"Daddy!"
A soft voice interrupted Gu Zhou's thoughts.
"Little Qi." Matriarch Gu looked at him with a face full of emotion. She reached out to touch Little Qi's chubby little face and said happily, "You're finally awake. Great-grandma was so anxious!"
With that, Matriarch Gu even pretended to squeeze out two drops of tears.
"Great-grandma, don't cry!"
Little Qi said in a childish voice as he struggled to sit up. Seeing this, Old Madam Gu hurriedly pressed down on Little Qi's shoulders and said with a smile, "Good child, Great-grandma won't cry anymore!"
"Why did you go out on your own?" Gu Zhou's eyes were filled with warmth as he asked softly.
Every time Little Qi did something wrong, Gu Zhou always wanted to be strict with him, but he simply couldn't!
Upon hearing Gu Zhou's words, Little Qi shrank back a little. He said softly, "I wanted to see what my new mommy looks like."
Gu Zhou looked blankly at Gu Qi.
Gu Qi shrank back more and said shyly, "My new mommy is so warm, like an angel. I-I quite like her."
He had still been conscious when he fell. In a daze, he saw his new mommy wearing a white wedding gown. Bathed in a holy light, she descended to his side like an angel and even fed him sugar solution.
Gu Zhou made an indifferent noise in response. Standing up, he took Matriarch Gu outside and said in a low voice, "Grandma, don't let Little Qi go home yet."
Matriarch Gu blinked her eyes in confusion. Puzzled, she looked at Gu Zhou and asked softly, "Why not?"
Gu Zhou still wasn't sure of Qiao Nian's motives for coming to the Gu residence. He didn't want Little Qi to be hurt. If Qiao Nian came to the Gu residence with ill intentions, Little Qi wouldn't be able to put up a fight.
"Grandma, I want to see what kind of person she is and whether she's suitable to be Little Qi's mommy," Gu Zhou said impassively, his gaze slightly lowered. He was still thinking about the woman who had climbed into his bed five years ago!
"That's true. You're really considerate." Matriarch Gu nodded in agreement. Little Qi was a child. If the Qiao family's second daughter did not treat Little Qi well, or if she hurt him, that would be a problem. "Then you should observe the Qiao family's second daughter carefully."
"Yes," Gu Zhou answered calmly.
Gu Zhou stayed with Little Qi in the hospital for a while before leaving. On the way back to the Gu residence, he spoke to his secretary Lin Nan, who was sitting in the front passenger seat. "Investigate Qiao Nian's background."
"Yes, sir," Lin Nan answered. He made preparations immediately.
Gu Zhou sat in the back seat and tilted his head to look out of the window. As he watched the scenery gradually recede, he recalled Qiao Nian's innocent and exquisite features, and couldn't help but frown.
When he returned home, Gu Zhou saw Zhao Qian standing in the courtyard in a daze. He didn't even glance at Zhao Qian as he walked into the house.
Zhao Qian watched as Brother Gu Zhou walked away from her expressionlessly. She couldn't help but frown. She had thought that Brother Gu Zhou would be worried about her, and that he would check up on her with a few questions, but he left without a word.
Zhao Qian started to panic. She had always thought that she would marry Brother Gu Zhou, but she had never expected him to marry someone else.
No, this wouldn't do. She could not watch Brother Gu Zhou be with another woman, right in front of her.
She had to get Brother Gu Zhou back.
Zhao Qian's eyes were filled with panic. Suddenly, Little Qi's face appeared in her mind. Her lips curved up slightly and she quickly walked out.
Little Qi was the most important person to Brother Gu Zhou. If Matriarch Gu was on her side, she believed that the position of Second Young Madam Gu would definitely be hers.
With this thought in mind, Zhao Qian quickened her pace.
...
Gu Zhou walked back to the drawing room. Seeing that there was no one there, he turned to the butler standing to the side and asked, "Where is she?"
"Second Young Madam Gu is resting in the guest room next to yours," the butler said. He hurriedly led the way to Qiao Nian's room and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" An impatient voice rang from the room. Almost immediately, the door opened and Qiao Nian appeared in front of Gu Zhou in a short-sleeved shirt and denim shorts.
Her hair was still dripping with water and there were still drops of hot water between her collarbones. She was enshrouded in steam.
Aware that this was not his place, the butler left.
Gu Zhou gave Qiao Nian a glance-over and walked into the house calmly. He sat down on the sofa by the window and looked out at the garden, his gaze lowered. "How confident are you of removing the toxins in my body?"
While listening to Gu Zhou's words, Qiao Nian let her long hair down, inadvertently wetting her shirt. The traces of her underclothes could be seen faintly.
Qiao Nian lowered her gaze thoughtfully. After a moment, she said, "You've been poisoned too deeply. I'm only 70% sure I can cure you."
Only 70%?
Gu Zhou's thin lips curved up in a mocking smile.