Chapter 180: We’ll Know After Tomorrow
Sheng Yueyue was already seething with resentment. Seeing her dad’s grim face, she jumped. "Dad..."
Mr. Sheng walked towards her without a word. He moved extremely slowly, step by step, yet his presence was overwhelmingly oppressive.
She was forced into a corner of the courtyard with nowhere left to retreat, and he was already standing before her.
"Sheng Yueyue..."
Mr. Sheng finally spoke, his voice hoarse and low.
Hearing that familiar yet strange voice, Sheng Yueyue was overcome with a complex, indescribable emotion.
They were father and daughter.
Once, her father had treated her like the apple of his eye, showering her with care and affection. How could he have suddenly become like this?
Her dad had even given up his dignity for her, bowing and apologizing to the lower-class people in the compound.
But now, Sheng Yueyue found his face so strange, so terrifying.
He said her name, his voice still gentle, but his tone carried a chilling indifference and disgust.
It was as if he were saying, ’I don’t want to say your name at all, but I have to.’
"Dad... what’s wrong?" Sheng Yueyue asked, trembling, as a powerful fear welled up inside her.
Her dad’s gaze seemed to pierce right through her. He stared at her, his thin lips parting to utter a single sentence.
"Sheng Yueyue, I wish I could beat you to death. Then the Sheng Family would finally have some peace."
’Her dad must be crazy! He must be! He actually wants to beat her to death.’
Sheng Yueyue’s head was buzzing. She couldn’t understand it, nor could she accept the reality of the situation.
She froze, unable to believe what she was hearing.
Sheng Yueyue shook her head desperately, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. She finally knew what it was to be afraid.
"Dad, what nonsense are you talking about? I’m your own daughter, not some kind of demon! How can you hate me?"
She cried as she tried to explain, but Mr. Sheng didn’t listen at all, his fury only intensifying.
He gripped her arm, his hold so tight it felt like he was about to crush the bone.
"Sheng Yueyue, I wish I’d never had a daughter like you! You’ve not only destroyed your mother, but you’ve also destroyed the entire Sheng Family’s honor! Tell me, tell me..."
Mr. Sheng grew more and more agitated. Sheng Yueyue’s heart raced, and her face was terrifyingly pale.
"Dad... Dad... I was wrong, I really know I was wrong now... I’ll be good from now on, I’ll listen to you..." she apologized over and over.
But the utterly disappointed Mr. Sheng paid her no mind, his handsome face flushed red with anger.
"Do you have any idea? Your mother is on the verge of a mental breakdown because of your torment. Sheng Yueyue, tell me, what am I supposed to do with you?"
Hearing the commotion, Mrs. Sheng opened the courtyard gate. Listening to the exchange between father and daughter, she froze on the spot, her eyes filled with disbelief.
All afternoon, she had been celebrating that her daughter had finally come to her senses. But as it turned out, Yueyue had done the complete opposite today.
"Old Sheng, what on earth is going on?"
"Yueyue, why don’t you tell your mother yourself!" After saying this, Mr. Sheng let go of his daughter’s hand and walked back into the house without a backward glance.
In the end, he didn’t hit Sheng Yueyue. He just left the mother and daughter standing there.
Watching her dad’s retreating back, Sheng Yueyue suddenly found it laughable. She had been abandoned again.
’And all because she’d hired people to take care of that bitch, Gu Jiaojiao!’
’But Gu Jiaojiao wasn’t even hurt at all!’
Naturally, Sheng Yueyue wouldn’t tell her mother what had happened. She just wailed, and Mrs. Sheng did her best to soothe her...
At the Su family’s house, Granny Li left, and the crowd of onlookers followed suit. None of them had eaten dinner yet.
Next door, Zhou Mei had been leaning excitedly against the railing of her second-floor balcony, expecting to see a good show.
Who knew it would be all thunder and no rain? All she saw was an old woman crying and wailing for a long time.
It all ended as soon as Gu Jiaojiao came back. ’How boring!’
Grandpa Gu and the others’ moods weren’t affected at all. For dinner, they had noodles with ready-made braised dishes and a couple of simple cold side dishes.
Mr. Su, Su’s mother, and Second Brother Gu had a great time, though they were a little bummed about losing an afternoon of business from their stall.
Uncle Song’s family was also at the Su’s house. They had been mingling with the crowd of spectators earlier and only came inside after everyone had dispersed.
Mr. Sheng wasn’t there, so everyone asked about the surgery Gu Jiaojiao would be performing for Song Zijie tomorrow.
Gu Jiaojiao answered their questions one by one. This time, however, Aunt Song didn’t ask anything. It was hard to tell if she had complete faith in Gu Jiaojiao or was simply too scared to ask.
She only said, "Jiaojiao, you all should get to bed early. You have to personally perform the surgery for Zijie tomorrow!"
"That’s right. Jiaojiao and Shuo Ci, you two get some rest. We’re going to Mei Mountain in Qing City tomorrow."
Grandpa Gu said he was taking Geng Junshan, Li An, and Cheng Tao to Mei Mountain for an outing.
It wasn’t that he was particularly eager to see the scenery; he was just worried that having too many people around would affect Jiaojiao’s performance.
"Jiaojiao is such a good person. You’re the prettiest and most capable girl I’ve ever met."
"Isn’t that the truth! Jiaojiao is amazing. She’s only eighteen and can already perform surgery herself."
In truth, they wanted to watch Gu Jiaojiao perform the surgery even more, but they knew it would be a distraction for her.
Uncle Dong drove several of them to the guesthouse in the compound.
When Mr. Geng returned from Yun Lake, he took his son to the largest guesthouse in Qing City to eat and talk.
A big shot like Mr. Geng couldn’t possibly stay at the Su family’s house. Even if he were willing, others wouldn’t allow it.
Never mind his own large entourage; many of Qing City’s own bigwigs were following him around.
After fetching water for his wife to wash up, Su Shuochi said, "Jiaojiao, you’re tired today. Maybe you should skip the silver needles tonight."
Gu Jiaojiao shot him a look. "Let me tell you something. You’re a married man, which means your body is mine too. You’re not allowed to mistreat it!"
Tsk. Su Shuochi felt his heart skip a beat, his blood starting to race. ’How had he never realized his wife was such a flirt?’
He didn’t dare say another word and could only lie down obediently, waiting for his wife to apply the silver needles.
At the Song Family’s home, Mr. Song and Song Zijie were waiting in the living room for Uncle Song and his wife to return.
"Second son, how did it go? Did the Divine Doctor confirm the surgery is for tomorrow?"
"Yes, Dad, don’t worry. With He Shen Yi and Doctor Xia from the Imperial City assisting Divine Doctor Su Gu, there’s absolutely no way the surgery will go wrong."
"Xiaxia, are you really ready?" Mr. Song asked, looking at his granddaughter.
"Grandpa, don’t worry, I’m ready. Wang Gang has come around, too. He’s taking tomorrow off to come with me and take care of me."
Song Xiaxia was thrilled. After Wang Gang took his mother home that day, he hadn’t come to the Song Family’s house for two days.
It was impossible for Song Xiaxia not to have been worried, but she was adamant about donating a piece of her liver to her brother, and nothing could change her mind.
But Wang Gang had shown up today after work and told her he had sorted things out with his mom and that he would take good care of her from now on.
Wang Gang didn’t say how he’d handled his mother, but Song Xiaxia knew her husband was a man with a plan.
"Then all of you should get to bed early. Tomorrow, we’ll go straight to Xiangyang Street to wait for Su Shuochi and the others."
Uncle Song was thrilled. After tomorrow, they would finally know if Jie’er’s illness could truly be cured.