Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Gu Beixian was convinced that Su Hua was covering for Gu Jinyao.

On the day of her grandmother’s burial, he had personally seen Gu Jinyao twice. The man had stood brazenly by the broken bridge and across the pond, watching Su Hua from a distance. The deep affection in his eyes was unmistakable, something that couldn’t be blocked by mountains or seas.

Immediately after Su Hua’s hand was injured, Chu Suosuo’s hand had been crushed. It was the same left hand, the same four fingers. After Chu Suosuo slapped Su Hua, her own face was beaten into a swollen mess that very night.

If Lu Yao were truly dead, how could these coincidences be explained?

The only logical explanation was that Lu Yao hadn’t died; he had changed his identity and become Gu Jinyao. Either that, or Su Hua was lying.

Between the two theories, Gu Beixian preferred to believe the former.

Remembering how Su Hua’s emotions shifted drastically every time the name “Ah Yao” was mentioned, Gu Beixian stopped arguing with her. He calmly picked up a steak knife, cut a piece of foie gras, and fed it to her. “Eat more. You worked hard restoring those paintings these past few days.”

Thinking he was no longer angry, Su Hua returned to normal and began to eat.

When they were nearly finished, Su Hua settled the bill and headed to the restroom.

A figure quietly followed her from a distance.

Su Hua came out of the stall and went to the sink to wash her hands. A young woman walked up to the adjacent sink, turned on the faucet, and said as she washed, “Sister Su Hua, what a surprise to see you dining here.”

Su Hua glanced sideways. It was Chu Suosuo.

She was utterly fed up with this woman. Chu Suosuo was everywhere, like a persistent fly that refused to be swatted away.

Su Hua said flatly, “Are you stalking me?”

Chu Suosuo sneered. “We eat here every day. It’s just a coincidence.”

Su Hua didn’t bother responding and continued washing her hands.

Chu Suosuo turned off the tap and crossed her arms, looking at her with a contemptuous gaze. “I suppose someone from a tiny mountain gully like you, Sister Su Hua, is visiting a romantic place like this for the first time. Do you feel like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden?”

Su Hua considered herself a patient person, but Chu Suosuo repeatedly tested the limits of her endurance.

Su Hua curled her lips into a cold smile. “How does a parasite who can only rely on her parents have the face to mock me?”

Chu Suosuo’s expression soured instantly. Dropping the act, she got straight to the point. “You’re even more of a clingy pest than I imagined. You even made it to the Civil Affairs Bureau, yet you’re still refusing to get a divorce.”

Her true intention was to force the divorce between Su Hua and Gu Beixian.

Su Hua let out a cold laugh. “Whether I divorce or not is between me and my husband. What the hell does it have to do with you?”

Mockery flashed in Chu Suosuo’s eyes. She leaned in close to Su Hua’s ear and whispered in a sinister, taunting tone, “If your grandmother hadn’t died at such a convenient time, you would have been divorced long ago. Your grandmother really knew when to kick the bucket, didn’t she? Not a day sooner, not a day later, but right on the day you were supposed to divorce. She did it just to stop you. You women from low-class families are so calculating. Once you manage to climb onto a high branch, you’ll do anything to cling to Beixian and never let go.”

A surge of fury rushed through every pore of Su Hua’s body. Her pupils dilated, and she could feel the fire ignited within her.

Without a second thought, she grabbed the front of Chu Suosuo’s clothes and slammed her hard against the wall.

Chu Suosuo’s back hit the hard surface with a dull thud, making her grimace in pain. Su Hua’s hand flew up.

Slap!

She delivered a vicious blow to Chu Suosuo’s face. Driven by rage, Su Hua put all her strength into the strike-it was fast, loud, and brutal.

Chu Suosuo’s cheek swelled up immediately. Five bright red finger marks were clearly imprinted on her fair skin.

Tears welled up in Chu Suosuo’s eyes as she struggled to recover from the stinging pain. Suddenly, she looked toward the doorway and sobbed, “Beixian, do you see Sister Su Hua’s true colors now? Look at how well she usually acts! She’s so gentle and sweet-tempered in front of you, but she’s actually a shrew. She looks like a demon when she hits people!”
Su Hua’s heart skipped a beat as she slowly turned her head.

Gu Beixian was standing just outside the restroom, tall and elegant, watching the two of them with an unreadable expression.

Su Hua suddenly realized why Chu Suosuo had leaned in to whisper those things-it was a deliberate provocation to make her lash out.

Last time, Gu Beixian had taken her side because Chu Suosuo had struck first.

But this time, Su Hua was the one who had raised her hand.

Su Hua watched Gu Beixian quietly, waiting for his reaction.

He remained silent, his thin lips pressed slightly together as he gazed at them with a cool indifference.

She suddenly realized that his silence was actually a form of protection. After all, she had been the aggressor this time.

Given the partnership between the Gu Group and the Chu Group, there were certain things he couldn’t do too overtly.

Understanding the situation, Su Hua looked at Chu Suosuo with a cold, detached gaze. “You’re a strange person. He’s my husband, and he’s so good to me and my family; of course I’m going to be gentle with him. You covet my husband, repeatedly provoke me, and slander my grandmother, yet you expect me to be gentle with you? Are you the one who’s sick, or am I?”

Chu Suosuo was momentarily speechless. With tearful eyes, she looked at Gu Beixian and pointed to her swollen cheek, saying aggrievedly, “Beixian, look at what she did to my face…”

Gu Beixian ignored her. His dark eyes remained calmly locked on Su Hua as he asked softly, “Did you get hit?”

Su Hua shook her head.

His favoritism was blatant.

Chu Suosuo was nearly fuming with rage. “Beixian, you promised Uncle Gu that you would take good care of me. Have you forgotten?”

Gu Beixian replied indifferently, “I only promised him that I would look after you professionally.”

Chu Suosuo looked miserable. “Beixian, we grew up together. We have over a decade of history. Can’t you be just a little bit nicer to me…”

Suddenly, a man’s voice called out, “Suosuo, stop it. Come out now.”

Su Hua looked toward the source of the voice. It was Chu Suosuo’s brother, Chu Mochen.

For a moment, Su Hua wasn’t sure how to face him.

However, Chu Mochen gave her a slight nod and said, “My apologies.”

Su Hua was quite surprised. After all, she had just delivered a very real slap to Chu Suosuo’s face.

Seeing that she wouldn’t get any sympathy here, Chu Suosuo huffed at Su Hua and turned to leave.

Su Hua’s fingers felt dirty from touching Chu Suosuo’s face, so she washed her hands again.

When she came out, she walked side-by-side with Gu Beixian toward the exit.

Gu Beixian said casually, “I didn’t realize you could be so fierce. I could hear that slap from a mile away.”

When he had heard the sound of the slap, he had rushed over, thinking Su Hua was being bullied.

Unsure of his meaning, Su Hua asked, “Do you also think I’m faking it? Are you disappointed in me?”

Gu Beixian’s handsome face tightened slightly. “A little.”

Su Hua felt a surge of anger and said sourly, “Are you upset because I hit your ex-girlfriend?”

“Why did you hit her?”

“She insulted my grandmother. That’s why I did it. People can insult me, but they cannot insult my grandmother. I won’t even let them speak ill of her!” Su Hua was fuming, though her eyes were turning red.

Seeing that she was taking him seriously, Gu Beixian stopped teasing her. He reached out to pat her head, his tone softening. “I’m not upset for her sake. I’m just used to your gentle side, so seeing you act all ‘tough-cute’ for the first time was a bit of a surprise. My temper used to be so bad, yet you were never fierce with me.”

Tough-cute?

Su Hua froze.

She had been furious, thinking he was going to take Chu Suosuo’s side. But with that sudden shift in his tone, her defenses instantly crumbled.

She grabbed his arm and blurted out, “You’re my husband, my closest relative. I can’t even dote on you enough; how could I ever be fierce with you?”

A smile tugged at the corners of Gu Beixian’s eyes.

He tilted her chin up, pressed her against the corner of the wall, and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

He seemed to be in an excellent mood.

All the frustration he had been harboring because she went to see Gu Jinyao had been completely smoothed over by her words.