Chapter 425: Chapter 425: Making Connections for an Official Career
Mu Shan was Mu Ziquan’s bodyguard and followed his master’s orders to the letter. Besides, these women had offended their de facto young mistress.
He was ruthless in dragging them away, but he only took those two.
Everyone in the living room had a clear view of what happened at the entrance. When they looked at Gu Jiaojiao again, they all felt a certain wariness.
The Bao Family’s eldest son was also in the living room with his wife and daughter. This mother-daughter pair was a cut above the lady and her daughter from before.
The mother possessed an even more refined air than the previous lady, and her daughter was far more beautiful.
The young girl asked in a crisp, clear voice, "Mom, should we tell Grandma that our fifth great-aunt’s daughter-in-law was kicked out by Ziquan?"
"Don’t be a busybody. Your grandma has probably already seen it," her mother said, gently patting her daughter’s hand.
The young girl watched Gu Jiaojiao with curiosity. She felt a pang of jealousy but was careful not to let it show.
It was because she thought Gu Jiaojiao was truly beautiful—much, much more so than herself.
Her Bao Family and the Mu Family were related. Her grandma and Grandma Mu were cousins, but by her generation, the blood ties were incredibly distant.
This meant she and Mu Ziquan could technically marry, and she’d had a secret crush on him since childhood.
She could tell that the caregiver had no romantic interest in Ziquan. Therefore, her jealousy was purely over the woman’s beauty; there was no real hostility.
She also knew that Ji Yan of the Xiao Family liked Ziquan. She thought she saw Ji Yan and an aunt from the Mu Family greeting guests.
And they were being very respectful when they spoke to the caregiver. ’Or am I just imagining it?’ she wondered.
Just as her mother had said, Granny Bo had indeed seen Gu Jiaojiao.
But she was utterly stunned!
Every day during her commute, she would go to the spot where she had fainted, hoping to run into her savior.
But more than twenty days had passed, and she had never once managed to find her.
And now, here she was, pushing Ziquan in his wheelchair. It was clear they knew each other well.
By the time she snapped out of her daze, her young savior had already been led upstairs to the second-floor living room by Mr. Han and Elder Xiao.
One of the Bao family’s granddaughters rushed to Granny Bo’s side. "Grandma, that caregiver just now..."
Granny Bo immediately cut her off with a stern warning, "Shut your mouth. Do you want to be thrown out, too?"
"Bo Zhao Yue, get over here and get your daughter in line! If the Mu Family throws you out today, don’t you dare call me ’Mom’ ever again."
"Mom, I’ll keep her in line," a middle-aged woman immediately replied, pulling her daughter over to a seat in the corner.
The granddaughter’s grip on her mother’s hand tightened. "Mom, you were right. Grandma just saw our fifth great-aunt’s daughter-in-law get thrown out."
"That great-aunt is your grandma’s own sister. She saw what happened and didn’t step in. For the sake of your father and your uncles, your grandma doesn’t want to offend the Mu Family."
"But Mom," the granddaughter whispered, "the Mu Family’s social standing isn’t any higher than our Bao Family’s, is it?"
"Daughter, it’s true the Mu Family’s standing isn’t higher than ours, and it’s not as if they’re out of our league. But true happiness only comes from a love that is mutual."
"Even if you love someone deeply, you can’t be impulsive. Not all secret crushes lead to something."
"Daughter, you can’t force love. Mu Ziquan doesn’t have those kinds of feelings for you."
"Mom! What are you talking about? Ziquan is cold and distant with everyone. That block of wood doesn’t know the first thing about love."
"He’s just like Dad and my brothers—cold on the outside, warm on the inside. And Dad has treated you wonderfully ever since you two got married, hasn’t he?"
Her mother patted her hand. She opened her mouth to say something but ultimately held her tongue.
’Mu Ziquan isn’t a block of wood,’ she thought. ’The way he looked at that caregiver just now was so affectionate and doting. I’m sure I didn’t see it wrong.’
’And my mother-in-law... she was looking at the caregiver as if she were her savior.’
’I know my mother-in-law and my husband have been searching for that person for more than half a month. Could that caregiver be her?’
"Bao Tingting, do not, under any circumstances, provoke that caregiver. She is not someone you can afford to offend."
"Okay, Mom. Don’t worry," Bao Tingting replied. Her mother’s words left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she didn’t dare argue.
None of her brothers were at home; it was just her living with their parents. Her mother usually doted on her and rarely ever used her full name.
The Bao Family was a large, extended household that hadn’t split, so it was mostly women at home. As the saying goes, three women are enough to start a drama.
Yet, by her grandma’s side, her mother managed to keep the entire Bao household running in perfect order.
Her uncles, brothers, and cousins were all fighting on different battlefields.
’The Bao Family is one of the most prominent families in the Imperial City,’ she mused. ’I’m a daughter of high society. It’s beneath me to get upset over some lowly caregiver.’
’Besides, that angelic-looking girl isn’t just some simple caregiver.’
’I just saw that aunt from the Mu Family and Ji Yan from the Xiao Family acting so respectfully toward her.’
"Tingting, are you upset?"
"No, Mom. But have you noticed? Grandpa Han and Grandpa Xiao both treat that caregiver differently."
"She probably works at the First People’s Hospital. If she knows a bit about nursing, it’s only normal that she’s on good terms with them."
Her mother glanced around before whispering, "Your grandma and your dad have been looking for a savior recently. From what I can see, there’s an eighty percent chance that caregiver is the one."
"Oh my god! No wonder Grandma ignored our family connection and even seemed to scold our cousin just now!"
"And didn’t you see your arrogant aunt take her daughter to sit in the corner?"
"Heh. If that caregiver hadn’t gone upstairs with Grandpa Han and the others, my cousin would have definitely gone up there to start a fight with her."
"Why don’t you go hang out with the other young ladies? I’m going to find an aunt from the Mu Family and do a little digging."
"But Mom... you just said Ziquan and I weren’t a good match. So what are you going to ask about?"
"I’m networking for your father’s career. Stop letting your imagination run wild."
Even with her excellent hearing, Gu Jiaojiao was in no mood to listen to the gossip downstairs. She hadn’t been called to the second floor by Mr. Han and Elder Xiao to whisper secrets.
Instead, it was because an old friend of theirs was ill. After a brief examination, Gu Jiaojiao determined he had been poisoned.
"This poison entered your body through something you ate or drank," she explained. "It has already seeped into your vital organs. I need to perform acupuncture immediately to draw it out."
"Jiaojiao, is it too late to extract the poison now?" Elder Xiao asked.
"It should take about half an hour. However, the extraction process is quite painful. Should I find a clean towel for him to bite down on?"
"Don’t you underestimate me, little lady," the old man grumbled. "I’ve fought in wars before! What’s a little pain to me?"
Gu Jiaojiao glanced at the displeased look in Mr. Li’s eyes and offered a calm compliment.
"Mr. Li, that was shortsighted of me. I shouldn’t have compared a wise man of your stature to ordinary people."
Without another word, she rolled up her sleeves and took a set of Golden Needles from her bag.
One needle, two, then countless more. Sweat beaded on Mr. Li’s forehead, but he didn’t make a single sound.
He was inwardly rejoicing, ’I actually managed to bear it.’ But Mr. Li was celebrating too soon.
