Moreover, with Gu Qinglin's bewildering folly, should the Gu family be entrusted to her care, it would surely spell the clan's ruin.
The Gu and Li families were bitter rivals locked in an unyielding struggle, yet she, for her own selfish desires, had dared to collude with Li Ke'er.
This was no longer mere recklessness—it was outright betrayal of the Gu family.
If the Gu family were truly handed over to Gu Qinglin, it would undoubtedly suffer relentless suppression at the hands of the Li clan. The very thought ignited a blazing inferno within Gu Yifeng's heart.
Ever since, Gu Yifeng had held the interests of the Gu family above all else—how could he possibly endure such treachery?
"Ah…"
Gu Qinglin was utterly dumbfounded, never imagining the once kind patriarch would speak so harshly.
But Gu Yifeng's aura as a high-ranking Martial King bore down upon her like a towering mountain.
Her knees weakened; she collapsed onto the cold, unyielding floor.
Staring in disbelief at the fiery rage blazing in the patriarch's eyes and the icy, mocking gaze of Gu Qingli, her heart plummeted into a frozen abyss.
"Summon all the elders—and her parents at once!"
Gu Yifeng's voice was icy and resolute as he settled into his seat, not sparing Gu Qinglin another glance.
The greater the hope, the deeper the disappointment.
Gu Qingli took a detached sip of tea. Gu Yifeng was indeed a competent head of the Gu family, but a lamentably deficient grandfather—his sole devotion lay with the clan.
Anyone who dared to threaten the family's interests, no matter who, must be cast aside.
Had Gu Qinglin taken matters into her own hands to oppose him, perhaps Gu Yifeng's fury would have been tempered. But she had foolishly allied herself with the Gu family's nemesis, the Li clan.
What if, one day, she found herself displeased and was willing to sell the entire Gu family to the Lis—or to some other party?
Gu Qingli saw clearly into the patriarch's mind.
Under Gu Yifeng's storm of wrath, Gu Qinglin knelt on the frigid, unforgiving floor, her face pale as parchment, cold sweat trickling endlessly down her skin.
Soon, several senior elders arrived. Upon witnessing the scene inside, their faces exchanged shocked glances.
"Ah! My dear Lin!"
A sharp, anguished cry echoed as a woman rushed in, clutching Gu Qinglin in a desperate embrace.
Gu Qingli's eyes fixed on the figure—it was Han Jiao.
Han Jiao's exquisite gown shimmered, a lavish hairpin adorning her head—a woman who had flourished in recent years, living in Gu Qinglin's reflected glory.
Whether this prosperity would endure remained uncertain.
"Patriarch, what are you doing? What wrong has Lin committed to deserve this humiliation?"
Han Jiao's anguished wails stirred the elders to frown.
Gu Ming hurried in shortly after, his heart sinking as he saw Gu Qingli and Gu Qingche present—he sensed dire trouble.
As the elders anxiously speculated, Gu Yifeng fixed a fierce glare on Gu Qinglin, suddenly slamming his palm onto the table and bellowing,
"Gu Qinglin, do you understand your crimes?"
Gu Qinglin trembled uncontrollably, her limbs weakening as she collapsed into Han Jiao's arms.
The patriarch's overwhelming presence silenced her speech.
Gu Ming's expression darkened, realizing the matter had been exposed. He clearly understood the patriarch better than Gu Qinglin did.
Han Jiao clung to Gu Qinglin in horror, suddenly grasping the gravity of the situation.
"Father…"
"How dare you still call me that! Look at the disgrace your precious daughter has brought upon us—perhaps this treachery bears your own hand as well!"