Chapter 396: Chapter 397: Calculation

Liu Ruyan said, “I’m only saying this for your own good. This whole affair has always been a mystery. It’s unclear whether it was your mother who embezzled funds or if Gu Mingzhu deliberately set her up. What happened in the past should stay in the past, so long as it does not affect you and your husband’s relationship. However, not long ago, Gu Mingzhu came to see me personally and asked many questions about you, particularly regarding whether you know your mother’s past or not. This made me argue with your father. I felt that you should be made aware, so you can be on guard. I fear that if your mother’s death indeed had something to do with her, she may pose a threat to you. However, your father forbade me from telling you these things. Firstly, he feared it would affect you and Ah Chen, and secondly, our company is currently relying on financial aid from Shengyuan. Sometimes, when you are beholden to others, you have to bow your head.”

Xia Yangyang was taken aback, “What do you mean by when you are beholden to others, you have to bow your head?”

Liu Ruyan replied, “Your father initially didn’t want to tell you this, but actually, our company didn’t get a bank loan. Instead, Shengyuan lent us two hundred million directly, which helped us overcome our difficulties temporarily.”

Xia Yangyang felt her heart race.

She remembered when her father had returned her twelve million.

He claimed that a loan from the Japanese He Yin had solved the company’s crisis. Xia Yangyang, however, hadn’t expected Shengyuan to be the one to step in.

Gu Qichen hadn’t uttered a single word about this till today.

Liu Ruyan continued, “I have a recording of a conversation between Gu Mingzhu and me that might help clear things up.”

Liu Ruyan took out her phone and played an audio recording.

The recording began with Liu Ruyan’s voice: “Was the twenty million donated to the Angel Foundation by you?”

Gu Mingzhu’s voice came from the recording: “What happened all those years ago…I owe Tan Zhen an apology. I only wanted to humiliate her. We fought for so long, and I just wanted her to admit defeat and apologize to me. But I never thought that she would commit suicide over twenty million. I’ve felt guilty for many years and didn’t dare face reality. However, I didn’t expect Yangyang to be Tan Zhen’s daughter. It really is karmic retribution.”

The recording abruptly ended there.

Xia Yangyang could tell that it was Gu Mingzhu and Liu Ruyan’s voices.

Xia Yangyang felt a chill run through her body.

So, the twenty million was indeed Gu Mingzhu intentionally setting up a trap for her mother.

Xia Yangyang felt her blood slowly turn cold.

Liu Ruyan said, “I know I’m your stepmother, and you might not trust anything I say or think that I truly care for you. You may choose to confront Gu Mingzhu about this. I presume she won’t deny it. However, as your father said, the incident is in the past, and you and Ah Chen are already married…”

Xia Yangyang responded coldly, “Enough with your pretense. Isn’t the reason why you let Xia Weiwei get close to the film crew just so that she could reveal my mother’s death has something to do with Gu Mingzhu, leading me to investigate? You knew that I would eventually confront you. You’ve been baiting me with the conversation you recorded, haven’t you? You’re just trying to use this old grudge to drive a wedge between me and Gu Qichen. Because Xia Weiwei has feelings for Gu Qichen, you want to bring me down, so Weiwei can take my place, don’t you? Even if Gu Mingzhu was the perpetrator back then, you don’t need to play the good person here. Everything today, all your steps, are calculated by you, Liu Ruyan, aren’t they?”