Chapter 75: Choice 2
In S City, in a coffee shop near the Gu family's old house.
Chu Yan sat by the window, a long-cold latte in front of him. Outside, the street life was sparse, a stark contrast to the lazy atmosphere inside the cafe. He wasn't checking his phone or reading, simply gazing out the window. His gaze seemed unfocused, yet it seemed to penetrate the night and rest on the oppressively luxurious villa.
Waiting for someone's final decision.
[Host, Gu Xu has been kneeling for 19 hours and 47 minutes.] The system's voice rang out in Chu Yan's consciousness. [Her physical function has declined severely. She is dehydrated and has low blood sugar. The risk of serious knee injury is extremely high.]
Chu Yan's eyes shifted slightly, but his face remained expressionless. He simply picked up the cold coffee and took a sip. The bitter, icy taste spread across his tongue.
[Gu Hongyuan just went downstairs.] The system broadcast the situation in the Gu family's living room in real time.
Gu Xu felt as if he had been kneeling for a century, his knees long since lost all feeling. His vision was blurry and dim, illuminated only by the dazzling, cold light emanating from the massive crystal chandelier on the ceiling, making him dizzy. Every breath became incredibly difficult, the air heavy as solidified cement, squeezing his chest and causing a suffocating pain.
The tinnitus in my ears was sharp and persistent, drowning out my mother's intermittent sobs and chatter. My consciousness repeatedly struggled on the edge of clarity and confusion, supported only by a stubborn determination that refused to give in.
Just then, a steady sound of footsteps came from the direction of the stairs.
Gu Hongyuan finally appeared. He walked to the main sofa and slowly sat down, looking at his son, who was kneeling on the ground and almost lost his shape, as if examining an object. There was no emotion in his voice, only a condescending coldness.
"Do you know you're wrong? Have you figured it out?"
Gu Li raised his head with difficulty, his dry, cracked lips moving as he tasted a hint of rusty blood. He licked the corners of his equally dry, flaking mouth and, with all his strength, shook his head very slowly but firmly.
"Stubborn!" Gu Hongyuan's face twitched, clearly enraged by Gu Xu's refusal to admit his wrongdoing. He slammed the armrest of the sofa, his voice rising sharply with a thinly veiled threat: "Gu Xu, don't think I don't know what you've done! You've secretly transferred company assets, which is already a suspected crime. If they're investigated, you'll be in jail for ten or eight years!"
He stared at Gu Xu, trying to read the fear and panic on his face. "I'm giving you one last chance now. Transfer the ownership and management of Ruichuang Technology to Gu's Group as soon as possible. Since you are my son, I can refrain from filing a lawsuit. As for you," he snorted coldly and said almsgivingly, "resign from the position of general manager and reflect on your actions at home for a while!"
After saying this, he stopped looking at Gu Xu and stood up, as if he had shown the utmost kindness and concession, and prepared to go upstairs.
Just as he reached the last step of the second floor, he suddenly stopped, turned around and looked down at the figure below who still had his back straight, and threw out the most cruel ultimatum:
"Of course, if you really don't want to...that's fine too."
"Then get out of the Gu family."
"From now on, everything in the Gu family has nothing to do with you!"
These words, like a poisoned ice spike, pierced the heart of Gu's mother. She raised her head suddenly, her face as pale as paper.
Resign as general manager?
What would she do then?! Was the status of Madam Gu, which she had worked so hard to obtain, her extravagant lifestyle, her envied position, all going to vanish with Gu Xu's downfall?
No! Absolutely not!
Gu Hongyuan's figure disappeared on the second floor. Mother Gu seemed to have lost all her strength, and was infused with a kind of hysterical madness. She suddenly rushed to Gu Xu's side, no longer crying, but pushing him hard, her nails almost digging into his arms, her voice sharp and rapid:
"Sir, did you hear that? Your dad is angry. He's really angry. Go admit your mistake and return that company to your dad. What's wrong with lowering your head? He's your dad, why are you so stubborn? Do you really want to piss off your mom to death?! Think about your mom. What will she do in the future?!"
Gu Xu's body was shaken by her push, and his vision went dark. He raised his head very slowly and looked at his mother, who had delicate makeup but a hideous face.
Her eyes showed shock and anger at having her plans disrupted, great fear of losing her comfortable life, and resentment and confusion at his "disobedience", but there was not a trace of worry about his current physical condition, nor was there any heartache for him kneeling for nearly twenty hours.
That's ridiculous.
Gu Xu chuckled softly, his voice hoarse as an old bellows. He looked at his mother, his eyes filled with a cruel clarity and the seriousness of a final confirmation. He licked his cracked, bleeding lips and asked clearly, word by word:
"If I had acquired Ruichuang Technology through legitimate and regular commercial means, there would be no legal risk."
"Are you willing to divorce Gu Hongyuan?"
"Leave the Gu family and I will support you. We will live together as mother and son."
Mother Gu's movements and cries froze instantly. As if she had heard some unbelievable fairy tale, her eyes widened in disbelief for several seconds before a surge of offended rage washed over her.
"Gu Xu! What nonsense are you talking about?! Are you crazy?!" She screamed like a cat whose tail was stepped on, "Divorce?! I finally got... How could I possibly leave the Gu family?! Do you know what you are talking about?!"
"I'm not crazy." Gu Xu looked at her, his eyes frighteningly calm, with only a trace of brokenness remaining in the deepest part. "I'm very clear-headed."
"If you're worried about a poor quality of life after leaving the Gu family, don't worry." He tried to explain, a futile effort. "I've saved up some money over the years. Besides investing in the company's development, the rest is enough to ensure you continue to live a rich and respectable life for the rest of your life, even more freely than you do now."
His voice was filled with a subtle hint of fatigue and pleading. "Mom, don't you know how many women Gu Hongyuan has out there, how many illegitimate children he has? Do you really think... this life of guarding an empty house, watching his face, and living in fear is truly respectable? Is it really worth sacrificing everything you have for your son to maintain it?"
An extremely loud slap landed heavily on Gu Xu's face.
The force was so great that his head suddenly tilted to one side. Clear red marks from five fingers instantly appeared on his pale cheek, and the corners of his mouth were cracked, oozing blood.
Mother Gu was so angry that she was shaking all over, and her hands were trembling as she pointed at him: "You unfilial son, you unfilial son. You actually instigated your parents to divorce?! I really gave birth to you in vain. I tell you, Gu Xu, I will never leave the Gu family, and neither will you!"
She panted heavily, her eyes fierce, and took out her most common killer weapon, threatening word by word: "If you dare to step out of this house today, you are not my son! I will pretend that I never gave birth to such an unfilial thing as you!"
His face burned with pain, but Gu Xu could no longer feel it. Was it heartache? It didn't seem like it. It felt like a gaping hole had been torn in his heart, and the icy wind rushed in, taking away the last bit of warmth, leaving only a numb emptiness and nothingness.
He just suddenly thought of Chu Yan at an inappropriate time in this cold despair.
He suddenly missed Chu Yan very much.
If he were here, what would he say and do?
They would probably sneer and call him stupid, saying that he knew the outcome long ago but still wanted to humiliate himself.
At an angle that Gu's mother couldn't see, the corners of Gu's mouth slightly curled up into an arc that was uglier than crying.
In the coffee shop, Chu Yan watched everything that happened in the living room, including the crisp slap, through the system's real-time broadcast.
He silently put down the already cold coffee cup in his hand and stood up.
[Let's go, system.] He calmly ordered in his mind, [Let's go pick them up.]
This long trial, which was based on family ties, has finally come to an end.
Gu Xu turned his head and looked at his mother again. The last bit of light in his eyes was completely extinguished.
He was not angry, sad, or even disappointed.
He just looked at her quietly for a long, long time, as if he wanted to carve this familiar yet unfamiliar face into his memory.
Memories flooded back. From the first day he entered the Gu family, he had to be the best at everything, always striving to be better than everyone else. The slightest mistake would be met with harsh scolding and tears of disappointment. Yet, whenever he achieved good results, his mother would tenderly embrace him, declaring him her favorite child.
She was a very shrewd mother, accurately measuring the temperature of her motherly love - never letting him feel completely cold, and never letting him feel truly warm. That love hung in the perfect place, like a light that was always just one step away.
Then, he exhaled deeply, a breath that seemed to take away all his struggles and expectations, as well as the last bit of pitiful attachment to family.
His voice was unusually calm, so calm that it was disturbing.
"In that case..."
"Then I hope you take care of yourself in the future."
After saying that, he stopped looking at her. He placed his hands on the cold floor and tried to stand up with all his remaining strength.
After kneeling for nearly twenty hours, his legs were already stiff and numb, and the stinging pain from the sudden blood flow was like being pricked by thousands of needles. As soon as he stood up, he stumbled violently, his vision suddenly black, and he almost fell down.
But he gritted his teeth, tasted a stronger smell of blood on his tongue, and with amazing willpower he managed to keep his body steady and not fall.
He dragged his legs, which didn't seem to belong to him, step by step towards the door that felt like a cage. Every step was like walking on the edge of a knife, bringing with it piercing pain and a feeling of exhaustion.
Seeing him leave, his resolute back, Mother Gu's fear of losing her support finally overwhelmed her anger. She couldn't help but shout at his back, her voice filled with her usual tearful plea:
This sound has been proven time and again over the past countless years.
Gu Xu's footsteps paused almost imperceptibly.
He didn't look back.
What's outside the door?
An unknown future? The ridicule of others? The desolation of having nothing? Perhaps.
Gu Xu didn't know.
He didn't want to think about it anymore.
He only knew that no matter what was outside the door, it couldn't be worse than it was now.
He will pay the price for his choice today, and he will pay for the consequences of his decision.
He took a deep breath, reached out and grasped the cold brass door handle, then pushed it open with force.
Outside the door, moonlight poured in and enveloped him.
A tall and slender figure was leaning quietly against the pillar of the porch, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
The man raised his head slightly, the moonlight outlining his overly delicate profile. He looked at Gu Xu who staggered out of the door in a dishevel, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up into a very faint smile that was enough to illuminate all the gloom.
Chu Yan is outside the door.
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