Volume One, Chapter Six: Not Worth It

Jiang Zifei raised her hand to strike her again, but Su Qiuyu grabbed her wrist and threw it aside.

Jiang Zifei staggered, then turned to look at Su Qiuyu’s appearance. Her eyes widened in shock. “You little beast, what the hell are you wearing this for?”

Su Qiuyu removed her fisherman's hat, sunglasses, and mask, then looked back at her. “Gu Moting has returned to the country. Today, he went to Aunt Lv’s sanatorium.”

Jiang Zifei gasped and stepped forward. “And then? Did he take Xiaoqian away?”

“Not yet. It’s hard to say what will happen next.”

“No way!” Jiang Zifei’s emotions flared up. “He can’t take Xiaoqian away! Wait, how does he even know about Xiaoqian? Damn it, you little beast! Was it you who told him? You don’t want to pay for the sanatorium anymore, is that it?”

Su Qiuyu remained calm. “I’ve long since lost contact with the Gu family. I don’t know who told them, and I can’t find out.”

Suddenly, Jiang Zifei seemed to have a thought and hurriedly asked, “What about Xiaxia’s daughter? Have you seen her?”

“No.”

She didn’t want to tell Jiang Zifei the truth, fearing it would give her false hope.

Jiang Zifei gritted her teeth. “Damn those Gu family people! Xiaxia fought for her daughter with her life, and they just left her to be raised abroad! She’ll grow up not even speaking Chinese. When she finds out who her mother was, or how her life came to be, will she even understand? It’s not worth it—Xiaxia’s sacrifice was all for nothing!”

Su Qiuyu lifted her gaze to the black-and-white photo on the wall.

Yes, it was all so unjust.

Jiang Zifei suddenly changed tack. “I said the person who came to the factory to inquire about me today must be from the Gu family! You little beast, your old sins are causing me to lose my job! It’s all your fault!”

Su Qiuyu turned and picked up something from the desk. “He doesn’t know we’re still alive. Think carefully about who you might have offended.”

“Who could I have offended? I’m just a good drinker, and I’ve settled all my bar tabs! It must be you, you sly fox, seducing other men’s husbands. You got beaten yesterday, and now I’m being targeted too!”

Su Qiuyu grabbed her hat and sunglasses and turned to head back to her room.

“Stop right there!” Jiang Zifei chased after her, cursing, “You ruined me and still want to run away?”

Su Qiuyu’s door closed softly and firmly as always, shutting in Jiang Zifei’s face.

Behind the door, Su Qiuyu lowered her head and sent Jiang Zifei a message: “For the next few months, don’t go to the sanatorium to visit Aunt Lv.”

Through the door, she heard Jiang Zifei outside hurling venomous insults at her.

One by one, voice messages popped up in the chat window, and Su Qiuyu deleted them all.

Pulling out a chair, she sat at the desk, then reached into a drawer and took out an old iron box.

Inside the box lay a yellowed slip of paper with the name “Jiang Hongfang” written on it, along with a phone number.

This note had been given to her by Lv Xiaoqian four years ago.

Lv Xiaoqian had said, “Keep this paper safe. If one day someone comes after your mother or something happens to her, it will definitely be this person. Also, it might affect you.”

At the time, Su Qiuyu was lying in a hospital bed, her ribs aching so much she couldn’t even lift her hand to take it.

So Lv Xiaoqian had pressed the slip into her palm.

Lv Xiaoqian believed the person who had injured her was the one named on the paper.

The name Jiang Hongfang sounded like she was Jiang Zifei’s sister.

Lv Xiaoqian nodded and said they were indeed sisters, and that Jiang Hongfang was the person who hated Jiang Zifei the most in the world.

Su Qiuyu asked, “Why would she hate her?”

Lv Xiaoqian didn’t say more, only, “Protect yourself and your mother. I have to go now.”

Now, Su Qiuyu softly whispered the three characters on the card: “Jiang Hongfang.”

Could the person who came to the factory to inquire about Jiang Zifei today be her?

If not, then could it be someone acting on behalf of those who killed her father back then?

The thought chilled Su Qiuyu to the bone, as if she were plunging into an abyss.

She placed the note back into the iron box, pulled out a clean sheet of A4 paper, and began to write a resignation letter.

The next day, a light rain fell—gentle and persistent. The autumn wind stirred golden leaves across the city, scattering them on the ground where pedestrians and vehicles crushed them underfoot.

In Gu Moting’s office, an unexpected visitor appeared.

Gu Moting returned from a meeting to find the visitor leisurely brewing tea without asking.

Caught in the act, Zhou Chenbai grinned cheekily: “Hey, boss! This tea is amazing! Want a pot?”

Gu Moting lit a cigarette and watched his tea-making for a moment. “You’ve improved a lot. Have you been living on tea these past six months?”

“Exactly! Since I came back in April, I’ve been practicing. Now you’re shaking my head, but there’s no water inside—only tea!”

Gu Moting smirked slightly. “Alright, spill it. What do you need my help with?”

Zhou Chenbai’s self-deprecating front meant he definitely had a problem.

He quickly put down the teacup and pulled out his phone to open the photo album.

The photo showed a cloisonné enamel vase with brilliant colors clashing vividly—large, delicate peonies blooming in splendid wealth across its surface.

“This vase, my grandmother loved it, but I accidentally broke it with a careless hand. The old lady doesn’t know yet. I tried to find someone to replicate it, but no one was satisfied. Finally, a small workshop seemed promising, but the delivery got broken on the way here! The old lady’s birthday is coming soon, and I can’t hide this from her anymore. I heard this vase has a pair, and the other is with the CEO of Qihu. Boss, your reputation’s bigger than mine, so this matter…”

Gu Moting frowned and took the phone from Zhou Chenbai, his long fingers enlarging the image of the vase.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Which workshop?”

“They’ve paid the penalty already. Just the CEO over at Qihu…”

Gu Moting’s tone sharpened. “Which workshop?”

Zhou Chenbai obediently pointed his index finger toward the southeast old district. “Chuiyun District, Sanma Street, Cicaige Workshop. The boss is Chen Bojie.”

After a pause, Zhou Chenbai added, “Boss… are you interested in making high-quality replicas too?”

Gu Moting handed back the phone, tapping his cigarette. “I’ll handle the vase matter for you.”

Zhou Chenbai was ecstatic. “Really?!”

“Go back and place a few orders with that workshop. Make sure the sales are counted under Su Xiaowu’s name.”

“Who’s Su Xiaowu?” Zhou Chenbai sniffed the scent of gossip. “Boss, what a coincidence—do you know someone who works there?”

Gu Moting: “Get lost.”

At the office door, a figure appeared—Zhuang Jian, his expression unusually excited. Without waiting for Gu Moting to speak, he knocked on the wide-open door a few times and stepped inside.

“President Gu! We found it!”

Zhou Chenbai curiously asked, “Found what?”

Zhuang Jian hurried over. “The video from outside the sanatorium! President Gu, you have to see this! Is that her? I’m stunned!”