Whenever Gu Hengyuan ntioned the na Gu Zhilan, he did so with an indifferent tone, even tinged with a hint of contempt and disdain. Yet, despite the ease in his words, every ti he uttered her na, as a father, he felt as if his heart were being torn apart.
"We have Xiao’en. We’ve long since lost any affection for Gu Zhilan as a daughter. Moreover, now the Gu Family and her are practically sworn enemies. We haven’t forgotten—this He Zhilan is aligned with Xing Ye’s side. These days, she probably wishes she could destroy the Gu Family entirely. To put it bluntly, this He Zhilan is just one of Xing Ye’s pawns." Gu Hengyuan stated.
"Is that truly so?" Shen Old Master asked with a hint of skepticism.
At this mont, Gu Mother walked over, her lips curling into a faint smile as she took over the conversation. "Isn’t it exactly so? Between a daughter who vanished at six years old and one who grew up by our side, Shen Old Master, tell —who would you favor more? And let’s not forget, the daughter who went missing at six is now aligned with your enemy. Our Gu Family doesn’t lack daughters. Why on earth would we go out of our way to find soone working for our nesis?"
Shen Old Master nodded slightly, his expression suggesting that Gu Mother’s reasoning had rit. Yet inwardly, he still contemplated—no matter how close one got to a child raised beside them, could that bond ever rival the connection of blood and lineage?
Of course, these thoughts belonged to Shen Old Master alone. That said, the Gu Family’s argunt wasn’t without justifications. The Gu Family did not lack daughters, and with their status and position, there truly was no need to seek out soone who treated them as enemies. And furthermore, Shen Old Master was well aware of the terrible event where He Zhilan was caused to lose her child due to Gu Mother’s machinations.
"Let’s be candid, He Zhilan is nothing more than a stranger to us. Gu En is the rightful daughter of the Gu Family. But I’ll admit, Gu En has let us down with her shortcomings!" When Gu Mother brought up Gu En, her face showed traces of maternal reproach. "In my heart, Xiao’en is my real daughter, and I will never let anyone bully her."
"Yet you allowed her to end up in a place like that?" Shen Old Master interjected directly. "When I saw her, she was covered in bruises—it was truly heart-wrenching."
As soon as Shen Old Master spoke these words, the Gu Family mbers imdiately understood—Shen Old Master was referring to Gu En! He had visited Gu En in the won’s prison!
The thought that Gu En was still engaging in behavior that brought such sha filled Gu Mother with fury, trembling at her very core.
"Heart-wrenching? Of course, it is! How could it not be?" Gu Mother exclaid. "But what else can we do? She’s so disobedient, commits actions that let others seize leverage over her! If we don’t let her stay in there temporarily, at this critical juncture, should we allow her to drag down all three families? If we didn’t care, would we have gone out of our way to hire the best lawyers and pull connections just to get her sentenced to only a few years? If we didn’t care, would we have pressured the Lin Family to ensure they don’t back out of the engagent? Right now, we’re just hoping Shen Big Brother can rise to a higher position soon. By then, Shen Old Master, we’ll be counting on your help to get Gu En out! But once one has been in prison, the fact remains—they’ve been inside. For a girl, her reputation will be ruined. If we don’t keep the Lin Family tied to this marriage, where can Xiao’en possibly end up? Only by securing this marriage with the Lin Family, and with Shen Old Master’s family supporting her, can Xiao’en have an easier future."
In Gu Mother’s words, Shen Big Brother naturally referred to Shen Old Master’s son. As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes and she sniffled with visible grief and urgency, her pain almost palpable.
Language truly is a profound art form. It was precisely such a display of humility and softened rhetoric that erased Shen Old Master’s lingering doubts.
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