Madam Gu poured all her resentment from being reprimanded onto Qin He, complaining incessantly.
Gu Ranran hesitated, looking at her mother. "Mom, don't you think Qin He is at least much better than Song Nuan?"
"Song Nuan?" Madam Gu frowned. "I used to think that although Song Nuan wasn't worthy of your brother, she was at least better than Qin He. Now it seems she's also narrow-minded."
Gu Ranran didn't try to persuade her anymore.
However, her perception of Qin He had undergone a seismic shift.
On the second floor, Gu Qichen sat in his study, with Yu Jing following him in.
"Mr. Gu, the surveillance footage requested from the security department has all been sent to your computer."
The Gu family's old residence and Gu Qichen's Sen Garden were both managed by Gu Corporation's network security department for their home security monitoring.
Now that the surveillance feeds had arrived, Gu Qichen, with a somber expression, located the folder for the old residence and opened the footage.
In the video, Song Nuan was milling around in the old residence's living room.
Before long, Old Madam Gu came out, and Song Nuan went to her side.
At two in the afternoon, the Old Madam had an episode, throwing a piece of cake onto Song Nuan's dress. Song Nuan, with a furious face, went to the restroom.
From the computer, her curse words could be heard: "That darn old woman, so annoying, why doesn't she just—"
The rest of her words were muffled, but Gu Qichen could guess the word.
Yu Jing's expression shifted slightly. Having grown up in the Gu family and receiving much care from Old Madam Gu, he also showed signs of anger.
Soon after, Song Nuan emerged and began arguing with Old Madam Gu in the living room.
The living room was spacious, and the sounds were not entirely clear.
Song Nuan suddenly shouted: "Qin He, Qin He, it's always Qin He! Qichen already divorced Qin He! They're divorced!"
Old Madam Gu, mid-episode, swayed, her expression indiscernible on the screen.
After shouting, Song Nuan turned and left.
Old Madam Gu stood frozen in the living room for a long time, like an old stone rooted there, a pitiable sight that stirred Gu Qichen's heart!
"He'er, He'er—"
Old Madam Gu then left from the main entrance.
Song Nuan likely assumed that Old Madam Gu, being unwell and forgetful, would be helpless, which was why she acted so recklessly!
Gu Qichen stopped watching at this point.
He now clearly understood how his grandmother had gotten lost!
Silence descended upon the study. Gu Qichen closed his eyes, and after a few seconds, said in a low voice: "Arrange new caregivers for Grandma. You go and select them, right now!"
"Yes!"
After Yu Jing left, Gu Qichen opened his eyes and looked around the study.
He usually stayed at Sen Garden and rarely visited this study when at the old residence.
Instead, Qin He often came here, and the study's furnishings were all in his preferred style; this wasn't the original design.
Gu Qichen's heart stirred. He got up and looked at the censer on the incense burner stand not far away.
It was the familiar scent from before.
In the places he couldn't see, Qin He had made so many efforts.
Gu Qichen returned to the computer and looked at the surveillance files.
Gu Corporation had sent files related to the Gu family, not just from the old residence but also from Sen Garden.
He manipulated the mouse, and the cursor moved to Sen Garden.
The surveillance feeds were comprehensive. Gu Qichen recalled the day he married Qin He, as it was Gu Grandma's birthday, which was why he remembered it.
He clicked on the surveillance, flipping through day after day.
In the videos, the woman was always in a few simple, ladylike outfits, quietly busy.
She ironed his clothes for him, polished his shoes, and after polishing them, sprayed some perfume inside.
So these tasks weren't done by the maids.
As he watched, Gu Qichen's heart felt increasingly suffocated.
Qin He was personally handling everything concerning him.
She made incense, prepared dinner every day. Besides chores, Qin He spent most of her time on the bedroom balcony, looking in the direction of the main gate.
Gu Qichen's heart ached dully.
One day, two days, it was bearable. As he watched, Qin He's life seemed like a copy-paste.
She meticulously arranged his life in the places he couldn't see.
The rest of her time was spent either at the old residence or waiting for him to come home.
Gu Qichen's mind flashed with Qin He's radiant and spirited face. So, this was how she was before.
He had never paid attention to Qin He before, and thus, hadn't noticed the efforts she had made.
Grandma's words echoed in his mind.
"You will regret it."
Gu Qichen touched his chest. His handsome face was furrowed with worry, a surge of palpitations making him feel a strange panic.
He moved the mouse and switched to Qin He's last day at Sen Garden.
The bedroom surveillance was encrypted. He entered the password and saw Qin He busy at work, looking at something on her phone.
Gu Qichen zoomed in on the screen and saw the blurry figures on the phone. They were his photos.
Qin He swiped through them one by one. There were shots of his profile, his back, but never a direct shot looking at the camera.
Until the screen turned dark, and a sound arose.
Footsteps echoed; he had returned home.
He had been in a bad mood that day. Song Nuan had a heart attack because he hadn't divorced Qin He.
He had gone to a bar for a few drinks, and upon returning home, had directly torn open the clothes of a sleeping Qin He.
Gu Qichen's fingers trembled slightly.
In the two years that quickly flashed by in the video, he seemed to be the most numb and indifferent one, like a devil.
Gu Qichen didn't watch any further. He remembered he had filed for divorce the very next morning.
He didn't want to recall that period.
Had he made a wrong choice?
The air in the study seemed to have stilled.
Gu Qichen sat in his chair, looking out the window. Sunlight illuminated the dust motes in the air.
His aura was cold and somber...
The next day.
Qin He was handling work in the morning. After lunch at the company, just as she was about to head to the joint department, Ming Xue rushed to Qin Corporation.
"Cousin, I heard you're going to the West District. Take me with you!"
Ming Xue, with a large backpack, looked full of excitement.
Qin He narrowed her eyes. "Have you finished packing your things? Don't you have classes?"
"No, I don't have class today."
Ming Xue was adept at being persistent. Although Qin He could manage her, she also doted on this younger cousin, and in the end, brought her to the joint department in the West District.
Arriving at the entrance of the joint department office, Qin He instructed: "I told you there's not much fun here, but you insisted on coming. Since you're here, be quiet and don't wander around, understand? Don't disturb other people's work."
Ming Xue pouted. "Got it."
She looked at Qin He's office, then at the one next door.
"Cousin, whose office is the one next door?"
Qin He glanced at the door. "The CEO of Gu Corporation."
"Gu Corporation's CEO?" Ming Xue thought for a moment, her eyes suddenly widening. "Gu Qichen? Your ex-brother-in-law?"
Qin He gritted her teeth, a dangerous smile on her face. "Ming, Xue!"
Ming Xue immediately shut her mouth obediently.
It was only after Gu Qichen and Qin He divorced that the media revealed they had been married, which caused quite a stir in Haicheng.
After Ming Xue entered the office, she quietly said to Qin He: "Grandma was very upset when she found out about you and Gu Qichen. She said she'd squeeze Gu Corporation out of Haicheng."
"Grandma has such a temper. Did your father try to dissuade her?" Qin He thought of her grandmother and uncle, and chuckled softly.
Ming Xue raised her eyebrows. "My dad strongly agrees. But Gu Corporation isn't easy to push around. Recently, our family has only managed to snatch a few resources from the Gu family."
"Only a few resources?"
Qin He frowned. "Gu Qichen is not an easy person to deal with. I have no relationship with him now. You should tell your father when you have time that there's no need to antagonize the Gu family."
She was worried about the Ming family.