Li Xiulan was no longer the ignorant old woman she used to be; she knew what was important and what wasn't.
Who would secretly follow someone? Her intentions were clear!
She slammed her palm on the tabletop and said irritably, "Wait, I'm going to ask Li Na what she wants right now!"
With that, Li Xiulan got up in anger. Judging by her demeanor, she was determined to get to the bottom of things!
Seeing this, Chen Lishu quickly rose and blocked her path, kindly advising, "Forget it, Mom. It's already happened, and there's no point in saying more. I'm telling you this today to remind you to be careful when dealing with them in the future. One must always be vigilant."
Li Xiulan was still very angry, but with her exit blocked by Chen Lishu, she had no choice but to cross her arms and sit on the sofa, huffing indignantly.
The dinner ended hastily under the shadow of this incident. Chen Lishu spent a long time comforting Li Xiulan and only returned to her room after she had completely pacified her.
Upon entering, she saw Gu Xingdong sitting under the desk lamp, busy writing something.
Thinking about what had happened today, Chen Lishu assumed Gu Xingdong's sudden busyness meant he was displeased and didn't want to talk to her. Feeling a little wronged, she walked to the bedside.
She had intended to let things cool down and find a suitable reason to explain the day's events before speaking again. However, Gu Xingdong's voice reached her then.
He said, "Don't take what happened tonight to heart. Mom didn't mean anything by it."
"What?" Chen Lishu thought her ears were playing tricks on her. She turned her head blankly to look at Gu Xingdong and asked uncertainly, "What did you just say?"
Gu Xingdong frowned and said, "I said, don't argue with Mom. Li Xiuli's family has always been full of lies, and my mother is easily swayed, which is why she fell for their trick. Of course, if you feel their actions have caused you trouble, I have a hundred ways to get revenge for you."
Listening to Gu Xingdong's long explanation, Chen Lishu finally believed her ears were working correctly. She raised an eyebrow and teasingly asked, "We're family, and it's fine now that things have been cleared up. I don't have many thoughts on it; I have other plans anyway.
At most, in a month, this whole mess will be over. If it's given away, let it be given away. Do you think I'm a petty person? Why else would you bring it up again after it's been clarified?"
What started as a joke was met with an exceptionally serious expression from Gu Xingdong. "Because I don't want an outsider to disrupt our family's relationship, nor do I want you to feel wronged because of this."
Chen Lishu was visibly taken aback by this answer. It would be a lie to say she wasn't moved.
She walked over to Gu Xingdong, sat down on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered, "I'm not wronged. I will seriously consider the questions you asked me today. When the time is right, I'll tell you everything."
"Hmm, will you leave me?" This was what Gu Xingdong cared about most. Chen Lishu was too mysterious, always giving him a feeling of elusiveness.
Hearing Gu Xingdong's question, Chen Lishu chuckled. She looked at him intently and said, "You don't need to worry about this question at all. I can't bear to leave you or our children. Unless the sky falls, I'm not going anywhere!"
Perhaps sensing Chen Lishu's attitude, Gu Xingdong's anxious heart began to calm down. They pressed their foreheads together and he said, "Okay, then I'll wait for you to find the right time to tell me what's going on."
"Hmm, now go find me something to eat. Too much happened tonight, and I didn't eat much. I'm still hungry," Chen Lishu said, lying back on the bed with a hint of dependence in her tone.
Gu Xingdong also enjoyed her dependence, so he got up without complaint and walked out.
After rummaging through the refrigerator, Gu Xingdong couldn't find anything edible. He closed the refrigerator door with a hint of frustration.
Just then, a sweet, delicate voice called from behind him, "Brother Gu."
Gu Xingdong heard someone calling him and instinctively turned around. When he saw Qin Yue standing behind him, dressed so scantily, his brow furrowed unintentionally.
Qin Yue didn't realize her attire was inappropriate. Seeing Gu Xingdong's impatient expression, and recalling the secret she discovered at the dinner table, a shrewd glint flashed in her eyes.
She didn't directly mention the argument between Gu Xingdong and Chen Lishu. Instead, she tentatively asked, "Brother Gu, are you encountering difficulties? Why are you frowning so much? It's so late, and you're not resting. Are you planning to sleep in the living room?"
With every word Qin Yue spoke, her clothes seemed to slip down a little further. Gu Xingdong lit a cigarette, averted his gaze with distaste, and said, "I'm going out!"
With that, Gu Xingdong brushed past Qin Yue without even looking up.
To Qin Yue, this behavior meant Gu Xingdong was impatient because of the argument and was escaping outside to avoid reality. For Qin Yue, this was a great opportunity to make her move!
Gu Xingdong had no intention of indulging Qin Yue's thoughts. Shortly after leaving, his first action was to call Yang Zhiguo.
As soon as the call connected, he got straight to the point, saying, "I need to change my assistant. Preferably a male one!"
Yang Zhiguo on the other end was taken aback by the request. He then asked with schadenfreude, "Aren't you afraid your wife will fall for that man over time, abandon you and the children, and run away with him?"
"She won't!" Gu Xingdong retorted resolutely, rejecting Yang Zhiguo's gossipy inclination. However, he added, "Then issue a recall order now and send Qin Yue back to the army."
Send Qin Yue back? Hearing this, Yang Zhiguo was instantly wide awake. She gritted her teeth and questioned, "What are you doing?"
Gu Xingdong answered honestly, "Qin Yue's intentions are not simple. She harbors inappropriate thoughts. I absolutely will not keep such a dangerous person in my home.
I'll give you two options now: either recall her to the army, or find someone to replace her. And next time, find a more honest woman."
If this was truly the reason, Yang Zhiguo's anger completely vanished. She replied earnestly, "I can recall her, but not right now. I need to report to my superiors, and it might take some time."
"Okay." Gu Xingdong understood Yang Zhiguo's difficulties, so he readily agreed to her request.
After discussing the matter, Yang Zhiguo didn't rush to hang up. Instead, she asked slyly, "Oh right, you said you don't want a male assistant, right? Aren't you confident in your wife? Why the change of heart?"