Chapter 196: Arriving Silently, Annulment Obstructed
Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Arriving Silently, Annulment Obstructed
The new year arrived quietly.
Zhao Nuanyue calculated that a year and a half had passed since her rebirth.
In that year and a half, while she hadn’t saved the entire world and all of humanity like some kind of superhero, she had at least saved herself, her younger brother, and Hua Yusen. She had also helped Gu Qingyu and gained Little Red Carp as a companion. At the same time, she had forged good relationships with the staff in Nianqiao Village, securing her future livelihood.
Aware of her limited education, Zhao Nuanyue worked even harder to study high school subjects. She also delved into the medical books and formulas Sun Haoran had left her, diligently memorizing the properties of various herbs from an herbal encyclopedia to lay a solid foundation for her future medical studies.
In short, she, Zhao Nuanyue, had struggled and striven forward, and her initial results gave her even more confidence to continue on her path.
Meanwhile, Hua Yusen and his group escorted Elder Gu directly to Jincheng City by a private, non-stop train.
Elder Gu was taken to the best hospital in Jincheng City for treatment.
As his personal bodyguard and guard, Hua Yusen never left his side. Sun Haoran, as his trusted personal physician, also stayed with Gu Qingyu constantly.
Despite the potential dangers, they arrived safely in Jincheng City.
Once in Jincheng City, their lives were secure. Their enemies wouldn’t dare to make a move here.
As for Elder Gu, he couldn’t recover just yet; he had to wait for some time.
Sure enough, the top leader came to see Elder Gu in person. Seeing his old comrade-in-arms so gravely ill, and with his own health also failing, he was reminded of their glorious past. ’Good comrades, gone one after another,’ he thought. ’Perhaps I’ll be gone soon, too.’
’But now, the organization is controlled by a certain faction. I must use another force to create a balance.’
’Sigh... Brother Gu is an expert at managing the economy and has great strategic foresight. He’s also the youngest among us. I had hoped he would take the helm in the future, but now he too has fallen ill.’
Gu Qingyu detected regret and remorse in the top leader’s gaze and words. ’This is my chance,’ he thought. ’I have to hold on. If I ’recover’ in another month, I can naturally stay in Jincheng City.’
Hua Yusen went to his parents and proposed breaking off his engagement with Guo Dongmei, but they disagreed.
"Father, why do you disagree?" Hua Yusen asked anxiously. ’I don’t want any connection with Guo Dongmei, not in work, not in life. We’re in two opposing camps; we can never be together.’ "And you must have heard about what happened between her and Li Gongming in Jincheng City, right?"
Seeing his usually calm son so agitated, Hua Zhiqiang was taken aback. He pointed to a chair in front of him and said, "Sit down. Have some water and calm yourself, then we can talk."
Hua Yusen sat down and took a few sips of water to calm himself. Then, he looked at his father and said, "Father, Guo Dongmei made a move against Elder Gu. I discovered it early and swapped the poison."
Hearing this, Hua Zhiqiang froze, then asked in a hushed voice, "Elder Gu is feigning his illness?"
Hua Yusen nodded. "Yes! We and the Guo Family are destined to be on opposite sides. We should break off the engagement as soon as possible to avoid being dragged down by them!"
Hua Zhiqiang pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Not yet!"
"We can only break the engagement after Elder Gu has completely suppressed the Li family," Hua Zhiqiang decided after careful consideration. "I’ve analyzed the current situation with others. It’s not yet time for us to have a complete falling out with the Guo Family."
Hearing this, Hua Yusen slumped back into his chair, his expression forlorn and disappointed. He remained silent for a long time.
Seeing his son like this, Hua Zhiqiang frowned. ’My son isn’t usually so sentimental! No one wants a woman who flirts with other men. I’ll definitely break off the engagement for him in the future. It’s just not the right time. I’ve already explained it clearly, but he’s not taking it as rationally as he usually would. He seems truly heartbroken.’
"What’s wrong with you, Yu Sen?" Hua Zhiqiang asked. A sudden suspicion arose, and he frowned. "Have you... have you met a woman you like?"
Since his father had asked, Hua Yusen didn’t hide it. He nodded. "Yes, Father. I’ve fallen in love with a woman."
"Absolutely not!" Hua Zhiqiang refused outright. "You know that in a family like ours, you can’t just marry any woman. Your wife must come from a family that shares our ideals and is of equal social standing."
"Father!" Hua Yusen immediately cut his father off. "If I had died, would you still think this way?"
Hua Zhiqiang was stunned and asked in disbelief, "You’d actually consider ending your life over a woman?"
"Heh!" Hua Yusen gave a bitter laugh and rubbed his face with both hands. "Father, you underestimate me. I would never consider suicide over anyone. What I’m saying is, if it weren’t for her, I might have already died while protecting Elder Gu. You might not have been able to see me again."
Hearing his son’s words, Hua Zhiqiang finally remembered that his son had once been severely injured and luckily saved by villagers. At this thought, Hua Zhiqiang was alarmed. "Yu Sen," he asked, "you... you haven’t fallen for a village girl, have you? You are the eldest son and heir of the Hua family! How can you marry a village girl? She wouldn’t be able to handle the social responsibilities."
"Father, she’s not a village girl. She’s a sent-down youth, and she’s now a member of our organization," Hua Yusen replied. "As for what I told you about Elder Gu feigning his illness, it’s best you keep it to yourself. Don’t mention it to your friends, lest the news gets out. It would bring no benefit to the Hua family."
"I know that. Of course I can’t tell them," Hua Zhiqiang nodded. "Even if we’re allies, who knows if they have private dealings with the Li family! So, she’s a sent-down youth... but a poor family background won’t be of much help to your future."
"Father, first of all, she is the one who saved my life," Hua Yusen said earnestly. "Second, she performed meritorious service during this critical mission. We share the same ideals and we are in love, so I want to be with her. The Hua family always repays its debts of gratitude. Grandfather said so himself when my engagement to Guo Dongmei was arranged. Now that Grandfather has been transferred to a unit in the northwest, you’re in charge of the family, so I can only discuss this with you."
Hua Zhiqiang frowned and then sighed. "My son, you’re still young. You don’t understand how much benefit a good marriage alliance can bring you."
"Father, I know," Hua Yusen nodded. "But I believe a man must build his own career and achievements, not rely on external help. Those kinds of marriages are just for mutual benefit. If one side can no longer provide benefits, the marriage ends. I don’t want the future mother of my children, my future wife, to be chosen that way."