Chu Xi Gets a Good Beating

"No, no, no. I didn't steal it. I don't know you found it under my bed..." Chu Xi began to panic and speak incoherently.

She Knew she was the one who had stolen the watch and poisoned the children. Her deeds had come back to haunt her.

But how could they possibly know? No one had seen her.

She wanted to ask her in-laws for help, but when she looked up, she only saw the backs of the two old in-laws fleeing in a hurry.

At this moment, the police brought a familiar face to Chu Xi.

At that moment, the police brought someone familiar to Chu Xi, a man of about the same age. His sharp features and intense expression made him seem intimidating.

This was Chu Banxian, the cousin who sold the poison to Chu Xi.

He cursed at Chu Xi. "You old whore! You've ruined me! Why don't you just die?

I'll kill you before going to jail!"

He raged, attempting to break free from the police officers restraining him. Chu Xi, terrified, retreated until she fell heavily to the ground.

Seeing this, Su Shen pulled Gu Zi back, watching the unfolding drama with a cold, detached expression.

Su Jing was also frightened and did not dare to move. What was going on? Why was everyone saying different things?

Sitting on the ground, Chu Xi recalled the things Chu Banxian had told her, and her fury grew.

That deceitful swindler had manipulated her, and she had fallen for his lies! She didn't know where she got the strength from. She got up from the ground and pointed at the other party's nose. "You old liar! Give me back my money! "

But the man was equally obstinate, and the two of them launched into a verbal battle. The police officers decided to let them continue, as nothing they did could keep the feuding pair apart.

Both of them had seemingly lost their sanity as they ranted. Within their exchange of insults, they inadvertently revealed their motives, the illicit transaction, and their conspiracy to poison the Su family's children.

To sum it up, Chu Xi had sought out her cousin, Chu Banxian, to concoct a plan to get rid of Gu Zi and regain her place as the Su family nanny.

Chu Banxian was aware that Chu Xi had amassed a significant sum while working for the Su family. He had seen an opportunity to extort money from her.

He suggested that Chu Xi use a so-called obedient powder, which was essentially a poison made from poisonous insects.

The powder would not kill but make the children ill, causing them to vomit, experience pain, and become weak for several months. In this vulnerable state, they would become obedient to Chu Xi.

Chu Xi had purchased the "obedient powder" at a high price, which was actually disguised as poisonous mushroom powder. 

Chu Banxian had reassured her that the powder wouldn't be lethal, but its effects would be enough to help her frame Gu Zi.

As long as he framed Gu Zi, when Gu Zi was arrested, Su Shen would need someone to take care of the child. The child would also speak up for Chu Xi, and Chu Xi would be able to work at the Su family again.

The people present found these words amusing, but they couldn't bring themselves to laugh.

How could anyone believe such absurd claims?

It was clear that Chu Xi's own greed and malice had brought her to this point. She had no one to blame but herself.

The other spectators gradually departed, leaving only the police, Gu Zi, Su Jing and Su Shen behind.

As Chu Banxian continued to curse, his rage escalated, and he managed to break free from the police's restraint. He lunged toward Chu Xi and delivered a powerful slap.

A brawl between the cousins erupted immediately. They exchanged punches and kicks, creating a chaotic and intense scene.

The police officers eventually managed to separate Chu Banxian from Chu Xi. Gu Zi and Su Jing couldn't bear to watch as they witnessed the brutal aftermath of the fight.

Chu Xi lay on the ground, her face battered and bloodied, resembling a gruesome sight. Blood flowed from her nose and mouth, making it a distressing sight.

The police took both Chu Xi and Chu Banxian to the hospital before they would face the full extent of the law's punishment.

After leaving the police station, Su Shen and Gu Zi walked out, with Su Jing following them.

Su Jing forced a smile and spoke, "Brother, Sister-in-law, I want to apologize for my impulsive actions. I was misled by others. I didn't mean it. I'm truly sorry."

She didn't feel any remorse for Chu Xi, who had tried to harm her nephews. In her opinion, Chu Xi had received what she deserved.

However, this didn't mean she accepted Gu Zi. Gu Zi's presence had disrupted the interests of too many people, including herself.

But Su Jing knew that she had to maintain a facade of friendship with Gu Zi in front of her brother.

She was aware of Gu Zi's cunning nature and feared that her brother had fallen for her.

Su Jing suspected that Gu Zi was primarily motivated by money. This was something she couldn't accept; the Su family's wealth belonged to the Su family!

Gu Zi had noticed the subtle thoughts behind Su Jing's eyes but chose not to react since she hadn't taken any hostile actions.

"It's alright, it's all in the past," she replied with a gentle smile..

...

Just Hold On to Me

Seeing that Gu Zi was so magnanimous, Su Jing quickly said, "You're the best, Sister-in-law!"

Gu Zi realized that Su Jing was no fool and understood the value of keeping things civil.

"We can discuss the facts without getting too worked up," Gu Zi replied indifferently.

Her message was clear: she was willing to let bygones be bygones for this incident alone. Any future grievances would be addressed separately.

Su Shen also saw through his sister's intentions and issued a warning, "Think carefully about your actions in the future. If something like this happens again, I won't intervene on your behalf."

Su Jing nodded obediently and bid them farewell.

However, as soon as she turned around, the jealousy in her eyes revealed itself.

Su Shen was her brother, and now he was openly and secretly supporting Gu Zi, an outsider. How could she not feel a sense of imbalance?

She realized she couldn't peacefully coexist with Gu Zi if she wanted to secure her position in the Su family.

It was evident that she needed to pay closer attention to family dynamics in the future, seizing opportunities to undermine Gu Zi's standing.

Feeling a rumble in her stomach, Gu Zi checked her watch and noted it was already past noon.

She looked up and met Su Shen's understanding gaze. He said, "Let's go fill our stomachs first."

They headed to a nearby state-owned restaurant and ordered a couple of dishes and a soup.

In those days, state-owned restaurants offered a variety of dishes, which were sufficient for the two of them.

As they dined, Gu Zi observed the other patrons in the restaurant. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, and dining here appeared to be a prestigious affair.

Gu Zi remembered that in the 1980s, ordinary people could only afford to dine at such restaurants once a year during the New Year.

The waiters who served the dishes in the restaurant were all dressed in white coats, but their service attitude was not very good. They looked very arrogant.

Gu Zi took a bite of the tomato scrambled egg. Mmm, the taste was really good. It felt authentic.

Putting everything else aside, the hygiene and taste of the food in the state-owned restaurant were guaranteed. At the very least, it would not harm the customers.

"How did you find Chu Banxian?" Gu Zi asked Su Shen.

She believed there was still time to investigate the matter of Aunt Chu's food poisoning, as no one had witnessed Chu Xi tampering with the food. However, she hadn't anticipated they would apprehend her accomplice so swiftly.

Su Shen, nonchalantly skewering a piece of tender beef, replied, "We're all from the same village. We know each other's connections. We can follow the leads." Despite his casual explanation, Gu Zi sensed that Chu Xi's family probably didn't know about Su Shen's connections.

After all, someone aware of those connections wouldn't attempt to poison the Su family's children.

Nevertheless, since Su Shen hadn't delved into more details, Gu Zi decided not to press further.

In any case, Chu Xi had been convicted of theft and poisoning and would likely end up in jail.

From this brief exchange, Gu Zi confirmed one thing: Su Shen wasn't as simple as he appeared on the surface.

After their meal, Su Shen took Gu Zi to the Children's Palace. Initially, she thought they were simply going for a walk and followed him without question.

It wasn't until they stopped in front of a roller skating club that she expressed her surprise, asking, "Where are we going?"

Looking at Gu Zi's happy expression, Su Shen knew that he had come to the right place. He was originally a little worried that Gu Zi would not like it.

But soon, the woman frowned and said in embarrassment, "I don't know how to ice skate...

So that was the reason. Su Shen's heart, which had been hanging in the air because of her frown, was now at ease.

They entered the skating rink, with Su Shen's imposing figure leading the way, providing a reassuring sense of security.

He purchased tickets for both of them and swiftly changed into his roller skates.

Observing that Gu Zi was still standing there, seemingly lost, Su Shen approached her and bent down to tie her shoelaces. He reassured her, "I'll teach you. Just hold on to me tightly."

As the initially tall Su Shen bent down for her, their eyes met, creating an invisible current of connection.

The sparks of affection spread from their optical nerves throughout their bodies.

Su Shen straightened up, his usually stern countenance softening in the ambient light. His sharp, eagle-like eyes were now filled with tenderness.

Gu Zi didn't know how she had the courage to take the first step, but as she held Su Shen's strong arm, she seemed to be fearless.

She only needed to move forward because she knew that no matter how unstable she might be, he would never let her fall. He would always there to support her..

...