Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Su Hua stared blankly at the ceiling, looking as if she hadn’t heard a word.

Gu Beixian sighed, patted her shoulder gently, and turned to leave.

Stepping out, he instructed the bodyguards at the door, “Protect Su Hua. Call me immediately if anything happens.”

“Yes, President Gu,” the bodyguards replied.

After getting into his car, his assistant reported, “I took a team to check all the surveillance footage along the route. It took several different connections to finally track down Huang Que. When we caught her, she was in an unlicensed taxi, fleeing toward the countryside to hide.”

Gu Beixian’s gaze was cold. “What’s her background?”

“Huang Que is Huang Guang’s sister. Huang Guang is the Bald Man who kidnapped the Young Mistress to restore that ancient painting. After that incident, he was found to be part of a tomb-robbing gang and was sentenced to seven years. Surveillance shows that over the past few days, Huang Que disguised herself as a delivery person and loitered around the Antique City, waiting for an opportunity to take revenge on the Young Mistress.”

Gu Beixian’s hands, resting at his sides, clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.

They arrived at the small building where Huang Que was being held.

Huang Que had short hair, a sallow complexion, and bloodshot eyes. Her lips were dry and peeling. She bore a striking resemblance to the Bald Man, possessing a very androgynous look.

Gu Beixian walked over and sat on the sofa. He looked up, his gaze sweeping over her with chilling indifference. “Why did you crush Su Hua’s fingers?”

Huang Que’s face was full of resentment. She gritted her teeth and spat, “She’s the reason my brother is in prison!”

Gu Beixian sneered. “Your brother robbed tombs and kidnapped Su Hua. He belongs in prison.”

Huang Que glared at him sideways and remained silent.

Gu Beixian’s lips curled into a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He spoke in a slow, measured tone, “I never hit women. However, you are truly despicable.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he grabbed the glass ashtray from the coffee table and hurled it at Huang Que’s head.

Huang Que tried to dodge, but the assistant held her down, pinning her in place.

*Crash!*

The glass ashtray grazed her head and shattered into pieces on the floor.

The assistant kicked Huang Que’s leg.

With a heavy thud, she fell to her knees onto the shards of broken glass. She trembled violently from the pain, whimpering like a wounded stray dog.

Gu Beixian stood up from the sofa and looked down at her, his eyes cold and detached.

Understanding the silent command, the assistant stepped on Huang Que’s hand, grinding his foot down hard several times.

Sharp glass shards pierced deep into her fingertips.

Huang Que begged for mercy repeatedly, “My hand… it hurts, it hurts! Please, let me go!”

Gu Beixian let out a hollow laugh. “So you know what pain feels like. When you used that door to crush Su Hua’s fingers, why didn’t you think about whether she would feel pain?”

Those hands were more precious to her than her own life.

In the past two years, those hands had tirelessly massaged his legs and gently soothed his body and mind.

Such a kind girl-gentle and unassuming-had her most precious fingers broken by this piece of filth.

Gu Beixian suppressed his fury. He shoved one hand into his pocket and said nonchalantly, “Her hands are too troublesome. Deal with them as you see fit.”

“Understood, President Gu,” the assistant replied quickly.

Gu Beixian turned and left.

Once he was gone, the assistant grabbed Huang Que’s hand…

*Crack!*

A cold flash of steel glinted, and Huang Que let out a blood-curdling scream that didn’t even sound human!

*Thud!*

She collapsed stiffly to the floor, her limbs twitching as her eyes rolled back into her head. She had passed out.

***

Back at the hospital, Gu Beixian sat down by Su Hua’s bed.

Seeing her blank, dazed expression, his heart wrenched. He was about to tell her that she had been avenged when she suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

She was gentle on the outside but resilient on the inside; she rarely showed her vulnerable side. But now, she looked fragile and helpless, leaning on him with total dependence.

Gu Beixian’s heart softened, feeling a sense of being needed.

He coaxed her gently, “Don’t be afraid. I’m not leaving. I’ll stay with you through these next few days.”

Only then did Su Hua slowly release his sleeve.

Gu Beixian carefully tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Close your eyes and sleep for a while. I’ll watch over you.”

Su Hua couldn’t sleep. Her four fingers were swollen and throbbing. The nerves in the fingertips were connected to the heart; every heartbeat sent a jolt of pain through her hand.

Her fingernails had all turned a terrifying shade of dark purple.

She kept her eyes closed, enduring every passing second with a heavy heart.

Her fingers were broken. If they didn’t heal properly, she would have failed her grandfather’s decade of painstaking mentorship.

*Knock, knock.*

Someone was at the door. Gu Beixian got up to open it.

Standing outside was the tall Shen Huai, dressed in a white lab coat and holding a bouquet of white roses.

“Cousin,” he greeted. “I just got off the operating table. I heard Su Hua’s hand was injured, so I came to see her.”
Gu Beixian’s expression remained unreadable, but his tone was freezing. “Young Master Shen certainly wears many hats.”

Shen Huai replied with a smile, “My primary profession is a doctor. Gubaozhai is my grandfather’s shop.”

Gu Beixian ignored him and walked over to sit beside Su Hua.

Shen Huai placed the flowers on the nightstand and checked Su Hua’s hand, asking gently, “Do your fingers still hurt?”

Su Hua nodded.

“Don’t worry too much. I heard Old Bai performed the surgery himself. His medical skills are superb, and you’re so young-your fingers will definitely heal well.”

“Thank you,” Su Hua said softly.

Shen Huai stared at her blackened and bruised fingernails. “There’s blood trapped under the nails. We need to drain it. Once the pressure is released, the pain will subside a bit.”

He called a nurse to bring over a needle.

Gu Beixian raised an eyebrow at him. “Can you handle this?”

Shen Huai flashed his staff ID. “I’m an attending physician who has performed surgeries. Draining some blood isn’t difficult.”

Soon, a nurse arrived with a needle and sterile cotton balls.

Shen Huai sterilized the needle and inserted it along the edge of Su Hua’s nail bed, squeezing out a significant amount of bruised blood.

After the drainage, Su Hua felt the throbbing pain in her fingers ease slightly.

Once he finished cleaning up, Shen Huai patted her arm gently. “It’s getting late. Get some rest. I’ll come see you again tomorrow.”

Gu Beixian stood up and said indifferently, “I’ll see you out.”

The two men walked out one after the other.

Gu Beixian closed the door and shot him a cold, detached look. “Su Hua isn’t interested in your type. Stop getting ideas about her.”

Shen Huai’s expression shifted slightly, then he smiled. “Then what type does Su Hua like?”

Gu Beixian tried to picture Ah Yao, but since he couldn’t quite pin down what ‘type’ he was, he simply said, “She likes my type.”

Shen Huai’s smile deepened. “A pity you’re her cousin.”

Gu Beixian’s eyes turned icy. “I am her-”

*Ring ring ring.* Shen Huai’s phone rang.

He pulled the phone from his white lab coat and waved it at Gu Beixian. “Cousin, I have to take this.”

He answered the call and walked away.

Gu Beixian felt a surge of frustration, his face dark and gloomy. However, when he returned to the ward and saw how much Su Hua was suffering, his anger dissipated.

He checked his watch; it was late.

Gu Beixian asked the servant, Aunt Liu, to bring three basins of hot water.

He used a towel to wipe Su Hua’s face, then lifted a corner of the quilt and took hold of her foot to wash it.

Su Hua pulled her foot back, not letting him touch her.

Gu Beixian said in a gentle tone, “During those two years when I couldn’t stand, you took care of my every need. Now, it’s my turn to take care of you.”

Su Hua stopped resisting, her eyes rimmed with red.

After washing her feet, Gu Beixian moved to remove her pants.

Su Hua suddenly realized what he intended to do and pressed her legs tightly together, refusing to let him.

Gu Beixian gave a faint smile. “We are husband and wife. You’re so particular about cleanliness; you won’t be comfortable if you don’t wash. Let me help you.”

Su Hua looked at him with a hint of resentment in her eyes.

Ever since the word “divorce” had been brought up and Chu Suosuo had started interfering, things felt different between them, even if they hadn’t officially signed the papers. Letting him clean such private areas felt awkward now.

Seeing her reluctance, Gu Beixian was silent for a moment before asking, “Do you want Aunt Liu to do it?”

After a few seconds of silence, Su Hua slowly relaxed her legs.

Compared to Aunt Liu, Gu Beixian was clearly more intimate.

Aunt Liu was perceptive and quickly excused herself.

Gu Beixian cleaned her with great care.

Su Hua’s face turned as red as a glowing coal.

Once finished, Gu Beixian proceeded to wipe down her legs and upper body.

Aunt Liu returned to take the basins away.

It wasn’t until well after midnight that Su Hua finally fell asleep.

Gu Beixian lay down beside her but didn’t dare sleep. He was worried she might move her hand in her sleep and displace the bone, so he kept his hand there to steady hers.

After an unknown amount of time, Su Hua had another nightmare. She began to tremble, curling into a ball.

Gu Beixian pulled her into his arms and patted her gently, as if soothing a child.

Feeling a sense of security, Su Hua subconsciously burrowed into his chest and mumbled with her eyes closed, “Ah…”

Gu Beixian pressed his hand against her lips, blocking the next two words. Only after she had calmed down did he move his hand away, whispering, “You little ingrate.”

In her sleep, Su Hua turned over gently.

Naturally, she didn’t hear his words, nor did she know that she had called out for “Ay Yao” countless times in her nightmares.