Chapter 125: Huanhuan, Don't Blame Chacha
The children all arrived home around the same time. When Gu Chengye saw Qi Meili following them in, his expression darkened further. “Miss Qi, this is a family matter. It’s not appropriate for you to be here.”
Qi Meili waved a dismissive hand. “Who doesn’t know about your family’s mess? Stop putting on airs, old man. Get on with it.”
Gu Chengye’s face darkened even more. “Jingchen!”
This was their family business. How could an outsider be allowed to interfere?
He Huanhuan shot him a look. “Meili is the family I’m closest to. If she can’t stay and listen, then neither can I. We’re leaving.”
With that, she grabbed Qi Meili’s hand and turned to go. Gu Jinghan followed them without missing a beat. “Are you going back to the hotel or going out to eat? Is that brat Han Mo taking you two somewhere good again? Why do you always leave me out...?”
Fury churned in Gu Chengye’s chest, but he had no choice but to compromise. “I called you all back because there’s something important to discuss! What are you making a fuss about? Come back!”
Seeing how upset he was, Jiang Yulan hurried after them. “Huanhuan, don’t make things difficult for your father...”
It took Jiang Yulan a whole lot of gentle coaxing before she finally persuaded them to return.
She held He Huanhuan’s hand in one hand and tugged Qi Meili along with the other. “Mom knows you and Meili are close. In Mom’s heart, both of you are my good daughters. It’s just that something happened to Chacha. Your father is worried, so he spoke a little harshly...”
He Huanhuan looked surprised. “Something happened to Gu Chacha? What happened to her?”
Gu Jinghan eagerly leaned in. “She finally got herself into trouble? Did she get dumped again? Or did one of her crappy performances get canceled?”
Gu Jinghan knew absolutely nothing about Brother Bao. Gu Jingchen hadn’t told him either.
He had a big mouth. Telling him was no different from issuing a public announcement.
Tell him one minute, and Huanhuan and Meili would know the next.
So when Jiang Yulan said Gu Chacha was in trouble, the three of them were genuinely shocked—not the slightest bit fake.
Only Gu Jingchen stood there with an indifferent expression, without saying a word.
One look was all Gu Chengye needed to know that this had been Gu Jingchen’s idea alone. His anger immediately found an outlet. “Jingchen, why would you do this to your sister? She’s the little sister you raised with your own hands! Do you have no heart?”
Jiang Yulan had had a difficult time giving birth to her third child, and her body had remained weak for years after the delivery.
Gu Chacha had been raised mostly by Gu Jingchen when she was little, and the siblings had once been very close.
Gu Chengye rebuked Gu Jingchen sternly. “She’s your sister! How could you send her to prison?”
“Huanhuan is my sister too.”
Gu Jingchen looked calmly at Gu Chengye, his face betraying little emotion. “Dad, Huanhuan is my sister too.”
Gu Chengye guiltily shifted his gaze away. “I never said Huanhuan wasn’t! I’m talking about Chacha...”
Gu Jingchen cut him off. “Dad, do you really not know why Chacha was arrested?”
Gu Chengye’s gaze became even more evasive. “Why are you asking that...?”
How could he not know? He had personally helped Gu Jingchen build and maintain all those connections, little by little.
Gu Chacha had been arrested last night, and he had received the news first thing this morning.
Gu Chacha had helped Brother Bao launder money. Brother Bao had arranged for someone to assassinate He Huanhuan...
Every detail had been reported to him.
But he had chosen to ignore the latter part. Huanhuan wasn’t hurt, was she?
Since she was fine, they should just let it go.
The family’s reputation was more important. They couldn’t let people laugh at them.
But Gu Jingchen had no intention of letting it go. He stared steadily at Gu Chengye. “Dad, you knew all along, didn’t you?”
Gu Jingchen’s relentless questioning ignited Gu Chengye’s anger. Was this brat condemning him?
His eyes widened at once. “What do you mean by that? Are you accusing me? Do you think I’m wrong? What did I do wrong? Everything I’ve done has been for the company, for all of you! This family raised you—”
“Dad, this family didn’t raise Huanhuan.”
Gu Jingchen interrupted him again. “Have you forgotten? This family raised Chacha, not Huanhuan.”
His biological daughter had spent her first twenty years living in poverty in the countryside. After she was finally brought back, Gu Chacha had resented her, targeted her, kidnapped her, and tried to have her killed...
Gu Jingchen lowered his eyes toward Gu Chengye, who was seated on the sofa. “Dad, do you really consider Huanhuan your daughter?”
Gu Chengye was instantly speechless, unable to think of a reply. “That’s not what I mean. I just...”
He considered this family, the company, everything.
It was just that He Huanhuan had never been included in those considerations.
He straightened up, as though he had done nothing wrong. “I’ll make up for what needs to be made up for. But this situation is different. If Chacha’s matter gets exposed, the impact on the company will be extremely serious...”
Even after Gu Jingchen had laid it out so plainly, he still refused to give in. He wanted to protect Gu Chacha and get her completely out of this mess.
“Heh.”
Gu Jingchen gave a quiet laugh. “Dad, I knew you’d be like this. It’s useless. You can’t get Chacha out.”
Gu Chengye frowned. “What do you mean?”
The smile at Gu Jingchen’s lips deepened. “The Liang family has stepped in. Chacha isn’t getting out. She’ll receive the punishment she deserves.”
“How dare you!”
Gu Chengye had never imagined that Gu Jingchen would go this far!
Instead of covering up the family scandal, he had actually exposed it to outsiders and humiliated the family!
He abruptly rose to his feet and glared at Gu Jingchen. “Do you think there’s nothing I can do to you?”
Gu Jingchen smiled and shook his head. “Of course you can do something, Dad. You can force me out of the company. You can take everything back. But what I’ve already done is beyond your control.”
Gu Chengye’s expression turned awful. “Do you really think I wouldn’t hand the company over to Jinghan?”
Gu Jinghan pointed at himself, the genius that he was. “Give it to me? Dad, are you okay? Do you want to experience bankruptcy in your old age?”
Why else would he want to marry a rich woman? Obviously, he wasn’t cut out for this kind of work!
The hotel accounts were sent to the company for his big brother to review every month, right on schedule...
“You—”
Gu Chengye shot him an irritated glare. “Useless! Jade must be polished to become a gem. Why can’t you be properly honed?”
Gu Jinghan grinned like the brilliant mind he was. “But it has to be jade before you can polish it. If you polish plastic too hard, it’ll catch fire!”
...
Gu Chengye’s gaze shifted unwillingly to He Huanhuan. She flashed a broad grin. “What? You want to hand the company over to me? Sure! I think I’ve got the look of a boss.”
...
To her surprise, Gu Chengye simply asked, “Huanhuan, can you stop blaming Chacha?”
He Huanhuan spread her hands. “This isn’t about whether I blame her or not. What are you all even talking about? I don’t understand a thing, okay?”
Why exactly had Gu Chacha gone to prison? What had she done?
Could someone please tell her? She was dying of curiosity!
Gu Chengye’s gaze flickered away. “That isn’t important. Huanhuan, Dad is just asking you one thing: can you stop blaming Chacha?”
He Huanhuan crossed her hands into an X. “Don’t try to put words in my mouth. I need to know what happened first. If she secretly plotted to stab me to death, and you still expect me not to blame her? I might as well stab you instead!”
...
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