Chapter 389: Are women's words still worth trusting?

It takes less than ten minutes for an adult to skim a two-thousand-word article, but Gu Zhiyan spent half an hour just glancing at Lin Shutong's scandalous material.

The thick dossier, rich in both text and images, told Gu Zhiyan over and over that his beloved was a habitual liar, a seasoned con artist, a poisonous flower wandering between men's beds.

Your beloved going to court, going to prison—it's all self-inflicted.

And you, you've been kept in the dark by her all along, being deceived by her until you're dizzy.

You too have become a sucker, but unlike Shen Xun, who could produce that much money, you were only swindled out of nine million, not two hundred million.

You could have known all along, but there's an invisible hand quietly covering your eyes.

This person is still your most beloved sister.

Gu Zhiyan clenched the documents, gritted his teeth, his wide-open eyes grew dry, his blood ran cold; he didn't know whether it was more painful that his beloved was so filthy, or that his beloved sister was deceiving him.

How much pressure had he endured during this time? Everyone vilified Lin Shutong, yet he insisted on defending her under pressure; losing his family's protection didn't matter, at least he gained freedom; losing marital freedom didn't matter, at least he kept Lin Shutong's grandfather; losing his brothers' trust didn't matter, at least he kept his sister's physical and mental happiness... but all these premises depended on Lin Shutong not being so depraved, and his sister being sincerely devoted to him.

In the end, both of them were deceiving him.

"Yin Xue, you knew all along, didn't you?"

"Why?"

"Why!" Gu Zhiyan bellowed, veins bulging on his neck, startling Gu Yinxue badly.

She had never seen Gu Zhiyan this angry before.

The Gu family had not arranged or planned his life; his father had not cut off his social resources; his mother had not forced him into blind dates.

A mist rose in Gu Yinxue's eyes, everything before her blurred, and her own decisions became blurred as well because of her brother's pained appearance.

She didn't want it to be this way either.

She had no choice.

She was not a member of the Gu family, not the biological daughter of her parents, not the biological sister of her brother; if everything were restored to its proper place, she would lose everything she now possesses and everything she would have in the future.

She could only try every means to win people's hearts, to have her parents on her side, her brother on her side, her nephew on her side…

Someone had to be on her side!

To win people over, one must offer something tangible; since Gu Zhiyan cared for Lin Shutong, she used Lin Shutong; since her nephew liked candy, she bought him candy.

But in the end, she was still exposed.

But she could not admit it.

Nor could she outright deny it.

"Brother, I don't want to hide the materials Shen Xun sent either, but what should I do if I don't hide them?" Gu Yinxue lifted her head to look at Gu Zhiyan, tears in her eyes, yet she stubbornly refused to let them fall, "How do I tell you that the woman you've loved since childhood, who has cared for me, sleeps around everywhere? She's an utterly wicked woman."

"Brother, you know that during that time you could have resisted the whole world for Lin Shutong? Do you want me to watch as someone comes up and drops a bomb on my brother, blowing him to pieces? That's my brother!"

"I wanted to take it slow, little by little, to make you realize Lin Shutong wasn't good; later Lin Shutong broke the law, Mother also persuaded you to return home, you would soon have a new life, everything could start anew, I thought you would gradually forget Lin Shutong, Qu Mei is so beautiful and excellent, if you were with her, things would be fine."

"I just couldn't bear to hurt my brother; that was your first time liking someone, Lin Shutong was your first love, you should leave some good impression in your memory, right? I don't want you to think your life is a failure."

Gu Yinxue spoke vividly, at the end even sniffing, she said earnestly, "If there's another chance, I'll still do it; whatever my brother likes, I'll safeguard it for him."

"Scold me all you want, be angry with me, it doesn't matter; this is the only thing I could do for you while I was still your sister."

"Anyway, I won't be your sister anymore; your real sister is Jiang Lai."

Gu Zhiyan stared deeply at her; every word Gu Yinxue spoke rang in his ears, his mind tangled like a knotted mess.

He had already been deceived by Lin Shutong.

Are women's words still worth trusting?

"Is this why you conspired with Lin Shutong to deceive me?"

"I didn't join forces with her." Gu Yinxue said firmly, "I used to feel neither dislike nor liking toward her; I only approached her because you liked me, she deceived you for money, I deceived you just for……

"For my own good?" Gu Zhiyan's throat felt dry and scratchy, "Just like Mom and Dad, everything's for my benefit, right?"

Gu Yinxue's heart gave a sudden jolt.

Just now she was only thinking about how painstakingly she had crafted her good intentions, forgetting that Gu Zhiyan had an untouchable sore spot, and in trying to do good for him she ignored his true needs.

"Yin Xue, I realize I don't really know you either." After saying that, Gu Zhiyan turned and left.

"Brother!" Gu Yinxue shouted hurriedly; suddenly her heart ached, truly ached, so much that she kept gasping, she immediately sank to the ground, pressing her palm to her chest to ease it a little, "Brother, my heart hurts so much."

Hearing her weak voice, Gu Zhiyan stopped his steps, turned back and saw his sister's deathly pale face; just as he was about to turn back, another voice came over.

"Zhi Yan." Qu Mei hadn't seen Gu Zhiyan for several days, missing him a little; after walking with Jiang Lai, she softly asked if they could go look for Gu Zhiyan together; Jiang Lai didn't want to see Gu Zhiyan, but Ke Zhongying dragged her hand, eager to watch the show, shaking her head and swaying her body to urge her on.

Thus, the three girls came to the pavilion, just in time to see Gu Yinxue crouching on the ground, Gu Zhiyan with his back to her.

Qu Mei stepped forward and said to Gu Zhiyan, "You didn't come to pick me up just now."

Gu Zhiyan's gaze fell on Gu Yinxue, "Miss Qu, my sister has taken ill; let's talk later."

Qu Mei then looked over; Gu Yinxue's complexion indeed looked poor, she also followed Gu Zhiyan over, concerned, "Should I call the family doctor? I can give you the contact, I'll make the call."

"Zhi Yan, when a heart patient has an episode, they shouldn't be moved or supported arbitrarily; I've studied up on this."

Gu Zhiyan withdrew his hand; he had just been in a rush and almost forgot: "I'll call an ambulance."

Qu Mei glanced at Gu Yinxue's condition; it didn't seem serious enough to call an ambulance, perhaps her homework wasn't thorough enough.

In the end, Gu Zhiyan called an ambulance.

Qu Mei glanced at Jiang Lai and Ke Zhongying not far away; their faces showed no extra expression, they were very calm.

She thought it over and still decided to speak: "Zhi Yan, no matter what caused Yinxue's condition, if the ambulance takes Yinxue away at Jiang Lai's homecoming banquet when she returns to the Gu family, people will criticize Jiang Lai, saying she can't tolerate a sick Yinxue, saying she bullies Yinxue."

Gu Zhiyan's body stiffened.

He looked toward where Jiang Lai was.