Chapter 42
Gu Changan felt a wave of frustration as he watched his wife switch sides so quickly. Out of a desire to protect her, he had purposely kept her in the dark about what was really going on. But this was Beijing they were talking about—the very heart of the country, crawling with powerful and unpredictable forces. Letting two college students waltz into that mess? That was nothing short of a death wish.
What if something happened to Xixi and Mingyuan? If they got caught too, what options would be left in Jiangcheng? Maybe surrendering early would be the only way to save the rest of the children.
"Dad, Second Brother and I can take care of ourselves," Gu Xi said, her eyes brimming with determination. "Whether you agree or not, I have to go to Beijing."
"You—!"
"Honey, just let the kids go if they want to." Wei Xiangqin, afraid father and daughter would come to blows, quickly stepped in to mediate.
"Come with me to the study!" Gu Changan shot Gu Xi a hard look, then stormed off toward the study.
Gu Xi gave her mother a subtle "don't worry" glance, then quietly followed her father in.
As soon as the door closed, Gu Changan rounded on her. "Do you even know what the capital is? And you dare talk about going there? That's playing with fire!"
"Dad, time is not on our side," Gu Xi said softly, pressing her father down into a chair. "You need to keep watch over Shuangguan Bridge, and Uncle is overwhelmed too. Right now, only Mingyuan and I are free enough to go and gather information."
"You're just a girl. Who do you think you'll find? I don't even know who has your eldest cousin—how would you know?"
"I do know," Gu Xi said carefully.
"What did you say?" Gu Changan's eyes widened in shock. He was trembling. "How do you know?"
"He's a classmate of Cousin Jinsong. I've heard his voice before."
"A classmate? Then that means no one's holding your cousin hostage?"
"No," Gu Xi said calmly. "Jinsong once told me this classmate came from a powerful family. Think about it—what kind of grudge between classmates would justify taking someone hostage? Ordinary people don't have that kind of power."
Gu Changan went silent. What his daughter said made too much sense. The timing of Jinsong's disappearance had always struck him as suspicious—so suspicious it was hard to believe it was all just a coincidence.
"But you and Mingyuan are still just kids," he said, his tone finally softening.
"And that's exactly why we won't raise suspicion," Gu Xi replied, her voice full of quiet urgency. "Dad, please let me go. Even if we just get a little information about Cousin Jinsong, it will bring us some peace."
Gu Changan sat still for a moment, wrestling with the decision. Then, looking into his daughter's pleading eyes, he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Fine. I'll have Xiao Liu take two men to go with you."
"Dad, you're in more danger here in Jiangcheng. Brother Liu shouldn't leave your side," Gu Xi said quickly.
"No more arguments," Gu Changan waved her off. "Nothing is more important than your safety."
Gu Xi's eyes welled up with emotion. "Thank you, Dad. Please be careful here too."