Chapter 462: Both Wrapped in Arsenic and Dipped in Sugar

The others saw no reason to doubt Song Shiwei's condition; it was clearly as Jiang Lai said—she and Gu Yinxue were never a mistaken embrace, and Jiang Lai was abandoned by Song Shiwei.

When Song Shiwei gave birth to her second child and her mental state was poor, everyone said Gu Sen quit his job and returned home to care for his wife; at that time people found that hard to believe—was it really necessary?

The Gu family can afford doctors and nannies; what's difficult about caring for a postpartum depressive woman? They could just hire a nanny to look after the child; why go as far as resigning from an official post? That's an official position!

According to the family's plan, Gu Sen was destined to be promoted to B City eventually, yet someone would abandon his future for a sick wife?

If Song Shiwei had abandoned the infant girl, it would make sense; a politician must not have personal misconduct, especially when it involves the entire Gu family.

No wonder Song Shiwei doesn't welcome her biological daughter back and never dares to look her straight in the eye; it's not about refusing to look at others, but refusing to face her own past.

In an instant, the Gu family's gazes toward Song Shiwei changed, bearing a strange condemnation.

Jiang Lai lightly brushed aside the crowd's stares, feeling nothing inside; who dares claim everyone present is innocent?

Especially.

Gu Hai.

Jiang Lai's gaze lingered briefly on Gu Hai; Gu Hai was startled inside, his face remained unruffled, thinking that this Qingming was truly unsettling.

The elder swallowed a breath, trying to stop Jiang Lai from speaking further; Jiang Lai looked at the elder and said, "What are you afraid of? The Gu family is so united; if there's a secret, they should all know it. You four have kept a secret for twenty‑eight years—it's truly hard work. Let everyone share the burden, or do you think these people aren't enough to share such a sin, and the whole world should bear it?"

"You!" If the elder weren't forcing himself, he might have fainted from anger several times.

Jiang Lai's words already amounted to a threat; if she doesn't say them in front of the Gu family now, she'll say them before the whole world tomorrow.

In the clan, it wasn't only Gu Elder who was an elder; someone stepped forward, eyes heavy as they looked at Jiang Lai: "Jiang Lai, you said those words today; you must take responsibility for them, otherwise we will punish you according to the family rules for slandering elders and tarnishing the family's reputation."

"I have been responsible for my own life for over twenty years, so I can fully take responsibility for what I said today," Jiang Lai said calmly, standing again before the ancestral hall, with the Gu family's ancestral tablets behind her, the aura of the higher generation beginning to appear.

"If that's the case, then let us hear exactly what happened over those twenty‑eight years!"

Everyone's gazes collectively fell on Song Shiwei; at that moment Gu Yinxue was supporting Song Shiwei, and even though she tried to minimize her presence, she could not change the fact that she and her mother were at the vortex's center.

Who could have guessed that a tiny incense spark flickering onto the back of a hand could trigger the old incident and retribution from twenty‑eight years ago?

That's enough.

Jiang Lai is even more heartless; this is Jiang Lai's biological mother!

Song Shiwei's tears fell like rain, unable to look directly at the crowd; Jiang Lai's line "You still can't look at me, mother?" rang like a curse, circling around her, as if to imprison her to death.

Song Shiwei was nearly out of breath, breathing heavily, and Gu Yinxue tried to use the chance to slip away, saying to the elder, "Mother's health is poor; can we discuss everything later? Let me take mother to the hospital first."

The elder readily agreed, nodding immediately: "Alright, alright, hurry and send her over! Whatever's left we'll discuss later!"

He looked impatient.

Jiang Lai frowned slightly; just as Gu Yinxue was supporting Song Shiwei to leave, three people suddenly burst in at the doorway, led by Ke Zhongyu.

Ke Zhongyu's expression was grim, his gaze sharp.

Ke Zhongying smiled and nodded toward the Gu family's uncles, aunts, grandparents: "Sorry, Uncle, aunt, grandpa, grandma of the Gu family, I know we're intruding on your ancestral hall, but we have no choice. My brother is unreasonable; we've been waiting forever for Jiang Lai sister, we're anxious, so we came in to fetch someone. I hope everyone has no objections?"

She apologized with a smile, then pushed the pot onto Ke Zhongyu's head—the Gu family dared not offend him—leaving the Gu family with no way to react.

Jiang Lai was stunned by Ke Zhongyu's sudden appearance, thinking she hadn't even messaged him that she intended to settle scores with Song Shiwei today; yet Ke Zhongyu slipped in right on the dot, at such a critical moment.

Especially since the brother and sister were followed by Chi Ce, who even carried a medical kit, looking thoroughly prepared.

Ke Zhongyu's arrival completely interrupted Gu Yinxue and the Gu elder's spellcasting; everyone fell silent, staring at Ke Zhongyu to see what he would do.

Ke Zhongyu came to Jiang Lai's side and asked, "Are you tired?"

Jiang Lai gave a slight nod: "A little."

"Hmm." Ke Zhongyu reached for three incense sticks, placed them before the Gu family's ancestral tablets, and said in a deep voice, "I apologize for the junior's disturbance today."

After speaking, he turned, his gaze drifting lightly over Song Shiwei, Gu Yinxue, and the Gu elder: "No need to go to the hospital; I've brought the doctor."

Chi Ce stepped forward, displayed his medical qualification certificate, and patted his chest, assuring: "Everyone rest assured, my grandmother is a retired TCM professor, my father is the director of Hexin Yiyuan, my mother is Qu Peining; you can look them up, they're quite famous. With such a family background I won't be lacking, and I'm also Ke's personal doctor; Ke's life is wealthy and noble."

He smiled, and Gu Yinxue's and the Gu elder's faces grew even darker.

The Gu elder looked at Ke Zhongyu and said sternly, "Zhongyu, this is a matter of our Gu family; it's sheer nonsense!"

Ke Zhongyu replied, "Who's insisting on a marriage alliance with the Ke family?" At this moment, the Ke family members became outsiders again.

The Gu elder was instantly at a loss for words.

Chi Ce went to examine Song Shiwei's body, who was leaning on Gu Yinxue; Song Shiwei tried to avoid it, and Gu Yinxue also tried to help her move away.

Ke Zhongying, coming over, exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, Aunt Gu, you're fine; if you're fine, there's no need to go to the hospital for a doctor."

Gu Yinxue lifted her eyes to look at Ke Zhongying.

Ke Zhongying was again surprised: "You, a counterfeit, look at me with that gaze, while I'm a genuine wealthy young lady?"

Gu Yinxue's face, originally expressionless, turned pale in an instant at Ke's words.

"Oops, I forgot you have a heart condition," Ke Zhongying said, her face terrified, then a moment later patted her own chest and added, "It's fine, it's fine. Chi Ce is all‑round capable; otherwise he wouldn't have been chosen by my brother as a personal doctor. But being all‑round doesn't guarantee excellence in treating heart disease—he might treat it and then… disappear. Please take care; if you lose your life, you lose everything."

Jiang Lai lowered her eyes, pursing her lips repeatedly, barely holding back a laugh.

How to put it, her boyfriend's words are coated with arsenic, while Ke Zhongying's mouth is both coated with arsenic and dipped in sugar—neither purely poisonous nor sweet, leaving people clueless how to respond.

Gu Yinxue's face turned a shade of blue, then white.

She just couldn't understand what was so great about Jiang Lai that the Ke siblings would go to such lengths—scaling knives and fire, even breaking into another family's ancestral hall on Qingming—without fearing for their own lives.