...
Forty minutes later.
Lin Keke stepped out of a black sedan.
The first thing she felt after getting out was being stunned by the sheer grandeur of the Castle Manor’s architecture.
This breathtaking structure, straight out of a fairytale, was standing right before her in reality.
However, not wanting others to see how awestruck she was, she quickly lowered her head and followed behind the bodyguard.
A few minutes later, she found herself inside the luxurious and opulent castle, feeling acutely uneasy.
An Ge poured her a glass of warm water, noticing her nervousness and unease, then said to her:
"No need to be so tense. Sit down and let’s talk."
Lin Keke pressed her lips together, her face reddening as she replied:
"No need, I’ll just stand and talk to you."
Since Lin Keke refused to sit, An Ge didn’t force her.
She rely nodded. "Alright, then speak."
Lin Keke was visibly nervous, her voice trembling slightly as she began to speak,
"My... my father passed away when I was young, and my mother remarried. When I was fifteen, my stepfather broke into the bathroom... and assaulted .
Afterwards, I begged my mother to report him to the police, but she stopped . Not only that, she even threatened , saying if this scandal got out, she wouldn’t let go to school...
Back then, I was young and desperate to escape the small town and move to a big city, so I could only endure it. But my endurance only led to my stepfather becoming more brazen in his abuse. And then... I got pregnant..."
Although An Ge had no idea why Lin Keke would imdiately share such a harrowing story, upon hearing it, a profound sense of sympathy surged in her heart.
She reached out to guide Lin Keke to sit on a nearby chair. "Sit down and talk."
By then, Lin Keke’s eyes were already red and swollen from crying.
This was the most disgraceful Chapter of her life.
By revealing these details to An Ge, she was effectively tearing away her last shred of dignity just to gain An Ge’s trust.
Once seated, Lin Keke continued:
"After that, I was taken to a shady clinic for an abortion. It was only then, fearing further complications, that my mother finally warned my stepfather. That’s how I temporarily escaped his clutches.
But I don’t know how my horrifying past was uncovered by An Muxin and her people. They claid to have surveillance footage of my stepfather assaulting , as well as proof of the abortion...
They forced to do their bidding, threatening with exposure if I refused. They said I would be ruined, unable to attend college. I... I was so scared I agreed to their demands, just for the ti being..."
As she spoke, Lin Keke suddenly dropped to her knees in front of An Ge with a loud thud.
"But my conscience wouldn’t let harm you. That’s why I decided to co to you."
An Ge helped her back to her feet and asked, "What do they want you to do to ?"
Lin Keke replied:
"They gave a potent hallucinogen. From what I’ve gathered, once a victim is injected with it, they lose their will and can be controlled. They want to use it on you, first to terminate the baby in your womb, and then... to slowly torture you to death..."
An Ge’s beautiful almond-shaped eyes narrowed deeply. She asked, "How did they find out I didn’t miscarry?"
Lin Keke burst into tears, kneeling again to kowtow to An Ge as she sobbed,
"It was ... I told them. At first, when they heard rumors of your miscarriage, they didn’t believe it. They made investigate you in secret to find out the truth.
One day, I accidentally overheard your conversation with Dr. Anna. That’s when I learned the miscarriage was fake, so I inford them... Mrs. Huo, I’m sorry, I’m guilty, but please give a chance to redeem myself..."
An Ge didn’t respond, her expression dark and unreadable.
Lin Keke couldn’t guess what was on her mind and could only try to demonstrate her determination,
"Mrs. Huo, they are so vicious. Why don’t we turn their sche against them? What do you think?"
An Ge did not respond definitively.
She called for a bodyguard at that mont and instructed, "Escort Miss Lin back ho."
Lin Keke was imdiately unsure of An Ge’s attitude, her emotions becoming unstable,
"Mrs. Huo, I really didn’t an to help them. Please, you must believe ... If I truly wanted to harm you, I wouldn’t have co to you to reveal the truth..."
An Ge said, "Miss Lin, I’m not blaming you. The fact that you ca to shows you haven’t completely lost your conscience."
After a pause, she added,
"As for turning their sche against them, I need to think it over thoroughly. For now, keep this matter to yourself and don’t tell anyone—not even President Huo."
Lin Keke asked:
"Not even President Huo? Mrs. Huo, although you’re divorced now, I can see that President Huo still deeply cares about you. If he knew An Muxin was plotting against you, he’d definitely stand up for you..."
An Ge replied:
"My son’s life depends on the serum they have. And An Muxin has the An Family’s powerful influence backing her. Bringing her to justice won’t be easy. Let think this over."
Lin Keke felt that she had earned An Ge’s trust now.
If An Ge trusted her fully, not only could she ensure her safety, but maybe also gain An Ge’s gratitude.
So Lin Keke quickly said to An Ge:
"Alright, I’ll follow your lead. I won’t disturb you any further. Goodnight."
Before Lin Keke left, An Ge told her:
"As for the matter with your stepfather, I’ll take care of it."
Lin Keke was overwheld with gratitude,
"Thank you... But I don’t want this to ruin my reputation. I’m about to start college soon, and if word gets out that I..."
"Your reputation will remain intact. You’re a good girl; you didn’t deserve such harm and humiliation."
Hearing this, Lin Keke felt she had made the right gamble this ti.
She sighed in relief and said, "Alright, thank you."
Shortly after Lin Keke left, An Ge called Gu Changfeng.
The call was quickly connected, and a low, raspy male voice sounded, "Hello?"
An Ge caught a hint of sothing unusual in Gu Changfeng’s voice, "You... what’s wrong?"
A few minutes prior, Gu Changfeng had been ambushed and almost killed.
Thankfully, he survived the ordeal.
At the mont, he was in a hotel room tending to a gunshot wound on his arm.
He had instructed his subordinate to administer local anesthesia, and now he was extracting the bullet with a pair of forceps.
But of course, Gu Changfeng wouldn’t reveal any of this to An Ge.
He brushed it off lightly, saying:
"Nothing, I’ve just been busy and haven’t even had dinner yet. I’ll get so food after this. Did sothing happen? Why are you calling this late?"
It was already late at night.
An Ge had intended to tell Gu Changfeng everything, but upon learning he hadn’t even had dinner, she swallowed her words instead.
She said, "Nothing happened. I just called to check on you."
Gu Changfeng chuckled, "Check on ? If you’re really concerned, why didn’t you call Sixth Brother?"
An Ge’s cheeks flushed slightly, and after a long pause, she finally whispered, "Sixth Brother."
Gu Changfeng’s mood visibly improved,
"I heard Huo Shaoyan ca looking for you early this morning. Don’t tell you’re getting back together with him?"
An Ge quickly answered, "No. He just ca to see the children."
Gu Changfeng had also heard about Huo Huaisang being brought back to the Castle Manor by An Ge.
He thought for a mont and said:
"I suspect President Huo hasn’t completely given up on you. He might be trying to use the children to win you back. Don’t soften up and reconcile with him..."
An Ge pressed her lips together and said, "I won’t. He... he went to the Imperial City. And today, he even saw An Muxin."
At the ntion of An Muxin, Gu Changfeng’s eyes imdiately narrowed.
He quickly deduced the reason for An Ge’s call.
He urgently asked, "Did An Muxin cause trouble for you again? Did she provoke you over the phone?"
After so consideration, An Ge explained the details of An Muxin’s provocation and said:
"She claims to have a jade pendant that could prove my identity and dares to retrieve it in the Imperial City. I’m afraid she’s setting a trap, so I wanted to discuss with you whether I should go..."
After listening, Gu Changfeng said decisively:
"I’ll get the jade pendant for you." He added, "For now, unless absolutely necessary, do not leave the Castle Manor."
An Ge, sensing the seriousness in Gu Changfeng’s tone, frowned and asked, "Did sothing happen to you?"
After a brief mont of thought, Gu Changfeng decided not to disclose the assassination attempt.
He replied lightly:
"An Muxin blas you for her current disgrace. After being expelled from Jingcheng by Huo Shaoyan, she returned shafully to the Imperial City,
making the entire An Family lose face. If you go to the Imperial City, the An Family will surely retaliate against you."
"Alright, I’ll heed your advice."
Gu Changfeng then asked, "Why did Huo Shaoyan go to the Imperial City?"
An Ge explained that Huo Shaoyan had taken Huo Shaoxin to see Dr. Laura there and added,
"That’s why he also went to et with An Muxin."
Gu Changfeng frowned and asked An Ge:
"I heard from the servants that tonight you received a girl nad Lin Keke. What’s that about?"
Having been asked directly, An Ge recounted the entire incident involving Lin Keke to Gu Changfeng,
"An Muxin never gave up her intentions to destroy . She’s now attempting to use Lin Keke to harm my unborn child. Actually, the main reason for my call tonight was to talk about this."
Gu Changfeng hadn’t expected An Muxin to remain so devious.
His expression turned dark and cold. He said:
"For now... we’ll turn their sche against them."
After pausing for a mont, he added,
"As for the specifics, I’ll wait until I et this Lin Keke face-to-face."
Gu Changfeng didn’t trust anyone other than An Ge herself.
He needed to verify Lin Keke’s identity and motives before proceeding with their plan.
The call with An Ge ended five minutes later.
By then, Gu Changfeng’s wound had been bandaged by his subordinate.
Afterwards, Gu Changfeng changed into a freshly ironed black suit and trousers, then instructed his subordinate:
"Burn all these bloodstained clothes."
He finished giving orders and stepped out of the restroom.
Picking up his phone, he imdiately dialed Huo Shaoyan’s number.
At that mont, Huo Shaoyan had just finished showering.
While drying his hair with a towel, he walked over to his vibrating phone.
Seeing Gu Changfeng’s caller ID, he hesitated for only a second before answering.
"Hello?"
Gu Changfeng wanted to tell Huo Shaoyan the truth, to let him know the child An Muxin was carrying had nothing to do with him.
His voice was cold. "President Huo, how about we et in person to talk?"
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