Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Chu Suosuo felt a pang of guilt; she was far too sensitive to the word “worker.”

She feared that the worker Gu Beixian had called for was coming for her. The chair beneath her felt as if it were covered in nails; she could hardly sit still.

However, her panic lasted only a moment before she quickly regained her composure. That worker had been arranged by her father’s people, and they had paid him hush money. He wouldn’t dare betray them.

Only a handful of people knew about the whole affair. It was absolutely impossible for Gu Beixian to know. This phone call had to be a coincidence-it was definitely a coincidence.

Chu Suosuo kept reassuring herself. Everything would be fine; she was surely overthinking things.

After giving his assistant instructions, Gu Beixian hung up and placed his phone on the table.

Gu Aoting looked at him, puzzled. “Why are you calling a worker to the old manor for no reason?”

Gu Beixian’s expression remained unchanged. He picked up his chopsticks, placed some food into Su Hua’s bowl, and said unhurriedly, “You’ll find out in a moment.”

Gu Aoting’s lips twitched as he grumbled, “Stupid brat, keeping secrets from me.”

Chu Suosuo cleared her throat and said to Gu Aoting, “Uncle Gu, Beixian probably has some business to handle. Please don’t scold him.”

Gu Beixian curled his lips into a faint smile. Noticing the steamed abalone Chu Suosuo had placed on his plate earlier, he picked up the entire plate and handed it to the servant behind him. “Get me a clean one.”

“Of course, Young Master Beixian.”

The servant took it and quickly replaced it with a fresh plate.

Chu Suosuo stared at the plate in front of Gu Beixian, her mouth twitching. This was a complete lack of respect. He was humiliating her in front of everyone.

Seeing her darkened expression, Gu Aoting’s eyes turned cold. He used the serving chopsticks to place a piece of braised rib in front of her. “Suosuo, eat more ribs. You’ve lost weight since you were injured.”

Chu Suosuo said gratefully, “Thank you, Uncle Gu.”

Gu Aoting glanced at Gu Beixian and said sarcastically, “It’s only right. I watched you grow up; you’re like my own daughter. Unlike some people-you risked your life to save him, yet he shows no gratitude.”

A trace of mockery flickered in Gu Beixian’s eyes. He placed a piece of fish in Su Hua’s bowl and said warmly, “Thank you for treating me with such devotion over those two years, as if your life depended on it. I am very grateful to you.”

Su Hua smiled and played along. “It’s only natural. We are husband and wife; we should support each other through thick and thin.”

The two shared a knowing smile.

Chu Suosuo dug her nails into her palms, trembling with rage.

The old lady watched the scene impassively. Raising her eyelids, she turned to the servant behind her. “Go, move that plate of ribs in front of Hua’er. I specifically had the freshest ribs picked out for my precious granddaughter-in-law.”

“Yes, Old Madam.”

The servant hurried over, picked up the ribs, and placed them in front of Su Hua.

In her heart, Su Hua gave Grandma a hundred thumbs up! Grandma was amazing!

Chu Suosuo’s face turned pale. She lowered her head and bit her lip, looking like a wronged, pitiful victim.

Gu Aoting’s face darkened. He used a serving spoon to dish out a small bowl of bird’s nest soup and pushed it toward Chu Suosuo. “Suosuo, try this bird’s nest. It’s good for your complexion. Your Auntie Qin usually loves this.”

The old lady frowned and told the servant, “Go, bring the bird’s nest to Hua’er. I had that bird’s nest simmered for half the day specifically for my precious granddaughter-in-law to drink. Who gave an outsider permission to have it?”

The servant immediately obeyed.

Su Hua beamed and said toward the old lady, “Thank you, Grandma. You spoil me too much.”

The old lady laughed heartily. “Grandma only has one precious granddaughter-in-law like you. If I don’t spoil you, who else would I spoil?”

Chu Suosuo’s tears began to fall. Her head hung low and her shoulders slumped, looking as if she had suffered a great insult.

Gu Aoting slammed his chopsticks onto the table and frowned. “Mom, you’re at such an advanced age, can you stop being so headstrong? A few days ago, Beixian almost had an accident at the construction site, and Suosuo risked her life to save him. Setting aside the decades of friendship between the Chu and Gu families, you should be kinder to Suosuo based on that alone.”

Gu Beixian’s grip on his chopsticks tightened, a faint, mocking sneer playing on his lips. He was just waiting to deliver the slap to their faces.

The old lady gave Gu Aoting a cold look, then glanced at Chu Suosuo. “I used to be very kind to her, treating her like my own granddaughter. And what happened? As soon as something happened to Beixian, she fled abroad to enjoy herself. Now that she sees Beixian’s legs are healed, she’s trying to cling to him again. It’s too late.”
Gu Aoting spoke up. “That was because her mother threatened her with her own life, forcing her to break up with Beixian. She even sent people to forcibly take her abroad and had her watched twenty-four hours a day. It wasn’t Suosuo’s intention.”

The old lady gave a cold snort. “The beam is crooked at the top, so the bottom follows suit-like mother, like daughter. I don’t believe a grown woman couldn’t find a way out if she really wanted to. Ask her yourself: if Beixian were still in that wheelchair, would she still be hovering around him? Not a chance!”

Chu Suosuo looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. “I would. Grandma, I love Beixian more than my own life.”

The old lady curled her lip. “Don’t try those theatrics with me. I’m not buying it.”

Gu Aoting suppressed his frustration and said, “Mom, you’re being unreasonable.”

“I think you’re the one being difficult!” the old lady retorted.

Su Hua turned her head to look at Gu Beixian, her gaze quite meaningful.

She couldn’t be blamed for overthinking. Chu Suosuo’s confession just now was far too sickening-claiming she loved Beixian more than her own life.

Gu Beixian was a married man.

In front of so many people, and especially in front of his wife, how could Chu Suosuo have the nerve to say that?

Gu Beixian reached out under the table and grabbed Su Hua’s hand, turning it over so her palm faced up.

He began to write characters on her palm with his fingertip.

Su Hua endured the tickling sensation and tried to guess what he was writing.

The words were: Wait for the show to start.

She asked him with her eyes: What show?

Gu Beixian’s lips curled into a faint smile as he mouthed: Don’t be impatient.

The old lady, who was busy in a war of words with Gu Aoting, caught the flirtatious glances and tender intimacy between Gu Beixian and Su Hua out of the corner of her eye.

She softened her sharp edge and beamed, saying in an exaggerated tone, “Tsk, tsk. Look at how much this young couple loves each other. It’s truly enviable.”

Su Hua knew Grandma was saying this on purpose for Gu Aoting and Chu Suosuo’s benefit.

She played along. “Grandma, I’m even more envious of the relationship you have with Grandpa. It’s easy to be good to each other for a moment, but hard to stay that way for a lifetime.”

Grandma said with a smile, “As long as Beixian doesn’t act like a fool, you two will definitely be together for a lifetime. In all my years, I’ve never seen a girl as good as you. You’re beautiful, gentle yet resilient, clever, talented, and you’re hardworking and never complain. A daughter-in-law this good is impossible to find even if you searched with a lantern. Our Beixian must have burned incense for eight lifetimes to find a wife as wonderful as you.”

Su Hua’s eyes reddened, moved nearly to tears.

Grandma was giving her so much face! By elevating her like this at a time like this, she was essentially grinding Gu Aoting and Chu Suosuo’s faces into the dirt.

Gu Beixian smiled slightly and hooked his arm around Su Hua to pull her closer. “Our Huahua is the most outstanding woman in the world.”

Su Hua gave him a playful, coy glare.

It was fine for Grandma to say such things, but why was he joining in? Wasn’t he embarrassed by how sappy it sounded?

Yet, her heart was happy. It felt sweet, as if she had eaten honey.

The old master, who had remained silent the entire time, covered his mouth and cleared his throat. He looked at Su Hua and said kindly, “Xiao Su, if anyone dares to make things difficult for you in the future, just come to your grandparents. We’ll back you up and see who dares to bully you then.”

This was a direct slap to Gu Aoting’s face.

Su Hua was deeply moved, her voice choking up as she said repeatedly, “Thank you, Grandpa. Thank you, Grandma. Thank you both.”

Gu Aoting’s face had turned as dark as charcoal, looking incredibly grim.

Chu Suosuo was even more embarrassed, unable to lift her head.

Originally, Gu Aoting had brought her to dinner hoping to use the events of the past few days to help her gain some favor with the grandparents.

Who would have thought that instead of gaining favor, she would be ridiculed by everyone present? She hated Su Hua to the core.

She had never been this humiliated in her entire life.

Knock, knock. Someone was at the door.

A servant hurried over to open it.

An assistant entered, leading a man who looked like a laborer. He said to Gu Beixian, “President Gu, I’ve brought the person you asked for.”

Everyone turned to look.

The moment she saw the laborer’s face, Chu Suosuo’s heart plummeted, and her face turned deathly pale.