Chapter 358: Chapter 358

He was deeply concerned about his daughter, so when he saw Ji Yu in this state, he only hoped she could be happy and carefree, without reacting negatively under the circumstances.

Ji Yu didn’t know why she had ended up , but now that things had come to this, she could only lie here for the time being and hope for a better outcome later.

Gu Qixiao was initially in disbelief when he learned of the matter.

He almost thought his father was lying to him.

"Dad, Yu..." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novｅlfire.net

"It’s true. Why would I lie to you about this? I know how important this is to you." Mr. Gu looked at Gu Qixiao helplessly, knowing his son had truly been living in fear these days.

Ji Yu’s disappearance had been a heavy blow for him.

"Yu would never abandon me . I knew our bond wasn’t over yet." He finally broke into a smile, though his reddened eyes betrayed his emotions, he didn’t let himself cry.

No one knew how he had managed to get through this period or how much pain he had endured—only he understood the depths of his anguish.

Hearing those words brought him an indescribable joy known only to himself.

"Yu is so important to me; Dad, please don’t blame me."

Mr. Gu understood this well. In fact, he knew there had been times when Gu Qixiao had almost contemplated suicide during this ordeal.

But such thoughts were unacceptable for both a father and a son.

"If you ended your life like that, what would happen to your child? Now that Yu is fine, focus on taking care of your child properly. Over there—it looks like those might be Yu’s relatives. Just wait patiently for her to come back."

That was all he could say.

What Gu Qixiao truly felt in his heart was probably something only he could fully grasp.

"I understand, but I can’t just sit and wait. I need to check on Yu’s condition myself. I want to know exactly how she’s doing."

He needed to see Ji Yu in person.

Fortunately, Ji Yu wasn’t in such dire condition.

If Ji Yu had truly died, he would have lost all desire to continue living.

Ji Yu, for her part, clearly understood that if she informed Gu Qixiao of the news, there was no way he would just stay at home.

"Uncle Hu, while I can’t call you ’Dad’ just yet, I know you’re a wonderful person. I only hope you won’t make things difficult for Gu Qixiao."

She understood deeply how important Gu Qixiao was to her, and in this moment, there was no room for other thoughts.

She simply prayed nothing bad would happen to Gu Qixiao.

Hu Jianyu had always wanted to learn more about Ji Yu’s past, but seeing how unwilling she seemed to talk about it, he didn’t press further.

"He’s my future husband. We’re planning to get married." When she spoke of Gu Qixiao, there was always a trace of laughter in her eyes.

That hint of joy made Hu Jianyu realize that Gu Qixiao truly was someone Ji Yu held dear to her heart.

"Getting married at such a young age—is he really the right fit for you? You still have plenty of options at this stage. If you feel unsettled, you can choose someone else to be with."

As her father, he naturally always thought about his daughter’s happiness, and over this period, he had arranged for her to meet several outstanding young men, hoping Ji Yu could live a joyful, fulfilled life in the future.

If Ji Yu wasn’t happy, he truly wouldn’t know how to make it up to her.

"If you really want to make it up to me, then please, Uncle Hu, don’t make things hard for Gu Qixiao. He’s just gone through a rough period and is still weak, and we haven’t had a proper conversation in a long time."

Ji Yu wanted nothing more than to talk to him properly—both had been far too lonely during this time.

Now that they had a chance to reconnect, happiness came flooding in.

Ji Yu had already made herself quite clear. If Hu Jianyu still refused to let her meet Gu Qixiao, things would certainly take a turn for the worse.

Hu Jianyu looked at Ji Yu helplessly. "Since you’ve made up your mind, I’ll make sure this matter gets handled appropriately. Don’t dwell on these imaginary fears anymore; what you need now is proper rest. If you hadn’t reacted quickly that time, it’s likely..."

He didn’t want to say anything too ominous. After all, Ji Yu had already found cover thoroughly in advance, which was why things turned out the way they did.

"Were those people killed back then?" Ji Yu hadn’t forgotten that Du Kang and his group were nothing but trouble.

"Yes, they’re all dead. However, you’d better stay vigilant regarding this matter—this organization isn’t something to be taken lightly."

Hu Jianyu knew Ji Yu still had lingering thoughts about the incident, so he had already investigated it thoroughly beforehand, yet the results weren’t as promising as they had hoped.

"I understand." Ji Yu didn’t intend on eradicating them all in one sweep. Du Kang had already died, and the rest of his followers would likely be dealt with by Gu Qixiao and the Gu family.

As the two talked about the incident, Hu Jianyu increasingly noticed similarities between Ji Yu and his late wife. "If only your mother were still alive—it would be so wonderful. You don’t know how much she missed you back then, but sadly, you two never got the chance to reunite."

Ji Yu had been hearing stories about this legendary woman throughout this period.

Though she had never met her, hearing about their striking resemblance left Ji Yu genuinely curious. She wondered what kind of person her mother had been. "How was I lost?"

Given how much love they seemed to have for her, why had an accident occurred when she was so young?

She had often suspected she might have been abandoned, but the current situation seemed at odds with her previous assumptions.

Speaking of the incident, Hu Jianyu’s eyes reddened instantly. "Yu, we never meant to lose you. At that time, we encountered some trouble. We had planned to entrust you to a friend for care, but we were betrayed at the last moment. By the time we found that person, you were already gone."

The pain he had felt during that time was something only he could comprehend.

Looking at Ji Yu, his heart ached. "You were so little back then—you must have suffered terribly. Don’t worry, if anyone tries to make you suffer again, I will make sure to fight for your justice."

Ji Yu could sense he was truly a devoted father. The blame for what had happened didn’t lie with them, but even so, nothing could compensate for the time that had been lost.

"Actually, I had a good life. The orphanage took care of me, and my foster parents treated me very well too."