The tension in the room escalated as Gu Liang, fueled by anger, abruptly stood up and unleashed her pent-up frustration.
"Don't push it, Li Chen! You were nothing when my grandmother found you and gave you a home, and you're still nothing!"
Li Chen's fists clenched involuntarily, his own anger matching hers. Master Gu, disapproving of Gu Liang's outburst, intervened sternly.
"Sit down, Liang. I am talking to Li Chen."
Gu Liang, her face flushed with indignation, refused to yield.
"But, Dad, he can't say that he doesn't owe us anything! What about the years I've spent married to him, my youth gone just like that?"
Master Gu's patience wore thin, and he slammed his hand on the table, the loud noise echoing through the room.
"Liang, shut up!"
Gu Hua, sensing the volatile atmosphere and the potential for further conflict, took hold of Gu Liang's hand and tried to calm his agitated sister.
"Sit down, sister. Let Dad handle this."
Gu Liang reluctantly sat back down, her anger still smoldering beneath the surface. The room fell into an uneasy silence, with the weight of unresolved issues and unspoken frustrations hanging in the air.
Li Chen, not one to back down, broke the tense silence in the room with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"The money must be quite substantial for you to convene a meeting like this. So, how much are we talking about?"
Madame Gu appeared ready to interject, but Master Gu silenced her with a stern look. He then turned his full attention to Li Chen, his words carrying a firm resolve.
"The amount is 94 million yuan. I believe it's a fair compensation for my daughter, considering the time she has spent with you."
Li Chen couldn't help but smirk at the staggering figure presented to him.
"94 million yuan? What exactly did I take from your daughter that makes you think I owe her that kind of money?"
The room remained filled with tension as Li Chen challenged the demand, waiting for Master Gu's response.
As the room remained in a heavy silence, Li Chen engaged in an inner conversation with the God of War. His thoughts and those of the ancient soul intertwined as they contemplated the staggering sum of 94 million yuan.
"If we take that 94 million, you could be set for life."
"In this era, 94 million isn't an astronomical amount."
"But it would provide you with the capital you need for that endeavor you've been considering."
"You mean stock market trading?"
"Yes, that's the one. And remember, you've never been intimate with a woman. You don't owe them anything."
"You're right about that. So, shall we take the money and make our exit from this house?"
"Great minds think alike."
With their decision reached, Li Chen prepared to voice his thoughts to the Gu family, ready to respond to Master Gu's demand.
The tension in the room escalated as Li Chen stood his ground, refusing the Gu family's demand to give Gu Liang a vast sum of money. Gu Hua and Madame Gu were quick to jump in, berating Li Chen and attempting to belittle him with reminders of his past struggles.
"Don't push it, Li Chen."
"What do you know about money, anyway? You were eating from trash cans when Mother-in-law found you. Don't you dare push it!"
Master Gu remained silent, allowing his family members to vent their frustrations. But Li Chen was resolute.
"Is that all you wanted to say? Because if that's it, my answer is no. I won't give your daughter what Old Madame Gu wholeheartedly gave me."
The mere mention of Old Madame Gu sent Master Gu into a fit of rage.
"We don't even know what you did to Mother for her to love you this much, and the money she left you is rightfully mine."
Li Chen chuckled, unfazed by the family's anger.
"But she still left it to me."
The room crackled with tension, and the battle over Old Madame Gu's legacy had only just begun.
Master Gu's anger flared as Li Chen remained steadfast in his refusal to comply with their demands. Li Chen, however, showed no signs of backing down.
"Are you sure you want to challenge me, young man?"
Li Chen remained unyielding and replied confidently.
"Do what you want, but my answer is still the same."
With those words, Li Chen stood up and left the study, leaving the seething Gu family behind.
Madame Gu was quick to voice her frustration.
"I told you, Hubby, that this plan won't work."
Gu Liang, still seething with anger, chimed in.
"Dad, I hate him. I don't want to see him. I don't even want him to continue living here. Can't we just kick him out back to the streets?"
Master Gu sighed deeply, trying to calm his anger.
"Unfortunately, we can't kick him out for now. We have to be patient. Two months is not too far away. And don't forget that it was your stupid decision that made you lose 44 million yuan."
Gu Liang fell silent, realizing her own role in the current predicament. She chose to keep quiet, her heart heavy with the weight of her actions.
Madame Gu, still focused on her ambitions, turned to her husband.
"Hubby, can you imagine how our family would be if Liang married into the Sun family?"
Master Gu acknowledged the potential benefits but remained cautious.
"I know what we stand to gain, but Liang is still married. Right now, we are walking on eggshells. We don't know what more we could lose if she is spotted with another man again."
The Gu family found themselves trapped in a delicate situation, with their ambitions at odds with the reality of their circumstances.
After a brief moment of silence, Gu Hua, the elder son of the Gu family, spoke up with a devious idea to ensure Li Chen wouldn't receive the money from Old Madame Gu's will.
"Dad, I have an idea on how we can make Li Chen lose the money. I'd rather see it donated to poor villages than Li Chen getting his hands on it."
Gu Liang chimed in, supporting her brother's idea.
"Brother, you're absolutely right. Li Chen doesn't deserve a single cent. He should leave this marriage with only 6 million yuan."
Master Gu, intrigued by his son's suggestion, turned to Gu Hua and inquired about the plan.
"What's your plan?"
Gu Hua leaned in closer, speaking softly enough to avoid being overheard by Madame Gu and Gu Liang but clearly enough for them to hear.
Madame Gu, upon hearing the idea, burst into laughter, showing her approval.
"That's the best idea! We should go with that."
Master Gu contemplated the plan and finally gave his consent.
"Do it. But make sure there's no evidence left behind. Uncle Shang Xiang is smarter than we give him credit for."
With the family's agreement secured, Gu Hua had a cunning plan in motion to ensure that Li Chen wouldn't receive a single cent of Old Madame Gu's fortune.
The Gu family continued their discussion in the study, and their determination to execute the plan was unwavering. Master Gu and Madame Gu, driven by their own greed, made quite the formidable duo. This insatiable desire for wealth seemed to be a trait inherited by both their children.
Gu Hua had long resented how his friends ridiculed the man his sister had married, and he couldn't bear the thought of Li Chen benefiting from what he believed should rightfully belong to their family. Meanwhile, Master Gu harbored deep resentment over his own mother's decision to allocate a portion of her fortune to Li Chen, a decision that had seemingly deprived him of his expected inheritance.
As they continued plotting, their shared greed and determination would lead them down a path that could potentially change the fate of both Li Chen and the Gu family.
A cunning plot against Li Chen was set into motion, and the entire Gu family saw it as a perfect idea. Master Gu had engaged in numerous disputes with his mother over the matter of Li Chen, but he found himself powerless to alter her decision. Old Madame Gu was an indubitably stubborn woman, steadfast in her belief that Li Chen was the perfect husband for Gu Liang, destined for a great future. Time passed, and years went by, yet Li Chen remained the same, seemingly a good-for-nothing in their eyes. To the Gu family, he appeared as a scheming opportunist, seeking to lay claim to Old Madame Gu's wealth. With the will now in effect, the Gu family harbored suspicions that Li Chen had successfully deceived Old Madame Gu, solidifying their resolve to take action against him.
Li Chen sat in his modest room, a smile playing at the corners of his lips as he contemplated the fact that he wouldn't be homeless after the impending divorce. He felt a deep sense of gratitude for the love he had received from Old Madame Gu. He had never imagined that he would be included in the old woman's will, and he cherished the memory of her kindness.
However, unbeknownst to him, a sinister plot was quietly brewing, poised to unfold and turn his life upside down.