The richest man's parents were kidnapped, and his adorable son captivated the entire family.

Xie Yumin looked at the message, and the smile on her face vanished instantly. She closed her phone, her eyes turning cold and sharp.

But no matter what, she finally got through this hurdle, which was enough to give her a sigh of relief.

After all, once she gets permission, she can freely browse the files there.

With excitement, she quickly arrived at the document room of the Gu Group.

This place is perpetually shrouded in darkness, dust-laden, and oppressively shrouded in a forgotten layer of time. Xie Yumin wore a light gray woolen coat that allowed for easy movement, and a mask. She moved very quietly, knowing that every second of this journey had to be carefully considered; going too fast, too slow, or being too conspicuous could arouse suspicion.

Holding a stamped "Application for Historical Project Research," she ostensibly came to review the implementation documents of a certain charity project, but her real target was the Gu family archives that had been sealed away for many years.

She quickly began flipping through box after box of sealed documents, her fingertips leaving faint red marks as she worked.

Just as she turned to a blue-covered document titled "Jingyuan Maintenance Project," a sudden thought struck her.

Jingyuan was the former name of the Gu family's ancestral home.

That was a location she had secretly investigated countless times during the days when Gu Yinshen never mentioned it.

Her gaze swept quickly across the catalog, and a line of text suddenly caught her eye: "In a certain year... a special renovation of the children's room was carried out in the small building on the west side of Jingyuan."

The children's room? Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the document tightly.

This timeframe coincides with the months between when she left City A, when Mengmeng was about to be born, and when she was "suddenly" adopted by the Gu family.

She turned the pages of details one by one, and saw a familiar name, Uncle Fu, in the signature section for "Construction Responsible Person".

Her eyelids twitched violently.

This was a name she had seen many times on Mengmeng's baby product shopping list.

An old-fashioned butler who served almost exclusively the core members of the Gu family retired several years ago.

At the time, she only thought he was one of the servants who took care of Mengmeng. Now it seems that this person may be the one who actually "entered" the Gu family.

She gently stroked the pages, her heart starting to race uncontrollably.

Is all of this really just a coincidence?

The fragmented words Chen Bo had once mentioned flashed through her mind.

"The old lady and the master were arguing terribly over that child... saying that Yin Shen had committed some terrible sins... and that they wanted to leave the child in the Gu family..."

The puzzle was pieced together little by little in her mind.

Perhaps it's not as simple as "a mistake made by a young person." Perhaps behind this storm lies the Gu family's reputation, family interests, or even some "promise" or "deal" that she is unaware of.

Mengmeng is not just her child.

It is more likely that it was "a pawn sacrificed" by the elders of the Gu family.

Xie Yumin's breathing trembled slightly, and she couldn't help but close her eyes, suppressing her emotions. She knew that the closer she got to the truth, the more dangerous each step would be. But she had no way out.

Despite her carefulness, the Gu family was extremely sensitive to this matter and quickly discovered her subtle actions.

Two hours later, after an urgent appointment call, Xie Yumin arrived at the Gu family's old house.

The heavy vermilion wooden door slowly opened, revealing Gu Mingyu's consistently dignified and imposing figure.

She was impeccably dressed in a tailored royal blue cheongsam, her hair neatly styled, and she held a string of red agate beads in her hand. She stood by the sandalwood armchair at the end of the hall, her eyes as cold as frost.

"Miss Xie," her voice was clear but devoid of warmth, "you want to ask about Jingyuan?"

Xie Yumin nodded and said in a low voice, "I just want to confirm some past repair records, which may involve Mengmeng..."

"Enough!" The teacup slammed heavily onto the jade tea table, the voice icy.

Gu Mingyu slowly stood up, her slender fingers stroking the bracelet. Her gaze was sharp as a knife as she approached him, each word sharp and menacing: "Do you think you can ask about the Gu family's old mansion or the Gu family's children? What do you take the Gu family for? A charity?"

“Miss Xie,” she chuckled sarcastically, “you underestimate yourself too much, and overestimate yourself too much.”

"How dare you, a woman of dubious origin and with wicked intentions, interfere in the Gu family's reputation?"

Xie Yumin's face was pale, and her hands were trembling slightly, but she still did not back down.

Gu Mingyu was already impatient: "If you know what's good for you, take the money that the Gu family is willing to give you and disappear properly. If you accept this kindness, then you'll be considered sensible."

She paused, then her voice turned icy: "If you keep pestering us, don't blame us for being heartless. City A is so big; there are plenty of ways to make someone disappear."

Xie Yumin pursed her lips, her lips trembling almost imperceptibly, but she still nodded: "Thank you for reminding me, Elder Gu."

She knew there was no point in saying anything more, so she lowered her head, turned around, and left.

She hadn't gone far from the gate when a low-key black sedan came to a steady stop beside her.

"Yu Mian?"

A familiar yet alarming voice rang out.

The car window slowly rolled down, revealing Gu Chengji's ever-present gentle smile. He was impeccably dressed in a suit, his eyes calm and collected—the quintessential image of a mediocre heir from an upper-class family.

He opened the car door, seemingly expecting her to be turned away, and said with appropriate regret, "Don't take it to heart with your aunt. She values ​​her reputation above all else and doesn't trust any outsiders."

Xie Yumin did not answer, but just stared at him coldly.

Gu Chengji, however, didn't seem to care. He sighed softly, took a few steps closer, and lowered his voice: "I know what you're investigating. Jingyuan... I used to go there often when I was a child. It was indeed renovated for a period of time, and at that time someone said they wanted to take their child there."

He paused, as if considering his words, then suddenly revealed a smile that was hard to decipher: "Alas, poor Mengmeng... Yinshen... is also... powerless to do as he pleases."

When he said this, a complex light flashed in his eyes, as if he was waiting for her reaction, or as if he was deliberately leaving it at that.

Under the dim streetlights, Gu Chengji stood beside the black car, his shirt slightly undone, a gentle and gentlemanly smile on his face, yet carrying a hint of chill in the night wind.

At this moment, his tone was gentle, as if he genuinely wanted to answer Xie Yumin's questions: "I heard that... before the old lady passed away, she forced Yin Shen to make a solemn oath about Mengmeng and her birth mother."

He lowered his voice slightly, his eyes flashing in the dim light: "I heard that oath... is related to Yin Shen's biological mother. You know, the legendary woman from the Gu family, almost no outsiders have ever seen her."

Xie Yumin frowned, her gaze fixed on his face, without uttering a word.

"As for the specifics..." He saw through her meaning, but pretended to hesitate and shook his head, "I am of low status and dare not speak presumptuously."

He suddenly chuckled, then changed the subject: "But I heard... that the old maid Zhang Ma in the west wing of Jingyuan, named Zhang Guilan, served the old lady the longest back then. She went back to her hometown, I think it's in Qingshui Town."