Back to the Past: The Rise of the False Heiress Marrying the True Tycoon
Chapter 1193: Lin Miao, The Troublemaker

Chapter 1193: Lin Miao, The Troublemaker

At the hospital, Gu Shan had already been stabilized for several days. But his complexion remained as pale as bleached linen—utterly devoid of color. His lips were dry and cracked, the corners flaking painfully. Even after sipping some rice porridge, there wasn’t the slightest hint of moisture returning to them.

He had never imagined that the dosage Lin Miao gave him would be that strong. Naively, he had assumed that—despite everything—she would still have a trace of filial sentiment. That perhaps, just perhaps, she would show a shred of restraint, considering he was her biological father.

He thought she merely wanted him to make a brief appearance at the hospital, to put on a show for appearances’ sake. But what she gave him was potent—nearly lethal. Had he not been rushed to the hospital in time that day, he very likely would not have made it out alive.

First, she had used the child he shared with Li Li as leverage to force him into cooperating with her plan. Then, when it came time to execute that plan, she had drugged him without the slightest concern for his life.

That was his own daughter. His biological daughter. And now, when he thought of her, all he could feel was a bone-deep chill.

He regretted everything. If only he had never taken Lin Miao back into his life. If only he had kept relying on Gu Zi—clever, capable Gu Zi—he could be basking in success by now.

“Gu Shan, say something! What do we do now?” Zhang Mei was pacing around the hospital room like an ant on a hot wok, flustered and frantic. “Gu Zi and Su Shen just got back from the capital. Of course, they’re going to dig into this. What happens when they find out the truth? We’ll be finished, completely ruined! I swear, I regret everything. Why did I even bother raising someone like Gu Zi? Heartless brat! If we hadn’t raised her, she’d be nothing today!”

The moment Zhang Mei had heard the news of Gu Zi’s return, her nerves had gone haywire. She had clung to a sliver of hope before, foolishly convincing herself that maybe—just maybe—Lin Miao’s move had been the right one. If the Lin family couldn’t withstand the public pressure and was forced to pay up, their financial problems would be solved in one swoop.

But all that had been banking on one thing: that Gu Zi and Su Shen stayed far away. Now that they were back, the whole scheme was unraveling before her eyes. And still, Zhang Mei found ways to blame Gu Zi. That ungrateful creature. Raised under their roof, fed and clothed by them, yet now turning against her adoptive parents without an ounce of sentiment. All she cared about now was the Lin family.

Gu Shan lay propped against the hospital bed, his expression twisted in pain. He raised a trembling hand to press against his temples and said weakly, “Stop complaining. Your voice is making my head split open. And deep down, you know—it wasn’t Gu Zi who cast you aside. You were the one who pushed her away. Don’t blame her for that. What we need to focus on now is how we’re going to put an end to this farce.”

He closed his eyes then, letting his head sink into the pillow, chest rising and falling with exertion. How had things spiraled this far out of control?

The answer, he feared, was clear: it had all started with the unfair way they had treated Gu Zi. But what was done was done. There was no undoing it now.

Zhang Mei finally collapsed into a chair, her brows knitted in contemplation. After a moment, she said slowly, “Look… since this whole thing was Lin Miao’s idea, she must’ve prepared a backup plan. Why don’t we try talking to her? After all, we’re still her biological parents. She wouldn’t just stand by and let us crash and burn, would she?”

There was a flicker of desperate hope in her eyes, but Gu Shan didn’t even try to hide his disgust. He gave a feeble snort.

“What backup plan?” he croaked. “Haven’t you realized it yet? That daughter of yours—she’s nothing but a walking disaster. Always quick to act, never bothering to think about the aftermath. If you ask me, she’s barely keeping herself afloat. And now, she’s trying to use us as her safety net. Talk to her? Forget it.”

Zhang Mei exploded in rage. Her eyes blazed, her entire body trembling. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? Now that you’ve got a son with that slut, our daughter means nothing to you, is that it? My Miao Miao only turned out this way because you drove her to it. You have no right to speak about her like that. You don’t trust Lin Miao, but I do! I’m going to find her right now. I’d rather talk to her than listen to any more of your snide remarks!”

Gu Shan opened his mouth, perhaps to explain, perhaps to defend himself. But before he could utter a word, Zhang Mei had already shot to her feet and stormed out. The door slammed behind her with a deafening bang that echoed through the quiet of the room.

…

Elsewhere, An Yun had been discharged from the hospital, and after several days of rushing back and forth, the very-pregnant Gu Zi needed some rest. So Su Shen brought her back to their home.

The moment she stepped through the front door, she was overcome with a strange sense of disorientation. Everything felt so familiar, yet vaguely dreamlike—as if she hadn’t been there in years. But she knew very well it had only been half a year away in the capital.

The air here was crisper, sweeter somehow. The houses and roads broader and more open.

When she pushed open the front gate, she was surprised to find that nearly everything had remained the same.

The courtyard had the same tranquil charm, though the bamboo lining the wall had grown lusher and greener, and the flowers and plants in the yard looked healthier than ever—vibrant, thriving, exuberant. A few new potted plants had also appeared, likely added after her parents moved in.

In the pond, the goldfish swam in lazy circles, their scales glinting in the sun. They had grown significantly, their bellies now comically round, resembling pudgy little fat-head carp. Heaven knew what delicacies they had been fed while she was away.