Chapter 392: It Was the Entire Gu Family That Abandoned Me

The Gu patriarch felt a sudden thump in his heart.

He furrowed his brows.

Jiang Lai retorted, "Since you went out looking for me, why did my Dean Mom hold me continuously and take me to the police station for half a month, yet no one came to claim me?"

"I have followed many news reports about missing children; ordinary parents obsess over a lost child, chasing even the tiniest clue, and whenever they hear a case that resembles their own child they rush over again and again to see if it's theirs, even if they are repeatedly disappointed and return empty‑handed, their steps never cease."

"Before information was so advanced, have you ever seen missing‑person notices plastered all over the streets? Have you seen mobile stalls displaying children's photos? After information became widespread, have you seen netizens endlessly sharing missing‑person posts and videos?"

"I have seen them, but none of them were looking for me. G Province, K City, the year, month, time, weather— even if only those few key details were present, I would think someone was searching for me, but there weren't any."

The Gu patriarch stared into Jiang Lai's dark eyes, his gaze beginning to flicker, and finally he said, "Gu Sen really looked for you, day and night without pause."

Jiang Lai could not tell how much of the patriarch's words were true or false; from the outset it seemed he deliberately omitted details, offering only a sketch of the matter.

She could also hear that the patriarch was defending Gu Sen while denigrating Song Shiwei.

"Why didn't you go to the police station to report it?" Jiang Lai asked, "How big was K City twenty‑eight years ago? How many police stations did it even have?"

"Why didn't you place a notice in the newspaper?"

"Why didn't you post a missing‑person flyer?"

The Gu patriarch was speechless.

Jiang Lai suddenly chuckled, laced with a hint of sarcasm: "Because that year the law on abandonment was amended and already in effect; because District Chief Gu was undergoing political review and about to enter the bureaucracy; because of the Gu family's reputation, they didn't report it, didn't place a notice, and didn't post a flyer."

She didn't even ask a follow‑up; she simply narrated in a matter‑of‑fact tone.

The Gu patriarch hadn't expected her to research the legal text; after all, the amendment was twenty‑eight years old, and when it first took effect it added almost no constraint on ordinary people— a child destined to be abandoned would still be abandoned.

But officials were a different matter; once caught they would be made an example, and the family would cling to the incident.

At the same time, the amendment was strictly enforced during its early rollout; after a few years it settled down, and if no one was caught, nothing happened.

Even after the storm passed, the Gu family could never look for Jiang Lai again, because they had already brought back a baby girl.

Gu Yinxue was already the daughter of Gu Sen and Song Shiwei.

For the Gu family, making the mistake work was the best solution; correcting the error would inevitably cost something.

Moreover, no one then imagined Gu Sen's biological daughter could survive a heavy snowstorm.

Even fewer imagined Gu Sen's daughter would rise from the Fuli Yuan, step by step to A City, then to B City, becoming an outstanding woman.

The Gu patriarch looked at Jiang Lai, nodded, and said, "I should have expected you to uncover this; even if you can't dig deeper, there's also Ke Zhongyu."

"At the time we acted for the family's interests; the person you should blame is the one who abandoned you. If Song Shiwei hadn't been seen doing this, we wouldn't have had any further considerations or choices."

"The Gu family can make amends," the patriarch said, fully aware how crucial Jiang Lai's path was for expanding the Gu family's development; Jiang Lai was the Gu family's pioneer in scientific research.

A pioneer's road is always strewn with thorns, like the lead runner in a marathon who must face head‑on gusts and bear pressure no one else shares.

"Make amends?" Jiang Lai said coldly. "Instead of talking amends with me, the Gu family's power holders should open their eyes and see that the world has not only men but also women, and make amends for every woman inside the Gu family."

"Which man of the Gu family was not born beneath a woman's skirt?"

The Gu patriarch's gaze turned unusually cold; the authority of a long‑standing high‑ranking decision‑maker remained, and an invisible pressure pressed toward Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai felt a fleeting terror.

Ke Zhongyu's words whirled in her mind; regarding the Gu family matter, she held the dominant position.

She returned for the truth, caring about nothing else; the patriarch complained she didn't understand junior etiquette, yet she could turn and walk out the Gu family's main gate at any time.

Jiang Lai regained her composure, meeting the patriarch's cold, warning gaze.

The Gu patriarch also knew Jiang Lai was untouchable; she hadn't changed her household registration or surname, she only acknowledged a person today, and in the future she could say she no longer has any ties to the Gu family, cutting the connection at any moment.

He softened his tone and retorted, "Are you defending your biological mother? She abandoned you."

Jiang Lai: "It was the entire Gu family that abandoned me."

The Gu patriarch ground his teeth and said, "Jiang Lai, how can I be your grandfather!"

Jiang Lai: "Those who indulge a criminal are equally guilty."

She had received a clear answer; it was time for her to leave.

"Wish you a good night's sleep."

Jiang Lai turned and walked away.

Someone tried to stop her.

From behind, the patriarch's voice called, "Let her go."

Jiang Lai stepped out; March's lingering chill pierced her neck, and her mind gradually cleared.

Her biological mother gave birth to her and discarded her, being seen; her biological father could only grab a baby girl at random to cover up. When the Gu family learned this, to protect the family's official career and reputation, they could only make the mistake work.

The passage was that simple.

Jiang Lai inexplicably felt a chill all over; she was clearly bundled up and hadn't felt this cold before— perhaps because night had fallen.

She looked up.

She noticed the sky above the Gu family's old house seemed a shade darker than elsewhere.

Jiang Lai took out her phone and dialed Ke Zhongyu.

"I'll go in and meet you," Ke Zhongyu answered instantly.

Jiang Lai nodded, "Hmm, the Gu family's lights aren't very bright; do you have a flashlight?"

"I do." Ke Zhongyu turned on his phone's torch and entered the Gu family.

A beam of light fell on Jiang Lai.

It seemed faint, but it landed precisely where Jiang Lai was about to step.

Ke Zhongyu came to Jiang Lai's side, grasped her hand, which was very cold.

He frowned, switching from interlacing fingers to wrapping his palm around her hand, mimicking her former manner, and slipped both hands into his coat pocket.

Warmth continuously radiated from Jiang Lai's hand.

"Shall we go?"

"Let's go."

The two walked side by side, leaving the main courtyard. Just as they stepped out through the Gu family's front gate, a car stopped in front of them.

Song Shiwei stepped out of the car wrapped in a thick shawl, her brows filled with panic and worry.

Her daughter had fallen ill and been admitted to the hospital, her son was kneeling in punishment at the ancestral hall of the old residence, and her husband still hadn't returned.

Restless staying home alone, she had first gone to see her daughter, then worried that something might have happened to her son and husband, so she had hurried over in a rush.

She hadn't expected the first people she'd see upon getting out of the car to be Jiang Lai and Ke Zhongyu.

For an instant, Song Shiwei even forgot to breathe.