Chapter 105: A Gift? Then He’ll Just Give Criminals
Chapter 105: Chapter 105: A Gift? Then He’ll Just Give Criminals
Gu Xulin: ???
He looked at Gu Zhao in disbelief. "How old are you?! And you’re already racking up romantic debts!"
Gu Zhao looked baffled. ’It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!’
She looked at the little boy. "Don’t you dare frame me! I said if you bring your family fortune, I’ll support you! No family fortune, no support!"
Gu Xulin: ?
’You actually considered it?!’
’This kid’s getting way ahead of herself! Later, I’m definitely going to spank her silly!’
’Is your kid too naughty? Don’t throw them away! A perfectly good butt is just right for a spanking!’
The little boy fell silent, his head lowered, as if Gu Zhao were some irresponsible, heartless player.
"Hello? Hello? Are you listening?"
"Calling 0-0-1, calling 0-0-1! Please respond!"
No matter what Gu Zhao tried, the little boy was committed to playing deaf.
The Tibetan Mastiff’s four legs were a blur as it ran. By the time it caught up to the car, the poor dog looked half-dead. It collapsed in front of the car, its legs giving out.
’You don’t want me anymore! Just run me over and put me out of my misery!’
Seeing the dog’s grief-stricken face, Gu Xulin thoughtfully opened the car door for it.
The moment the door opened, the Tibetan Mastiff scrambled to get in. Its brain was working faster than its legs, causing it to trip and land in a clumsy heap.
Without pausing to recover, it clambered into the car as if it were drunk.
As soon as it was inside, it saw the boy sitting in its spot.
"Sister... are you abandoning me because you have a new favorite?" the Tibetan Mastiff asked, looking at Gu Zhao with teary eyes.
Gu Zhao felt wronged!
So incredibly wronged!
"I don’t know him, really. You have to believe me," Gu Zhao said, looking earnestly at the Tibetan Mastiff.
The Tibetan Mastiff shot the little boy a glare, then squeezed its bulky body into Gu Zhao’s lap, staking its claim.
"I won’t blame you, Sister. I love you the most~"
After picking up the Tibetan Mastiff, Gu Xulin drove directly back to the riverbank. By now, the crowd had dispersed, with only a few people still live-streaming.
No one was looking for the child.
Gu Xulin then drove to the police station. After some questioning, the little boy only gave his name: Jiang Xiubai.
The rest of the time, he was like a mute.
He would only say a few words when Gu Zhao spoke to him.
The police spent a long time searching but couldn’t find a single shred of information about him.
Gu Xulin was holding a sleeping Gu Zhao in his arms as he glanced at Jiang Xiubai, who was staring intently at her.
They were there from seven in the morning until five in the afternoon.
The Tibetan Mastiff was a wreck. Gu Zhao and the others were fed by the kind policemen and policewomen, but the dog looked too intimidating, so they wouldn’t even let it inside.
In the end, they couldn’t find any leads. The police had no choice but to take down Gu Xulin’s contact information and ask him to temporarily look after Jiang Xiubai. They urged him to stay in touch, took a DNA sample from the boy, and then let them leave.
Gu Xulin left with the kids, his face dark.
There was no other choice. Jiang Xiubai had latched onto Gu Zhao. He refused to stay at the police station by himself and wouldn’t go to a welfare institution, just staring pitifully at Gu Zhao.
But the little heartless thing in question was sleeping soundly, and even drooling!
Back at the old mansion, Uncle Fu was already waiting outside. Gu Zhao had woken up on the way.
"Young Miss must be hungry. Come, let’s go eat." Uncle Fu’s heart ached the moment he saw Gu Zhao.
At the mention of food, Gu Zhao forgot everything else and dashed to the dining table.
Gu Yunqi was waiting on the sofa. Gu Xingyu was nowhere to be seen.
Gu Zhao guessed he was either hiding in his room or, more likely, crawling around darkly in some unseen corner.
The Tibetan Mastiff had its own special dinner and was taken away by a servant to be bathed and fed.
Uncle Fu watched Gu Zhao’s retreating back with a doting expression. ’Our Young Miss is just so adorable!’
"This must be young Master Xiubai, correct?" Uncle Fu turned to the boy next to Gu Xulin. Gu Xulin had already called ahead to explain the situation.
"I am the Gu Family’s butler. You can call me Uncle Fu. I’ve prepared a room for you, along with some clothes. I’ll take you for a bath and to get cleaned up first. If the clothes don’t fit, I’ll have someone get you a new set."
Uncle Fu looked at Jiang Xiubai with a kind expression. ’Such a young child, and he can’t find his family. How pitiful.’
Jiang Xiubai bit his lip. With Gu Zhao out of sight and her scent gone, he grew anxious.
But he still nodded. ’I have to be good, or they’ll kick me out.’
He followed Uncle Fu to a guest room.
Gu Xulin ran to the dining table to find Gu Zhao, only to discover she was being held up by the scruff of her collar by Gu Yunqi.
"You’re going to eat when you’re all dirty?" Gu Yunqi frowned, his tone displeased.
"Now that you’re back in the Gu Family, you need to observe some etiquette. Go take a bath and change your clothes, or you’re not allowed to eat."
Gu Zhao put on a fragile look. "I have just suffered a great injustice. I need a large amount of food to mend my poor heart, otherwise I’ll develop a very, very, very, *very* big psychological trauma!"
Gu Yunqi sneered. "You suffered an injustice? You were wandering around like a ghost in the middle of the night, randomly scaring a few passersby, then ran off to the Ye Family’s place to let rats overrun their villa, and even managed to pick up a random person to bring home."
"Your day has been more eventful than most people’s past two weeks combined. What injustice did you suffer?"
Gu Zhao’s eyes filled with tears. "You may not know this, but I’m actually an extremely fragile little girl. I even cry when people steal my money."
"Who stole your money?"
"In my dreams, I have lots of money. But when I wake up, I can’t even scrape together fifty cents," Gu Zhao sighed.
Gu Yunqi: ...
"Don’t worry. I have money."
Gu Zhao: !!
"Are you going to give me half?! You’re such a good brother!"
Gu Yunqi: "I’m just telling you that I still have money when I wake up from my dreams. I can’t relate to your suffering."
’We’re through!!’
Gu Zhao struggled out of his grasp, stomped viciously on his foot, and stalked off with a cold hmph.
After a few steps, she ran back and snatched a platter of fruit from the table.
"Hmph!" Gu Zhao huffed again and marched upstairs to take a bath without a backward glance.
Gu Xulin quietly tried to shuffle away.
"Stop right there. You took the kid out and ended up getting her into the water. You’ve really outdone yourself. A three-thousand-word self-criticism report on my desk by tomorrow," Gu Yunqi said, then went back to his work.
Gu Xulin threw a few mock punches at his back. The moment Gu Yunqi looked over, he quickly snatched a plate of roasted chicken and bolted upstairs.
He ran to give the roasted chicken to Gu Zhao.
After their baths, they sat at the dining table. Gu Xingyu still hadn’t appeared. Uncle Fu had specially prepared an extra portion of food and sent it upstairs.
After dinner, Gu Yunqi made an announcement.
"In three days, on Gu Zhao’s birthday, we will hold a birthday banquet at the old mansion to formally announce her identity. Any objections can be raised now," Gu Yunqi said, sipping his tea.
Gu Zhao asked, "Can I receive presents?"
"Of course. Who comes to a party without a gift?" Gu Xulin found a moment to reply, then started searching on his phone for good gifts for a child.
’Something the kid is interested in?’
’Interested in... money? I can’t just give her a handsome man, can I?’
’I’ve got it!’ Gu Xulin thought of a gift that Gu Zhao would absolutely love!
"Sweetie~ do you like your Fourth Brother?" Gu Xulin looked at her, his eyes full of anticipation.
Gu Zhao thought his brother was laying it on a bit thick. "I do."
Gu Xulin grinned like an obsessed fan. ’My gift will definitely be the best!’
Jiang Xiubai was a little lost. ’Do you have to give a gift for a birthday?’
’Then I have to give one too. What should I give...’
「That night.」
After everyone had gone to sleep, Jiang Xiubai secretly slipped out.
His figure moved through the old mansion at a speed impossible for a human.
He moved nimbly, avoiding all the patrol guards, and with a single leap, he vaulted over the manor’s border wall.
No one in the villa noticed a thing.
He followed a scent to a car where several people were arguing.
"I’ve fucking searched everywhere around here! Where could it have run off to!"
"I told you we should’ve hit it with a tranquilizer! But no, you had to use a human dose. Is it human?! It’s a monster."
Jiang Xiubai hid in the shadows and threw a rock, shattering the car window.
"Fuck! Which bastard with a death wish did that! I’ll kill him!"
The men, caught off guard, cursed as they got out of the car.
Jiang Xiubai was like a wild beast, his body leaning forward, his eyes locked on his prey.
While they were distracted, he pounced, knocking them out one by one. His strength was immense.
Completely unlike the helplessness he had shown when Gu Zhao pulled him into the water.
Once the men were unconscious, he tied them up with rope and hid them somewhere.
’I’ll wait until Gu Zhao’s birthday and give them to her as a present!’
’He’d heard at the police station—criminals are worth money!’
Jiang Xiubai left, completely satisfied, imagining how happy Gu Zhao would be when she received her gift.