Chapter 36

Chapter 36

The two of them arrived at the parking lot and got into the car.

After buckling her seatbelt, Su Hua asked curiously, “Why were you at the museum?”

Gu Beixian started the engine and said casually, “I went abroad to handle some business and happened to bid on a batch of cultural relics. I came back to donate them to the museum.”

Su Hua felt a surge of respect. “On behalf of the country and the people, I thank you.”

Gu Beixian shot her a lukewarm glance. “We haven’t seen each other for just a few days, and you’re already speaking to me so formally? Don’t make me out to be so noble. Donating relics increases corporate visibility and serves as a legitimate tax shield.”

Su Hua paused, looking at his handsome, deep-set profile. She smiled and said, “You’re becoming more and more like a proper businessman now.”

Gu Beixian curled his lips. “Are you mocking me for being obsessed with money?”

Su Hua smiled. “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Where do you want to eat?”

“Anywhere is fine.”

Gu Beixian drove her to a small, detached building by the river.

A quaint, antique plaque was engraved with two flamboyant characters: Tang Palace.

The exterior was magnificent, designed like a miniature palace of jade and gold. Luxury cars were parked at the entrance, their license plates all covered.

Getting out of the car, Gu Beixian handed the keys to the valet.

Su Hua followed him inside. The club operated on a membership basis and offered excellent privacy.

Gu Beixian was clearly a regular. As soon as they entered the lobby, the manager greeted them warmly. After the initial pleasantties, the manager eagerly led them inside.

The faint sound of traditional string and woodwind instruments drifted through the corridors, a melodic chirping that carried a hint of ancient decadence. From time to time, waitresses dressed in Tang Dynasty attire moved slowly past, making one feel as if they had dreamed their way back to that era.

They arrived at a private room at the end of the hallway.

Once they entered and took their seats, the manager exchanged a few polite words before withdrawing.

Gu Beixian handed the menu to Su Hua. “Order whatever you like.”

Su Hua took the menu and ordered only one dish she enjoyed; the rest were all Gu Beixian’s favorites.

After three years of marriage, she knew everything about him like the back of her hand. It was impossible to forget even if she wanted to.

Once she finished, Gu Beixian pulled the menu toward himself. He asked the server to remove the dishes he liked and replaced them all with Su Hua’s favorites.

The server taking the order was currently full of questions, unable to decipher such subtle displays of affection.

When the food arrived, Gu Beixian used serving chopsticks to place food on Su Hua’s plate. “Eat more.”

Su Hua also served him a dish. Looking at his slightly thin face, she asked, “Was your week abroad very busy? You look like you’ve lost some weight.”

Gu Beixian picked up a piece of fish and placed it on the plate in front of her. “It was alright. The food abroad isn’t as good as what you make.”

Su Hua gave a radiant smile, knowing he was teasing her on purpose.

No matter where he went, he stayed in the best hotels and naturally ate the best food. How could dishes made by world-renowned chefs not compare to her home cooking?

When they were nearly finished eating, Gu Beixian stepped out to take a business call.

Su Hua got up to go to the restroom.

The decor here was very distinctive; even the restrooms were decorated in an elegant, antique style.

Coming out of the restroom, Su Hua walked back along the corridor.

Just as she was about to turn a corner, a force suddenly grabbed her clothes from behind and pushed her toward a small side garden.

Su Hua hurriedly turned to look.

The person grabbing her was Chu Suosuo.

After being harassed repeatedly, even someone with the best temperament would lose their patience. Su Hua frowned and asked, “What are you doing?”

Chu Suosuo didn’t say a word. She dragged Su Hua behind a tall, lush fiddle-leaf fig tree, glaring at her aggressively. “I only slapped you once, and you found someone to beat my face until it’s swollen! You’re a wicked woman!”

Su Hua unhurriedly straightened her disheveled clothes, her gaze cool. “I really wasn’t the one who found that person. Perhaps Miss Chu is usually so spoiled and arrogant that you’ve offended too many people.”

“Nonsense! I haven’t been back in the country for long. Aside from being at odds with you, there’s no one else!”

Su Hua maintained an indifferent expression. “Think whatever you want. I’ll say it again: please provide evidence.”

Unfortunately, Chu Suosuo had no evidence at all. Unable to swallow her resentment, her face turned pale with frustration. She snapped, “What are you doing here?”

Su Hua’s tone was flat. “One comes to a restaurant to eat. What else would I be doing?”

Chu Suosuo bit her lip. “Are you with Beixian?”

“Yes.”

Chu Suosuo’s expression changed, turning dark and sinister. She sneered, “The divorce papers have already been signed, and the divorce is imminent, yet you’re still following Beixian out to scrounge for a free meal. How shameless!”

Those words were incredibly harsh.

The two of them weren’t divorced yet. As long as the day hadn’t come, they were still a legally married couple. Yet here she was, making snide remarks about them having a meal together.
Su Hua stood tall, her expression cool and indifferent. “Miss Chu, it’s not that I look down on you. If our circumstances were equal and we were competing fairly, you really wouldn’t be able to beat me-simply because you’re too impulsive.”

Chu Suosuo let out a scoff. “So what if you’re patient? Without a good father, it’s all for nothing. I was just better at picking my parents. Being born into the right family is a skill in itself, and I won the moment I was born!”

Su Hua was so exasperated she actually laughed. “I used to envy you, but now I realize how pathetic you are. Aside from having a good father, you’re utterly useless!”

To someone like Chu Suosuo, who prided herself on being a pampered daughter of the elite, these words were a profound humiliation.

Already simmering with resentment, she exploded in a fit of rage, swinging her foot to kick Su Hua in the leg.

Su Hua hurried to dodge, but then she heard a sudden rush of footsteps.

In a flash, her vision went dark as a tall figure pulled her into his embrace.

Chu Suosuo’s kick met thin air. She stared at the man who had appeared out of nowhere, her mouth agape.

Su Hua caught the scent of a familiar cologne-cool, mellow, and laced with a faint hint of tobacco. She looked up to see Gu Beixian.

She let out a quiet sigh of relief, clutching her racing heart as she smiled at him. “Why are you here?”

Gu Beixian’s expression remained impassive, but his eyes were cold. He shot a chilling look at Chu Suosuo before turning to Su Hua. “I finished my call and didn’t see you when I went back. I asked a waiter and found my way here. Are you hurt?”

Su Hua shook her head.

Chu Suosuo reacted instantly, shedding her arrogant and overbearing demeanor. She stood there meekly, looking down with a submissive air. “Beixian, I wasn’t trying to kick Sister Su Hua just now. My shoe was just uncomfortable, and I lifted my foot to check it. You’ve misunderstood me.”

A cold sneer played at the corners of Gu Beixian’s lips. “I’m not blind.”

Chu Suosuo faltered for a moment, her lip trembling as if she were about to cry. “Beixian, don’t wrongly accuse me.”

“Suosuo, Suosuo, where did you go?” A slightly aged baritone voice called out from nearby.

Chu Suosuo’s eyes lit up. She raised her head and called back, “Dad, I’m over here in the small garden!”

The footsteps grew closer.

Soon, a man in his sixties approached. He had graying temples, thick eyebrows, and a sturdy build. Dressed in a well-tailored dark gray suit with an expensive watch on his wrist, he exuded an air of profound refinement.

It was Chu Suosuo’s father, Chu Yanru.

Chu Yanru glanced at Su Hua before greeting Gu Beixian with a smile. “Beixian, you’re here too.”

Gu Beixian gave a curt nod. Though his lips were curved upward, there was no warmth in his eyes. He spoke with a detached tone, “Uncle Chu, please restrain your daughter’s behavior in the future. If this continues, you’re going to spoil her rotten.”

Addressing her as “your daughter” was incredibly distancing.

Chu Suosuo’s tears began to flow instantly.

She touched her face, her eyes welling up. “Beixian, you’re biased. It was Sister Su Hua who bullied me first. She hired someone to beat my face into a pulp. It took a whole week for the swelling to go down. It hurt so much.”

Gu Beixian rested his hand lightly on Su Hua’s shoulder and said calmly, “Su Hua had no knowledge of that matter. Don’t provoke her again, and you’ll naturally be fine.”

Chu Suosuo wanted to say more.

Losing his patience, Gu Beixian looked down at Su Hua and said softly, “I’ll take you back to the museum first.”

Su Hua nodded.

Gu Beixian started to walk away.

However, Su Hua didn’t move, because Chu Yanru was staring at her with a very strange look in his eyes.

It was a dark, complex gaze-filled with what seemed to be disdain, contempt, disgust, resentment, and hostility. It made her skin crawl, making her feel as though she were being roasted over a fire or fried in a pan. The discomfort was indescribable.

It was hard to imagine such a disturbing gaze coming from such a refined-looking older man.

They say looks can kill, and today, Su Hua truly felt the weight of that expression.

She wanted to flee the area immediately, but her legs felt as if they were rusted shut, unable to move an inch.

After taking a few steps, Gu Beixian noticed Su Hua was still standing there, her face unusually pale.

“Why aren’t you coming?” He turned back, his peripheral vision catching the look Chu Yanru hadn’t yet managed to hide.

Gu Beixian’s expression shifted abruptly. He reached out, taking Su Hua’s hand firmly in his. Without looking at Chu Yanru, he stared straight ahead and said in a nonchalant tone, “This woman stayed by my side through my darkest hours. Anyone who moves against her is moving against me.”

His voice wasn’t loud, and his face remained expressionless, yet he projected an invisible sense of pressure.

It was both a warning and a threat.

Chu Yanru’s face instantly darkened.

With a wail, Chu Suosuo turned and ran away in tears.