https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-315-He-Zhuliang-s-Heartless-Scheme/12576610/
Chapter 314: Life is a Play, and It's All About Acting
Chapter 314: Life is a Play, and It's All About Acting
Gu Xiuxiu held onto He Mingzhu's hand and chatted incessantly about their childhood memories. By the end of her narration, tears had welled up in He Mingzhu's eyes.
After chatting for a while, Gu Xiuxiu grew tired, and He Mingzhu helped her upstairs. It wasn't until Gu Xiuxiu fell asleep that she quietly left.
Only when Mei-gu saw her drive away did she turn back and head upstairs. She locked the door and whispered, "Old Mrs. Gu, Young Miss He has left."
Gu Xiuxiu opened her eyes but did not get up. In a barely audible voice, she said, "Mingzhu's sudden visit this time is probably because He Zhuliang suspects me. He's the suspicious type. Even if Mingzhu tells him I'm not in my right mind, he won't fully believe it, and he'll send someone to test me."
Having been by Gu Xiuxiu's side for many years, Mei-gu was also familiar with the He family. "Old Mrs. Gu, what should we do now?" she asked.
"We can only be careful," replied Gu Xiuxiu. "Luckily, Jiaxin is touring Europe, and that girl has always kept a small social circle. Aside from Nie Zhan and Su Heyuan, she doesn't have deep relationships with others. He Zhuliang shouldn't suspect her."
She hadn't kept the incriminating evidence in the old house but had hidden it in a bank safe deposit box, just like her private property. While out buying groceries, Hong Gu had given the deposit box key and password to someone trusted by Jiaxin, and then she hadn't involved herself further. He Zhuliang wouldn't be able to find anything through such a discreet method, and with Jiaxin in Europe, he had no way to test her. As long as they didn't make any mistakes, they would be able to safely get through this crisis.
Mei-gu knew how ruthless He Zhuliang could be, and she was aware that he would not hesitate to kill if they showed any signs of exposure. This was also why Old Mrs. Gu had never dared to make a will, for fear that she and Miss He would fall victim to their scheming.
That evening, Lu Jiaxin called. Noticing the heaviness in Gu Xiuxiu's nasal tone, she asked, "Aunt, are you sick? Have you seen a doctor?"
Gu Xiuxiu laughed and said, "It's nothing. I just caught a cold from the wind. In the past, Third Concubine would always mock me, saying that since I had no children, no one would even know if I died and my body started to rot. But I have Mingzhu, you, and Haifan. I'm sure my later years will be very happy."
Noting that Gu Xiuxiu specifically mentioned Lu Mingzhu, Lu Jiaxin only chatted with her about mundane topics and avoided bringing up anything related to the He family. After chatting for a while, Gu Xiuxiu claimed she was tired and hung up.
The next morning, Li Xuanqi came to visit. She wouldn't have come if it weren't for her ulterior motives, as she hadn't visited in years.
As soon as she entered the living room, she saw Mei-gu feeding Gu Xiuxiu.
Usually, Gu Xiuxiu ate with small, elegant bites. But now, as Mei-gu fed her, she chewed with big mouthfuls, not caring about her image at all.
Li Xuanqi set down the tonic she had brought and sat down across from them, greeting Fourth Aunt Gu with a smile. However, Gu Xiuxiu was so focused on eating her cake that she didn't even glance at her.
Mei-gu apologized, "Please don't blame Mrs. Li. Ever since Old Mrs. Gu moved back, she sometimes recognizes people and sometimes doesn't seem lucid. The doctor told us to give her medicine on time and take good care of her."
This wasn't a lie. Even with the medication, Gu Xiuxiu occasionally failed to recognize people. They had gone for a check-up just last week, but the doctor couldn't do much about this situation because there was no cure for her condition. The medicine only treated the symptoms and not the root cause. If they wanted her later years to be comfortable, they had to ensure someone took good care of her.
Thinking of how Gu Xiuxiu used to be so particular about her appearance, even ensuring that her clothes didn't have a single wrinkle, Mei-gu's tears suddenly fell. She didn't hold back, letting the tears flow.
Seeing Mei-gu cry, Li Xuanqi's suspicions lessened a little. "I have a friend who saw Fourth Aunt Gu at the hospital last week. Was it for a check-up?" she asked.
Mei-gu's heart tightened. Just as Old Mrs. Gu had predicted, they were indeed under suspicion, which was why they were being tested repeatedly. "She went to see Dr. Ge and just picked up some medicine before returning home," she explained. "With Old Mrs. Gu in this state, we don't dare to stay away for too long."
She couldn't help but sigh as she continued, "The weather is about to change, and Old Mrs. Gu has lost weight since last year. We'll need to buy her new autumn clothes. Young Master He has also grown taller, so we'll need to get him new clothes too. I can't leave right now, so we'll have to wait until Young Miss He returns to do the shopping."
At this point, it was crucial to remain calm and act as they usually would. They must not show any signs of weakness or panic, or they would be admitting their guilt.
"Why did Lu Jiaxin suddenly go to Europe?" Li Xuanqi asked.
Mei-gu shook her head, indicating her ignorance. "Young Miss Lu has always been independent and doesn't like Old Mrs. Gu meddling in her affairs. We only found out about her relationship with the third young master of the Nie family from the newspapers. This time, we only knew she was on vacation in Venice when she called us from there."
Indeed, Lu Jiaxin hadn't informed Gu Xiuxiu about her trip abroad. She didn't see the need, considering Gu Xiuxiu's condition.
Li Xuanqi hinted, "From the way you're talking, I can tell you don't like her."
Mei-gu quickly shook her head. "No, no. Young Miss Lu is just more independent and doesn't like being managed. She's a good person and very filial to Old Mrs. Gu. It's just that she's too strong-willed, and Old Mrs. Gu worries that she'll be at a disadvantage when she enters society after graduating."
"If Lu Jiaxin were to work in a company, her temperament would indeed face setbacks. However, the problem is that she sees herself as the boss, so there's no way she'd let herself be taken advantage of."
Li Xuanqi nodded and, looking at Gu Xiuxiu, suddenly said, "Fourth Aunt, the master has been framed and is now being held by the ICAC. Fourth Aunt, what will happen to this entire family if the master doesn't come back?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuxiu threw down the pastry in her hand and rushed in front of Li Xuanqi, grabbing her arm and asking, "What about the master? What happened to him?"
Seeing her so anxious about her husband, Li Xuanqi's heart sank.
When Gu Xiuxiu didn't answer, Li Xuanqi shook her vigorously. "What about the master? What's wrong with him? Why aren't you saying anything? Are you mute?"
Mei-gu quickly came over to comfort her, saying, "Auntie, don't worry. Madam only joked with you earlier. The master went out to play golf with his friends and will be back later."
Only then did Li Xuanqi react, realizing that Gu Xiuxiu had mistaken her husband for the late master due to her words.
Letting go of Li Xuanqi, Gu Xiuxiu looked at Mei-gu with doubt and asked, "Are you telling me the truth? The master really went to play golf and isn't lying to me?"
Mei-gu placated her, saying, "Auntie, how could I dare to lie to you? When the master returns later, he will definitely bring back your favorite jujube flower cake."
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuxiu immediately stopped eating the pastry and expressed her intention to change into a beautiful dress so that the master would see her at her best when he returned.
Li Xuanqi stood up and said, "Mei-gu, let's help the old lady upstairs to change her clothes."
"Okay."
Once upstairs, Gu Xiuxiu took out a dark blue peony cheongsam. After changing into it, she appraised Li Xuanqi and said, "Xuanqi, your waist is much thicker than before you had children. Men, they all prefer women with nice figures. You should take better care of your figure."
Li Xuanqi's eyes narrowed as she thought of the vixen and illegitimate children outside. "Fourth Aunt, you don't need to worry about that."
Gu Xiuxiu nodded and then opened a jewelry box. "Hey, where's my pearl necklace? Mei-gu, Hong Gu, come in quickly and help me find the pearl necklace the master gave me."
Li Xuanqi's expression became unnatural. The hundred and eight-bead South Sea pearl necklace that Master He had given her had already been sold by her.
Mei-gu quickly came over and soothed Gu Xiuxiu for a long time before she stopped shouting about the pearl necklace.
Li Xuanqi also felt uneasy and stood up. If the old lady started looking for other jewelry and couldn't find them, she might go crazy and hit someone.
As they sent her downstairs, Mei-gu apologized, "Madam, please forgive me. The old lady is like this now, often confused and forgetful. Yesterday, the young miss came over, and she thought she was still studying. She held her hand and chatted for a long time."
By now, Li Xuanqi had dispelled her suspicions. With Gu Xiuxiu's current state, how could she harm the master? Convinced of this, she turned and left without another word.
However, He Zhuliang was a suspicious man. His lawyer had also bribed the driver, Hu Ming, and the caretaker. Hu Ming indicated that neither Gu Xiuxiu nor Mei-gu had shown any unusual behavior recently, and no strangers had visited the He residence. Furthermore, the two women had not interacted with any unfamiliar people, and the caretaker had secretly observed them and even tapped their phones, but nothing suspicious had been discovered.
Only with Hu Ming and the caretaker's words did He Zhuliang finally dispel his doubts about Gu Xiuxiu.
After putting aside the hotel matter, Nie Zhan began to arrange his company's internal affairs so that he could go to Romance Country to meet Jiaxin. However, to give Lu Jiaxin a surprise, he did not inform her of his plans beforehand.
One day, just before the end of the work day, Nie Zhan asked Wang Yadan to stay behind. "You've known Jiaxin for a long time, too. What do you think I should give her as a gift? What would she like?"
Wang Yadan smiled and said, "Boss, you don't need to give her anything. Miss Lu will be very happy just to see you."
"I want to prepare a gift that she'll like."
Wang Yadan thought for a moment and replied, "From our interactions, I've noticed that Miss Lu really likes watches. She doesn't seem to care much for branded clothes, bags, or jewelry."
"What else does she like besides watches?"
Wang Yadan shook her head, indicating that was all she knew. "Boss, I think someone like Miss Lu, who is capable and earns her own money, would value a boyfriend who is devoted to her above all else."
Indeed, every woman wanted a boyfriend who was devoted to them. However, sometimes, knowing that their partner couldn't give them that, they would settle for financial security instead. Lu Jiaxin had the confidence to demand true love.
Nie Zhan was in a good mood. "If we're dating, I'll definitely be devoted to her."
He was pursuing Jiaxin with the intention of marriage, and he believed this proved his sincerity. Well, if she didn't feel it was enough, he would continue to work hard until he won her over.
Wang Yadan felt a twinge of jealousy.
Just then, the phone rang. It was Nie Jingwen calling. "Zhan, do you have plans tonight? If not, I'll treat you to dinner."
"Where?"
Hearing that it was a newly opened Japanese restaurant, Nie Zhan readily agreed. He wouldn't have gone if it had been at the Nie family mansion. As long as his aunt maintained her attitude, he wouldn't visit for any reason.
(End of Chapter)
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