Chapter 87: An Eye for an Eye
Initially, when Lu Jingyao saw Gu Jianming, he didn’t think much of it, assuming he was just another acquaintance in their social circle. He was about to raise his glass in response when he was suddenly caught off guard by the man’s words.
“My daughter has been fortunate to receive so much of your care. It’s her great blessing to have won your favor,” Gu Jianming continued.
Lu Jingyao had previously asked Assistant Liu to investigate Xu Youyou, but the investigation hadn’t been thorough enough to uncover the truth about her being a fake heiress.
“Mr. Gu, you must be mistaken. I don’t know Miss Gu, so how could I have taken care of her?” Lu Jingyao replied.
Gu Jianming turned to look at Xu Youyou.
She was also gazing at this so-called father of hers. In her past life, many of the misfortunes that had befallen her had seemed orchestrated by Gu Xueying and her three brothers. But in reality, the one who had been supporting them from behind the scenes was Gu Jianming.
As the head of the Gu family, there was no way he could have been unaware of the rotten deeds his children were up to. He simply chose to turn a blind eye because the Gu family needed to stay in the good graces of Gu Xueying’s fiancé. So he had indulged their actions, allowing them to use Xu Youyou as a mere plaything for Gu Xueying’s amusement.
When Gu Xueying had fallen down the stairs and lost her baby, Xu Youyou had desperately tried to prove her innocence, insisting that she hadn’t pushed her. But her brothers had already convicted her in their minds, verbally abusing her without restraint.
Yet at that moment, amidst the chaos, Xu Youyou had caught sight of Gu Jianming standing on the third floor, watching coldly from above.
She had placed all her hopes in him, believing that as her father, he would speak the truth and stand up for her.
But what had he said?
“You were standing so close to Xueying—who else could it have been if not you?”
With those words, Xu Youyou had been cast out of the Gu family.
Now, Gu Jianming had no idea that she was drowning in memories of her past suffering. He only noticed that the daughter he’d never met before was looking at him with a strange expression.
Since Xu Youyou didn’t seem to be resisting, and she wasn’t acting as uncouth as his wife had described, he naturally assumed that deep down, she must yearn for a father’s love. Confident in his assumption, he reached out, intending to place a hand on her shoulder.
“Mr. Lu, Xu Youyou is actually our Gu family’s—”
What Gu Jianming didn’t know was that Xu Youyou had been waiting for this moment.
On the surface, Gu Jianming appeared to be a devoted husband. But he had a habit—whether it was with his daughter or female subordinates, he liked to casually rest his hand on their shoulders.
Because of his status, none of these women dared to voice their discomfort. It was too minor to report as harassment, yet too inappropriate to be ignored. They had no choice but to endure it.
But just as his hand was about to touch Xu Youyou’s shoulder, she moved.
Having trained in self-defense, she swiftly grabbed his hand, twisted his arm, and tripped him with her foot.
Her stiletto heel dug mercilessly into his calf.
A sharp, agonized scream filled the air.
The once dignified Gu Jianming crashed to the floor, his wine glass shattering into pieces, golden champagne splashing everywhere.
The ballroom, where guests typically spoke in refined, hushed tones, fell utterly silent as all eyes turned toward them.
Before Gu Jianming could react, Xu Youyou raised her voice and accused him first.
“What do you think you’re doing, putting your hands on me? You disgusting old pervert!”
Gasps echoed around the room. Guests exchanged knowing glances, their expressions filled with judgment.
Gu Jianming’s head buzzed in disbelief. He had anticipated many scenarios, but being falsely accused in such a manner by his own daughter was not one of them. The murmurs around him burned his skin, reminding him of the most humiliating moments of his past.
Although Gu Jianming’s wife and Gu Xueying found the situation incredibly embarrassing, they knew he was the head of the family. They hurried over to help him up.
His once-immaculate, custom-made suit was now completely ruined. As he got to his feet, he immediately tried to defend himself.
“She’s lying! I didn’t touch her!”
Lu Jingyao stepped in front of Xu Youyou, his face dark and unreadable.
“Mr. Gu, please conduct yourself properly. I saw exactly what happened,” he stated coldly.
Gu Xueying, seizing the chance to speak to Lu Jingyao, quickly interjected, “Mr. Lu, you’re mistaken! My father and she—they’re not in that kind of relationship!”
Unexpectedly, this only made Lu Jingyao angrier.
“Miss Xu is a respectable woman. She has no relation to your father whatsoever,” he snapped.
Gu Xueying’s eyes reddened at his words.
Madam Gu, furious and distressed, insisted, “How could she not be related to us? She’s our daughter… our adopted daughter!”
If Gu Xueying hadn’t tugged at her sleeve, Madam Gu might have blurted out the whole truth.
The surrounding guests, who had initially thought this was a case of an old lecher preying on a young woman, were now intrigued by the unexpected twist.
Xu Youyou found herself reminiscing about her past life—how foolish she had been to believe that returning to the Gu family as an adopted daughter would bring her happiness. In the end, she had been nothing more than a disposable pawn.
Back then, she had endured countless moments like this—moments where she had been forced to swallow her grievances in the name of “keeping the peace.”
But not this time.
Raising her voice, she declared, “I grew up in an orphanage! I never ate a single grain of the Gu family’s rice or drank a drop of their water. How am I suddenly your adopted daughter?”
Madam Gu’s eyes widened in rage. She lowered her voice and hissed, “You ungrateful little brat! Didn’t the orphanage teach you to think of the bigger picture?”
Xu Youyou flashed a wicked smile.
“Teaching children is the responsibility of their parents. Too bad mine are both dead.”
Madam Gu nearly had a stroke on the spot.
Xu Youyou pressed on, her voice ringing out clearly, “Even if I were your adopted daughter, would that give your husband the right to lay his hands on me?”
The murmuring among the guests resumed.
“This girl is indeed beautiful… Could Gu Jianming really have had improper thoughts?”
“He was so desperate to touch her even in public. Imagine what he’s like in private.”
Gu Jianming’s face twisted in fury as he bellowed, “I never touched her! I barely raised my hand before she attacked me!”
Xu Youyou retorted smoothly, “Then why were you raising your hand toward me in the first place? Isn’t that suspicious?”
Her thin-strapped dress exposed her delicate shoulders, making her look even more alluring.
Realizing how the other men were staring at her, Lu Jingyao immediately took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders, shooting a warning glance at the crowd.
Xu Youyou tugged lightly at his sleeve, unconcerned about the stares. She didn’t care what these people thought of her. In high society, alliances were based on wealth, not morality. She had nothing to lose.
But Lu Jingyao clearly saw things differently.
With an authoritative air, he declared, “I expect Mr. Gu to take responsibility for his inappropriate behavior and apologize to Miss Xu.”
