Chapter 67: Chapter 67: A Hidden Story?
"Lihuang, what are you doing here? And where’s your wife? It’s almost time for dinner, why haven’t I seen her come out to help?"
The door was thrown open, startling Chen Suxiang and Gu Jinhua in the kitchen. They saw it was Gu Lihuang and craned their necks to look outside. When they didn’t see a trace of Ye Rong, Chen Suxiang sighed in relief before immediately launching into an irritated complaint. "I’ve never seen such a lazy wife. She watches her mother-in-law bustling about without offering to help, instead choosing to hide away and take it easy."
Gu Jinhua chimed in, frowning in disgust. "Exactly, brother. You really need to rein her in."
"Since when is my wife any of your business? Do you cook, clean, and do every little thing at your in-laws’ house? I’m surprised my brother-in-law doesn’t keep you on a tighter leash. Why does he let you come back to our family home just to boss everyone around?" Gu Lihuang had no desire to argue with Chen Suxiang, but the look on Gu Jinhua’s face disgusted him. He shot back with a temper, all thoughts of maintaining a superficial peace with her thrown to the wind.
’It’s all her, making waves and stirring up trouble. Otherwise, would Mom be getting more and more muddled?’
"Mom, look at him! His wife is lazy, yet he protects her and attacks me instead. His wife must have been badmouthing me behind my back." Gu Jinhua was furious, blaming Ye Rong for everything in her mind. ’She must have said something. Why else would my brother suddenly have a problem with me? That woman...’
Gu Jinhua took a deep breath, so angry she could feel steam coming out of her ears. ’How did I get so unlucky? Both of my brothers’ wives are a handful, one more difficult than the last. Can’t even one of them be easy to manage?’
"Lihuang, that’s your sister, your own flesh and blood! You need to know who’s family and who’s an outsider. Is that any way to speak to your sister?" Chen Suxiang chided Gu Lihuang, agreeing with her daughter that his wife must have been whispering in his ear. She despised that type of woman—a vixen who never did any proper work. Instead of dutifully serving her husband, parents-in-law, son, and all her in-laws, she only knew how to use shameful, underhanded tricks to bewitch a good man until he would do nothing but stand up for her.
"Mom, you’re the one who needs to get her priorities straight about who’s an insider and who’s an outsider, right? As the saying goes, a married daughter is like spilled water. Big Sister has been part of the Liu Family for a long time. Ye Rong, on the other hand, married *in*. She’s the real member of our Gu Family now." Gu Lihuang glanced at Gu Jinhua with disgust. ’Forget it. It’s not worth chasing some trivial, uncertain gain only to lose the prize I already have in hand.’
It wasn’t worth it.
"Where did you hear such twisted logic? Your sister came out of my belly, just like you. You’re full siblings! And you’d stab your own sister in the heart for that little seductress? You... you’re trying to anger me to death!" Chen Suxiang’s heart lurched when she saw the look of utter disbelief on her daughter’s face. Worried that her son’s words would make her daughter difficult to control in the future, she uncharacteristically sided with Gu Jinhua to scold him.
"I knew you played favorites. Before, it was just with Big Brother, and now even a daughter who’s married out is more important than me..." Gu Lihuang sneered.
"How am I playing favorites? In my heart, all three of you are the same." Flustered by her son’s accusation, Chen Suxiang immediately put on a pained expression. "Lihuang, what’s wrong with you today? Did your wife say something to you? Why are you being so strange? You’ve always been such a filial son, and you were always so good to your sister."
"Stop trying to pin this on Ye Rong. It has nothing to do with her."
Gu Lihuang shook his head. After a moment’s hesitation, he let out a deep sigh. "Mom, Big Sister, do you realize that if it weren’t for Ye Rong and her father, you might be visiting me in prison right now?"
"...What’s all this about? Didn’t you say you were sent back because you offended your superior? How can you say Ye Rong and her father did you a favor when he didn’t even help you find a new job in the city?" Chen Suxiang’s face turned pale with shock, and Gu Jinhua glanced at him sharply.
"Well, I was too embarrassed to tell you the truth before."
Gu Lihuang’s eyes shifted. "The truth is, I got involved with a new girl at my office. What I didn’t know was that her family has special connections to my boss. On top of that, the girl’s own family is much more powerful than my father-in-law’s. I don’t know the details, but they’re not people our family or the Ye Family can afford to cross."
"That sounds like a good thing! With a catch like that, why didn’t you lock her down and make it so she had no choice but to marry you?" Gu Jinhua couldn’t help but interject.
"Exactly, Lihuang! How could you not have seized the opportunity with such a great girl?" Chen Suxiang said, filled with regret. She had no doubt her son could have charmed any young woman if he’d put his mind to it.
"How was I supposed to know her family was like that? I was just planning to have some fun. I hadn’t even gotten my hands on her before her family found out. They locked her up at home and wouldn’t let her leave. I couldn’t find her even if I wanted to." Gu Lihuang glanced outside, only showing a look of annoyance after confirming Ye Rong hadn’t followed him.
"Unbelievable..."
Chen Suxiang was also filled with regret. If one person makes it big, the whole family benefits. That girl’s family was a much better prospect than the Ye Family, and yet the prize they’d almost had in their grasp had just slipped away.
"But if you didn’t even lay a hand on her, then getting fired should have been the end of it. What more could they want? And how does that make your wife and father-in-law the saviors?" Gu Jinhua was also regretful, but she immediately zeroed in on the crucial question.
"Exactly!" Chen Suxiang realized, looking at her son with suspicion. "You didn’t even lay a hand on the girl, so even if you got fired, it’s not their place to hold anything against you, right?"
"Well, it’s... it’s not the same thing, okay..." Gu Lihuang’s expression shifted again as he began to stammer. His behavior only convinced Gu Jinhua and Chen Suxiang that Ye Rong and her parents must be blowing the situation out of proportion for their own gain. Chen Suxiang snorted coldly. "What are you so afraid of them for? You have two sons with her, do you really think she can just up and leave? Relax. As long as we have your son—my precious grandson—she can’t pull anything funny."
"What do you two know? That’s not what happened at all." Gu Lihuang scratched his head in annoyance, looking like he was too embarrassed to say more.
Chen Suxiang was naturally impatient, and seeing her son stammering like this drove her crazy. "Well, what is it then? Spit it out! How are we supposed to know if you don’t say anything?" When Gu Lihuang still hesitated, she couldn’t help but snap, "All you did was mess with some girl you didn’t even touch. On what grounds could they send you to prison for that? Your in-laws are just trying to scare you! Why are you so gullible, believing every little thing they tell you?"
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