" Of course, You can't!"

  The dining room fell into a dead-silence after hearing Grandfather Gu's words. The blooming smile on Xingren was forced to freeze as she looked at him in confusion-awkwardly. 

  Gu Zhang was also surprised and shocked upon being interrupted by Grandfather Gu. He pursed his lips and asked with an awkward smile, " Father, what are you saying? Xingren is my daughter, she is Gu. Of course, she will take over the company after me. Otherwise who else?" He laughed lightly to dissipate the awkward atmosphere. 

  Grandfather Gu wipes the corner of his lips and turns to him with solemn expressions.  " She isn't." He said coldly, making everyone confused at his words. 

  Grandmother Gu frowned and pursed her lips in a thin line and asked in an annoyed voice, " What are you saying, Old man? What she isn't? Don't talk in a strange language and speak clearly."

  Grandfather Gu glanced at his wife tiredly and said in a monotonous tone, " She isn't a Gu. No matter how many times you repeat this, this will not change the truth. She isn't a Gu, so it's not her right to inherit the company. Don't make such comments like an ignorant." 

  Lin Ran's eyes widened in shock upon hearing his cruel words. How can he say something so cruel and rude to Xingren?

  Everyone was shocked and was caught off by his comment but the most affected person was Xingren. Her lips parted in shock as she stared at him in confusion and daze. Even though he was showing signs of detachment to her but he never stated his opinion clearly. 

  " Grandpa…" she called him out in a low-trembling voice with her teary eyes. 

  Seeing her condition, Gu Zhang's jaw tightened, " Father!! How can you say something like that? Even though Xingren is not related to us by blood, we have treated her as our daughter since she has been born."

  " Whatever happened, it wasn't her fault. How can you snatch the right to be called Gu from her? I never thought that you could be so narrow-minded that you will try to kick her out just because she doesn't belong to our bloodline." he said with deep contempt. 

  Old Gu wasn't even surprised upon hearing his son's words. They have treated their own daughter worse than a stranger, what can he expect from them? Because that's how they have become and can't even see that it isn't him who is conservative but them who can't remove the blindfold of delusion from their eyes. 

  " If I am narrow-minded then you must be delusional. You can see the pain of this girl who has grown up in a lavish mansion and has led a comfortable life, but you can't see the struggle of your daughter who not only has never experienced the warmth of a family but has grown up in an orphanage where she didn't even have proper living-sanitation facilities." Grandfather Gu's heart ached when he thought about the moment when he went to bring Xu Nuan back to their house. 

  She was wearing old-rugged clothes that were slightly torn from sleeves and were sitting in the corner of the front-yard while other children were playing. 

  Gu Zhang was slightly taken aback when he heard his words. However, after a moment of silence, he retorted back, " But it was not our fault that she has to experience all that. We tried to make it up to her but she is the one who cannot accept us as her parents. She has been led astray and it's difficult to bring her on the track." he complained upon remembering the way she exhorted the money and Glory building from him in compensation. 

  " Hah! See. You don't even want to see your mistake. Even after she came back home, what did you do to her? Did you tried to sit with her and talked to her, comforted her, helped her to adjust back into the family?" Grandfather Gu stood up as he questioned him. 

  "Rather than showing her affection, you only cared about Xingren. I also think of her as my granddaughter. And I am not like you to abandon her just because she is not our blood, however, I know who is in right or who is wrong." he said while tightening his jaw. 

  " I won't cover my eyes to her mistakes just because she is a part of our family. And I definitely won't sit back and watch you guys bully Xu Nuan anymore. If you can't accept her and is adamant to treat her unfairly, then I will be the one to be fair to her." He announced, causing Xingren to bit her lower lip. 

  'This Xu Nuan……what black-magic has she done to him?" 

  " Grandfather, why do you hate me so much…" Xingren started sobbing when she heard his words. How can he hate her? She treated him like her Grandfather yet he thinks of her as an outsider. 

  Grandmother Gu's heart ached to see her crying like this and rubbed her back tenderly. She turned to Grandfather Gu and snapped at him, " Stop it. You're hurting the child. How can you say such words? You're impossible."

  Grandfather Gu was left dumbfounded seeing how she was crying. He couldn't help but scoff in disbelief at how they're worried about her just because she cried and was denying seeing her wrong deeds. 

  As everyone was busy comforting Xingren, he pursed his lips and took a sharp breath before speaking, " Since you all think that I am unreasonable, then let me give you another reason to hate me. Gu Zhang, Xingren cannot be appointed at any executive-position in the company, let alone the position of Vice-President. And that's final."

  " Dad!! Why are you being like this?" Lin Ran who was watching the drama unfold quietly all this while was shocked upon hearing his announcement. 

  Xingren has excelled in her studies and got into Xin Lin university on her merit basis. She is not only smart but sharp-minded as well. She has been helping Gu Zhang in the company and was also continuing her studies on the side. 

  A hard-working girl like her, how can he prevent her from taking up the higher positions? Moreover, she is family, it's her right.

  Grandfather Gu glanced at her and then turned to Xingren who stopped momentarily while crying upon hearing his words. 

  " Why am I being like this you ask? How can I give my company in the hands of a person who tried to kill Xu Nuan not only once but twice?" He questioned coldly while glaring at Xingren whose complexion turned pale upon hearing this. 

  "……"

  The room fell into a deep silence upon hearing his loud-cold words. Gu Zhang and Lin Ran's gaze met and they turned their attention to Old Gu again.

  " Dad, what are you saying? What do you mean by an attempt of murder on Xu Nuan?" Gu Zhang asked in confusion. 

  Is he talking about that accident incident? But haven't they solved it with Xu Nuan? How come he found out about it? 

  Did she tell him about the incident even after taking the settlement money? But what did he mean by two times murder attempt? 

  "Old Gu, have you gone mad? How can you say something so outrageous? Xingren is our granddaughter, how can you blame her for an attempt to murder? Did that girl filled your ears against Xingren?" Zou Ling snapped at him in frustration. 

  Grandfather Gu didn't tear his gaze from Xingren and watched her complexion turning paler with every passing moment. 

  " Xingren, why don't you tell them your deeds yourself? Hmm? If you have a bit of shame left in you, then let everyone know what you did to Xu Nuan." He said authoritatively making her shiver at his spine-icy cold gaze. 

  Xingren's lips quivered when she saw his unwavering-cold eyes. Her palms turned sweaty as she mustered her courage and said, " Grandpa, why are you blaming me for something I have never done? Are you saying this because sister Xu Nuan has said something about me to you?" she asked nervously.

  " I haven't done anything to her. I only met her at the party yesterday after the day we went to her place to invite her with Grandmother and Mother. Otherwise, other than that, I didn't even know her whereabouts." She tried to reason with him while Lin Ran and Gu Zhang were all agreeing to her words. 

  Xingren pursed her lips and was wondering if Xu Nuan said something to him against her. But two murder attempts? What did he mean by that?

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