But now that he knows Gu En could lie about not living long, he suddenly began to understand deeply that perhaps Qin Hao was right, and Gu En was not what he appeared to be at all.
But this was something he really couldn't accept. How did Gu En become like this?
"Don't tell me that Xia Ran overheard it at the door. If that's really the case, why wasn't he at the door when I came out? And why didn't he question me then?"
Qin Hao overheard Gu Zheng's words as he returned after dropping off the doctor, and a smile instantly appeared in his eyes. Not bad, his brother is finally not stupid anymore.
Gu En's already unpleasant expression turned even worse after hearing Gu Zheng's words. Of course, Gu Zheng still noticed the hint of panic in her eyes.
"No, Brother Zheng, that's not how it happened. I don't know how Xia Ran found out. Besides, Xia Ran himself said that he overheard it by accident at the door. It has nothing to do with me."
As Gu En spoke, tears streamed down his face, as if he had suffered a great injustice.
Normally, Gu Zheng would probably have softened his heart, but now he felt no softening at all; instead, he felt a chill in his heart.
"Heh..." Qin Hao walked over and sneered sarcastically, "It has nothing to do with you? Gu En, can you stop acting like we owe you something?"
"You think you can just say it's not true and then it's not? Do you believe me? I'll call Xia Ran right now and ask her myself. It's clear that Xia Ran knowing it was a stand-in was all part of your plan!"
Qin Hao's tone was very confident, but in reality he had no evidence. However, he just felt that it was related to Gu En, so he was completely trying to provoke Gu En with these words.
"No! This has nothing to do with me!" Gu En became very agitated after hearing Qin Hao's words, even appearing somewhat extreme.
Looking at Gu En like this, Gu Zheng felt completely unfamiliar with her.
In his eyes, Gu En was always a simple, kind, and obedient girl who never fought or competed. But the extreme look on her face now was completely different from the Gu En he knew.
"Qin Hao, why are you doing this to me? I know you don't like me, but you don't have to frame me like this! Xia Ran's matter really has nothing to do with me!"
Gu En tried to grab Gu Zheng's hand, but this time Gu Zheng turned to the side and dodged it.
Qin Hao: "Why are you so agitated if it has nothing to do with you? Yes, I don't like you, but I would never do something like this to frame someone."
"Okay, since you say no, I'll call Xia Ran now. I think Xia Ran would also like to know how pathetic you are right now."
As Qin Hao spoke, he glanced at Gu Zheng and noticed that Gu Zheng had his eyes closed and seemed to be thinking about something. However, it was clear that Gu Zheng was not going to help Gu En.
Gu Zheng breathed a sigh of relief; in fact, he was quite afraid that Gu Zheng would help Gu En.
Just as Qin Hao was about to take out his phone, Gu Encai grabbed Gu Zheng's hand without thinking.
"Brother Zheng, Brother Zheng, say something! Don't you believe me either? But everything I said is true. I really don't know how Xia Ran found out. He said he overheard it at the door. So, Brother Zheng, even if you don't believe me, you have to believe Xia Ran, right?"
It has to be said that Gu En really understands Gu Zheng, and what he said really resonated with Gu Zheng.
At the time, a large part of the reason he didn't investigate further was because Xia Ran had said that.
But now...
Gu Zheng looked at Gu En and said, "Since you don't know what happened, what's wrong with asking Xia Ran?"
Gu En was stunned for a moment, not expecting Gu Zheng to say such a thing, and her eyes were full of hurt.
"Brother Zheng, you've changed. Even you don't believe me anymore? If even you don't believe me in this world, then no one else will. Brother Zheng, didn't you say that no matter what others think or say, you would always believe in me? Why are you going back on your word now?"
Chapter 187 Are you sure you like Gu En?
Gu En's tears immediately streamed down her face, and she did look very pitiful.
However, Qin Hao had always looked down on Gu En's behavior, so he only found her disgusting and never felt sorry for her.
As for Gu Zheng, he usually feels soft-hearted towards Gu En, but now he just watches this scene coldly.
"I was just calling Xia Ran to confirm. Since you didn't do it, why are you afraid?"
Gu Zheng stared intently at Gu En; in fact, his words were in cahoots with Qin Hao.
He and Qin Hao both knew that Xia Ran's phone number was no longer in service; he just couldn't believe that Gu En had planned all of this.
Qin Hao: "No need to say anything, I'll just call Xia Ran and ask."
"No!" Gu En exclaimed again, this time with even greater agitation, "Don't call Xia Ran!"
If Xia Ran knew that he was being questioned by Zheng Ge, she would definitely laugh at him mercilessly. He would rather lose face in front of everyone than in front of Xia Ran.
"You think you can just refuse to give it to us like that? We need to verify some things right now, isn't it normal for us to call him? Why can't we make that call?"
Qin Hao stared directly at Gu En, and the disdain in his eyes only fueled Gu En's resentment.
Why? Why is it that after knowing each other for so many years, they are not as good as Xia Ran, whom they have only known for a short time?
When Gu En thought of this, he even felt a little crazy.
So when he spoke again, his tone even had a sense of "what's the use of trying" or "I've given up" about it.
"Yes! It was my doing!" Gu En almost roared as he spoke. "I made Xia Ran hide in the bathroom and then deliberately led Zheng Ge to say those things, but was I wrong? I wasn't wrong!"
When Gu En roared these words at Gu Zheng, Gu Zheng felt an indescribable emotion.
When he guessed it was Gu En, and then Gu En admitted it herself, these were two completely different mindsets.
Gu Zheng looked at Gu En with eyes full of disappointment. No matter how much he tried to deceive himself, he couldn't deny that he was completely disappointed in Gu En, and he also fully understood that Gu En was very different from what he thought she was.
"Do you think you're not wrong?" Gu Zheng asked coldly. "What did Xia Ran do wrong? Why are you treating him like this?"
"What did I do wrong? So, Brother Zheng, do you think I was wrong?"
"
Gu En tried to take Gu Zheng's hand, but Gu Zheng dodged it. When he saw the disappointment and indifference in Gu Zheng's eyes, he felt extremely sad.
"Why? Why do you think I'm wrong, Brother Zheng? Everyone else can say I'm wrong! But you can't! Because everything I've done is for you!"
"You say Xia Ran is not wrong? But I think he is wrong! He's wrong for enjoying what rightfully belongs to me, wrong for marrying you, wrong for liking you!"
Gu En's ferocious expression was somewhat frightening.
Gu Zheng: "It was my suggestion to marry him. If you want to hate me, why drag innocent Xia Ran into this?"
Gu Zheng originally thought he would always be soft-hearted towards Gu En, but only at this moment did he realize that, no, he didn't seem to be that soft-hearted towards Gu En after all.
"Hate you?" Gu En suddenly laughed. "I like you so much, how could I bear to hate you?"
If he had said these words before today, Gu Zheng might have softened his heart, but now that he said them, Gu Zheng is only more disappointed in him.
Using the guise of liking someone to do things that hurt others—who can bear that kind of liking?
Gu Zheng suddenly remembered the way Xia Ran sat on the stairs questioning him that day. It turned out that he hadn't heard Nanfeng at the door, but in the bathroom. Xia Ran must have been very desperate at that time.
Gu Zheng's thoughts gradually became hazy, and a sharp pain rose in his chest, this time quite noticeable, making it impossible for him to ignore.
Qin Hao rolled his eyes at Gu En's words and said dismissively,
"Are you sure you really like my brother? Or are you just after our family's lifestyle? If you really liked my brother, you wouldn't have done these things. Don't you know how well my brother and Xia Ran lived before you came along?"
“They are a happy family of three. When have you ever seen him so happy in all the years you’ve known him? This happiness could have continued forever, but it was broken because of your appearance.”
"If you really liked him, you wouldn't have come out to ruin everything. You're just unwilling to give up this good life with the Gu family. Gu En, stop playing the victim. The Gu family doesn't owe you anything, and my brother owes you even less."
"Although the Gu family wronged you back then, and your father lost his life to save my brother, don't you think about it? At that time, you were already terminally ill. If it weren't for your father saving my brother and the Gu family paying for your treatment, you would have died long ago."
"Don't keep using this to play the victim. The Gu family saved you back then, which was already repaying the kindness of your father saving my brother. And they raised you to this age. This isn't something we owe you; it's something you owe us! Don't always act like we owe you so much!"
"If it weren't for us, would you be living such a good life? Going to such a good school? Even when you said you wanted to change your surname to Gu, my brother agreed? Let me tell you, it wasn't because my brother liked you, he just felt sorry for you! If your father hadn't insisted on the Gu family taking care of you before he died, who would have paid any attention to you?"
After Qin Hao finally spoke his mind, he immediately felt much better.
He had mentioned it to his brother a few times after Gu En turned eighteen, but his brother never allowed him to say it and also forbade him to mention it in front of Gu En.
If Gu En were a good person, he would have been happy to accept her even if she had only half of Xia Ran's personality, but Gu En just didn't.
When he first met Gu En, he was quite happy because he and his brother were the only two children in his family. His brother was mature beyond his years and didn't want to play with him. He thought that finally someone would play with him.
But later... well, what happened afterward was complicated and made him unable to like Gu En anymore.
His parents thought the same way, and in the end, it was all because of Gu En's mess.
"And..." Qin Hao looked at the stunned Gu En, then turned to Gu Zheng, and said in a tone of disappointment and frustration.
"Brother, are you sure you like Gu En? Or is it just because you feel guilty towards him? Or is it because you haven't had much contact with other boys and girls since you were little, so you naturally feel that you like Gu En?"
Chapter 188 Gu Zheng Regrets
"And another thing, are you sure it's not because you feel a sense of shared suffering because you think Gu En lost her parents at the scene of the car accident and fire, just like you?"
"Brother, don't be silly! That's not love! That's guilt and habit!"
After Qin Hao finished speaking, he felt much better. Damn it! He had been holding it in for so many years, he was about to get sick from it!
Gu En, who had been somewhat stunned, immediately became excited upon hearing Qin Hao's words.
"No! That's impossible! Zheng-ge likes me! It's not the guilt you're talking about! No!"
After he finished yelling, he looked at Gu Zheng, who was staring blankly, as if he was thinking about something.
Gu En was extremely flustered, even more so than when he had just admitted to scheming against Xia Ran.
His only bargaining chip was Gu Zheng's affection for him. If Gu Zheng really didn't like him, what other way would he be able to stay in the Gu family?
"Brother Zheng, look at me, you like me, right? You must like me, right?"
Gu En's tone was already pleading, but there was still a hint of confusion in Gu Zheng's eyes.
Qin Hao watched, took a big gulp of tea, and then continued talking.
"Brother, let me ask you another question. You think you like Gu En, right? Even though you and Gu En didn't make it clear before, you both implicitly acknowledged your relationship, didn't you?"
"During the time you were in a tacitly accepted relationship, did you do anything intimate? Like kissing or hugging? Let me tell you, if you really like someone, you really want to be close to them!"
"Think about when you were with Xia Ran, didn't you really want to be close to her? It was almost like you were addicted, wasn't it?"
"And you get jealous when you see Gu En with other people, even if they're just ordinary friends, right? Let alone ordinary friends, I remember you got really angry when Xia Ran and I got a little close, but would you get jealous of Gu En? Bro, can't you use your brain for once!"
If Qin Hao weren't still a little afraid of Gu Zheng, he would have liked to do what his mother did and poke Gu Zheng's forehead directly, and then say something like, "Where did you go in the head?"
Qin Hao's words made Gu En's face turn pale again, and she didn't know what to say for a moment.
Because during their relationship, Gu Zheng never touched him; even when they held hands, it was he who took the initiative to link arms with Gu Zheng.
Sometimes he even wanted to kiss Gu Zheng, but Gu Zheng would tell him that he was still too young and should wait.
"No! That's not it at all! Zheng-ge is just concerned about me! He just thinks I'm still young! It's not because he doesn't like me!"
Gu En shouted loudly, and his reaction further proved Qin Hao's earlier words.