Chapter 75: The Lixi Plan and a Shield of Flesh Part 2

Gu Qingshuang didn’t know why she had driven to Ming Li’s home.

She had been feeling agitated since their phone call. Tonight, she had attended a family dinner at her grandmother’s request. It was supposed to be a standard gathering for the whole clan.

She wasn’t sure how the argument started, but by the time she realized what was happening, her uncle, Gu Zhengbo, had grabbed Gu Fei by her hair. He called her an ungrateful wretch who was just waiting for their grandmother to die so she could run off with the family’s money.

Several people tried to pull them apart, but Gu Zhengbo wouldn’t let go, his insults growing viler. Eventually, Gu Xueqiang stepped forward and slapped Gu Zhengbo across the face. The conflict shifted. After a few more sharp words, Gu Zhengbo stormed off, but not before stinging Gu Xueqiang with a remark about how her own marriage was a failure and even her daughter was divorced—a true disgrace to the Gu family.

The atmosphere at the table plummeted to freezing. Gu Qingshuang dropped her chopsticks and said coldly, “I’m full,” before leaving.

Upon returning to the Gu Manor, she asked Gu Xueqiang about the fight between Gu Fei and Gu Zhengbo. She hadn’t intended to meddle, but she remembered how close Gu Fei had been getting to Ming Li lately. Gu Fei had made no secret of her fondness for Ming Li.

Gu Qingshuang poked around and discovered that Gu Fei wanted to go abroad and had begun transferring assets to buy property overseas. Gu Zhengbo was never going to let that slide.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingshuang had instinctively called Ming Li. Prompted by Siwang, she had already repaired the bead bracelet. She had expected a reaction when she told Ming Li about it, but Ming Li had offered none.

From start to finish, Ming Li’s tone was indifferent, even silence-heavy. It meant she had nothing left to say to her.

Gu Qingshuang hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a long time. Her room always felt terrifyingly empty. She tried to fill every waking second with work, but thoughts of Ming Li would still find their way in.

She couldn’t define the emotion she was feeling, other than that it was painful. Yes, it was sadness. Initially, she refused to admit it was sadness, preferring to think of it as the discomfort of a broken habit. But then came the insomnia and the distraction; the way she dreaded returning to this room, yet found herself drawn back to it uncontrollably.

Conflicting behaviors and thoughts had become her new normal. Finally, she reached a conclusion: she was grieving the loss of Ming Li. It was the same feeling as when Chun Liuyi had slapped her, or when Siwang had gone abroad.

She thought that if the bracelet had been the issue, then fixing it and explaining herself would set things right. Perhaps their relationship could return to its starting point. Gu Qingshuang didn’t even dare hope for more—just to be as they were when they first married.

She never expected Ming Li to simply not engage. Even though Ming Li was speaking, Gu Qingshuang felt completely ignored.

It was a rare relief.

Just as she was debating whether to call Ming Li again to ask for a meeting, she saw Ming Li’s mother in the rearview mirror. For some reason, the words Ms. Ming had told her in the hospital ward flashed through her mind. Gu Qingshuang suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

Before Ms. Ming could approach, she drove away. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she fled in a panic. Even after leaving that spot, Gu Qingshuang lingered in the area for a long time.