Chapter 152 Everyone at Chuangfei

Zhu Qian's eyes darted around, and she put away her little thoughts for the moment. She took out a newspaper from her schoolbag and looked at Xie Jingyao hesitantly, with an expression that said she didn't know whether she should say it or not.

Xie Jingyao looked at her gently, patted the back of her hand, and gestured for her to speak.

The girl's father was a bodyguard assigned to her and her husband by their superiors. However, due to a leak of information, they were attacked. To protect them, her father sacrificed himself and his men. His body was never recovered, leaving only three children and a half-blind mother. To repay their kindness and to ease their burden, they decided to adopt their eldest child, Zhu Qian.

This can be considered a consolation to her father's spirit in heaven.

Zhu Qian pursed her lips, handed over the newspaper in her hand, and looked sad.

"Godmother, is it because of me that my sister did this?"

When Xie Jingyao heard the word "sister," her expression immediately changed. It was hard to tell whether she was sad or something else; she was definitely conflicted.

Taking the newspaper, the first thing she saw was a statement severing ties with her parents. After reading it through, Xie Jingyao's hands began to tremble, and her face turned pale.

"She...she! This...!"

Xie Jingyao hesitated for a long time, so angry that she couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Zhu Qian smiled slightly, then stepped forward with a worried expression, handing her water and patting her back.

"Godmother, don't be sad. My sister might have something she can't say. We can talk to her and clear things up. If she really minds my presence, I can go back to my own home..."

As she spoke, her voice trembled with tears, which welled up in her eyes but wouldn't fall.

After taking a few deep breaths to catch her breath, Xie Jingyao was immediately enraged when she heard Zhu Qian's aggrieved and sad voice again.

"She minds? Why should she mind?! Who does she think she is! If anyone's leaving, it's her! Why should you leave? Cut ties? Humph! I'd like to see how long she can be so arrogant without the Gu family!"

As soon as they reached the door, the three people who were standing there, ready to knock, looked at each other awkwardly, unsure whether to go in or not.

Gu Tingye smiled sheepishly and walked through the gate first.

The two people inside, one crying and the other being comforted, heard the door open and turned around at the same time. When they saw two people in military uniforms, they immediately stood up.

"Old Gu, why are you back at this hour? And who are these two...?"

The two soldiers saluted, and without saying a word, handed them a document.

"This is something Comrade Gu asked us to give to you. She said she doesn't owe you anything."

Xie Jingyao and Gu Tingye's expressions changed drastically, and after a long while, they finally took the documents with trembling hands.

"Comrade Gu is a talent protected by our country, and his information is strictly confidential. Therefore, for your safety, Comrade Gu said that there is no need for further contact. He hopes that you will both live out the rest of your lives in peace."

At this point, the young man secretly blushed. Comrade Gu was indeed protecting talented people, but it was actually her protecting other talented people.

"Professor Gu, Professor Xie, we understand your choices, but we also respect Comrade Gu's choice. We hope that we can both refrain from interfering with each other in the future."

On the other side, Shi Mobai, the military uniform man who had been silent all along, shifted his gaze from Zhu Qian to the Gu family couple, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Back then, you were among the first to be exonerated and returned to the light of day, not because those who were watching you gave up, but because Comrade Gu helped you wipe out all the wolves and tigers. However, your performance after returning was truly disappointing, so whether you leave the Gu family or not makes no difference to her. Without you, things might even be a little easier... uh... hiss!"

With his arm gripped by his comrade beside him, Shi Mobai silently swallowed the words that followed, nearly writhing in pain.

The man sitting upright with a serious expression quietly withdrew his hand, finally letting out a sigh of relief, but couldn't help but mentally rant.

"I know Comrade Gu is an idol to everyone in your bureau, and you're angry that he's being treated coldly by his family, but you can't just throw knives at people without caring about their lives, can you? Didn't you see that the couple on the other side are practically teetering on the edge?"