Chapter 287: Chapter 285:

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Closing the door, she looked around the room.

The carpet with the intertwined G logo and the luxurious furniture from various high-end brands greeted her eyes. To her left, there was a spacious walk-in closet filled with luxury handbags, watches, jewelry, and more. It exuded the classic style of a wealthy heiress.

Lu Miao scanned the room, not finding what she was looking for inside. She walked past a simple partition and spotted a lifelike doll on the desk by the window.

She remembered that this doll used to be encased in a transparent glass cover. However, that cover was now nowhere to be seen, and the doll was displayed directly on the desk.

Approaching it directly, she picked up the doll. A sharp pain shot through her fingertips, and a drop of bright red blood welled up, instantly vanishing upon touching the doll.

A fleeting hint of red passed through the doll’s originally black, glass-like eyes, disappearing at a speed that felt almost illusory.

The doll’s evolution speed had far surpassed her expectations.

It seemed that Gu Xingyu had frequently played with it, and her influence had contributed to the doll’s rapid evolution.

Lu Miao sneered, “You’ll only harm yourself if you feed on everyone’s blood.” With her words, she raised her other hand and swiftly drew a rune on the doll’s body.

Golden light flowed from her fingertip as it traced the symbol’s lines. The light rapidly spread around, forming a cage of golden runes.

In a matter of moments, the golden runes had woven into a cage that imprisoned the doll within.

Simultaneously, the doll seemed to come alive, struggling intensely in an attempt to break free from the runes’ bindings.

As the doll moved, the cage formed by the golden runes tightened.

An ear-piercing screech resounded in Lu Miao’s ears, and the doll’s eyes turned completely blood-red.

Its previously cute, rosy lips opened to reveal a multitude of sharp teeth.

In its struggle, the doll lunged and bit down on Lu Miao’s hand.

Unperturbed, Lu Miao stood there, coldly observing the doll’s movements. As its sharp teeth dug in, a burst of blood-red light erupted from the doll’s heart area.

The vivid red hue flowed along its veins, swiftly weaving a network within the doll’s body. It intertwined with the outer golden runes, creating a mesmerizing juxtaposition.

The doll began to emit signals of fear and desperation toward Lu Miao.

With an indifferent expression, Lu Miao pressed her fingertip against the doll’s forehead.

After an agonizing scream, all light vanished, and the doll reverted to its previous cute appearance.

The puppet was an object that amplified negative emotions and magnified the dark aspects of human nature. It could inflate evil tendencies indefinitely.

Previously, Gu Jinxi’s character had turned irritable due to this object’s influence. Lu Miao had intended to destroy it when she discovered its effects. However, Gu Xingyu had snatched it away, and as Gu Xingyu’s malice grew, the doll’s influence over her increased, making her more susceptible to manipulation.

This was one of the reasons for Gu Xingyu’s growing paranoia and malevolence.

And she was just pushing the boat with the current and deliberately conniving at her evil deeds.

However, if Gu Xingyu did not have any evil thoughts in her heart, then at most, she would only become a little more irritable like Gu Jinxi back then.O

In the end, Gu Xingyu’s current predicament of plotting to murder her was due to the malice within her heart, which led to her being controlled and manipulated. Therefore, her punishment was deserved.o

Lu Miao placed the doll back on the desk and left the room, returning to her own.

The room retained the appearance it had when she left it. It seemed Shen Qinghe had someone clean it regularly, leaving not a speck of dust on the table.

She didn’t have any items to retrieve; she had only returned to deal with the doll, preventing it from affecting others any further.

After the Seven Kills Formation was broken, the flowers and plants in the small garden downstairs became full of vitality.

Someone knocked on the door.

Lu Miao turned around and opened the door. Shen Qinghe walked in from outside and pulled Lu Miao to the sofa to sit down. She spoke in embarrassment.

“Miaomiao, I’m truly sorry about Xingyu’s matter. I failed to educate her properly, and you’ve suffered because of it.”

Lu Miao pressed her lips together. “Aunt Shen, it’s not your fault.”

Shen Qinghe sighed. “You, child, don’t always consider others and forget yourself. You’re capable, but no matter how skilled you are, you’re still just one person. You can get hurt, feel sad, and be upset. Amidst everyone else’s feelings, Aunt hopes you’ll think more about your own. Don’t worry about whether Xingyu will be unhappy because of it or anything like that. Your own happiness is the most important.”

This child always endured silently, causing Shen Qinghe’s heart to ache. She had even saved Gu Shiyan from such a major incident, yet she chose not to speak of it.

If it were some other people, they would have shouted it from the rooftops, making sure the whole world knew, all to extract more benefits from it.

Lu Miao raised her hand to touch her nose. In truth, she wasn’t as perfect as Shen Qinghe had imagined.

Shen Qinghe, recalling the sudden change in the old lady’s attitude, asked, “By the way, did the old lady know about you being a master of landscape painting?”

Lu Miao nodded.

Shen Qinghe suddenly realized, so that was the case.

“I used to want you to enter the Gu family, but now it seems that A’yan isn’t worthy of you.”

She chuckled, then turned serious. “Miaomiao, Aunt knows you’re softhearted. You’re always pestered by Ziheng and Jinxuan, and you never refuse. However, you’re still young. Your future is limitless. Don’t let them tie you down and determine your life. You should have a life of your own.”

“As for how to choose your future, you should decide after you’ve seen more of the world and gotten to know more people.”

Lu Miao nodded. “Thank you, Aunt Shen.”

Shen Qinghe genuinely had her best interests at heart. She didn’t want Lu Miao to be trapped by the Gu family’s brothers. She wanted Lu Miao to consider her own well-being and future more than accommodating their demands.

After finishing her words, Shen Qinghe felt a sense of relief.

She smiled and said, ‘Why not become my goddaughter? Even if you have no ties to the Gu family in the future, it won’t affect us.”

“I don’t agree.” The door was pushed open from the outside, and Gu Shiyan walked in.

Shen Qinghe shot him a look. How could she not understand her own son’s thoughts?

She patted Lu Miao’s hand. “Ignore him. We’ll do what we’ve decided.”

Gu Shiyan approached and directly addressed Lu Miao, “Let’s go. I’ll take you back to the Lingyue Residence.”

Lu Miao was just figuring out how to decline when she heard his words. She immediately stood up, offering a forced smile to Shen Qinghe. “Aunt Shen, I have something to do when I get back. I’ll leave now.”

Gu Shiyan put his arm around Lu Miao’s shoulder and guided her out.

Shen Qinghe called after them, “Miaomiao, take your time considering being a goddaughter. Your godmother will wait for your answer.”

Seeing them leave, Gu Ziheng hurried to catch up and get into the car, but Gu Shiyan directly pushed him aside.

Gu Shiyan got into the car..