Stars In His Eyes
Chapter 1075: Value 5

Chapter 1075: Chapter 1075: Value 5

"Mrs. Gu, what do you have to say to Zhilan? Haven’t the Gu Family done enough over the years? Haven’t you hurt He Zhilan enough?" Lin Chan was resolute in her refusal.

"At that time, we didn’t know she was our child. If we had known, we definitely wouldn’t have harmed her," Gu Mother choked with sobs. "I know that whatever I say now cannot make up for the harm I caused her. I don’t dare ask for her forgiveness; I just want to talk to her."

"No." Lin Chan refused without thinking. "What if you upset her? She can’t handle any agitation right now."

"Lin Chan, let her answer the phone."

He Zhilan spoke up. Her voice was steady and measured, yet there was an undeniable trace of resentment.

On the other side, there was only the sound of Gu Mother and Gu Grandmother’s slight sobbing, so He Zhilan’s voice on the phone was relatively clear in the living room. Lin Chan was startled, raised the phone to her ear, "Zhilan, do you really want to talk to her? In my opinion, what’s there to say? Don’t end up upsetting yourself more."

"Lin Chan, let her answer the phone." He Zhilan’s voice seemed excessively calm.

Seeing He Zhilan’s insistence, Lin Chan finally handed the phone to Gu Mother. But just when Gu Mother, who had been desperately pleading to speak with He Zhilan, got the chance, she suddenly found herself afraid and hesitant.

She instinctively raised her hand, eager to take it, yet suddenly pulled back, her shoulders trembling slightly as she wept softly. Then, she took the phone again, slowly bringing it to her ear. Covering her mouth, tears flowed down her cheeks and through her fingers into her palm.

Speechless tears flowed first; the scalding tears couldn’t reach her heart.

"Zhilan~ dear girl~ my daughter~" Gu Mother called softly into the phone, her voice trembling with every word, every syllable.

How wide is the world? This side of the phone and that side, wanting to meet but unable to, and not daring to meet.

And how narrow is the world? Finding the one who gave up hope, only to discover she’s been right by their side, yet they’ve never been able to find her in the vast sea of humanity.

"Zhilan, Mom is sorry, Mom is sorry to your child. Zhilan, you had clearly returned to the Gu Mansion, why did you not acknowledge us as your parents? Why didn’t you let us know you are our daughter? Zhilan, it’s been over ten years. Besides getting old and having gray hair, nothing else has changed, but you have grown up, changed so much. You are no longer the chubby little face in our memory. Mom and Dad didn’t recognize you, truly didn’t recognize you~"

"Besides getting old, nothing has changed? Or, has everything changed? I remember when I was young, everyone around me said that humans are inherently good, that one should be honest, upright. You ask me why I didn’t acknowledge you when I got to the Gu Mansion?"

He Zhilan held the phone, standing next to He Teng, lifting her head to look at the sky, trying hard to hold back her tears.

"Because I didn’t dare. I saw how you loved Gu En so much. She was perfect—accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She was your pride. And me? I grew up in the countryside. I don’t know a thing Gu En knows. I didn’t even know how to drink champagne. In your eyes, Gu En was so perfect, while I was just an uncultured wild girl. How could I dare to step forward and call you Mom and Dad? Tell you, ’I am Gu Zhilan’?"