Chapter 69: The Wicked Stepsister

Hearing his words, Gu Mingzhu chuckled softly and said, "Dad, I'm 24 this year, not 8 or 14. Whether you like or dislike Gu Zhaoxia has nothing to do with me. Do you think I would still care?"

At these words, Gu Junsheng's eyes flashed with anger. "Zhaoxia is your sister!"

Gu Mingzhu curled her red lips into a smile. "If I remember correctly, my mom only gave birth to me."

"You!" Gu Junsheng's voice rose, infuriated by Gu Mingzhu's indifferent attitude.

Gu Mingzhu sneered and brushed past him.

As she finally left the banquet hall, the smile on her face faded, and a glimmer of hidden pain flashed in her cold eyes.

Indeed, this incident was orchestrated by her.

But Gu Junsheng hadn't even asked her a single question before convicting her. What more could she say?

Countless times from childhood to now, she had been framed by that mother-daughter duo. Regardless of whether she did something or not, the blame invariably fell on her.

Since that was the case, why not own the blame? Otherwise, wouldn't it be unjust?

But did she truly not care?

No, she still cared...

Had she truly stopped hoping?

No, she still held onto hope.

If she didn't love, she wouldn't hate.

If she didn't care, it wouldn't hurt.

Even though she buried her care and hope deep inside, she knew that in the darkest, dampest corner of her heart, she still hoped these years were just a fleeting nightmare.

She despised herself for this. Even though she walked away nonchalantly, she couldn't help but let this man, called her father, pierce her heart with countless wounds.

If only abandoning a relationship were as easy as throwing away an old piece of clothing.

All these years, she often dreamed.

She dreamed of the days when Gu Junsheng pampered her like a little princess, dreamed of him carrying her on his shoulders to the amusement park, dreamed of him searching the world for toys she liked, dreamed of him bringing back a mountain of gifts every time he returned from a business trip, and dreamed of him patiently and gently telling her fairy tales...

But fairy tales remain fairy tales.

She was neither Snow White nor Cinderella; she was the wicked stepsister of Cinderella.

She wanted to turn the Gu family upside down, make them suffer great losses, keep them too busy to care for themselves, and collapse step by step. Only then would she and her mother be able to breathe in this chaos.

Unfortunately, Gu Junsheng didn't understand.

Or maybe, he didn't want to understand.

Gu Mingzhu walked absentmindedly and soon bumped into a firm chest.

The man's scent was a clean mix of freshness and a faint tobacco fragrance, familiar and comforting.

Her heart tightened. She looked up at the man in front of her and slowly said, "Fourth Master..."

Yan Jingcheng's dark eyes were deep and dangerous. He looked down at her with a playful yet mocking expression. "Finished eating the monk's meat?"

Gu Mingzhu let out a soft breath, her shoulders relaxed, and she lowered her head, resigned. "I know I was wrong. I must have been incredibly bold to dare leave Fourth Master alone in the suite to rest. I have sincerely reflected on my actions and fully realized my mistake. I promise and swear I will never dare to do it again. I will never leave such a handsome man as Fourth Master alone in a hotel again..."

As she finished speaking, Gu Mingzhu looked up at him, her beautiful almond eyes moist and bright, filled with a mix of caution, apprehension, and cunning, as lively as a fox spirit from the mountains, both obedient and enticing.

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Gu Mingzhu subconsciously bit her lip, growing more uneasy.

Could this dog man really be planning to steam her alive?

Otherwise, why did he send that punishment message...