Chapter 353: The Safe Deposit Box
After Father Gu hung up the phone, he hurried downstairs.
The cake prepared for him remained untouched and had now been knocked over onto the floor. The dining room on the first floor was in chaos, with the children standing off against each other. Wu Yue had already left, and for the moment, Father Gu couldn’t figure out who was responsible for knocking over the cake.
But there was no need to dwell on that now. Father Gu looked at Madam Gu, who was still crying, and asked, “Who is your favorite child?”
Madam Gu was startled by this bizarre question, and her sobs abruptly stopped.
She had never been particularly wise, but she had plenty of cunning. Even though the family was currently in disarray, she knew she couldn’t speak recklessly, lest she ruin her relationships with the children.
“Every child is my favorite,” she finally said. Then, glancing at Gu Xueying, who was standing off to the side, she added, “Except for this little wretch!”
Father Gu’s face darkened as he scanned the four children. Realizing he couldn’t rely on his wife, he turned to Gu Fengchuan and said, “The car will be here to pick us up soon. We are going to meet the Red Dragon King. Be obedient. Once the crisis in the Gu family is over, you will take over all matters concerning the family business.”
Gu Fengchuan had been resentful earlier because his position as heir had been threatened. But upon hearing this, his anger over his father hiding the existence of an illegitimate child dissipated.
“Alright, Dad.”
Gu Yujing, on the other hand, was still watching the drama unfold with amusement. He smirked and said, “Big Brother still trusts Dad so much. Aren’t you afraid you’ll be sold out and still help him count the money?”
Father Gu was fed up with his youngest son’s sarcastic remarks. He stormed over, grabbed Gu Yujing by the collar, and snarled, “This family has provided you with food and shelter. You love painting, so we hired famous teachers for you. What exactly are you so dissatisfied with? Look outside—how many people would kill to live a life like yours!”
Gu Yujing burst into laughter. “A great life! Truly a great life! Fathers and sons who don’t act like family, siblings who aren’t real siblings—this life of selling one’s children for glory must be something people outside would die for!”
Father Gu roared, “You think the world outside is any cleaner? Plenty of people would sell themselves and still not get a good price! If you keep up this madness, I’ll disown you!”
The so-called threat was nothing but a joke to Gu Yujing.
“You think I’m desperate to stay in this filthy nest?”
Seeing that talking to him was useless, Father Gu turned to his second son, Gu Shuangbai, and ordered, “The Gu family business belongs to you as well. Keep an eye on this brat! Don’t let him cause trouble!”
Gu Shuangbai wasn’t someone who truly disregarded everything—he just sought excitement. He quickly agreed and motioned for a trusted servant to come over and lock his younger brother in a room.
Father Gu then turned to Gu Xueying and instructed, “The child in your belly was personally requested by the Dragon King. Nothing can happen to it. Stay away from those two brothers.”
Gu Xueying nodded with reddened eyes. She had never expected her child to be so openly discussed like this. But now, apart from clinging to the Gu family like a lifeline, she had nothing. She had no courage to resist.
Father and Mother Gu took Gu Fengchuan and got into the car. The driver who came to pick them up was a middle-aged man wearing sunglasses, despite it being nighttime.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Gu Fengchuan clearly saw a long, thin scar running from the corner of the man’s eye to his ear. For some reason, his heart sank. He had a feeling this trip wouldn’t be smooth.
“Driver, where is the Dragon King taking us?” Father Gu asked.
He had expected the driver to remain silent, but surprisingly, the man answered.
As soon as he spoke, everyone in the car felt as though their ears were being scraped by a blade—the driver’s voice was just that hoarse and grating.
“Hunan Province.”
“Why are we going there?” The Gu family was confused.
The driver chuckled. “Xu Youyou is there. Haven’t you noticed? Ever since she appeared, the Gu family has been suffering setback after setback. She is the source of your misfortune. The only way to save the Gu family is to take all the luck and fortune from her.”
Father and Mother Gu, upon hearing this, were overjoyed. They had never felt any affection for Xu Youyou, the child who had never called them “Mom” or “Dad.” Their only attachment was to their wealth.
If sacrificing Xu Youyou meant securing long-lasting prosperity, they would rush forward faster than anyone else.
Only Gu Fengchuan still felt uneasy. He hesitated before asking, “If the Dragon King is going to perform a ritual, why does he need all three of us to go?”
Father and Mother Gu also began to feel a little suspicious.
The driver let out a low chuckle. “You are all Xu Youyou’s blood relatives. Your freshest blood is needed as a medium. Otherwise, how could the ritual harm her?”
Father Gu immediately nodded. “Makes sense. If we really want to deal with that wretched girl, this is the best way.”
None of them considered any alternative. They all assumed that as blood sacrifices, they wouldn’t have to lose much blood.
Meanwhile, on Xu Youyou’s side, she had come up with a brilliant idea and quickly sought out Madam Wu for assistance. With Old Master Wu’s guidance and Xu Youyou acting as the intermediary, they went through a series of complicated rituals. Finally, what had originally been an empty cellar now contained a safe deposit box.
“Good thing Miss Xu has such a good memory,” Madam Wu marveled. “My father spoke so much to you in his dream, and the steps were so complex, yet you remembered everything without a single mistake.”
Xu Youyou couldn’t reveal the truth, so she simply said, “I’ve had a sharp memory since I was young. But you executed everything flawlessly as well—not a single mistake.”
Madam Wu smiled. “I used to be interested in these occult arts as a child, so I paid extra attention to them. But my father didn’t want his children continuing this path—he wanted us to live honest and proper lives.”
Suddenly, a mournful voice whispered in Xu Youyou’s ear, “My precious daughter… she looks so much older now…”
Xu Youyou sighed inwardly. Madam Wu had been running around non-stop these past few days—keeping Wu Xiaoguang in check while worrying about Old Master Wu. How could she not be exhausted?
Just then, Wu Xiaoguang suddenly burst in, his eyes locking onto the antique, intricately designed wooden safe deposit box in Xu Youyou’s arms.
“You brought an outsider into the cellar, even though you wouldn’t let me in, Auntie!” Wu Xiaoguang accused, then pointed at the box. “That’s a family heirloom! How can an outsider take it?!”
