Chapter 489: Two‑in‑One: July Ticket Sales Surpass 10,000, Additional Update 1

Gu Yinxue was severely punished, and everyone was delighted.

Only Gu Sen's family appears shattered to outsiders: the adopted daughter plotted against the biological daughter, even kidnapped the adoptive parents, ending up with life imprisonment; Song Shiwei, deeply shaken, has been staying in a sanatorium for a long time.

The news could not be fully suppressed and still sparked public opinion; Gu clan's travel article was the first to be affected, and at this critical moment Gu Sen did not step forward—Gu Hui took the lead and temporarily assumed the president's role.

Gu Hui had been by Gu Sen's side for years, having deeply mastered his true teachings, and quickly steadied the company's turmoil.

But the Gu family still did not fare well.

Jiang Lai's status is laid out here; even though the statute of limitations for abandonment has long passed, the matter will inevitably be dug up, especially by those who dislike the Gu family, who will seize the opportunity to make a big fuss.

Those Gu family members who were not involved and unaware appear untouched, but with this scandal, some will covertly target the Gu family; officials value self‑preservation, and no one wants to touch the Gu family's taint, so they inevitably have to sit on the cold bench for a while.

Patriarch Gu has been retired for years and now lies bedridden; these matters do not reach him, yet he himself is choked with a breath, feeling deeply distressed, as if he could pass away at any moment.

Originally the patriarch kept this from his son Gu Kai to protect him, and Gu Kai was not much affected, but now he is the head of the household.

A mess of rotten affairs piled up, worrying him so much that his already sparse hair fell out in clumps.

And Gu Hai, who was involved, will not have it easy; he faces suspension and investigation.

With the Gu family repeatedly embroiled in scandals, how could Zhao Zheng, who has close hidden ties to them, remain unaware?

Zhao Zheng attended meetings and events as usual, appearing steady, but inside he was nervous.

After Gu Hai's review, it's probably his turn next.

The Gu family has now become fodder for gossip after tea and lunch within the circle, especially the father‑son duo Gu Sen and Gu Zhiyan; some even want to discuss the Gu family's true heiress Jiang Lai, but as soon as her name is mentioned, everyone falls silent.

One is that Jiang Lai is backed by the state; the other is that Jiang Lai has Ke Zhongyu by her side.

The former deals with major crimes, the latter handles matters beyond the law's reach, and both are highly capable.

Thus Li Dan always hears people around him talk about the Gu father‑son affair; each time he gives them a cold look, and over time those around him dare not bring it up.

They just don't mention it in his presence.

Li Dan took a day off to go to B City, and before leaving asked Fu Youqing, "I'm heading to B City; are you coming? Jiang Lai is still in B City, and Ke Zhongyu and the others are there too."

Fu Youqing's expression froze at the word "them": "Wait until I finish arranging things in my department."

Li Dan and Fu Youqing went to B City together; both the Li and Fu families welcomed it gladly, with no obstruction.

Jiang Lai received Fu Youqing's message and instinctively glanced toward Chi Ce, "Youqing is arriving at B City soon."

Ke Zhongyu also looked toward Chi Ce.

Chi Ce, while packing, told them, "Uncle Gu's sutures on his arm have been removed, so I have nothing more to do. Huang Juexi keeps urging me to return every day, asking about my research; I've already bought a ticket."

"See you in A City, everyone," he said, out of character, but with a smile that made his thoughts inscrutable.

So much has happened lately that Ke Zhongyu hasn't noticed anything between Chi Ce and Fu Youqing, to the point that someone who once sneaked to see Miss Fu now doesn't even want to meet her.

Chi Ce stepped away.

He ran straight into Fu Youqing and Li Dan at the Gu family's main gate.

The three of them were stunned.

Chi Ce and Fu Youqing locked eyes for a moment; Chi Ce looked away first and called out, "Miss Fu, Young Master Li."

Li Dan glanced at the silent Fu Youqing, then asked Chi Ce, "Where are you going?"

Chi Ce twitched his lip and said, "Back to A City."

Li Dan, puzzled, said, "Now? We just landed."

"Yes, now," Chi Ce stepped aside for them, lifted his foot, walked out the gate, and got into a car.

Fu Youqing stood where she was, saying nothing, but Li Dan could see she was in a terrible mood.

"Do you want…"

"No need," Fu Youqing immediately declined, forcing a smile, and walked inside.

Li Dan pursed his lips, saying nothing.

Both came as representatives of their families, each with a selfish motive to see their own friends.

Li Dan saw Gu Zhiyan looking much thinner and far more taciturn, which made him feel uneasy.

Fu Youqing circled Jiang Lai, solemnly nodding, "You're okay, not thin, no one is mistreating you."

Jiang Lai asked Fu Youqing if she was tired; Fu Youqing shook her head.

Gu Sen smiled and said, "Let's all have dinner here tonight."

All the household servants were replaced, and a thorough deep cleaning was done; after Gu Yinxue's former room was emptied, it became a storage of clutter.

The room Gu Sen prepared for Jiang Lai still hasn't been occupied, but that no longer matters.

Jiang Lai is willing to come back for dinner, bringing her boyfriend along; for Gu Sen, that's a huge step forward, leaving no room for further expectations.

The newly hired servants now all address Jiang Lai as Miss, and gradually it becomes clear that the gentlemen and Young Master of the house are, consciously or not, currying favor with the Miss, so whatever the Miss says becomes law.

"Prepare both cuisines; no need to make just one," Jiang Lai noted that the kitchen was cooking G Province dishes, instantly knowing whose intention it was, and then spoke up.

Li Dan and Fu Youqing were present; hospitality wasn't that straightforward.

The servant immediately nodded affirmatively and turned to inform the kitchen.

When the two cuisines were served, Gu Sen instinctively glanced at Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai said, "No need to do that."

She didn't like it either.

For an adult who grew up without a father, even finding a biological father rarely turns into an instant loving father‑daughter relationship, especially when the past is fraught with unbearable memories and so many events have transpired.

Maintaining her current state is most suitable for Jiang Lai.

Gu Sen nodded and invited everyone to dinner.

Gu Zhiyan, seemingly having mulled it over for a while, asked Jiang Lai, "When will you return to A City?"

Jiang Lai lifted her eyes to Gu Zhiyan and simply replied, "Soon."

She returned during the Qingming Festival to resolve the Gu family's affairs and Gu Yinxue's matters, which took a long time overall; although she handled the Three-Region Project work online, many lingering issues remain.

She swapped classes with a colleague at A Da and would have to teach consecutively when she got back. May's focus was on the crop monitoring system, June was finals month, and after the break she had to attend an international academic conference.

She was going to be spinning like a top.

Still, she'd been juggling family and the research institute on a nonstop basis for years, so she was used to being busy.

There was another important thing: Ke Zhongyu's birthday had already passed.

They were in B City, tied up with work and personal matters, so they hadn't been able to properly celebrate a birthday, hadn't been able to go stargazing in the suburbs, and hadn't even managed to give him his birthday gift.

The telescope she'd had someone buy was still quietly hidden in her school office.

"When are you and President Ke heading back?" Fu Youqing spoke up. "Let's go together."

Jiang Lai nodded and said okay, she'd let her know when she bought the tickets.

Li Dan, on the other hand, said he wanted to stay in B City for two more days. Seeing how down Gu Zhiyan was, he figured he ought to cheer him up, or else if he brooded himself into an idiot, he'd have an idiot for a brother.

Jiang Lai's eyes showed a hint of surprise that Li Dan and Fu Youqing weren't going back together.

Fu Youqing noticed, but she wasn't in high spirits herself today either. She just gave Jiang Lai a faint smile and offered no other response.

"Have some of this." Ke Zhongyu ladled a small bowl of soup for Jiang Lai. He really liked serving her nourishing soup.

He always felt Jiang Lai was too thin, which wasn't good for her health.

In reality, Mo Yi had been raising her with all sorts of variations, so Jiang Lai's face was already rosy and plump beyond measure, and even her hands had become much fairer and softer.

Jiang Lai took a couple of sips and didn't finish the rest. Ke Zhongyu's large hand covered the bowl, then he lifted it over to himself and slowly finished it.

After dinner, Li Dan and Fu Youqing left in the same car. Jiang Lai and Ke Zhongyu were a bit later, and just as they were about to get into the car, Gu Hui arrived.

Gu Hui got out of his car, smiled, and called out, "President Ke, Jiang Lai, Zhi Yan."

Gu Sen gestured for him to wait a moment; he wanted to see his daughter and future son-in-law off before discussing business.

So the three men stood by the roadside watching Jiang Lai and Ke Zhongyu's car until it disappeared into the night before withdrawing their gazes and heading back home.

Gu Zhiyan said politely, "Dad, Uncle Hui, you two chat. I'll go rest first."

"Alright." Gu Sen nodded.

Gu Hui followed Gu Sen to the Shufang, occasionally glancing at Gu Zhiyan's retreating figure. "Zhi Yan's suddenly become so quiet. It's pretty worrying."

"Let him adjust on his own. Going through this will do him more good than harm." Gu Sen also looked at his son's tall, straight back, but in the end couldn't help letting out a sigh.

The two entered the Shufang, and what they needed to discuss was Gu Hui's decision to stay or leave.

The team Gu Sen had sent to A City had already secured the cooperation. Recently, Gu Zhiyan was also preparing to register a new company. The father and son were clearly splitting off from the Gu family and planning to settle permanently in A City.

As for this house, it would serve as the old family home.

But Gu Hui's home was in B City; his wife and children were all here. Asking him to move his entire family to A City wasn't practical, and having them live apart was even less so.

Moreover, Gu Sen planned to semi-retire and personally groom his son. If Gu Hui became his son's assistant, that wouldn't be appropriate—how could someone be an assistant for life?

If none of this had happened, Gu Sen had intended to appoint Gu Hui as vice president. How many employees would the new company have after registration? Putting Gu Hui anywhere wouldn't be suitable; he was afraid of doing him an injustice.

Since the old master intended Gu Hui to take over the Gu clan's travel business, that showed good judgment. Gu Sen felt Gu Hui was fully capable, but if Gu Hui really stayed with the Gu clan, he would have to be constrained by the Gu family.

So Gu Sen had called Gu Hui over, shared his own thoughts, and also asked for his.

"If you want to stay with the Gu family, given the current situation, the family will definitely rely on you and give you no shortage of benefits. But the Gu family isn't easy to be in—there's always a head of the family hanging over you."

"If you don't choose the Gu family, I recommend you go to the Xie Family's group. I've already mentioned it to Chairman Xie. Chairman Xie would be very happy to have you and would put you in an important position, but how high you climb depends on your own ability."

Gu Hui was stunned for a moment, then smiled gratefully. "I didn't expect you to have even made arrangements for me."

Gu Sen raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder. "Outside, you always call me President Gu, but actually I prefer you calling me cousin."

The Gu family's blood relations were cold and unfeeling. Taking the young Gu Hui under his wing back then had, in the end, fulfilled a brotherly bond between them.

"My arrangements are my arrangements. You have to choose for yourself, weigh it yourself. I won't interfere."

Gu Hui originally hadn't wanted to stay with the Gu clan, but the possibility of taking his wife and children to A City wasn't great either. He had planned to take a good rest once this crisis assignment was over.

Now, hearing that Gu Sen, this much older cousin, had even planned his way out while intending to withdraw from the Gu family—how could he not be moved?

He was a collateral branch of the Gu family. During holidays and ancestral rites, he always stood in the very last row, a position the head of the family could never see, a position no one ever looked back at.

But he had met Gu Sen, who asked if he was willing to stay by his side as an assistant, not following the path everyone in the Gu family pursued.

He had agreed on the spot.

To this day, he hadn't followed the wrong person.

Gu Hui suddenly made up his mind. "I've decided."

Gu Sen nodded. "Good, as long as you've decided."

The day after seeing Gu Hui off, B City was finally clear for once. Gu Sen received a call from the sanatorium saying that after a period of treatment, Song Shiwei's periods of lucidity were longer than before.

So Gu Sen decided to personally take the divorce papers to the sanatorium.

His leg injury had healed, and the knife wound had already had its stitches removed, but a scar like a centipede remained forever on his right arm.

He could have scar removal surgery, but he had no intention of doing so.

This scar would forever serve as a warning to him.

Gu Sen followed the nurse to the door of Song Shiwei's room. The room was very spacious, comfortable for one person, but when he glanced through the glass window, he didn't see anyone.

The nurse said, "She hasn't gone out. She's inside. She's probably squatting in a corner again. She's always like that when she's lucid." When she wasn't lucid, she would cry and laugh, jump around on the bed, and glare all over the place.

Gu Sen indicated he understood and pushed the door open to go in alone.

Looking around, he saw Song Shiwei squatting barefoot in the corner by the curtain, her head buried in her knees, completely still.

Gu Sen walked over and called out, "Song Shiwei."

Hearing the familiar voice, Song Shiwei slowly raised her head. She suspected she was hallucinating, her eyes empty as she reached out and touched him. After confirming he was real, her eyes immediately flew wide open, and tears instantly streamed down.

She grabbed Gu Sen's wrist. Because she was gripping too hard, it pulled on his right arm, still causing some pain.

Song Shiwei seemed to notice and loosened her grip a little. A gleam of light burst from her tear-filled eyes as she asked, full of hope, "Gu Sen, you've come to take me home, right?"

"I'm not sick. I'm really not sick. See, I'm fine now. I can understand everything you say. I can do whatever you tell me to." Afraid he wouldn't believe her, Song Shiwei stood up from the floor, hurriedly ran to pour Gu Sen a glass of water, and handed it over. "Gu Sen, drink."

Gu Sen didn't reach out to take it.

Song Shiwei grew frantic, desperately shoving the cup into Gu Sen's hands. Not only did water splash out, but tears also kept streaming from her eyes as she muttered, "Gu Sen, Gu Sen, take me back. I don't like it here. I don't like it here at all!"

When she touched one of Gu Sen's hands, she noticed he had been holding a document all along—she saw the words "divorce agreement."

Thud.

The water cup fell to the ground.

Water splashed all over the floor, and glass shattered everywhere.

Song Shiwei, barefoot, accidentally stepped on the shards. A sharp pain shot through the sole of her foot as blood began to flow.