"You dare!" A dangerous glint flashed in Gu Xingdong's eyes.
Yang Zhiguo seemed taken aback by Gu Xingdong's abrupt tone. He turned around, preparing to lecture the younger man, when a document flew past him and slammed heavily against the window.
"What is this?" Yang Zhiguo squinted at the papers on the floor.
Gu Xingdong's voice was cold as he spoke, "These are the confessions of those five thugs. Did you really think that just because the culprit was caught and Li Shu was safe, I would let this matter drop?
Zhang Wan'er is very smart, but also very foolish. Her intelligence lies in her assumption that she understood me well enough that even after doing something wrong, she didn't rush to cover it up! Her foolishness lies in orchestrating this entire event by herself, without hiring anyone to help! That's why it was incredibly simple for me to find the evidence!"
Yang Zhiguo's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. He then bent down to pick up the documents. After glancing at the confessions and evidence within, his vision momentarily darkened, and his feet faltered, causing him to stumble backward uncontrollably.
"This... this was really orchestrated by Zhang Wan'er?" Yang Zhiguo felt an overwhelming urge to slap himself, utterly ashamed.
A cold smile flickered across Gu Xingdong's face. "What, you don't believe I'm telling the truth? The evidence is right here. If you still don't trust it, you can send someone to investigate further. With your status and position, investigating this matter should be a simple task, shouldn't it?"
Yang Zhiguo knew Gu Xingdong, having brought him up himself. He understood the man's character better than anyone. Lying was out of the question. This meant the evidence in the documents was all true. They, his family, had wronged Chen Li Shu and were now falsely accusing her.
With a heavy heart, Yang Zhiguo took a cigarette from his pocket, his hands trembling as he lit it. After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "I spoke too presumptuously just now. I apologize to you. My brother died in the line of duty, and Zhang Wan'er is his only child. Both the Yang and Zhang families spoiled her excessively. Perhaps by indulging her so much, she's become impulsive in her actions. Please overlook this matter, given that no great harm was done, and don't hold such a grudge against a young girl. Rest assured, I will discipline her more strictly going forward and ensure she never again disrupts your married life!"
Gu Xingdong's eyes lost their cold edge. He spoke with a blank expression, "I had no intention of dealing with her, otherwise this evidence would not have fallen into your hands. Considering our past relationship, this matter ends here. But if Zhang Wan'er insists on courting disaster and deliberately tries to bully my wife again, I will show no mercy!"
Yang Zhiguo readily agreed, "Alright, this matter is concluded."
After a brief silence, Yang Zhiguo extinguished his cigarette and walked over to the sofa, sitting down. "I didn't just call you here to hold you accountable; there's also something I need your help with. The Feiliayan Garment Group is sending people from Country M to our capital to participate in a competition. The purpose of this competition is to provide an opportunity for domestic designers to learn. The date has already been set, but Country M has been experiencing some social unrest recently. Feiliayan is a royal design delegation, and they are vulnerable to harm on the road to the capital. As representatives of a royal delegation, they embody the honor of the royalty. If anything were to happen to them, the leaders of Country M might blame us, which would not be conducive to friendly relations between the two countries. The higher-ups want us to assign personnel to protect the safety of these designers. They can encounter trouble anywhere, but not on our territory! I had initially planned to dispatch my own men, but as you know, they are all occupied with their own tasks. Since you are in the capital and close by, it's convenient. Therefore, I intend to assign this task to you."
As someone working for the state, Gu Xingdong understood that he had to serve the state. Thus, when Yang Zhiguo made this request, he readily agreed.
When their conversation was nearing its end, Yang Zhiguo offered to have Gu Xingdong stay for dinner. However, Gu Xingdong, thinking that Chen Li Shu might be frightened after today's incident, declined the invitation and decided to head home to attend to her.
Watching Gu Xingdong's retreating figure, Yang Zhiguo sighed deeply. He then turned and entered another room, the one where Zhang Wan'er was staying.
---
Upon seeing Yang Zhiguo, Zhang Wan'er craned her neck, constantly looking behind him. Not seeing the person she was expecting, she asked curiously, "Uncle, you're here? Where is Gu Xingdong? He saved me today, otherwise I might have died at the hands of those thugs. I wanted to invite him to dinner as a thank you."
Looking at Zhang Wan'er's innocent and naive demeanor, Yang Zhiguo could not fathom that she had orchestrated this whole affair. He had intended to admonish her, but remembering that she was the only child his brother had left behind, he couldn't bring himself to do it. After a moment of deliberation, Yang Zhiguo sat beside Zhang Wan'er and asked gently, "Wan'er, tell Uncle honestly, do you have feelings for Gu Xingdong?"
Upon hearing Yang Zhiguo's question, Zhang Wan'er's smile faltered for a split second. Unsure of his stance on the matter, she cautiously probed, "Uncle, why do you ask?"
Yang Zhiguo stated his opinion with a serious expression, "I think Gu Xingdong is a good young man, and you two would make a fine couple. In the past, I would have unconditionally supported you two being together. But things are different now. Gu Xingdong has a wife and children. You can like whomever you please, but you absolutely cannot like him. If you are truly lacking a man, I can speak to your mother and have her arrange a blind date for you!"
"Uncle!" Zhang Wan'er disdained other men. The person she liked had always been Gu Xingdong. However, she understood that Yang Zhiguo was the only one in the family who reasoned with her. If she revealed her feelings, she might be forcibly taken away from the capital. To ensure she could stay by Gu Xingdong's side, Zhang Wan'er lowered her head, feigning understanding and maturity. "I understand there's no possibility for us, so I don't like Gu Xingdong anymore."