Chapter Eighteen: Old Wang Would Never Let the Teacher Be Bullied!

Like any major aristocratic family, the Gu household maintained a dedicated butler to oversee the various affairs of the estate.

The butler, surnamed Wang, had essentially watched Gu Yichao grow from a taciturn young boy into the formidable helmsman of the Gu family empire. Having no children or grandchildren of his own, he had poured the better part of his life’s devotion into Gu Yichao. He regarded Gu Yichao as his own grandson, and in turn, held the man’s absolute trust.

During the period Gu Yichao was in a coma, urgent matters that exceeded the authority of the secretarial office were not handed over to the predatory relatives lurking on the sidelines; instead, they were left entirely to Butler Wang to handle.

When Gu Yichao finally awoke, the butler happened to be away on business, negotiating a major deal. Upon hearing the news, he resolved the matter with the utmost speed and rushed back.

When he arrived home, the nanny was in the living room, tending to a collection of goldfish worth hundreds of thousands.

"Butler Wang, you're back!" The nanny looked up at the sound of his footsteps, her eyes instantly lighting up with surprise. "Weren't you supposed to be back the day after tomorrow?"

Butler Wang offered a gentle smile. "I heard the Master had woken up, and I couldn't stop worrying. I hurried through the final tasks, signed the papers, and rushed right back."

He spoke with such breezy nonchalance, as if a billion-dollar deal were a triviality no more significant than deciding what to have for dinner.

"Is the Master in the study?"

The nanny faltered, her gaze shifting evasively as she shook her head with a stammer.

Butler Wang, sharp as ever, sensed something was wrong. His eyes narrowed. "Has something happened? Where is the Master?"

"The Master is in the garden," the nanny hesitated, then added, "He is... he is helping the young master play soccer."

"The Master's legs have recovered?"

The question escaped his lips before he could stop it. But that couldn't be right—if the Master’s legs had healed, why hadn't anyone told him? And why was the nanny acting this way?

The nanny lowered her head further, her voice tinged with trepidation. "They haven't recovered. He is still in his wheelchair. It’s... it’s the Madam who made him do it."

She had been shocked when she found out, but she had not dared to speak up.

"How could the Master ever agree to such a thing!"

Having raised Gu Yichao, Butler Wang knew better than anyone just how prideful and self-respecting the man was. For a man who was once full of vigor and accustomed to controlling every aspect of his life, being crippled meant profound suffering and humiliation. Even if Gu Yichao maintained a calm and composed facade, he must have been suffering immensely on the inside.

This was one of the reasons he had rushed back so frantically.

But he had never imagined that Shen Jin'an would be so cruel as to strike at the Master’s most sensitive wound, even using the young master as leverage to force his hand.

He had always felt that Shen Jin'an was no good. To have such a clouded look in her eyes at such a young age—she could hardly be a person of good character. Furthermore, since her arrival, young Liri’s personality had changed so drastically that it was hard not to suspect her involvement. If not for the lack of evidence, he would have long since voiced his suspicions to the Master.

"So foolish!"

Butler Wang sighed heavily, his aged face etched with distress. He looked at the trembling nanny, a note of reproach creeping into his tone. "When the Madam made such an outrageous request, you lot should have tried to stop her."

Even as he said it, he knew his words were harsh; they were merely ordinary employees, and what right did they have to dictate things to their employers?

"Never mind, I cannot blame you."

But it didn't matter. He was back now, and he, Old Wang, would never allow the Master to be bullied again!

Butler Wang adjusted his reading glasses and marched toward the garden, puffed up with righteous indignation, completely forgetting that Gu Yichao was never a pushover—in the past, it was always the Master doing the bullying.

Before he even reached the garden, he heard the light, youthful laughter of Gu Liri. It caught him off guard; since that woman had married the Master, how long had it been since the young master laughed like this?

But even the young master’s happiness could not be built upon the Master’s humiliation!

Butler Wang took a deep breath and stepped firmly onto the path leading to the garden.

However, the scene he had imagined—of the Master, forced to maneuver his wheelchair in a heartbreaking pursuit of a ball just to please the child—did not materialize.

Young Liri stood in the center of the grass, a soccer ball larger than his own head placed before him. He stared at the ball, his small face solemn and serious. He pulled his right foot back, held his breath, and with all his might, kicked at the ball!

Because his legs were too short, the ball didn't budge an inch. Instead, Liri, having exerted too much force, lost his balance and plopped down onto his bottom.

Fortunately, the grass was soft. The young master looked dazed for a moment, then stood up, brushed off his bottom, and made a second attempt.

Same expression, same action, though he moved an inch closer with caution.

Aim, kick!

This time, he made contact, but the ball only rolled lazily across the grass. It wasn't so much a shot on goal as it was a stroll. It came to a steady stop right next to a wheelchair.

Even so, it was enough to make Gu Liri jump for joy.

Gu Yichao bent down, picked up the ball, and tossed it casually toward Liri. His expression was peaceful, even faintly amused; there was not a trace of the gloom, impatience, or misery that Butler Wang had feared.

As the ball rolled, Gu Liri chased after it, pounced on it at the right moment to stop it, then clutched the ball to his chest, ran back to the starting point, and resumed his training.

Not far away, Shen Jin'an, lounging under a parasol with a cup of milk tea, could no longer watch. She shouted, "Gu Liri, are you serious? You can't even get that into the goal? Put more force into the next one!"

It was a clumsy, transparent attempt at reverse psychology, but for the little cub, it was just right.

"I can do it!"

Gu Liri clenched his small fists and kicked again. This time, the ball moved much faster, flying straight toward Gu Yichao’s face.

Seeing this, Shen Jin'an exclaimed excitedly, "That’s the one!"

Gu Liri jumped up, "Liri is super awesome!"

However, when she saw Gu Yichao catch the ball easily with one hand, Shen Jin'an shook her head in disappointment. "What a pity, just a little off."

Gu Liri sighed along with her, "So pitty, so pitty."

"It's okay, Liri. Aim for your dad with the next one and use more strength."

Gu Liri was puzzled. "Aren't I supposed to aim for the goal?"

Shen Jin'an waved her hand dismissively. "Same thing, same thing. Isn't your dad right in front of the goal?"

"Oh, right!"

Gu Yichao, the intended target who had nearly been pelted: ......

Butler Wang, who had witnessed the entire process from the sidelines: ......

For some reason, the scene suddenly brought a thought to Butler Wang’s mind: "They don’t treat me like a disabled person, and they don’t even treat me like a person."