Chapter Thirty-Four: Redemption (Part Two)

  April's sky, dreams start to shine brightly. Ahead of me is a long string of wishes. I hope that my dear child can realize them one by one, day by day.

  Yingzi is in her youth and needs nutrition. She's growing so fast, it's time to get her some new clothes. I need to do more part-time jobs to earn some money.

  My god, what have I just seen! I was wrong, I shouldn't have taken on the cleaning job for Wang's underground garage just to save some money.

  Am I overreacting? Nothing has happened, everything is as usual.

  Today, I was promoted to warehouse duty officer. Moreover, the team leader took into account that I still have family members to take care of, so only two night shifts were arranged for me in a week. But is this really because I work hard?

  Why is it that every time Li Zuosi is on duty, the warehouse receipts are balanced, but the actual quantity is not correct? Is it my mistake or did he fill out the form incorrectly?

  Today, I secretly asked Li Yisu privately, and he warned me not to get involved in too much.

  I reported Li Yisu to the team leader, because this behavior of monitoring and stealing is wrong and shameful. Before he made a big mistake, as a colleague, as someone older than him, I should have reached out to help him.

  Why? Why does everyone look at me with that kind of gaze? Why did the team leader not deal with Li's mistake but instead punished me with a suspension for investigation? Did I do something wrong?

  Today, people from the police station came and talked to me. They said that the company reported me for stealing company property. I didn't, I didn't, I didn't.

  Why did I encounter such a thing when I have lived an honest and upright life?

  As I came out of the police station today, I saw the chairman's car parked by the road. I thought I understood, all this must be because of that thing I saw a month ago. I ran over to beg him, I swore I would never tell anyone about it, but he said if I wanted to keep my family safe, the only way was to shut up forever. Forever? No, I couldn't die, I couldn't leave, Yingzi is still so young, and Lao Zeng is a good gambler, what would happen to Yingzi if I were gone?!

  Yingzi, my daughter, what should I do? Should I die to protect you or use resistance to prove my innocence? If I die, will you blame me forever and even think of me as your shame?

  Yingzi, mom has thought about it. As a person, one must be upright, even if I die, I will say everything before I die. I won't let my daughter be bullied, I want my daughter to live an honest life forever. Even when she goes to university and earns money, don't be like that hypocritical person who says nice things on the surface but betrays their own company, subordinates, and family members.

  If there is a God in this world, I wish he would bless my daughter and make all her dreams come true. If there is a Buddha in this world, I wish he would protect my daughter and keep her safe for the rest of her life. Yingzi, Mom loves you.

  The diary ended abruptly here, Gu Huanli's face was filled with a sorrowful and mournful expression, and something sparkling appeared in her deep eyes. But there were no ifs.

  It doesn't matter what it is.

  "Your mother was both straightforward and gentle..." Tears fell one by one, shining like crystals. Gu Huanli carefully returned the diary to Zeng Xiaoying, who asked in a low voice, "This diary, apart from me, have you shown it to anyone else?"

  Zeng Xiaoying also burst into tears, she took over the diary, subconsciously rubbing the cover, and said in a daze, "No. But I don't know how long I can still have it, I want to help my mother reverse the case, I want to investigate whether my mother was suicidal or murdered, but...".

  "She sighed dejectedly and said, 'I'm just a kid, this reality is really too desperate for me.'"

  "Why did you choose to show me these things? Have you forgotten that I'm younger than you, and shouldn't I be resentful towards you instead? Moreover, the person recorded in this diary is my uncle who has taken care of me for many years!" Gu Huanli took the handkerchief handed over by Cassidy and gently wiped away the tears from her eyes, a layer of frost forming in her clear pupils as they seemed to leap with fiery intensity.

  "No, Miss Gu, he's a bad person, he wants to harm you. It's because of him that my father kidnapped you." Zeng Xiao Ying took out a stack of photos from her backpack and handed them to Gu Huan Lian, saying anxiously, "I found these under the mattress before I moved house. Miss Gu, I know your school is very strict, and I also know it's impossible for Father to enter the Chu residence to observe you. So who could have given him these photos, these candid shots of your daily life?"

  Gu Huanli smiled, an exceptionally gentle smile, but her heart was as if it had been grasped by someone, aching to the extreme. She knew that Zeng Xiaoying was right, those photos, of her reading books, playing the piano, and sleeping, could only have been taken by someone in the Chu residence. The problem was, she didn't know when she had been photographed by others, so the only possibility was that there were hidden cameras installed in her room.

  This realization made Gu Huanli furious, because the only person who had the qualifications and ability to do these things was the master of the Chu residence - Chu Lintao.

  She's just a kid, what is he watching her for?

  Suddenly, Gu Huanli's face turned pale. She raised her head and looked at Zeng Xiaoying, saying word by word, "Are there only these photos? Have you hidden some secretly because you didn't want to hurt me?"

  "That's all I've found so far." Zeng Xiao Ying bit her lip, looking apologetic as she lowered her head. "Miss Gu, I'm sorry. It wasn't until over a month ago that I finished reading my mom's diaries, and these photos were only recently discovered by me. At the time, I wanted to find you, but I didn't know where you lived. Later on, after going through many twists and turns to investigate your school, I heard from someone that you were taking a sick leave. Luckily, that day I ran into Young Master Gu at the school entrance who was helping you ask for leave. I saw his school uniform and also saw his car, then every day I waited in ambush on the road ahead, advancing a few kilometers each time. Two weeks later, I finally found this place."

  "Miss, don't you think Miss Zeng is very clever?" Cassidy stood behind her, his hand gently stroking Gu Huanli's shoulder, while the other hand took away the stack of photos from her hand. He just wanted to let Gu Huanli see clearly what she was doubting, but didn't want her to lose happiness because of it. "And when the truth is gradually revealed, Miss Zeng's situation will become extremely dangerous, perhaps one day, she will leave this world inexplicably, just like her mother."

  "Are you going to die?" Gu Huanli looked up at Cassidy behind her, her eyes full of helplessness. "The Lord once said, 'Do not enter the schemes of evil men, do not stand on the paths of sinners, and do not sit in the seats of scoffers.'"

  Cassidy gazed into her dark, misty eyes and said firmly, "Yes, my lady. Those who do evil will be cut down."

  Gu Huan raised her eyes and stopped talking.

  The room was silent, even the sound of breathing was barely audible.

  "I don't need a maid." The silence was finally broken after a long time. Gu Huanli opened her eyes and stared at Zeng Xiaoying, "However, you can stay by my side, whether it's to redeem your father's guilt, seek refuge, or find the truth, but you must give me absolute loyalty, and I also hope you can keep your integrity, just like your mother."

  "Miss......" Zeng Xiao Ying looked at her in disbelief.

  "Don't call me so soon, my conditions haven't been fully stated yet." Gu Huanli's lips curled up in a faint smile as she spoke from the shadows. "Firstly, I want you to immediately sever ties with your father and change back to your mother's surname. Secondly, I want you to immediately drop out of your current school and complete all the courses I specify before winter break. Thirdly, if anyone asks about your identity in the Gu household, your answer can only be one - that you are my pet. If you feel you cannot fulfill any of these three points, you can choose to turn around and leave."

  Zeng Xiaoying had never hoped to be a friend of the wealthy or anything else, although being a pet was a bit unpleasant. As long as the young lady needed her, she would even be willing to be a loyal dog. Dropping out of school wasn't a difficult thing for her either. Without any relatives' support, relying solely on the money her mother had saved up with great difficulty, it was impossible for her to complete her high school education. If she could change back to her mother's surname, she would be overjoyed, because from a young age, she had always despised her father who was addicted to gambling.

  However, a father is after all a father, who gave her flesh and blood, and gave her life. Can't just cut off the relationship just by saying so. So, Zeng Xiao Ying said, "I can sever my legal relationship with Father, but I cannot cut off the ties of kinship. If in the future, Father encounters any difficulties, can I secretly lend a helping hand under someone else's name?"

  "I only ask you to sever your legal relationship, as for other things, under the premise of not violating my orders and not betraying me, you decide for yourself." Gu Huanli's response to Zeng Xiaoying couldn't be said to be completely satisfactory, but it also made her nod secretly in her heart. The pet thing was just to prevent Luo Yichen's inquiry, she only appreciated Zeng Xiaoying's integrity and cleverness, and hoped that through cultivation, Zeng Xiaoying could become her assistant. "I haven't asked yet, what is your mother's name?"

  "Zheng Lan, my mother's name is Zheng Lan."

  "Zheng Xiao Ying..." Gu Huan Li gently tilted her head, with a warm smile at the corner of her lips, "This name sounds nice, Ying Zi, what do you think?"

  Zeng Xiao Ying stood up, imitating Cassidy's manner, and said respectfully, "Yes, miss, I like this name very much."

  "Kasdio, I'll leave things to you." Gu Huanli also stood up and walked slowly to the door. As she opened it, she whispered, "Three days should be no problem for you, right?"

  "Don't worry, miss." Cassidy watched as Gu Huanli's figure disappeared into the distance, a wry smile spreading across his face. This kind of thing would clearly be handled faster if left to Mr. He. Ah, what a vengeful young lady.

  The night sky is like a black net, densely covering people's eyes. The hazy moonlight shines on this mysterious land, quietly, quietly.

  After communicating with the lawyer team, Gu Tianxi returned to the bedroom and saw a lump under the quilt. She walked gently to the bedside and slowly lifted one corner of the quilt. In the clear moonlight, Gu Huanli's face seemed to be coated with a layer of silver light, her long eyelashes casting a shadow under her eyes, and the bright moonlight and shadows intertwined, creating an indescribable beauty.

  Gu Tianxi let out a sigh and carefully wrapped his arms around Gu Huanlin, who was curled up like a small cat in his embrace. The entire process was as delicate as protecting a glass doll. Gu Huanlin smelled the familiar scent and felt the warmth she deeply longed for, and contentedly rubbed against him, a soothing smile spreading across her lips.

  In Gu Tianxi's eyes, the completely relaxed Gu Huanlin felt soft and warm to hold. His breathing was calm, and the painful moans that sounded like sobs when he fell into a nightmare had completely disappeared. He seemed to have finally escaped from his captivity, leaning against him without any guard.

  Her eyelashes trembled, Gu Tianxi sighed, was she too spoiled? But he knew in his heart that it wasn't enough. Cassio had brought the girl to his sister's side with his tacit consent, yes, from the moment the girl had followed the car on her bicycle, desperately pedaling to keep up, she had been discovered by He Muyang.

  As a result, isn't it interesting?

  Zheng Xiaoying earned an opportunity for herself with her persistence and determination, but she also hurt his sister with her uprightness. Anyway, there will be many opportunities in the future, so-called punishment can take many forms.

  "Brother." Gu Huanlin opened her blurry eyes and asked in a low voice, "Why does Uncle want to monitor me? Am I that annoying?"

  Everything was immersed in a heavy atmosphere, quiet, and what followed seemed to be even darker and colder than ink. It seemed that something was about to happen at any moment.

  "I will give him the most severe punishment." Gu Tianxi gently stroked his sister's hair, and the amber eyes shone with warm light. "Xiao Li, don't worry, Mu Yang has checked it out, there is no camera in the bathroom."

  "Brother, please, you must destroy those things, otherwise..." Gu Huanli's whole body trembled, even as Gu Tianxi tried to hold her closer, she still shook with fear, lowering her head, the hair on her forehead covering her eyes and also hiding the flash of terror that suddenly appeared in them, because on that night, the night she was reborn, her appearance on the verge of collapse, or even hysterical, absolutely could not be seen by her brother.

  "Good." A faint smile played on the corners of her mouth as Gu Tianxi gently planted a kiss on her forehead, his warm eyes rippling with gentle waves. "Get some rest, and tomorrow take me to see your new toy."

  "It's not a toy, it's a pet." Hearing her brother's promise, Gu Huanli put her mind at ease. She explained in a sentence, then snuggled into her brother's arms, whispering softly, "I'm not a kid anymore, toys and stuff don't mean anything to me."

  "Really? I originally planned to take you to Tokyo Disney this winter break, but since you don't like it, we won't go." Gu Tianxi smiled lightly, his voice calm as a gentle stream.

  "As long as brother is willing to take me, whether it's Disney or somewhere else, I like it." Gu Huan Lian's black pupils burned with two small flames deep within.