Chapter 364: Old Master Gu Summons

Gu Sen suddenly exposed Jiang Lai's identity, something no one had expected, and on the very day of the academic seminar.

Even though it was outside the banquet hall and not in front of everyone, people were passing by constantly, and Gu Sen, furious over his son's words humiliating Jiang Lai, naturally didn't keep his voice down.

The people inside and outside the banquet hall today included academic experts in Jiang Lai's field, as well as government and enterprise cadres involved in this area; no matter how you looked at it, they all fell within the scope of those who knew Jiang Lai and the Gu family.

Exposing the matter at this time and place was almost as bad as it could get.

As soon as Gu Sen's words fell, they drew sidelong glances from many people. Realizing the severity of the situation, regret showed in Gu Sen's eyes. He looked at Jiang Lai, wanting to say something, but his throat was choked by an indescribable emotion.

Gu Zhiyan thought his own father had gone mad.

Xiao Qian and Shen Bingrui were stunned; they both knew Jiang Lai was an orphan, and suddenly someone from the Gu family in B City was claiming her as a daughter.

Jiang Lai, at the center of the storm, stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning.

She had already guessed at this matter, but hearing it from Gu Sen's mouth still shook her deeply.

The person before her clearly knew, yet in all their meetings, he never brought it up, even politely refusing to acknowledge the connection—so what was he doing now?

It felt as if several ants had crawled into Jiang Lai's body, gnawing at her heart.

Ke Zhongyu reached out to pull Jiang Lai and found her fingers terrifyingly cold. He quickly pressed her into his arms and held her, then looked at Gu Sen and his son with a protective stance, his cold chill like a sharp blade, almost piercing through the father and son.

With one hand, he pulled out his phone and called Ms. Nian, briefly explaining what had just happened, hoping she could get his uncle Nian Jingchuan to intervene and prevent tonight's incident from appearing in the media.

On hearing this, Ms. Nian immediately called it trouble. She first calmed her son, telling him to take Jiang Lai back first, then went to find her brother, assuring that it definitely wouldn't leak out.

After hearing his sister out, Nian Jingchuan clicked his tongue in displeasure: "Tsk, cleaning up the Gu family's mess again."

In the end, he still stepped in for his sister's sake.

Jiang Lai was taken away by Ke Zhongyu. She sat in the passenger seat like a statue, not speaking, and didn't know where Ke Zhongyu was taking her.

Gu Sen dragged his son back to the Gu family home.

Song Shiwei was stunned to see the slap mark on her son's face. How had he gotten beaten during the New Year? She went up to him with concern: "Who hit you?"

Gu Zhiyan had been silent the whole way. He didn't answer, just glanced at his father with his eyes.

Song Shiwei looked at her husband: "Why did you hit our son?"

Gu Sen said angrily, "A loose-tongued thing."

Gu Yinxue had already had a servant bring ointment. She walked over and said, "Brother, put some medicine on."

Gu Zhiyan looked at his sister before him, somewhat dazed.

His father said Jiang Lai was his biological sister—then what about Yin Xue?

His mind was in chaos at the moment.

"Brother?" Gu Yinxue noticed his expression. "What's wrong?"

Gu Zhiyan snapped back to reality and said it was nothing.

Song Shiwei frowned: "What's wrong with you father and son? Weren't you supposed to be at a banquet at your uncle's place?"

Gu Zhiyan hissed. Gu Yinxue had applied the ointment too hard, but he didn't scold her, just said softly that he'd do it himself.

When he applied the ointment himself, he had even less control over the pressure and hurt himself too. With things on his mind and feeling irritable, he simply stopped applying it altogether.

Gu Sen on the side warned his son: "Keep your mouth shut."

Gu Zhiyan neither agreed nor argued.

"Did you hear me?"

"Mm." Gu Zhiyan squeezed out a dissatisfied syllable.

Gu Sen thought of Ke Zhongyu's phone call and still wasn't at ease. He decided to keep an eye on it himself. This matter absolutely couldn't leak out, or both the Gu family and Jiang Lai would be in trouble.

However, he seemed to have forgotten that although Gu Hai hadn't appeared in the banquet hall, Gu Hai's informants were there.

Gu Hai already knew that Jiang Lai was a member of the Gu family and had told the family head.

When Gu Hui appeared in the hall and looked over with an indescribably complex expression, Gu Sen knew the family head had found out.

Gu Hui: "Second Uncle is looking for you."

Gu Sen's breath caught in his throat.

Song Shiwei and the siblings Gu Zhiyan and Gu Yinxue heard the old master's name and immediately showed varied expressions, but one thing was the same—shock.

Most matters of the Gu family had been left to Gu Kai to decide; the old master rarely got involved.

For the old master to summon him personally, and late at night at that, not even waiting until the next day—things were serious.

Gu Sen got into the car. Gu Hui sat in the driver's seat, occasionally looking back through the rearview mirror.

Gu Sen's voice was somewhat heavy: "Just now at the banquet hall, some people heard me say Jiang Lai is Zhi Yan's biological sister. Keep an eye on the internet."

Gu Hui finally understood what had happened. He said, "Why couldn't you hold back this time?"

"That loose-tongued unfilial son, a thirty-year-old man still attacking people over their birth background." Gu Sen got a headache just thinking about his son, wondering how he'd raised such a thing.

Gu Hui didn't dare ask what Gu Zhiyan had said.

Gu Sen: "He said Jiang Lai was an orphan with no parents and no relatives."

Gu Hui's pupils shook.

How could Zhi Yan say something so vicious?

Gu Sen: "He dared say that right in front of me. I don't know if he'd already cursed Jiang Lai like that back in A City."

Gu Hui wanted to say something, but the words died in his throat.

The car stopped at the entrance of an old alley.

The Gu family's old residence was here. The alley looked old, but the Gu family's house had been renovated, and Gu Kai's family lived here.

Gu Hai's family had moved out to live in an ordinary three-bedroom apartment.

Only Gu Sen's family lived in a villa.

Gu Sen walked into the old residence. The lights were still on. He went all the way to the end and saw his octogenarian second uncle, respectfully greeting him.

Old Master Gu raised his eyes, first looking at Gu Hui: "You go wait outside."

Gu Hui had a bad premonition; the moment he stepped out and pulled the door shut, a clear slap came from inside.

Gu Sen shuddered all over.

Gu Sen took a slap and said nothing.

Old Master Gu stared at him, his chest rising and falling: "I told you long ago, no matter whether that child is finally found dead or alive, you can only treat them as dead—are you just letting my words go in one ear and out the other?"

Gu Sen clenched his teeth: "That's my daughter."

"You have a daughter now! Your daughter is Gu Yinxue." Old Master Gu said, "Back then you were the one who brought the person back, and because you made that move first we went along with it—whether you truly had the Gu family's interests at heart or were just afraid something would happen to Song Shiwei, things have already happened."

Gu Sen's heart sank straight down.

"I warned you during your time in A City not to forget your identity as a Gu family member, to know what you should and shouldn't do—now you've said it out loud, if they investigate what happened twenty‑eight years ago, will Gu Hai still be able to keep his position as District Chief? Your branch is supposed to stay completely away from an official career and split off from the Gu family, right?"

Gu Sen clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms: "It's not as sensitive as it used to be; Gu Hai is already in that position now—even if the past were dug up, it wouldn't be this serious."

"What about the Gu family's reputation? I heard Song Shiwei is taking anti‑anxiety medicine." Old Master Gu, with just two sentences, left Gu Sen caught between a rock and a hard place.