The Heiress's Game

By the time we arrived at the Gu family's old house, it was already broad daylight.

Dahai City is located by the sea, and the air is always filled with a faint salty smell.

The Gu family manor is located halfway up the mountain and covers a vast area. It is the kind of manor-style building where it takes several minutes to drive from the wrought iron gate to the main building.

When Bai Junze's car drove through the gate, the butler was already waiting under the porch.

He silently opened the car door, called out "Second Miss" in a hoarse voice, and then called Bai Junze "son-in-law".

Gu Yunjin wore a black suit with a skirt that went past her knees and a neckline that reached her collarbone.

From the moment she stepped inside, her expression shifted to a perfectly measured blend of sorrow and restraint.

Bai Junze walked half a step behind her, neither too close nor too far, his suit jacket buttons fastened meticulously.

Passing through the entryway, the view suddenly opens up.

The living room of the Gu family's old house has an extremely high ceiling, with an elaborate crystal chandelier hanging from the dome.

Wang Manyun was standing in the center of the living room. She had changed into a plain black cheongsam with a small pearl brooch at the collar.

She was quietly instructing the housekeeper on how to handle the funeral arrangements, with remarkable clarity: contact the consulate, coordinate with the local police, arrange a charter flight to transport the body back to China, and notify the group's internal and media relations departments to prepare an obituary.

Her eyes were slightly red, and there was a barely noticeable red mark on the tip of her nose, but other than that, there was no sign of her losing her composure.

This woman, born into a family of politicians and businessmen, still stood tall and straight even in this moment of utter devastation.

"Mom." Gu Yunjin stepped forward and gently squeezed Wang Manyun's hand.

Wang Manyun then grasped her hand in return, "Yunjin, Junze, you're here."

Wang Manyun's voice was a little hoarse, "Yunxuan is on his way back and should arrive this afternoon."

Your father is still in the study. He hasn't come out since last night, and he hasn't eaten anything.

Gu Yunjin didn't say much, but simply squeezed Wang Manyun's hand.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside, followed by the living room door being pushed open violently, slamming against the doorstop with a loud bang.

Gu Mingyue rushed in. The former top socialite of Dahai City looked as if she had just struggled to crawl out of a nightmare.

Her hair was disheveled and scattered on her shoulders, her face was deathly pale, and her eyes were so swollen that she could barely open them.

Her belly was swollen high, and her eight-month pregnancy made her look clumsy and fragile. Her husband, Zhao Zongheng, followed closely behind, covered in sweat, and tried to support her arm, but she shook him off violently.

Gu Mingyue's gaze swept across the living room and landed on Wang Manyun.

"It's you! Wang Manyun! You murderer! You killed my older brother!"

Don't think I don't know what you're up to! Your elder brother is dead, and your son, Gu Yunxuan, is the heir! You and your son have been waiting for this day for a long time, haven't you?

"Mingyue, calm down—you can't get so agitated right now—" Zhao Zongheng shouted hurriedly.

"How can I stay calm! My brother is dead! My sister-in-law is dead! My nephew is so young, he hasn't even started elementary school yet—my brother's entire family of three is dead!"

Gu Mingyue stood in the center of the living room, pointing at Wang Manyun, her fingers trembling violently with extreme excitement.

"Murderer! Wang Manyun, you're the murderer! Do you think I don't know? You are the murderer!"

"Mingyue!" Zhao Zongheng's face turned completely pale. He rushed forward and hugged his wife from behind, protecting her stomach with one hand and trying to cover her mouth with the other.

"Stop talking! You're upsetting the baby—"

Wang Manyun's expression changed in that instant.

She wasn't the type to be easily angered by a few insults, but the word "murderer" still broke her.

She slowly put down the list of belongings she was checking with the housekeeper, turned around to face Gu Mingyue, and slightly raised her chin.

Considering Gu Mingyue's pregnancy, she made no move to provoke her, but simply ordered Zhao Zongheng: "Zhao Zongheng, take your wife out. She's emotionally unstable right now, and I don't want to argue with her."

"I'm not going out! I just want to say—" Gu Mingyue broke free from her husband's hand, rushed forward two more steps, her eyes so red they were almost bleeding.

Her finger abruptly shifted from Wang Manyun to Gu Yunjin, who stood beside her. "And you! Gu Yunjin! You think you can escape? You and Wang Manyun are cut from the same cloth! My brother—"

Before she could finish speaking, a sharp slap cut her off.

Gu Mingyue turned her head to one side, her hair falling down to cover half of her face. She froze there as if a pause button had been pressed, and the entire living room fell into a deathly silence for a moment.

The folder in the housekeeper's hand almost fell to the ground. Zhao Zongheng stared wide-eyed at his sister-in-law, his lips trembling as he couldn't utter a single word.

Even Wang Manyun was slightly taken aback, and couldn't help but take another look at her stepdaughter.

Gu Mingyue covered her face, staring wide-eyed at Gu Yunjin, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief, even forgetting to cry.

Gu Yunjin rubbed her hands.

"Do you want everyone to see the Gu family make a fool of themselves? There are so many eyes watching the Gu family right now, waiting to see how we fight amongst ourselves."

Do you think we're as brainless as you? Murdering the Gu family heir in a foreign land.

How difficult is this kind of thing—local police, consulates, Interpol, which link can you get through?

Tell me, how do you plan to stage a car accident in the Alps that is so precise that the car will crash through the guardrail while you escape unscathed?

If you have any high-tech solutions that I'm unaware of, feel free to tell me now, and I'll analyze their feasibility for you.

Gu Mingyue's lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a single word.

"You're pregnant now, and getting emotionally agitated is bad for the fetus. I don't need to teach you that."

Gu Yunjin looked down at her, his cold gaze sweeping over her protruding belly.

"Eating more DHA during pregnancy is good for you and your baby."

After all, while the probability of intelligence being inherited across generations is low, it's always better to take steps to improve it than to do nothing at all.

Gu Mingyue covered her swollen belly as if confirming something, and then tears welled up silently.

Gu Yunjin had already walked up to Zhao Zongheng, and took out a tissue from her bag and handed it to him.

"Take your wife to the side room to calm down. Dad is still in the study; don't let him hear this."

Zhao Zongheng took the tissue, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he couldn't say anything. He just looked at Gu Yunjin with an extremely complicated look, and then carefully helped his wife walk to the side hall.

Supported by him, Gu Mingyue's steps were unsteady. As she passed Gu Yunjin, she let out a muffled, almost sobbing sound, as if she wanted to say something but dared not speak it.