Chapter 349: Enduring Humiliation, Interceding

’Women are so soft-hearted. I can’t believe my sister is like this too!’

"How can you still be hung up on a scumbag like Li Gongming?" Guo Donghai retorted. "You’re the pearl of our Guo Family. How could you keep pining for him? He’s the one who hurt you!"

"You’re right. Even if I loved him before, I’ll never forgive him after what he’s done." Guo Dongmei gradually calmed down, her anger transforming into hatred. "Brother, when are we going to deal with the Li family? I want to make Li Gongming regret this! I want the entire Li family to regret this!"

"That’s right. That’s my sister." Seeing his sister channel her grief into strength, Guo Donghai felt a small sense of relief that she wouldn’t try to kill herself for the time being. ’If hatred is what will keep my sister alive, then let her hate. Let her be consumed by it!’

Just then, Mr. Guo entered the room. His expression was stern, his gaze commanding.

Under their father’s stare, Guo Donghai and Guo Dongmei didn’t dare to look up.

"Dongmei, stop your crying," Mr. Guo said sharply. "Tears don’t solve anything; they’re a sign of weakness. In the old days, our Guo Family was nothing but tenant farmers. But I seized every opportunity to achieve our current status and build this family, not with tears, but with cunning and strategy. Seeing you in so much pain, and since you seem to have come to your senses after your brother’s talk, I’ll be frank with you. I do intend to deal with the Li family, but you must make a sacrifice."

"A sacrifice?" Guo Dongmei froze. ’Does he want me to die?’

Although she had been making a scene about killing herself just moments ago, she didn’t have the courage to die, nor did she want to.

"Dad, Dongmei is my own sister, your own daughter! Are you really going to sacrifice her life?" Guo Donghai was shocked, afraid his father would actually sacrifice his sister. "The Li family is too ruthless! Didn’t we already agree to give them the child after it’s born?"

Guo Dongmei’s face was pale. She was too scared to speak.

’Is Dad really going to make me die?’

Seeing his son and daughter’s reactions, Mr. Guo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "You said it yourself, Dongmei is my own daughter. How could I harm her? The sacrifice I’m talking about is that Dongmei must give birth to this child and hand it over to the Li family. This will lull them into a false sense of security. Then, when the time is right, I will make the Li family lose everything. Dongmei, you’ll have your revenge, I’ll have my satisfaction, and our Guo Family will use the Li family as a stepping stone to rise even higher. Isn’t that a much better outcome?"

Hearing their father’s words, both Guo Donghai and Guo Dongmei breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t a true sacrifice of her life.

"But... after the Li family falls, what will happen to the child?" Guo Dongmei asked, her voice tinged with sadness. "And if I have this baby, everyone in Jincheng City will probably find out. How will I ever get married then?"

Mr. Guo chuckled at his daughter’s words. "Heh, as long as the Guo Family holds a position of power and influence, you won’t have to worry about marriage. I could even make your dream of marrying into the Hua family come true. As for the child, if you want to raise it, we’ll bring it back after the Li family is ruined. The Guo Family can certainly afford to feed one more mouth."

"The Hua family?" Guo Dongmei was stunned, finding it hard to believe. "Father, you must be joking, right? After we broke off the engagement last time, the Hua family was furious. Why would they ever agree to a marriage with our family again?"

"Heh heh, that’s true, but it’s not impossible. When it comes to family interests, there are no absolute wins or losses, only constant conflict and compromise. Perhaps we’ll get some leverage on the Hua family. Then they’ll have to come begging to us, and they’ll agree to any condition we set," Mr. Guo said with a knowing smile, looking like a master strategist.

"No, no!" Guo Dongmei shook her head, refusing. "Father, I don’t want to marry into the Hua family. Besides, they hate us to the bone. You should crush them completely, maybe even take their lives to eliminate any future trouble. Only then will my hatred be satisfied."

"Heh heh, as you wish. I was just giving an example," Mr. Guo said with a laugh. "For now, we must be patient. Dongmei, Donghai, do not make any moves on your own. You could ruin my plan."

"Yes, Father," Guo Donghai replied. He never dared to question his father’s arrangements.

Guo Dongmei hesitated. She had told Wang Yuan to drug Zhao Nuanyue, but the drug wasn’t lethal, so she decided not to say anything.

"Good!" Seeing his daughter had come around and stopped her crying, Mr. Guo turned and left.

After his father left, Guo Donghai turned to his sister. "Dongmei, Father told us not to act rashly, so I told Wang Yuan to stop what you asked her to do."

"Brother, why would you do that?" Guo Dongmei was displeased. "Did that little bitch Wang Yuan ask you to? Besides, I only told her to give Zhao Nuanyue a drug that would make her infertile, not kill her!"

"Father said not to act rashly. If you go through with this, Zhao Nuanyue might catch you, which would ruin Father’s plan. We’d both be in for more trouble than we can handle, and even the Guo Family could be seriously affected," Guo Donghai reasoned. "Besides, Wang Yuan is just a weak girl. How could she possibly complete such a difficult task?"

"Heh heh, Brother, you underestimate Wang Yuan. That woman is not as simple as she seems!" Guo Dongmei laughed, then a look of surprise crossed her face. "Brother, you wouldn’t stop Wang Yuan for no reason. After all, my little plan won’t have a big impact on Father’s, and since Wang Yuan is good friends with Zhao Nuanyue, it would be incredibly easy for her to do it! But you stopped her... This must mean you have feelings for Wang Yuan. And you’re serious about them."

Caught off guard by his sister’s question, Guo Donghai felt a little embarrassed. But since the topic was out in the open, he decided to press on. ’If I help Wang Yuan get out of this, she’ll be grateful and come to me willingly.’

"I wouldn’t say I’m serious. I just think she’s pretty and want to have some fun," Guo Donghai said with a laugh. "But you know me, I never force a woman. I like it when they come to me willingly!"

Guo Donghai couldn’t get that feeling from his wife, so he sought psychological satisfaction from the submissiveness of women on the outside.

"Brother, don’t actually fall for Wang Yuan. It’s fine to play around," Guo Dongmei warned. "She’s the type of woman who is unscrupulous and will do anything to get what she wants!"

"Heh heh, that’s perfect, isn’t it? It’s similar to how our Guo Family operates. That way, when I’m with her, all I have to do is offer her enough benefits, enough profit, and she’ll be with me willingly. I won’t have to feel any guilt," Guo Donghai said with a shrug. "It’s just a consensual arrangement where we both get what we want. That’s perfectly fair!"