A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 1100 The Sweetheart Scandal

Liu Lanfang turned around and looked Gui'er up and down, then smiled and said, "Gui'er, you're lucky. Your family left you such a capable and loyal housekeeper. Otherwise, you would have been all alone in Hong Kong and wouldn't know what to do."

Gui'er knew this and couldn't deny it, but hearing it from Liu Lanfang's mouth made her feel very uncomfortable, so she simply ignored her.

However, when she got home from school, she remembered what Dingxiang had said about Wu Mingqiang having someone else in his heart, and felt that she should still care. If that woman was still in Jiangcheng, she should find a way to get her out. So she asked Dingxiang to call Wu Mingqiang to the study.

Wu Mingqiang quickly arrived at the study: "Miss, I heard you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, come in and sit down, Brother Wu, close the door." Gui'er felt that this topic was somewhat private, and she didn't know if Liu Lanfang was telling the truth. If it was false, and it got out, people would laugh at Wu Mingqiang.

Wu Mingqiang closed the door with a happy expression and sat down at his desk.

Gui'er scratched her head. It would be natural for an elder to do this, but she was younger than Wu Mingqiang and had never treated him as a servant, so it felt rather awkward.

"Um, has Liu Lanfang been harassing you lately?"

"Oh, Miss Liu did come by, but she didn't do anything outrageous. I can handle it, so you don't need to worry."

"I see. By the way, have you sent anyone back to your hometown to gather information recently?" Gui'er was afraid that if she asked directly, and the woman was no longer there, it would hurt Wu Mingqiang's feelings.

“Someone did risk going back to Jiangcheng to bring his family over. I asked him to inquire, and he spent a lot of money, but he never came back. According to the people who fled, they saw him being killed by the Japanese on the way… Miss, the war is very intense there now. I know you are very worried about the young master, but there is really no other way.” Wu Mingqiang thought Gui’er was going to ask about Sha Yanxiao.

Gui'er could tell from that that she was a little disappointed, but she smiled and said, "It's okay, I understand. The reason I called you here this time wasn't because of this matter. It's mainly because I heard you mention to Liu Lanfang that you have someone you like. If she's also in your hometown, it's hard for her to survive. We should try to find a way to bring her over. Why didn't you bring her with you when you came to Hong Kong? Now it's a real problem."

Wu Mingqiang was taken aback for a moment before smiling awkwardly and saying, "Miss, you don't need to take it to heart. It was just to appease Miss Liu."

Gui'er noticed that his ears were slightly red and wondered why Wu Mingqiang, who was usually decisive and resolute, would suddenly feel embarrassed. She didn't know which of her words had triggered Wu Mingqiang's emotions, but since they had already started, she might as well say it all.

"I see. So Liu Lanfang knows about Rumeng's existence. It seems she really cares about you. But Brother Wu, you're not young anymore. If you find a woman you like, you can get married."

Wu Mingqiang abruptly looked up, his previously smiling eyes now covered with a layer of ice. The surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly, and the turbulent melancholy in his eyes made one's spine stiffen, as if a storm was about to erupt at any moment. Gui'er had never seen him with such an ugly expression before; it was very oppressive. No wonder his subordinates were so afraid of him.

"Miss, do you wish me to get married?" Wu Mingqiang asked with a gloomy face.

"This..." Gui'er knew that she might have been too talkative. After all, she was younger than him, and it was inappropriate for her to ask about such private matters.

“Miss, you’re not young anymore. Your classmates are all married. Now that the young master is missing, you may never see him again. Why don’t you consider your marriage?” Wu Mingqiang said coldly, then turned and left, leaving Gui’er standing there in astonishment.

The next day, when Gui'er got up to go to school, Wu Mingqiang had already left. Gui'er recalled their conversation the night before. She remembered that Wu Mingqiang had never spoken harshly to her since they met. Feeling uneasy, she asked A-Cheng, "How was Brother Wu's mood when he left today?"

Ah Cheng asked curiously, "Miss, what's wrong?"

Gui'er sighed and told him what had happened yesterday. She said dejectedly, "Brother Wu must be upset that I meddled. But I really consider you and Brother Wu as my own brothers. You came all the way from Jiangcheng to Hong Kong, a place where you know no one, and you've taken such good care of me. If I don't find someone to settle down, I'll feel really bad."

Acheng said doubtfully, "He did have some mistresses in Jiangcheng before, but they were just casual flings. He would change them every now and then. He didn't seem to have any particular fondness for any of them."

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, his face turned very ugly. He said to Gui'er, "Miss, you just need to focus on your studies. Don't worry about these things. Brother Qiang is already very successful in the underworld. He doesn't lack women."

Gui'er was even more confused when she saw that Acheng looked a little angry, but she didn't dare to ask any more questions. She wondered to herself, "Do they have a conflict too?"

She realized that she wasn't a very decisive or capable manager, and felt powerless over many things, which made her somewhat frustrated. However, she thought that Japan was about to invade Hong Kong, and it was hard to say what would happen then, so she decided to maintain the status quo for now.

As a result, Wu Mingqiang personally drove over to pick her up after school that evening and even bought her favorite snacks.

He said, "Miss, I was a bit harsh last night. I hope you don't mind. This Miss Liu is really a nuisance. She just said a few words and we're all unhappy. You should keep your distance from her."

The weather is getting colder and colder, and there are more homeless people on the streets. Dingxiang complained, "This year is a mild winter. The homeless people on the streets are not warming themselves in the bridge holes like in previous years. Instead, they are wandering around. Some of them are stealing chickens and dogs, and they even rob people when they have the chance. The old lady next door's personal maid was robbed when she went out to buy New Year's goods with silver coins. She was pulled so hard that she fell and broke her head. It was really scary. Now I have to have Liujin accompany me when I want to go out to prepare some New Year's goods."

Sister-in-law Aying said from the side, "Actually, so many of the homeless people on the streets now are refugees who have fled from the mainland. They have spent all their money along the way. The better ones have relatives and friends to help them, but the rest of them can only wander the streets. The women can still do some work, but the men really have no way to make a living."

Gui'er and Dingxiang both knew that what Sister-in-law Aying was talking about was actually a woman soliciting customers on the street, commonly known as prostitution, which was just another dead end.