Chapter 70: Chapter Seventy-One: I Only Have a Father

He also disregarded anyone's opposition, letting Zihan take her mother's surname.

Zihan's name was one her mother had decided on in advance.

When Zihan was not yet born, she should have been called Gù Zihan, but Zihan's mother had bad fate.

Gu Li, to thank her, let Zihan take the surname Luo.

Gu Li, every time he saw Zihan, it was like seeing her mother; she and her mother looked very much alike.

Outside the door, a strange woman stood at the threshold, unsure whether she should enter or not.

The woman wore high heels, carried a designer bag, and was dressed head to toe in designer brands, the picture of a wealthy lady.

The woman had short yellow curly hair, looked about thirty, quite young.

The woman gazed inside, not knowing whose presence she was searching for.

Feng Wei also arrived then, looking sorrowful; you could say she seemed sad, or you could say she didn't seem sad—either way she looked the same.

Who knows if she's pretending? Feng Wei used not to dislike Gu Qing, but ever since Gu Qing spoke up for Liuli and sided with Liuli, she began to dislike Gu Qing.

This time she came to attend his funeral uninvited; she just wanted to see Gu Die, and to annoy Liuli—Liuli being the real target.

Yu Ke saw Feng Wei arrive and pushed Liuli and Gu Die to one side.

Afraid Feng Wei would insert herself between them—indeed, that's Feng Wei's style.

She's just here to cause trouble.

"Die gege, don't be sad."

Sure enough, as soon as Feng Wei spoke, Yu Ke felt offended; despite her still blocking Liuli and Gu Die, Feng Wei tactlessly struck up a conversation with Gu Die.

"I'm fine."

Gu Die replied coldly.

"Uncle has passed; I just feel a bit upset, that's why I came to see."

Feng Wei said, putting on a pitiful act.

Yu Ke rolled her eyes on the side, unable to fathom why Gu Qing would want to marry such a person to Gu Die.

If Gu Qing didn't know his time was short and wanted to see Gu Die married soon, he would never have chosen Feng Wei as a daughter-in-law.

Fortunately, Gu Die was disobedient, insisting on going against him, which led Gu Die to casually find someone to marry.

By chance he found Liuli, and Gu Die also developed genuine feelings for Liuli.

It seems Gu Die actually turned misfortune into blessing.

"If you want to look, just take a glance; why come over to look at Young Master Gu?"

Yu Ke said that in one sentence.

"What's it to you? How did you end up here?"

"Su Yu Ke is my friend; my father passed away, and as my friend, she came to attend my father's funeral—what's wrong with that?"

Liuli retorted.

"Chu Liuli, how thick-skinned can you be? You're just trying to climb onto a branch and become a phoenix—you're after the Gu family's money!" Feng Wei said, growing more urgent.

"You already knew, didn't you? Die gege doesn't have you in his heart! You're clinging on, refusing to leave—tell me how much money you want, I'll give it to you!"

"Feng Wei, shut up; I don't want to drive you out."

Gu Die spoke.

"Die gege, isn't what I said right? That day you chose to save me—doesn't that mean you have me in your heart? And Chu Liuli still clinging on, just wants the Gu family's money!"

"If you keep saying that, I'll immediately have someone drive you away."

"Okay, Die gege, I won't say it anymore—don't be angry."

Yu Ke felt it was cheesy hearing Feng Wei repeatedly call "Die gege".

She's about the same age as them; Gu Die is only a year or so older, yet she keeps calling him "Die gege".

It's bound to sound awkward—even Liuli usually just calls him Young Master Gu, never so intimately.

"Are you Gu Die?"

The strange woman, having overheard Feng Wei and their conversation, looked at Gu Die for a long time before finally speaking.

"I am; who are you?"

Gu Die had never seen this woman before.

"I am…… I just want to take a good look at you……"

The woman said, grabbing Gu Die's hand; Gu Die felt bewildered and hastily pulled his hand away.

"You've grown so big; after all these years I've never seen you, and in the blink of an eye you've become an adult."

The woman sighed.

"Who are you?"

Yu Ke asked curiously.

"I am……" the woman said, looking at Gu Die, "I am your mother, child."

"I have no mother; you've mistaken the person."

"Child, I truly am your mother; even if you don't acknowledge me, it's fine—I just want to see you."

"I said, you've mistaken the person."

Gu Die gave a cold look; Liuli grabbed her hand, knowing that suddenly another person claiming to be his mother had appeared, and he would certainly not accept it at once.

Moreover, Gu Qing's affair hasn't even passed, and now another person claiming to be his mother appears—Gu Die's mood will surely worsen.

"I'm sorry to you both father and son, but after all you are my child; I truly loved your father, and I've come to see him off before I leave."

"He probably wouldn't want you to appear at his funeral; if you don't leave, I'll have someone drive you away."

"Child, I am your mother—how can you treat me like this?"

"You keep saying you're my mother, what evidence do you have?"

"How could I not have?"

The woman took out her marriage certificate.

On it are the younger Gu Qing and the woman; one can indeed tell at a glance.

The photo also doesn't look like a doctored fake.

The woman had originally taken all of Gu Qing's money, but she left in a hurry and didn't go through divorce proceedings with him.

And she ran off abroad with another man, never bothering with the marriage certificate.

As soon as she left, she even changed her phone number, and Gu Qing couldn't reach her no matter what; moreover, she was afraid Gu Qing would come to her for money.

Although the money wasn't much, it was enough for the woman and that man to live it up for a while.

That man told her to leave Gu Qing and take all his money anyway, since she had already borne him a son, which was already a favor to him.

When the woman realized she only cared about money and hadn't gone through divorce procedures with Gu Qing, she told that man.

But the man said it didn't matter; as long as the two of them were together, whether they married or not was irrelevant.

The woman foolishly believed him, but once the money ran out, the man vanished, just as she had abandoned Gu Qing; the man also abandoned her.

No matter how much she regretted it, it was useless.

She wanted to call Gu Qing, but she was afraid he'd ask her for money, so she didn't dare to call him.

Later, Gu Qing's fame grew great; when she returned to China, he was already renowned in Luo Sea City.

She went to look for Gu Qing, hoping he would forgive her, but Gu Qing had already walked that path once—how could he walk it again?

Gu Qing rejected her outright then; even her using the marriage certificate to blackmail him for money was useless.

Gu Qing also thought it quite laughable—what's there to blackmail with a marriage certificate? He had no intention of remarrying, so whether the certificate existed or not didn't matter.

But getting a divorce would be better; Gu Qing really felt he had been blind back then to end up with this woman.

Indeed, Gu Qing's judgment of women was poor; for example, he even wanted Feng Wei to marry Gu Die.

The woman repeatedly sought Gu Qing in between, asking for money, but Gu Qing refused each time; although he had money, he wouldn't just give it to her.

If it weren't for her swindling all his money away, he wouldn't have suffered so much; his own suffering was trivial, the key was that he felt bitter for Gu Die.

Gu Die was still so young then; after being born, the woman ran off, Gu Die also had no breast milk, so Gu Qing borrowed money everywhere to buy formula for Gu Die.

Gu Qing didn't know many people back then; Gu Li was one of them, but the relationship between the two brothers had always been like strangers.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, Gu Qing would never ask Gu Li for help.

Once, Gu Qing was working at a construction site, and Gu Die didn't know where he had run off to play when suddenly it started raining; Gu Qing hurriedly went to look for Gu Die.

When he saw Gu Die, Gu Die was still lively and energetic, but by nightfall when he went to sleep, his whole body felt hot.

Gu Qing panicked then and rushed Gu Die to the hospital overnight.

He had no money at the time; the construction site wages would only be paid after a while, so he had no choice but to beg the hospital to let him pay in the morning.

The doctors thought he wouldn't be able to pay even by morning, and sure enough, when morning came, Gu Qing still wore a worried, grim expression.

He didn't even have money to pay for his child's medical treatment.

In an instant, he felt utterly useless.

The night before, he called the construction site boss many times, but the boss didn't answer; he thought the boss might have been asleep at that hour.

So he waited until morning to call the boss, but no matter how he tried, he still couldn't get through.

He then called the people at the construction site, asking if they had seen the boss, because he urgently needed money.

But what came back was another disaster: the boss had fled, and nobody's wages had been settled.

Everyone's hard work over the past several dozen days amounted to nothing.

Gu Qing had no money, so the hospital wouldn't let Gu Die stay any longer.

Gu Qing had no alternative but to call Gu Li.

Gu Li, without a word, sent money to Gu Qing.

Only then could Gu Die continue treatment in the hospital.

After learning of Gu Qing's situation, Gu Li did everything he could to help him.

Whenever Gu Li bought formula for Zihan, he would also buy extra for Gu Die; back then, if it weren't for Gu Li's help, there would be no Gu Family as it is today.

So, later on, Gu Qing still always cared about Zihan just as he did for Gu Die.

Although he seemed indifferent on the surface, he would still silently care for both of them.

This proves nothing.

Gu Die sneered.

I am your mother, child; you must believe me.

How could I possibly believe a stranger's words? You claim to be my mother, yet I've never seen you.

Gu Die countered, his words also tinged with resentment.

It's my fault; I'll make it up to you from now on, okay?

When I was little, how would I not know I had a mother? I tell you, I only have a father, and that person is Gu Qing; as for others, I won't acknowledge them.

I'm not asking you to acknowledge me; I know I don't deserve it, but I just want to see you—after all these years, I still haven't seen you.

Gu Die grew angrier the more he heard her say that.

She said she wanted to see him, yet she also said she hadn't seen him in all these years.