Chapter 74: Veiled Secrets, Torn Allegiances

Gu Liang had arrived home after being dropped off by Shan Zitong, and upon entering, she found Madame Gu sitting on the sofa. The atmosphere in the room was tense, with Madame Gu appearing displeased. Gu Liang, concerned, approached her mother, asking, "Mom, what is wrong? Why do you look unhappy?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Madame Gu, after a moment of silence, clenched her teeth and inquired, "How was your date with Shan Zitong?" Gu Liang blushed slightly, replying, "He is such a gentleman, Mom. I really enjoy spending time with him."

Madame Gu’s expression remained stern as she probed further, "And what about Sun Gang?" Gu Liang, maintaining her composure, responded, "Mom, Sun Gang is a known playboy. He also wanted me for my body."

Madame Gu, seemingly unimpressed, commented, "Isn’t that what a woman should give a man?" Gu Liang, with determination, asserted, "Well, I am not ready to do that. I will only sleep with a man once married."

Madame Gu, recalling her teachings, emphasized, "Have you forgotten my teachings to you?" Gu Liang, respectfully but firmly, replied, "No, Mom, I haven’t. But I am old enough to make my own decisions, especially when it comes to a man I want to spend my life with."

Madame Gu’s anger erupted, and in a swift motion, she landed a stinging slap on Gu Liang’s face. The room echoed with the sharp sound of the impact. "You’re old enough, yet you still depend on the Gu family to live in luxury," Madame Gu declared with an intensity that hung heavily in the air.

Gu Liang, holding her cheek, questioned, "Why, Mom? What’s wrong with Shan Zitong? Dad also thinks he’s a great guy. Don’t you want our family to expand to Beijing?"

Madame Gu, frustrated, retorted, "Expand? What do you know about business dealings? I’m telling you, Sun Gang is the best choice, and you will listen to me."

Defiantly, Gu Liang asserted, "No, Mom. You can slap me however you want, but I think Shan Zitong is better. We have the same goals and dreams for the future."

Madame Gu, unable to contain her anger, slapped Gu Liang once again. "So now you’re rebelling," she accused, her disappointment evident in her voice. The tension in the room intensified as mother and daughter stood at odds over a crucial decision that could reshape their lives.

Gu Liang, holding her stinging cheek, confronted her mother, "What is it that you have against Shan Zitong, Mom? He has never offended you and has been very respectful, even though his family status is higher than ours."

Madame Gu, frustration evident in her voice, retorted, "Family status? What do you know about the Shan family?"

Unyielding, Gu Liang challenged, "Since you know more, care to share details then? It seems like you have something against them. I don’t think Dad would be pleased with this reaction."

Madame Gu, with a stern warning, snapped, "Don’t you dare inform your father."

Gu Liang, determined and with a hint of defiance, stated, "If you keep acting like this, I swear I will have no choice. Shan Zitong is Dad’s choice, and I have known him, and now he is also my choice. You should talk to Dad then."

Madame Gu, unable to contain her anger, slapped Gu Liang again. Gu Liang, tasting the metallic tang of blood in her mouth, stood her ground, refusing to back down in the face of her mother’s opposition. The room was filled with tension, emotions running high as the clash of wills continued.

Gu Hua rushed in, holding Gu Liang protectively in his arms, and confronted Madame Gu, "Mom, why are you hitting Liang?"

Madame Gu sternly replied, "Stay out of it, Gu Hua."

Gu Hua, refusing to back down, exclaimed, "No, Mom, what is wrong with you?"

Madame Gu defended her actions, saying, "Your younger sister here is being disrespectful."

Gu Liang, standing her ground, retorted, "In what way, Mom? Because I won’t choose the man you want? Why won’t you marry Sun Gang instead since you like him so much?"

Madame Gu, unable to control her anger, raised her hand to slap Gu Liang again, but Gu Hua stepped in to protect his sister, moving her out of harm’s way. Furious, Madame Gu grabbed a nearby vase and slammed it on the floor, shattering it into pieces.

Gu Hua, firm in his resolve, instructed Gu Liang to go to her room, promising to talk to their mother. Gu Liang, fueled by anger and hurt, quickly ascended the stairs, tears welling up in her eyes.

Gu Hua, now alone with his mother, expressed his concern, "Mom, what has gotten into you?"

Madame Gu, frustrated, retorted, "How dare you speak to me like that?"

Gu Hua, unyielding, warned, "If you lay your hand on me, I will tell Dad right in front of you."

Madame Gu, realizing the consequences, clenched her teeth in frustration and sat down. Gu Hua, facing his mother directly, demanded, "Spill it out."

Madame Gu, finally sharing her apprehension, admitted, "Can’t you see that Shan Zitong’s proposal is suspicious?"

Gu Hua questioned, "Suspicious in what way, Mom? He comes from a very influential family in Beijing, and forming an alliance with his family will take us to greater heights. Isn’t that what you want?"

Madame Gu, still skeptical, asked, "What is so special about Beijing? Why are you all fixated on expanding the family business there?"

Gu Hua, trying to enlighten his mother, responded, "Don’t be ignorant, Mom. You know that Beijing is a land of milk and honey."

Madame Gu, clinging to her perspective, argued, "We can still grow the family business here in Shanghai. Gu Liang doesn’t have to marry Shan Zitong; she can just marry Sun Gang."

Gu Hua, advocating for Shan Zitong, responded firmly, "Shan Zitong is a great guy, in my opinion. You don’t know the number of women Sun Gang has slept with. I am sure he won’t even remain faithful in marriage. Is that what you want for Liang?"

Madame Gu, indifferent to fidelity, replied, "What is wrong with a man having a mistress? He will come home to her after all."

Gu Hua, trying to make her see reason, pressed on, "Listen to yourself, Mom. How would you feel if Dad cheated on you?"

Madame Gu, struck by the reality of the scenario, was tongue-tied because, in truth, she knew she would never accept such betrayal.

Gu Hua continued, "You see, now stop fighting Liang and allow her to marry Shan Zitong if she chooses to. Otherwise, she will start hating you. I am sure you don’t want that."

Having delivered his message, Gu Hua stood up and left the living room, leaving Madame Gu to contemplate the implications of her rigid stance.

As Gu Hua left the living room, Madame Gu remained seated, a mix of frustration and concern etched across her face. Her heart, fueled by a secret she couldn’t share, yearned for a future she believed could only be secured through strategic alliances and family prestige. The weight of maintaining the Gu family’s reputation bore heavily on her shoulders, and any deviation from her meticulously planned path felt like a threat to the family’s prosperity.

Gu Liang, on the other hand, ascended the stairs with a heavy heart. The metallic taste of blood lingered in her mouth from the forceful slaps. Tears welled up in her eyes as she grappled with the emotional turmoil caused by her mother’s rigid expectations. The clash between Madame Gu’s desires and Gu Liang’s dreams created a divide that seemed insurmountable.

Gu Hua, torn between loyalty to his sister and understanding his mother’s concerns, felt the weight of responsibility. The conflicting emotions within the family threatened to fracture the bonds that held them together. He knew that the decisions made in this moment would shape the family dynamics for years to come.

Downstairs, Madame Gu sat alone in the living room, contemplating the choices she felt compelled to make. The clash between tradition and individual desires echoed through the house. The broken vase on the floor symbolized the shattered expectations and dreams of a family torn between duty and personal happiness.

As emotions ran high, the tension in the Gu household reached its peak. The battle between tradition and modernity, duty and desire, reverberated through the walls, leaving each family member grappling with the repercussions of their choices. The future of the Gu family hung in the balance, caught in the web of conflicting aspirations and hidden secrets.

Madame Gu sat alone in the dimly lit living room, her mind a battleground of conflicting emotions. The weight of her secret pressed heavily on her chest, and the prospect of Gu Liang marrying Shan Zitong seemed to unravel the carefully woven threads of her plans. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Shan Zitong’s proposal than met the eye.

As she contemplated the future, Madame Gu’s maternal instincts warred against the cold calculations of her strategic mind. Protecting the family’s legacy was ingrained in her, but so was the desire for her daughter’s happiness. The tension between duty and personal fulfillment tugged at her heart, leaving her torn and uncertain.

In the silence of the room, Madame Gu’s fingers drummed anxiously on the armrest of the sofa. She contemplated making a phone call to an old acquaintance, someone who might shed light on the secrets veiled beneath Shan Zitong’s affluent façade. The conflict within her intensified as she grappled with the decision to either protect her family or let Gu Liang forge her own path.

A deep sigh escaped Madame Gu’s lips, carrying the weight of her internal struggle. Her gaze drifted to a family portrait on the wall, a visual reminder of the legacy she sought to uphold. Yet, the image seemed to blur as the clash between tradition and the desires of the heart played out in her mind.

In a moment of hesitation, Madame Gu picked up her phone, her finger hovering over the contact she had considered dialing. The desire to shield her family from potential harm clashed with the yearning to see her daughter joyous in her chosen path. The room held the tension of a battlefield, each decision a potential turning point in the intricate dance between familial duty and individual happiness.