Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Walking over to Gu Beixian’s side, Su Hua tilted her face up and smiled at him.

He was exceptionally tall, standing there as straight as a pine tree. Silhouetted against the backlight, his handsome features seemed almost surreal.

Su Hua gazed at him with crescent-moon eyes that sparkled like stars. Her pinky finger lightly brushed against his, which was significantly larger than hers.

Gu Beixian felt the touch and smiled as he took her hand. With his other hand, he gently stroked the back of her head and said in a softened voice, “The traffic was bad, so I’m late. I’m sorry.”

Su Hua gave a faint smile. “It’s fine. I just got here myself.”

Gu Fengjiao found the sight irritating. She clicked her tongue, wanting to say something, but she was afraid of provoking Gu Beixian and making a scene she couldn’t back down from.

Holding her wine glass, she drifted off elsewhere.

Gu Beixian led Su Hua by the hand to a table and sat down.

Using silver chopsticks, he picked up a piece of fish sashimi and held it to Su Hua’s lips. “Bluefin tuna, shipped in from abroad just this morning. This is the fatty belly-the best part. Try it.”

Bluefin tuna was known as the ‘King of Sashimi’ and the ‘Rolls-Royce of fish,’ the most elite seafood delicacy in the world.

Su Hua opened her mouth to take it, chewing slowly.

The raw fish had a refreshing texture, firm and elastic, leaving a lingering fragrance and an exceptionally savory flavor.

After swallowing, Su Hua smiled at him. “It’s delicious.”

She picked up her own chopsticks, grabbed a piece, and held it to his lips. “You have some too.”

Gu Beixian pushed it back toward her. “You eat. Don’t worry about me.”

In the midst of her busy hosting duties, Qin Shu glanced over at Gu Beixian and Su Hua from a distance. Seeing this scene, the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

A wealthy socialite in a green qipao standing nearby also noticed. “Your son is truly good to your daughter-in-law.”

Qin Shu replied with modest grace, “He’s alright. My daughter-in-law deserves it; she’s a girl of exceptional character.”

The socialite in the green qipao said, “That’s nice. It’s just that a scholarly background like hers doesn’t seem particularly useful for people in business like us, does it?”

Qin Shu gave a perfunctory smile, leaned over to pick up a piece of cake from the table, and handed it to her. “Mrs. Li, the desserts we ordered this time are quite good. Have a taste.”

“Thank you.” Mrs. Li took it and began eating in small spoonfuls, her meddling mouth finally occupied.

Suddenly, a small commotion broke out by the door.

Su Hua turned her head to look.

A man over sixty, dressed in a black suit, strode inside. His posture was still upright, his shoulders broad, and his salt-and-pepper hair was neatly trimmed. His sharp brows gave him an air of natural authority.

It was Gu Beixian’s father, Gu Aoting.

Su Hua was just about to stand up to greet him when she saw a petite young woman following behind him. It was Chu Suosuo.

As luck would have it, she was also wearing a midnight-blue starry sky dress, embellished with countless glittering diamonds that shimmered under the lights.

The only difference was that Su Hua’s was a floor-length formal gown, while Chu Suosuo’s was a short version with a puffy skirt that showed off her straight, pale legs.

Su Hua’s style was elegant and gentle.

Chu Suosuo’s was cute and playful.

Su Hua tilted her head to look at Gu Beixian. “Did you invite her?”

Gu Beixian shook his head slightly. “Neither my mother nor I invited her. My father must have asked her to come. He and Suosuo’s father were classmates growing up, and they both took over their respective family companies at the same time. They’ve always had business dealings and a good relationship.”

Su Hua pursed her lips and remained silent.

She had very little interaction with Gu Aoting. They only saw each other occasionally during holidays when they gathered at the family estate for dinner, where they would exchange brief greetings.

After entering the room, Chu Suosuo busied herself with greeting the guests familiarly. “Hello, Uncle Zhang. Hello, Auntie Li. Hello, Auntie Tang…”

She kept her injured hand behind her back, wearing a sweet smile and acting the part of a gentle, well-behaved girl.

The guests praised her one after another. “The girl grows as she flows-Suosuo really gets prettier the older she gets.”

Chu Suosuo smiled so wide her eyes narrowed into slits. “Thank you, Uncle Zhang. Thank you, Auntie Li. Thank you, Auntie Tang…”

Seeing Su Hua staring at Chu Suosuo, Gu Beixian patted her hand gently. “They’re all from the same circle. These people watched Suosuo grow up; they’re very close.”

Whether she was overthinking it or not, at that moment, Su Hua felt like an outsider who had accidentally stumbled into their world-someone who could never truly fit in.

Soon enough, Chu Suosuo spotted Gu Beixian. Her eyes lit up, and she ran over in her high heels, calling out happily, “Beixian!”

Compared to her enthusiasm, Gu Beixian’s attitude was markedly indifferent. He only gave a slight curl of his lips and a brief nod as a response.

Chu Suosuo didn’t seem embarrassed. She ran up to stand beside him, sizing up Su Hua before exclaiming, “Oh, Sister Su Hua, you look so beautiful today!”

She pressed down on her overly exaggerated puffy skirt and said shyly, “We’re wearing matching outfits today. What a coincidence!”
Su Hua followed Gu Beixian’s lead and gave a slight nod in return. She picked up a piece of tiramisu and began to eat, eyes lowered.

She couldn’t even be bothered to play along with Chu Suosuo.

Chu Suosuo turned to Gu Beixian with a piteous look. “Sister Su Hua doesn’t seem to like me very much.”

Gu Beixian tilted his chin slightly, pointing toward the opposite side. “Go eat over there.”

Chu Suosuo stared at him, looking as if she wanted to say something more, but finally gave a reluctant, “Alright then.”

She walked over and sat down, but her gaze remained fixed on Gu Beixian.

After finishing his rounds of socializing, Gu Aoting walked toward Gu Beixian and Su Hua.

As he approached, Su Hua stood up and greeted him with a smile. “Dad.”

Gu Aoting gave her a cold, indifferent glance and offered a faint grunt of acknowledgement. He turned to Gu Beixian and said, “Come with me to the study upstairs.”

Gu Beixian gave a curt nod before turning to Su Hua. His voice softened as he said, “Take your time eating. Eat as much as you want; this is your home, so don’t be formal. Call me if you need anything.”

Su Hua smiled. “Alright, go ahead.”

As soon as Gu Beixian left, Chu Suosuo approached with a wine glass in hand, her expression smug. “So what if everyone else in the Gu Family likes you? Uncle Gu is the one who likes me. In his heart, I’m the only choice for his daughter-in-law.”

Su Hua thought of Gu Aoting’s cold attitude just now and figured Chu Suosuo deserved some of the credit. After all, it wasn’t the first or second time the girl had played the victim and exaggerated stories to make Su Hua look bad.

Su Hua felt a wave of discomfort, as if she had swallowed a dozen flies. It was sickening.

She tightened her grip on her glass and said coldly, “Are you finished? If you are, then vanish from my sight immediately. Go crouch in whatever corner you like. Today is my mother-in-law’s birthday, and I don’t want to make a scene.”

Chu Suosuo looked at the glass in Su Hua’s hand and remembered the last time Su Hua had smashed a thermos directly into her mother’s face.

Her nose bridge twinged with phantom pain. She instinctively touched her nose and turned to walk away.

Around nine o’clock, Qin Shu walked over and asked Su Hua, “Where’s Beixian?”

Su Hua stood up. “Dad called him up to the study.”

Qin Shu checked her watch. “It’s time to cut the cake. Go upstairs and get them.”

Su Hua smiled and agreed. “Okay, Mom.”

She lifted the hem of her dress and headed to the second floor.

The second floor was extremely quiet. Afraid of interrupting their conversation, Su Hua kept her footsteps light.

When she reached the study door, she raised her hand to knock, but stopped when she heard Gu Aoting’s voice from inside.

“Suosuo is a better fit for you. Her father and I have collaborated for years; our businesses are so intertwined they’re practically one and the same. If the two of you marry, it would be a massive boost to our family business. On the way here, I dropped a few hints to Suosuo. From what she said, she still likes you very much.”

Su Hua’s heart sank. It felt as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head, chilling her to the bone.

After a long silence, she heard Gu Beixian speak.

“Su Hua was the one who stayed by my side during my darkest and most desperate times.”

Gu Aoting let out a cold laugh. “Then just give her money. There’s nothing money can’t solve. Three years ago, she wouldn’t have married you if you didn’t have money. Over the years, you’ve given her so much. You bought their family a house, found a kidney donor for her grandmother, and paid for all their medical bills. You’ve supported three generations of her family; you’ve more than fulfilled your obligations.”

Gu Beixian was silent for a moment before saying, “The biggest difference between a human and a beast is that humans have feelings.”

Gu Aoting frowned. “You’re a man. A man shouldn’t be obsessed with petty romance. The business world is full of ups and downs. Two ships sailing together is much safer than a lone boat. If we ally with the Chu Family through marriage, they can lend a hand if the company ever runs into trouble. Su Hua? What can she do?”

Su Hua stood outside the door, fragile and still, like a withered tree stripped of its blossoms by a lightning strike. Her heart ached terribly.

A deep, powerless sense of sorrow welled up from within her.

It was true. She was just a restorer of ancient paintings. No matter how good she was at her craft, what could she possibly do for the Gu Group?

They were in completely different worlds. She couldn’t help him at all.

However, she didn’t leave. She wanted to hear Gu Beixian’s response.

But she waited for a long, long time, and his voice never came.

She gave a self-deprecating smile.

She had thought he suggested divorce because he couldn’t forget his past feelings for Chu Suosuo. Now it seemed it wasn’t just about old feelings, but this reason as well.

Su Hua turned to leave. It was only when she tried to walk that she realized her legs were shaking violently.

By the time she leaned against the wall and managed to limp downstairs, Gu Beixian’s voice finally echoed from the study.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do that.”

Unfortunately, Su Hua was already out of earshot.