Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Su Hua changed back into her own clothes and stepped out of the fitting room.

An assistant helped her take her body measurements, which needed to be precise for every part of her figure.

Once finished, Su Hua walked over to the sofa and sat down, looking down to scroll through her phone. While in the fitting room, she had taken several photos of herself in the wedding dress in front of the mirror, wanting to keep the most beautiful one as a memento. However, as she looked through them, she felt that every single one looked good and couldn’t bring herself to delete any.

Gu Beixian glanced over from the side and smiled. “If you like it that much, we might as well just take a set of wedding photos.”

Su Hua looked up from her phone, staring at him in surprise.

Her expression clearly asked: We’re about to get divorced, so why take wedding photos now?

Gu Beixian reached out and ruffled her hair. “If you want to take them, then take them. Don’t worry so much. Tomorrow is the weekend, and I’m free in the afternoon. I’ll pick you up after I finish my work. It’s settled.”

Qin Shu handed Su Hua a glass of milk. “The place next door is a wedding photography studio. The owner is a close friend of mine, so you two should go there. I’ll give her a heads-up in advance so she can squeeze you in.”

Su Hua took the glass, giving her a grateful look.

She did want to take them, of course.

Aside from the photo on their marriage certificate, she and Gu Beixian had never taken a photo together. Taking a set would be nice; she could keep them as a souvenir. When she grew old, she could take them out, flip through them, and remember that she had once deeply loved such a man in her youth.

She tilted her head, quietly watching Gu Beixian.

The pale orange light cast soft shadows across his jawline and the bridge of his high nose. The man she loved was breathtakingly handsome.

The following afternoon.

Gu Beixian arrived at the hospital on time to pick up Su Hua.

When they arrived at the photography studio, Su Hua went to get her makeup done while Gu Beixian waited outside. The women’s dressing room was huge, with several other people already getting their makeup applied.

Su Hua sat quietly in front of the vanity with her eyes closed. The makeup artist brushed foundation onto her face, asking as she worked, “Miss Su, what brand of skincare do you usually use? Your skin is so good that a light layer of foundation is enough.”

Su Hua didn’t actually know the brand of her skincare products. They were gifts from Gu Beixian, imported from France with a very long French name; she’d heard they were high-end custom products. She didn’t understand French, and even after using them for three years, she couldn’t remember the name. She gave an apologetic smile and said, “I’ll ask my husband later and let you know, alright?”

The makeup artist said enviously, “Your husband must love you so much to even handle your skincare for you.”

The word “love” made Su Hua pause.

He was good to her, but was that love?

Suddenly, a delicate female voice drifted into her ears. “Sister Su Hua, are you here for a photoshoot too?”

Su Hua’s scalp prickled. She slowly opened her eyes to see Chu Suosuo standing a meter away. Already fully made up and wearing a yellow puffy tulle dress, Chu Suosuo was looking at her with a beaming smile.

There were many people in the dressing room, and Su Hua didn’t really want to deal with her, so she gave a slight nod.

Chu Suosuo, however, had no intention of letting her off. She curled her lips into a malicious smile. “Sister Su Hua grew up in the mountain gullies, so this is probably your first time doing a photoshoot, right?”

Her voice wasn’t quiet, and everyone in the dressing room heard her, their eyes snapping toward Su Hua. Their gazes were quite something-clearly the look one gave a country bumpkin.

Su Hua was somewhat speechless.

Her maternal grandparents had actually worked in the city when they were young. After retiring, because her grandfather had asthma, the doctor suggested living somewhere with a better environment, so they moved back to their old home at the foot of a mountain. She came from a single-parent family, and since her mother had to work, there was no one to look after her as a child, so she had gone back to the old home with her grandparents.

She didn’t think there was anything wrong with a mountain village; the environment was good, and the people were simple and kind.

Meeting Chu Suosuo’s triumphant gaze, Su Hua said nonchalantly, “I’m not here for a photoshoot. I’m taking wedding photos.”

Chu Suosuo’s exquisitely made-up face instantly collapsed, turning quite ugly. She said in a snide tone, “Are you kidding me? You and Beixian are about to get divorced, so why bother with wedding photos? It’s totally redundant and unnecessary.”

Su Hua remained calm. “Gu Beixian was the one who suggested it.”

Chu Suosuo didn’t believe her. “You must have pestered him shamelessly for it. Beixian has never liked taking photos.”

Su Hua didn’t bother responding. She closed her eyes and let the makeup artist continue her work.
Chu Suosuo stood where she was, her eyes fixed on Su Hua with a sinister glint for a long time before she finally walked away.

When Su Hua finished her makeup and went to the waiting area to find Gu Beixian, she saw Chu Suosuo sitting right next to him. The other woman was leaning in close, her eyes filled with smiles as she whispered to him in an intimate manner.

Su Hua was too far away to hear what they were saying. A wave of discomfort washed over her, and she quickened her pace toward them.

Noticing her approach, Chu Suosuo deliberately raised her voice and asked Gu Beixian, “Beixian, you and Sister Su Hua are about to get divorced. Why is she still pestering you to take wedding photos?”

Gu Beixian replied flatly, “I’m the one who wanted to take them.”

Chu Suosuo choked on her words. “But you don’t even like taking photos.”

In the past, whenever she had wanted to take a picture with him, he had always politely declined, saying he didn’t like being in front of the camera.

Gu Beixian looked up. His eyes brightened as he watched Su Hua walking toward him with grace, her makeup radiant and her figure draped in a gown of pure white. He answered Chu Suosuo absentmindedly, “That depends on who I’m taking them with.”

It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over Chu Suosuo’s head. She felt a chill from head to toe, utterly defeated.

Suppressing her emotions, she forced a flirtatious smile and said, “Beixian, Uncle Gu said that once you and Sister Su Hua divorce, you’ll marry me. Don’t you think taking wedding photos with her right now is an insult to me?”

Gu Beixian swept a cold glance at her from the corner of his eye. “My divorce from Su Hua and marrying you are two completely different things.”

“But Uncle Gu said we’re a perfect match in status and that we’re childhood sweethearts. He’s already decided that I’m his future daughter-in-law.” Desperate to save face, Chu Suosuo’s tone became somewhat aggressive.

Gu Beixian’s brow furrowed imperceptibly; he was already losing his patience.

Everyone has a rebellious streak. He was already frustrated enough being forced into a divorce by Gu Aoting, and now he had witnessed Chu Suosuo provoking Su Hua time and time again.

What little guilt he felt toward her was nearly exhausted.

“Whoever made you that promise, go talk to them.”

Leaving her with those words, Gu Beixian stood up and walked toward Su Hua with his long strides. Taking her hand, he gazed at her with a smile, his eyes shimmering with a gentle tenderness. “You look truly beautiful today,” he said softly.

Su Hua played along, meeting his gaze with curved eyes and a sweet smile. “You too. You’re incredibly handsome today-the most handsome groom ever.”

She gave him a playful thumbs-up.

The two shared a knowing look and a smile before walking away hand-in-hand.

As soon as they turned a corner, they both let go of each other’s hands.

“Thank you for giving me face back there,” Su Hua said.

Gu Beixian tucked one hand into his pocket and said casually, “It was the right thing to do. This whole mess started because of me anyway.”

They walked into the studio side-by-side.

Back in the waiting area, Chu Suosuo watched them walk away hand-in-hand, so furious she felt like she was going to explode. She grabbed her phone and called Gu Aoting.

“Uncle Gu, Beixian and Su Hua are here taking wedding photos! What are those two doing? They’re supposed to be getting a divorce, yet they’re acting like newlyweds. Are they actually going through with it or not?”

When Gu Aoting heard this, the veins on his forehead throbbed with anger. However, to keep Chu Suosuo calm, he said, “They’re probably just taking some photos as a memento since they’re about to split. Both Su Hua and Beixian have already signed the divorce papers; it’s just one final step away. Don’t panic. You must keep your composure.”

Hearing that Gu Beixian had also signed the papers, Chu Suosuo’s heart finally settled back into her chest.

They had grown up together as childhood sweethearts with over a decade of history. She believed that as long as they got divorced, she would definitely be able to win him back.

Inside the studio, Su Hua and Gu Beixian stood before the backdrop, striking various poses at the photographer’s request.

One moment they were shoulder to shoulder, the next he had his arm around her waist, or they were sharing a kiss. They coordinated perfectly.

To an outsider, they looked exactly like a sweet, loving pair of newlyweds.

Even the photographer couldn’t stop praising them, calling them the most beautiful and well-matched couple he had ever photographed.

Though Su Hua had a smile on her face, she felt a twinge of sadness in her heart.

What was the point of looking perfect together on the outside? Their social statuses didn’t match, and they were about to be divorced.

Gu Beixian caught the melancholy in her eyes. Pulling her close by the waist, he whispered into her ear, “If you can’t bear to leave me, then let’s not divorce. Just make do with me. Whatever you don’t like about me, I can change.”