November 5, 2012, Jiangyuan City, in Fengcai Garden residence area.
In front of door number 3 on the 17th floor of building A, a handsome young man stood dazedly, mumbling incomprehensibly to himself.
"I, Gu Luo, have actually returned to Earth?" The young man looked around at the familiar surroundings, unable to believe it.
"Since I escaped from a great disaster and travelled to the North Star to join the Immortal Sect, it has been three thousand years. Three thousand years, in which I cultivated to the pinnacle of the Tribulation stage, becoming a generation's Immortal Emperor."
"Now, after failing the Tribulation, I have returned to Earth during my youth?"
"In my past life, in order to become immortal, I trained with the Heartless Immortal Technique, and ultimately couldn't defeat my own heart devil, failing the Tribulation."
"This life, I came back to Earth, naturally to make up for regrets of the last life; to protect those around me, and return to the peak of the Immortal Emperor!"
Gu Luo looked at the familiar door number, secretly making a resolution.
"I, in the past life, was really a filial son. This life... not anymore... never again." Reflecting on past events, Gu Luo silently clenched his fist.
He took several deep breaths and slowly knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" The door was opened by Gu Luo's adopted sister, Gu Lingrou. She was adorable yet mature. Her smile instantly faded when she saw Gu Luo's face.
"You haven't been back in a year. What are you doing back now? You're to blame for our home looking like this! How dare you show your face here again?!" Gu Lingrou yelled.
"Do you want money again? Let me tell you, our mom works really hard; can't you let her have some peace?!" She glared at Gu Luo fiercely and slammed the door shut.
Gu Luo blankly looked at the closed door, a wave of guilt and unease rushed over him, warmed his heart.
In his past life, he had poor grades and a bad character. He caused trouble in school and tried to live beyond his means. He often asked his family for a large amount of money just so he could afford to buy gifts for his goddess and pretend to be wealthy.
Ever since Gu Luo's father disappeared, his family's finances had plummeted dramatically, almost entirely sustained by his mother working at the factory. Gu Luo's actions now were undoubtedly adding insult to injury.
"Rou'er, why are you shutting the door so violently? Who is it?"
"Is it your brother? Ah? Has your brother come back?"
A familiar voice sounded from inside the house.
"Mom..." Gu Luo's eyes filled with tears.
Yawn, Gu Luo's mother, Zhang Shuzhen, opened the door, and instantly stiffened upon seeing Gu Luo. She lost grip of the spatula in her hand, and it clattered to the floor.
Tears welled up in her eyes. She fidgeted with the apron around her waist, at a loss for words. "You’re...back.... It's good you’re back... It's really good..."
Faced with his mother who seemed both familiar yet foreign, Gu Luo could no longer hold back his emotions. He rushed forward to tightly embrace her as tears streamed down his face.
"Mom... I missed you so much..." Gu Luo choked out.
"And mom missed you... You’ve grown taller and more handsome in the past year!” His mother wiped away Gu Luo's tears, and she herself started sobbing.
Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she carefully asked, "Xiao Luo... Are you short of money again? We really don't have much at home right now... Or else, can I give it to you after I get my salary?"
Gu Luo felt like crying but laughing at the same time, how could his mother think he came for money? Alas, seems like the bad image he left behind in his previous life was not something that could be changed easily.
"Mom, I didn’t come for money, really, I realize my mistake, mom. From now on I will definitely change." Gu Luo tried to emulate a high schooler’s sincerity.
"That's good... Xiao Luo has grown up..." His mother said with a sigh of relief, then suddenly, she burst into a violent cough.
"Mom, you should really go to the hospital to get this cough checked out! It has been dragging on for too long!" Gu Lingrou, who was sulking on the sofa, said with a worried expression.
"No need to go to the hospital, Mom. Can I take a look?" Gu Luo took his mother's hand to take her pulse.
"No need, no need, it's just a small problem. Oh no, the food's about to burn!" His mother's face changed as she hurriedly ran into the kitchen.
She didn't take Gu Luo's words to heart.
Worriedly, Gu Lingrou looked at their mother, before glaring fiercely at Gu Luo. She took out a paper package from the room and handed it to Gu Luo.
"This is the last time. You need to stop hanging around with those good-for-nothings, okay?" Gu Lingrou said coldly.
"Where did you get this money?" Gu Luo frowned, his face suddenly changing. "Did you take up a part-time job at a KTV again? Haven't I told you, it's dangerous to go to such places, especially for a young girl like you!"
He remembered clearly. In his previous life, his younger sister often worked part-time at a KTV to help support the family. That had led to her being targeted by some rich second generation guy, almost losing her honor.
In this life, he'd never allow his sister to go to such places again, he would not stand her being hurt in the slightest.
"Don't ever go there again, understand? I'll take care of the money problem." Gu Luo pushed the money back to Gu Lingrou, holding her shoulders firmly as he spoke in a deep voice.
Gu Lingrou's expression was cold and unyielding. Just as she was about to say something, a series of knocks at the door interrupted her.
A pointed voice, filled with sarcasm, transmitted from outside the door: "Shuzhen, I'm here again. How have you been considering? You really can't delay this matter!"
As the door opened, an overpowering aroma of perfume stung his nostrils. A middle-aged woman, dressed in fishnet stockings, high heels, and plastered in heavy makeup sauntered in, still charming in her older years.
"Aunt?" Gu Luo was slightly surprised.
The woman was Gu Luo's aunt, Fang Chunmei. But ever since Gu Luo's father, Gu Tianzhi, disappeared, Gu Luo's family had been ostracized by the Gu family and eventually forced to move out and rent a house.
Fang Chunmei hadn't sought them out in several years. Now she unexpectedly came visiting, why might that be?
"Little Luo, right? I haven't seen you in a few years. You've grown quite a bit, almost catching up with my Yuan. I must say, you're rather handsome. So, have you found a girlfriend yet? I heard your fiancée broke up with you?" Fang Chunmei strolled around as if no one else existed, an ironic smile always on her face.
"Chunmei, you really should give us a heads-up before visiting... Our house is a bit messy, I hope you don't mind!" Gu Mother, ever the timid one, felt embarrassed upon seeing Fang Chunmei.
"Clean up? Shuzhen, I've been here several times. No matter how much you clean, it'll always look like a doghouse...wait, no. Even my dog's house is cleaner than this." Fang Chunmei carelessly set her LV bag on the sofa, glancing obliquely at Gu Mother, and comfortably crossed her legs as she sat down.
Gu Mother lowered her head, clearly embarrassed.
"If you're here to humiliate us, please leave right away." Gu Luo, a celestial emperor, naturally couldn't tolerate such humiliation.
Had his mother and sister not been present, he would have slapped her already.
"Is this how you raise your children, Shuzhen? If this gets out, people will laugh their heads off!" Fang Chunmei sneered coldly.
"It is my fault for not educating Luo well... Luo, hurry up and apologize to your auntie..." Gu Mother became anxious, speaking to Gu Luo.
Gu Luo sighed, his mother was wonderful in all aspects, but she was too, too timid. It was precisely because of this that their family was pushed to a dead end.
I'm sorry." Gu Luo said plainly. He thought to himself that this apology was said on his mother's behalf, he would settle score later on.
"That's more like it! How can one lack manners!" Fang Chunmei laughed gleefully.
