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Gu Xiruo listened to the people around her demanding compensation, her breathing quickened, and her body trembled uncontrollably. She looked at Zhen Niang and asked through gritted teeth, “Are you intentionally picking on me?”
She couldn’t believe that things could be so coincidental, with issues arising the moment someone arrived.
“Miss Gu is mistaken. I didn’t come here to pick on you. It’s just that the things you sold aren’t up to standard. If everything you sold was worth its value, I wouldn’t have noticed so many problems,” Zhen Niang said coldly, looking at Gu Xiruò.
“You…”
“Many of these people, Miss Gu, are your old customers. If it was just a one-time incident of accidentally selling defective goods to them, I believe everyone would understand. But you sell defective goods every day. How do you expect everyone to forgive you?” Zhen Niang said, looking at Gu Xiruo.
Gu Xiruo’s old customers, holding the clothes in their hands, felt as uncomfortable as if they had eaten a fly. They never expected Gu Xiruo to do such a thing.
“Gu Xiruo, is this how you repay our trust in you? You are really shameless,” angrily exclaimed a young woman who had a close relationship with Gu Xiruo.
Since Gu Xiruo opened her store, all the clothes and fabrics they bought were from her. Now they realized she had deceived them.
“Listen to my explanation; this… it’s all a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding? Gu Xiruo, do you still have any face to speak? What do you mean by misunderstanding?”
“Now you have only two choices: compensate for our losses, or we report this to the authorities for them to handle it.” Former friends were tearing their faces apart because of the deception.
Zhen Niang looked at Gu Xiruo, who appeared fragile and on the verge of fainting at any moment, and disdainfully chuckled.
“Yes, you must compensate us.”
Knowing she couldn’t resolve the situation at the moment, Gu Xiruo trembled, pointed at them as if to say something, but then she coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.
People around were startled by Gu Xiruo’s condition. When they had heard about her being sick and coughing up blood before, they thought it was a lie. Now, seeing it for themselves, they were surprised to find out it was real.
Zhen Niang saw Gu Xiruo fainting right in front of her, and her brows furrowed. It seemed like the timing of her collapse couldn’t be more perfect.
Glancing at the surrounding people, would they let it slide like this?
“Thinking that fainting means she doesn’t have to compensate? Three days. We’ll give her three days. If she hasn’t done anything by then, don’t blame us for reporting it directly to the authorities,” Gu Xiruo’s friend declared coldly, showing no mercy just because she had fainted.
Gu Xiruo’s trusted maid couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Madam Lin, you’re being too much. Our Miss is already in this state, and you’re still pushing her to compensate?”
“Her being sick is one thing, her deceiving us is another. Since she dared to do this, now that the truth is exposed, she should pay the price. I’ll make it clear: you’d better remind her. If, after three days, she hasn’t given us a satisfactory answer, I’ll go to the authorities,” Madam Lin said indifferently, looking at the maid accusing her.
The maid witnessed Madam Lin using such an attitude towards Gu Xiruo for the first time. If it weren’t for Gu Xiruo going too far, Madam Lin wouldn’t have acted like this.
Taking a deep breath, Madam Lin looked at the maid. “Business relies on integrity. Only with that can one go further. What she’s doing now might indeed bring her wealth, but once someone discovers it, it could be catastrophic for her.”
Gu Xiruo probably didn’t expect Zhen Niang to come and buy fabric, only to discover the issues in her store.
“Madam Lin is right. She is deceiving us customers now. If she doesn’t give us a proper explanation, it’s reasonable for us to report it to the authorities. We’ll follow Madam Lin’s suggestion, only three days.”
“When the time comes, Zhen Niang, we’ll trouble you to testify,” someone nearby said to Zhen Niang earnestly.
Zhen Niang nodded reluctantly. “Okay, I will testify for you.”
The maid didn’t dare to say much. She called someone to take Gu Xiruo back. This matter would surely anger the master and madam when they found out, especially since the fabric business was quite lucrative.
Now that the mistress has ruined everything, they dare not imagine what would happen when the master and madam return and learn about this.
Gu Xiruo woke up that night and, hearing from the maid that Madam Lin and the others gave her only three days, Gu Xiruo didn’t take it seriously at all.
She and Madam Lin were good friends. She believed Madam Lin was just upset, so why would she really report her to the authorities?
For three days, Madam Lin and the others waited for Gu Xiruo’s response, but Gu Xiruo remained silent.
She didn’t even offer an apology.
Gu Xiruo’s attitude completely infuriated Madam Lin and the others. After the three days passed, they went directly to report Gu Xiruo to the authorities.
Those who came to report Gu Xiruo were all influential and wealthy individuals. Seeing so many people reporting Gu Xiruo together, they could only send someone to the Gu family to apprehend her.
Gu Xiruo was dumbfounded when she heard the maid talk about the officials entering the mansion.
“Miss Gu, Madam Lin and several other respected ladies have accused you of deceit. You must come with us to the yamen,” the officer said with a stern face.
Gu Xiruo felt a burning sensation on her face as she listened to the officer’s words.
“There must be a misunderstanding; this is all a mistake,” Gu Xiruo hurriedly explained.
“Miss Gu, it’s better to go to the yamen and explain it to Madam Lin and the others,” the officer suggested. Judging by the anger on those ladies’ faces, it didn’t seem like a simple misunderstanding, contrary to what Miss Gu claimed.
Gu Xiruo clenched her fists tightly. Damn it, they really reported her to the authorities.
“Alright, I’ll go with you,” Gu Xiruo knew that the situation was now set in stone. No matter how she explained, it wouldn’t matter. She had to go with the officer for now, and she could address things when she saw the people involved.
When Gu Xiruo arrived at the yamen, she looked pale and sickly.
Seeing Gu Xiruo in this state, Madam Lin slightly furrowed her brows. She was not pleased with Gu Xiruo’s demeanor.
Observing Gu Xiruo with a cold gaze, the disappointment in Madam Lin’s eyes intensified. If someone didn’t know the full story, they might think that they were bullying her with so many people.
“Why are you treating me like this, Ran Fei? What have I done to offend you?” Gu Xiruo, clutching her chest, looked at Ran Fei with difficulty and questioned.
Ran Fei couldn’t help but laugh at Gu Xiruo’s words. “Gu Xiruo, are you even trying to save face anymore?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Gu Xiruo shook her head in disappointment.
Zhen Niang, being a busy person, couldn’t be there every day. Gu Xiruo could have easily claimed that Ran Fei and the others were slandering her, then dealt with the current situation later.
Faced with Gu Xiruo, who not only did something wrong but also tried to turn the blame around, Ran Fei felt a chill. What kind of friend was she dealing with?
Fortunately, she had now seen Gu Xiruo’s true colors. “Gu Xiruo, I never expected you to be this kind of person.”