Chapter 81

You Changhong didn’t know what Ye Muyan was doing behind his back. When he found out that his idol was going to shoot a movie, he was genuinely happy for Huo Ran and even brought it up during a chat with Ye Muyan. Ye Muyan carefully listened to the emotion in his voice and, once he confirmed that Changhong was purely happy without any signs of reluctance, he finally felt reassured.

Filming would take Huo Ran several months. Not seeing each other for so long would naturally cause some distance between Changhong and Huo Ran—exactly what Ye Muyan was aiming for.

While Ye Muyan was cautiously pursuing You Changhong, something significant occurred for the Shen family.

The trial for the case of Gu Xiujin and Luo Jiangyue abducting a baby officially opened.

The four members of the Shen family, along with You Changqing, all appeared in court. Gu Tingyu was the plaintiff, sitting in the plaintiff’s seat, while Shen Lihuan and the others sat in the public gallery.

On the defendant’s bench, Gu Xiujin and Luo Jiangyue, both in handcuffs, looked as if they had aged over ten years since their last appearance.

Gu Xiujin was already over sixty, but he had taken good care of himself and previously looked no older than fifty. Despite being a scumbag, it had to be admitted that he had a refined aura—outsiders would have assumed he was a cultured scholar, not someone who had been navigating the business world for years.

But now, his hair was gray, wrinkles marked his face, and the once-impeccable clothes he wore were now crumpled and tired-looking. He looked completely worn out.

Luo Jiangyue was seven years younger than Gu Xiujin, yet now looked just as old. One could imagine how miserable their lives had been during their time in custody.

The moment she saw Gu Tingyu standing across from her, Luo Jiangyue’s murky eyes flickered. “You ungrateful bastard! I should’ve strangled you the moment you were born!”

She always knew this illegitimate brat was useless. No matter how many years she raised him, the moment he saw that bitch Gu Qinglan, he’d latch onto her, calling her “sister” over and over as if afraid others didn’t know where his loyalties lay.

And what about her Qingrong? So young, yet already dead. How could heaven be so unfair? Why wasn’t it Gu Qinglan and Gu Tingyu who died instead?!

The bailiff immediately gave her a stern warning not to violate courtroom rules.

Gu Tingyu looked at her coldly. “You don’t deserve to call me ‘ungrateful son.’ I’m not your son, and you’re not worthy of being a mother.”

Why did Luo Jiangyue want to swap her own child with someone else’s? Wasn’t it because her child was weak and sickly, always on the verge of death? Since her own child couldn’t bring her any benefit, she just gave him away and replaced him with someone else’s. Had she never been haunted by nightmares all these years?

Gu Xiujin sat beside her with a defeated look, not sparing Gu Qinglan even a glance. The pain that flashed briefly in his eyes as he looked at Gu Tingyu disappeared quickly, and he lowered his gaze. Tingyu was his biological son—how could he not love him? The child swap was a desperate act. In his mind, whether Tingyu was Jiangyue’s child or Yuanning’s, he was still his son, and his love for him wouldn’t change.

He just hadn’t expected Tingyu to discover the truth and drag both him and Jiangyue to court. But he had no regrets. The moment he laid eyes on Jiangyue, he knew that no one else could exist in his world. For her, he was willing to do anything—even if it meant being branded a cheater and a cruel father.

Luo Jiangyue glared fiercely at Gu Tingyu before her gaze swept toward Gu Qinglan and the others. When she saw Shen Lihuan’s cold, expressionless face, she became so agitated she suddenly stood up.

“You devil! Even if I become a ghost, I won’t let you off! I curse you to die a terrible death, to descend to the eighteenth level of hell, have your chest ripped open and your heart and lungs torn out, and be thrown into a boiling oil pot!”

Gu Qinglan was sitting next to Shen Lihuan, and everyone assumed Luo Jiangyue was yelling at her. Only the Shen family knew that Luo Jiangyue’s curse was directed at Shen Lihuan.

Gu Qinglan and the others immediately burst into anger. “Shut your filthy mouth! Did you eat shit before you came here? Your words stink.”

Her outburst made the judge narrow his eyes. The bailiffs quickly intervened again, stopping her violent behavior and issuing a stern warning: if she continued, they would take forceful action.

Luo Jiangyue laughed mockingly at the bailiffs. Gu Xiujin took her hand and signaled her to stop. She looked at him for a moment and finally quieted down—but her gaze remained fixed on Shen Lihuan, as if trying to intimidate her with her eyes.

You Changqing glared fiercely at her. Shen Lihuan patted You Changqing’s hand and smiled lightly at Luo Jiangyue, completely unfazed. Luo Jiangyue’s face twisted with rage.

If you asked her who she hated the most, it would be Shen Lihuan without a doubt. Shen Lihuan had caused the death of her precious daughter Qingrong, yet now lived a better life than anyone. How could she swallow that bitter pill?

The judge gave her a cold glance, knocked the gavel, and signaled for everyone to quiet down as he formally opened the trial.

Both the prosecution and defense made their statements and presented evidence—including the audio recording. Liang Fangqi also appeared in court and testified that she was the person in the recording, then detailed everything she had known from that time to the judge.

The courtroom was packed, and when the audience heard Liang Fangqi’s account, they stared at Gu Xiujin like he was an idiot. Swapping his legitimate wife’s child with his mistress’s—was he insane?

Back then, Pei Yuanning had been a goddess in many people’s eyes. But Gu Xiujin had scorned her. If only the Pei family hadn’t declined, they might’ve stopped the Gu family.

Even the Gu family’s collateral members thought Gu Xiujin was unbelievably foolish. He didn’t like such a beautiful legitimate wife but instead became obsessed with a mistress. He drove his wife to death, forced his daughter to sever their relationship, and swapped his wife’s son for the mistress’s—what kind of person does that?!

Now, as for Gu Qinglan and Gu Tingyu—the siblings who had suffered so much—the gallery turned their eyes toward them. One had married into the Shen family, the other had started his own company. Looked like the Gu family… was finished.

The evidence was conclusive, with both witness and material proof. Gu Xiujin and Luo Jiangyue had no way to defend themselves. As they were escorted out, Luo Jiangyue shouted viciously at Shen Lihuan:

“Shen Lihuan, you’ll die a miserable death! Even if I become a ghost, I won’t let you off!”

The spectators only now realized that the person Luo Jiangyue had been cursing earlier was actually Shen Lihuan. But what kind of grudge could there be between Shen Lihuan and Luo Jiangyue to make her hate her so much?

Someone secretly glanced at Shen Lihuan, trying to see her reaction. She was smiling faintly and speaking softly to You Changqing, completely unaffected by Luo Jiangyue. They couldn’t help but sigh—this eldest daughter of the Shen family was a tough one.

The younger generation was truly impressive.

Outside the courthouse, a crowd of reporters had gathered, hoping to interview Shen Jiashu and his family. Bodyguards surrounded them as they got into the car, protecting them. The reporters didn’t dare to shove microphones in their faces and could only watch helplessly as the Shen family convoy drove away.

But if they couldn’t get an interview with the Shen family, there were still plenty of other attendees. So the reporters turned their attention to interviewing those in the gallery. Since they figured the Shen family must despise Gu Xiuji and his wife, no one minded adding fuel to the fire. Soon, reports appeared online confirming that Gu Tingyu and Gu Qinglan did, in fact, share the same mother—and that he had been swapped at birth.

Employees at Gu Tingyu’s company had been following the case closely. Upon learning how tragic their boss’s past was, they began to feel sorry for him. Even though he still had a stern expression, they were no longer as afraid of him. In fact, they thought maybe the sternness was just a way to hide his inner pain.

When Gu Tingyu accidentally overheard their conversation, he was silent for a long time before turning and walking away.

A domineering CEO… pitied by his junior staff? Did they forget who was paying their salaries?

A few days later, the verdict was announced: Gu Xiuji and Luo Jiangyue were found guilty of child abduction and adultery during marriage. Convicted on both charges, Gu Xiuji was sentenced to 21 years, and Luo Jiangyue to 19 years.

He was in his sixties, she in her fifties—chances were neither of them would ever leave prison again.

On the day the results were announced, Gu Qinglan and Gu Tingyu visited Pei Yuanning’s grave. Eyes red, Gu Tingyu knelt and kowtowed to the mother he had never met. Though he had experienced a life of broken family ties in his early years, he was grateful to now have a sister and brother-in-law and had even reconnected with his birth mother. His life had been worth it.

Gu Qinglan laid down her mother’s favorite roses and quietly updated her on recent events, assuring her, “I’ll take good care of my little brother. I wasn’t able to be there for him these past thirty years. I’m lucky Tingyu doesn’t blame me. Otherwise, I could never forgive myself.”

Gu Tingyu quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Sis, I’ve never blamed you. I only hated myself for being too timid to approach you back then. That’s why we were apart for so many years.”

Leaning into his chest, Gu Qinglan sobbed softly while Gu Tingyu gently patted her back, speaking to her in a soothing voice.

Back at the Shen house, Shen Jiashu was waiting in the living room for his wife and brother-in-law to return. He knew Qinglan had things she wanted to say to Tingyu in private, so he didn’t accompany them to the grave. He hoped that when they came back, her mood would be a little better.

Meanwhile, Shen Lihuan was uncharacteristically busy in the kitchen, preparing a medicinal porridge for the family. Of course, the parts requiring a knife were done by Changqing—You Changqing would never dare let her handle a knife.

Stirring the porridge with a spoon, Shen Lihuan smiled and looked over at You Changqing. “Smell good?”

“Very,” You Changqing nodded seriously.

“When Mom and Little Uncle get back, we can eat. This porridge calms the mind, clears the liver, and improves eyesight. You’ve been a little overheated lately, so it’s perfect for you.”

She pinched You Changqing’s cheek. Recently, You Changqing had been busy learning how to manage the company alongside her father, to the point she couldn’t even visit the Shen house on weekends. Shen Lihuan didn’t want to burden her, so she’d only call daily or drop by the You family’s place with food. At night, she’d draw herbal baths or give massages to help her recover for the next day’s challenges.

You Changqing felt that warmth and care and didn’t feel tired anymore. After all, she and Lihuan were destined to stand at the top in their respective fields—if she couldn’t even handle this level of intensity, how could she possibly stand shoulder to shoulder with Lihuan?

Wrapping her arms around Shen Lihuan’s waist, she nuzzled in. “Lihuan, you’re so good to me. You’ve been taking care of me lately—don’t you feel neglected?”

“Silly girl, why would I feel that way? We’re not strangers. We’ve got a lifetime ahead of us. I said I’d love you for life—a few days like this are nothing.”

Shen Lihuan rubbed her soft cheek. “Besides, you’re busy with the company. How could I get upset about that? I’m not petty. Don’t talk about neglect—my legs still work. I can come to you anytime.”

Lihuan had said everything already. You Changqing felt all warm and fuzzy inside. She looked up and kissed Shen Lihuan on the lips. “Lihuan, I’m so lucky to have met you.”

“No, I’m the lucky one. If I hadn’t met you, I’d grow old alone.”

Shen Lihuan rested her chin on her head. “Because I’ll never meet anyone else who can move my heart the way you do. Only you can make my heart race.”

Happily hugging her, You Changqing felt beyond fortunate to have found someone who loved and cherished her like this.

Not long after, Gu Qinglan and Gu Tingyu returned. Shen Lihuan brought the medicinal porridge to the dining table, and everyone got a bowl.

Now that vengeance had been served, the coldness in Gu Tingyu’s expression had eased. He blew on his steaming porridge and took a sip, nodding approvingly. “Lihuan’s porridge is delicious. I’m lucky today.”

“If you like it, have another bowl—I made a whole pot,” Shen Lihuan said with a smile.

“Great. Your uncle’s got a big appetite. I could finish the whole pot, not just two bowls.”

No sooner had he spoken than Gu Qinglan gave him a light slap. “You should at least try to make your lies believable. Let’s see you actually finish that whole pot.”

Gu Tingyu shrugged helplessly. “Lihuan, look—it’s not that I can’t finish it. Your aunt just won’t let me.”

Everyone at the table burst into laughter.