Chapter 380: Does Drawing Blood Hurt?

Jiang Lai also didn't expect to see so many acquaintances.

Ke Zhongyu told her the Nian and Gu families' bond went back to the founding era, carried into the Republican period—the Nian family were warlords, the Gu family a political aristocracy, and their intertwined roots stretched who knows how far.

No wonder Fu Youqing used the words 'fertile land'; no wonder Gu Zhiyan exudes a careless arrogance, often saying she's like a mayfly shaking a tree, and that if the Gu family operates well, anyone born into it can almost become superior. Jiang Lai thought.

But now both families keep a low profile, and are deliberately weakened.

Other forces also sprang up like bamboo shoots after spring rain following the reforms; the pie is only so big, with more people sharing it, power is gradually diluted.

Another reason power is diluted is that genetic wisdom is diluted, so the Gu family tries to bind relations through marriage.

Gu Sen and Song Shiwei are also a marriage alliance.

But Song Shiwei married up.

Ke Zhongyu made Jiang Lai a relationship chart, presenting all the Gu family members' connections before her.

The tablet screen had to be shrunk to minimum size, making the text illegible, just to see the whole diagram.

Indeed, the Gu family is flourishing with many branches.

Jiang Lai tilted her head at Ke Zhongyu: 'Did you list the Gu family's eighteen generations of ancestors?'

Ke Zhongyu answered seriously: 'Just five generations.'

Jiang Lai felt a sigh: 'This is only the Gu family; were there also guests that day?'

Ke Zhongyu: 'Next page.'

Jiang Lai: '……'

Sometimes a boyfriend being overly prepared isn't necessarily a good thing.

Jiang Lai swiped to the next page of the mind map, a dense list of guests.

'Not necessarily sure.' Ke Zhongyu said, 'Some are there, some aren't; you have a sense of it.'

Jiang Lai slightly frowned: 'Will I lose my voice tomorrow?'

Ke Zhongyu: 'I'm here, you won't.'

Jiang Lai had always trusted Ke Zhongyu, she nodded and said: 'No more looking; I need to go to the hospital first.'

Need to do a paternity test.

Jiang Lai felt nothing about doing a paternity test, perhaps because she had no expectations; maybe the result is always like this.

The Gu family is different.

Gu Sen felt a faint excitement, he was certain Jiang Lai was his daughter, and the test result would put his mind more at ease.

Before, he didn't acknowledge her out of consideration for the Gu family, blocking Gu family members from investigating Jiang Lai because he feared the Gu family would force her to return; now that she herself has agreed to come back, he should actively atone and actively make up for her lack.

Song Shiwei kept holding Gu Yinxue's hand, her gaze occasionally landing on Jiang Lai's face before flitting away in a panic.

The more panicked she became, the tighter her grip on Gu Yinxue's hand.

Gu Yinxue's gaze fell on Ke Zhongyu's face, unable to understand why he liked Jiang Lai to such an extent; she thought it was enough just to accompany him, but her sister and mother were also summoned.

If it weren't for her brother's sharp tongue, insisting on insulting Jiang Lai as fatherless and motherless in front of their father, thereby provoking him; if the father hadn't immediately exposed this, the mother and Gu family would have pressured the Nian family, and since Ke Zhongyu and the Nian family are close, they might have listened to the Nian elders, and with proper handling the matter would have been settled.

As long as she establishes ties with the Ke and Nian families, even if Jiang Lai's identity is exposed it's fine; the Gu family has always been reluctant to give up only interests.

Scheming falls short of a light stroke of fate.

Things just developed uncontrollably into this.

Gu Zhiyan noticed his sister's eyes constantly glued to Ke Zhongyu, while Ke Zhongyu's eyes held only Jiang Lai.

He furrowed his brows.

Ke Zhongying also furrowed her brows, 'What are you looking at? Her brother is Jiang Lai's sister!'

Ke Zhongying used her body to block Ke Zhongyu and Jiang Lai; actually her small frame couldn't even block the taller Jiang Lai, but she was determined to try.

First to have blood drawn were Gu Sen and Song Shiwei, two nurses drawing their blood together.

Next were Jiang Lai and Gu Yinxue.

Each sat on a side, surrounded by people; only Gu Sen stood in the middle, he didn't find blood drawing scary, while Song Shiwei and Gu Zhiyan worried about Gu Yinxue, comforting her nearby.

Gu Zhiyan softly said: 'Don't fear, blood drawing is quick.'

Ke Zhongying couldn't let him outdo her, blinking her eyes and saying: 'Jiang Lai sis, don't be afraid, drawing blood is fine; after we're done we'll go eat pork liver!'

Jiang Lai isn't afraid of blood drawing at all; this little pain is like being bitten by an ant when she was a child.

Ke Zhongying: 'It's fine, Jiang Lai sis, I'm your real sister; my brother may be the same age as you, but he was born in April, you in December, so calling him brother is okay.'

Gu Zhiyan's body stiffened upon hearing that.

This amounted to accusing him; Jiang Lai is his real sister, yet he ignores her and instead cares about the false sister.

Silence spread between the two sides.

After the blood draw, Song Shiwei cared for Gu Yinxue: 'Does it hurt?'

Not a single glance went toward Jiang Lai.

Ms. Nian stepped forward and gently asked Jiang Lai: 'Does it hurt?'

Before, she and Song Shiwei were on good terms, largely out of respect for Gu Sen's face; at some point Song Shiwei became less like her younger self.

The younger Song Shiwei, although she married into the Gu family and Gu Sen was a hot pick for future family head, inevitably felt a bit inferior and restrained, yet she was also gentle and open-hearted; later on… sigh, the Gu family really is a place that devours people without spitting out bones.

Environment indeed shapes a person—for better, worse, or distorted—but Song Shiwei wasn't a child when she married into the Gu family; regardless of environment, she gradually changed, and at least she should answer to her conscience.

In this matter of Jiang Lai, Song Shiwei has no conscience.

Originally her son had called her over because he worried Jiang Lai would see Gu Yinxue receiving maternal concern while she herself had none, wanting her to play that role; she shouldn't have done so, but just now Gu Zhiyan, then Song Shiwei, only cared about Gu Yinxue, which she couldn't stand, prompting her to say this.

As soon as her words fell, Song Shiwei's face turned pale.

Ms. Nian also stopped caring, comforting Jiang Lai according to her own feelings: 'I'll have someone stew red-date cuttlefish soup.'

Jiang Lai originally felt no pain, but facing Ms. Nian's comfort she suddenly felt a little sore, saying: 'A bit.'

'Hurts?' Ke Zhongyu took over holding the cotton swab, furrowed his brow and asked her, 'I'll be gentle.'

Jiang Lai shook her head and said softly, "It doesn't hurt anymore; pressing lightly won't stop the bleeding."

Ke Zhongyu grunted "En" and asked the nurse, "When can the results come out at the earliest?"

"Six hours, it will be sealed and sent to the Gu family."

"En." Ke Zhongyu gestured for Jiang Lai to get up; the blood draw was finished, so it was time to go.

"Jiang Lai." Gu Sen called out to her, looking somewhat nervous, "Are you going back home to stay? I've already had someone tidy up your room; you don't need to prepare anything—just come back."

Jiang Lai saw timidity in the eyes of the usually refined and composed man, and for a moment her feelings were mixed… but… moving back would affect her emotions too much.

"I told the old master, my condition for coming back is not to stay at the Gu family."

Gu Sen's heart sank suddenly.

A sour feeling rose at the tip of his nose.

He didn't show it, merely revealing a kind and respectful smile as he said, "Okay."