Back to the Past: The Rise of the False Heiress Marrying the True Tycoon

Chapter 377 - 377: Returning the Stolen Goods Doesn’t Absolve the Crime

Gu Zi’s eyelashes fluttered, a tear rolled down from the corner of her eye, her gaze filled with sorrow as she looked at Zhang Mei.

“Auntie, ” she began, her voice trembling, “Sometimes I really wonder, have you truly treated me as your daughter these past eighteen years? If so, why could you so easily sever your affection for me?

“From the moment you had me marry in Lin Miao’s stead, to when you wanted me to give up my job at the radio station for her, you’ve only ever seen Lin Miao. You’ve never truly seen me…”

As Gu Zi wept, Zhang Mei’s own tears seemed to falter, her eyes filled with confusion. Why was Gu Zi crying? Had they really treated her so unfairly?

Zhang Mei was taken aback, her only option was to respond along the lines of the conversation, “Xiao Zi, you’ve misunderstood. We’ve always considered you our daughter!”

“Really?” Gu Zi retorted, “If you truly considered me your daughter, you wouldn’t keep asking me to let Lin Miao off. Don’t you understand? This isn’t about whether I can forgive her or not. She took the money herself, I didn’t steal it and frame her. On the contrary, she wanted to steal the money, forcing me to marry in her place.

“Looking at it now, it seems pitiful that Lin Miao was caught on the day of the banquet. The Gu and Gong families were humiliated, and everyone lost face. But if she hadn’t taken the money, none of this would have happened. I didn’t cause this. When I was forced to marry in the countryside, wasn’t I deserving of pity?

“I gave up everything to marry in her place. Did you ever consider me then? Did you ever think about what would have happened if I hadn’t met Su Shen? Have you ever considered what my situation would be like now?”

Gu Zi’s situation at the time, if she hadn’t been a transmigrator, would have been akin to a blind and mute marriage. She would have had to follow the lifestyle of her husband, whether he was a chicken or a dog. If she had married a violent and cruel butcher, her life would have been a living hell.

But did the Gu family ever care about this? All they wanted at the time was to sever ties with Gu Zi, to have their own biological daughter marry into the Gong family. They treated Gu Zi like a plague, wanting to send her far away, hoping to never have contact with her again.

Zhang Mei was not unaware of these things, but she had indeed never considered them from Gu Zit s perspective. Now that Lin Miao had stolen the money, causing harm to Gu Zi and the Lin family, she had no reason to ask Gu Zi not to pursue the matter. Especially since Gu Zi was not the real plaintiff in this case.

As Gu Zi spoke, Zhang Mei’s face turned beet red. The guilt she felt towards Gu Zi began to awaken and spread from her heart. In the end, it was their Gu family who had wronged Gu Zi!

Soothingly, Su Shen drew the weeping Gu Zi into his arms. At that moment, Gu Zi’s heart pounded with a warmth that was both startling and comforting. Even though the words she had just used to silence Zhang Mei were harsh, they were the truth, a truth both she and the original owner of her body had painfully faced. If the original owner were still here, she would undoubtedly be as heartbroken as Gu Zi was now.

Zhang Mei was at a loss for words, casting a pleading look at her husband, Gu Shan. His face was flushed, and he let out a low sigh. Eventually, Gu Shan found his voice, but it was directed at Su Shen. Seeing Gu Zi in such a state, if he continued to argue with her, it would only make him seem in the wrong.

“Su Shen, ” he began, “we admit that it was our Lin Miao who was wrong. But the dowry you willingly gave her back then… How about this? We’ll find a way to make up the three thousand yuan, and you drop the charges. There’s no need for Lin Miao to go to jail, right?”

After comforting Gu Zi, Su Shen turned his cold gaze towards Gu Shan. His voice was particularly distant and frosty, making it clear he wanted nothing to do with the man before him.

“Captain Gu, you should be careful with your words,” he warned. “Since ancient times, theft has been a crime that cannot be absolved simply by returning the stolen goods. Although returning the stolen goods may lighten the punishment, it does not absolve the crime. If you insist on handling things according to your own principles, you might as well contact the police directly. ”

With that, Su Shen guided Gu Zi towards the exit of the police station, ignoring the couple. Zhang Mei tried to follow, but Gu Shan stopped her. Shaking his head, he spoke in a grave voice, “He’s right. This is a theft crime. Returning the stolen goods doesn’t absolve the crime.. We’re done for, completely done for!”