Lingyuan didn’t waste another moment. She called the police and had Gu Yanze arrested for trespassing. Handcuffed and escorted away, he didn’t even get a chance to see her one last time.
All he saw was Lingyuan’s back as she turned away from him, her expression cold and resolute.
He let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh. How foolish he’d been, thinking a few words of apology could ever make up for everything. Next time, he vowed, he’d be better prepared before trying to see her again.
After the incident, Lingyuan immediately upgraded the security at the herb garden, determined never to let him break in again.
Deported back to his own country, Gu Yanze found himself entangled in lawsuits and debts with Su Wantang, unable to return to Australia.
Lingyuan, meanwhile, focused on running Jishitang. She expanded her business through online channels and modernized the entire operation. Her grandfather praised her for her progress and was ready to hand over the family’s legacy completely.
Pei Qingyan called her every day, updating her on her parents’ treatment and expressing his hope that they would soon be reunited as a family.
Finally, the day arrived. Lingyuan returned home to find a private jet waiting for her. As the hatch opened, her parents stepped out, supporting each other.
The moment she saw them, Lingyuan ran forward, tears streaming down her face.
“Dad! Mom! I missed you so much!”
After so many years of living under Gu Yanze’s lies, she had never truly felt cared for. It was only after nearly dying that she realized what she’d lost.
Now, in her parents’ arms, all her pent-up sorrow and grievances poured out, and she felt like a teenager again.
Her parents, whose memories were stuck at Lingyuan’s twelfth year, were shocked to see her so grown up and strong. Her mother embraced her, crying, “My poor girl, you’ve suffered so much.”
Her father patted her shoulder, and even her grandfather, now much older, wiped away tears as he welcomed them home.
“Dad, thank you for taking care of Lingyuan all these years,” her father said.
Grandpa shook his head with a sad smile. “After you fell into a coma, Lingyuan was all alone. I couldn’t do much for her. Everything she has now, she earned herself.”
Her mother was stunned, holding Lingyuan tighter.
“Let’s sit down and talk,” Pei Qingyan interjected gently, breaking the heavy silence.
Back inside, Lingyuan’s parents carefully read the documents Pei Qingyan handed them, their hands trembling with anger and grief as they learned the truth of what Gu Yanze had done.
“That bastard!” her father shouted, slamming his hand on the table. “How dare he treat our daughter like this!”
Her mother wept, holding Lingyuan close.
“We should never have let Grandpa adopt that wolf into our family!”
Lingyuan smiled through her tears.
“It’s all over now, Mom, Dad. We’re free of them forever. Senior brother will take care of me from now on.”
Her parents exchanged glances, picking up on the subtle affection between Lingyuan and Pei Qingyan.
They’d always liked Pei Qingyan, Grandpa’s best student and the one who’d saved their lives. They just hadn’t realized their daughter’s feelings had deepened.
Suddenly, Pei Qingyan knelt on one knee, pulling out a ring.
“Lingyuan, I’ve missed too many years already. I don’t want to wait any longer. Will you marry me?”
Lingyuan’s heart pounded. In that moment, the world seemed to shrink until only the two of them remained.
After all the tragedy, perhaps she deserved a happy ending.
This time, she took his hand firmly and said, “Yes.”
Meanwhile, everything in the Gu family had fallen apart.
Su Wantang, too ill to be arrested, sued Gu Yanze for half his assets.
After Gu’s father collapsed, Gu Yanze returned to Australia, only to find that Pei Qingyan had already cleaned out the family’s overseas business. The company’s stock price hit rock bottom.
Back in China, Gu Yanze made no effort to save what was left. Instead, in a fit of madness, he sold off all his remaining shares, as if determined to destroy everything.
Gu’s father, learning of this, nearly died of rage. Using his last ounce of strength, he transferred all remaining shares and assets to Gu Yanze’s older sister—Lingyuan’s mother.
Gu Yanze was erased from the family registry, stripped of everything.
In just a few days, he fell from the heights of power to utter ruin.
But none of it mattered to him. He spent what little money he had left trying to find Lingyuan, only to hear the news:
Lingyuan and Pei Qingyan were getting married.
The news hit him like a thunderbolt. He stared at the wedding announcement, then hurled it across the room in despair.
Chapter 15
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