She rarely used that title for Gu Fei. At this moment, she was grateful there was a title to call her by, otherwise, the situation would have been even more awkward.
Compared to her usual attitude toward Gu Fei, Gu Qingshuang was being incredibly cautious. But Gu Fei didn’t move, looking as though she were in shock.
Gu Qingshuang gently tapped her shoulder. Gu Fei slowly raised her head, her eyes so bloodshot they looked like they were dripping gore. It was only then that Gu Qingshuang saw the marks on her face—vivid finger imprints from a slap.
The marks were a grim reminder of how the person in this room had been treated. As Gu Fei moved slightly, trying to reach out but hesitating, Gu Qingshuang saw the marks on her wrists. Deep, circular bruises from being bound, as if someone had tried to snap her arms.
Buzz—
A memory suddenly flooded Gu Qingshuang’s mind. A dim, damp, sweltering warehouse filled with children. They were all kidnap victims. The youngest was seven, the oldest fourteen. Everyone was too terrified to speak. And she had been the only one whose arms and legs were tied so tightly that she was suspended in the air at night.
Gu Qingshuang reached out and gently patted Gu Fei’s shoulder. “Little Aunt, don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
Gu Qingshuang’s voice was trembling. Nearby, the sound of Chun Liuyi’s slapping stopped, replaced by Lu Zhaochun’s incessant cursing. It was noisy, making her ears ring with pain.
Gu Qingshuang asked softly, “Little Aunt, can you walk?”
Gu Fei nodded and tried to stand, but she had no strength left. She had used up every ounce of energy resisting that man, and all her tears had run dry. Furthermore, there were drugs in her system. She couldn’t fathom how anyone in the world could be so malicious.
Gu Fei looked at Gu Qingshuang. Gu Qingshuang turned to the bed, grabbed the duvet, and wrapped it around Gu Fei. She then called the front desk to open the adjacent empty room. Once that was done, she picked Gu Fei up and strode out, running into Ming Li at the door.
Ming Li froze for a second. Gu Fei buried her head low.
Noticing that Ming Li was staring intently at Chun Liuyi and Lu Zhaochun in the other room, Gu Qingshuang said softly, “A-Li, come here.”
Ming Li hesitated. “This…”
Gu Qingshuang led her to the next room and placed Gu Fei on the bed. She crouched by the bedside. “Little Aunt, if you want to bathe, go ahead. I’ve arranged for someone to bring new clothes. A-Li will stay here with you for a while.”
Realizing her tone was a bit stiff, she added, “Is that okay?”
Gu Fei nodded.
“I’m going to handle the situation over there,” Gu Qingshuang said.
She stood up to leave, but Ming Li caught her wrist. “How are you going to handle it?”
Ming Li had seen the state of the other room. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if Gu Qingshuang went back in.
“Mo… President Gu already knows. She’ll send people to deal with it,” Ming Li said, correcting her address for Gu Xueqiang. “If you go now, you’ll only be adding fuel to the fire.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Gu Qingshuang said.
Ming Li frowned. “Are you sure?”
Gu Qingshuang nodded. “I won’t go too far.”
Only then did Ming Li release her hand. “I’m coming with you.”
“No.” Gu Qingshuang gestured toward Gu Fei. “Stay and comfort her.”
“It’s fine,” Gu Fei said, standing up and heading for the bathroom. “I need to wash.”
As Gu Fei disappeared into the bathroom, Ming Li kept her eyes on Gu Qingshuang. Finally, Gu Qingshuang compromised. “I won’t do anything that makes things difficult for my mother or the Gu family.”
Ming Li continued to stare.
“You can come,” Gu Qingshuang conceded. “But stay by the door, okay?”
“What are you going to do?” Ming Li asked.
Gu Qingshuang didn’t answer with words; she answered with action.
Ming Li stood by the door and didn’t go in. Gu Qingshuang even sent Chun Liuyi out of the room. It was clear she intended to take the responsibility for whatever happened to Lu Zhaochun onto herself.
When Lu Zhaochun saw her, he sneered. “Who’s this? The eldest miss of the Gu family? I’m practically your uncle-in-law now… ARGH!”
The word “law” turned into a blood-curdling scream.
Gu Qingshuang kicked him squarely in the groin. Her voice was ice. “You think you’re worthy of touching a Gu?”
Lu Zhaochun’s face contorted, turning a violent shade of red. This was different from the defiance he showed when Chun Liuyi was slapping him. His eyes were vicious and terrifying. “Gu Qingshuang! What the fuck are you doing?!”
“I believe I warned you last time—if you ever did something this disgusting again, I’d ruin you.” Gu Qingshuang stood over him like a vengeful deity. “I always keep my word.”
She delivered another kick, the toe of her sneaker grinding into his pride and joy. Lu Zhaochun lay on the floor, howling in agony. A moment later, the door opened, and Ming Li called out, “Gu Qingshuang.”
Gu Qingshuang froze for a few seconds. The darkness on her face slowly dissipated. She pulled her foot back and forced a smile as she turned to Ming Li.
Seeing Ming Li looking at the writhing Lu Zhaochun with shock, a flash of panic surged in Gu Qingshuang’s heart. She hurried over and grabbed Ming Li’s wrist. “Don’t look.”
Ming Li couldn’t look away. The scene before her exceeded her imagination. She thought Gu Qingshuang would just give him a beating, but she hadn’t expected…
Seeing how intently Ming Li was watching, Gu Qingshuang reached out and covered her eyes. “Don’t look,” she whispered.
She was starting to feel frantic, even though she hadn’t been afraid of anything just a moment ago. Ming Li blinked, her eyelashes brushing against Gu Qingshuang’s palm. The sensation made her palm itch. Behind them, Lu Zhaochun continued to moan and groan.
Gu Qingshuang glanced back at him. Her gaze was devoid of emotion—cold, sharp, and superior. It was as if he were merely an ant on the ground.
She told Ming Li they were leaving.
But in the next second, Lu Zhaochun roared, “I’ll fucking kill you!”
Gu Qingshuang turned to see Lu Zhaochun lunging at her with something sharp. A glint of light flashed in her eyes. The weapon was aimed directly at Ming Li.
Almost instinctively, Gu Qingshuang threw herself in front of Ming Li, shielding her completely. The object plunged into her arm.
It was a small paring knife.
