’He Ze is dead... but what about Xiao Yu?’

The question suddenly struck Gu Yuwei. At that moment, she couldn’t even spare a thought for her grief. She shot to her feet.

She had to find her daughter. With He Ze gone, Xiao Yu was most likely being raised by Mr. and Mrs. He.

Gu Yuwei remembered how the He family had never liked her. Now, her daughter didn’t even have a father. Would they possibly treat her well? At the thought, Gu Yuwei’s heart pounded even harder with panic.

She rushed out of the bathroom.

She had to make a trip back to Da Liushu Village to get her daughter. She hastily changed her clothes, rushed out the door, and headed for the train station to buy a ticket.

When she returned from the train station, Kang Youde slapped her across the face the moment she walked in. The blow stunned Gu Yuwei. She clutched her cheek, asking in disbelief, "Why did you hit me? What did I do wrong?"

Kang Youde sneered. "What did you do wrong? Just look at the mess you’ve made of this place. Do you think this is a yacht?"

Gu Yuwei glanced inside and saw the floor was covered in water, with her clothes and shoes soaking in it.

Her eyes widened instantly. "My lambskin shoes." She scrambled over and snatched them off the floor. With a SPLASH, the movement sent water flying, soaking her clothes.

Gu Yuwei glanced toward the bathroom and finally remembered that she must have forgotten to turn off the faucet before she left.

Kang Youde watched her with cold eyes. "Remember your place. I’ll be deducting the cost of repairs from your allowance."

Gu Yuwei said nothing. She didn’t dare defy Kang Youde, but thinking of the train ticket in her bag, she braced herself and said, "I need to go out of town tomorrow. I’ll probably be back in three or four days."

Hearing this, Kang Youde laughed with exasperation. "Let me ask you something, Miss Rose. Have you forgotten your place? I am your master. Did I say you could leave?"

Gu Yuwei clenched her fists, trying her best to suppress her emotions. "I know my place. I’m just your mistress. But I have my own life. I haven’t sold myself to you."

With his hands in his pockets, Kang Youde walked right up to Gu Yuwei. He stared at her with a sinister gaze that made her instinctively take a step back in fear.

"Is there a difference?"

"Do you dare disobey me?"

"I can keep you, and I can kill you. Do you believe that?"

Gu Yuwei’s face went pale. She had lost the ability to argue back. She had seen for herself how ruthless Kang Youde could be. Back in Hong Kong, he had ordered a man’s death with just a word. Gu Yuwei had been present, so terrified that her legs had gone weak and she couldn’t even stand. She suspected he had done it deliberately to intimidate her, to put on a show just for her.

Seeing her reaction, Kang Youde seemed satisfied that he had achieved his goal. He patted Gu Yuwei’s cheek.

He said in a low voice, "Know your place. I won’t treat you poorly. Just stay here quietly and don’t cause me any trouble. Understand?"

Gu Yuwei’s eyes flickered, and she gave a stiff nod.

Only after Kang Youde slammed the door on his way out did Gu Yuwei’s legs give out, sending her collapsing to the floor. Her clothes were soaked, and she looked utterly pathetic.

She took the train ticket out of her bag. As she stared at it, her eyes grew red. It seemed bringing Xiao Yu here now was impossible.

Slowly, Gu Yuwei began to tear the train ticket. Her movements grew faster and faster, becoming frantic. Pieces littered the floor. She slammed her hands on the wet ground, splashing water all over her face.

"AHHH—"

After the scream, she clutched her head and broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

After a long time, there was a knock on the door. Gu Yuwei wiped her face with her sleeve, got up, and opened it. Several people were standing outside.

"Sir sent us to clean up. Please rest in the room next door."

Gu Yuwei stepped aside to let them in.

Aside from her slightly red eyes, Gu Yuwei’s face showed no trace of her earlier hysteria.

She walked to the window and looked down. Seeing that Kang Youde’s car was gone, she let out a sigh of relief. She made a silent vow to herself. ’I have to endure this. When I’ve saved enough money, I’ll get Xiao Yu, and we’ll go live somewhere no one knows us.’

For once, Little Chen’s mind wasn’t on his work today. He went to He Lang’s office.

He Lang only needed one look to see that something was weighing on him. He stood up.

"What’s wrong?"

Little Chen stood at the door, finding it hard to speak.

He Lang walked over and closed the door from the inside. "Sit down. Take your time."

Little Chen hesitated. "Third Uncle, I saw Gu Zhiqing just now."

He Lang paused. "What did you two talk about?"

Little Chen looked at He Lang. "Third Uncle, you knew she was in Beijing City?"

He Lang nodded. "Your Third Aunt saw her once before."

"Third Uncle, I told her everything."

He Lang was silent for a few seconds, then looked at him. "I see. Then what are you so upset about?"

Little Chen himself didn’t know why he felt so uneasy.

"Third Uncle, do you think... if Gu Zhiqing had gone to university back then, if she hadn’t run away, would He Ze still be alive?"

He Lang looked steadily at Little Chen and asked tentatively, "Was it you who reported them?"

Little Chen nodded. Perhaps because in his heart, his Third Uncle was more like a father to him, he let down all his defenses.

He confessed to He Lang what he had done.

"Third Uncle, do you think I did the wrong thing?"

He Lang didn’t say whether it was right or wrong. He simply told him, "We’re not you, so we can’t possibly understand the pain you feel. But what’s done is done; there’s no right or wrong about it anymore. Even if you hadn’t reported them back then, they might not have lasted. I knew He Ze. He was narrow-minded, the type to hold onto every little thing until it festered and grew. He was an unqualified husband and an unqualified father. So you can’t blame anyone for what happened."

He Lang patted Little Chen on the back. "Alright, be a man. Don’t get hung up on this. Look forward. You’re already doing a great job."

Little Chen looked at He Lang, who gave him an encouraging nod. The corner of Little Chen’s mouth curved into a slight smile.

"Third Uncle, I understand."

He Lang smiled, put an arm around Little Chen’s shoulders, and gave him a little shake. He leaned in and whispered, "Keep up the good work. I have a friend in real estate, and he’s already started construction. I’ve invested a bit of money, too. When the first batch of apartments is built, I’ll save one for you."

Little Chen’s eyes widened slightly as he turned to look at He Lang.

He Lang nodded. "It’s true."

In an instant, Little Chen forgot all about his earlier troubles. He started calculating how much money he had. ’No, I can’t take any days off.’ He immediately turned around and went back to work.

The next day, He Nan and his family also arrived in Beijing City. They first went to Beijing University to find He Ziqing.

Unexpectedly, the first person to run out to greet them was Qi Mingyang.

"Uncle, you’re here! Why didn’t you let me know? I would have gone to the train station to pick you up."

He Nan waved his hand. "No need to go to all that trouble. The bus is very convenient."