Chapter 31
Chapter 31
He pampered her like this, held her in the palm of his hand, yet fate still toyed with him. His sister, Fanghua, passed away early, and he resented Gu Wenliang and Lu Man to the extreme. If it weren’t for Gu Chuyun being raised in the Gu family, he would have destroyed the entire Gu family long ago.
Now, looking at Gu Ci, who resembled Jiang Mingyue, his heart softened infinitely. He realized that perhaps the girl before him was his sister’s daughter, who had suffered mistreatment in the Gu family for eighteen years. They were all at fault.
“Chairman Jiang, hello, I am Gu Ci,” Gu Ci greeted him softly, and Lu Zhiyuan, who was present, also paid his respects before being called aside to take notes.
“Thank you for saving Junlin’s life,” Jiang Minghua looked at the slender and upright young girl. “Is your hand seriously injured?”
“It’s just a minor scrape.”
Jiang Minghua said, “Girls are delicate, so take care and avoid leaving scars.”
“Alright!” Gu Ci asked tentatively, “Did Chairman Jiang mention the purpose of coming to Haicheng?”
“He didn’t say,” Jiang Minghua sighed. “We’ll know once he wakes up.”
After finishing the recording, Lu Zhiyuan came over and possessively blocked Jiang Minghua’s gaze toward Gu Ci. Jiang Minghua sensed the domineering and protective nature of the young man and narrowed his eyes. Are they in love? Years of self-restraint allowed him to hold back this abrupt question.
Junlin’s condition worsened, and he was in critical condition. Jiang Minghua called several doctors from City A to conduct a joint consultation. The elderly master and mistress of the Jiang family, as well as Gu Chuyun, also arrived. Everyone was prepared for the worst.
The police investigation concluded that day. It was found that three employees from the Hai Cheng branch of the Black Hawk Group had taken money to carry out the task. The evidence was conclusive, although they couldn’t find the employer. The culprits had been caught, and Lu Zhiyuan accompanied Gu Ci to identify them. They quickly identified the four culprits and noticed a penetrating wound on the bald man’s arm. The police were also surprised because the roadside surveillance cameras were damaged during the typhoon. This case would likely take about ten days to investigate, but unexpectedly, the bald man voluntarily surrendered and provided a confession.
With the case resolved, another storm brewed. The news of Junlin being critically ill quickly made it to the hot search rankings. There were discussions within Hualan Bank, and even though they issued a statement, it continued to receive significant attention.
In the afternoon, the stock price of Hualan Bank plummeted. Gu Wenliang and Jiang Minghua had a conversation, and Gu Wenliang urged him to quickly transfer Gu Chuyun’s shares. Their words were intense and offensive as if implying that Junlin was on the verge of death. It also insinuated that the Jiang family had no intention of giving the shares to Gu Chuyun. This enraged Jiang Minghua, but Gu Chuyun said, “Uncle, I am unaware of this matter. Don’t be angry. I… I can give up these shares!”
“What is meant to be yours will be yours!” Jiang Minghua said, suppressing his anger.
However, the grandfather was a person of high integrity. “These shares belong to Mingyue, and they should be given to Chuyun. Prepare a share transfer agreement immediately. We have no intention of appropriating Mingyue’s stocks!”
“Wait until Junlin wakes up, then we can discuss it,” Jiang Minghua replied.
“You handle this matter,” the grandmother added, angered by Gu Wenliang’s humiliation. The Jiang family had no intention of seizing their daughter’s dowry. They couldn’t tolerate Gu Wenliang pointing fingers and insulting them.
Seeing the elderly couple so indignant, Gu Chuyun refrained from persuading them any further.
After watching Gu Chuyun perform her act, Lu Zhiyuan said indifferently, “When Junlin fell ill, Gu Wenliang brought up the matter of the stocks. Was he trying to make the best of a bad situation? Grandfather, grandmother, what if… Gu Chuyun is not your biological granddaughter?”
Gu Chuyun was shocked and nervous, losing her composure. “You… What are you talking about?”
The grandfather supported the trembling grandmother and anxiously asked, “Lu Third Young Master, what do you mean?”
Leaning lazily against the wall, a hint of mockery lingered in Lu Zhiyuan’s smile. He was dressed in a casual off-white outfit today, concealing his aggression but unable to hide his derision. “When Junlin came to Haicheng, he was looking for a woman named Zhang Xiaomei. Eighteen years ago, this woman was a nurse at Central Hospital. At the time when Jiang Mingyue and Lv Man gave birth on the same day, she was responsible for taking care of the children. Interestingly, just one month after Gu Ci was born, Zhang Xiaomei resigned and came to Haicheng for no apparent reason. Now, after eighteen years, why did Junlin come to Haicheng alone to find Zhang Xiaomei?”
Great-Grandfather Lu The grandfather trembled all over, and Jiang Minghua supported him from behind. Lu Zhiyuan had already made it clear that Gu Chuyun and Gu Ci were switched at birth. Gu Chuyun’s eyes turned red. “Third Young Master, even if you like Gu Ci, there’s no need to spew such malicious words. I even suspect that Gu Ci colluded with the culprits to harm my brother. Lingnan Road is so remote, and going to Zhang Xiaomei’s house is not on the way. How did you coincidentally encounter my brother? It’s too much of a coincidence.”
In reality, Jiang Minghua didn’t fully believe in the coincidence that Gu Ci claimed. He specifically looked at the location of Lingnan Road and investigated Zhang Xiaomei’s house. The excuse of getting lost was quite far-fetched. However, he didn’t expose it and planned to bring it up after Junlin woke up.
“If you want to investigate, go ahead!” Lu Zhiyuan’s protective nature for his son was deeply ingrained. “Gu Ci fought with the culprit in the dark, bleeding and getting injured to save Junlin. I never expected that your Jiang family would bite back. If you want to investigate, I’ll report it to the police!”
Gu Chuyun trembled with fear as she was scanned by his icy gaze, seeking refuge behind the grandmother who had always doted on her. “Chuyun is also puzzled. Third Young Master, there’s no need to intimidate her.”
“Then let’s investigate!” Gu Ci, who had changed her bandages, appeared in the corridor, unmoving like a mountain, standing tall and graceful.
The grandfather and grandmother were shocked when they saw her, and Lu Zhiyuan quickly walked to her side, assuming the stance of a protector, encircling his beloved.
Gu Ci looked at Gu Chuyun. “Go ahead and call the police, Gu Chuyun.”
*
Junlin remained unconscious, and Jiang Minghua didn’t want to create further trouble. They decided to privately investigate the matter without involving the police. Zhang Xiaomei was quickly brought to the Jiang family’s villa on the island.
Gu Ci and Lu Zhiyuan sat in a corner of the sofa, silent and unresponsive. Gu Chuyun attempted several times to engage in a conversation with Lu Zhiyuan, but he ignored her. Fearful, Zhang Xiaomei knelt before Gu Ci and pleaded, “Miss Gu Ci, please spare me. This matter has nothing to do with me. I still have a son and a daughter to support. Please don’t come looking for me again.”
Gu Ci raised an eyebrow, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. Seeing Zhang Xiaomei approaching her, Lu Zhiyuan crossed his long legs, blocking her path. He slightly leaned forward, casting a shadow over Zhang Xiaomei, exuding an intimidating aura that made her tremble in fear.
He said, “Interesting, you come here and cry injustice to Gu Ci…”
“What does Gu Ci have to do with this matter?” Jiang Minghua asked.
Zhang Xiaomei gathered her courage and said, “Eighteen years ago, when Jiang Mingyue and Lv Man gave birth on the same day, I was the one who cleaned and inputted the information for the babies. Later, when I fell in love with my husband and he wanted to come to Haicheng to pursue opportunities, I followed him here. But yesterday, Miss Gu Ci suddenly came to find me and offered me money to testify against Lu Man for switching the babies. I… I didn’t want to do it. However, my husband had gambling debts, and I made a foolish decision to agree. They even recorded it, trying to manipulate the situation. Miss Gu Ci said she wanted to obtain shares of the Jiang family and seek revenge on Gu Chuyun. I was truly foolish to agree. In the evening, Chairman Jiang came and asked me about what happened back then, and whether I had switched the two children. I… I tried to defend myself, but Chairman Jiang threatened to call the police. I had no choice but to confess the truth. But this accident with Chairman Jiang, it has nothing to do with me. I was seeking money, not intending to harm anyone. Miss Gu Ci, you’re too ruthless.”