PNB Chapter 107 How to Win Over Your Husband's Nemesis (42)
Chapter 107 How to Win Over Your Husband's Nemesis (42)
"Qi Ning, I admit I cheated on you, but don't try to make yourself sound so innocent. Are you really that naive? Didn't you cheat on me?"
Upon hearing Gu Zhaoting's words, everyone present looked at Gu Zhaoting and Qi Ning with disbelief.
Qi Ning was not panicked at all. On the contrary, she looked as if she had heard something utterly absurd, her face full of disbelief and anger.
"Gu Zhaoting, it's one thing for you to cheat on me, but now you're trying to slander me?"
Qi Ning's reaction surprised Gu Zhaoting, yet he didn't find it entirely unexpected.
"You don't admit it?"
Qi Ning retorted confidently, "What do I admit to? You say I cheated on you, do you have any evidence?"
"you……"
Gu Zhaoting really had no evidence. He didn't even know who Qi Ning's lover was. That time at home, he didn't force his way into the bathroom to check.
The people he sent out to follow him didn't get any useful evidence.
Only Qi Ning had admitted it to him personally once before.
But Gu Zhaoting understood that since he couldn't produce any evidence now, Qi Ning wouldn't admit it in front of the elders at this point.
Seeing that Gu Zhaoting could not produce any evidence, Mrs. Qi immediately said, "Gu Zhaoting, I really misjudged you. I never thought that not only did you have an affair and a child out of wedlock, but you also wanted to drag your innocent wife down with you and accuse her of having an affair. Are you even a man?"
Qi Rongchang was also furious. He finally couldn't help but say, "Chairman Gu, is this the good son you raised? We were blind to have married our daughter into your family."
Qi Rongchang's words made Gu's father extremely embarrassed.
"Gu Zhaoting! What nonsense are you spouting?" Gu's father shouted angrily.
Even Gu's mother said, "Zhaoting, don't talk nonsense."
Qi Ning lowered her eyes, looking extremely aggrieved. Several elders were blaming Gu Zhaoting and comforting Qi Ning.
Only Gu Zhaoting knew how wronged he was at that moment. No one believed him, but that was because he couldn't produce any evidence.
Gu Zhaoting laughed angrily; he felt like a mute eating bitter melon, unable to express his suffering.
The only person who probably believes him is Ye Yunyi, but even Gu Zhaoting has no evidence, so she has no right to say anything.
Qi Ning wiped away her tears, but Gu Zhaoting could see the slight upturn of her lips.
He had really underestimated her before. He never expected that she not only had a spoiled princess temper, but also a cunning and scheming nature that should not be underestimated.
Gu Zhaoting clenched his fists. He knew that he couldn't do anything about Qi Ning in this matter. As long as she didn't admit it, anything he said would be his fault.
He had originally intended to ask Qi Ning in front of the elders whether she had orchestrated what happened at yesterday's banquet, but he knew without a doubt that she would not admit it, and he also had no evidence to prove it.
Gu Zhaoting was filled with impatience. He just wanted to get rid of this trouble as soon as possible. Anyway, if Qi Ning's goal was to get a divorce, it suited his purposes perfectly.
Thinking of this, Gu Zhaoting said, "Mom and Dad, Uncle Qi and Aunt Qi, I won't say anything else. I really can't produce any evidence. Since you want a divorce, then go ahead and get a divorce. I have no objection at all."
Gu Zhaoting's words shocked his parents.
Mother Gu said anxiously, "Zhaoting, what are you saying?"
"Gu Zhaoting, do you think you can just get a divorce whenever you want?" Gu's father stared at Gu Zhaoting with a menacing gaze.
Gu Zhaoting sighed: "Mom and Dad, I've really made up my mind. I want to divorce Qi Ning. I hope you will respect my decision."
Even if it weren't for Ye Yunyi and Yangyang, Gu Zhaoting would never have been able to continue living with Qi Ning.
First, Qi Ning was unwilling to continue their marriage; second, Qi Ning had cheated on him, and deep down, Gu Zhaoting still couldn't accept a woman who had cuckolded him.
Gu's parents were so angry at Gu Zhaoting's affirmation that they were speechless for a moment.
"Hahaha." Qi Rongchang laughed a few times and clapped his hands. "Chairman Gu, did you hear that? Let's respect their wishes. Both young people want to divorce, and our Qi family agrees. What's the point if only your Gu family disagrees?"
Qi Ning knew that this matter was not just between her and Gu Zhaoting, after all, it involved the cooperation between the two families, the Gu family and the Qi family, and the two companies.
In situations like this, a divorce cannot be agreed upon in one go.
She came here today with Mr. and Mrs. Qi only because she knew that Ye Yunyi and the child were here. She brought them here specifically to expose the matter and make it public, which also shows her and the Qi family's attitude.
As for other compensation, the demands of both parties still need to be negotiated gradually.
Therefore, seeing that the time was about right, she slowly said, "Uncle and Aunt, we have made our meaning very clear. Why don't you discuss it properly and then we can talk about other things in detail after you have made a decision?"
"Mom and Dad, let's go."
Mr. and Mrs. Qi knew that this matter would not be resolved today, so they said no more and got up to leave.
Gu's mother followed her a few steps, then pulled Qi Ning aside and said many words of persuasion.
Only after watching the Qi family members get into the car without looking back did Gu's mother return to the living room. By then, Gu Zhaoting had already been ordered to kneel down by Gu's father.
Looking at Gu Zhaoting, Gu's father asked him again, "Are you sure you want to divorce Qi Ning?"
“I’m sure,” Gu Zhaoting replied.
"You?!" Gu's father grabbed the teacup beside him, intending to throw it at Gu Zhaoting's head.
It was Gu's mother who came to stop them in time: "Old Gu, don't do it, let me do it."
Gu's mother took the teacup from Gu's father's hand, put it aside, and then looked at Gu Zhaoting.
She said earnestly, "Zhaoting, are you confused? If you get a divorce now, wouldn't that just confirm all those rumors? Where do you place the Gu family's reputation? Where do you place the Gu Group?"
Her son wasn't always so impulsive and irrational; he always knew how to consider the bigger picture. But now he's become like this. She doesn't know what kind of poison Ye Yunyi put on him to bewitch their perfectly good son like this.
"this is very simple."
Gu Zhaoting replied, "We'll give the Qi family some compensation and have them issue a joint statement with us, announcing that we've been divorced in private for many years, but we just haven't made it public. That way, my relationship with Yunyi will become normal, Yangyang won't be an illegitimate child anymore, and public opinion will naturally change."
"This..." Gu's mother hadn't expected Gu Zhaoting to come up with this idea. She could only say, "What if the Qi family doesn't agree?"
Gu Zhaoting smiled and said, "That means there isn't enough money. If we give more money, even if Qi Ning doesn't agree, her father will. After all, this is a win-win situation for the Qi family, and they should be happy."
Now Gu's mother really didn't know what to say, so she turned to her husband for help.
Mr. Gu was furious. He pointed at Gu Zhaoting with a trembling hand and said, "Fine, you're determined to get a divorce, aren't you? If you do, not only will this woman and child be barred from the Gu family, but you will also be kicked out of the Gu family!"
Gu Zhaoting chuckled: "Fine, even if I have to leave the Gu family, I still want a divorce."
He stood up and said, "However, not only will Yunyi and I not go back to the Gu family, but Yangyang will not go back to the Gu family either."
After saying that, he looked at Yangyang and Ye Yunyi beside him and said, "Let's go."
"Fine, go ahead. Once you leave this door today, don't ever come back!" Mr. Gu shouted.
Gu Zhaoting showed no reaction and left the Gu family home with Ye Yunyi and her son.
Both father and son were as stubborn as oxen, and Gu's mother couldn't stop them no matter what she wanted to do. She could only sigh and curse Ye Yunyi, that troublemaker, once again.
After getting into the car, Secretary Gao drove while Gu Zhaoting, Ye Yunyi, and the other two sat in the back seat.
Gu Zhaoting remained silent after getting into the car, not saying a word.
Ye Yunyi held Yangyang and secretly glanced at him several times. She whispered, "Zhaoting, isn't it a bit much that you've fallen out with your aunt and uncle? Actually, you didn't need to leave the Gu family for me and Yangyang. It's too much of a sacrifice for you."
His words were full of grievance and compromise.
Compared to Ye Yunyi's worries, Gu Zhaoting remained calm: "What are you thinking? My parents were just angry and said some hurtful things. Don't I know them well? They'll be fine once they think it through. There won't be any problems."
"That's good, that's good..." Ye Yunyi said with some doubt.
Gu Zhaoting certainly knew his parents well enough; he was right about that.
For two days after they left the Gu family, Gu's father was still angry, and Gu's mother dared not try to persuade him.
But for Gu's mother, these past two days have been an unbearable and agonizing ordeal.
Ever since she met Yangyang once, his adorable appearance has been etched into Gu's mother's mind.
She missed her beloved grandson terribly and couldn't wait to bring Yangyang home to kiss and hug him. As for Qi Ning and the divorce, she had completely forgotten about them.
For Gu's mother, who her daughter-in-law is is not important; her grandson is the most important thing.
Thinking about it carefully, it's good that Gu Zhaoting and Qi Ning divorced. This way, it would be natural to bring Yangyang back to the Gu family, and Ye Yunyi could be easily given a sum of money to get rid of her. Later, Gu Zhaoting could marry another girl who is of equal social standing, virtuous and generous. That would be perfect.
After enduring two days of silence, Gu's mother finally calmed down Gu's father's anger and began to persuade him.
At lunchtime, she put a piece of food on her husband's plate and tentatively said, "Old Gu, Yangyang is our grandson after all. We can't just let him wander around outside and not come home, right?"
Upon hearing this, Mr. Gu glanced at her but said nothing.
Seeing that Gu's father neither paid attention nor refuted, Gu's mother knew what was going on.
She continued, "Besides, Zhaoting is our only son. You can't really disown him, can you?"
“Although this was Zhaoting’s fault, what’s done is done and cannot be changed. Besides, the Qi family insists on a divorce, so what’s the use of our objections?”
Gu's father has indeed calmed down a lot in the past two days. The reason he was so angry that day was not only because he was genuinely angry with Gu Zhaoting, but also because he felt he had lost face.
After all, the Qi family had helped the Gu family at a crucial moment. Even when the Gu family faced a crisis, they still kept their promise and married their daughter off to them. But now…
He said with a stern face, "Then tell me, what should we do about the Qi family?"
"What else can we do? Don't you understand what the Qi family means? They can't let their daughter raise someone else's child. So, they can only keep one of their grandson and daughter-in-law. Who do you think they should keep? Are they really going to disown their grandson for the sake of their daughter-in-law?"
“A grandson is still a grandson. If a daughter-in-law is gone, we can remarry. Once things have calmed down, we can find Zhaoting another wife. That will do.”
Gu's mother's words struck a chord with Gu's father. He understood that the Qi family would never accept Yangyang, but they couldn't abandon their grandson, so they had no choice but to abandon their daughter-in-law.
But Gu's father still said, "We will definitely have to give an explanation to the Qi family."
"The Qi family simply wants a divorce and some compensation. Since our family is the one at fault, we should give them more compensation," Gu's mother said matter-of-factly.
"What about public opinion?" Gu's father asked again.
"Didn't Zhao Ting also suggest a solution, getting the Qi family to cooperate in issuing a statement?"
Upon hearing this, Mr. Gu lowered his head and looked at the food in his bowl, his expression thoughtful.
Seeing that Mr. Gu remained silent, Mrs. Gu continued, "The outside world is still making a huge fuss, and our Gu Group's stock price is still falling. The sooner this matter is resolved, the better; we can't delay it."
Mr. Gu understood these principles, and he had already compromised in his heart, but he had no way to back down. Now that Mrs. Gu had given him a way out, he naturally followed suit.
He slammed down his chopsticks and said, "Then it's up to you."
Upon hearing this, Gu's mother knew that Gu's father had agreed.
Overjoyed, she nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, I'll call right away and have Zhaoting bring the child home for dinner so you can discuss the follow-up matters."
After making the call, Gu's mother explained the situation and specifically emphasized to Zhao Ting that Ye Yunyi was not allowed to be brought along.
Ye Yunyi was filled with mixed feelings of worry and joy upon hearing the news.
The good news was that Gu's parents had compromised and even accepted Yangyang as their grandson. The bad news was that they didn't know their own situation and were even more worried that Gu's family would only keep the child and then make her leave.
Gu Zhaoting understood Ye Yunyi's worries and comforted her again, saying that as long as his parents acknowledged Yangyang, everything else could be resolved, and he would never separate the mother and son.
Only after receiving Gu Zhaoting's promise did Ye Yunyi feel somewhat relieved.
That evening, Gu Zhaoting took Yangyang back to the Gu family home.
Gu Zhaoting said a few kind words to his father and softened his stance, which naturally softened his father's attitude.
The family enjoyed a good meal together. Gu's mother held her beloved grandson and watched as Gu Zhaoting and his son talked all night and finally reached an agreement.
The next day, Qi Rongchang received a message from the Gu family saying that they had agreed to discuss divorce.
Qi Rongchang then went out to discuss the matter. No one else participated in this conversation except Qi Rongchang and Gu's father.
Afterwards, Qi Rongchang returned home with a furrowed brow.
Qi Ning happened to come downstairs at that moment and asked, "Dad, how did your talk go?"
Qi Rongchang picked up the teacup his wife handed him and drank it all in one gulp before speaking: "The Gu family has agreed to your divorce from Gu Zhaoting. Since the Gu family is the party at fault, their compensation terms are quite good. They offer not only cash compensation but also real estate and land. In addition, they will give the Qi family preferential treatment in project projects, but..."
"But what?" Mrs. Qi asked hurriedly.
Qi Rongchang looked up at Qi Ning and said, "But the Gu family has one request. They want the Qi family and the Gu family to issue a joint statement to the outside world, claiming that our Ningning and Gu Zhaoting divorced several years ago."
"What?!" Mrs. Qi was utterly shocked by the shamelessness of the Gu family.
"The Gu family is shameless. This whole thing was Gu Zhaoting's fault, yet they want our family to cooperate with them in lying. This way, they can clear their names completely. Cheating is no longer cheating, lovers are no longer lovers, and illegitimate children are no longer illegitimate children."
Qi Rongchang nodded: "That's exactly what the Gu family is planning. They won't agree to it easily. The reason they agreed and offered such generous compensation is to protect the Gu family's reputation and change public opinion."
Mrs. Qi cursed, "What a cunning and shameless old man! No wonder such a family raised a bastard like Gu Zhaoting. We really misjudged him before."
Qi Rongchang and his wife talked for so long, while Qi Ning sat on the other side listening quietly without saying a word.
Qi Rongchang looked at Qi Ning: "Daughter, what do you think about this?"
"What else can I think? Of course I can't agree!" Mrs. Qi said without even thinking.
But to their surprise, Qi Ning smiled and said, "Of course I agree, why wouldn't I?"
Qi Ning had long guessed the Gu family's thoughts and had also learned about the Gu family's detailed plans from the system.
Her words and attitude confused Qi Rongchang and his wife.
"You agree?" Qi Rongchang asked incredulously.
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