Finding someone isn't actually that difficult.
Pang Zhe investigated for two days and found Ye Bo's location. He drove there that same day.
It was a village that looked very backward, with few houses, and they were all old brick houses.
Pang Zhe asked an old lady living here and showed her a photo of Ye Bo. The old lady had a vague impression of him. "I do remember this person. He just came here a while ago and lived in the bungalow in front."
However, he's usually not home during the day; he wanders around outside and only comes home at night!
The old lady was a local who had almost never left the village. She spoke in the local dialect, and it took Pang Zhe a long time to understand her.
He thanked her and walked toward the bungalow the old lady had mentioned.
Inside the bungalow was just a wooden bed, a television, a small table, and a small stool.
Pang Zhe frowned, then walked out of the bungalow and ordered his men to search for the person nearby.
Ye Bo has always been an idler and used to love gambling, but he hasn't gambled much since he came to this rural area.
It wasn't that he didn't want to gamble, but the only people left in the village were elderly. They lived regular lives, and Ye Bo was too lazy to chat with a group of old men and women.
He wandered around aimlessly during the day, drank a lot of alcohol at night, and came home drunk.
As time went on, Ye Bo completely lowered his guard. Tonight, as usual, he got drunk and staggered back to his small house.
Just as he was about to lie down on his wooden bed, two people suddenly jumped out from behind him and pinned him against the wall.
He reeked of alcohol, which was truly unpleasant. He was so drunk that he didn't even realize what was happening before his hands and feet were pinned down. He yelled, "Who is it that dares to hold me down!"
The two people holding Ye Bo down looked towards the door. Pang Zhe walked in from outside. The room was pitch black, with only a sliver of moonlight shining in from outside.
Pang Zhe grabbed Ye Bo's hair to make sure he hadn't mistaken him for someone else.
"You're Ye Bo?"
Ye Bo raised his voice, his tone impassioned, "That's right, it's me! You dare lay a hand on me? Do you even know who my daughter is!"
Pang Zhe's expression was gloomy. He picked up the photo and compared it with Ye Bo in front of him. Ye Bo in front of him had a stubble beard and a very dirty face, so he hadn't mistaken Ye Bo for someone else.
This kind of man, who owed usurious loans, abandoned his wife and daughters and ran away. Pang Zhe despised men like this the most in his life, and deliberately asked, "Owed usurious loans, and you just wanted to run away?"
Ye Bo wasn't completely drunk. Upon hearing the words "usury," he immediately sobered up considerably and stared at Pang Zhe with wide, fearful eyes.
The man in the moonlight had half his face looking particularly fierce; he looked like someone from the underworld. Could it be that he was a loan shark who came to take him back?
What's wrong with that woman Li Lan? Didn't she say she'd find a way to get the money?
The loan shark from last time said that if he dares to run away, he'll either have his hand or his leg chopped off if he gets caught.
Ye Bo didn't want his perfectly healthy body to be crippled, so he ran away in terror, pleading, "Big brother, I was wrong, I shouldn't have run away, please forgive me this time, I'll never dare to run away again!"
Ye Bo thought Pang Zhe was a loan shark who had come all this way just to take him back. He was no longer as arrogant as before; he was almost scared to death.
Seeing that the two people behind him were holding him down and he couldn't move, he hurriedly said, "Brother, please let me go, I have money, I'll get you the money right away!"
"Brother, you don't know, I have a daughter who married an extremely wealthy man, you know, the heir to the Gu family, Gu something-or-other. He has so many businesses, I could easily have my son-in-law give you a mountain of gold. Please don't chop off my hands and feet..."
Ye Bo was terrified of Gui, and to save his life, he would come up with any nonsense.
Luckily, Pang Zhe wasn't a loan shark, otherwise he would have really fooled him.
Finding him too long-winded, they simply ordered someone to knock him unconscious and take him away.
As night deepened, the village suddenly lost a loafer, but no one paid any attention to it.
As soon as Pang Zhe caught the person, he immediately reported the matter to Gu Zhendong.
"Lock him up for a while, don't be too nice to him!"
Taking Ye Bo away was simply to better investigate the group of loan sharks, hoping to wipe them out in one fell swoop.
Gu Zhendong handled things extremely quickly, and within a few days he told her that the paternity test results were in.
Lu Huan was taken aback. "So fast?"
Gu Zhendong hummed in agreement and placed the report in front of her. "Take a look!"
She stared blankly at the report on the desk for a long while without reaching for it, her downcast eyes seemingly lost in thought. Then she tugged at the man's arm, saying, "I don't want to know anymore!"
It's not that she doesn't want to know; she's just chickened out again.
He had already seen the paternity test report as soon as it came out.
Lu Huan's guess was correct; she indeed had no connection with the Ye family.
That's strange. If Lu Huan isn't Ye Bo and Li Lan's child, then whose child is she?
Also, what exactly happened back then?
Gu Zhendong picked up the report. "Let me take a look!"
"Let's not!"
Lu Huan quickly pressed his hand down, and Gu Zhendong stared at her, "What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid, I'm just not ready to face reality yet!" Lu Huan said listlessly, pouting.
Gu Zhendong could somewhat understand how she was feeling, and he hugged her tightly. "It's okay. No matter what you're facing, I'm here for you. I'll always be with you."
Men rarely speak tenderly, so Lu Huan glanced at him and said, "Let's see later!"
Gu Zhendong knew that she already had the answer in her heart, but she just didn't want to face reality.
He wouldn't mind giving Lu Huan a push.
Taking advantage of Lu Huan's lowered guard, Gu Zhendong suddenly flipped open the paternity test report and handed it to Lu Huan, saying, "You are not their child."
The truth came so suddenly that Lu Huan was completely unprepared.
She stared blankly at Gu Zhendong, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What did you say?"
“You have no blood relation to the Ye family; they are not your parents,” Gu Zhendong told her carefully once again.
Sure enough, her initial guess was correct.
But she's not a child of the Ye family, so whose daughter is she?
After learning the truth, Lu Huan felt both relieved and suddenly a little disappointed and sad.
She misses her mother a little.
"Are you sad?"
"No way!" Lu Huan stubbornly denied. "Who told you to tell me all of a sudden? Didn't I already say I'd check later?"
The little woman in his arms suddenly turned fierce, her eyes instantly welling up with tears and reddening. Gu Zhendong tenderly pulled her into his arms, saying, "I'm here for you!"
That night, Lu Huan dreamed of her mother.
She was born into a single-parent family and grew up relying on her mother.
Her mother worked very hard, busy earning money and taking care of herself. She overworked herself when she was young, which caused her health to break down very early.
Before she could earn money to support her mother, her mother had already passed away.
Lu Huan dreamt of her mother when she was young. Her mother was very beautiful, wearing a pretty dress, and gently embraced her. Lu Huan woke up crying immediately.
Recalling the past, Lu Huan first cried softly, which eventually woke Gu Zhendong.
The man turned on the light, cupped her face in his hands, and saw that her eyes were red and swollen from crying. "Why are you crying?"
The man's question only made things worse; Lu Huan cried even harder, hugging him and sobbing uncontrollably.
Gu Zhendong held her silently, letting her vent. After a long while, the crying in his arms gradually subsided, and he finally spoke, "Are you feeling better now?"
Lu Huan had been crying for so long that her nose was stuffy and the tip of her nose was red. "I'm thirsty."
Gu Zhendong: ...
She had cried too much and was dehydrated; she wanted to drink water.
She spoke so pitifully that Gu Zhendong simply couldn't bring himself to say it.
The man poured her a glass of warm water, which Lu Huan gulped down in just a few mouthfuls.
Gu Zhendong didn't ask her what she dreamed about. He told her to wash her face and coaxed her, "Go to sleep!"
Lu Huan hummed in agreement, hugged the man's body, and closed her eyes.
Having cried so much earlier, Lu Huan fell asleep in no time.
Lu Huan's crying in the middle of the night kept Gu Zhendong from getting a good night's sleep.
Worried that she might have nightmares again and cry, I would wake up every now and then to check on her, and then go back to sleep after making sure she was alright.
This process was repeated several times until dawn finally broke.
After a night, Lu Huan accepted reality with equanimity.
So what if she doesn't know who her parents are? It's no big deal. She still has a husband and parents, and she lives her life just the same.
Lu Huan woke up exceptionally early, her usual liveliness and energy restored. She glanced at Gu Zhendong, who was still lazing in bed, and pounced on him, "Honey, it's time to get up!"
Having not slept all night, Gu Zhendong was struck by a wave of happiness. He grabbed the woman's slender waist, lifted her eyelids, and looked at her with his dark eyes. "So enthusiastic so early in the morning, do you need another lesson?"
Gu Zhendong's gaze was unfriendly, immediately reminding Lu Huan of the time shortly after Gu Zhendong had lost his virginity.
Lu Huan chuckled and hurriedly tried to get off him, supporting herself on the bed. "Honey, good morning! I was just calling you to get up!"
"I got up really early today. I've already had breakfast with my parents, listened to some opera with my grandpa, and brushed Gun Gun's fur."
As Gu Zhendong listened to her recount the things she had done since waking up, he thought that her unusual diligence must be due to the dream she had last night.
Lu Huan tried to run away, but someone had anticipated this and firmly held her waist with both hands. "Is today Saturday?"
"Yeah, what's wrong?" Lu Huan asked, puzzled, when he suddenly changed the subject.
Gu Zhendong smiled and said, "Then I won't hold back!"
Lu Huan: !
Yan Rong, who lives downstairs, originally wanted to take her daughter-in-law shopping, but more than half an hour has passed since they went upstairs and the young couple still haven't come down.
She appeared very calm, with a hint of joy in her heart. Judging from the affection between the young couple, her hope of having a grandchild should be just around the corner.
After a bit of playful bickering, Lu Huan finished all of her breakfast.
Gu Zhendong was satisfied. After taking a shower, he came out of the bathroom, water droplets from his hair falling onto his shoulders. "Not getting up? Didn't you say you were going shopping with Mom?"
Compared to Gu Zhendong's energetic demeanor, Lu Huan was like a withered old woman, utterly listless. She grabbed a pillow and said angrily, "You still have the nerve to say that? You've been causing all this trouble for so long, how am I supposed to face Mom!"
She was too weak; the pillow fell to the ground before it even hit Gu Zhendong.
Lu Huan lay dejectedly on the bed, hugging the blanket, "I need to get along well with my bed."
Despite saying this, Lu Huan remained on the bed for a while before going downstairs with Gu Zhendong.
She tried her best to act as if nothing had happened, and casually called out "Mom and Dad" and "Grandpa."
Yan Rong glanced at the girl's thin figure and said, "You've come at the right time; it's time for lunch."
Upon hearing this, Lu Huan wished she could disappear into a hole in the ground!
She glared angrily at Gu Zhendong, then obediently said "oh" and sat down.
Yan Rong specially asked the servants to prepare a ginseng soup to nourish the body, and served a bowl of soup to each of them. "Drink it while it's hot. This is the best for your health, especially for young people like you who exercise a lot."
Haha, don't think she can't tell!
Lu Huan blushed furiously, took the soup, and gave a dry laugh, "Thank you, Mom!"
Yan Rong patted her soft, white hands, "Drink more, I cooked a whole pot!"
Lu Huan: ...This soup was definitely made especially for her and Gu Zhendong!
The next day, Yan Rong excitedly dragged Lu Huan shopping.
Lu Huan stayed up all night watching dramas and was too lazy to move, but she couldn't bear to refuse Yan Rong, so she looked to Gu Zhendong for help.
Gu Zhendong had been quite enthusiastic about accompanying her shopping before, but today he had a task to complete.
He glanced at Gu Youhai beside him and said, "Dad, I have something to tell you!"
Gu Youhai was taken aback. What business couldn't be discussed at the company, and why did it have to be discussed at home?
At home, the father and son rarely discussed company matters, mainly because they were afraid of upsetting Yan Rong and ruining the atmosphere at home.
Gu Youhai paused for a moment, his gaze shifting between the young couple. "Alright, let's go into the study!"
Gu Zhendong turned around and said, "Go shopping with Mom. Buy whatever you want."
Lu Huan: ...They really abandoned her so heartlessly!
Lu Huan gritted her teeth in anger, watching helplessly as Gu Zhendong left in front of her.
Lu Huan was pulled along by Yan Rong, "Let's go!"
Yan Rong's shopping prowess is terrifyingly strong, a hundred times stronger than Yan Shi's.
After visiting only a few shops, Lu Huan was already feeling a bit overwhelmed, her calves were sore.
They entered a women's clothing store, where Yan Rong was picking out clothes. Lu Huan casually found a sofa to sit down.
Her legs, having had a rest, made a comfortable sound, and if she could, she would like to sit like that for the rest of her life.
Yan Rong picked and chose, and finally settled on a dress. "What do you think of this one?"
Lu Huan hurriedly stood up and looked at the dress in Yan Rong's hand. Yan Rong preferred brightly colored clothes, and this dress made her look very young. "It looks great!"
Lu Huan is also a fashion expert, and quickly found a pair of black casual trousers from the side. "Mom, why don't you go in and try these on?"
While Yan Rong was changing clothes, she could sit down and rest for a while.
Yan Rong had no reason not to try on the clothes her daughter-in-law had chosen for her, so she happily took the clothes and headed to the fitting room.
The sales assistant looked at Lu Huan warmly, "Miss, we also have some clothes for younger women here, would you like to take a look?"
"No, no need!"
Lu Huan waved her hands repeatedly; all she wanted to do was find a place to sit down.
Shopping is so tiring!
Lu Huan had just sat down when a waiter brought her a cup of hot water, and two more people came in through the door.
Lu Huan took a sip of his drink, feeling utterly bored, and casually glanced over.
Upon closer inspection, I indeed spotted a familiar face!
A week has passed since Lu Sangsang attempted suicide by overdosing on pills.
Lu Huan never expected to run into the two of them here.
Lu Sangsang was wearing sunglasses and a sun hat, completely covering her face. Lu Huan didn't recognize her at first, but the other person called her name first.
"sister!"
Lu Huan looked at the other person, but couldn't see anything. She still recognized Guo Yi and guessed that the person calling her was Lu Sangsang.
Lu Huan gave an awkward laugh, stood up, and walked towards them. "Mom, are you out shopping?"
"Yes, Sangsang has been cooped up at home these past few days. I was worried she'd get bored, so I took her out for a walk to cheer her up."
Lu Sangsang had only been recuperating at home for a few days after being discharged from the hospital, and her face was still somewhat pale. She weakly called out "Sister," and Lu Huan responded, "Are you feeling any better?"
"I feel much better, thank you for your concern!"
After this back-and-forth, Lu Sangsang seemed to have returned to her former aloof self after this suicide attempt.
Lu Huan smiled, wanting to test whether she was faking it or had truly changed her ways. "Little sister, you're an adult now. You need to take responsibility for your actions. Don't think about suicide so easily. Have you considered how Mom and Dad feel?"
Lu Sangsang lowered her eyes and obediently accepted the reprimand, saying, "I know I was wrong, and I won't do such a thing again. I'm sorry for making everyone worry!"
Lu Huan stared at her face the whole time. Seeing that she wasn't angry at all, but instead looked like she really knew she was wrong, Lu Huan wondered if she was acting.
Guo Yi put her arm around Lu Sangsang's and looked around, "Are you shopping alone?"
“No, Mom is here too.” Lu Huan pointed to the fitting room. “She’s trying on clothes in there.”
Lu Huan called her "Mom" so naturally that Guo Yi was stunned for a moment before realizing that Lu Huan was referring to Yan Rong.
How could Li Lan from the Ye family possibly have the money to bring Lu Huan to a place like this?
Yan Rong came out after trying on the clothes and was very satisfied. Just as she was about to show them off to Lu Huan, she saw the two people next to her.
Yan Rong winked at Lu Huan, who explained, "My mom just happened to be out shopping with Sang Sang, and we ran into them!"
Yan Rong quickly realized what was going on and greeted them with a smile, "What a coincidence, my dear in-law!"
After exchanging pleasantries and buying the clothes, Yan Rong suggested having a meal together. She politely said, "It's rare for us to meet. I've been so busy lately. When Sangsang was hospitalized last time, I didn't even have time to visit her. This meal is on me, as a way to celebrate Sangsang's successful discharge from the hospital!"
Yan Rong knew that Lu Sangsang had committed suicide by overdosing on pills, but on the surface she had to pretend not to know and think that Lu Sangsang was really unwell and that's why she was hospitalized.
I felt a little uncomfortable with this girl. She seemed well-behaved on the surface, but she was actually very scheming. Huanhuan would easily suffer if she stayed with Lu Sangsang.
Thankfully, Huanhuan married into our family early on, otherwise she might have suffered a lot of injustice.
Midway through, Gu Zhendong sent her a message asking when she would be returning.
Lu Huan snorted, implying that he would refuse to help if asked.
Lu Huan retorted angrily: "I'm not going home for lunch, you can eat by yourself!"
Gu Zhendong frowned, quickly realizing that Lu Huan was still angry about what happened that morning.
With a helpless smile, he sent a voice message: "Come home early tonight."
He knew Lu Huan's personality; she couldn't go shopping, and after a few steps, she'd get too lazy to walk and wanted to come back.
I figured I'd like to come back and take a nap after lunch.
Gu Zhendong was busy preparing the gift, and after a satisfied look, he waited for Lu Huan to return in the afternoon.
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