Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The feeling was purely Gu Nianzhi’s intuition, or maybe it was a child’s feelings for her own parents. Gu Nianzhi stood beside Ma Qiqi and earnestly stared at the pink diamond crown atop Tan Guiren’s head. She squeezed her phone hard. But when Gu Yanran’s smug and disdainful gaze seemed to sweep over to Gu Nianzhi, it felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her head and suddenly jolted her awake. Closing her eyes, Gu Nianzhi gradually slowed her breathing to calm down.
Right. She couldn’t act rashly. Just like in a lawsuit, having intuition wasn’t enough to make a case. She must use actual evidence to convince others of her points during the court debates, and also use tight-knit logic to prove that her inference was correct. This was a puzzle, and it didn’t matter if she knew what the image actually was. She had to complete it in order to prove to others what it was.
Gu Nianzhi still had no feelings of love and respect for the comatose man on the sickbed, and she thought that she was cold-hearted enough to not have any feelings about seeing her own father become comatose. But she had a different feeling when it came to Gu Xiangwen. His name seemed to be implanted deep in her memory. Even though she had already lost her memories and his image had become so fuzzy that she couldn’t recall anything, she still had a different feeling when she heard that name.
As she looked at the pink diamond crown, Gu Xiangwen’s name seemed to float to the surface of her hazy subconscious. It gradually took form as a solid and indestructible helm at the bottom of her heart. It could block out all storms and give her shelter. It was only a name, yet it gave her a feeling of belonging. It made her feel as though she was no longer someone without a past.
The first thing she needed to do was to divide the assets with Gu Yanran. Although she couldn’t yet prove the comatose patient on the sickbed was not the real Gu Xiangwen, she could use her identity as the daughter of the Gus to formally request that Gu Yanran evenly divide the assets with her. She had been away from the household for seven years, and in those seven years, Gu Yanran had taken full control of the Gus like Gu Nianzhi didn’t exist. In the past, Gu Nianzhi had mentioned giving family assets to Gu Yanran, but Gu Yanran had never formally responded, and Gu Nianzhi never bothered following up. At the time, she’d had no feelings for the Gu family and also knew her DNA didn’t match with Gu Xiangwen. As the Gus adopted daughter, she had no energy to fight with Gu Yanran for the family fortune.
But now things were different. She was certain that she was Gu Xiangwen’s real daughter. But before she could find evidence, she had to cut off Gu Yanran’s dirty hands that put her fingerprints on everything. What right did Gu Yanran have to look for support in the Huaxia Empire? Of course, she was using Gu’s family fortune and Gu Nianzhi’s money. Haha… So she wanted to take advantage of Gu Nianzhi and emerge unscathed? Had she consulted her for a professionally educated answer yet?
Slowly raising her head, Gu Nianzhi smirked at Gu Yanran standing high above the winding staircase. She revealed an interested smile and crossed her arms, tapping a rhythm with her feet.
In the hall before her, Tan Guiren was beaming as she lifted her skirts to walk down the steps and into the middle of the hall. Gu Yanran and Prime Minister Tan smiled at each other as they walked down the stairs. They flanked Tan Guiren’s back. Gu Yanran clapped, and a young female staff member in a back and white maid’s uniform wheeled a food cart over. On the food cart, a giant rainbow five-layered cake was revealed to everyone and the hall suddenly erupted into applause and cheers.
“Birthday girl, cut the cake!”
“Birthday girl, cut the cake!”
Tan Guiren turned back to look at Gu Yanran with a smile and said sincerely, “Thank you, Miss Gu.”
“You’re welcome,” Gu Yanran said as she passed the long cake knife over. “Here, cut the cake.” As Gu Yanran spoke, she gestured to the hall, and the orchestra behind the divider began to play “Happy Birthday.” She had hired the national orchestra to play here. Everyone began singing along happily.
“Happy Birthday to you!”
“Happy Birthday to you!”
Tan Guiren held the cake knife and looked back at her father, Prime Minister Tan.
Someone teasingly shouted, “How about Prime Minister Tan, Miss Tan, and Miss Gu all cut the cake together?”
“Right, right! Cut it together!” Soon, the crowd began to get boisterous.
Gu Yanran looked at Prime Minister Tan. “Mr. Prime Minister…”
“Let’s cut it together.” Prime Minister Tan took her hand and walked to Tan Guiren’s side. Then each of them took one of Tan Guiren’s hands to hold the long handle of the cake knife. The three of them were very happy and looked like a family as they cut through the second layer of the five-layered cake.
Cai Sognyin had just walked into the hall and instantly became livid when she saw this scene. She had suffered bitterly in the detention center and been forgotten by the time she got out! Her own husband, who she had grown up with, was holding another woman’s hand and cutting a birthday cake with her beloved daughter! Did they still remember who the mistress of the household was?! Her entire body shook with anger as she walked through the crowd with a solemn face to stand before the three people cutting the cake.
Tan Guiren looked up with shock and was so happy that she started to cry when she saw that Cai Songyin had actually arrived. Throwing down the cake knife, she ran over, exclaiming, “Mummy! You’re home!”
Prime Minister Tan instinctively let go of Gu Yanran’s hand and strode over to Cai Songyin’s side. He said excitedly, “My dear wife, you’re back!”
Cai Songyin had been in the detention center for two weeks, and her once plump face had completely slimmed down. When an older person slimmed down, they appeared even older than their actual age. There were deep laugh lines running down both sides of her mouth and obvious wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She wore a wrinkled purple silk jacket with matching colored wool trousers, so she looked more like a cleaning lady working at the Prime Minister’s official residence.
Gu Yanran walked over with a bright smile. She wore a streamlined and well-fitting Givenchy evening gown. Standing before Cai Songyin made the differences in their appearances even more obvious. She said to Cai Songyin, “Mrs. Tan, you came back just in time. We are about to cut the cake…”
“What are you doing here?” Cai Songyin asked suspiciously, still uncomfortable from the earlier scene. But she couldn’t make too big of a fuss in front of all these guests and had to save face for Tan Dongbang. Also, it was her precious daughter’s birthday, and she didn’t want to upset her.
Gu Yanran didn’t reply. Tan Guiren quickly said, “Mummy, don’t be angry. Miss Gu is Daddy’s personal assistant. She was the one to plan my birthday party. See, so many guests came today.”
“Personal assistant?” Cai Songyin stifled her anger and looked at Tan Dongbang. “So, it’s not for business? What does our family need Miss Gu’s assistance with?”
“…She’s just taking care of internal affairs within the official residence and also taking care of Little Darling. You know how busy I am and since you were gone, Yanran… Miss Gu decided to help us out a lot.” Prime Minister explained quietly, shooting Cai Songyin a look telling her to stop asking questions.
But Gu Nianzhi saw the opportunity. Why wouldn’t she take advantage of it? She followed them over and clasped her hands with a smile. “So since that’s the case, it’s no wonder Sister said she had to take care of Miss Tan and has no time to take care of me. That’s great. Now that Mrs. Tan is back, Sister doesn’t need to be Prime Minister Tan’s personal assistant anymore.”
Gu Yanran almost choked from hearing Gu Nianzhi’s words. She was about to respond when she realized that any reply she gave would be strange. If she said she would continue to be a personal assistant, then would Cai Songyin let it go? But if she said she wasn’t working anymore, wouldn’t all her money go down the drain? Gu Yanran smiled brightly and pointed at Gu Nianzhi. “Oh you, all you know about is being naughty. Working as the Prime Minister’s personal assistant is official business, how can I quit on a whim?”
“Oh? But Mrs. Tan is back, what else does Sister need to do? The internal affairs at the Prime Minister’s official residence, the Prime Minister’s food, clothing, shelter, accommodation, travel, and itinerary planning, as well as Miss Tan’s day to day life–that’s all Mrs. Tan’s responsibility as the official mistress of the house. What else can Sister do?” Gu Nianzhi raised a brow and smiled gently.
Cai Songyin nodded. “These past few days have been hard for Miss Gu, but the household will have me from now on. You…” She paused, unsure of what else to say.
At this point, Gu Yanran was a bit shocked that Gu Nianzhi would start causing rifts as soon as Cai Songyin returned. She walked to Gu Nianzhi’s side and tapped her shoulder. “Nianzhi, don’t make a fuss. Sister is working officially.” She then quickly glanced at Prime Minister Tan.
“But any future internal affairs regarding the Prime Minister’s home and Miss Tan will all be taken care of by Mrs. Tan. Sister, what would you do as a personal assistant?” Gu Nianzhi spread her palms and revealed a helpless look. “I don’t want you to be too worn out. You are a proper heiress, the oldest daughter of the wealthy Gu family from Barbados, but you’re here serving people. Don’t you think that cheapens your image?”
“…How is being a personal assistant serving people? You’re Yanran’s sister, how can you speak like that?” Prime Minister Tan saw that Gu Yanran was turning pale from Gu Nianzhi’s taunts and couldn’t stand listening anymore. He defended her, saying, “Also, even though my wife is back and the internal affairs of the official residence and my daughter won’t require her help anymore, we still need her to plan and arrange many things at the official residence.”
The corners of Cai Songyin’s eyes twitched. Tan Dongbang was sounding quite intimate in his defense of Gu Yanran…
However, Gu Nianzhi was unfrightened and smiled at Prime Minister Tan as she nodded. “In other words, has Prime Minister Tan asked my sister to take care of internal affairs, as well as business matters?” The office of the Prime Minister’s work schedule and arrangement of the Prime Minister’s itinerary were certainly considered official matters.
Prime Minister Tan nodded and praised her strongly. “Yanran has done very well. With her help, our office’s work efficiency has doubled.”
“Haha, so that’s the case. Prime Minister Tan, how can you break the law knowingly?” Gu Nianzhi pretended to urge him kindly. “Hurry up and terminate my sister’s employment now. I really can’t bear to see you impeached before you even settle into office.”
Tan Dongbang was very wary of the word “impeach,” so he sneered. “I never knew that hiring a personal assistant would result in impeachment! We’ve had so many Prime Ministers throughout our nation’s history, and every single one had their own personal assistant. If there will be any impeachment, bother them first!”
“I don’t know the circumstances of the previous Prime Ministers’ personal assistants. But I do know that using Gu Yanran as a personal assistant to take care of the official business of the Prime Minister’s office is already considered the highest degree of leaking intelligence.” Gu Nianzhi raised her chin and continued pushing the issue. “Gu Yanran has a Barbadian nationality. May I ask everyone if they’ve ever seen a nation’s highest leader use a foreigner to take care of official business?!”
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