Liang Shi and Gu Zhaoyuan had arranged to go to the nursing home to deliver books to the children.
She went to the bookstore at noon and bought a lot of books for children of appropriate age. Xu Qingzhu also had some. When she got off work in the evening, she confirmed with Xu Qingzhu again whether she needed to accompany Xu Qingzhu back to the Xu family home.
Xu Qingzhu replied: "Really, no need. I'll go straight home with my dad after get off work."
Liang Shi instructed: "Let's eat first, then we can talk business."
Otherwise, I won't be able to eat.
Xu Qingzhu: […Okay, Liang Laodao.]
Liang Shi: ...
She has already been given all sorts of strange nicknames by Xu Qingzhu.
On her way to the orphanage, Liang Shi received a call from the producer of the TV series "Yu Guang," who said that they planned to start filming in another week, with the opening ceremony to be held next Friday, and asked if she could coordinate her schedule.
Liang Shi readily agreed.
The pre-production work for filming here was no different from her original world, so Liang Shi was able to adapt quickly.
However, this also means that she needs to move soon.
She can only join the crew after she moves.
Her role wasn't particularly large; it's an absolute dual-female-lead drama, and her character is considered the third female lead.
If all the filming is compressed, it will probably take about half a month.
It depends on the director's arrangements. We'll also need to coordinate the lead actors' schedules, so filming might not be finished so quickly.
And the work at Dongheng is probably coming to an end soon.
Firstly, I don't have the time, and secondly, it's not really appropriate for me to stay in Dongheng any longer.
Liang Shi always held a pessimistic view on this matter, but acted optimistically.
The Liang family's real daughter has made such a big fuss, even leveraging official connections; she'll probably be able to reunite with her family soon.
Once she is recognized as a relative, she will be superfluous in both Dongheng and the Liang family.
but……
She remembered that in the book, the original owner was kicked out of the Liang family much later.
At that time, Xu Qingzhu was about to take her company public and had begun a sweet and ambiguous relationship with the real Alpha.
The real Alpha hasn't appeared yet.
Liang Shi felt that he was not only going further and further down the path of OOC in character design, but also in plot OOC.
Just then, the car stopped in front of the Compassionate Nursing Home, and the system's mechanical voice sounded in my mind: "So you knew!"
Liang Shi: "..."
"Will Lu Jiayi still appear?" Liang Shi said, "I'm starting to have doubts."
System: [Yes, but I don't know when it happened. You've only been here for less than two months, and you've already advanced the storyline of this world quite a bit. Awesome!]
Liang Shi: "..."
She felt the system was being sarcastic, but she didn't have time to argue with it.
An AI is unnecessary.
Gu Zhaoyuan was already waiting for her at the door. The books she brought were all in the trunk and back seat, almost filling her entire car.
After putting the books away, Liang Shi and Gu Zhaoyuan went to see the former Dean Gu.
After walking through the long, dark corridor, the two stopped in front of the old, vermilion wooden door. Gu Zhaoyuan gently knocked on the door, "Dad, are you awake?"
The door opened slowly, and Dean Gu seemed to be in good spirits today, sitting inside reading a book.
The room was fairly well lit, and he was reading a copy of "One Hundred Years of Solitude".
These are two literary masterpieces that resonate with the world.
Liang Shi greeted him in a low voice, "Hello, Dean Gu."
The old man glanced at her, his voice strange, "Who are you?"
“This is a friend who plans to rebuild the orphanage with me,” Gu Zhaoyuan introduced her. “Her name is Liang Shi. She just delivered a batch of books here today. She’s a very kind-hearted person.”
Liang Shi simply nodded and smiled.
Dean Gu's attitude softened slightly upon hearing this, but he remained engrossed in his book. "Then what do you want with this old geezer like me?"
Gu Zhaoyuan brought her a chair, and she sat down right opposite the old man.
Liang Shi asked in a low voice, "I'd like to ask you something."
"What?"
Liang Shi hesitated for two seconds before saying, "Do you know someone named Yang Jiani? And... Qi Xiangui, people often call him Mr. Qi."
As soon as he finished speaking, Dean Gu's pupils contracted slightly.
He tore the book in his hand in half and yelled at Liang Shi, "Madman! Madman!"
Chapter 76
This sudden turn of events startled both Liang Shi and Gu Zhaoyuan.
“Father.” Gu Zhaoyuan stepped forward and pressed him down. “Calm down.”
Dean Gu kept shouting, "Madman! Madman! Madwoman!"
Liang Shi stood up and took half a step back, unsure whether he should continue asking questions.
After hesitating for a moment, she continued, "Dean, you know Yang Jiani, right? Did she do something to Gu Xingyue?"
Upon hearing the name Gu Xingyue, Gu Zhaoyuan paused, his grip loosening.
Dean Gu suddenly broke free and ran to Liang Shi like a madman, grabbing her by the collar. "You're crazy!"
Liang Shi felt uncomfortable being strangled, his brows furrowed, but he didn't forcefully break free, afraid of hurting Dean Gu.
Dean Gu kept repeating the same few sentences.
Crazy woman, madwoman, get out.
Gu Zhaoyuan was afraid that continuing the conversation would upset his father, so after restraining his father, he let Liang Shi go out first.
The deep corridor was empty and silent; no one passed by.
The nursing home was quiet at night, with only a few birds occasionally flying overhead and circling, before even those birds disappeared.
A dozen minutes later, Gu Zhaoyuan emerged from the room, drenched in sweat. He first whispered to Liang Shi, "I'm sorry, did my father hurt you?"
"No," Liang Shi replied.
Gu Zhaoyuan gave Dean Gu a sedative, and Dean Gu fell into a coma.
Liang Shi had just learned that Dean Gu would go crazy every now and then, but he was lucid for a few days each day, depending entirely on luck.
Actually, Liang Shi was quite lucky today. When he arrived, Dean Gu was awake and even took out a book to read.
However, when Liang Shi mentioned Yang Jiani, she was provoked and went berserk again.
After Gu Zhaoyuan apologized to her, he asked who Yang Jiani was and why she mentioned his sister.
Liang Shi only vaguely said, "Perhaps your sister is not yet dead, but I can't tell you anything more."
She only promised Gu Zhaoyuan that if he ever found Gu Xingyue, she would introduce Gu Xingyue to him if he was willing.
The sheer volume of information left Gu Zhaoyuan speechless.
He asked three times, "Is my sister still alive?"
Liang Shi nodded. "He should still be alive."
They did not give a completely definitive answer.
But this was already great news for Gu Zhaoyuan. After the initial excitement, Gu Zhaoyuan calmed down and thought: "So my father decided to rebuild the orphanage because of my sister's situation?"
“That possibility cannot be ruled out,” Liang Shi said. “But we’ll have to ask your father for details.”
Gu Zhaoyuan smiled bitterly, "You've seen what he's like now. I just hope he can live out his old age in peace."
Liang Shi nodded: "So I apologize for bothering you this time."
“It’s alright. I’m really grateful for the information you provided.” Gu Zhaoyuan said sincerely, “Miss Liang, you must find my sister. Even if we don’t meet, just knowing that she is still alive and well in this world is enough for me.”
Liang Shi nodded: "I will do my best."
The two then discussed the establishment of an orphanage. Gu Zhaoyuan was an expert in this area, and Liang Shi simply echoed his opinions.
The night was clear and the stars were few as Liang Shi drove away from the nursing home.
After watching her car leave, Gu Zhaoyuan hurried back to his father's room.
His father was lying on the bed, his hands tightly gripping the sheets, his face aged.
Even in her sleep, she murmured softly, "Stars and Moon."
Gu Zhaoyuan stood at the door and sighed helplessly.
After a while, he bent down to pick up the torn books from the ground.
//
After getting off work, Xu Qingzhu went straight back to the Xu family home.
Her car followed Xu Guangyao's car, and she greeted Xu Guangyao when she got back.
Xu Guangyao frowned slightly: "Why are you back?"
"What are you saying?" Xu Qingzhu walked alongside him. "Can't I even come back to my home?"
Xu Guangyao paused for a moment before saying, "If you want to talk about company matters, we can discuss it at the company tomorrow."
"It's not about the company," Xu Qingzhu said. "I just came home to have a meal with you all."
She raised an eyebrow, her tone tinged with displeasure, "Don't you welcome me?"