Ch 43: I Stole Your Diary
Gu Yuanzhou didn’t just talk the talk, he walked the walk.
In that situation just now, if Gu Yuanzhou hadn’t helped her out, that thief’s hat would have definitely landed on her head.
Then it would be a case of “mud on one’s trousers—whether it’s shit or not, it’s shit,” and even if she had ten mouths, she couldn’t explain herself.
“Tell me the truth, do you know who did it?”
Shen Mingyue looked into Gu Yuanzhou’s eyes, her gaze intense.
Gu Yuanzhou had also recently noticed Zhou Xiaofei’s unusual behavior. He thought it was most likely Zhou Xiaofei, but he was afraid of causing a direct conflict between them if he spoke up.
“Who do you think it was?”
Seeing that Gu Yuanzhou was unwilling to engage, Shen Mingyue stopped asking. However, she still issued a warning: “I don’t like to pick fights. I’ve always lived by the principle of ‘don’t start trouble unless provoked,’ but if someone keeps provoking me, I’m not made of mud.”
She directly stated her position. Zhou Xiaofei’s actions had crossed her line, and she would definitely make things difficult for Zhou Xiaofei in the future.
Gu Sisi was annoying too, but she only grumbled; she never took any real action. Zhou Xiaofei, however, was very insidious, using this method to get at her the first time.
But Shen Mingyue had to admit that this method was effective. If Gu Yuanzhou hadn’t been there today, she might have been seen as a thief by the Gu family, so how could she live in this large family?
That woman Zhou Xiaofei is truly vicious.
Gu Yuanzhou understood Shen Mingyue’s implication, but he didn’t want to interfere. As a man, it wasn’t appropriate for him to get involved in a conflict between women.
Besides, Zhou Xiaofei’s actions were truly disappointing, so it was understandable that Shen Mingyue would retaliate.
“Mm, you have your own ideas, so I won’t say anything more.”
After resolving this matter, the two of them resumed their nightly studies.
Meanwhile, Zhou Xiaofei was sulking in her room. The thought of Gu Yuanzhou defending Shen Mingyue made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Second Brother actually lied for that country bumpkin! It was so disappointing.
Feeling resentful, Zhou Xiaofei grabbed her pillow and pounded it several times, her expression growing increasingly gloomy.
Gu Sisi, that fool, believes everything Second Brother says. She should at least use her brain when going out.
Gu Yuanzhou clearly made it up. Anyone with intelligence could see through it, yet only she believed him.
Thinking about this, Zhou Xiaofei felt a little panicked. This deviated too much from her plan.
Originally, she had planned to make Shen Mingyue bear the charge of theft, eliminating any dispute and ensuring everyone would look down on her.
Unexpectedly, a hero emerged halfway through. Gu Yuanzhou easily resolved the situation. Now, Gu Jianjun and the others probably realized that Shen Mingyue didn’t do it. Since it wasn’t her, it must have been someone else. Considering everyone in the family, who else could it be?
Zhou Xiaofei didn’t want anyone to suspect her, so she would have to find a way to pin the blame on Gu Sisi again.
The entire family was pondering what had just happened, but Gu Sisi went straight to sleep after returning home, completely unthinking.
The next day, everyone went to work. Only Tian Shufang and Shen Mingyue remained at home. Tian Shufang had the day off and didn’t need to go to her workplace.
Seeing this, Shen Mingyue suggested they do some spring cleaning. She would go to the shop later to help with the cleaning.
Tian Shufang looked around. The house hadn’t been thoroughly cleaned recently and was quite dirty. Since she didn’t have to go to work today, she decided to do some cleaning.
Shen Mingyue took the opportunity to sneak into Zhou Xiaofei’s room. There was a locked cabinet in Zhou Xiaofei’s room, and Shen Mingyue had a hunch that something was wrong.
Seeing that no one was around, she took out a hair clip, fiddled with it for a while, and opened the lock.
Inside, she found a yellowed diary. Shen Mingyue’s eyes lit up. To avoid being discovered by Tian Shufang, she took it back to her own room.
She flipped through it. The handwriting was initially somewhat messy, but it became more mature later on.
Shen Mingyue flipped to the back, and her eyes widened in the next moment.
During adolescence, when there’s no outlet for their feelings, girls often write diaries, and Zhou Xiaofei was no exception. In this diary, she explicitly expressed her admiration for Gu Yuanzhou.
It wasn’t that Zhou Xiaofei was bold, but because the diary was locked in a cabinet; she thought no one would see it, so she dared to write so freely.
This kind of thing was certainly not something to be brought up. Zhou Xiaofei was, after all, an adopted child of the Gu family. From the moment she entered the house, she should have understood her position. Even as an adopted daughter, Gu Yuanzhou was nominally her second brother. How could they possibly be together? The scandal of incest would be outrageous!
After reading it, Shen Mingyue didn’t plan to put the diary back but kept it.
After finishing the cleaning, Tian Shufang praised Shen Mingyue for being capable and hardworking.
“Mom, I have to go to the shop this afternoon, so I won’t chat with you.”
Shen Mingyue grabbed her bag and left. When she arrived at the clothing store, she found Bai Jingjing working diligently. She felt somewhat guilty. Recently, she had been preoccupied with so many things that she hadn’t paid much attention to the clothing store. If it weren’t for Bai Jingjing, it would have been a big problem.
After entering, Shen Mingyue quickly helped attend to customers. Half an hour later, she finished. Shen Mingyue felt somewhat embarrassed, thinking Bai Jingjing had worked hard.
“Sister Mingyue, don’t say that. Even if you hired two waiters, it wouldn’t cost that much. I asked around, and the salespeople at the department store only earn twenty-five yuan a month. You’re paying me sixty yuan, plus commission. Even if I work hard all day, it’s only fair.”
Bai Jingjing knew that Shen Mingyue paid her a high salary, and she was grateful. As for working hard, it was normal, especially since she was pregnant and lived in such a large family as the Gu family.
It’s just that she’s busy, but selling clothes isn’t that hard; it’s not like she’s doing manual labor.
In the afternoon, the two of them calculated the day’s revenue. Wow, in just a few days, they had almost recouped their costs. They would break even in a month and even make a profit. Shen Mingyue was very satisfied.
As they were about to close the shop door, Gu Yuanzhou came. Shen Mingyue went home in his car.
By this time, Zhou Xiaofei had gotten off work and returned home. The first thing she did after entering her bedroom was to notice that the lock on her cabinet was open.
This made her heart pound. She clearly remembered locking the cabinet when she left, because inside, besides some valuables, were her secrets.
Zhou Xiaofei hurried over to open the cabinet, and when she saw that the diary was gone, her face turned pale, as if she had been struck by a blow.
Her head buzzed. She couldn’t imagine the consequences if others saw that diary.