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Gu Xiruo looked pale as she gazed at Wang Jinhe. “Aren’t you afraid of ending up with nothing? Regardless, we are still family. Acting this way will only make Father detest you.”
Wang Jinhe raised an eyebrow, finding Gu Xiruo’s words somewhat intriguing.
“Are you trying to get close to me, Gu Xiruo?” Wang Jinhe scrutinized Gu Xiruo with a mocking expression on her face.
Feeling embarrassed, Gu Xiruo indeed hoped to avoid the punishment through this interaction.
“You don’t need to get close to me. After all, we are not familiar, we are even enemies. You haven’t forgotten your attempts on my life, have you? Unfortunately, the people you sent after me were not very capable. In the end, not only am I alive, but I am thriving,” Wang Jinhe casually brought up past events while looking at Gu Xiruo.
Listening to Wang Jinhe’s unfiltered words, Gu Xiruo felt as if the people around her were whispering and pointing fingers at her.
Even though injured, Gu Sheng was still very angry to hear Gu Xiruo being bullied by Wang Jinhe.
“Enough. Regardless of anything, she is your sister. Your actions are too much,” Gu Sheng said hoarsely.
This statement infuriated Wang Jinhe completely. Seeing Gu Sheng standing up for Gu Xiruo, Wang Jinhe suddenly found it all very amusing.
“Are you standing up for your adopted daughter? Gu Sheng, what right do you have to say such things to me?”
“You merely gave birth to me. Besides that, what have you done? I was raised by my parents. What relationship do I have with you? The bond of raising is greater than the bond of birth.”
Gu Sheng looked at Wang Jinhe with a piercing gaze. “Then you should repay it. Since your words sound so nice.”
Wang Jinhe stared back at Gu Sheng, her eyes dark.
Gu Sheng felt a sense of fear when he saw the look in Wang Jinhe’s eyes.
Subconsciously, he turned his head away, unable to meet Wang Jinhe’s eyes.
Wang Jinhe, while looking at Gu Sheng suddenly grabbed her wrist, exerted force and broke it. Everyone heard Wang Jinhe grunt in pain, her face visibly turning pale.
Gu Yanqi, witnessing Wang Jinhe’s actions, was shocked. “What are you doing? Are you out of your mind? Do you realize how precious your hands are?”
Ignoring Gu Yanqi, Wang Jinhe turned to Gu Sheng. “I repaid your act of raising me by sacrificing one of my hands for you, just like you requested. From today onwards, don’t let me hear you claim to be my father. Every time I hear it, I will strike you.”
“Yuan Xu, punish Gu Xiruo for her insubordination.”
“Yes,” Yuan Xu’s eyes filled with determination. He hadn’t expected Wang Jinhe to be so resolute.
Seeing Gu Sheng’s incredulous expression, Yuan Xu gritted his teeth and said, “If anything happens to our princess’s hand, Gu Sheng, be prepared to explain to the emperor.”
Then, he turned to the bewildered Gu Xiruo and ordered, “Hit her.”
A hidden guard kicked Gu Xiruo from behind, forcing her to collapse on the ground.
A scream echoed through the room, and Gu Xiruo instantly regretted her actions.
She shouldn’t have let fear of embarrassment drive her to stand up from the ground.
The two individuals were relentless in their beating, and she knew they were taking out their frustrations on her for Wang Jinhe’s sake.
After the beating, Wang Jinhe looked at Gu Sheng and said, “Family Head Gu, remember today’s events. Everyone present is a witness. Be careful with your words in the future, or I might seize the opportunity.”
“It’s your own doing, it has nothing to do with me. I don’t acknowledge it,” Gu Sheng gritted his teeth, enduring the pain.
If he was unsure of why Wang Jinhe acted this way before, he now understood.
Wang Jinhe aimed to sever all ties between them, ensuring she wouldn’t be hindered in any filial duties in the future.
If the events of today were known to the public, Gu’s family’s reputation and his relationship with Xiruo would be at stake. He couldn’t bear to think about it.
He couldn’t let this happen.
Wang Jinhe looked at Gu Sheng and chuckled softly, “It’s a pity, Gu Sheng, that you can’t just deny it as you wish.”
“Once the mirror is broken, it’s hard to mend. Once the move is made, there’s no regret. I’ve done what I needed to do, and I hope Family Head Gu can do the same,” Wang Jinhe concluded before leaving without a second glance.
Gu Yanqi looked at the pale-faced Gu Sheng on the ground and remarked, “You truly are something.”
“I am your father.”
Gu Yanqi couldn’t be bothered to respond, turning to the attendees at the funeral. “I apologize for everyone witnessing such an event.”
Despite the family’s dirty laundry being kept private, it ended up causing a big commotion.
“Yanqi, you must work hard from now on. Don’t let outsiders take away the Gu family’s legacy,” a man around Gu Sheng’s age approached Gu Yanqi, patting his shoulder.
“That’s right. If you need anything in the future, come to us. We may not be able to help much with bigger matters, but we can assist with the smaller ones,” another person added.
Gu Yanqi smiled, “Thank you, uncles. I will remember your words.”
Upon returning to the Royal Mansion, Nan Qiao saw her injured hand and trembled with anger. “Who did this to you, sister-in-law?”
“I did it myself. Yuan Xu will spread the events at the Gu family today. Tomorrow, let everyone in the capital know that I repaid Gu Sheng’s act of giving birth to me by sacrificing my hand. From now on, Wang Jinhe will have no ties with him,” Wang Jinhe instructed, seeing Yuan Xu equally angry beside her.
“Yes.”
“Sister-in-law, I need to know the reason behind your actions.” What was the purpose of self-harm?
“Why? It’s simple. Because I intend to take action against Gu Sheng. If there is any blood relation between us, I will be constrained in my future actions. I don’t want that to happen,” she explained. Today, she planned to resolve all matters.
Whether it was Gu Yanqi’s affairs or her own, she was determined to handle everything thoroughly.
She wouldn’t give Gu Sheng a chance to resist.
Nan Qiao was still displeased. “Sister-in-law, you could have let us handle these matters. Why did you take matters into your own hands?”
Luo Hou nodded in agreement. “Sister-in-law, you must provide us with a convincing reason, or else we will definitely inform Brother Yu about this.”
Wang Jinhe looked at them helplessly, feeling a bit of a headache. “This is something I just obtained recently. Take a look. After seeing it, you will understand why I had to do this.”
The two men exchanged a glance and began examining what Wang Jinhe handed them.
After reading it, they looked at Wang Jinhe in shock. “Sister-in-law, is all of this true?”
Wang Jinhe nodded. “You didn’t read it wrong. It is indeed true.”
Nan Qiao frowned and said, “Does Gu Sheng want to die? How could he get involved with those people? This is a grave crime that could lead to the extermination of his entire family. If the emperor investigates, he will surely face death.”
“That’s why I need to sever all ties with him. I can’t let him implicate me and the Royal Mansion.”
“What about Gu Yanqi? Are you not concerned about him?” Lord Luo asked Wang Jinhe.
“He has his own tasks from Mother. I will visit the palace tomorrow,” Wang Jinhe replied, looking at her wrist.