Episode 56: Loss, the Arrival of a Stranger
055 Disappointment, the arrival of a stranger
Gu Mingxia hung up the phone, her hand gripping it tightly, her expression serious.
"What happened?"
Xiao Yan looked serious, glanced at the road conditions ahead, and then turned the car and stopped on the side of the road.
Gu Mingxia put down her phone, covered her face with her hands, and remained silent for a long time.
Seeing her like this, Xiao Yan felt a surge of nervousness and quickly removed her hand from her face.
"Xiaxia, what's wrong?"
Her face was pale, her eyes filled with stubborn tears, and she bit her lower lip tightly with her pearly teeth.
Hearing Xiao Yan ask her that question, she turned to look at him, her expression serious.
"Zhang Yunyi found the caregiver who took care of my mother back then, and I think maybe we can find some clues from her."
After seeing that photo, she asked Zhang Yunyi to help her investigate the real cause of her mother and Adong's deaths.
Now, after waiting for so many days, she had finally found a clue, and Gu Mingxia felt an indescribable excitement. Ever since learning about the suspicious circumstances of their deaths, Gu Mingxia couldn't sleep whenever she thought about her mother and Adong's mysterious deaths.
A sense of guilt lingered in her heart, which made Gu Mingxia determined to find out the truth no matter what, not only for her mother and Adong, but also for the truth that had been hidden.
"Really? That's wonderful!"
Xiao Yan's eyes filled with joy, and he couldn't help but feel happy for Gu Mingxia. As long as Gu Mingxia fulfilled this wish, then the obstacle between them would be gone.
Just thinking about it made him a little excited. Gu Mingxia looked at Xiao Yan and nodded. Yes, finding the caregiver who took care of her mother in the hospital might actually allow them to learn some things about what happened back then.
I was just too young back then, and I naively thought that my mother was really sick. I never considered the possibility that she might have been murdered.
"Take me to Zhang Yunyi's detective agency."
Gu Mingxia couldn't wait a moment longer; she wanted to see the caregiver as soon as possible.
"Okay, Xiaxia, don't be too anxious."
Xiao Yan comforted Gu Mingxia and then started the car, speeding towards Zhang Yunyi's private detective agency.
"Yun Yi, do you have any clues?"
Upon entering the detective agency, Gu Mingxia immediately asked. Zhang Yunyi nodded to Xiao Yan, then led the two to his office.
"Have a seat first." Zhang Yunyi poured two cups of coffee and placed them on the coffee table. He then sat down behind his desk and began typing rapidly on the keyboard. "Mingxia, please wait a moment while I organize the information and send it to the client."
"Okay, you go ahead with your work, I'm not in a hurry."
Gu Mingxia held her coffee cup, speaking absentmindedly while glancing around his office to distract herself.
Soon, Zhang Yunyi got up, found a file folder among a pile of folders, and sat down opposite Gu Mingxia with a smile.
"I'm sorry, the client needs the documents urgently."
After speaking, he placed the file bag in his hand in front of Gu Mingxia, his bright blue eyes staring intently at her.
"This contains the information of the caregiver who took care of your mother in the hospital fifteen years ago. I don't know if it will be of any help to you."
Taking the file bag, Gu Mingxia eagerly opened it, took out the documents, and carefully read through them. She breathed a sigh of relief, and the eagerness in her eyes disappeared.
"Yun Yi, thank you."
Gu Mingxia smiled at him, took out her phone, and looked at him intently. "I'll transfer the money to you."
"No, if Yan'er finds out, she'll eat me alive!"
Zhang Yunyi waved his hands repeatedly, a smile flashing in his azure eyes. His relationship with Liu Yan had finally improved, and if she found out that he had taken money from Gu Mingxia, she would eat him alive!
"Alright, I'll talk to Liu Yan when I have time."
After taking the file folder, Gu Mingxia and Xiao Yan left. Zhang Yunyi watched their retreating figures, a hint of envy in his eyes. Ah, how happy he would be if his Liu Yan could be with him too!
Back at Maoguang, I had just settled into my office when Liang Yuhao walked in with some documents.
"Xiao Yan, there are a few documents here that need your signature."
"Put it here."
Liang Yuhao put down the documents and saw Gu Mingxia with a bad expression, so he immediately walked over with a smile.
"Sister-in-law, did Mr. Xiao bully you? Tell me, and I'll get revenge for you!"
"Liang Yuhao, get out!"
Xiao Yan glared at him unhappily after signing the document. Liang Yuhao looked at the two of them with a grin, picked up the documents, and walked out while talking as he went.
"Xiao Yan, it must be because you didn't work hard enough last night, and your disharmonious life made your sister-in-law angry! Why are you taking it out on me? The important thing is to get your life in harmony!"
Listening to Liang Yuhao's nonsense, Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly. He looked at Gu Mingxia, who was frowning in thought, and also frowned slightly.
"Xiaxia, Liang Yuhao is talking nonsense, don't take it to heart."
"Oh? Him? I'll just pretend I didn't hear what he said. By the way, I'd like to go to Nanjing tomorrow."
According to Zhang Yunyi's information, the caregiver from back then is now working as a postpartum nanny in Nanjing. On the way back, Gu Mingxia became more and more worried and felt that she should go and see the caregiver in person.
"Tomorrow... the company needs to meet with management in Los Angeles, and I'm afraid I won't be able to get away."
“I can go by myself. You can go do your work here. I’ll organize my work this afternoon and put it on your desk.”
As Gu Mingxia spoke, she turned on her computer and deftly organized the documents on her desk. Xiao Yan was extremely worried about Gu Mingxia going to Nanjing alone, but there was nothing he could do. The head office in Los Angeles had to come at this particular time, which made him very unhappy.
The next morning, Gu Mingxia drove to Nanjing. Following the address Zhang Yunyi had given her, she quickly found a building in Jingfuyuan.
Wearing sunglasses, Gu Mingxia stood by the garden downstairs waiting. In the evening, she saw a woman of about fifty years old carrying a baby a few months old out for a walk. She looked at the photo in her hand, made a careful confirmation, and then went to meet her.
"Hello, Aunt Liu."
The woman was startled, shielded the child in her arms, and looked at her warily.
"Who are you? I don't know you!"
Taking off her sunglasses, Gu Mingxia wore a perfect smile.
"Aunt Liu, I'm Gu Mingxia. Mingxia! You took care of my mother, Nan Lan, back when you were in Xiangcheng... Do you remember?"
Gu Mingxia spoke carefully. The woman looked her up and down, then quickly carried the child into the stairwell.
"Miss, you've mistaken me for someone else. I don't know any Nan Lan, nor do I know you!"
Gu Mingxia was only thirteen years old at the time, and her impression of Aunt Liu was not very deep, but the moment she saw her in person, her memory became vivid again.
The woman in front of her must be Aunt Liu, who took care of her mother in the hospital back then. Gu Mingxia clearly remembered the three neatly arranged beauty marks under her eyes. Even after so many years, she had never met another person with three neatly arranged beauty marks under their eyes!
“Aunt Liu, I am Gu Mingxia. I am Mingxia who used to follow you around all the time in Xiangcheng. My mother was seriously ill at that time, and you took care of her. Think carefully, you will definitely remember me.”
Gu Mingxia walked up to her and blocked her way. The woman had no choice but to stop and looked Gu Mingxia up and down. Her kind eyes were filled with helplessness and unease, but after a while, she shook her head.
“Miss, I really don’t know you! I’m from Nanjing and have never been to Xiangcheng. There’s no way I could have taken care of your mother. You should leave.”
“Aunt Liu, you really are Aunt Liu, I can’t mistake you! Aunt Liu, I’m here to ask you if you felt there was anything suspicious about my mother’s death when you were taking care of her. Aunt, I just want to find out the real cause of my mother’s death.”
A flicker of fear crossed the woman's eyes, but she quickly calmed down, looking at Gu Mingxia with a mixture of helplessness and unease.
"Miss, please go. I'm really not the person you're looking for!"
"Aunt Liu..."
"Aunt Liu, why are you standing here holding Nannan? Who is she? Has she given you any trouble?"
Just as Gu Mingxia was about to continue speaking, a handsome man in a suit carrying a briefcase walked in from outside. His eyes were filled with wariness as soon as he saw Gu Mingxia.
"No...it's nothing, I mistook you for someone else. My daughter is asleep, and I wanted to take her out for some fresh air. I'll go upstairs now."
Taking advantage of the man opening the stairwell door, Aunt Liu immediately grabbed her child and slipped inside, fleeing into the elevator. The handsome man looked at Gu Mingxia with intense wariness in his eyes.
"Miss, you don't seem to be from this neighborhood. If you're looking for someone, go ask at the security office!"
"OK, thanks."
Gu Mingxia nodded politely, took out her sunglasses and put them back on. Aunt Liu's eyes were clearly avoiding her; it wasn't that she didn't recognize her, but that she didn't want to.
The fear, unease, and helplessness in her eyes clearly showed that she knew the real cause of her mother's death.
Since she knows, I must find out the truth!
She turned and walked briskly towards her car by the roadside. The handsome man watched her from behind, his eyes slightly narrowed. He had a feeling that the arrival of such a woman was not a good thing!
"Aunt Liu, was Nannan good today?"
The handsome man smiled and asked Aunt Liu a question as soon as he entered the door, but after waiting for a while, he saw Aunt Liu sitting in the living room in a daze, holding Nannan.
"Aunt Liu?"
"Oh? Nannan is very well-behaved today."
Aunt Liu answered somewhat absentmindedly, then got up uneasily. "Nannan is asleep, I'll go to her room to put her to sleep."
It's strange, is that woman really just mistaken someone for someone else? The handsome man frowned thoughtfully as he watched Aunt Liu's flustered figure holding the little girl.
"Xiaxia, how's it going? Have you gotten any clues?"
Gu Mingxia had just returned to the hotel when she received a call from Xiao Yan. She could tell that Xiao Yan sounded very tired.
“We did find the person, but she refuses to admit that she is Aunt Liu who took care of my mother back then.”
Taking off her shoes, Gu Mingxia sighed helplessly on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling above her head, and said dejectedly.
"It's good that you've found him. Don't worry, I'll come to see you in a couple of days!"
"No need, your company has been quite busy lately, I can handle it here." Gu Mingxia was on the phone when there was a loud knocking on the door. She got up and went outside.
"Wait a minute, let me open the door."
As soon as she opened the door, she saw a man wearing a mask and a baseball cap standing outside. Gu Mingxia frowned.
"Excuse me, are you Gu Mingxia?"
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
Gu Mingxia frowned. Just as the man took his hands out of his pockets, she instinctively tried to close the door, but it was too late.
"Who are you? Let me go! Ah..."
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