Chapter 204: How About Paying Respects at Your Own Grave?

Before, Gu Shengsheng had only suspected that Mr. Ryan was connected to her dead husband.

But now it seemed she hadn’t thought big enough!

What ’connection’? It was clearly Lu Shijing himself.

She sat there, unable to calm down for a long time. All she could do now was wait for Zhao Han to finish his investigation into Lu Shijing.

The main reason she’d contacted Zhao Han today was to ask him to investigate Lu Shijing.

At first, Zhao Han had found it strange. Sister Gu was the man’s wife; how could she possibly know nothing about him?

But as it turned out, Gu Shengsheng really was completely in the dark and had never tried to learn anything about him.

She found it odd that the Lu Family had never revealed any information about Lu Shijing. Gu Shengsheng had never even seen a memorial portrait of him.

They hadn’t even registered their marriage back then, only signed a marriage agreement.

That’s why Gu Shengsheng had slowly grown suspicious. ’At the very least, as the bride brought in to ward off bad luck, shouldn’t I have been expected to offer incense or something?’

But none of those procedures had ever happened.

She had shared these thoughts with Zhao Han at the time.

Who knew that Zhao Han wouldn’t understand at all? Instead, he had looked at Gu Shengsheng in astonishment and said, "So you want to stare at his memorial portrait every day!"

"Sister Gu, and you said you had no feelings for your dead husband. I think you’ve fallen head over heels!"

Gu Shengsheng had wanted to kill him right then and there, but she controlled her emotions.

After all, she still needed his help.

Now, she sat alone on the sofa, calming herself for a while. The whole situation felt surreal. Just as she was about to message Zhao Han to ask for an update...

Zhao Han beat her to it and called.

He said, "Sister Gu, I had my family’s butler look into it. It’s all sorted."

"And?"

"Check your email. There are photos and documents. And I have good news for you: tomorrow, you’ll be able to see your beloved husband."

"...What do you mean?" Gu Shengsheng asked. ’Could he also know that Lu Shijing is Mr. Ryan? No, the so-called "surprise" should be the press conference the day after tomorrow.’

Soon enough, Zhao Han explained, "Because tomorrow is the anniversary of your husband’s death. Lu Shijing disappeared on that day. You’ll probably have to visit his grave. You can just ask your family then and you’ll know."

"But this Lu Family is really strange. For a dead man, they keep everything incredibly tight-lipped. I only managed to find this out through my dad’s network."

Listening to Zhao Han drone on and on, taking credit for his work.

Gu Shengsheng’s head started to hurt, so she just hung up the phone.

She focused on the photo. It was the same face as the current Mr. Ryan, confirming her suspicions.

It was just that the current Mr. Ryan’s gaze seemed sharper, and he was more mature than before. The old him looked more like a sunny, boy-next-door type.

After staring for a while, she finally snapped out of it. ’Why am I so focused on his looks?’

She carefully reviewed the documents. It was all about a complete stranger. That’s right—Gu Shengsheng had married a man knowing only his name. This was the first time she was actually learning about Lu Shijing as a person.

He was an academic genius, a graduate of a world top-tier university. Afterward, he had successfully launched his company and built the Lu Group into a top-tier enterprise.

Then, he went abroad on a business trip, was in a plane crash, and vanished, all traces of him disappearing without a sound.

When he was a child, the Lu Group had begun to decline, a trend that continued until he himself acquired it...

Now, he had reappeared before everyone’s eyes, and it had only taken him three or four years. Gu Shengsheng wondered, ’Just how hard did he have to work to climb from the very bottom to where he is now... and then get his revenge?’

Things were definitely not as simple as they seemed on the surface. Given his current momentum, the second branch of the Lu Family had nowhere to run. It seemed likely that his "accident" back then was inextricably linked to them.

Gu Shengsheng silently analyzed everything, eventually falling asleep after reading through the documents all night.

Meanwhile, Lu Shijing was also tossing and turning. He was still unaware of how precarious his situation was, much less that his cover had already been blown.

He was still debating whether or not to message Gu Shengsheng.

After hesitating for a long time, he sighed, typed and deleted several messages, and finally just sent one: "Good night."

Gu Shengsheng was already fast asleep and didn’t see the message at all. With that, Lu Shijing also slept peacefully.

The next morning, Gu Shengsheng woke up unusually early. She was planning to treat herself to some delicious Cantonese dim sum for breakfast.

Unexpectedly, Grandma Lu appeared at her door first thing in the morning, dressed in black.

Grandma Lu said, "Shengsheng, today is the anniversary of Shi Jing’s death. I was going to tell you when we had dinner at the old residence, but it slipped my mind. I’m getting old, and my memory isn’t what it used to be!"

"Your mother-in-law and the other collateral relatives are all going in the afternoon. If we go in the morning, we can miss them. Grandma knows you don’t like interacting with those people." The old woman, dressed in simple black clothes, looked at Gu Shengsheng with a loving expression.

"Don’t worry. If you don’t want to ’see’ Shi Jing, you can just go through the motions. He’s just a dead man, after all," Grandma Lu said comfortingly.

’Inwardly, she was already breaking out in a cold sweat. It was one thing for that boy to deceive people on his own, but why did he have to drag an old woman like her into it?’

’It’s so unlucky to have to say he’s dead when I know he’s alive!’

Gu Shengsheng could naturally sense Grandma Lu’s good intentions.

Gu Shengsheng said, "Grandma, I’ll go. Please, have a seat for a moment. I ordered breakfast, and it’s at the door."

"You eat first. I’ll get changed right away. I’ll go with you. I’m the Lu Family’s granddaughter-in-law, how could I not go? One must observe the proper etiquette."

With that, Gu Shengsheng changed into a black qipao-style dress embroidered with peonies, then put on a black overcoat.

She also brought the tools she usually used for appraisals, tucking them into her small bag out of habit. In case she came across anything special, it would be good to be able to test it.

Now, she truly had the noble and steady air of a Young Madam.

Gu Shengsheng came out, had a quick bite to eat, and got ready to leave with her.

Just as they reached the door, Lu Shijing, who had been listening for a while, "coincidentally" came out for a chance encounter.

He was somewhat stunned when he saw Gu Shengsheng’s outfit today.

He said, "Miss Gu, Grandma Lu, good morning. Where are you two off to?"

Grandma Lu also enjoyed this little act. She looked at him with a sad and pained expression. "I’m going to see my dead grandson. That heartless scoundrel. He’s been dead for so many years, and I still have to sweep his grave every year."

Lu Shijing’s mouth twitched. "..."

"Grandma Lu, my condolences. Please take care of your health."

Gu Shengsheng found his barely perceptible reaction amusing.

Looking at him, she had a mischievous thought. She said, "Mr. Ryan, I’m going to see my husband. The dead must be respected."

"Since you’re so worried about Grandma, why don’t you come with us? You can pay your respects while you’re at it. You could even call it fate."

Grandma Lu raised an eyebrow and looked at Gu Shengsheng. ’This child... is interesting.’

The old lady could tell something was up. How could she not fan the flames?

She immediately said, "Yes! My head hurts and I’m not feeling well, and my grandson’s grave is through a patch of woods. Come on, kid, you can help take care of me, can’t you?"