After divorcing the mute girl, President Gu knelt down and begged for reconciliation.

Chapter 102 His Secret
Gu Xijue looked at her, his eyes flickering, his fingers clenching: "But I don't like her."

"Mother, do you want me to follow in the footsteps of you and Father?"

Madam Gu clearly hadn't expected him to say that, and her face finally fell: "You're with Song Jin'an, aren't you just following in the footsteps of your father and me? What, could it be that you've really fallen for that mute girl?"

This time, she was absolutely certain that Gu Xijue's feelings for Song Jin'an were not quite right.

Gu Xijue did not answer the second half of her sentence, but instead focused on the first half: "Marrying Du Lan is no different from marrying Song Jin'an, but there is one difference. At least Song Jin'an and I have been working together for four years. Even if you raise a dog, you can't just replace it whenever you want."

It could be said that he would rather live a bumpy life with Song Jin'an than marry Du Lan to achieve his goal.

“I admit that the Du family can indeed help me.” Gu Xijue stared at the aggressive Madam Gu in front of him and then said, “But the Du family will also be able to reach into the Gu family. Du Lan’s brother is useless. Even if he is useless, he is still Du Minghua’s own son. Mother, aren’t you afraid that the Du family will use you and then discard you? At that time, I’m afraid that you won’t be able to maintain your dignity.”

Every word he said was like a dagger to the heart, as if the Gu family was about to collapse.

Madam Gu forced herself not to hit her unfilial son, and only said one sentence before leaving.

"Think about it carefully."

She did not compromise, and even felt that marrying Duran was the most advantageous option, both for the sake of the Gu family and for her own inner conviction.

Because she will never be inferior to Zhao Meigui's child. How could that woman's child possibly be as good as hers?

……

On the other side, Jiang Ciyu had just returned from the driving range. Because he was not married, he had been living in the old house and had not moved out like his older brother who was engaged.

His gaze was indifferent, and his face showed a drowsy, ordinary expression. He walked into the villa's living room and saw Jiang Huai sitting on the sofa, clearly waiting for him.

Jiang Ciyu walked up to him and respectfully called out, "Father."

Jiang Huai glanced at Jiang Ciyu, still sitting on the sofa, but his voice was sharper: "Where did you go running around so early in the morning?"

He knew in his heart that his son was unruly but not one to run away in the face of trouble. Looking at Jiang Ciyu's nonchalant appearance, he looked him up and down and said, "How can you show this outfit to anyone? Go upstairs and change into the one your Aunt Zhou put together."

Jiang Ciyu responded with a calm "yes," and then Jiang Huai continued, "You should know why the Du family is here, I don't need to explain, do I?"

Jiang Ciyu paused for a moment, but didn't speak first. Instead, she walked to the tea table, boiled the water, carefully selected the tea leaves and put them in. After several rounds of brewing, she finally made a cup of tea, then carried it over with both hands and handed it to Jiang Huai.

"Father, please have some tea."

Jiang Huai glanced at him, but didn't make things difficult for him. He took the teacup, took a sip, looked at him again, and then said, "I prefer Du Lan. Her family background is a good match. You met her at the party, right? What do you think?"

Jiang Ciyu has always been someone who doesn't have many ideas in the Jiang family, and he basically won't refuse anything Jiang Huai asks him to do.

But this time, something seemed off. She didn't avoid Jiang Huai's gaze at all: "I don't have any interest in the Du family's daughter." "Father, everyone in Haicheng knows that Gu Xijue is the Du family's prey. This time, he came to our Jiang family simply to make trouble for the Gu family."

The Gu and Du families have always had some interaction, but for the past few decades, the Gu and Jiang families have been at odds. The Du family's actions at this time are simply an attempt to force Gu Xijue to make a decision.

When Jiang Huai heard what Jiang Ciyu said, he was surprised that the son he had raised had such insights.

Could it be that he already knows something?
Jiang Huai's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a bitter taste in his mouth, but his gaze remained as unpleasant as ever: "Do you think I don't know that the Du family is here to cause trouble?"

Then, without any hesitation, he said some things that Jiang Ciyu could hear.

"But now Du Minghua's thoughts are not just about putting on eye drops." After saying that, he took another sip of tea and continued, "He is thinking that it is not impossible to turn the charade into reality."

"Du Minghua has always known that I have a karmic entanglement with Gu Donglin. Over the years, our two families have been fighting for profits in the business world. Our Jiang family is no worse than the Gu family!"

Jiang Ciyu remained calm when she heard Jiang Huai say these things, because she knew that the Gu family and the Jiang family had been fighting for many years.

But he didn't know much about the grudges, only vaguely heard about them. It was just a game of love and power from the previous generation. Jiang Ciyu had been waiting for the day when Jiang Huai would tell him.

The truth of the matter, what exactly happened, is what he learned by going around seeking out information.

Jiang Ciyu looked at her father and said, "Father, I don't think this is a good thing."

“The Jiang family’s businesses are all in my eldest brother’s hands. I’m just doing odd jobs at the company. My eldest brother already has a fiancée and will be getting married soon, so why should the Du family choose me?”

He was nothing more than the second son of the Jiang family, who was just a freeloader. He only had the right to use the Jiang family's property, not the right to decide on it, so he had nothing that belonged to him. So why would the Du family still want him?

Jiang Huai paused upon hearing his analysis, placed the teacup steadily on the table, and looked at him seriously: "Are you blaming me for not finding you a proper position at the company?"

“Father, I had no such intention.”

After he finished speaking, Jiang Huai sighed: "It's good that you don't have that thought."

Sometimes, Jiang Ciyu even wondered if he was his father's biological son, because his mother had taught him since he was a child that he was only the second son and should not compete with his older brother for power. At that time, his mother was still alive, and his father was very happy. He would often hold him and play with his mother. But when he was only seven or eight years old, his mother died of cancer, and his father's love and attention for him gradually decreased.

Gradually, the father turned his attention to his half-brother, and his hopes were also placed on him.

A few years later, the Jiang family welcomed its third matriarch. Although this Aunt Zhou was unable to give the Jiang family any more children, she was still favored by the father.

"No matter what, you should take a look at this Miss Du. Maybe she'll suit your taste."

Jiang Huai still hadn't given up on forcing Du Lan on him. His face was filled with power, not a trace of fatherly affection. Seeing his determination, Jiang Ciyu didn't argue anymore. Instead, he nodded and said, "I understand, Father."

(End of this chapter)