Chapter 400: Instead, Getting Close to a Fake

Before Gu Yinxue could bear it, Song Shiwei couldn't any longer and said, "Dad, Mom, what exactly are you here for? Is it appropriate to say these things in front of the children? Aren't you aware that Yinxue has a heart condition?"

Mentioning the heart condition made Grandma Song seethe inside; she had never been able to understand how neither the Gu family nor the Song family had anyone with this disease, yet her own granddaughter was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.

She even once suspected that perhaps her own daughter had gone astray, and this thought lingered in her heart until now, when she learned that Gu Yinxue had been mistakenly taken to the Gu family, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She said that the Gu and Song families' genes could not possibly produce a child with a faulty heart.

Because of this heart condition, she repeatedly worried that the Nian Family or the Ke Family might refuse to marry Gu Yinxue; wealthy families don't usually care whether the other party is a sickly, they spend money to hire caretakers, but a heart defect makes pregnancy and childbirth risky—if they truly agreed to the marriage, wouldn't the Gu family have to provide a larger dowry?

In a high‑society alliance, the dowry is more than superficial money; it includes extensive networks, substantial corporate shares, and the like.

All that has been given to Gu Yinxue, so what does Gu Zhiyan have left? That's all the assets they have.

Now that they know Gu Yinxue is a fake, everyone is delighted.

In truth, they had learned a bit on the way here; indeed, she would bring honor to the Gu and Song families, a child with great prospects.

So why is she unwilling to return?

That point is not good.

Grandma Song said, "We came to see Jiang Lai; this child has been wandering outside for so many years, has already met all the Gu family members, she can't possibly not meet her own grandparents, can she?"

Song Shiwei took a moment to react to the three words Jiang Lai, then said, "It's not that we won't let you see her; she herself won't come back, whereas Yinxue—I've heard she only agreed to return because you arrived; Yinxue is the one who cares about everyone in this household, cares about you."

Grandpa Song: "Isn't that how it should be? The Gu family has raised her all these years."

Gu Zhiyan didn't understand why a proper family banquet turned into a scene of swords and knives; was it because Jiang Lai wouldn't return that there were so many troubles?

Song Shiwei also looked exhausted; she said seriously, "Yinxue was raised by me; whether you acknowledge it or not, she is my child, the child I personally raised, the child who has been by my side for over twenty years."

The maid reminded that dinner was ready.

Gu Zhiyan suggested everyone eat dinner first.

At this dinner, Gu Yinxue ate with no appetite; even though the table had dishes she liked, she knew she had already become an outsider in this family.

"Eat, Yinxue." Song Shiwei kindly served her daughter a portion, and Gu Yinxue smiled brightly and thanked her mother, her voice even a little choked.

The only one who sympathized was Gu Zhiyan; he ladled a bowl of soup for Gu Yinxue but said nothing.

In the past he would have said something like "drink slowly, be careful it's hot," but Gu Yinxue realized that Gu Zhiyan, this brother, was gradually drifting away from her, and his personally going to fetch Jiang Lai also showed that he truly regarded Jiang Lai as his sister.

What a misstep.

All the calculations hadn't foreseen that the person who would deliver Lin Shutong's compromising material to his brother would be the almost unrelated Xie Yongsi, that rakish, powerless young master of the Xie Family, and that it would be done through Li Dan's hands.

What kind of terrible luck did Jiang Lai have that someone would step up to help her?

After the meal.

Grandpa Song went with Gu Sen to the study to discuss matters.

Song Shiwei stayed with her mother in the hall, and Grandma Song also had something to say, sending the two children away.

Once the children left, Grandma Song poked her daughter's temple and said, "What exactly are you thinking? You, a capable daughter, don't get close to us, but instead get close to a fake."

Song Shiwei replied impatiently, "Mom, can you at least speak properly?"

"Is it you who can't speak properly?" Grandma Song tried to poke her again, but Song Shiwei sidestepped, making Grandma Song even angrier, "I see that after you married into the Gu family you stopped caring about the Song family, your eyes are on the roof, and that's because Gu Sen has been so good to you all these years."

"I'm Gu Sen's wife; if he's not good to me, who else is? I can find a husband myself; that's my own ability."

"Yes, yes, your own ability." Grandma Song gritted her teeth, "Your ability is so great that you gave birth to a second child and drove yourself crazy, even made your husband quit a good job to start some company—truly you have ability."

Song Shiwei lowered her eyes, her chest rising heavily: "Wasn't it you who kept calling me on the phone, urging me that Zhiyan was already two years old and that I should have another child quickly?"

"I told you to have another son! With your two sons, one would fail in politics and the other would succeed; if both could succeed, you'd be a great contributor, you know!" Grandma Song was speechless, "Didn't I tell you to follow the previous method and get pregnant? Yet you gave birth to a daughter; fortunately your first child was a son, with a son ahead, otherwise look at Gu Jin's mother's fate…"

When she got to the latter part, Grandma Song's voice grew softer.

Gu Jin's mother's case cannot be brought up in the Gu family; although this is the daughter‑son‑in‑law's home, mentioning someone already gone is considered inauspicious.

Song Shiwei's body began to tremble; she seemed to have a relapse, but she forced herself not to let her parents see her sick.

She said, "It's in the genes that I have a daughter, what can I do? Besides, what's wrong with having a daughter? Who in the Gu family is as fully blessed with both sons and daughters as I am? A daughter is more considerate than anyone."

"But this one is fake."

"These years of feeling are real!" Song Shiwei suddenly stood up, "Feelings between people are built through interaction; can you just ignore them because of blood ties?"

Grandma Song looked up, frowned at her suddenly tearful daughter, and calmly asked, "Did you have another relapse?"

"No." Song Shiwei wiped away a tear, sat down again, and gulped several mouthfuls of water.

Grandma Song could tell at a glance that she had reverted to the state right after giving birth, though not that severe, so she just let it be, fearing it might anger her daughter further.

"Fine, fine, I'm too lazy to scold you. Even if you love Gu Yinxue dearly, you could never mistreat your own biological daughter; doing so only makes her feel cold, and she doesn't want to acknowledge you."

"Love it or not!" Song Shiwei, her hand shaking with the cup, stood and went back to her room.

Grandma Song sighed and looked toward the study.

In the study.

Grandpa Song asked why Jiang Lai absolutely refused to come back.

Gu Sen said, "She can live just fine on her own; her household registration is in A City, the state assigned her a house, her job is also in A City, she doesn't have to come back to live, and I can't give her such good things right now; the good things she has already earned herself."

Grandpa Song: "I mean, can't she simply come back for a meal? What exactly have you done? And Gu Yinxue, why haven't you sent her away? Send Gu Yinxue away quickly; since she's not a member of the Gu or Song families, she can't keep using this name to continue enjoying both families' benefits."

Gu Sen: "When it's time to send her away, she'll be sent away."

He is waiting for Gu Hui's investigation results.