Chapter 1190: Confess the Truth

Chapter 1190: Confess the Truth

After failing to win over the Lin family, Lin Miao quietly slipped the thousand yuan back where she had taken it from. It was far too early for Gu Shan to discover what she’d done—if he found out now, nothing else could be carried out.

She took a trip to the countryside.

There, she found Li Li.

A month earlier, Li Li had given birth to a baby boy in that quiet, gossip-drenched village. The locals had been abuzz, whispering behind their palms, endlessly speculating about the identity of the child’s father.

No one had a clue. But Lin Miao did.

She had already done her homework. The father of that child was none other than Gu Shan.

Naturally, Gu Shan was aware too. When he heard the news—that Li Li had given him a son—he practically beamed until his face could split open. To him, it was divine providence. A cosmic reward.

“Finally,” he said with glee, “the heavens have smiled on the Gu family.”

He arranged for Li Li to stay quietly in the countryside with the baby for now, until the timing was right. Then he would bring mother and son into better circumstances, into the life they deserved.

And it was at that moment—hearing that single smug, self-important sentence—that Lin Miao realized a painful truth. In Gu Shan’s mind, a daughter could never compare to a son.

Now, Lin Miao had no other cards left to play. She was broke. The Gu family had agreed to cover only her tuition going forward. But university was its own kind of society, a microcosm of status and power—and without money, how was she supposed to survive?

So she made a move.

Clutching a few personal items that belonged to the child, she confronted Gu Shan. She demanded that he and Zhang Mei visit the city branch of Sister Hua’s Gourmet Shop and pretend to fall ill from food poisoning.

The target was Li Hua. They were to demand compensation—enough to patch the gaping hole in the Lin family’s finances.

Lin Miao had done her research. Back when Sister Hua’s Gourmet Shop first opened in the town center, there had already been underhanded attempts like this. The eatery had learned their lesson. They adopted a policy: for every batch of food, a sample would be kept in storage.

Which meant—for this plan to work—Gu Shan and Zhang Mei would have to order something that didn’t have a backup sample. Fortunately, that wasn’t hard to arrange.

They had no choice. Gu Shan couldn’t afford for news of his affair and illegitimate child to explode. He and Zhang Mei followed Lin Miao’s plan to the letter.

Gu Shan even pulled some strings—called in a favor at the police bureau. A familiar face helped muddy the waters, turning the case into a chaotic mess that left the Lin family scrambling. With no other option, they were forced to pay compensation.

Now, Lin Miao only had one last step left. Just one. And the money would be in the bag.

But before she could even step out the front door, there was a knock.

A voice came from outside.

“Police. We’d like to ask you a few questions.”

Lin Miao froze.

Panic curled up in her chest. Outwardly, she was supposed to be an innocent bystander in this whole ordeal—how had the police come knocking on her door?

She composed herself as best she could and opened the door slowly, trying to look calm, collected. “Officers,” she said with a polite smile, “I think you’ve got the wrong address. My father’s still in the hospital.”

But then, a second officer stepped forward.

And Lin Miao saw his face. It was Captain He, the same officer who had arrested her and sent her to prison last time. That face had haunted her too many nights for her to ever forget it. But… wasn’t this case being handled by another team?

What was he doing here?

“You’re looking for me?” Lin Miao asked, visibly rattled.

Captain He nodded with the cool assurance of someone who already had all the pieces. “Yes. Regarding the Sister Hua’s Gourmet Shop food poisoning case involving your father, I’ve been reassigned to the investigation. I believe it’s necessary to ask you a few questions. I hope you’ll cooperate, Miss Lin.”

Lin Miao’s mind reeled.

Why her? Why now?

“What do you mean reassigned? You weren’t the officer on this case—why the sudden change?”

Captain He didn’t skip a beat. “Just earlier today, Miss Gu Zi—one of the shareholders of Sister Hua’s Gourmet Shop—submitted a formal request to the police department. She insisted the case be investigated jointly by two teams. Furthermore, she’s filed a strong petition demanding a full inquiry, pressing for proof that the soup sold to the Gu family was, in fact, leftover from the previous night. Without concrete evidence, they refuse to pay a single cent in compensation.”

He gave a tight smile. “The department has approved the request. So… are you ready to cooperate now?”

Lin Miao’s eyes went wide. Her face blanched.

Her voice trembled. “What did you just say? Gu Zi… is back? That’s impossible…”

Watching the panic bloom across Lin Miao’s face, Captain He didn’t need any further confirmation. He was almost entirely certain now—just as Gu Zi had claimed, Lin Miao was deeply involved in this.

Captain He added, as if casually, “Oh yes. With such a serious matter going on at home, of course she returned. Flew back on the first flight, from what I hear. I suggest you recognize the situation for what it is and start telling us what you know.”

Lin Miao took a sharp breath and steadied herself.

She wasn’t going to take the fall. Not again. Last time, when she went to prison, Gu Shan and Zhang Mei hadn’t lifted a single finger to help her. They told her to grit her teeth and survive.

Well.

Now it was their turn.

She opened the door wider and gestured for the officers to come inside. “Of course. I’ll tell you everything.”

Captain He stepped in with his team, wasting no time on pleasantries. His voice was firm, all business.

“Let’s start with the day your parents visited Sister Hua’s Gourmet Shop. Were you at home at the time?”

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