Chapter 2
Memories came flooding back—dark and sharp.
She thought of all the things she had done in her past life under the guise of kindness: "helping" orphans and widows, playing the part of a good person while feeding into the Gu family's twisted power games. And worst of all, she remembered the moment her mother was denied timely treatment—because she didn't meet Gu Mingzhu's so-called "rescue criteria." That delay had cost her mother her life.
And all of it... all of it began with her father's downfall.
There was no time to hesitate.
"Mom, call Dad. Now!" Gu Xi said, her voice tight with urgency.
Wei Xiangqin blinked in surprise. "What? Why? Your dad's at work. He's busy with—"
"I need to talk to him, right now!" Gu Xi interrupted, reaching toward her mother's jacket pocket. "It's urgent!"
"Okay, okay," Wei Xiangqin said, trying to calm her. She gently pushed her daughter's hand away and added, "My phone's in my bag. I'll get it for you."
Gu Xi grabbed the phone the moment it was handed to her. Her hands trembled slightly as she unlocked it and went straight into the contact list. She couldn't remember her father's number—it had been so many years—but once she saw his name, the digits came rushing back. She pressed call.
The line rang.
Once. Twice. Still no answer.
She gritted her teeth, her free hand clenching the bedsheet. "Why isn't he picking up?"
"Maybe he's still talking to the guests," Wei Xiangqin offered gently. "Or he's in a noisy area. He's on-site after all."
"Who went with him?" Gu Xi asked quickly. "Did he bring his phone?"
"I... I think Zhang Yue went with him," Wei Xiangqin said hesitantly.
Gu Xi's stomach twisted.
Zhang Yue. The very man who had betrayed them. Who had framed her father. Who had handed her family over to the wolves.
She took a shaky breath. "Where's Brother Liu?" she asked. Liu was her father's longtime driver and most trusted subordinate.
"Your second aunt's family needed the car for something. He dropped you off at the hospital and went to help them," Wei Xiangqin replied. She watched her daughter carefully. "Why don't you try calling Zhang Yue? I have his number here—"
"No!" Gu Xi cut her off sharply.
Wei Xiangqin flinched at her tone. "Xixi, what's wrong? What's so urgent? Your dad adores you. As soon as he's free, he'll come."
But Gu Xi couldn't wait. She looked at the wall clock—12:08 p.m.
Time was running out.
If she remembered correctly, her father would be framed before 1 p.m. Everything would spiral from there.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up.
"Xixi! What are you doing? You're still sick!" Wei Xiangqin cried, reaching to steady her.
"I'm fine," Gu Xi said, grabbing her shoes with trembling fingers. "I need to go now. If I don't stop this, everything will happen again."
Wei Xiangqin looked helplessly at her daughter—who only hours ago had been unconscious and feverish, and was now pale-faced, burning with intensity.
"Please, Mom. Trust me," Gu Xi said softly, meeting her mother's eyes. "I know it sounds crazy. But I promise, I'll explain later. I just have to get to Dad."