Chapter 303: Conscience

The last day of the New Year holiday.

Gu Yinxue received flight information early in the morning; today's flight is at 3 p. m.

She didn't expect her father to be so eager to have her return.

The more this happened, the more she felt her father suspected or knew something.

She prepared to go find her father for breakfast, but when she rang the hotel room doorbell, there was no response.

Her father left again early in the morning.

What on earth is he busy with?

Gu Yinxue didn't see her father, but saw Gu Zhiyan heading out.

"Brother, good morning."

"Good morning, are you waiting for Dad to have breakfast?"

Gu Yinxue nodded: "But Dad isn't here. Right, brother, Dad told me to go home this afternoon, so I can't stay in A City to keep you company for now."

Gu Zhiyan frowned slightly: "Why did Dad suddenly tell you to go back?"

They have always let Yin Xue do as she pleases.

"Mom misses me." Gu Yinxue came up with a good excuse that Gu Zhiyan would surely believe, because the family member who dotes on her most is her mother, almost to the point of wanting to give stars to the moon.

Gu Zhiyan: "Then go back first; in a month it'll be New Year's Eve, staying at home is also fine."

Gu Yinxue gave a faint smile, feeling uneasy inside.

"I want to have lunch alone with my future sister-in-law at noon; you'll be in A City, so you won't stick around for this meal, will you?"

Gu Zhiyan smiled: "No, go ahead; I and Shutong have plenty of time ahead."

"Okay." Gu Yinxue immediately made an appointment with Lin Shutong; dragging her suitcase to the meeting, after eating she could just catch her flight.

Lin Shutong saw her suitcase and exclaimed: "Leaving? Then you won't get to see Mr. Ke?"

"No problem, my mother called me back probably to discuss the Gu and Ke family matters with me."

Lin Shutong exclaimed delightedly: "Then it wouldn't be up to Mr. Ke to decide himself?"

Gu Yinxue: "In theory, yes."

She didn't want to bring this up in front of Lin Shutong, but instead urged her: "Remember what you promised me—my brother's health must not come to harm; also, Li Dan told my brother about your matter, and my brother surely suspects it, but he's afraid to hurt you so he won't confront you directly; however, this matter is a thorn, and you need to find a way to remove it."

Lin Shutong frowned: "How can I pull it out?"

Gu Yinxue: "Just talking won't cut it; you should proactively go for a checkup and give him the health report."

Lin Shutong's brows furrowed even tighter.

Gu Yinxue looked at her like a stupid pig: "You can't bribe a doctor? Our Gu family's influence isn't in A City; no matter how long our reach, it can't extend there."

Lin Shutong: "I understand."

Gu Yinxue: "Also, how much money did my brother give you?"

Lin Shutong: "Nine million."

This time the one frowning was Gu Yinxue: "You couldn't possibly think it's too little? This should be all the liquid funds my brother has on hand; to help you leave the Gu family, he's put his entire fortune on you, and I hope you have at least a bit of conscience."

Conscience?

Lin Shutong thought Gu Yinxue was also a bit ridiculous, helping her deceive her own brother, then turning around to warn her to have some conscience.

"Don't worry, I don't have the ability to do this under the Gu family's nose." Lin Shutong didn't want to bring this up again either, sipped some hot water, and said, "I'm going to the restroom."

"Mm." Gu Yinxue watched her head to the restroom, leaving her bag on the chair and not taking her phone.

Looks like my earlier words struck a nerve with Lin Shutong.

So easily provoked, no wonder she lost to Jiang Lai.

The phone on the table rang.

The note showed 'grandfather', isn't that Ji Lao?

She didn't reach for it, just watched the call end, and then a message popped up.

【Come get the money…】

The rest wasn't clear, Lin Shutong came back.

Gu Yinxue sat silently, watching Lin Shutong pick up her phone, reveal surprise and joy, quickly type a few characters in reply, then tell her she had something urgent to attend to.

"Go ahead." She smiled calmly.

After the person left, Gu Yinxue's eyes flashed with a hint of ruthless sharpness; it seemed Ji Lao was going to give money to Lin Shutong to resolve this matter.

According to her estimate, Lin Shutong still needs at least thirty to forty million to fill this gap.

Ji Lao only does academia; where would he get that much money?

Could it be Lin Shutong's maternal uncle and aunt? According to her inquiries, those two don't seem like the type to give Lin Shutong a helping hand in her time of need.

We need to find someone to keep an eye on the situation.

Gu Yinxue works in photography, has connections everywhere, so finding someone to handle this would be easy.

After doing all that, Gu Yinxue boarded the flight back to B City.

At the same time, Dean Tang also boarded the flight back to G Province.

Ke Fu and Ms. Nian were also on their way back.

Upon learning of this, Gu Sen made plans with the two to have a meal; Gu Zhiyan was also present at the time and said, "Dad, I won't go to this meal."

He really didn't want to see Ke Zhongyu.

Gu Sen wasn't surprised at all and countered: "The New Year holiday is over, aren't you going back to the law firm?"

Gu Zhiyan: "Not returning for now."

He didn't dare say he wanted to stay longer in A City to keep Shutong company, because they couldn't be apart just after getting together.

Gu Sen looked at him with a strange expression: "Do you still think you're a partner at the law firm?"

Gu Zhiyan was stunned.

What does that mean?

Gu Sen didn't look at his son again, only saying: "You will soon understand how the freedom you pursue makes you unfree; the simple truth that the economic base determines the superstructure, something you still don't grasp even at thirty."

Gu Zhiyan heard disappointment in his father's tone.

Before he could pursue the question further, the assistant already called.

"Lawyer Gu, Xiang Lv has asked me to inform you: please be at the law firm at 9 a. m. sharp tomorrow to clock in for work; it's best to arrive early, since you're still moving offices." The assistant's voice over the phone carried a hint of caution.

Gu Zhiyan instantly furrowed his brows: "What does that mean?"

The assistant hesitated a moment, then dared only to say: "Lawyer Gu, you'll know when you go to the law firm tomorrow; uh, Lawyer Gu, if you're late, you'll lose this month's perfect attendance bonus."

Gu Zhiyan: "???"

He previously had freedom at work, and the perfect attendance bonus wasn't even in his considerations, yet the assistant said that.

After a moment, Gu Zhiyan suddenly realized.

His expression changed dramatically.

He lifted his head to look at his own father.

Gu Sen calmly walked past him and left; Gu Zhiyan shouted, "Dad, did you do something?"

The one who answered him was Gu Hui.

"Zhiyan, this is your own decision; since you don't like the Gu family's arrangements, the Gu family will no longer support you, and from now on you can walk your own path as you wish."

Gu Zhiyan was speechless.

Gu Hui said: "Zhiyan, you yourself are a lawyer; you should understand that if you cannot fulfill your capital obligations, long-term neglect of duty, failure to generate revenue, etc., you will be removed as a partner; internal resolutions can even take just a day, and if filing is quick, also just a week, right?"

Gu Zhiyan's face turned ashen.

Gu Sen turned and said: "Perhaps instead of keeping your girlfriend company here, you should return to B City to handle this thorny matter, after all the funds at your disposal have all been given to Lin Shutong; if you don't make money, you'll likely..."

He sized up his son's expensive attire from head to toe, then finished his words: "To support yourself, let alone a girlfriend?"

Gu Zhiyan had to rush back to B City; even saying goodbye to Lin Shutong was done over the phone on the way to the airport.

Both children had left A City; Gu Hui let out a sigh of relief, then the next second told Gu Sen something.

"Yin Xue and Lin Shutong have become close; before leaving today, she even went to see Lin Shutong."

"And..." Gu Hui's expression grew solemn, "The housemaid said that after Yin Xue returned home last time, nothing unusual happened in the house; only, the sister-in-law lost a used toothbrush."

The sister-in-law Gu Hui referred to is none other than Gu Sen's wife, Song Shiwei.