Chapter 356: Wanting to Develop Another Relationship
Chapter 356: Chapter 356: Wanting to Develop Another Relationship
The Wu family would be a force to be reckoned with from now on. Their family’s conduct was actually quite decent, apart from the ill-advised marital alliance with the Li family. However, that was likely related to Wu Jingjing, who had been the one to fall for Li Gongming in the first place.
That Li Gongming was something else. He’d managed to pull in such a powerful ally for his family just by womanizing.
However, since Li Gongming had gotten Guo Dongmei of the Guo family pregnant, the Wu family certainly wouldn’t suffer the humiliation in silence. Besides, Wu Qiaoqiao had just subtly indicated that she would persuade her father and sister to break off the engagement with the Li family upon her return.
Once the engagement was off, so was any talk of an alliance!
When Gu Qingyu began to look a bit tired, Wu Qiaoqiao saw it as her cue to take her leave.
"Yu Sen, see Qiaoqiao out for me. You should escort her all the way to the Liu family’s home to make sure she doesn’t run into any troublemakers on the way," Gu Qingyu instructed. "Qiaoqiao, my dear, I’m a bit tired, so I won’t see you out myself."
"Yes, Elder Gu," Hua Yusen affirmed, always meticulous about carrying out the elder’s instructions.
Hearing Gu Qingyu’s words, Wu Qiaoqiao was ecstatic. She smiled and said, "Uncle Gu, you’re too kind. I was the one being inconsiderate, keeping you for so long. I’ll take my leave now and visit you again another day."
"Good, you’re a good girl." Gu Qingyu nodded. "A woman who is every bit a man’s equal. When I see your father, I’ll be sure to sing your praises."
Gu Qingyu was generous with his praise for Wu Qiaoqiao.
Hua Yusen saw Wu Qiaoqiao out and drove her himself.
Wu Qiaoqiao sat in the passenger seat in high spirits. Not only had she completed her mission for the day, but she also got to spend time with Hua Yusen.
"Yu Sen, you’ve been with Elder Gu for a long time, haven’t you?" Wu Qiaoqiao asked. Seeing that Hua Yusen was completely focused on driving, not saying a word or even glancing her way, she had no choice but to make small talk.
His eyes fixed forward, Hua Yusen simply nodded in response to her question. "Yes."
Wu Qiaoqiao was stunned. ’Wasn’t that answer a little too simple?’
"Thank you so much for your help this time, Yu Sen. It’s thanks to you that Qingqing and I were able to escape Li Gongde and avoid being humiliated," Wu Qiaoqiao said gratefully. "My aunt and uncle wanted to thank you, too. But they know you’re very busy and that Elder Gu needs you, so they said they’ll have to wait for another opportunity."
"It was nothing, you don’t need to be so formal," Hua Yusen said quietly. "Anyone would have stepped in in a situation like that. Besides, we’re all friends now, so there’s no need to be so polite."
Wu Qiaoqiao was delighted to hear that.
However, she didn’t want their relationship to be merely a friendship. It would be so much better if it could develop into something more.
"You might think nothing of it, Yu Sen, but I can’t just forget it. I will never let my sister marry a scumbag from the Li family. Once the engagement is called off, my father will naturally ally with Elder Gu to find new opportunities and a new path forward. Then, we’ll be allies on the same side," Wu Qiaoqiao said with a smile. By aligning their stances and interests, she would have a chance to get closer to Hua Yusen.
At that moment, Wu Qiaoqiao had no idea that Hua Yusen was already engaged and would be getting married very soon.
When they arrived at the Liu family’s home, Hua Yusen didn’t go inside, waiting in the car instead. He still had to take Liu Zhongjun to see Elder Gu. If Liu Zhongjun was willing to come out and go with him, it would prove that the Liu family was serious about cooperating with Elder Gu.
After Wu Qiaoqiao went inside, Liu Zhongjun came out, accompanied by an aide, and got into a car.
However, he got into his own car, not Hua Yusen’s, and followed him to the guest house.
Once again, Hua Yusen was at Gu Qingyu’s side, while Liu Zhongjun came in alone.
The two of them talked late into the night before finally parting ways.
In a situation like this, it wasn’t Hua Yusen’s place to speak. His duty was to ensure Gu Qingyu’s safety.
Gu Qingyu also trusted Hua Yusen completely and didn’t hide anything he said from him.
Even though Hua Yusen was only listening from the sidelines, he learned a great deal watching the back-and-forth between Gu Qingyu and Liu Zhongjun as they negotiated their respective interests and advantages. He was finally beginning to understand that no one’s success is an accident; it isn’t just about luck.
Liu Zhongjun was smiling when he left in the middle of the night.
Gu Qingyu’s expression was also relaxed, as if a great weight had been lifted from his mind.
Gu Qingyu could finally leave with peace of mind. Even if Liu Zhongjun turned out to be false, Gu Qingyu wasn’t worried, because he had a backup plan to deal with him.
Hua Yusen and Gu Qingyu stayed in Lizhou for two more days, then returned to Jincheng City.
After Li Gongde returned to Jincheng City, he had already told his father that Liu Zhongjun was unwilling to cooperate with them and had struck a deal with Gu Qingyu instead.
Li Gongde had also demanded that the others who accompanied him not tell the old master the truth, so Old Sir Li remained ignorant of Li Gongde’s actual behavior.
After Wu Qiaoqiao returned, she told her father, Wu Jianxiong, about Li Gongde’s actions and the affair between Li Gongming and Guo Dongmei. The entire Wu household was in an uproar. Mrs. Wu, especially, was beside herself; upon hearing that her daughter was supposed to marry such a man, she cried all day and made a terrible scene.
Wu Jingjing was also deeply disappointed, but she hadn’t lost all hope. Thinking it might be a rumor, she sent someone to investigate. It didn’t take long for the investigation to uncover the truth about the affair between Guo Dongmei and Li Gongming.
And so, breaking the engagement with the Li family was officially put on the Wu family’s agenda.
The turmoil in Lizhou was all due to the strange stone from the Little Red Carp. It could cloud the mind, causing Li Gongde to suddenly act like a completely different person. After getting drunk, he let the truth slip, offending Liu Qingqing and Wu Qiaoqiao, and in turn, the Wu and Liu families.
A matter that Hua Yusen and Gu Qingyu had been stuck on, making no progress, was unexpectedly resolved thanks to Li Gongde’s ridiculous actions.
Only the Little Red Carp knew the real story behind this; everyone else remained in the dark. By the time Hua Yusen realized the stone was missing, time was too tight for him to look for it.
Although Zhao Nuanyue’s situation wasn’t as complex as the one in Lizhou, she was still facing Wang Yuan, who was trying to get close to her with ulterior motives.
Wang Yuan showed up again over the weekend. This time, she acted even more enthusiastic and relaxed, but Zhao Nuanyue didn’t let down her guard.
Wang Yuan had already reaped the benefits of her connection with Guo Donghai. She had been transferred from the factory to an administrative unit, where she worked as a clerk organizing files. Though the work was still simple, her salary had doubled, and her speech and attire were far more respectable than her old, drab blue work uniform.
Good fortune lifts the spirits, and Wang Yuan’s state of mind was excellent. She was almost giddy, and her eyes glinted with ambition. She even believed that as long as she stayed with Guo Donghai, not only would her life and job improve, but Guo Dongmei would no longer be able to threaten her.
The only price for all of this was her young body.