Chapter 8
Edward Quan ·
Our destination was the Gu family’s villa.
After a day full of one bizarre event after another, I had only one wish left.
Eat a good meal.
Then go home and sleep.
Preferably, sleep until nobody in the world remembered the name Song Ruoxi.
But as soon as I stepped into the villa, I realized things weren’t that simple.
Baozi was waiting right by the door.
The moment he saw me, he ran over.
“Sausage Sis!”
Me: “…”
I crouched down.
“Could you call me Big Sis Ruoxi?”
The boy thought about it.
“Big Sis Ruoxi Sausage!”
I gave up.
Gu Mingzhe stood behind him, the corner of his mouth slightly raised.
“Xiaoyu waited for you all afternoon.”
I patted the boy’s head.
“Have you eaten dinner yet?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I was waiting for you.”
I was touched.
What a thoughtful child.
But then Baozi added:
“Dad said you’d come for dinner today. I was afraid the sausages would be gone if I ate first.”
Me: “…”
Fine.
Our bond was worth exactly one sausage.
Dinner was incredibly lavish.
Lobster.
Abalone.
Premium beef.
The kind of food I had only dared to look at on my phone before.
I held my chopsticks and was so moved that I nearly cried.
“President Gu.”
“Yes?”
“Is the company hiring food tasters?”
He looked up.
“Why?”
“I feel like I’d be perfect for the job.”
Gu Mingzhe laughed.
“Just eat.”
I immediately got started.
But halfway through dinner, Baozi suddenly tugged at my sleeve.
“Big Sis.”
“What is it?”
“Can you come get the birthday cake with me?”
I was stunned.
“Is it your birthday today?”
The boy shook his head.
“No.”
“Then whose birthday is it?”
“Mom’s.”
The chopsticks in my hand stopped.
Baozi lowered his head.
“Today is Mom’s birthday. Every year, she makes me a cake to eat. But this year she’s been asleep for too long.”
I looked at Gu Mingzhe.
He sat motionless.
After a long while, he said hoarsely:
“Today is Siyu’s birthday.”
My throat suddenly tightened.
Baozi tugged at my hand.
“Will you come with me?”
I nodded.
“All right.”
The boy led me upstairs.
There was a small cake in his room.
Unlit candles were stuck into the top.
I sat down beside him.
“Did you get it ready yourself?”
“Yes. I asked the housekeeper to buy it.”
“What do you want to wish for?”
Baozi looked at the cake.
Only after a long time did he speak.
“I want Mom to wake up.”
I fell silent.
He continued:
“But Auntie Wan says Mom doesn’t love me anymore.”
I frowned at once.
“When did she say that?”
“When Mom first went to the hospital.”
“What else did she say?”
Baozi lowered his head.
“She said Mom was asleep because I was naughty.”
I was stunned.
A five-year-old child.
For three months, he had been living with the thought that his mother’s coma was his fault.
I gently put an arm around his shoulders.
“Baozi, listen to me.”
“Yes?”
“It isn’t your fault that your mother hasn’t woken up.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“But Auntie said…”
“Your aunt was wrong.”
The boy looked up.
I spoke seriously:
“Adults sometimes lie, too. Some people lie because they’re afraid of being scolded. Others lie because they want to hide something bad they’ve done.”
“Then how can I tell who’s telling the truth?”
I thought about it.
Then answered:
“You have to see whether that person truly cares about you.”
Baozi fell silent.
A moment later, he asked:
“Do you care about me?”
I smiled.
“Of course.”
“Then you wouldn’t lie to me?”
I shook my head.
“No.”
The boy looked at me for a long time.
Then he suddenly threw his arms around my neck.
“Big Sis…”
“What?”
“I miss Mom.”
His childish voice made my heart ache.
I held him.
I said nothing more.
Sometimes, silence is the best comfort you can offer.
But just then, Baozi whispered in my ear:
“Big Sis, I have another secret.”
I paused.
“What secret?”
“Before Mom’s accident, I heard her arguing with Grandpa.”
I looked up.
“Grandpa?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
The boy thought for a long time.
Then he answered slowly:
“Grandpa said if Mom didn’t sign the papers, she’d regret it.”
A chill ran down my back.
“What papers?”
Baozi shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
Then he added one more sentence.
One that left me completely frozen.
“Mom said if anything happened to her, Dad must never trust Grandpa.”
Chapter 9: The Most Suspicious Person Was Grandpa
I don’t know how long I stood there without moving.
Only when Baozi tugged my sleeve did I come back to myself.
“Big Sis, what’s wrong?”
I lowered my head.
“Nothing.”
“Are you scared?”
I immediately shook my head.
“No.”
The boy looked at me.
“But your face is really pale.”
I sighed.
“Because I just remembered I haven’t finished my lobster.”
Baozi: “…”
I took his hand and led him downstairs.
Gu Mingzhe was still seated at the dining table.
As soon as he saw my expression, he realized something was wrong.
“Ms. Song?”
I looked at Baozi.
Then at him.
“President Gu, I’d like to speak with you in private.”
He looked a little surprised.
But he nodded.
Ten minutes later.
In the study.
I told him everything Baozi had just said.
Gu Mingzhe’s expression changed several times as he listened.
At the last sentence, he suddenly jumped to his feet.
“That can’t be!”
I was startled.
“Please calm down!”
He looked at me.
“Do you know what kind of person my father is?”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“He founded the Gu family business. His whole life, he’s put family first.”
I fell silent.
Gu Mingzhe continued:
“He loves Xiaoyu very much. He has always treated Siyu well, too.”
I thought for a moment.
Then asked:
“Then do you know your wife once argued with him?”
Gu Mingzhe paused.
I looked at him.
“You didn’t know, did you?”
He was silent.
I continued:
“President Gu, I’m not saying your father is a bad person.”
“But if your wife really said those things, don’t you think you should find out what happened?”
Gu Mingzhe sat down.
After a long time, he finally said hoarsely:
“Three months ago, Siyu wanted to meet with a lawyer.”
I immediately looked up.
“A lawyer?”
“Yes.”
“What for?”
“She said she wanted to revise some documents related to the family’s assets.”
My heart began to beat faster.