Chapter 25

Chapter 25

“The one betrothed to our Beixian since before birth was your elder sister. It was only because she died young that you even had the chance to get close to him. From now on, stop saying that Su Hua is a substitute. You are nothing more than a substitute yourself.” The woman spoke ruthlessly, giving Chu Suosuo no face at all.

Su Hua turned around.

Standing about ten meters away was a woman of elegant temperament and lingering charm. She was tall and slender, wearing a long black trench coat that revealed a pair of exquisite calves. Her back was as straight as a rod.

It was Gu Beixian’s mother, Qin Shu.

Su Hua was slightly surprised, but she quickly smiled and called out, “Mom.”

Qin Shu curled her lips elegantly and gave her a nod.

Chu Suosuo was stunned for a moment. Just as she was about to snap, she realized it was Qin Shu and quickly forced a smile, shouting in pleasant surprise, “Auntie Qin, you’re back in the country?”

She practically jogged over and threw her arms around Qin Shu’s waist, saying affectionately, “I missed you so much! Just a few days ago, I was telling my mom that your birthday is coming up. I came here today specifically to pick out a gift for you. I didn’t expect it to be such a coincidence to run into Sister Su Hua and have a little chat.”

Su Hua had to admire Chu Suosuo’s thick skin.

Qin Shu had been so blunt with her, yet she could still cling to her as if nothing had happened, laughing and chatting to suck up to her.

Qin Shu’s face remained expressionless. She took hold of Chu Suosuo’s arms, moved them away from her waist, and took a step back to create some distance.

Chu Suosuo didn’t seem embarrassed at all. She continued to smile and said, “Auntie, what are you here to buy today? I can help give you some advice.”

Qin Shu glanced at the bag on Su Hua’s shoulder and said calmly, “I’m here to buy a bag for my daughter-in-law. The girl is too frugal. Even though her husband is so wealthy, she insists on carrying a no-name bag worth a few hundred bucks. If some shallow people see that, they’ll laugh at her.”

The smile on Chu Suosuo’s face froze.

That “shallow person” was clearly her.

After a long while, she finally managed to stammer, “Ah, that’s true. Sister Su Hua is far too thrifty. She’s so beautiful, yet she doesn’t like to dress up. Auntie, you work in the fashion industry, but she’s so…”

Su Hua could hear the hidden meaning; Chu Suosuo was calling her provincial in a roundabout way.

She usually wore simple shirts, trousers, trench coats, or knitwear-none of which were luxury brands. They were just things she bought at the mall, and she rarely wore jewelry.

Compared to Chu Suosuo, who was decked out in the latest haute couture and dripping with jewels like a socialite butterfly, she was indeed plain.

However, she didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. As long as clothes were comfortable and decent, they were fine.

Chu Suosuo thought she was plain, but she thought Chu Suosuo was ostentatious. Every time they met, the girl was dressed like a celebrity on a red carpet, with jewelry clinking and clanking all over her. It looked exhausting.

Qin Shu swept a cold gaze over Chu Suosuo and said tonelessly, “My daughter-in-law is refined and focuses on inner beauty. Even if she walked out the door wrapped in a bedsheet, she would be so beautiful that people wouldn’t be able to look away. A confident person has no need for these tedious external decorations.”

Chu Suosuo was truly at a loss for words. She bit her lip and fell silent.

Su Hua was quite moved.

She admired her mother-in-law’s sharp tongue even more. Every sentence protected her, and every word slapped Chu Suosuo’s face.

At that moment, a sales associate approached Qin Shu holding a milkshake-white Birkin bag. She said respectfully, “Mrs. Gu, the bag you reserved has arrived.”

Qin Shu took it and immediately handed it to Su Hua. “This is a gift from Mom. Don’t just focus on buying bags for me and Nanyin while you carry a bag worth a few hundred bucks yourself. This circle is just that vain; people judge you by your bag. If others have it, you should have it too.”

Su Hua took it and smiled as she thanked her. “Thank you, Mom. The bag is beautiful.”

“As long as you like it.” Qin Shu handed her card to the sales associate to pay.

Su Hua then handed the amber-yellow Birkin bag she had bought to Qin Shu, saying, “Mom, this is the birthday gift I picked out for you.”

Qin Shu immediately had the associate unpack it. She moved all the items from her current bag into the one Su Hua had bought and said, “From now on, I’ll only use this one. A bag given by my daughter-in-law carries great significance.”

Qin Shu’s repeated use of the term “daughter-in-law” was like an ice pick stabbing into Chu Suosuo’s heart.

She stood there frozen, her expression shifting between gloom and resentment.

The driver came over to take the additional items Su Hua had purchased to the trunk.

The mother and daughter-in-law, each carrying a new bag, walked out together, chatting and laughing.
Chu Suosuo was left standing there alone, her thoughts in a complete mess.

The shop assistants, having seen it all in their line of work, had already picked up on the underlying tension. When they looked at Chu Suosuo again, their gazes had become quite subtle.

Once they were outside the shop, Qin Shu suddenly spoke up. “Ex-girlfriends are quite the nuisance, aren’t they?”

Su Hua gave a soft smile. “They certainly are.”

“Don’t dwell too much on whether Beixian can forget her. What matters most is that he loves you right now.”

Su Hua fell silent.

Unfortunately, the person Gu Beixian loved wasn’t her at all-it was Chu Suosuo.

The only reason he had suddenly decided not to divorce her was because of his grandmother’s repeated interference.

He was good to her because she had taken care of him with all her heart during his most difficult and desperate times. He was, in truth, a man who placed great value on loyalty and gratitude.

Qin Shu checked her watch and suggested, “It’s still early. Shall we grab a coffee?”

“Alright.”

Su Hua got into Qin Shu’s car, and they went to a café Qin Shu frequented.

After sitting down, they each ordered a cup of coffee.

Qin Shu rested her chin lightly on her left hand, studying Su Hua. “Beixian had a terrible temper over the last two years. You must have suffered quite a bit, didn’t you? As the saying goes, ‘No child remains filial at the bedside of a long-term invalid.’ Even as his own mother, I didn’t want to wait on him. I thought you’d leave after a few days, but I didn’t expect you to hold out until now.”

Su Hua lightly traced the rim of her cup with her finger. “It was okay.”

“One hundred and fifty-six million… Just how many tantrums did Beixian throw, and how badly did he treat you, for him to compensate you so desperately? If it were me, I wouldn’t have been able to stand it. No matter how much I loved someone, I wouldn’t endure that.”

Su Hua paused.

She realized Qin Shu had overheard her conversation with Chu Suosuo.

She smiled gently. “I’ve been learning to restore ancient books and paintings from my grandfather since I was a child. I’ve developed a lot of resilience and patience, so I didn’t think much of it. He was frustrated during those two years. Letting his temper out probably made him feel a bit better; keeping it bottled up would have only made him sick.”

“You certainly know how to look out for him.” Qin Shu glanced at Su Hua’s injured hand. “It must have been devastating to have such an important hand crushed.”

Su Hua looked down at her splinted hand and gave a bitter smile. “It really was. It felt like the sky was falling.”

“It will heal,” Qin Shu comforted her.

She called over a waiter, handed him her car keys, and asked him to retrieve a gift box from her trunk.

Once the box arrived, Qin Shu opened it and pushed it toward Su Hua. “I designed this myself for you. I finished it quite a while ago. You’ll wear this set to my birthday party at the end of the month.”

She glanced at Su Hua’s plain white shirt. “Simplicity is a virtue, but some shallow people love to judge others by their clothes. It’s not like we lack the means, so wear what you want.”

Su Hua lowered her eyes to look. It was a midnight-blue ‘starry sky’ dress.

The soft gauze fabric was adorned with countless shimmering synthetic diamonds, looking like a galaxy of stars wrapped in silk.

Even without putting it on, she could imagine how stunning the gown would look.

Suddenly thinking of something, Su Hua said softly, “Mom, it’s your birthday. If I wear something so magnificent, won’t I be overshadowing the guest of honor?”

Qin Shu took a sip of her coffee and smiled faintly. “Not at all. You’re my daughter-in-law. The more beautiful and radiant you are, the better it reflects on me as your mother-in-law.”

Su Hua was deeply moved.

She had always felt that Qin Shu was cold, a woman of few words who didn’t care much for others. She hadn’t expected such a warm side beneath that icy exterior.

Just as Su Hua closed the box, her phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID; it was Gu Beixian.

After answering, Su Hua asked softly, “Is something wrong, Beixian?”

“Where are you?”

“I’m having coffee with Mom.”

“You’re with my mother? Which café are you at? I’m almost finished here; I’ll come find you.” Gu Beixian’s deep voice suddenly sounded a bit urgent.

Su Hua hesitated for a moment. “Just finish your work. There’s no need to come over.”

“Give the phone to her.”

Su Hua handed the phone to Qin Shu.

Qin Shu took it and gave a casual “Hello” into the receiver.

Gu Beixian spoke in a warning tone. “Don’t make things difficult for Su Hua. If you have a problem, come to me directly.”

“Make things difficult?” Qin Shu raised a hand to pick at her ear, her expression unreadable.