Chapter 376: Fanfan Has Already Found Her
That’s right. Gu Hengzhi was not born into the Gu family. Years ago, a tragedy had befallen them: their newborn daughter went missing. Elder Gu immediately fell gravely ill and never recovered. Shortly after, Mrs. Gu, Gong Shiya, also collapsed from the trauma.
The Gu family’s eldest son, Gu Yaohui, had to care for his elderly father and his wife, leaving him no time to manage the family business. The family’s second son, on the other hand, had always been a playboy who cared nothing for family matters. He rarely even came home, not even when his father was critically ill.
But the Gu family could not be allowed to fall. It was at this critical moment that Gu Hengzhi was adopted into the family, becoming the son of Gu Yaohui and Gong Shiya and taking the name Gu Hengzhi.
However, Gu Hengzhi was no stranger. He was the second young master of the Gong family—the biological nephew of Mrs. Gu, Gong Shiya.
Gu Hengzhi was only about ten years old when he joined the Gu family. Yet, precocious as he was, he demonstrated a capability far beyond his years and single-handedly held up the Gu family as it teetered on the brink of collapse.
After witnessing Gu Hengzhi’s capabilities, Gu Yaohui entrusted him with the management of the Gu family as soon as he turned eighteen. He then devoted himself completely to caring for Gong Shiya.
To outsiders, Gu Hengzhi might have seemed incredibly lucky. He was adopted by the Gu family and instantly became their heir. While the Gong family was also influential, they could hardly compare to the illustrious Gu family.
However, only those close to Gu Hengzhi knew the immense pressure he shouldered, propping up the entire Gu family from such a young age. Anyone else in his position would surely have failed to do as well.
The birth of Gu Zifan was originally met with great expectations. Gu Yaohui, in particular, hoped this new child would be able to pull his wife from the depths of her grief over their lost daughter.
In the end, however, they were all disappointed.
After Gu Zifan was born, Gong Shiya’s condition didn’t improve. In fact, it grew much worse.
It wasn’t just her physical health that declined, but her mental state as well.
In fact, giving birth to a son, Gu Zifan, only deepened Gong Shiya’s guilt over her daughter. She dared not treat her son too well, because she couldn’t bear the thought of him being cherished while her daughter was out there, suffering somewhere unknown.
Gradually, Gong Shiya grew more and more distant from her son. She was afraid that if she got too close to him, her maternal instincts would be impossible to resist. ’And then,’ she thought, ’how pitiful would my poor, missing daughter be!’
All these years, the Gu family never gave up searching for the daughter who had vanished eighteen years ago. In fact, the very reason Gu Hengzhi accepted positions in other cities was to aid in the search for his missing sister.
But eighteen years had passed with no results. Every time they found a sliver of a clue, following it only led to yet another dead end and more disappointment.
They even began to think that perhaps the infant from all those years ago was no longer alive.
But they were unwilling to give up; they didn’t dare. It was as if persevering in their search was the only thing keeping the hope alive that they might one day find her.
If they gave up, all hope would be truly lost.
"Fanfan, you’re not alone. I’ll always be with you!"
Gu Hengzhi pulled Gu Zifan into his arms. He had practically raised his youngest brother, caring for him even more than Gu Yaohui and his wife had.
"I know you’re great, Big Brother, but I still want to find my sister. And... I’ve already found her!"
At the mention of his sister, the dejected look on Gu Zifan’s face instantly vanished, replaced by a bright expression. A smile even lit up his face.