Chapter 484: The Gu Family Can

Gu Sen slowly opened his eyes; what he saw was no longer pitch black, and looking around it was not that abandoned factory; the surroundings smelled of disinfectant.

The anesthetic was gradually wearing off, throbbing pain spread through his arm, his wrist was still wrapped in gauze, his head felt heavy, his eyes shifted, and he suddenly saw a slender figure on a single‑seater sofa, propping a head with one hand, apparently asleep.

A faint footstep came from the doorway; Ke Zhongyu, holding a thick coat, walked toward Jiang Lai and gently draped it over her.

With that touch, Jiang Lai opened her eyes.

The two exchanged a glance, and Ke Zhongyu patted Jiang Lai's head: "Go to the hotel to sleep?"

Jiang Lai shook her head: "Return to B City and rest properly."

"Mm." Seeing he couldn't persuade her, Ke Zhongyu said softly, "Uncle Gu is awake."

Gu Sen, lying on the sickbed, was startled; he hadn't even made eye contact with Ke Zhongyu a moment ago, yet the kid already knew he was awake.

But that didn't matter.

What mattered was that after he was kidnapped, his daughter arrived, and if he wasn't mistaken, she had stayed in the ward the whole night.

The old father's eyes involuntarily reddened, both happy and aching, and he weakly called out, "Jiang Lai."

His fever hadn't fully subsided, and his throat was hoarse.

The ward was quiet; Jiang Lai and Ke Zhongyu both heard it, but at that moment Jiang Lai's bottom seemed stuck to the sofa, and she paused before getting up to go over.

"How do you feel?" Jiang Lai asked Gu Sen.

Father and daughter had had a proper talk while at the sanatorium; Jiang Lai had never shown her reproach or resentment before Gu Sen, and even now she had never called Gu Sen "father" or "dad."

Gu Sen didn't dare to hope either.

He forced a smile at Jiang Lai: "I'm fine; you and Zhongyu go back and rest well."

Ke Zhongyu said, "We need to transfer to B City; Gu Yinxue has been arrested. Both the Gu family and the Nian family are suppressing the news. Last night the commotion was too big; with your identities exposed here, it probably won't stay hidden long."

Gu Sen slowly nodded: "Then let's go back."

Ke Zhongyu gave a "mm" and also mentioned Gu Zhiyan's fever, which was probably gone by now.

Gu Sen nodded, without asking about the specifics of Gu Yinxue and Song Shiwei.

However, on the way back to B City, he learned from his son that as his son helped him out of the car, his gaze fell on the black sedan opposite, where someone kept pounding the windows, and cries and shouts came from inside, one after another.

"Gu Sen! Gu Sen! Gu Sen…"

It was Song Shiwei.

She pounded the car window, trying to get out, but the driver had locked it, so she couldn't open it; then Song Shiwei tried to attack the driver, the driver opened the door and got out, but still received a slap on the face.

Gu Zhiyan instantly frowned and said to the driver, "Find the doctor who treated her before her mother and have him give her a sedative."

The driver immediately went to find the doctor.

Gu Sen withdrew his gaze and, supported by his son, returned to the ward.

Ke Zhongyu, holding Jiang Lai's shoulder, said, "We'll go back to rest first, and come over later."

"Mm." Jiang Lai hadn't done much in this kidnapping case, but she felt exhausted; after getting in the car she leaned against Ke Zhongyu's shoulder and slowly fell asleep.

Chi Ce sat in the passenger seat, eyes closed, pretending to nap.

Ke Zhongyu hadn't slept all night; his eyes were a bit red, but many matters still awaited him, so he couldn't sleep now.

Upon arriving at the residence, Ke Zhongyu gently lifted Jiang Lai, and she woke up again.

She couldn't sleep well.

Ke Zhongyu still held her, lowered his head and kissed her forehead, saying, "Go back and sleep again."

Jiang Lai nodded: "Mm‑mm."

The three reached the doorway and saw two people: Mo Yi standing, and Ke Zhongying squatting on the ground.

"Sister Jiang Lai! Brother!" Ke Zhongying shouted, then sprang up, "What's wrong with you? Are you okay? No injuries, right?"

Jiang Lai stepped down from Ke Zhongyu's arms, and the next second was tightly embraced by Ke Zhongying.

"You scared me to death!"

Jiang Lai patted Ke Zhongying's back, comforting, "It's fine, it's fine; didn't I and your brother come back alright?"

Ke Zhongying nodded, stepped out of Jiang Lai's arms, and stood before his older brother, plaintively calling, "Brother."

Ke Zhongyu touched his sister's head: "Isn't everything fine?"

Ke Zhongying pursed his lips: "I don't want to inherit the family fortune alone!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he received a hard slap from his older brother.

"Miss Jiang, Young Master, how are you? As long as you're okay, that's all, that's all. When the gentleman and lady told me, it scared me half to death," Mo Yi said, assessing the two; indeed there was nothing wrong.

Jiang Lai gave Mo Yi a brief hug, opened the door, and the group went inside.

Chi Ce headed toward the guest room, telling them not to wake him unless it was life‑or‑death, as he needed rest.

The guest‑room door closed.

Jiang Lai looked at Mo Yi: "Mo Yi, why did you come over?"

Mo Yi replied, "The gentleman and lady asked me to come; they said you and the Young Master probably can't return home these days, worried that others wouldn't take good care of you. Secretary Cen and Secretary Guan also came, Young Master, they're at the branch, while Assistant Zhou stayed at headquarters."

Ke Zhongyu gave a "mm" and told Mo Yi, "A Lai hasn't eaten much these past two days; don't make anything spicy for her."

Jiang Lai suddenly gave Ke Zhongyu a sideways glance.

Ke Zhongyu looked at Jiang Lai: "She really can't eat."

Mo Yi nodded, "She should have a light diet; I'll go to the kitchen now! Oh, and Jiang Miss, remember to call Ping'an back. Ping'an hasn't seen you return, and when he heard I was coming he thought something had happened to you and almost came with me. I figured you and the Young Master have a lot to handle lately, so I didn't let him follow."

"Okay." Jiang Lai checked the time; it was almost noon, so she could video‑call Ping'an.

Ping'an seemed to have been glued to his phone; as soon as she dialed, the other side answered.

Next to Ping'an was Chi Grandma.

"Ping'an, Chi Grandma."

"Sister!" Ping'an now calls sister, grandma, and senior brother fluently; longer sentences are still a bit unclear, but they don't hinder the family's communication.

Jiang Lai let Ping'an see that she was fine, and also told him that after she returns she will send him to school to study; Ping'an obediently nodded.

Chi Grandma asked how they were doing in B City, and also asked how Chi Ce was; upon learning everyone was fine, Chi Grandma told Ping'an to go attend to his business.

Jiang Lai and the three others had lunch; Ke Zhongyu told Jiang Lai to rest well.

Jiang Lai sat on the edge of the bed, grabbing Ke Zhongyu's sleeve: "Going to the Ke Clan branch?"

Ke Zhongyu nodded: "I have matters to attend to; I'll come back after finishing them. Rest well, you don't have to force yourself to sleep if you can't—Chongying and Mo Yi are here."

Jiang Lai embraced Ke Zhongyu's waist, then said: "Go ahead."

After Ke Zhongyu left, Jiang Lai dozed off for two hours, half-asleep; unable to sleep well, she simply got up. When she reached the living room, she saw Ke Zhongying sitting cross-legged on the sofa, the keyboard about to smoke from typing.

Mo Yi occasionally fed her some fruit from the side.

Ke Zhongying muttered indistinctly: "The old man is deliberately making things difficult for me; is it really this hard just to graduate? I keep revising, over and over."

Jiang Lai had no intention of disturbing her, but Ke Zhongying stopped on her own, chewing the fruit dissatisfiedly, as if chewing a person, and felt better after finishing.

"Jiang Lai sis, my parents are going to see Uncle Gu later; are you coming?"

Jiang Lai's eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded.

Mo Yi brought the prepared nourishing soup along.

Just as the three approached the ward, they heard Ms. Nian say solemnly: "Although Gu Yinxue has already been expelled from the Gu family, now that this matter has come up and gone to court, once the full story is told, the Gu family will inevitably be investigated this time; I estimate you won't be exempt either."