Chapter 349: Pros and Cons

Chapter 349 -347: Pros and Cons

Gu Nuan Nuan made no move to catch Cao Cao. Having experienced a similar spiritual state herself, she knew it was impossible for Cao Cao to actually fall.

‘Master, you’re so cruel. You saw me falling and didn’t even offer a hand. You could have at least made a show of it!’

Boo-hoo!

Cao Cao shot its master a resentful look before sitting up straight and saying seriously, “Whether he’s Xu Banxian’s child or not, as long as he isn’t Master’s third uncle’s son, it’s actually not a bad outcome. At least it will save everyone a lot of trouble down the line. Plus, we won’t have to worry about Guo Xiuying pulling any stunts later, like trying to get back together with him or making a scene to win sympathy.”

“That’s right, and Grandfather and Grandmother would be utterly humiliated,” Gu Nuan Nuan glared at Cao Cao irritably. “This was something that could have been solved with a bit of money, but now it’s turned into a complete loss of face. If they had a choice, I’m sure Grandfather and Grandmother would have preferred to just pay to resolve it.”

“There are pros and cons. Although it’s humiliating for now, in the long run, it saves a lot of headaches. Don’t they say a leopard can’t change its spots? Who can guarantee that even if the brat’s temper is corrected for a while, he’ll definitely turn out well when he’s older? He might get into even bigger trouble then, like getting involved in something he shouldn’t, and cleaning up his messes would be exhausting.” Cao Cao had been reading a lot lately, and it was starting to sound much more worldly-wise.

“Hearing you put it that way, I do feel a little better. You’re right, the humiliation will only last for a while. To be honest, having a second and third uncle like them is already embarrassing enough. Being a little *more* embarrassed doesn’t seem like such a big deal now,” Gu Nuan Nuan said with a dry laugh. “But I wouldn’t dare say any of this to Grandfather and Grandmother, lest I provoke them even more. It doesn’t really bother me, personally. I’m just worried they’ll get too angry.”

“They’re bound to be furious, but they’re already plenty angry. How much worse can it get?” Cao Cao was also quite unconcerned—it wasn’t its problem, after all.

Gu Nuan Nuan was fast. While they spoke, she had already arrived at Xu Banxian’s village. Cao Cao scanned the area with its Divine Sense and pointed in a direction. It wasn’t Xu Banxian’s house, but a place at the foot of the mountain. Before Gu Nuan Nuan could ask, Cao Cao spoke up, “Master, your great-uncle is there too. They’re in a deserted, dilapidated house. Your great-uncle is using some… extraordinary methods to make Xu Banxian confess to all the ‘good deeds’ he’s done over the years. He’s forcing him to write it all down.”

‘No wonder…’ she thought. ‘No wonder Xu Banxian took such a major loss in my past life yet still kept his mouth shut about Great-Uncle. It turns out Great-Uncle had some serious leverage on him. It must have been big, forcing him to just swallow his pride and suffer in silence.’

Gu Nuan Nuan said, “Let’s go take a look.”

When Gu Nuan Nuan stepped into the courtyard of the abandoned residence on the west side of the village, nestled against the mountain, she deliberately made a small sound. Zhang Damei was indeed a capable man; he heard the noise and came out to check almost immediately. Taking advantage of the distraction, Cao Cao slipped into the house to get a closer look at what Xu Banxian was writing.

“How did you find this place?” Seeing Gu Nuan Nuan appear before him, Zhang Damei couldn’t help but be startled. “What are you doing here?”

“I went to Xu Banxian’s house and saw no one was there, so I looked around. I saw a light over here and came to check it out.” Gu Nuan Nuan took a small porcelain vial from her pocket and handed it over. “Great-Uncle, I won’t go in. Just get me a little of Xu Banxian’s blood.”

“Get his blood? What for?” Zhang Damei asked, puzzled.

Gu Nuan Nuan blinked. She couldn’t tell the truth, so she had to spin a tale. After a moment’s thought, she began, “When I went to Third Uncle’s house to see Laidi tonight, Third Uncle and Third Aunt were arguing downstairs. After seeing Laidi, I specifically went to listen in on their fight, and I happened to hear Third Aunt muttering to herself, ‘Serves you right, raising another man’s child your whole life without even knowing.’ I was shocked. Thinking about it, I realized that Tianci looks less and less like Third Uncle. I never heard of Third Aunt being close with any other men in the village, so… what if Tianci is Xu Banxian’s son? That’s why I came here. I want to get some of Xu Banxian’s blood. Then I’ll get samples from Third Uncle and Tianci and take them all to the hospital for a DNA test to find out who his real father is.”

“Tch, that shameless woman.” Zhang Damei spat on the ground in disgust. “We really underestimated her. We thought she was just an airhead with no other faults, but who knew she was capable of something so shameless?” He took the porcelain vial, still looking puzzled. “How do you know that this… DNA thing… can be tested at a hospital to prove who’s the father?”

“Well, Great-Uncle, you remember the woman my father married, don’t you?” A mocking glint appeared in Gu Nuan Nuan’s eyes. “She had fraternal twins—a boy and a girl. A DNA test was what ultimately proved the son belonged to her ex-husband, while the daughter was my dad’s.”

“Unbelievable… How could something so disgraceful happen to our Zhang family?” Zhang Damei’s mustache bristled with anger, his eyes wide. “I can’t imagine how furious your grandfather and grandmother will be when they find out.”

“It’s better than being kept in the dark and raising another man’s child forever,” Gu Nuan Nuan sighed.

“True. But what damned rotten luck!” Zhang Damei couldn’t stop himself from swearing, even in front of Gu Nuan Nuan. However, he quickly restrained himself and, swallowing his frustration, said, “You wait here. I’ll go get the blood for you. You should head back right after. I’ll take care of the rest and ask him if anything really happened between him and that woman. I’ll go talk to your grandfather and grandmother tomorrow. This time, no one’s opinion matters. Your third uncle is getting a divorce, and that’s final.”

Gu Nuan Nuan nodded and said nothing more, simply standing outside to wait.

Soon, a suppressed cry of pain came from inside the house. Then, Zhang Damei came out and handed the porcelain vial back to Gu Nuan Nuan, instructing her, “Don’t linger. Hurry back.”

“Great-Uncle, you shouldn’t stay long either. That half a medicine pill is enough to make him suffer; you don’t need to do anything else. If this turns out to be true and his affair with Third Aunt causes a scene that gets the police involved, they’ll suspect our family first, even if we have connections. If word gets out, it will definitely affect the family business.”

‘This life is already so different from my last one. Zhang Damei could have just secretly given the medicine pill to Xu Banxian, but he still chose to tie the man up and bring him here. He’s probably using the same methods he did in my past life.’ The thought made Gu Nuan Nuan feel a faint, unavoidable sense of unease.