"Stop making me laugh, okay?"
Lu Huaijiao wore a disdainful smile. Compared to before, she hadn't changed a bit in her spoiled and willful manner.
Lu Zhengde felt much more at ease.
However, given the gravity of the matter, he did not immediately believe Lu Huaijiao.
He sighed, a troubled look on his face, hesitated for a moment, and then changed the subject.
“Alright, I know your personality, and you can’t forgive your father in a short time.” Lu Zhengde paused, looked up at her, his gaze fixed on Lu Huaijiao’s face, not missing a single little emotion of hers.
He casually asked, "By the way, where are my three grandsons? Did they go to school today? I heard someone say there was an explosion at the nearby after-school care center when I passed by earlier. Are the three children alright?"
Were they frightened?
When Lu Zhengde said this, he seemed very gentle, but Lu Huaijiao understood his intention.
He came to test her.
Lu Huaijiao scoffed, "What do they have to do with you? I don't even acknowledge you as my father anymore, do you think they'd acknowledge you as their grandfather? To my children, you're just a decrepit old man with no relation to them whatsoever. Don't you think you're meddling in other people's business?"
"Instead of trying to get my attention, why don't you think about how to please Zhao Rui? You've lost your child, so you must want to have one to carry on the family line, right? Let me guess, Zhao Rui is the one you've chosen to carry on your family line?"
Lu Huaijiao bluntly exposed Lu Zhengde's feelings for Zhao Rui.
His face turned bluish-purple for a fleeting moment.
I almost exposed my darkest side, hidden deep within my heart, to outsiders.
“Huaijiao, it really hurts me to hear you say that. When I pass away, I won’t be able to face your mother and grandmother… They will blame me for not raising you well…”
Lu Zhengde is a person who is very good at talking to himself.
Lu Huaijiao's attitude was already so bad, so logically he should have left immediately.
Who would have thought he'd be so shameless as to stay here and talk to himself?
What kind of fatherly love, as vast as a mountain, is he acting out?
Was he just being self-indulgent, or was he putting on a show for someone else? Lu Huaijiao didn't want to pay any attention to him at all, and didn't want to waste a single moment with Lu Zhengde.
She left with the words that she would never have anything to do with Lu Zhengde again, that they had no relationship whatsoever, and then turned and went into her house, ignoring Lu Zhengde completely.
Lu Zhengde stood outside the convenience store, watching Lu Huaijiao's departing figure with great sadness. Her face, though not young, was still refined and elegant, and it was filled with sorrow.
"You can leave now."
Gu Jianhua, who had been listening to the father and daughter's conversation without saying a word, finally spoke up.
The first thing they said was to kick people out.
"Jianhua..."
Lu Zhengde withdrew his gaze: "Jianhua, I know Jiaojiao doesn't acknowledge me, so I have no right to say these things. But for the sake of our past acquaintance, I implore you to treat Jiaojiao well in the future."
"She has a bad temper, which is because her mother and I spoiled her. If she offends you or your sister-in-law in any way, please don't be angry. She just has a short temper, but she really doesn't mean any harm."
Lu Zhengde's words seemed to be speaking up for Lu Huaijiao, but in reality, he was trying to sow discord between Gu Jianhua and Lu Huaijiao.
Gu Jianhua, who had initially been reluctant to pay attention, couldn't help but laugh when he heard Lu Zhengde's words.
"Lu Zhengde, I really underestimated you before."
"What?"
"You were in the wrong first, and you've wronged Huaijiao's mother. A normal person should find a place to hide and live a quiet life. But what about you?"
Gu Jianhua's expression was serious, and his eyes showed disdain.
This was the first time he had ever looked at someone with such an expression.
The look in that eyes made Lu Zhengde feel uneasy, and he inexplicably felt that all his little tricks had been seen through.
Gu Jianhua continued speaking.
"And what about you? Not only do you not feel ashamed, but you also want to jump around and come to me to try to sow discord between Huaijiao and me? Lu Zhengde, how can you do this to her, who called you 'Dad' for so many years? How can you do this to your deceased first wife and the old lady who entrusted her beloved daughter to you?"
"Lu Zhengde, being a good person isn't just about outward appearances. You can't have a bad conscience. No matter how successful you are on the surface, a person with a bad conscience is rotten inside."
At this moment, in Gu Jianhua's eyes, Lu Zhengde was a disgusting thing that reeked of stench and was unaware of it.
He felt ashamed that he had known Lu Zhengde before.
Lu Zhengde's original intention was simply to sow discord among Gu Jianhua and worsen their impression of Lu Huaijiao. He admitted that he didn't use many techniques when he spoke ill of Lu Huaijiao.
But the other party is Gu Jianhua, such a nice guy. He's the kind of person who, no matter how much he dislikes someone, will never make them lose face. How could such a nice guy refute him in public?
Lu Zhengde felt that he didn't understand Gu Jianhua very well.
Or rather, what he thought he knew was not actually Gu Jianhua's true nature.
Lu Zhengde's face turned red and white after Gu Jianhua's words. He looked embarrassed and stammered that Gu Jianhua had misunderstood.
"I have something to take care of, so I'll be leaving now."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Zhengde practically fled in panic.
He hurriedly left Tianshui Hutong. Gu Jianhua glanced at Lu Zhengde's back and just then saw someone walk up to him and talk to him after he left the alley.
Gu Jianhua shook his head helplessly. "People shouldn't think that a period of good fortune means a lifetime of good fortune."
Whether it's how you conduct yourself or what you do, you should always examine your own conscience!
Gu Jianhua turned around and started organizing the items on the shelves.
The person who went up to talk to Lu Zhengde was none other than Zhang Qiang, who had previously worked in their village.
At the entrance of the alley, on the main road.
Lu Zhengde's expression was still somewhat unpleasant when he saw Zhang Qiang.
What brings you here?
His attitude wasn't good.
However, they wouldn't pretend they couldn't see Zhang Qiang.
After all, Zhang Qiang's father-in-law was Lu Zhengde's boss. If he was having a hard time in his personal life, he couldn't afford to have a bad time at work.
Zhang Qiang did not hide the purpose of his visit.
"What happened at the Yuhong Class? The teacher said you need to give him an explanation."
"explode?"
Lu Zhengde stopped and looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them. He then gestured for Zhang Qiang to go somewhere else to talk.
The two walked into another deserted dead-end alley, where Lu Zhengde stopped and turned to look at Zhang Qiang.
"What happened to that explosive? Wasn't it supposed to be able to be stored for a long time? How come it exploded so soon after it was placed down?"
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