Chapter 72

Chapter 72

I’m screwed!

Su Shengli was drenched in cold sweat, acutely aware that one foot was already dangling over a precipice.

When he accidentally discovered he was the false young master before the college entrance exams, Su Shengli hadn’t been afraid. He had secretly contacted Liao Anyang, intending to quietly eliminate the true young master.

Even when the truth about their identities was exposed and the Su family patriarch repeatedly gave him a hard time, Su Shengli still hadn’t been afraid. He knew the Su family wouldn’t kick him out over this.

After his status changed to that of an adopted son and he was publicly called out by the Su family patriarch at a banquet, only to later be exposed as having no genetic connection whatsoever to Song Manman or Su Wanlin, Su Shengli finally felt a tinge of fear. It turned out there was an ulterior motive behind the Su family’s favor toward him.

But even then, he was still allowed to remain in the Su household. Though their affection and attention seemed to vanish, as long as his status remained, Su Shengli continued to live in luxury. He knew the Su family cared about their reputation.

But now, surrounded by stern, cold-eyed police officers and sensing the silent scrutiny of those around him, Su Shengli belatedly began to feel true terror.

Even if Liao Anyang managed to escape and wasn’t caught, Zhou Jiarou would definitely spill the beans that would incriminate him!

Why was Zhou Jiarou here?

Because she had been relentlessly blackmailing him recently, using excuses about wanting to collaborate, which drew the attention of those black-clad men who had taken it upon themselves to "teach her a lesson."

After Liao Anyang left with him, Zhou Jiarou was immediately dragged here.

Recalling what Zhou Jiarou had endured in this house over the past few days, Su Shengli broke out in a cold sweat.

He wasn’t even sure whether Liao Anyang, aside from coercing and forcing Zhou Jiarou to serve him in bed, had inadvertently revealed anything that could harm him.

Su Shengli didn’t know if Zhou Jiarou’s confession would implicate him!

He was about to faint, but the blinding lights only plunged him into a disorienting white haze, doing nothing to soothe his terrified mind.

In this suffocating atmosphere of uncertainty and inescapability, Su Shengli’s vision darkened as a black hood was pulled over his head. His hands were yanked behind his back and locked in cold handcuffs.

------

A murderer had been found in the luxury complex near the university!

As soon as the news broke, tabloid reporters already camped out near Mingcheng Film Academy rushed to the scene. They arrived even faster than official legal reporters. The moment the police escorted the two suspects in black hoods out, the paparazzi had already identified one of them based on clothing and height.

Good news: this person was somewhat famous, a minor celebrity who had been trending recently.

Bad news: the prestigious Su family would absolutely not allow any scandal to smear Su Shengli’s name, lest it affect Su Group’s reputation and interests. They would never allow the media to formally report this bombshell news.

Another piece of good news...

It was the middle of the night. Su Group’s PR department might not react in time.

What a twist!

People had heard of celebrities indulging in vices—drinking, drugs, gambling—but who had ever heard of one being a murderer?

Even if the murder accusation was shaky, Su Shengli couldn’t escape the charges of harboring a murderer and conspiring to kill.

The onlookers’ eyes gleamed with excitement as camera flashes lit up the scene.

Though his face remained hidden, all other details were immediately posted online.

The news spread like wildfire, even waking Gu Yubai, who had been sound asleep in his dorm.

The class group chat was flooded with messages. It took Gu Yubai a while to realize Su Shengli was in trouble—and a few seconds more to grasp just how deep that trouble was.

Su Group issued an urgent press release overnight, revoking the adoption procedures that had made Su Shengli a member of the family and expelling him from the Su household.

Meanwhile, news of Zhou Jiarou being "kidnapped, imprisoned, abused, and humiliated" by her "son" Su Shengli also trended.

People at Mingcheng Film Academy who recognized her quickly pieced together the timeline of her visits to Su Shengli.

Soon, others joined in, providing photos and locations of Zhou Jiarou’s extravagant spending sprees after each visit.

It didn’t take long for someone to notice something off.

"Why does Su Shengli’s birth mother always go on a spending spree right after visiting him?"

"Damn, she once ordered ten male models at once! Must be nice having a rich son."

"Wait, are you sure? A month ago, I saw her renting a tiny attic in Mingcheng’s slums. How did she suddenly get so much money? Did Su Shengli ignore her until recently?"

"Hmm... this feels sketchy. Didn’t this Zhou woman sell her house a little over a month ago? I live in that neighborhood—heard she had massive gambling debts and had to sell and flee to avoid debt collectors."

"No way! No wonder Su Shengli always looked pissed when she showed up! She wasn’t there out of motherly love—she was there for money!"

"You guys just figuring this out? Zhou Jiarou’s husband got locked up for gambling, forcing her to sell all her assets in Mingcheng. She didn’t even dare contact her hometown, and her other kids were sent to live with her parents. Su Shengli was supposedly her long-lost eldest son, but he never once went back with her to visit."

------------

The next morning, Gu Yubai received a call from the police.

The officer’s voice was grave. "Student Gu, regarding the hit-and-run case involving your adoptive father, we’ve uncovered new leads. Could you... come down to the station?"

Gu Yubai’s grip on the phone tightened. After a long pause, he replied,

"Yes... just tell me when and where. I... I’ll be there."

His voice was unexpectedly hoarse. His eyes reddened instantly.

Countless thoughts raced through his mind, but they all boiled down to one realization.

So... in his past life, his adoptive father’s hit-and-run and death in a fire were both linked to Su Shengli?

And in this life, simply by choosing not to reclaim his birthright and distancing himself from the Su family, Gu Yubai had once again saved his adoptive father—this time from an arson attempt at the nursing home. Now, he had unexpectedly stumbled upon more clues about the hit-and-run.

All these changes happened after Su Shengli’s arrest last night.

Gu Yubai abruptly stood up, grabbed his phone, and called Gu Yihong. At the same time, he strode toward the school gates, where his family’s car was parked.

Sure enough, after waiting briefly in the car, Gu Yihong arrived, panting.

He looked anxious. "What did you say on the phone earlier? I didn’t catch it clearly. Did you say... the mastermind behind Uncle’s hit-and-run has been caught?"

Gu Yubai stared at Gu Yihong for a moment, as if needing time to recognize him, then gave a low hum and gestured for him to get in the car.

"Do you have class today?"

Gu Yihong replied, "Fourth period in the afternoon. If we can’t make it back, I’ll ask a classmate to cover for me. What about you, big bro?"

Gu Yubai said, "I have morning classes, but I’ve already asked my advisor for leave."

His thoughts were a tangled mess. Frowning, he drove to an intersection. While waiting at a red light, he suddenly handed his phone to Gu Yihong.

"My hands are full. Search Weibo for some keywords I’ll give you."

Gu Yihong grunted in acknowledgment, but upon hearing the names Zhou Jiarou, Su Shengli, and others, his brows furrowed, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Su Shengli was arrested? Suspected of hiding a killer, possibly an accomplice. People online are saying... Su Shengli and a murderer did something unforgivable to his biological mother, Zhou Jiarou, which is why she reported him to the police."

"What the hell is this?"

Gu Yubai, who was driving, scoffed upon hearing this: "That's got nothing to do with it. What about the Su family? How did they react?"

Gu Yihong scrolled down on his phone: "Someone photographed the Su family sending a lawyer to the police station, but they had already issued a statement early on cutting him off. If they still sent a lawyer after cutting ties, it seems the Su family is treating him quite well."

That might not be the case.

Gu Yubai lowered his gaze. The Su family likely wanted to take this opportunity to sever ties completely, and the lawyer was just for show.

But since the Su family had sent a lawyer for Su Shengli, it seemed he would dodge trouble again.

Gu Yubai frowned. So... was Su Shengli unrelated to his adoptive father's car accident? Or had someone taken the blame?

Things unfolded exactly as Gu Yubai had suspected.

Liao Anyang, who had fled through the window the previous night, hadn’t managed to escape at all. Within half an hour of Su Shengli’s arrest, the police had caught Liao Anyang hiding suspiciously in the bushes by the roadside.

Despite more than a decade having passed, Liao Anyang’s appearance remained largely unchanged, aside from his build.

Moreover, before the police operation, nearly everyone had reviewed the surveillance footage provided by Old Master Su, and had the key suspect's face memorized. Thus, his capture was swift and precise.

In fact, when Liao Anyang was brought out of the car, two teams of officers had him surrounded.

The black hood over his head was just removed when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Su Shengli—also arrested and terrified. Liao Anyang went rigid.

The next second, his gaze locked directly with Su Shengli’s, filled with pleading and terror.

He fell silent at once, Liao Anyang's face twisted in conflict.

Meanwhile, Su Wanlin, who had been notified by Old Master Su to accompany him to the police station, was shocked to hear that his foster son, Su Shengli, was suspected of harboring a murderer and possibly being an accomplice.

Su Wanlin: "...That can’t be possible. No matter what, Su Shengli was raised by the Su family. He wouldn’t... commit crimes."

Old Master Su shot him a cold look: "Are you saying I’m framing him?"

Su Wanlin didn’t respond. Old Master Su paused, leaning on his cane, frowning slightly as if deep in thought before continuing forward.

His voice was icy: "There’s something I forgot to tell you. I suspect Su Shengli is blood-related to the murderer responsible for your mother’s death that night over a decade ago."

Old Master Su: "As it happens, both of them have been arrested now. I’ve already ordered a blood test for them."

Old Master Su: "If... they really are related, then good. From now on, Su Shengli will be dead to the Su family. I assume you and Song Manman wouldn’t want anything to do with the killer of your own mother, would you?"

The meaningful look in Old Master Su’s eyes made Su Wanlin's blood run cold.

He straightened his posture, his expression turned icy as he lowered his gaze: "If Su Shengli truly shares blood ties with that gardener from years ago, then he is an enemy of the Su family."

Faced with an enemy, all we'd do is crush him—how could they continue raising him as a son?

Since it was late at night, only Old Master Su and Su Wanlin had come. Song Manman and Su Linyuan were still asleep, likely unaware of the various external orders Su Wanlin had issued overnight.

For now, the two of them waited directly at the police station.

As dawn broke, Liao Anyang, who had been taken away for all-night questioning, was escorted into another vehicle under police supervision. Soon after, an officer emerged to explain the details to the family of the victim and handed them a document to sign.

"This is the situation. During interrogation, Liao Anyang admitted that on the night over a decade ago, he sneaked into Madame Su’s room intending to steal, but tragically, things turned violent. However, there are still some loose ends we can’t make public yet."

"Additionally... according to Ms. Zhou Jiarou’s testimony, Su Shengli and Liao Anyang did know each other. However, Liao Anyang denied this, claiming Zhou Jiarou was merely a tool he used to coerce Su Shengli. Su Shengli only tolerated harboring Liao Anyang in his home to protect his mother."

"Su Shengli’s statement was pretty much matched."

These were details that could be shared with the family of the victim, as the Su family was not only involved in Liao Anyang’s murder of Madame Su years ago but also connected to Su Shengli’s current case of harboring a criminal. Thus, the police disclosed what they could.

As for the rest—what couldn’t be said—it had nothing to do with the Su family.

Old Master Su listened carefully, reviewing the document before signing it. Yet, he made no move to leave.

Su Shengli and Zhou Jiarou remained detained, with no immediate release in sight. The surrounding officers cast puzzled glances at the two calm men before resuming their busy routines for the new day.

Around eight o’clock, a group of people in lab coats—probably doctors—arrived at the station. Spotting Old Master Su and Su Wanlin, they immediately handed over the just-come-back DNA results.

Old Master Su flipped straight to the last page, letting out a cold laugh before slamming the report into Su Wanlin’s chest.

His anger was barely contained: "This is what you raised!"

Su Wanlin’s expression darkened. He picked up the report, his gaze locking onto the final line confirming a close blood relation between Su Shengli and Liao Anyang. His eyes darkened with anger.

His tone was resolute: "He is not my son! Naturally, he has no ties to the Su family either."

Su Wanlin kept reading. Upon noticing that Old Master Su had even gotten a DNA test between Zhou Jiarou and Su Shengli, he gave a bitter laugh and stood.

"Officer, I have something else that might assist your investigation."

-----

Just as Gu Yubai and Gu Yihong entered, they overheard Su Wanlin’s shout.

Gu Yubai instinctively paused, locking eyes with Old Master Su from across the room.

Old Master Su’s gaze flickered momentarily before he rose and approached.

"Yubai, what brings you here?"

Gu Yihong gave a confused look at Old Master Su and Su Wanlin, failing to recognize them at first. He asked offhandedly,

"Bro, you know these two?"

The next second, it hit him. His eyes widened in shock.

Gu Yihong froze, slowly turning his head to see Gu Yubai smirking at him.

He wanted to slap himself!

How could he forget? He was still pretending to be the True Young Master of the Su family!

Gu Yihong: "...Er, uh, um."

Would anyone believe him if he played dumb now?