally, she had planned a graduation trip with friends, so she went traveling for a while, initially for fun but now to clear her mind.

Gu Yuanyuan and Shen Hui met during that graduation trip. Newly freed from the constraints of school, teachers, and parents, the young adults were eager to try new things, like spending the night at an internet café or visiting a bar to broaden their horizons.

Gu Yuanyuan and Shen Hui met at a bar. Gu Yuanyuan was beautiful, innocent, and cute, with a youthful curiosity about the world, yet there was a hint of worry in her eyes, making her especially captivating.

Such a girl appearing in a bar full of mixed company easily became prey in the eyes of others. As prey, she naturally faced the hunter’s pursuit.

Gu Yuanyuan was harassed by some drunken men, and even with friends protecting her, she nearly got hurt. In her panic, she accidentally ran into Shen Hui’s private room.

Shen Hui was aloof and indifferent. He merely glanced up at the girl who had stumbled into the wolf’s den.

Gu Yuanyuan was scared. In a room full of people, she immediately noticed Shen Hui. Only his side was empty and quiet. He wore a gray suit, legs crossed, resting his chin on one hand, half his face hidden in shadow. His aura and presence were hard to ignore.

Gu Yuanyuan didn’t have time to think. She felt the men chasing her were closing in, and the force pushing the door behind her was strong. She couldn’t hold it, and as she gave up trying to block it and ran forward, the heavy door was pushed open from outside. The men’s curses and threats, mixed with the smell of smoke and alcohol, filled the room.

“Please, help me!”

Shen Hui raised an eyebrow, finding the girl who had wandered into the wolf’s den amusing. “Help you? What do I get in return?”

Gu Yuanyuan was stunned, fumbling in her pockets for a while, gathering bits and pieces, and only managed to find two hundred yuan. She said awkwardly, “I accidentally dropped my phone, and I only have this much cash on me. If it’s not enough, I can ask my dad for more…”

Everyone was shocked, probably never having seen such an oblivious girl.

Didn’t she know who the man before her was? With a fortune of billions, would he care about her two hundred yuan? Isn’t this insulting? Better to offend the men outside than Shen Hui!

Shen Hui stared at the two hundred yuan for a while, then laughed.

Everyone thought the girl was doomed, but Shen Hui accepted the money, nodded, and the three cursing men were escorted out.

That night, Gu Yuanyuan witnessed what it meant to be surrounded by luxury and excess. Once the crisis passed, she finally saw her savior’s face and realized there were familiar faces in the room-not that she knew them personally, but she often saw them on TV. There were actresses from dramas, models who loved appearing on various shows, and internet celebrities.

The events of that night felt like a dream to Gu Yuanyuan even after she returned from her trip.

Though their meeting was somewhat cliché, it was also unique, especially when Gu Yuanyuan adorably handed Shen Hui two hundred yuan. The comments were full of “Haha,” “Yuanyuan is so cute,” and “Shen Hui is handsome even when confused.”

With such an interesting first meeting, viewers naturally looked forward to Shen Hui and Gu Yuanyuan meeting again, especially with Gu Hanyu in the mix.

In this harmonious atmosphere, Gu Hanyu suddenly brought up the topic of pigs and cows having more direct lives than flowers, leaving viewers stunned for a few seconds.

“What’s up with Gu Hanyu? Eating meat is normal, right? She didn’t seem to be a vegetarian before, and now she suddenly feels sorry for pigs and cows? That’s so fake. She scared Yuanyuan into not daring to eat!”

“Yuanyuan loves meat the most. Watching her eat always makes me feel happy, wanting to eat with her… Now the poor girl can’t enjoy her meat.”

“It’s not Gu Hanyu’s fault. Yuanyuan was the one who said flowers have life and are pitiful when picked. Compared to flowers, pigs and cows’ lives are indeed more direct. When you pick a flower, does it beg for mercy or bleed? But when you slaughter pigs and cows, they not only bleed but also cry out in fear.”

“Gu Hanyu was just considering what Yuanyuan said, which means she took Yuanyuan’s words to heart. Is that wrong?”

“Gu Hanyu is too much of a saint!”

“She talks about feeling sorry for flowers, but when Yuanyuan eats meat, she doesn’t seem to hold back. Isn’t she eating happily? I don’t see much compassion there-malicious!”

“This show is always about drama. Every time I tune in, there’s drama. Can’t you guys just chill?”

“Feeling sorry for flowers and eating meat are completely different things. Gu Hanyu’s overinterpretation is ridiculous!”

“How is it different? Flowers are life, and pigs and cows aren’t?”

“Flowers are life, and pigs and cows certainly are too, but pigs and cows are meant to be eaten. If eating meat makes someone malicious, then you all might as well stop eating!”

“Exactly, how does eating meat make Yuanyuan unkind and malicious? That’s just nitpicking.”

“Strange, I remember last time there was drama because Gu Hanyu didn’t release the flowers and wanted to keep them in her room, and she was criticized for lacking compassion?”

The live stream fell into a strange silence, even the viewers typing comments slowed down.

“…”

“…”

“Flowers are meant for decoration and viewing. If we follow Yuanyuan’s logic, wouldn’t all florists go out of business?”

“Yuanyuan is so fake, typical double standards.”

“Everyone has different viewpoints and stances. Yuanyuan said it was just her personal opinion and didn’t force others to agree. Why call her fake? I think Gu Hanyu is the one pretending to be kind!”

“This live stream is just arguing, and the plot is a silly sweet idol drama that only young girls like. It’s so cliché, I don’t know what’s so good about it.”

Yet people are strange creatures; the more they find something cliché, the more they want to watch it. Especially when the younger sister feels sorry for flowers and doesn’t want them as room decorations, and the older sister feels sorry for pigs and cows and doesn’t want to eat meat. The back-and-forth between the two sisters, both saintly kind, is quite amusing. They truly are sisters.

…

At the dinner table, Gu Yuanyuan had lost her appetite due to Gu Hanyu’s shocking words. She didn’t eat any more meat, only some vegetables and rice. She felt Gu Hanyu’s words were aimed at her, as if saying: “You feel sorry for flowers, but not for pigs and cows? It’s like saying she’s fake and pretentious. But she didn’t mean that.

Gu Yuanyuan was a bit upset, thinking her sister saw her that way.

She looked at Gu Hanyu, whose expression was calm, but her furrowed brow seemed genuinely worried about the pigs and cows on the table. Maybe she was overthinking it?

“I’m considering going vegetarian. What do you think, sister?” Gu Hanyu said.

“Huh?” Gu Yuanyuan was lost in thought and was caught off guard, “Vegetarian? Why?”

“Oh, nothing, just feeling sorry for those little lives,” Gu Hanyu said with a smile. “You’re so compassionate, sister. Would you join me in going vegetarian?”

“…?” Meat is so delicious, why go vegetarian?

“I used to love meat, so deciding to go vegetarian would take some effort. But if you join me, we’ll definitely succeed as sisters.”

“Us going vegetarian together?” Gu Yuanyuan was momentarily speechless, and Gu Hanyu looked at her with a serious expression, as if it was a big decision that needed careful thought.

Gu Zhiguo saw his younger daughter holding her chopsticks, looking dazed. He had just returned home and heard his wife talk about the younger daughter’s remarks on cherishing flowers. His wife said the younger daughter was too kind and naive and needed more care to avoid being deceived. Although he thought cherishing flowers was a small matter, like a child’s innocent words, the younger daughter’s compassion was commendable.

Zhang Shuhui felt something was off. The younger daughter’s compassion for flowers was worth nurturing, and the older daughter’s compassion for pigs and cows was naturally not wrong. Earlier, she thought the older daughter was inconsiderate and unkind, but now she felt she had misunderstood her. However, she was used to being strong-willed and didn’t like admitting mistakes.

She frowned, “Enough, no need to go vegetarian. Just eat properly. Let’s not talk about this anymore.”

Gu Hanyu looked at Zhang Shuhui, her smile fading slightly, and obediently said, “Sorry, Mom, I was just speaking casually. Let’s eat, Yuanyuan, just pretend I didn’t say anything.”

Gu Yuanyuan nodded, not knowing what to say, “It’s okay, sister.”

Gu Hanyu smiled, lowered her head, and ate quietly, not speaking again. Gu Yuanyuan didn’t share her childhood stories either, and the dining room returned to the usual quiet of the Gu Family.

Gu Hanyu ate slowly and gracefully, quietly, without making any noise with her utensils, chewing carefully and elegantly.

But if you looked closely, her smile seemed a bit forced, and she didn’t eat any more meat.

Viewer comments:

“????”

“Gu Hanyu seems quite compassionate?”

“Gu Hanyu is so fake, she seems pretentious.”

“Gu Hanyu looks a bit sad, doesn’t she?”

“Mom Gu is so strange. Yuanyuan cherishes flowers and gets praised, but Hanyu doesn’t get a word?”

“Because our Yuanyuan is genuinely kind, but Gu Hanyu is fake. She’s trying to get attention the same way Yuanyuan did. I saw her being harsh to the maid before, just because she accidentally broke a vase, she fired her! That’s too much.”