Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Suddenly, Gu Xinyue remembered that Luo Xia had undergone kidney surgery too.
“What about Luo Xia? Could she have sent the milk?”
“She’s in emergency care after drinking too much of it. Crates were found in her house as well.”
The answer was obvious. Luo Xia had not sent them.
“Who was listed as the sender? If it was me, why would Luo Xia drink any of it?”
Gu Cangbei’s eyes darkened. “Supposedly, an employee from Zhong Mingjiang’s company sent it to flatter Mrs. Zhong. The courier said it was a woman. She was strangely dressed for the heat: heavy clothes, sunglasses, mask, and hat. He never saw her face.”
After a pause, he added, “And you are one of the company’s employees.”
Gu Xinyue’s heart sank.
On the surface, the killer was targeting Luo Xia and Guo Langtao. Yet every clue pointed back to Gu Xinyue.
She alone had a motive.
After so many crimes, the murderer’s true purpose finally surfaced.
“I grew up in an orphanage and had no enemies. After marrying Zhong Mingjiang, I stayed home and barely went outside. I cannot imagine who would go to such lengths to destroy me.”
Gu Cangbei rested a hand on her shoulder. “Leaving people alone doesn’t mean they’ll leave you alone. Give this to me. I will uncover the truth.”
Looking at him, Gu Xinyue felt a powerful rush of dependence and longing.
Twice in one day, he had told her to leave it to him. Whatever burden appeared, he took it onto his own shoulders.
His revenge was complete, yet he still protected her with such care.
A ripple moved through her heart. Could he feel the same way? No. Her body was broken, and she could never bear a child. No one could love her. She was imagining things.
She had never expected to love anyone after Zhong Mingjiang. Even if Gu Cangbei did not return her feelings, perhaps loving him was itself a gift.
He had given her spirit a second life.
Pressing a hand to her chest, she whispered silently, Gu Cangbei, I love you.
He did not hear. He had thrown himself into the investigation.
When the results arrived, he went to Gu Xinyue at once. “This file contains the whole truth. Xinyue, promise me you’ll stay strong after you read it.”
Her heart missed a beat. “What happened?”
“An innocent man can still be destroyed for carrying treasure. Human malice has no limit. This concerns your grandfather. Prepare yourself.”
With trembling hands, Gu Xinyue opened the file.
Liu Xiaoxiao’s innocent face stared from the first page. Gu Cangbei had been investigating the missing years of her life, and then came the poisoned milk. Had Liu Xiaoxiao sent it? Had Gu Xinyue been the true target all along?
Her heart faltered.
She could not believe it. Their warm memories remained so vivid. How could her closest friend decide to destroy her?
As she read on, she realized she had misunderstood everything.
From the day Liu Xiaoxiao recognized her, Gu Xinyue had been trapped inside an immense conspiracy.
Its origin lay in the day Liu Xiaoxiao left the orphanage.
The person who took her away was Qin Mo, Gu Xinyue’s grandfather.
Qin Mo said his granddaughter possessed a dragon-shaped jade pendant. Whoever had that pendant was his granddaughter.
Young Liu Xiaoxiao remembered seeing it among Qin Jiajia’s belongings. She stole it and successfully passed herself off as Qin Mo’s granddaughter.
Qin Jiajia cried for a long time when she discovered it was missing.
Liu Xiaoxiao went home with Qin Mo and lived like a princess. Years later, she graduated from medical school and became a respected physician.
Over time, comments from Qin Mo’s friends sowed doubt.
“Old Qin, why doesn’t your granddaughter look anything like you?”
At first, he dismissed the question. But age made him more susceptible to doubt. He took Liu Xiaoxiao’s toothbrush and submitted it for a formal DNA test.
The result excluded any biological relationship.
Heartbroken, Qin Mo demanded to know where the pendant came from.
Liu Xiaoxiao wept and claimed she did not know. She said she had worn it for as long as she could remember and never meant to deceive him. After all their years together, she truly considered him her grandfather.
Qin Mo looked at the girl he had loved for so long and wavered between belief and suspicion.
He returned to the orphanage, searching for girls who resembled him. One by one, he collected strands of their hair and ordered DNA tests.
The results proved Qin Jiajia was his biological granddaughter. Qin Jiajia also confirmed that Liu Xiaoxiao had lied about the pendant.
For old affection’s sake, Qin Mo had initially intended to make Liu Xiaoxiao his adopted granddaughter. Her deception changed his mind. Expelling her without seeking punishment was mercy enough.
Some people responded to mercy not with gratitude, but with greater cruelty.
In Liu Xiaoxiao’s mind, Qin Mo’s entire fortune belonged to her. Everything had been within reach until Qin Jiajia appeared and stole it away. Jealousy drove her mad.
She watched Qin Jiajia marry Zhong Mingjiang and planned to seduce him so she could gain the fortune through him. Luo Xia got there first, so Liu Xiaoxiao came to hate her as well.
She monitored Qin Jiajia constantly and knew a man rescued her on the night of the fire. Naturally, when Qin Jiajia returned as Gu Xinyue, Liu Xiaoxiao recognized her immediately.
Preparation against ignorance gave her every advantage.
Gu Xinyue clenched her fists. Luo Xia had killed Grandpa, but Liu Xiaoxiao had set everything in motion. If Qin Mo had found Qin Jiajia first, she never would have met Luo Xia and Zhong Mingjiang. Her grandfather would not have died so horribly.
“Cangbei, what do we do?” It was the first time she addressed him without his surname. Her heart was opening, drawing nearer, placing its trust in him.
He did not disappoint her. “Liu Xiaoxiao believes she has accounted for everything, but she overlooked one person. He may be able to turn the whole game around.”
“Who?”
“Guo Langtao’s older brother, the prominent Beijing attorney Guo Lang’an. He is nothing like his brother. He was brilliant from childhood and despised much of Guo Langtao’s behavior, so they rarely spoke. But blood remains blood. His only brother is dead. How could he not grieve?”
“That’s perfect!” Gu Xinyue jumped up and caught Gu Cangbei’s hand. “You’re incredible. You thought to investigate through Guo Langtao, and the trail led straight to a tiger!”
Her hand was small and warm, its touch soft. Gu Cangbei knew the hand was artificial. Pain contracted his heart, and he tightened his grip.
“Don’t worry, Xinyue. Even the cleverest fox will fall beneath a tiger’s claws.”
Without realizing it, the way they addressed each other had changed.
They began as allies with a shared purpose. But through every struggle they had fallen in love with the warmth of each other’s hands, and neither wanted to let go.
Those accustomed to loneliness craved tenderness most.
Perhaps brilliant minds truly did think alike.
No sooner had Gu Cangbei decided to contact Guo Lang’an than the attorney called him first.
He wanted to meet Gu Xinyue.
She readily agreed.
At a cafe, Guo Lang’an asked whether she had sent the milk. Gu Xinyue did not deny it. “An attorney as perceptive as you shouldn’t need to ask that question.”
He looked at her with approval. “Direct. Good. Then we’ll speak plainly. This case is strange. In my analysis, neither my brother nor Luo Xia was the true target. The killer wanted to frame you and put you before a firing squad.”
He clearly did not acknowledge Luo Xia as his half sister. That worked in Gu Xinyue’s favor.
She set down her cup. “If you want the truth, I’ll give it to you. Liu Xiaoxiao did all of this.”
Gu Xinyue explained how Liu Xiaoxiao killed Guan Nana and Yang Juhua, and how her history connected her to both Gu Xinyue and Luo Xia.
One detail caught Guo Lang’an’s attention. “Liu Xiaoxiao claims she personally witnessed Luo Xia disconnect your grandfather’s oxygen?”
The spoon fell from Gu Xinyue’s fingers and snapped in two. “What are you saying?”
The question was unnecessary. She already understood.
Liu Xiaoxiao might have killed Qin Mo herself.
Luo Xia was not particularly clever and rarely concealed her feelings. Liu Xiaoxiao was calculating, patient, and skilled at disguise. More importantly, she had the stronger motive.
Grandpa had been so kind and forgiving, yet the girl he raised had repaid him with murder.
Gu Xinyue lifted her chin and forced back her tears. “Attorney Guo, we’re in the same boat now. Whatever you need from me, say it.”
He answered calmly, “Should I call you Ms. Gu, or Ms. Qin?”
Her body stiffened.
“Don’t be alarmed. We are allies, not enemies. Once your true identity is confirmed, I have a way to deal with Liu Xiaoxiao.”
“Fine. I admit it. I am Qin Jiajia. Now tell me your plan.”
Guo Lang’an leaned closer and spoke quietly for some time.
A subtle smile appeared on Gu Xinyue’s face.