Chapter 8: Calculations

Hearing her grandmother use the life and death of Shen Qingwan as a threat, Gu Mingzhu spoke with reddened eyes, "If grandmother insists on thinking this way, I have no choice. If it weren't for wanting to make my mother's life a little better, I wouldn't have agreed to marry into the Wang family."

Madam Gu pursed her lips, the wrinkles on her face deepening.

She silently scrutinized Gu Mingzhu, as if assessing the truth behind her words.

In recent years, this girl had become increasingly difficult to control.

She was too beautiful, too clever, and coupled with her cunning, she always made Madam Gu feel extremely uneasy.

After a while, Madam Gu looked at Gu Mingzhu and slowly spoke, "Alright, if you want your mother to live a better life, then I will give you another chance. Obtain one hundred thousand tons of redwood within half a month, otherwise, the Gu family no longer needs to spend a large sum to support a vegetable."

Her tone was cold, with a hint of threat, as if the comatose Shen Qingwan was not a person in her eyes, but rather an object wasting money.

Gu Mingzhu looked at Madam Gu, seemingly struggling to restrain herself, her pale fingertips trembling slightly.

Madam Gu calmly locked eyes with her, her cloudy eyes filled with coldness. Between the old and the young, it seemed like a showdown was taking place.

It wasn't until a long time later that Gu Mingzhu lowered her eyes and said slowly, "Okay."

Madam Gu's expression softened slightly, revealing a hint of satisfaction.

But before her smile could fully blossom, Yang Huiru, who had just returned from a phone call, spoke with some difficulty.

"Mom, I don't know if the Wang family heard some rumors, but they said they want to cancel the marriage with Mingzhu. They also said... we have to return the previous betrothal gifts, and all the negotiations for cooperation are also canceled..."

Listening to this, Madam Gu, whose emotions had just calmed down a bit, trembled with anger, feeling as if someone was carving into her flesh with a knife.

She looked at Gu Mingzhu, her eyes full of redness, and shouted angrily, "Shameless thing! Get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness!"

After Gu Mingzhu left everyone's sight, she no longer concealed her previous restraint. The captivating eyes were now filled with indifference.

Her guess was correct. Ruining the marriage with the Wang family was what Madam Gu was most anxious about.

However, how could she move the bones of the Gu family?

Gu Mingzhu calculated silently, until she saw Gu Chaoxia waiting for her in the utility room, then she had a plan in mind.

Gu Chaoxia was leaning against the wall in the utility room, her hands crossed over her chest, appearing to mimic Gu Mingzhu's previous posture.

Unfortunately, she only imitated the form, without learning the inherent coldness and beauty of Gu Mingzhu. Combined with her naturally delicate appearance, it gave off a sense of affectedness.

Gu Chaoxia was actually dissatisfied with Madam Gu's "punishment" of Gu Mingzhu, feeling it was too lenient.

But she also knew that the immediate priority for the Gu family was the redwood. If Gu Mingzhu failed to obtain the wood, Madam Gu would not be so lenient anymore.

Withdrawing her thoughts, Gu Chaoxia remembered the scene downstairs just now and couldn't help but sneer, "I heard that sister was slept with by an old man with a big belly? It's really surprising, considering how particular sister is about her tastes."

Gu Mingzhu smiled faintly and said softly, "Accustomed to plain food, so I wanted a change of taste. After all, there are too many men waiting for me to choose from. It's normal to be dazzled for a moment."

Gu Chaoxia sneered coldly, feeling even more convinced that Gu Mingzhu was pretending to be someone she wasn't.

She looked at Gu Mingzhu, her gaze tinged with malice, "Is that so? Dare I ask, how does it feel for sister to be with a man older than her own father? Do the places he's touched make you feel disgusted? Are you in so much pain that you want to die?"