A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 1138 Confrontation

Revenge is imperative, but how?

Gui'er took a deep breath and hid the gun back in the hidden compartment of the jewelry box. In the mirror, her face was pale, but a fire burned in her eyes—a fire containing anger, sorrow, and an unmistakable determination.

Liu Tiecheng, Liu Lanfang… she'd remembered this debt. One day, she'd make them know that the daughter of the Marshal's Mansion wasn't someone to be trifled with. And those wronged souls who died unjustly would not be forgotten.

In the following days, Gui'er went to school as usual, as if nothing had happened. However, she refused whenever Wu Mingqiang tried to buy her things or offered to take her somewhere to play.

Wu Mingqiang sensed something was wrong and asked cautiously with some apprehension, "Gui'er, is it because I've been too busy lately and haven't picked you up from school that you're unhappy? Actually, that's only part of it. I have been busy, but on the other hand, I've also thought about the difference in our social status. If I don't pick you up, your classmates won't gossip, and that way, you'll be happier at school, don't you think?"

Gui'er smiled faintly and said, "Don't think too much about it. I've just been busy with my studies lately, so I feel a bit tired. That's why I feel a little lazy after school."

Wu Mingqiang seemed relieved upon hearing this and suggested, "How about we go on a trip to the countryside on Sunday? We can bring some snacks, bread, fruit, and the like. Where would you like to go? I can ask Dingxiang and Acheng to serve you."

Gui'er's heart skipped a beat, and she said, "Why don't we just go by ourselves? I don't need anyone to wait on me. Let's go to a less crowded beach, where we can feel the sea breeze, chat, and relax."

Wu Mingqiang was overjoyed and repeatedly said yes.

Gui'er couldn't be happy. She felt as if her chest was blocked. She needed to get to the bottom of Liu Lanfang's matter and Chen Zhongyu's matter. If Wu Mingqiang really wanted to harm her and chose to stand with the traitor, then she would have no choice but to find a way to get rid of him.

Deep down, she still didn't want to believe that Wu Mingqiang was that kind of person, but Chen Zhongyu's face, A Si's face, and the faces of countless comrades who had sacrificed their lives flashed through her mind. In the face of matters of great importance, there was no way to seek common ground while reserving differences.

Ah Cheng seemed to have noticed that Gui'er had been acting strangely these past few days. One time when he picked her up from school, he stopped the car and turned around to ask her earnestly, "Miss, has something happened to you lately? Although I'm just a servant, I'm old enough to be your older brother. You can tell me. If it's something that's inconvenient for girls to tell me, you can talk to Dingxiang. We're in Hong Kong now, and we're not related. I've always treated you like my little sister."

Gui'er was actually quite moved by what she heard, but she didn't dare to gamble. Even if Acheng and Dingxiang stood on her side, she would still be implicated, and her life would be in danger.

On Sunday morning, Wu Mingqiang took Gui'er and some food and set off in his car.

The car drove out of the city and along the winding coastline. The casuarina trees by the roadside swayed in the wind, their leaves brushing against the car window with a soft rustling sound. In the distance, the sea was a deep blue-green, with fishing boats scattered on the water like white dots, and occasionally a seagull would fly by, its wings cutting through the sunlight.

Wu Mingqiang parked his car on a secluded beach. There were no tourists, only a few abandoned sampans leaning against the rocks. Waves lapped at the shore, churning up white foam before slowly receding, leaving behind wet sand.

"How's it here?" Wu Mingqiang opened the car door, took out a picnic basket, and smiled expectantly. "I found this place by chance a while ago, and it's very peaceful."

Gui'er got out of the car, the sea breeze lifting the hem of her clothes, carrying a salty, fishy smell. She gazed at the undulating waves in the distance, took a deep breath, and turned around. The calmness on her face had vanished, leaving only a cold, resolute expression.

“Little Wu,” she began, her voice slightly muffled by the wind, yet each word clear, “Is Brother Chen’s car accident related to you?”

Wu Mingqiang's smile froze, like a frozen lake: "Gui'er, what...what did you say?"

"I'm saying, Liu Tiecheng wanted to curry favor with the Japanese, so he caused that car accident, right?" Gui'er took a step forward, her gaze as cold as ice. "Does this have anything to do with you?"

Wu Mingqiang's face gradually darkened, and his Adam's apple bobbed: "Who told you that? These are all rumors..."

"Whether it's a rumor or not, you know perfectly well." Gui'er suddenly pulled out the miniature pistol from her handbag, pointing it steadily at him. "And the person who attacked me that day was sent by Zhao Tianhu at Liu Lanfang's behest. You knew that perfectly well, yet you lied to me and said the White Tiger Gang had mistaken me for someone else. You met with Liu Lanfang at the Grand World Hotel, saying that I was too weak to last more than a few years, that you wanted to take over the Marshal's Mansion's assets, and that you wanted her father to recommend you for an official position... I heard all of that!"

She practically uttered the last few words through gritted teeth, her fingertips trembling slightly from the effort.

Wu Mingqiang's pupils suddenly contracted. He looked at the gun, then at Gui'er's red-rimmed eyes. His composure completely collapsed, replaced by panic and disbelief: "You...you heard everything?"

"I heard you!" Gui'er's voice was choked with sobs, but she still gripped the gun tightly. "I didn't want to believe it, but why did you do this? Brother Wu, we grew up together in the Marshal's Mansion. My second brother and I treated you well, didn't we? My second brother entrusted me to you, and this is how you treat me? For money and official positions, you colluded with traitors and even wished for my death?"

The waves crashed against the rocks, roaring as if providing accompaniment to her question. Wu Mingqiang's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but Gui'er interrupted him sharply: "Answer me! Isn't that right!"

He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, all that remained was a deathly grayness. He offered no explanation, but simply nodded slowly and heavily.

In that instant, Gui'er felt something inside her shatter completely, like a seashell washed ashore by the waves, crushed into powder. Her hand holding the gun trembled, the muzzle still pointed at him, but tears finally streamed down her face, falling onto the sand and quickly drying in the wind without leaving a trace.

"Why..." she choked, her voice as soft as a sigh.

Wu Mingqiang looked at her, his face a mixture of pain and despair. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he only let out a low, hoarse, bitter laugh.

Gui'er was also devastated: "Why? Why is this happening? Is wealth and status really that important to you?"

She pointed the pistol at Wu Mingqiang, trembling, and tried to pull the trigger, but her finger seemed to be frozen in place.