Chapter 343: Wariness

Ms. Nian's words made Song Shiwei freeze briefly. Recovering herself, Song Shiwei put on a puzzled look: "Why wouldn't I dare see her? She's just a junior."

Ms. Nian studied her thoughtfully for a moment, then replied: "But this junior is no ordinary person. Even if she weren't my son's girlfriend, given the connections between the Gu, Nian, and Ke Families, you'd still have to address her respectfully as Dr. Jiang when you met her, not just treat her as a junior."

A doctoral degree alone isn't something most wealthy and powerful families take seriously, but Jiang Lai is different. She holds honors; people call her Dr. Jiang because she's still young, because her other titles haven't come through yet.

There's a gulf between one PhD and another.

Song Shiwei didn't deny it. Jiang Lai had the state backing her; if they ran into each other, she really would have to call her "Dr. Jiang." Without the Ke Family connection, they genuinely couldn't pass themselves off as her elders.

Seeing that she said nothing, Ms. Nian continued expressing her thoughts: "Shiwei, let me be frank with you. Even if Jiang Lai is willing to issue a letter of forgiveness, our Ke Family still won't let Lin Shutong off."

"I know you pulled strings to get that three-year sentence. Ke Yue and I turned a blind eye because we felt three or four years doesn't make much difference—it's not a life sentence."

"But Zhi Yan trying to use that to apply for a suspended sentence for Lin Shutong? Impossible."

"Why?" Song Shiwei frowned. "Zhaoning, you've never been so aggressive."

"Shiwei, this isn't aggressive." Ms. Nian looked at her calmly. "The perpetrator in this matter is Lin Shutong, and the victim is Jiang Lai. You can come to me to ask me to persuade Jiang Lai to write a letter of forgiveness for the sake of your son; I can also stop Lin Shutong from getting a suspended sentence for the sake of my son."

"We're each fighting for our own sons—it's the same thing. Since it's the same, whoever succeeds simply has more ability."

Ms. Nian spoke unhurriedly; her tea-sipping and smiling conveyed an air of intellect and gentleness. But Song Shiwei knew clearly that she had grown up in the Nian Family—like everyone who came out of that compound, she had her own firm convictions and acted decisively.

People all said Ke Zhongyu inherited his father Ke Yue's temperament and disposition, but he had equally inherited his mother Nian Zhaoning's. Ke Zhongyu bore the shadows of both parents at once.

Song Shiwei was different. Her maiden family wasn't prominent, had no real ties to high society, and held a middling position in political circles. If she hadn't accompanied her parents to B City to visit a leader back then, she would never have met Gu Sen.

If it hadn't been for mutual love, the Gu and Nian Families' standing at the time was too envy-inducing—two families at the height of their influence couldn't have allied through marriage—so it wouldn't have been her turn anyway.

The Gu Family wouldn't have so readily let her marry Gu Sen.

If the Nian and Gu Families had married back then, the person Ms. Nian would have wed was Gu Sen, not Ke Yue, who was a businessman.

Because of all this history, Song Shiwei had always been wary of Nian Zhaoning.

Even though Nian Zhaoning had always treated her well, a thorn remained in her heart.

And hearing Nian Zhaoning speak to her in that tone, she instantly felt offended.

"Zhaoning, there's no need to remind me that I'm not as capable as you." Song Shiwei stood up. "Since you're unwilling to help me, then forget it. I don't want to say more, lest I damage the harmony between our two families."

"Let's go, Yin Xue."

Song Shiwei left with her daughter.

Ms. Nian: "???"

So Song Shiwei was allowed to protect her own son, but she wasn't allowed to protect hers.

Ms. Nian watched the receding figures of Song Shiwei and her daughter. She had wanted to get angry, but then she remembered how, not long after Gu Sen got married, he had told their group who grew up together in the compound: "Shiwei seems a bit domineering, but she's actually somewhat sensitive and insecure. If she says something she shouldn't or does something she shouldn't, tell me—you can blame me, but don't take it to heart."

Back then, Gu Sen had even downed three cups in a row to show his sincerity.

Thinking of this, she didn't get truly angry—just sighed helplessly.

Song Shiwei, oh Song Shiwei—over fifty years old, and still so prone to throwing tantrums.

After leaving, Gu Yinxue said, "Mom, won't offending Ms. Nian like this be bad?"

Song Shiwei realized in hindsight that it wasn't good, but she hadn't been able to hold back at the time.

Everyone in the family thought she had married into the Gu Family in B City as an official's wife, respected and living a life of ease. But being an official's wife was no easy feat—far harder than being a rich man's wife.

And B City was the last place short of officials' wives.

After Nian Zhaoning married Ke Yue, she became a rich man's wife, and her life was practically freer. With her dual identity, no one dared to offend her.

Later, she was no longer an official's wife and had become a rich man's wife too, but life remained the same—no better than before.

Song Shiwei exhaled a breath of stale air: "Nian Zhaoning isn't one to hold grudges. It'll pass in a bit."

Gu Yinxue: "What about Brother's situation?"

Song Shiwei worried again. She didn't want Lin Shutong to get a suspended sentence either, but without one, her son would remain fixated on this matter.

Gu Yinxue saw her mother's worry and suggested: "Brother insists on helping Lin Shutong because he still hasn't given up. If Lin Shutong turns out to be a terrible person, Brother will give up."

Song Shiwei looked at her daughter: "What do you mean?"

Lin Shutong was already useless to Gu Yinxue, and keeping Lin Shutong around was like a hidden bomb for her—if Lin Shutong ever bit back, the loss would outweigh the gain.

Better to get rid of her.

Lin Shutong's dirt would be most fittingly delivered to Brother by their mother.

Gu Yinxue's eyes flickered, and she said ambiguously: "I don't know either. I was just thinking that Lin Shutong has reached this point—abandoned by everyone except my brother. She must be pretty terrible."

"Hah, what kind of decent person could she be." Song Shiwei gave a cold laugh, her eyes shifting. "We really should look into Lin Shutong properly—what exactly is she, to have my son so infatuated that he goes against the whole family?"

Gu Yinxue smiled and didn't answer.

Song Shiwei looked at her daughter again, gazing at her profile in a brief daze, then said: "Yin Xue, from Nian Zhaoning and Ke Yue's attitude, it seems they've settled on Jiang Lai as their daughter-in-law. We… what are you going to do?"

From the very beginning's "Mom will give you whatever you want" to the present "What are you going to do"—the shift made Gu Yinxue's heart race and then turn cold.

She was now certain she wasn't a child of the Gu Family. Though she didn't know whether her parents knew, she had to plan for her own future regardless.

If she could marry Ke Zhongyu, the Gu Family could never sever ties with her for the rest of her life.

"But Mom, I really like Ke Zhongyu. I've liked him since I was little—I like him so much." Gu Yinxue stopped and looked at her mother, calling out again: "Mom."

Song Shiwei's heart ached for her daughter instantly. She took her hand and said: "Let Mom think, let Mom think—there'll be a way."

"Thank you, Mom." Gu Yinxue took the opportunity to wrap her arms around her mother's neck, just like when she was little, and said affectionately: "You're the best mom in the whole world. Mom loves me the most."

Song Shiwei patted her arm and said softly: "Who else would Mom dote on if not you? You give me far less to worry about than your brother. Ugh, your brother really gives me headaches. If I ignored him like your dad does, wouldn't our family be finished? That ungrateful son of mine!"

She criticized her son with her words, but the one she cared about most was her son. As they say, deep love brings harsh criticism—Gu Yinxue understood this clearly. She couldn't compare to her brother, and the family didn't expect anything of her, which was why they let her live as she pleased.

But had anyone ever asked whether this was what she wanted?

She had grown up in a family at the center of power, steeped in it since childhood—only to be told she should have no power once grown?

Was that not its own form of favoritism and indifference?

Or was it that she wasn't worthy of joining this game of power like the rest of the Gu Family?