Chapter 146: The Gu Family’s Problems
Alone in the aftermath of Li Yanyan’s departure, Madame Gu’s composure crumbled, and the weight of her past actions bore down on her. Tears welled up, mirroring the storm within her conflicted soul. The realization that Li Yanyan’s quest for vengeance had finally caught up with her left Madame Gu grappling with the haunting question of why now, after all these years.
The Shans, witnessing Madame Gu’s emotional unraveling, shared an exchange of wry smiles. Madame Shan, with a touch of sarcasm, remarked, "You know how she is; did you really think she would forgive and forget?"
Master Shan, adding to the candid observation, commented, "Rumeng, oh Rumeng, you should have seen this day coming. It was bound to arrive sooner or later."
Madame Shan, cutting through the tension, bluntly stated, "The only time that woman would forget is when she is dead."
Master Shan, injecting a note of dark humor, mused, "She would probably come back as a ghost to haunt you for the rest of your life."
Desperation gripped Madame Gu, leading her to implore the Shans for assistance. "You have to help me," she pleaded, her eyes reflecting a mixture of fear and determination.
Master Shan, unyielding, asked, "With what exactly?"
Madame Gu’s desperation took a darker turn. "You have to help me get rid of her, for good."
The Shans, unswayed by her plea, firmly declined. "No thanks, count us out. We are done involving ourselves in your shenanigans," Master Shan asserted.
Madame Shan, anticipating potential treachery, warned, "You want her to find out, so she can kill us? Or is your plan to twist this conversation and make her believe we are the ones scheming, leaving her to deal with us?"
Madame Gu, clinging to the last strand of hope, insisted, "I won’t do that. She involved my daughter; you’re parents too, you should understand the need to protect our children."
Master Shan, unmoved, highlighted the bitter irony, "Well, Rumeng, I guess you also know the feeling she felt when you kidnapped her son."
Madame Shan, cutting ties decisively, declared, "We should go. Don’t even try to contact us for reasons like that." Turning to her husband, she added, "Let’s go, honey."
The Shan couple rose from their seats, leaving Madame Gu isolated in the private room, where the echoes of her past transgressions reverberated in the silence.
Madame Gu sat alone, the weight of her past transgressions pressing heavily on her shoulders. The Shan couple’s departure left her with a sinking feeling of abandonment, realizing that her former allies were unwilling to involve themselves in the dangerous game she had inadvertently reignited.
Tears welled up in Madame Gu’s eyes as she contemplated the harsh reality of her situation. Li Yanyan’s return had unleashed a storm of consequences, and she found herself caught in its unforgiving path.
In the absence of her once-trusted companions, Madame Gu pondered her next move. The desire for protection and vengeance battled within her, creating a tumultuous inner conflict. She knew that facing Li Yanyan alone would be perilous, and the ominous threat of retribution loomed over her.
As Madame Gu grappled with her emotions, a realization dawned upon her—a reckoning she could no longer escape. The web of deceit she had woven throughout the years had entangled her in a fate she could not control. Now, abandoned and vulnerable, she faced the daunting task of confronting the consequences of her actions.
Alone in the private room, Madame Gu wrestled with her inner demons, uncertain of the path that lay ahead and the relentless pursuit of a woman fueled by a thirst for justice and revenge.
Madame Gu, still reeling from the unsettling encounter with Li Yanyan, returned home to find her son, Gu Hua, in a state of distress. Gu Hua’s pacing and evident worry fueled Madame Gu’s irritation.
With a sharp tone, Madame Gu demanded, "What is wrong with you? Why are you like this?"
Gu Hua, desperate for his mother’s assistance, pleaded, "Mom, I need your help. Please help me."
Madame Gu, showing impatience, retorted, "Spill it out. What do you want, or I will leave you here alone?"
Gu Hua, with urgency in his voice, explained, "I need more bodyguards, Mom. There is this guy I met a few weeks ago, and we started hanging out because he was fun. Now his girlfriend drugged me, and she had sex with me during Gu Liang’s party. Now that guy wants to kill me after finding out."
Madame Gu, disappointed by her son’s choice of friends, conceded, "Why do you even keep friends like that, Gu Hua? Fine, you can get more men."
Gu Hua, feeling the need to justify himself, insisted, "Thank you, Mom, but honestly, it wasn’t my intention to sleep with her. I was drugged."
Madame Gu, skeptical of her son’s explanation, remarked, "Yeah, right. I’m off to rest," signaling an end to the conversation as she retreated, leaving Gu Hua to navigate the repercussions of his own choices.
Madame Gu entered her room, the encounter with Li Yanyan still fresh in her mind. She collapsed onto her bed, her thoughts swirling. The idea of confronting Li Yanyan sent shivers down her spine, yet a persistent voice inside urged her to consider taking drastic measures.
She knew the danger in plotting against someone as cunning and vengeful as Li Yanyan, but the instinct to protect herself and her family clouded her judgment. Madame Gu’s mind raced with potential plans, each more perilous than the last. Should she confront Li Yanyan directly? Hire someone to eliminate the threat? Or find an underhanded way to sabotage her?
Her heart raced as she weighed the risks and consequences. Madame Gu knew the power Li Yanyan wielded, the resources at her disposal. But the fear of being at Li Yanyan’s mercy gnawed at her, pushing her toward desperate choices.
The conflict within Madame Gu raged on, torn between safeguarding her family and the dread of facing Li Yanyan’s retribution. She closed her eyes, trying to quell the storm of thoughts, but sleep eluded her, leaving her entangled in a web of fear and apprehension.
Downstairs, Master Gu returned home late at night and bellowed to the butler, "Get everyone down here now."
The butler, accustomed to his employer’s demanding tone, responded promptly, "Yes, sir."
One by one, Gu Liang and Gu Hua made their way downstairs, confusion and irritation evident on their faces. Gu Liang, rubbing her eyes, voiced her complaint, "Dad, what is wrong? What couldn’t wait until morning that you had to wake me up now?"
Master Gu, his expression stern, retorted, "Shut up."
Gu Liang, taken aback by her father’s unusual sharpness, closed her mouth and took her seat. Gu Hua, joining them, also questioned his father’s late-night summoning, "Dad, why are you so angry? It’s late at night."
Master Gu, ignoring their protests, insisted, "Let’s wait for your mother."
Madame Gu, hearing the commotion, appeared in the doorway, inquiring, "What is wrong, hubby? You seem stressed. Why did you call us out here?"
Master Gu, not mincing words, ordered them to sit down, his frustration apparent. "I want to ask you three something."
Gu Hua and Madame Gu exchanged puzzled glances, both wondering what could be bothering Master Gu at such a late hour. They took their seats, and Master Gu stood before them, his face contorted with anger.
"Have any of you offended anyone recently?" Master Gu asked pointedly.
Madame Gu felt her heart quicken, sensing the gravity of the situation. "Offended anyone? Why do you ask? Did something happen?"
Master Gu, his frustration escalating, chuckled sarcastically, "Did something happen? Do you even watch the news?"
Gu Hua interjected, "What’s wrong? No, Dad, we don’t watch the news."
Master Gu, agitated, remarked, "Yet one day, you will have to take over the family when you don’t even watch the news. Let me ask you all again, and I expect nothing but the truth. If I find out that someone is hiding something, there will be consequences."
Gu Liang, puzzled, said, "No, Dad, I haven’t offended anyone. Now, can I go back to sleep?"
Madame Gu, feigning innocence, added, "Me neither, hubby. Now, tell us why you’re acting like this."
Master Gu, almost scoffing, replied, "There is a lawsuit of 100 million yuan filed against Dreamscape Properties."
Gu Hua stood up in shock, exclaiming, "What?"
Master Gu continued, "You guys remember last year’s incident."
Gu Liang recalled, "When that building collapsed."
Master Gu affirmed, "Yes, those employees have taken us to court."
Gu Hua, still processing the information, protested, "Well, Dad, we are rich. We have a very good lawyer, so obviously, we will win that lawsuit, and they will not get a dime. Those poor peasants."
Madame Gu, though suspicious, maintained her composure and said, "Of course, people like them can’t afford to find a good lawyer."
Master Gu added another layer to the unfolding drama, saying, "Do you know Ao Junfeng? He is a very capable lawyer from Beijing, and he has never lost a case before. He is the one representing those workers."
Madame Gu responded, "No, never heard of that lawyer."
Master Gu dropped the bombshell, "That lawyer is someone those people cannot afford. Someone else is behind this, just taunting us."
Gu Hua, nervously, stammered, "I promise, Dad, I haven’t done anything stupid for weeks."
Gu Liang, equally anxious, said, "Well, I have been too busy with my engagement to go around offending people."
Master Gu, skeptical, pressed on, "If you have done something, let me know because we need to apologize to that person."
Madame Gu, maintaining her facade, replied, "No, I haven’t offended anyone."
Master Gu concluded, "Fine, you can all go back to sleep."
Madame Gu suggested, "Come and rest too, hubby."
Master Gu, his mind still wrestling with the unfolding events, agreed, "I will be at the study. I have to prepare for anything."
Madame Gu, gently pulling him towards their bedroom, insisted, "But you need rest too. Come, let’s sleep. We will think of something together, okay?"
Master Gu’s unease was palpable as he followed Madame Gu to their bedroom. Despite the attempt to appear composed, his mind was racing with apprehensions. Madame Gu was equally disturbed, but she tried to reassure her husband, wanting to alleviate his stress.
As they settled into bed, Madame Gu tried to calm Master Gu’s thoughts. "We’ll figure this out together, darling. You need rest; you’ve been through a lot today."
Master Gu sighed, his worry etched in his furrowed brow. "I can’t shake this feeling that something’s amiss. This lawsuit... it’s more than just a legal matter."
Madame Gu stroked his arm reassuringly. "We’ll get through this. Our lawyer will handle it. You’ve always found a way out of tough situations."
Master Gu’s gaze was fixed on the ceiling, lost in his thoughts. "I just can’t understand who would go to such lengths to target us."
Madame Gu, trying to bring solace, said, "Let’s not dwell on it tonight. We’ll tackle this together in the morning, with a clear mind."
Master Gu nodded, but the crease on his forehead remained. Madame Gu wrapped her arms around him, hoping to offer comfort. As they settled in silence, the weight of uncertainty lingered in the room, a stark contrast to the peace they usually found in their shared sanctuary. Sleep remained elusive, their minds burdened with the looming threat.
