Chapter 36: Doubts and Confrontation Part 2

The next morning, Ming Li woke up to find Gu Qingshuang still sleeping in her arms.

Her arm had gone numb from being slept on half the night, but Gu Qingshuang seemed very comfortable. Her brow, which was usually furrowed even in sleep, was now relaxed, as if she were having a beautiful dream. The corners of her mouth were even slightly turned up.

When Ming Li moved slightly, Gu Qingshuang let out a dissatisfied moan.

So, Ming Li stayed still.

Warm mornings like this were rare, and Ming Li cherished them. She used her free hand to grab her phone from the nightstand. It was 8:00 AM. Usually, she would be eating breakfast by now.

But they had tossed and turned until very late last night. When Ming Li had finally closed her eyes, she’d caught a blurry glimpse of the clock—it was nearly 5:00 AM.

When it came to her and Gu Qingshuang, they either didn’t do it at all, or they did it with a vengeance. The intensity last night didn’t feel like making love; it felt like making hate. By the end, Ming Li felt like they were two primitive beasts, constantly searching for a point of release on each other’s bodies.

As a result, Gu Qingshuang’s upper body hadn’t been spared; it was covered in “strawberries.”

Ming Li’s state toward the end had been like being drunk—dizzy yet stubborn. Her own body hadn’t been spared either, with Gu Qingshuang sucking at her skin whenever she got the chance.

They had never done such childish things before. Last night, Ming Li had bitten a mark into Gu Qingshuang’s neck and left it there on purpose to spite her. She knew a “flower on a high ridge” like Gu Qingshuang surely wouldn’t like having marks on her neck.

She hadn’t expected to open a door to a new world for Gu Qingshuang.

Using the sliver of light peeking through the curtain gap, Ming Li glanced at Gu Qingshuang’s body. Yep, the marks are still there. Quite a lot of them.

Ming Li sighed. This chapter should be closed now, and her relationship with Gu Qingshuang would likely return to its starting point. She couldn’t say if that was good or bad. For Ming Li, it was just a matter of enduring.

She turned off Do Not Disturb and found many unread messages. Some were from Gu Fei, some from Zhu Hanxing, and some from Ming Xi. It was rare for so many people to be looking for her.

Ming Li read them one by one.

Ming Xi had sent two pictures and a text: [Whoa! My Sister-in-law is amazing! Shen Chang’s apology was quite the spectacle.]

One picture showed a banner: [Ming Xi, I’m sorry! — Shen Chang]

The other picture was a stack of letter paper. It was as rigorous as an application for Party membership—not a single typo over ten full pages, written in extremely neat handwriting. It was a formal letter of apology.

Ming Li had no idea how Gu Qingshuang had pulled it off. But she could see Ming Xi was happy. After all, Ming Xi had almost reached the point of not wanting to call Gu Qingshuang “Sister-in-law” anymore.

Ming Li replied: [Don’t worry about it. Just focus on your studies.]

Ming Xi replied instantly: [Got it. He hasn’t come to school all week, and he’s transferred classes.]

Ming Li: [That’s good.]

Ming Xi turned into a cheerleader: [Sister-in-law handled this so efficiently! You have to praise her!]

Ming Li: […] [Fine.]

Ming Li then opened Zhu Hanxing’s messages. After reading a couple, she realized something was wrong and scrolled up. She discovered that when Zhu Hanxing had been chatting with Mingyue last night, she had been totally unserious.

First, she found out Mingyue was at Gu Manor and told her not to be a third wheel to Ming Li and Gu Qingshuang. She insisted Mingyue sleep alone, or she’d surely anger Gu Qingshuang.

Zhu Hanxing even told Mingyue that this was called “living under someone else’s roof and having to bow one’s head.”

The case was solved. No wonder Mingyue insisted on sleeping with her dolls instead of staying in the same room as Ming Li. It was all because of that “shyster strategist” Zhu Hanxing. Usually, Hanxing couldn’t wait to jump into bed between her and Gu Qingshuang, yet here she was telling Mingyue to do the opposite.

Ming Li didn’t know what she was plotting.

The message Hanxing had sent this morning was: [Sister Li! Mornin’!]

Ming Li rolled her eyes silently. But remembering the pinch marks on Mingyue’s bottom, she sent a message asking Hanxing to investigate Auntie Jin’s background. She wanted to know who else was in her family and what they were doing. If they couldn’t get justice for Mingyue through the law, they could at least make her pay in other ways.

Otherwise, Mingyue would just have to suffer in silence. At the very least, Ming Li and Zhu Hanxing could ensure that Auntie Jin would never find another nanny job in Jing’an City again. No one would hire a woman like her.

Finally, there was Gu Fei. Ming Li opened the chat to find her screen flooded. Countless exclamation marks filled the display. Scrolling up, she realized she had forgotten to reply to Gu Fei last night.

In truth, Gu Fei’s question had been too ridiculous. She had just brought Mingyue back; how did the girl become her “illegitimate daughter”?

Gu Fei’s subsequent messages revolved around this. She said rumors spread fast among the servants. By 7:00 AM, the whole household knew she and Gu Qingshuang had brought a child home, and that this child was likely Ming Li’s illegitimate daughter.

Ming Li was stunned.

[When would I have had time to give birth?]

Gu Fei: [They say you had her with someone else.]

Ming Li: […]

Gu Fei gave her a full reconstruction of how the rumor evolved. First, someone saw them bring a child back. Half an hour later, the rumor was that the girl was very beautiful. Half an hour after that, the girl was said to be as beautiful as Ming Li. Another half hour, and they said the girl looked just like Ming Li and was her illegitimate daughter. Finally, the story was that Ming Li had brought her illegitimate daughter back to the Gu family to force them to raise her.

Just like a certain “Xxx” from years ago.

Gu Fei didn’t know who “Xxx” was. She hadn’t been at the Gu Manor for very long, and her own status was still a topic of gossip for the servants, so there was only so much she could dig up.