"No, impossible. She's not that kind of person. You must be mistaken." Gu Aiguo refused to believe it. He truly loved Chen Shuling; otherwise, he wouldn't have been deceiving himself for so many years.
Gu Huanian suddenly saw his father clearly. This woman had been manipulating them all these years. How could she have done it without his indulgence?
"You don't believe me, do you? Do you want me to take you to see it for yourself? Do you dare?"
"Or if you don't believe me, go and check it yourself. During the days and nights you were away, see who she was with and in whose arms she was?"
After saying that, Gu Huanian ignored his father. He could never wake someone who was pretending to be asleep. Even if he brought his mother back later, they would never go back to this house. A man like that didn't deserve his mother.
"Huan Nian, no matter what, don't hurt her." Gu Aiguo finally said these words. Regardless of what she had done, he wanted her to be well.
He knew his son too well; his mother had suffered such a great injustice, and he would definitely find a way to get revenge.
That's why he kept trying to get him to say that he wouldn't cause her any trouble.
Gu Huanian turned around, his eyes filled with hatred; "Dad, this is the last time I'll call you Dad. I won't do it again. I won't let her go."
When Gu Aiguo heard this, looking into his son's eyes, he felt an indescribable sadness. How had he and his son come to this?
The father and son didn't speak to each other all day.
When Chen Shuling came home that evening, she looked at the two of them and said with a smile, "You two, who are you giving me that sour look for? What's wrong? Who upset you?"
"Let's eat!" Gu Aiguo said calmly, neither of the two men mentioning lunch.
Gu Huanian ate a couple of bites and left.
"Huanian, where are you going?" Chen Shuling called out as she watched his retreating figure. For some reason, seeing the father and son together today made her feel uneasy.
"It's none of your business."
After saying that, Gu Huanian walked out; he didn't want to stay in this house for even a minute longer.
"Huan Nian, what's wrong with him? Who made him angry?" Chen Shuling asked, puzzled.
Gu Aiguo said with a stern face, "Ignore him, and stay away from him in the future."
Chen Shuling was unhappy; "He's my son, what do you mean by telling me to stay away from him?"
Gu Aiguo put down the bowl, his eyes sharp as he looked at her; "Aren't you right? Don't you know it yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Shuling's face turned deathly pale. Did they find out? "What...what do you mean?"
"Don't blame me for not reminding you, stay home during this time. Minimize contact with Murong Cheng, and stay away from Hua Nian."
Hearing this, Chen Shuling was shocked. How much did they know? Why did they tell her not to meet Murong Cheng? Did they know about her relationship with Murong Cheng?
Actually, she genuinely liked Gu Aiguo at first, especially when she had just replaced Chen Shujing.
After all, he was handsome and treated her exceptionally well; who wouldn't like a man like that?
She was so much better than her previous man; she was in charge of everything at home.
Things started to change when he would go on missions that lasted for months at a time.
Despite not seeing him for a long time, Murong Lan frequently came to her house to visit her, and she saw Murong Cheng more often.
She didn't know if it was because she saw him often, or because he always stepped in to help her when she encountered difficulties, but over time the two of them gradually got together. She thought that if Lanlan could marry Gu Huanian, then she could see Murong Cheng more often.
"Are you just listening to some nonsense? I've only met Murong Cheng a few times, and each time it was when Lanlan came over."
Gu Aiguo knew his son's capabilities. He glanced at Chen Shuling and said, "Since I said this, it means I found out. I don't want to argue with you. Cut ties with him and stay in this family. Otherwise, this family won't tolerate you."
Chen Shuling didn't dare to say anything more, and just lowered her head to eat her rice.
She was terrified, but dared not ask Gu Aiguo how much he knew.
After leaving, Gu Huanian went straight to another property left by his grandmother, a place he didn't want to stay in for even a moment longer.
The next morning, he went to the courtyard where his mother was trapped.
He climbed over the outer wall and went into the cellar. Inside were the cage she had mentioned, a broken bowl, and a stinking chamber pot. He couldn't stand it for more than a few minutes, but his mother had stayed there for nearly twenty years.
She was trapped here during the best years of her life.
But his father's eyes were only on that imposter; she was all he cared about. All he cared about from beginning to end was whether he could deal with her, without ever asking how his mother had fared all these years. He truly felt sorry for his mother.
He won't let that woman go; if he dares to do it, he'll have to pay the price.
Soon, rumors spread throughout the upper class of Beijing, and anyone who saw Gu Aiguo in the compound looked at him with strange eyes.
Chen Shuling didn't even dare to leave the house, because if she went out, she would be pointed at and cursed. She didn't know who had spread the news about her and Murong Cheng.
The courtyard was bustling with activity at the moment, with several people sitting under the large banyan tree, discussing something animatedly.
"Have you heard? That woman Chen Shuqing couldn't stand being alone and got together with Murong Chenggao." An older woman said in a low voice, but the excited expression on her face couldn't hide her gossip.
Another middle-aged woman immediately chimed in, "Yes! My uncle's sister saw the two of them hugging and kissing in the park with her own eyes. It was an unbearable sight. They were so shameless."
The old lady next to her shook her head and sighed, "No wonder that woman always lets Huanian be with Murong Lan. It must be so that it's convenient for her to meet with her lover."
Someone chimed in, "Gu Aiguo is really infatuated. Even after all this, he still can't let go of this fickle woman."
Just then, a mysterious voice rang out, "I know something even more shocking! I heard that Gu Aiguo's current wife isn't his previous wife, but his wife's twin sister-in-law. The two of them locked up the real Chen Shuqing so they could be together! How wicked and depraved must this person be!"
Are you serious?
"Of course, would I joke about something like that? I heard that Chen Shuqing was locked up by them and starved to the point of being almost a skeleton. She finally managed to escape, but this imposter has been preventing her from entering his house ever since, and she's still missing."
"This is outrageous! They're practically bullying people to death!"
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