Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Gu Beixian’s expression darkened even further.

He picked up his phone and called the bodyguards assigned to protect Su Hua. “I told you to keep an eye on Su Hua. Where is she?”

The bodyguard replied respectfully, “The Young Mistress said we must be tired after guarding her for so many days, so she gave us two days off to rest. She said those were your orders.”

Gu Beixian’s lips curled into a mirthless smile.

This woman, who had always been so gentle and obedient, had actually learned how to forge his orders.

“Where did she go?” he asked coldly.

Sensing his displeasure, the bodyguard answered cautiously, “The Young Mistress didn’t say.”

Gu Beixian hung up and dialed Aunt Liu’s number.

Her phone was also turned off.

Frowning, Gu Beixian instructed his assistant, “Go check the surveillance footage.”

“Understood, President Gu.” The assistant immediately led a team to the hospital’s security room.

Ten minutes later, the assistant called back.

“President Gu, every piece of footage that could have shown the Young Mistress has been manually deleted.”

Gu Beixian’s grip on his phone tightened until the device nearly deformed under his strength.

After a moment of silent contemplation, he stood up and headed toward the nephrology department.

Arriving at Su Hua’s grandmother’s ward, he knocked and entered.

Su Peilan was currently pulling up the covers for the old lady.

Seeing Gu Beixian, she lifted her gaze and asked expressionlessly, “Is something the matter?”

Gu Beixian spoke in a calm voice. “Mom, Su Hua has been discharged. Do you know where she went?”

Su Peilan let out a chuckle. “You’re her husband. If you don’t even know where she went, how would I?”

“She has some misunderstandings regarding me and is acting out of spite. I don’t know where she’s run off to. She’s just a young girl with an injury on her hand; it’s dangerous for her to be wandering around. Please tell me where she is so I can go get her.”

His words were polite, yet his tone carried an underlying hint of an order.

That high-and-mighty posture was something he was born with.

Su Peilan, though seemingly blunt, was sharp enough to pick up on it.

She pulled over a chair and sat down, crossing her legs as she looked at him with disdain. “During those two years when your health was poor and your temper was foul, you were so difficult to serve, yet my daughter never ran away. She worked herself to the bone for you day and night, heart and soul. Now that she’s actually left, just imagine how much grievance she must have suffered to make her run.”

Gu Beixian’s eyes darkened, but he remained silent, his lips pressed thin.

Su Peilan gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Then again, in your eyes, my daughter is probably just a nanny. Now that your legs are better and you don’t need a nanny anymore, naturally, you don’t want her.”

Gu Beixian’s lips curved slightly. “I have never considered her a nanny.”

Su Peilan rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t just say pretty words. If you want her, then be faithful to her. If you don’t, then get a divorce and be quick about it. My girl is beautiful, has a good temper, is smart, and has a great set of skills. Even if she gets a divorce, she’s only twenty-three. What kind of young man couldn’t she find? Plenty of people get divorced nowadays; it’s no big deal.”

Gu Beixian’s smile remained, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He said coolly, “I’ll leave you to your business. I’ll go look for her elsewhere.”

He turned and left.

The door closed with a significant thud.

Su Peilan clicked her tongue twice and said to the drowsy old lady on the bed, “Mom, look at that temper of his. I only said a few words and he got angry and slammed the door. Heaven knows how much grief Xiao Hua has suffered behind our backs while staying with him.”

The old lady’s eyelids fluttered, but she didn’t speak.

“When she got married back then, all those relatives mocked me behind my back, saying I sold my daughter to a cripple for money. It wasn’t easy for him to stand up again, and I thought Xiao Hua’s good days had finally come, but now he’s acting up. A marriage between families of unequal status is just asking to be looked down upon-people think they can bully and trample on you whenever they want.” Su Peilan turned her back and secretly wiped the corners of her eyes.

The old lady sighed and said with a slight delay, “It’s me who dragged her down.”

“Mom, don’t say that. It’s all because I’m useless,” Su Peilan said, her throat tight.

***

Gu Beixian led his men to search every possible place Su Hua could have gone. They searched until late into the night but found nothing.

In the middle of the night, lying on the large bed in his bedroom, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

After thinking it over, a certain place suddenly came to mind.

He immediately got dressed, gathered his men, and set out through the night toward Su Village.

Su Village was located at the foot of Su Mountain; it was the ancestral home of Su Hua’s grandfather.
Su Hua had grown up in this place.

After a long journey, the group finally arrived at Su Village. It was already between three and four in the morning.

Gu Beixian got out of the car and tried to push open the courtyard gate, but it wouldn’t budge. Su Hua was likely asleep at this hour, and he didn’t want to wake her. He opened the car door, reclined the seat, and closed his eyes, intending to take a short nap.

Exhausted from the long ordeal, he fell fast asleep the moment his eyes closed.

By the time he opened them again, the sun was high in the sky.

Gu Beixian pushed the car door open and stepped out.

A bodyguard hurried over and said, “President Gu, there are people talking in the courtyard. One of them sounds like the Young Mistress.”

Gu Beixian nodded slightly and walked to the gate. He pushed, and this time, it opened.

His eyes swept over the large courtyard. It hadn’t been lived in for a long time, and weeds grew thick in the corners. In the eastern corner stood a pear tree in full bloom.

A gentle, quiet woman sat beneath the tree. A long white knit cardigan wrapped around her slender, graceful figure. Her black hair was elegant, her skin snow-white, and her features delicate. A faint smile played at the corners of her lips.

A breeze blew past, sending snow-white pear blossoms fluttering down onto her hair.

She looked as beautiful as a painting.

Beside her stood a tall man in a light blue shirt. He was leaning over, carefully applying medicine to her hand. The two were chatting and laughing softly, so engrossed that they didn’t even notice someone had entered.

The woman was Su Hua, whom he had been searching for from dawn until dusk. The man was Shen Huai, the doctor and the Young Master of Gubaozhai.

Gu Beixian’s expression shifted into an indescribable coldness. A self-mocking smirk touched his lips as he watched them with a chilling indifference.

After a long silence, he suppressed his anger and spoke. “Su Hua, why didn’t you tell me you were coming to your grandfather’s house?”

Su Hua looked over as if only just noticing him. Her voice was devoid of emotion as she replied, “You were too busy. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

She used the formal ‘you,’ deliberately putting distance between them.

Shen Huai turned around, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He smiled and said, “Cousin, you’re here? Come in.”

Gu Beixian gave him a cold, detached glance before walking toward Su Hua.

Standing before her, he looked down at her with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ve been looking for you since yesterday afternoon.”

“You didn’t need to go to such trouble,” Su Hua said with a cold, distant smile. Her dark eyes held a brittle, stubborn light.

“That day, Suosuo tried to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. She almost fell, so I caught her. The lipstick on her lips rubbed off onto my shirt. I didn’t notice it at the time; I only saw it when I took my clothes off that night.”

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me,” Su Hua said dismissively.

Hearing those details made her feel physically ill; she instinctively recoiled from them. Her decision to leave without a word this time was the result of a long buildup of emotions. It wasn’t just because of a lipstick stain.

In their three years of marriage, they had treated each other with mutual respect. She didn’t want to fight with him, but her heart was truly weary. Leaving was the only way to find some peace.

Gu Beixian paused before continuing, “Suosuo’s hand was crushed with a hammer by that man, Ah Yao. She already suffered from severe depression, and this injury only made things worse. I was worried she might try to commit suicide again, so I visited her a few more times.”

Su Hua remained silent for a long while. She slowly stood up and said, “Please come with me.”

Gu Beixian gave a quiet hum of agreement and followed her.

The two left the courtyard and walked one after the other toward the back of the village. The path was a dirt road, and the spring wind kicked up clouds of dust.

After walking for about ten minutes, they arrived at a willow grove. The trees were thick and lush, their long, slender branches dancing wildly in the wind.

Beneath the trees lay a dense cluster of grave mounds. Even in broad daylight, the place felt eerie and cold, the temperature noticeably lower than elsewhere. Every now and then, a crow would fly overhead, letting out a mournful cry.

Su Hua showed no sign of fear. She navigated the winding path until she stopped before a small, old grave. She stared at the mound, her gaze gradually filling with a heavy, watery sorrow.

After a long time, she spoke softly.

“Ah Yao is here.”