The Real Heiress Has an Appraisal System
Chapter 22: Thank You! Please Smash Me to Death with Money

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Thank You! Please Smash Me to Death with Money

"In this case, your contribution was indeed the greatest. So, as a reward for your courageous actions, the Cultural Relics Bureau, Huaxia, and our local authorities are jointly awarding you one million yuan. What do you think?"

"That sounds great." ’Getting paid? How could I not be happy! How could I possibly refuse! I have no objections whatsoever!’

Her greatest wish in life was for someone to bury her in cash!

Gu Shengsheng hadn’t even made a million yuan from her antique appraisals yet, but a single plane ride had netted her a cool million.

Now she had almost two million. She could start saving up for a down payment on a house.

Living with the Lu Family long-term made her feel uneasy.

If she was going to put down roots in this new city, Gu Shengsheng wanted her own house, her own life, and her own private time.

Lost in thought, Gu Shengsheng had just stepped out of the police station when she saw an assistant from the Lu Family standing at the entrance. He spoke with the utmost respect.

"Miss Gu, we’ve taken care of the paperwork for you. You can go home now."

"My name is Lin Kai. I’m President Lu’s assistant."

’President Lu? He must be that Lu Chaoyang’s assistant,’ Gu Shengsheng thought as she looked at him and nodded.

She glanced at his business card before asking, "Where are we going now?"

"You’re picking me up so formally. I doubt you’re just taking me straight back to the Lu residence."

She and Mrs. Lu Sr. had previously agreed that she would head straight over upon arrival.

But because of the incident at the police station, Lu Chaoyang had sent someone to get her, assuming she’d gotten into trouble and needed bailing out.

Gu Shengsheng had already spoken with that handsome officer, Zhang Lianqing. She’d requested that everything that happened on the plane be kept confidential; the official line was simply that she had assisted with an investigation.

As a result, the Lu Family’s man simply picked her up and left.

The assistant, Lin Kai, paused for a moment. "Yes. President Lu asked me to bring you to the company first. He wishes to speak with you, Miss Gu."

Gu Shengsheng had a bad feeling about this.

’Mrs. Lu and Madam Lu both seem to be people with a strong moral compass. But Second Madam Lu is another story entirely.’

’He’s Second Madam Lu’s son and has already seized control of the Lu Family. There’s no way he’s a pushover.’

Gu Shengsheng’s unease grew. She was sure this Lu Chaoyang would either insult her or tell her that someone like her wasn’t fit to be a daughter-in-law of the Lu Family.

It made her want to jump out of the car right then and there.

’In my mind, it’s best to keep my distance from the Lu Family. If I get too involved, it’ll be impossible to extricate myself later.’

This marriage was just a means to an end for her.

Gu Shengsheng said, "I have an errand to run. I need to get out for a moment."

"Please don’t overthink it, Young Madam. It’s just a meeting. Our Second Young Master won’t give you any trouble. In fact, you might even get what you want."

’What I want?’

With this question hanging in her mind, Gu Shengsheng entered the Lu Group’s headquarters and was led by the assistant into the president’s private elevator.

After he knocked and opened the door, she stepped inside and saw a man holding a file.

He gave her a gentle smile. "Sister-in-law, you’re here."

"..." Gu Shengsheng nodded.

A quick glance revealed that the file was about her. But Gu Shengsheng knew this wasn’t the time to lose her temper. ’He’s been investigating me.’

He set the file down. "Sister-in-law, you spent so much time at the police station today, but the official story is just that you were ’assisting an investigation.’ Why was it you, and not someone else?"

’The main issue is that even the Lu Group couldn’t dig up any information... What’s the deal with this Gu Shengsheng? Could she be connected to my older brother...?’

The more he thought about it, the more frantic he became.

He’d never paid any mind to the "good-luck bride" before, but now he was agitated. He had a nagging feeling she would ruin his plans.

Gu Shengsheng frowned at his innocent act. "That’s right... why me? How should I know?"

Before Lu Chaoyang could respond, Gu Shengsheng sat herself down on the sofa, covered her eyes, and began to sob. "I... I came to Beijing City all by myself, and I don’t know anything. I grew up in the countryside... my parents didn’t want me. They’d rather keep an adopted child than have me."

"They just looked down on me for not being some rich heiress. I’m just a simple country bumpkin. Is that a reason for everyone to despise me? Do you... do you also think I’m a bumpkin who’s not good enough to be your sister-in-law?"

He watched her intently, as if searching for a crack in her performance.

His tone remained gentle. "Sister-in-law, did you see someone on the plane you weren’t supposed to see? Or perhaps learn something you weren’t supposed to know?"

He was worried about his missing older brother. The body had never been found, and in recent years, the higher Lu Chaoyang climbed, the more paranoid he became.

’So that’s it,’ Gu Shengsheng realized. ’Lu Shijing was in a plane crash and never came back, just vanished into thin air. And now I, his "good-luck bride," also have an "incident" on a plane and end up at the police station.’

’My new brother-in-law must think it’s all a little too convenient.’

’How interesting. The power struggles in these big families are truly fascinating.’

Since it had nothing to do with her, Gu Shengsheng could put on whatever show she wanted.

With that thought, she continued her nonsensical, uncultured act. "I don’t know. If you don’t want to call me Sister-in-law, you can just use my name."

"Just... just don’t hurt me..."

Gu Shengsheng was beautiful, but her current display of foolishness disgusted Lu Chaoyang. He loathed these kinds of incompetent, sniveling country bumpkins more than anything!

Though thoroughly annoyed with Gu Shengsheng, he tried to coax her patiently. "Sister-in-law, I’ve seen your livestreams from Rui City. Your style wasn’t anything like this."

"Livestreams? You know about my livestreams?!"

"You should know, that’s how the livestreaming industry is. There are scripts, and I just follow the script. Don’t you get it? No, wait. A president should know about these things."

"Brother-in-law, are you a little slow?" Gu Shengsheng feigned astonishment. "The last time I saw Second Madam Lu, I got the feeling she wasn’t all there, mentally. You should keep an eye on that... see if it’s hereditary."

Lu Chaoyang was already itching to curse her out. Looking at Gu Shengsheng now, he wanted nothing more than to slap her.

But her act was one of such earnest foolishness that it was hard to see her as a threat.

’Looks like I really was overthinking things. As for what industry this woman is in, I truly couldn’t care less.’

’As long as her little schemes have nothing to do with Lu Shijing, it’s fine. It seems the pressure is getting to me, making me paranoid and see enemies everywhere.’

’No, I have to crush the first branch of the family before they have any chance to recover. That’s the only long-term solution.’

’By then, even if Lu Shijing himself returned, not even a god could save them.’

At this thought, he clenched his fist.

A wave of revulsion washed over him as he looked at Gu Shengsheng, and he quickly had Lin Kai take her away.

’I can’t understand how a woman like this, completely non-threatening, has earned Grandmother’s endless praise. Mother called her a piece of trash, a disagreeable bitch.’

’But seeing her in person, she just seems like a fool.’

’It seems Grandmother is getting old and losing her touch. Her judgment of character is getting worse and worse.’

As she walked out of Lu Chaoyang’s office, Gu Shengsheng knew her act had been a roaring success.