Master Gu broke the silence in the office and said, "Is it something concerning mom's will?"
Shang Xiang smiled and answered with a slight nod before adding, "You do remember the clause that stated that if any of them were seen or suspected of being unfaithful there would be changes right?"
"Yes… Yes I do. But I know Liang would never do something like that. I don't know about Li Chen though" Master Gu instantly vouched for his daughter without even giving it a second thought.
"Are you sure about that?" Shang Xiang asked while reaching for the briefcase he had in his hand.
"Positive!" Master Gu replied.
Shang Xiang chuckled a bit and took out a few things from his briefcase. He then handed over two pictures to Master Gu before leaning back in his chair.
Master Gu took the pictures and as soon as his eyes saw what was photographed, his hands started shaking with anger.
As Master Gu's gaze fell upon the incriminating photographs, a storm of emotions raged within him. The images captured Gu Liang's entrance into a private room at the illustrious Starry Castle, her companion none other than Sun Gang. The pictures were not overtly intimate, but they conveyed an unspoken narrative—a smile gracing Sun Gang's lips and a shy, knowing look on Gu Liang's face.
Though fury surged through Master Gu's veins like a torrent, he fought to maintain a facade of composure in front of Shang Xiang, the trusted confidante who had presented these damning images. His grip on the photographs tightened, knuckles whitening with restrained anger.
In that tense moment, a tempest of conflicting emotions swirled within him. He couldn't fathom how his daughter, Gu Liang, could have betrayed the terms of her marriage behind his back.
"Now let us talk about the consequences of Gu Liang's actions shall we?" Shang Xiang said and then gave Master Gu a document that had the title 'My Dying Wishes'. Master Gu knew instantly that the document contained the hand written will of Old Madame Gu.
"Turn to page 3"
Master Gu turned the pages quickly. His instincts told him that whatever was on page three was something he didn't even want to see, but he had no choice but to see it.
Old Madame Gu had always believed that Li Chen possessed a kindness and potential that transcended his current circumstances. There was an unexplainable conviction in her heart that he had the makings of a man who would one day achieve success and earn the respect of the world. She saw in him the promise of a brighter future, one that she hoped Gu Liang would come to appreciate.
With this hope in her heart, Old Madame Gu had made a unique stipulation for their marriage, one that carried both a sense of patience and a promise of potential happiness. She had decided to give them six years to find love, to nurture their bond, and to allow their marriage to blossom. During this time, she expected them to respect the sanctity of their union.
Old Madame Gu firmly believed that if Gu Liang treated Li Chen with kindness and respect, and if she carried herself as a married woman should, love had the potential to flourish between them. To incentivize this path, she had set aside a substantial sum of 50 million yuan in her will for each of them as a reward for their commitment to their marriage during these six years.
However, she had also accounted for the possibility of infidelity, crafting a clause that dictated the consequences of such actions. If one of them were to betray their marital vows, the unfaithful party would receive a lesser portion—6 million yuan—for the six years spent in the marriage, while the faithful one would retain their share along with the unfaithful party's portion, totaling 94 million yuan. In the event that both strayed, the remaining sum would be directed towards aiding disadvantaged villages.
Old Madame Gu's arrangement was a unique blend of hope, patience, and pragmatism. It reflected her desire to see both her granddaughter and Li Chen find happiness while honoring the responsibilities of their union, even if it meant allowing their love to develop at its own pace. The path to a successful and fulfilling marriage, in her eyes, was one that required patience, respect, and the opportunity for love to flourish naturally.
As Master Gu read the previously undisclosed part of his mother's will, his fury surged like a relentless tempest. The realization that he had not been left a single cent of her fortune, but only her assets, struck a chord of bitterness within him. All his hopes of a substantial inheritance in just two months' time were shattered, and the implications of this revelation gnawed at him like a festering wound.
His anger intensified as he reflected on the unfolding drama within his family. The disappointment in his daughter's actions, her defiance of the carefully laid plans for her marriage, fueled the flames of his rage. In that moment, he found himself consumed by a potent cocktail of hatred for Li Chen and resentment toward Gu Liang.
It was as if the weight of betrayal and thwarted ambition bore down upon him, casting a shadow over his very being. The room, once a sanctuary of power and control, now bore witness to a storm of emotions that raged within Master Gu's heart. Hatred and disappointment mingled, creating a tempest that threatened to engulf him completely.
"I think you know what happens now right?" Shang Xiang asked Master Gu as he extended his hand to take back the will.
"So you mean my mother, the woman who gave birth to me left me with nothing and chose a stranger over me?"
"Left you with nothing? If I remember correctly, you are the biggest shareholder of the Gu Enterprise, the owner of many other private estates and sub-companies under the Gu Enterprise… That is what your mother left you. In terms of cash, your mother had a certain sum of money, some has already been donated to charity according to her will while the remaining sum is this 100 million yuan that was supposed to be divided between Gu Liang and Li Chen" Shang Xiang explained patiently to Master Gu.
Master Gu took a deep breath and said, "So what happens now?"
"Now… Your daughter has lost 44 million yuan. If Li Chen is also clean within the remaining two months… 94 million will be credited to his account exactly on the day of their anniversary"
Master Gu gritted his teeth in anger and tried to force a smile out of respect for his mother's friend.
"I know Gu Liang hates Li Chen but I hope she doesn't regret it one day" Shang Xiang stood up and walked towards the door before adding, "Don't lock Li Chen in the basement again, I have turned a blind eye to the abuse he has been subjected to, but his freedom is important. You have a lot to lose, remember that your mother had anticipated everything before her death and her will might shock you again" Shang Xiang walked out the door leaving Master Gu fuming in anger.
"Zhou Rhui!" Master Gu shouted, calling his assistant.
Zhou Rui rushed in with sweat on his forehead. He didn't know what had happened but that shout from his boss had scared him.
"Yes Sir"
"Cancel all my meetings for the rest of the day. I am leaving"
"Yes sir"
Master Gu took his coat and walked out the office in rushed footsteps.
As Master Gu rode home in the confines of his luxurious car, his anger radiated like an oppressive aura, palpable even to the hapless driver at the wheel. The sound of his grinding teeth echoed through the vehicle, an ominous symphony of frustration and fury that filled the air.
The driver, acutely aware of the tempest brewing within his employer, found himself caught in a tense dilemma. Every breath he took seemed to hang in the air, and the fear of inadvertently provoking his boss further weighed heavily on his mind. It was a precarious situation, one where silence was perhaps the safest refuge.
Master Gu's incredulity was a relentless companion on the journey home. He simply could not fathom how his own family had defied his explicit instructions. He had made it clear that locking Li Chen in the basement was not to be, and yet it appeared that his words had fallen on deaf ears.
The car, once a symbol of prestige and power, now carried a heavy burden—a master seething with rage and frustration, and a driver navigating the tumultuous currents of his employer's discontent. In the midst of this tension, the journey home became a somber reflection of the fractured dynamics within the Gu family.
Master Gu's desire to reach home swiftly was driven by an urgent need to unravel the mysteries that had unfolded within his family. The questions that weighed on his mind were as pressing as they were perplexing.
First and foremost, he needed to understand why Gu Liang had chosen to go on a date with another man, especially with her impending divorce just two months away. The implications of her actions were both confounding and infuriating to him, and he sought answers that could shed light on her motivations.
Furthermore, he was determined to uncover who had issued the order to lock Li Chen in the basement—an act that had not only defied his explicit instructions but also escalated the tensions within the household. This question carried significant implications, and he was resolute in his pursuit of the truth.
As the car sped through the city streets, Master Gu's thoughts churned with a fervor that matched the urgency of his journey.