Gu Yaoqing was dragged to the Gu family hall in stunned disbelief.
The rattan cane, soaked in cold salt water, was firmly grasped in hand. With a powerful swing, it sliced through the air with a "whoosh" and landed squarely on his body.
One strike, and his skin split open.
"Ah! It hurts!" Gu Yaoqing cried out in pain, begging, "Grandfather! I was wrong, Grandfather! It hurts!"
His pleas were met only by the sound of the cane tearing through the air and the searing pain of the wounds crisscrossing his body.
The indifferent gazes of everyone present made Gu Yaoqing feel as though his self-respect, the image he had painstakingly cultivated over the years, was being shattered with every lash.
Gu Yaoqing knew in his heart that this beating was just the beginning.
Endless darkness awaited him, and he feared he would never rise again in the Gu family.
Despair and pain intertwined, weaving a mournful curse from his bloody wounds.
Gu Yaoqing dared not look at Gu Yaoyang. He feared seeing triumph in Gu Yaoyang's eyes, the joy of victory on his face.
Yet, he couldn't help himself. The less he wanted to look, the more his gaze drifted towards Gu Yaoyang.
In that instant, Gu Yaoqing realized the most agonizing thing wasn't the beating, nor the triumph he might see in Gu Yaoyang's eyes, nor the joy of victory on Gu Yaoyang's face.
What truly tormented him was the cold indifference in Gu Yaoyang's eyes.
A coldness that seemed to view him as nothing more than an ant.
As if his death here today, beaten to death, would be an utterly trivial matter to Gu Yaoyang.
This realization was the most direct humiliation for Gu Yaoqing, who had always considered Gu Yaoyang his nemesis.
The pain was excruciating, piercing to his very bones with each blow, each one seemingly endless, or perhaps, on the verge of ending his life.
His consciousness began to blur. Gu Yaoqing no longer dared to meet Gu Yaoyang's gaze and shifted his eyes to Yu Linwan.
He could never have imagined that Yu Linwan would betray him.
How could Yu Linwan have obtained so much evidence? It was impossible!
If Yu Linwan had investigated everything so meticulously, why would she have collapsed like a bitch over his affair with Wen Shengsheng?
Gu Yaoqing was unwilling. He refused to believe he would be defeated by a woman.
His gaze moved up from Yu Linwan's knees.
Yu Linwan, who always appeared delicate, now seemed even thinner and more disheveled. Her shoulders were slightly hunched, and she shielded her face with one hand, as if unable to bear witness.
Beneath her partially covering hand, the corners of her pale lips curved upwards.
At first glance, Gu Yaoqing thought he was hallucinating from the pain.
Another lash landed on his back. Gu Yaoqing threw his head back in pain, his panicked gaze settling permanently on Yu Linwan's ashen face.
Through the gaps between her slender, fair fingers, her narrow eyes peeked out, cold and seemingly gazing at a drowning dog on its last breath…
Confirming he wasn't mistaken, Gu Yaoqing's eyes widened abruptly. Then, his vision gradually darkened, and he quickly lost consciousness.
"He's fainted."
"Have someone send him back to his room and keep a close watch." The Gu family patriarch's voice was filled with exhaustion. "Yaoyang and Linwan, you two stay. The rest of you… you may all leave."
Hearing the Gu family patriarch's words, other influential figures in the Gu family rose and headed for the exit, casting meaningful glances at Gu Yaoyang as they left.
It seemed the Gu family's future successor was about to be officially decided.
Another look at Yu Linwan, and the gazes of others became more nuanced.
But for now, they remained silent, leaving quietly one by one.
"Linwan, you have suffered an injustice," the Gu family patriarch said, comforting Yu Linwan beside him.
"Grandfather, since I am married to Yaoqing, I wish for his well-being more than anyone else. It's just… it's just that these matters are too egregious. I've pondered for a long time and truly cannot bear to watch him continue down the wrong path. " Yu Linwan sobbed a couple of times before speaking. "My heart is in turmoil, and I don't know if what I've done is right or wrong. Will Yaoqing… hate me."
"Rest assured, he wouldn't dare with me here," the Gu family patriarch said. "Since you have married into the Gu family, you are my Gu family's daughter-in-law. Grandfather will support you. As for the evidence… leave it with me for now. If he dares to do anything to wrong you, the Gu family's rules will not spare him."
"Grandfather, with your words, I am at ease," Yu Linwan managed a faint smile on her pale face, like a delicate flower after the rain, trembling and pitiable with the slightest breeze. "Grandfather, I have one more thing I wish to ask of you."
"Tell me," the Gu family patriarch said, looking at Yu Linwan.
"Although you are punishing Yaoqing for his own good and to uphold justice for me, I know you are still angry, but… but I still wish to presumptuously request you to show leniency and invite a doctor to treat Yaoqing's wounds. I, I'm afraid he…" As she spoke, Yu Linwan lowered her head and began to sob again, her voice trembling.
"Yaoqing is fortunate to have a wife like you. Alas…" the Gu family patriarch sighed. "As you say, you may go and see him as well."
"Thank you, Grandfather!" Yu Linwan then stood up as if she had received a grace. She cast one last glance at Gu Yaoyang before turning to leave.
Once her back was turned, Yu Linwan raised her head, which had been lowered, and gently wiped away the tears with her fingertips, a faint smile curving her lips.
If Gu Yaoqing were to die like this, it would be too boring.
After Yu Linwan left, the Gu family patriarch let out another heavy sigh and closed his eyes wearily. "Yaoyang, come sit by me."
"Yes." Gu Yaoyang responded and sat beside the Gu family patriarch.
"Do you know why I beat Gu Yaoqing today?" the Gu family patriarch asked, his eyes still closed, his voice tired.
"To put on a show for Yu Linwan and the Gu family," Gu Yaoyang replied, excluding Yu Linwan from the Gu family and understanding the Gu family patriarch's intention.
"Is the information Yu Linwan gave me something you provided her?" the Gu family patriarch inquired.
"No," Gu Yaoyang denied. "If it were me, I would have chosen a more suitable time."
Yu Linwan's actions today, immediately after Gu Yaoqing's infidelity scandal broke, were undeniably fueled by a desire for revenge and threat.
The Gu family patriarch, going along with Yu Linwan's wishes, had Gu Yaoqing beaten. On the surface, it appeared the patriarch was upright and impartial.
However, if he were truly upright and impartial, Gu Yaoqing would have been arrested and sent to jail by now.
The Gu family patriarch had, through a beating, protected Gu Yaoqing and silenced the other members of the Gu family.
Most importantly, he had appeased Yu Linwan.