Chapter 11
📖 CHAPTER 11: THE RETURN OF THE MASTER
The air in Gu Manor turned suffocating the moment Gu Shenzhou stepped through its gates. Servants rushed to kneel, their foreheads pressed against the cold stone. The master of the household had returned.
Gu Qingyan stood in the courtyard, her expression unreadable as the sound of boots echoed down the path.
Her father had finally come home.
And she knew exactly why.
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📍 The Main Hall
Gu Ruoyun stood beside the Old Madam, her eyes flickering with anticipation. She had always known how to act the part of a filial daughter—gentle, obedient, and soft-spoken.
And now, she would use that to her advantage.
The heavy doors swung open.
Gu Shenzhou stepped inside, his imposing presence immediately silencing the room. His dark robes, embroidered with silver, flowed behind him like a storm.
His gaze swept over the gathered members of the Gu family. It was sharp, assessing.
Then, his eyes landed on her.
Gu Qingyan.
She stood alone, her figure bathed in the flickering lantern light.
For a fleeting second, something unreadable passed through his gaze.
Then, his expression hardened. "You."
Gu Qingyan's lips curled slightly. "Father."
His jaw tightened at her unshaken tone. "What have you done?"
The question rang through the hall, heavy with unspoken accusations.
Gu Ruoyun lowered her gaze, her hands clenched in silent satisfaction.
Let's see how you talk your way out of this, Gu Qingyan.
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📍 Flashback – An Hour Earlier
The parchment the man in black had given Gu Ruoyun contained something deadly—evidence that Gu Qingyan had been using forbidden techniques.
A crime punishable by death.
Of course, it was fabricated.
But the truth rarely mattered when fear was involved.
With her father's rigid sense of justice, even the slightest suspicion would be enough to put Gu Qingyan in danger.
And once she was condemned, there would be no turning back.
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📍 Back in the Main Hall
Gu Qingyan tilted her head slightly, amusement flickering in her eyes. "Done? I wasn't aware that breathing was a crime."
Gu Shenzhou's gaze darkened. "Do not test me."
A scroll landed before her.
She picked it up, slowly unrolling it.
The moment her eyes landed on the contents, a cold laugh escaped her lips.
How desperate.
Gu Ruoyun had moved faster than she expected.
She raised her gaze, meeting her father's imposing stare. "This is quite the accusation."
His voice was firm. "Can you deny it?"
She smiled. "Of course."
Silence filled the hall.
Then—
Gu Qingyan tore the parchment in half.
The sharp rip echoed loudly.
Gasps filled the room.
Gu Ruoyun's face paled. "You—"
Gu Qingyan stepped forward, her voice calm yet cutting. "You bring a single sheet of paper and expect me to cower?"
She turned, her gaze sharp as a blade. "Father, tell me—since when has my life been dictated by a baseless claim?"
Gu Shenzhou's eyes narrowed.
She didn't waver. "If I am guilty, where is the proof beyond this ink?"
The Old Madam tapped her cane lightly against the floor. "She raises a valid point, Shenzhou."
Gu Ruoyun's nails dug into her palms. "Grandmother, but—"
The Old Madam's eyes flickered with sharpness. "Do not interrupt."
Gu Qingyan tilted her head. "Or perhaps," she mused, "you would prefer I be judged based on a stranger's handwriting rather than true evidence?"
Her words were like daggers—elegantly spoken but deadly.
For the first time, her father hesitated.
She smiled slightly.
Checkmate.
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📍 Gu Ruoyun's Courtyard
The moment Gu Ruoyun returned to her chambers, she threw the nearest vase against the wall.
How? How had she slipped through again?!
A slow clap echoed in the shadows.
Gu Ruoyun spun around, rage twisting her expression. "You said this would work!"
The man in black smirked. "And it did."
She clenched her fists. "She walked away unharmed!"
The man stepped closer, his golden eyes gleaming. "Did she?"
She froze.
His voice lowered. "The seed of doubt has been planted, Lady Ruoyun." He leaned in. "And your father now sees her as a possible threat."
Her breath caught.
Gu Qingyan had survived—but her father's trust had wavered.
A slow smile crept onto her lips.
This was only the beginning.