Chapter 348: Demanding Benefits, Ending Up Empty-Handed

"Huh?" Wang Yuan was stunned. "Your sister really agreed?"

"She agreed," Guo Donghai said. "My sister’s been in a bad mood lately. As you know, the man she loves got engaged to another woman, who’s also pregnant. She’s not taking it well."

Hearing this, Wang Yuan grew nervous. "But that doesn’t solve my problem! I still can’t escape that old director’s clutches. I... what am I supposed to do?"

At her words, Guo Donghai grew angry. ’How dare someone make a move on the woman I like!’

He said angrily, "Don’t you worry. I’ll get you a new job assignment tomorrow. You won’t have to suffer anymore. Tell me who’s bullying you, and I’ll make sure he’s finished by tomorrow."

Wang Yuan thought about it. She usually got some benefits from the old director. If he wasn’t trying to possess her outright, she would have just turned a blind eye to being felt up now and then.

"Forget it. I can’t be the reason you give people ammunition against you," Wang Yuan refused. "You... just getting me transferred is enough. I really can’t go on like this."

"Okay, fine. I’ll make it happen." Guo Donghai hugged Wang Yuan tightly. "You’re the woman I care for. If I don’t help you, who will?"

Wang Yuan hesitated. "But I..."

"It’s getting late, you should go home and rest. I’ll show you how sincere I am," Guo Donghai said softly. "I can’t give you marriage, but I can give you my love and a wonderful life."

His words deeply moved Wang Yuan.

She was truly sick of her low-class life, where everything revolved around the daily grind and neighborhood gossip, as if there was nothing else.

"I understand how you feel, but I... I need to think about it. After all, I’m a girl from a respectable family. I have to consider what my parents would think." Wang Yuan lowered her head, looking conflicted.

Seeing that Wang Yuan was yielding, Guo Donghai was delighted. He smiled. "Yes, yes, I truly like you. I won’t force you. Take your time to think it over."

"Thank you. You’re a good person," Wang Yuan said gratefully, looking shyly at Guo Donghai.

But it was too dark to see Guo Donghai’s face clearly.

"I’m a good man, too. You’ll find that out later." Guo Donghai was very confident, as if certain Wang Yuan would agree.

Shyly, Wang Yuan whispered, "Whether you’re a good man or not, we don’t know that yet!"

With that, while Guo Donghai was laughing, Wang Yuan broke free from his embrace and ran down the alley, hurrying home.

"Silly girl," Guo Donghai chuckled. ’Wang Yuan has already agreed in her heart, she just won’t admit it yet. Once I’ve sorted out her job transfer, that’s probably when she’ll throw herself into my arms.’

After flirting with Wang Yuan for a while, Guo Donghai felt a sense of satisfaction. He got into his car and had his bodyguard drive him home.

’Sigh. The thought of going home—facing my stern father, my fiery wife, and my sobbing sister—is enough to ruin my good mood.’

Sure enough, when he got home, the sound of crying was coming from Guo Dongmei’s room.

’My sister really is in a pitiful state,’ he thought. ’Li Gongming is engaged to Wu Jingjing, yet my sister is pregnant. And that’s not all—she’s expected to give birth to this child for the Li family. I was against it, but Father actually agreed.’

’Knowing Father, he never would have agreed if the Li family hadn’t offered some incredible benefit. He would never let us suffer such a loss otherwise.’

She was his sister, after all. Guo Donghai said to the bodyguards at the door, "Open it!"

His father had posted two bodyguards at the door to prevent his sister from running out and causing trouble for the Li family.

’Sigh, Father can really be something else.’

’But then again, it’s all for the sake of the Guo Family. Father would sacrifice anything.’

Guo Donghai entered and saw his sister’s swollen red eyes and listless expression. ’Is this really the same vibrant, beautiful, fair-skinned sister from before?!’

"Dongmei, stop crying. It’s not good for you," Guo Donghai offered, his attempt at comfort sounding dry. Seeing her like this, his heart ached too.

When Guo Dongmei saw her brother, she shot to her feet, grabbed his arm, and pleaded, "Brother, please let me out! I have to go ask Li Gongming if he has a heart at all. He was making vows of eternal love to me, and now he’s marrying Wu Jingjing!"

"Dongmei!" Seeing her state, Guo Donghai worried she might harm the baby in her womb. "Calm down. Think about it carefully. If Li Gongming’s feelings for you were real, why would he get engaged to Wu Jingjing?"

Hearing her brother’s words, Guo Dongmei froze. She stammered, "Maybe... maybe the Li family’s old master forced him to? You know what he’s like! For the sake of the Li family’s advancement, he’d do anything!"

"Exactly. You said it yourself—the Li family would do anything for advancement. Right now, they need to pull the Wu Family to their side to fight against Gu Qingyu. So, Li Gongming getting engaged to Wu Jingjing is perfectly normal," Guo Donghai explained. "Things have already come to this. You should just stay home and focus on your health."

"No... no..." Guo Dongmei shook her head repeatedly. "I don’t want to be some secret, unacknowledged mistress! I want to be Li Gongming’s lawfully wedded wife! And I definitely don’t want to spend the rest of my life living in Wu Jingjing’s shadow, being mocked by Zhao Nuanyue."

Seeing his sister so hysterical, Guo Donghai felt he couldn’t handle her. He said quickly, "Dongmei, even if I let you out, what could you do? You probably wouldn’t even get through the Li family’s gates, let alone see Li Gongming. And as for the Wu Family, we can’t afford to provoke them. If you go and make a scene, you’ll just become a laughingstock."

Hearing her brother’s words, Guo Dongmei looked utterly devastated. Her expression was sorrowful, and her body felt weak, as if she were about to collapse.

Guo Donghai quickly supported his sister, helping her lie down on the bed.

"You need to take care of yourself now. Father has been extremely depressed lately because of you. Even though we got some benefits from the Li family, he can’t swallow this insult."

"Benefits?" Guo Dongmei sneered, then burst out laughing. "I’ve dedicated my heart and soul to the Guo Family, but what has the Guo Family ever done for me?"

Seeing her like this, Guo Donghai worried she was losing her mind. He said quickly, "You know Father. He never accepts a loss. Even if he suffers a setback, he’ll endure the humiliation and get his revenge sooner or later. Don’t you remember what he said last time? That he would use the Li family as a stepping stone to rise higher? He’ll definitely do it."

"Huh?" Guo Dongmei was stunned. "Then... then what about Li Gongming?" She was so disappointed. She truly hadn’t expected Li Gongming to go back on his word like this!

’If they didn’t move against the Li family, Li Gongming would marry Wu Jingjing, and she could only be his shameful, hidden mistress. But if they did move against the Li family, using them as a stepping stone, then she and Li Gongming might never have a chance together again.’