Chapter 152: This Plan is Comprehensively Sealed

"Mo Jingsheng just checked the prison records. The last person to see Mu Qishan before her death was Cui Xinmei, but that was already a month ago."

Cui Xinmei had been scurrying everywhere like a headless fly, begging everyone she knew to help save Mu Qishan; it was simply impossible that she would harm her own daughter.

"Aside from her, was there anyone else?" Gu Nian asked.

"No," Chu Zhaoyang shook his head. "Cui Xinmei was the only person who went to see Mu Qishan."

Gu Nian's brows furrowed deeply. This was precisely what made her suspicious.

Everything felt too bizarre. If it wasn't the R Organization, who else could have pulled this off so seamlessly and without a trace?

Could it really be that Mu Qishan was just unlucky and died in an accident?

Seeing her furrow her brows in deep thought, Chu Zhaoyang reached out to smooth away the wrinkles between them. "Stop frowning. If you can't figure it out, just stop thinking about it. No matter how much you think, you won't come up with any answers."

Gu Nian nodded, knowing that Chu Zhaoyang was right. Dwelling on it further would do nothing except torture herself and give her a headache, offering no real help at all.

At that moment, Mu Lanshu came out, her face showing no trace of having just woken up.

Gu Nian asked, "Mom, didn't you sleep for a bit?"

Mu Lanshu shook her head and sat down. "With something this big happening, how could I possibly sleep?"

Mu Lanshu rubbed her face. "I just realized I forgot to remind your uncle to break the news to your grandparents gently, not to be too blunt. No matter how unreasonable Qishan was, she was still their granddaughter. Hearing this news so suddenly—your grandparents are getting old, and I'm afraid they won't be able to handle the blow."

"Uncle is also filial to Grandpa and Grandma, so he will definitely take that into consideration. If you're worried, you can call him tomorrow and remind him," Gu Nian said. "Let's leave it for today. He and Auntie must be in utter chaos today."

"Whether they actually end up getting a divorce or calm down and decide to stay together, today is a day driven by impulse. By tomorrow, your uncle will be calmer, and whatever you say then, he'll actually listen."

Mu Lanshu thought about it and realized it made sense, so she nodded and said nothing more.

If Chu Zhaoyang weren't here, Mu Lanshu might have continued talking about Mu Qishan with Gu Nian.

But with Chu Zhaoyang present, it was clear he held zero regard for Mu Dingjie's family.

In truth, there wasn't much worth discussing about Mu Qishan anyway.

Mu Lanshu steadied her mind and pushed the thought away.

Gu Nian glanced at the clock and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

It took her about an hour to whip up a table full of dishes.

Catching the fragrant aroma of the food, Mu Lanshu's mood lifted considerably.

Seeing the dishes spread across the table—appealing in color, aroma, and taste—it was obvious at a glance that they weren't made by a novice.

A smile crept onto Mu Lanshu's face, sweeping away the heavy gloom cast by the incident with Mu Qishan.

"I didn't expect your cooking skills to actually be this good now," Mu Lanshu clicked her tongue in admiration.

Ever since she retired, Gu Nian had been busy with work, and it was always Mu Lanshu who cooked at home so that whether Gu Nian came home from a regular shift or worked overtime, a warm meal would be waiting.

She hadn't expected that in such a short amount of time, Gu Nian had transformed into a culinary expert.

Mu Lanshu smiled as she glanced at Chu Zhaoyang, naturally knowing who Gu Nian had done all this for.

Catching Mu Lanshu's gaze, Chu Zhaoyang maintained a cool and composed expression while silently straightening his back, looking immensely proud of himself.

Mu Lanshu: "..."

Gu Nian was her daughter; who was he showing off to right here?

Thinking about how Gu Nian had never once cooked a proper meal for her like this, Mu Lanshu suddenly felt a bit unbalanced.

She didn't have a man in her house, and naturally didn't have the typical father-in-law who gave his daughter's husband a hard time or looked at him with disapproval.

As a mother-in-law who usually grew more fond of her son-in-law the longer she knew him, she suddenly found herself looking at Chu Zhaoyang with a hint of dissatisfaction right now.

Yet, Chu Zhaoyang was completely oblivious to the fact that his future mother-in-law was displeased with his showing off.

He straightened his back even more, terrified that his future mother-in-law wouldn't believe Gu Nian's words, and quickly spoke up to vouch for her: "Whenever Gu Nian is home and has free time, she cooks for me. It just keeps getting better and better."

Mu Lanshu's facial muscles twitched a few times before she let out a chilly, forced "Heh, heh" and walked over to sit at the dining table by herself.

Chu Zhaoyang looked at Gu Nian with an expression of utter innocence.

Did Mom seem a bit unhappy?

Gu Nian: "..."

Why was this man so obtuse at a time like this?

Gu Nian had no choice but to pull him down to sit beside her. Seeing Chu Zhaoyang still wearing that innocent look, she suddenly felt the urge to laugh.

She quickly suppressed it and leaned coaxingly against Mu Lanshu: "Mom, from now on, whenever I'm back, I'll cook for you too! I'll use Zhaoyang as a guinea pig at home—whenever I learn a new dish, I'll test it on him first, and I guarantee it'll be delicious before I make it for you."

Chu Zhaoyang: "..."

Even though he knew Gu Nian was just trying to appease Mu Lanshu, he couldn't help feeling a little jealous.

Gu Nian managed to coax Mu Lanshu into a good mood and put the matter of Mu Qishan behind them. The three of them enjoyed a relaxed dinner, after which Chu Zhaoyang took Gu Nian back home.

Lanyuan Garden.

When the two of them arrived, Sister Yu had already left.

There was only the two of them in the house, making the atmosphere wonderfully relaxed.

Gu Nian walked toward the bedroom with Chu Zhaoyang following right behind her.

Just as she stepped inside, she heard the sound of the door closing behind her.

Before she could even react, someone grabbed her by the arm from behind and pulled her back.

The force wasn't violent, but it was firm. Knowing it was Chu Zhaoyang, Gu Nian instinctively didn't even think of struggling.

By the time she snapped back to reality, he had already pressed her securely against the door, leaving no space between them.

Her back was pressed tightly against the slightly cool surface of the door, while her front was pressed completely against him, flush and seamlessly tight without the slightest gap.

Her back felt cool, but the front of her body, pressed against his, was burning hot.

Gu Nian still couldn't figure out what kind of game this man was suddenly playing.