Gu Qingzhou felt like she had walked through hell, and when she returned home, she was mentally dazed.
The people at the Gu Mansion had various expressions.
Her father wore a grim expression, particularly displeased.
Aunt Chen [tn: 陈嫂], who had gotten separated from her, looked terrified.
Gu Qingzhou went to her room and closed the door. All she could see in her mind was the complete, peeled-off human skin...
She covered her mouth, crying until she convulsed and vomited.
She had encountered a devil.
"It's all because of that Browning pistol!" Gu Qingzhou regretted deeply. She had casually taken his gun, never imagining the endless trouble it would bring.
"He knows where my family is, but I have no idea who he is! Since he's from the military government, dealing with my father would be child's play for him."
In this world, those who carried guns were always more powerful than those in politics. That's why the military government crushed the municipal government in many places; the municipal government was often just a puppet of the military government.
Gu Qingzhou wanted to return the gun to him, but she didn't know where to find him or whether he would come looking for her again!
For the sake of that gun, he could search for her at the train station for three days. Perhaps because she had his gun, he treated her as his possession, embracing her as if she were a courtesan, buying her with a gun.
But he was also a devil!
His methods against enemies and his tactics with women made Gu Qingzhou shudder.
She was afraid, afraid of his twisted excitement after skinning someone alive!
In front of a devil, no means or morals mattered!
Gu Qingzhou didn't know how long she had been crying when someone gently knocked on the balcony door.
It was her half-brother, Gu Shao, standing on the balcony. He had heard her crying for a while.
The balcony door wasn't locked, and when she looked up and saw him, Gu Shao walked in.
"Don't be afraid, getting lost is nothing to be afraid of. Wherever you want to go, I'll accompany you," Gu Shao stood by her bed and whispered.
A warm feeling seeped into her heart, and she felt comforted.
They all thought Gu Qingzhou was being overly dramatic, that she had merely gotten lost and was scared like this.
"Big brother!" Gu Qingzhou weakly embraced the bedding, tears streaming down her face, her eyelids swollen.
Gu Shao sat down on her bed, gently holding her hand.
His hand was slender yet dry and warm, providing her with kindness and strength.
Gu Qingzhou clung to his waist. "Big brother, I'm scared!"
"Don't be scared!" Gu Shao was momentarily taken aback, his spirit tense, but he also gently patted his sister's back. "Don't be afraid, Zhou Zhou..."
After about half an hour, Gu Qingzhou asked Gu Shao to go rest in his room.
Gu Shao was also concerned that his mother and sister would scold him, so he left first.
That night, Gu Qingzhou didn't sleep much. When she closed her eyes, all she could see were bloody images and the agonizing screams of the woman in the hall.
Gu Qingzhou had matured from a young age. Her wet nurse, Mama Li, had taught her how to seek revenge, how to deal with her stepmother and stepsisters, and how to build a network, but she had never told her how to handle a man who was like a devil!
The next morning, Gu Qingzhou woke up feeling listless.
After breakfast, her father went to the yamen, her second brother Gu Shao and fourth brother Gu Ying went to school, her third brother Gu Wei had a festering wound and fever, so he was taken to the German church hospital, and Qin Zhengzheng took her eldest daughter, Gu Xiang, out to buy clothes and do her hair, preparing for the ball at the Governor-General's residence tonight.
Gu Qingzhou was left alone at home.
She fell asleep again.
When she woke up, it was already dusk, and the swelling in her eyes had subsided. She felt much better.
She changed into the pale pink waist-pinching Western-style dress sent by the Governor-General's residence, with her straight hair falling to her waist and pinned up with a white jade hairpin.
The classical hairstyle paired with the modern Western-style dress blended perfectly on her, not appearing out of place at all. She looked like a beautiful woman who had stepped out of an ancient painting.
When Gu Qingzhou went downstairs, her father and second brother Gu Shao happened to return home.
As father and son pushed open the door, they saw a graceful figure walking gracefully down the winding stairs. Her pink dress emitted a gentle radiance, highlighting her delicate and fair face.
A few strands of black hair fell on her slender neck, adding to her allure. With her resplendent radiance, she looked like a stunning beauty from a distant painting, enchanting and dazzling.
Gu Shao took a deep breath, his face involuntarily blushing.
Gu Guizhang felt proud; he finally had a decent daughter. The discomfort he had felt due to Gu Qingzhou getting lost yesterday vanished instantly.
"Dad, Big brother, you're back?" Gu Qingzhou smiled gently, her voice soft and sweet.
Her clear and pure eyes sparkled, making Gu Qingzhou appear gentle and charming.
"Tonight, at the Governor-General's residence, listen to your mother's instructions." Gu Guizhang gave a few instructions.
Gu Qingzhou complied with everything, being obedient and well-behaved.
Later, Qin Zhengzheng also came downstairs with Gu Xiang.
Gu Xiang wore a qipao with a silver embroidered plum blossom pattern, accentuating her voluptuous figure and elegant curves. With exquisite makeup and curled hair, she looked stunning.
If Gu Xiang were an outsider, Gu Guizhang would have found her beautiful and alluring, but she was his daughter. Gu Guizhang felt like she looked like a woman selling her charm on the streets, which embarrassed the Gu family.
Gu Guizhang didn't like his daughters appearing too sensuous; he preferred them to be innocent and lovely, like Gu Qingzhou.
"What are you wearing at such a young age?" Comparing the two, Gu Guizhang was irritated.
Qin Zhengzheng took a glance at Gu Xiang, then at Gu Qingzhou, who appeared pure and charming. She immediately understood her husband's anger.
After soothing her daughter for a few words, the Governor-General's residence's car arrived.
Gu Qingzhou, Gu Xiang, and Qin Zhengzheng got into the car.
Gu Xiang, still upset about her father's comments, was breathing heavily. She was too angry; in front of Gu Qingzhou, her father belittled her.
Gu Qingzhou happened to be sitting next to Gu Xiang.
Unable to contain her anger, Gu Xiang reached out and fiercely pinched Gu Qingzhou's waist, wishing she could pinch off a piece of her flesh.
She pinched very hard, hoping to tear a piece of Gu Qingzhou's skin.
Gu Qingzhou's Western-style dress became wrinkled because of her.
It should have hurt a lot.
But Gu Qingzhou remained expressionless.
Gu Xiang became even angrier and discreetly pulled out her earring, using it to stab into Gu Qingzhou's flesh.
This time, it must hurt, right?
However, Gu Qingzhou still didn't react. She just saw that Gu Xiang was going too far, and in response, she turned her hand and heard a snapping sound as she dislocated Gu Xiang's wrist.
"Ah!" Gu Xiang screamed in pain.
"What's wrong?" Qin Zhengzheng, sitting on the far right, was startled by her daughter's cries.
"Mom!" Gu Xiang cried loudly, "My hand!"
Her wrist was dislocated, and she couldn't use her left hand at all!
"Mom, she dislocated my hand!" Gu Xiang cried, "Mom!"
Qin Zhengzheng looked at Gu Qingzhou incredulously.
Gu Xiang, with tears streaming down her face, had ruined her makeup.
"Really unable to use any strength?" Qin Zhengzheng asked her daughter in disbelief. "Since it's your left hand, can you endure it until the end of the evening, then go to the hospital?"
Gu Xiang nodded through her tears.
She couldn't resist the allure of the Governor-General's power. She would endure the pain even if it killed her, as long as she could stay until Madam Sī announced her as the Young Marshal's new fiancée.
Gu Xiang raised her hand, wanting to slap Gu Qingzhou across the face with her other hand.
Gu Qingzhou firmly caught her hand and exerted a bit of pressure.
Gu Xiang screamed in terror.
She didn't want both of her hands to be dislocated by Gu Qingzhou.
"Qingzhou!" Qin Zhengzheng scolded sharply, "What are you doing?"
"It was Miss trying to hit me," Gu Qingzhou said while letting go of Gu Xiang's hand. "I didn't break her hand. Madam doesn't know yet, right? To break someone's hand, it would require immense strength, and I certainly didn't..."
Breaking someone's wrist would indeed require great force if it were done through sheer brute strength.
But if it were done by a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, it would be an entirely different story.
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners are knowledgeable about all the joints in the human body. Dislocating a wrist would be as easy as playing around.
Gu Qingzhou was skilled in traditional Chinese medicine, something the Gu family didn't know about. She subtly raised the corner of her lips.
Qin Zhengzheng was genuinely confused by Gu Qingzhou.
After all, how could a delicate girl like Gu Qingzhou have instantly broken Gu Xiang's hand?
But Gu Xiang didn't seem to be faking it.
Qin Zhengzheng had a headache. She felt like her brain wasn't working properly for the first time. Something didn't add up, and it seemed like she and her daughter were being played with.
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