Chapter 355: The Shrewd Matchmaker
Chapter 355: Chapter 355: The Shrewd Matchmaker
"Elder Gu, so you mean if what happened earlier is true, Liu Zhongjun will definitely fall out with the Li family. After that, he’ll look for someone else to align with, which means he’ll come to us." Hua Yusen’s face lit up with understanding. "Elder Gu, I get it now. We’ll wait here for another two days!"
"Heh, we might not even have to wait two days!" Gu Qingyu chuckled, then picked up his bowl of rice and continued to eat heartily. He was in a good mood, and his appetite was excellent.
Sure enough, when Li Gongde arrived at Liu Zhongjun’s home with expensive gifts, he was driven away. He wasn’t even allowed through the door, and the gifts were thrown outside.
The next day, Li Gongde went to apologize again, bringing even more expensive gifts, but he still couldn’t get through the Liu family’s door.
These reports were delivered verbatim to Gu Qingyu’s desk.
Gu Qingyu was secretly delighted. ’Perhaps this is a golden opportunity.’
Li Gongde understood that his actions had destroyed the cooperation between the Li and Liu families, so he left in disgrace. Once he was back in Jincheng City, his only option was to embellish the story, claiming that Liu Zhongjun was utterly unreasonable and unwilling to work with the Li family. He would even say that Liu Zhongjun had abandoned a righteous path to collude with Gu Qingyu.
’I can’t let Liu Zhongjun complain to my father first. It just so happens that Gu Qingyu is here too, and he has some history with Liu Zhongjun. This way, even if Father doesn’t believe me completely, he’ll still believe about seventy or eighty percent of it. That would be enough to get me out of trouble.’
With this in mind, Li Gongde didn’t dare to stay any longer. After leaving a few men behind to continue apologizing to Liu Zhongjun, Li Gongde took his people and left overnight.
Gu Qingyu made no move. Even though Hua Yusen was anxious, he didn’t let it show on his face.
Finally, on the evening of the third day, Wu Qiaoqiao appeared.
When Wu Qiaoqiao saw Hua Yusen, her eyes lit up. She walked over with a smile and said, "Yu Sen, I need to see Elder Gu. Would you have a moment to introduce me?"
Hua Yusen knew Wu Qiaoqiao from before; after all, they had lived in the same large residential compound. Although everyone had gradually moved away, they couldn’t pretend not to know each other when they met. Besides, he had "saved" her and Liu Qingqing not long ago.
"I can make the introduction, but can you tell me why you want to see Elder Gu?" Hua Yusen asked softly and politely, feeling a strong sense of anticipation. "As you know, the Wu family has a marriage alliance with the Li family, and the Li family’s relationship with the Liu family is also quite delicate right now. There are some things I have to be cautious about."
Hearing this, Wu Qiaoqiao didn’t get angry. Instead, she said calmly, "Soon, neither the Wu family nor the Liu family will be allies of the Li family."
When Hua Yusen heard this, he was overjoyed. ’Oh my, is she here to propose a collaboration with Elder Gu?’
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Hua Yusen asked, his face a mask of indifference. "Even after what Li Gongde did, surely the Wu family wouldn’t let such minor details affect the bigger picture."
Hearing this, Wu Qiaoqiao thought back to the terrifying incident and said, "If it were anyone else, perhaps they wouldn’t react this way, but my father takes my suggestions very seriously. A family as unscrupulous as the Li family is not a good ally; there’s no future with them. So, once I’ve handled things here, I will return to the city immediately and tell my father what happened. By the way, my uncle and aunt are also furious about Li Gongde’s actions. They see it as a provocation and a sign of disrespect, so they are now very sincere about cooperating with Elder Gu. As for my father, I will persuade him personally. Between what happened to me and what happened to my older sister, I will definitely make my father change his previous decision."
Wu Qiaoqiao spoke with great earnestness; it was clear she wasn’t just making empty talk.
Seeing the gravity of the situation, Hua Yusen knew he couldn’t keep blocking Wu Qiaoqiao any longer. He nodded and said, "Wait here. I’ll go speak with Elder Gu."
Inside, Elder Gu was drinking tea, enjoying a rare moment of peace.
Hua Yusen went forward and concisely relayed Wu Qiaoqiao’s intentions.
Gu Qingyu listened, nodded, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Elder Gu, can we trust Wu Qiaoqiao’s words?" Hua Yusen asked. "I’m just afraid this is a trap set by the Li, Wu, and Liu families!"
"Heh!" Gu Qingyu chuckled and continued to sip his tea. Then he said slowly, "If they went to all this trouble just to set a trap, I’d have to say it’s quite elaborate. But don’t worry. Even if it is a trap, I have ways to deal with it. And if it’s not, then all the better."
Since Gu Qingyu had said this, Hua Yusen agreed that they couldn’t turn down such a good opportunity. He smiled and said, "Then shall I have Wu Qiaoqiao come in?"
"Yes, let her in," Gu Qingyu nodded, breathing an inward sigh of relief.
’I originally thought this trip would be fruitless. I never expected that not only could I win over the Liu family, but I might also be able to make the Wu family change their minds.’
Wu Qiaoqiao followed behind Hua Yusen, looking at his tall figure. She thought back to her most helpless moment that day, when he had protected her, and a warm, grateful feeling spread through her heart.
When they reached Gu Qingyu’s office, everyone else was dismissed. The only ones left in the room were Hua Yusen, standing by Gu Qingyu’s side to ensure his safety, and Wu Qiaoqiao, who sat opposite them.
This arrangement put Wu Qiaoqiao at ease.
"Elder Gu, I admit that I’ve come to see you in private, without my father’s knowledge. He has been deceived by the Li family’s silver tongue and is currently cooperating with them, but I do not believe the Li family is a good choice. I came to see you because I want to get a promise from you. If you can overlook the Wu and Liu families’ previous dealings with the Li family, I can agree to cooperate with you right now on behalf of the Liu family. As for the Wu family, I will return as soon as possible to persuade my father, make him see the Li family’s true colors, and guide him to choose the righteous path."
Wu Qiaoqiao didn’t waste a single word. She was clean and direct, immediately showing her sincerity.
Gu Qingyu was naturally very pleased. He looked at Wu Qiaoqiao and nodded. "I can feel your sincerity. As long as the Liu family is willing to work with me, I can let bygones be bygones regarding their past actions."
Wu Qiaoqiao knew what kind of man Gu Qingyu was. Once he made a promise, he would not go back on his word. His credibility was far better than the Li family’s.
"Thank you, Elder Gu. I’ll go back now and have my uncle come over this evening to personally offer his apologies. Elder Gu, would you be available?" Wu Qiaoqiao was all smiles, hoping this matter could be resolved perfectly.
Gu Qingyu listened and said with a chuckle, "Of course. I haven’t seen your uncle in a long time; I truly miss him. It’s just that my health is frail, so I’ll have to trouble your uncle to make the trip."
Gu Qingyu’s words saved Liu Zhongjun’s face, allowing Wu Qiaoqiao to go back and report her mission was a success.
Afterward, they chatted more about their views on the current situation. Gu Qingyu discovered that although Wu Qiaoqiao’s words were no longer as concise as before, he could still discern some excellent insights in what she said.
’To think the Wu family has such a daughter. She’s no less capable than any of Wu Jianxiong’s three sons.’