When Su Yuxi saw Gu Qianying, her eyes were red. No one knew what had truly happened in the palace at that moment.
Nor did anyone know that it was Gu Qianying who had given her hope when she was in despair.
"Miss Gu... is that you?"
Su Yuxi walked towards Gu Qianying, wanting to embrace her, but upon seeing Su Cheng's cold eyes, she stopped.
She stood before Gu Qianying, looking at her.
"Miss Su, it's been a long time."
Gu Qianying smiled.
Once the news of Su Yuxi's "resurrection" reached the palace and was known to the Empress and Grand Tutor, the Su family would be in danger.
She glanced at the delicacies on the table, then shifted her gaze to the Su couple.
It seemed that today was not just a celebration banquet, but more importantly, a decision for the entire Su family.
The Su couple were amazed by Gu Qianying's appearance the moment they saw her.
The family sat around the table. Gu Qianying sat beside Su Cheng, Ouyang Qinglin sat beside Gu Qianying, and Meng Qinghua sat next to Su Yuxi.
The Su family patriarch raised his wine cup and looked at Gu Qianying, "My daughter is fortunate to be alive and return, all thanks to Miss Gu's life-saving grace. I, an old man, toast you."
With that, the Su family patriarch finished his drink.
Gu Qianying, seeing this, also drank a cup. "Uncle Su, you are too kind. Eldest Miss Su is intelligent and brave, and her medical skills are exceptional. She should not be buried in obscurity. Moreover, it seems she has found someone she likes. Meeting someone you like and who likes you is the most difficult thing. I hope Uncle Su will grant your blessings."
Gu Qianying's words carried deeper meaning, and she felt that Uncle Su would understand.
Uncle Su glanced at Su Yuxi, then at the person sitting next to her, Meng Qinghua.
At this moment, he understood the deeper meaning of Gu Qianying's words.
Meanwhile, Su Yuxi lowered her head shyly when her father looked at her.
Some things had already been said for her by Gu Qianying.
At the same time, she felt that Gu Qianying understood her best.
"Eat more."
Meng Qinghua generously placed a piece of food onto Su Yuxi's plate.
Su Yuxi's cheeks flushed even more.
As he put down his chopsticks, Meng Qinghua looked at Gu Qianying.
He had not seen his close friend, his life-and-death friend, Gu Qianying, for many days and had worried about her.
The moment he saw her, his worries vanished, but he still had many things to say to Gu Qianying.
However, at this moment, in front of so many people, some things could not be said.
The two exchanged a smile.
Many words were hidden within this smile.
"Heh... so that's how it is." The Su patriarch, aged and weathered by life's storms, looked at Gu Qianying and Meng Qinghua, then at the person in red beside Gu Qianying, and at Su Cheng and others seated next to Gu Qianying. He had seen through it all.
"It seems my Yuxi has made some very capable friends."
The Su patriarch suddenly stood up and slammed the table.
"You have such audacity to plot against my household! Guards, seize all these people!"
The Su patriarch gave the order.
Several house servants rushed in from outside.
Su Yuxi was bewildered and stood up stunned, "Father, what are you doing?"
As Su Yuxi stood up, Su Cheng also stood.
He raised his cold eyes to look at the Su patriarch, simultaneously protecting Gu Qianying.
His gaze was unfamiliar, his killing intent as cold as ice.
At this moment, Su Cheng was worlds apart from the Su Cheng who had been bullied at home.
The Su patriarch looked at Su Cheng and pointed at him, "What is your purpose? You are all in this together, aren't you?"
Su Cheng remained silent.
He knew very well that ever since he had infiltrated the Su family, the Su family had believed his identity implicitly.
And among the Su family members, only the Su patriarch had always harbored doubts about him.
Ten years ago, he had made a mistake. The real Su Cheng was allergic to peanuts.
And he had eaten peanuts ten years ago.
At that time, the only person who saw him eat peanuts was the Su patriarch.
From that moment on, the Su patriarch began to suspect him.
However, in the years he had been lurking in the Su family, he had not harmed any member of the Su family.
Nor had he stolen anything from the mansion.
Perhaps wanting to find out where the real Su Cheng was, or wanting to understand his true purpose in hiding in the Su family.
Therefore, for many years, the Su patriarch had kept him under surveillance and would also test him from time to time.
Logically, the real Su Cheng was the Su patriarch's son. His disappearance should have been taken seriously by the Su patriarch.
However, in this dynasty, women were favored over men, and even family businesses were passed down to daughters, not sons.
Because of this, the Su patriarch would not expend much effort to find his son if he disappeared.
Over the years, several sons had died in the mansion, leaving only Su Cheng, Su Ming, and Su Jie alive.
The Su patriarch did not care about the life or death of his sons.
And now, he had realized that Gu Qianying and the others were not simple people, and naturally assumed they were working with the fake Su Cheng.
Seeing the Su patriarch's attitude suddenly change.
Gu Qianying, Meng Qinghua, and Ouyang Qinglin also stood up.
"Uncle Su, please don't be agitated. We are not bad people."
Gu Qianying's voice was calm. She looked at the more than a dozen house servants who had rushed in, but did not retaliate.
In her opinion, since Meng Qinghua and Su Yuxi, two lovers, had finally found happiness, and the Su patriarch himself had no hostility towards them.
Then, she would not consider the Su patriarch an enemy.
On the contrary, she felt she should awaken the Su family.
For her close friend, Meng Qinghua, and for Murong Feng (Su Cheng).
"Not bad people? Heh!"
The Su patriarch sneered. "You first bewitched my daughter, then used the medical competition to cause my daughter to break ties with the Grand Tutor and incur the Empress's resentment towards our Su family. Afterward, you brought your close friends to bewitch my daughter's heart, and at the same time collaborated with this person, Su Cheng. What is your ultimate goal?"
Having said this, the Su patriarch looked at Su Cheng. "In fact, you are not Su Cheng. I realized this ten years ago. My son Su Cheng is allergic to peanuts, but you like to eat peanuts. It's just that years ago, after I discovered it, you stopped eating peanuts."
"I don't know who you are, nor do I know your purpose in hiding in our Su family. But for so many years, I have not harmed a single hair on your head. Su Cheng, I also know that you have never harmed any member of our Su family during these years."
"On the contrary, you have often been harmed by people in the mansion. But no matter what, Su Cheng, the Su family is also half your home. What is your purpose in suddenly appearing with these strangers today?"
"What? Not Su Cheng? Then who is he?"
Su Yuxi and the Su matriarch were both shocked.
Especially Su Yuxi, she turned back and looked at Su Cheng blankly.
Su Cheng is not the real Su Cheng, then who is he?
What is his purpose in coming to their home?
Also, where did the real Su Cheng, her brother, go?
This was truly strange, and there were many things she wanted to understand.
Just as the Su family was misunderstanding Su Cheng, and Su Cheng remained silent, Gu Qianying spoke.
"Uncle Su, we only met him a few days ago, and we are not on the same path as him."
"However... Uncle Su, do you still remember Su Xuanlin?"
Amidst everyone's confusion, Gu Qianying mentioned a name.
The words "Su Xuanlin" exploded like a time bomb in front of the Su family.
"You... who did you say?"
The Su patriarch was somewhat agitated, as if he had misheard.
The Su matriarch also stood up. "You said... Xuanlin... is it Xuanlin?"
Su Yuxi was also very excited and shocked.
She turned around, separating herself from Su Cheng, and suddenly grabbed Gu Qianying's wrist.
Looking at her nervously, she asked, "Qianying, have you... have you seen my elder brother Su Xuanlin? Where is he? Is he still alive?"
Seeing how much the Su family cared about the name Su Xuanlin.
Gu Qianying was somewhat surprised.
She had thought Su Xuanlin was an unfavored son in the Su family.
It seemed things were not so.
"He... he is dead."
Seeing how much the Su family cared about Su Xuanlin, there were some things she did not want to say.
But the fact remained, she did not want to lie, and at the same time, she wanted to understand from the Su family what role Su Xuanlin had played.
"Dead?"
"He is dead?"
The Su patriarch trembled and took a few steps back, his body swaying precariously.
He could not accept the fact that Su Xuanlin was dead.
"My son, my son."
The Su matriarch, tears streaming down her face, clutched the table and wept.
She could not imagine that the son she had been searching for for many years was dead!
She also could not accept it.
At this moment, Su Yuxi's eyes were also red.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she covered her mouth, letting out silent sobs.
Meng Qinghua, seeing her like this, could not bear it and pulled her into his arms.
"Alright, stop crying. The dead cannot be brought back to life. Please accept my condolences."
At the same time, he looked up at Gu Qianying. "Qianying, do you know something?"
Gu Qianying nodded at Meng Qinghua.
She did indeed know some things about the Su family.
Just as she was about to continue speaking, the Su patriarch suddenly walked up to a house servant and snatched the knife from his hand.
Turning around, he faced Su Cheng (Murong Feng) and pressed the tip of the knife against him. "It's you... it's you, isn't it... you did all this, you killed my most beloved son, Xuanlin, and you killed my youngest son, Su Cheng!"
This was the first time the Su patriarch had mentioned the real Su Cheng.
For him, among all his sons in the mansion, Su Xuanlin was the one he valued most.
He was the son he intended to groom and the one to whom he wanted to pass on his medical skills, disregarding the dynasty's rules.
"It wasn't me! I didn't kill Su Xuanlin. His death was caused by you. It was you who promised the Grand Tutor to let him take Su Xuanlin and other members of the Su family into the palace. It was you who agreed to those ridiculous conditions of the Grand Tutor. You abandoned your son's life!"