Shu Zhongze compared it and found that the craftsmanship of the iron box was exactly the same as the one his mother left behind, made with the same handiwork.
The Shen family still had descendants, but why would the Shen family's descendants threaten Gu Susu? They seemed to have no connection at all, nor any relationship between them?
Or perhaps the person who threatened Gu Susu happened to use a box previously made by the Shen family?
He couldn't figure it out now. He could only place the two boxes together, gazing at his mother's portrait hanging on the wall, lost in memories of the past.
It wasn't until Jia Nanfang knocked on the door and pulled him out of his memories that he heard Jia Nanfang's gentle voice, and he couldn't bring himself to be harsh.
Back then, his mother and Yu Wanru were traveling in the same car. To avoid the pursuit of media reporters, the driver sped and had a serious car accident in the river tunnel.
Wanru and the driver died at the scene, and his mother was severely injured.
His mother was rushed to the hospital and after rescue, it was thought her life could be saved, but after suffering for more than a month, she passed away.
During this month, Jia Nanfang, as his assistant, did her utmost to care for his mother in the hospital, unafraid of dirt or fatigue, attending to her every need, from changing her soiled clothes to serving her. Everyone around was moved.
On his mother's deathbed, she tightly held his hand and said, "Zhongze, Nanfang is a good girl. I already consider her family, and you must treat her well in the future. I know Wanru is heartbroken without you, but if I am also gone, then you should marry Fangfang. She is the most suitable person to be your wife."
At that time, he was completely immersed in immense grief and only remembered everything his mother had said. He hadn't thought about the future at all.
After his mother passed away, he felt completely empty and collapsed. He sought solace in the world of romance, using fleeting novelty and satisfaction to numb himself.
At that time, the only person who always stayed by his side was Jia Nanfang. Even if he hadn't had much genuine affection for Jia Nanfang originally, after they had been together and adapted to each other for so long, he couldn't be too harsh on her.
Not long after, he tidied up his emotions and came out of his mother's room.
As soon as he went downstairs, he smelled the rich aroma of pig stomach soup, a scent familiar to him.
Jia Nanfang saw him come out and quickly went to meet him, saying, "I stewed the chicken and pig stomach soup you like best. I prepared all the ingredients yesterday. But you didn't come back last night, so I kept the ingredients fresh, and I've specially stewed this for you."
Shu Zhongze's expression remained indifferent, and he followed her to the dining room.
She personally served him a bowl of soup and then softly chattered, "Although it's a bit rushed and I used a slow cooker, I've been watching the heat. Look, the color of the soup is just right. Hurry up and taste it to see if it's fresh!"
Jia Nanfang stood respectfully, regarding him as her heaven.
Shu Zhongze finally softened his tone and said, "Sit down too, and eat together."
Jia Nanfang did not sit, but still said respectfully, "No need. You must have been too busy with company matters last night. Let me serve you a good meal."
Shu Zhongze directly pulled her to sit beside him and said, "I've told you long ago that you are not like the household maids. You're not a young girl anymore, don't act like this. If you don't have the presence of Mrs. Shu, how can you command respect?"
Jia Nanfang lowered her head and smiled, saying, "I thought you were tired of me and wanted to find a younger girl."
Shu Zhongze said helplessly, "Even if I had the desire, I wouldn't have the strength. What age are we? You're still saying such nonsensical things."
Jia Nanfang looked at him, still with admiration, and said, "In my heart, you haven't aged at all. You're still as handsome and charming as you were back then."
Shu Zhongze's mood was no longer so bad. He patted her hand and said, "Alright, you eat more too. We've both been restless these past few days."
Jia Nanfang still picked up food for him first and ate some with him. Seeing that his complexion had improved significantly, she said cautiously, "Yan was implicated in Huo Jin's murder. Does the Huo family consider us enemies? Has the Huo family been making things difficult for Shu's these past few days?"
Shu Zhongze put down his chopsticks. "At first, I just thought she was foolish, but I never expected her to be so muddled. But why did she kill Huo Jin?"
"I don't know either, really." Jia Nanfang watched Shu Zhongze cautiously, observing his expressions, and said, "I only found out today. She never told me about this. It's all my fault; I didn't teach her well. She and Huo Jin shouldn't have had any deep-seated hatred... it shouldn't be like this. Could it have been an impulse? Also... I also heard that Huo Jin was very close to that Gu Susu before she died. Could she have wrongly accused our daughter..."
"Wrongly accused? You still think she's wrongly accused?"
Jia Nanfang appeared uncertain, stammering, "This is all my own wild speculation, but if Yan really did something like this, we can't just watch her be sentenced to death, can we?"
"Then what do you want? Are you going to find someone to break her out of prison! This is a society governed by law. If she dares to break the law, she must face legal sanctions!"
Jia Nanfang's eyes reddened and she said, "Yes, yes, you're right. But think about it, when she was just born, she was so small that your hand could cradle her. How did we raise her bit by bit, watching her grow into an adult? It's my fault for not teaching her well, but she is my only daughter! Even if that Gu Susu didn't wrongly accuse her, she was repeatedly bullied and abandoned by that Qin Tianyi. It's possible her mental state was affected. I beg you, let's find a way to save our daughter."
Shu Zhongze now understood what Jia Nanfang was planning and remembered how cute and lovable Shu Yan looked as an infant.
Now that Huo Jin was dead, it was useless to execute Shu Yan. Moreover, the estrangement between the Huo and Shu families could not be reversed. No matter how heartless he was, if there was a way to save his daughter's life, he would try his best.
Shu Zhongze said indifferently, "Don't cry. I'll find someone to help make a case for her mental instability, but you also need to be prepared for the possibility that this may not succeed."
"Old Shu, thank you."
"What are you thanking me for? She is, after all, my daughter."
Jia Nanfang met his gaze, and her heart began to waver again. The secret she had hidden for many years had been troubling her.
Would she stand by and watch that man's plan succeed, and watch Shu Zhongze become disgraced and lose everything?
At this point, there was no turning back, especially if Shu Zhongze found out that Gu Susu was his biological daughter. Would she still have her current status?
Sometimes she also asked herself repeatedly, if time could be reversed, would she still walk down this path of being manipulated her entire life?
But even until today, she couldn't answer herself...