Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Something inside Su Hua’s heart seemed to crumble.

Gu Beixian had traveled such a long distance, over mountains and across rivers, just to get here.

Simply because he was worried about her, he had made a special trip just to see her.

The grievance she had been harboring after being suspected by him earlier instantly dissipated by more than half.

She leaned into his embrace and said in a very low voice, “When that man broke in and tried to tear my clothes off, I felt so disgusted I wanted to die. I had only one thought: if he dared to violate me, I would kill him and then take my own life.”

Gu Beixian’s heart suddenly felt hollow.

A sharp pain followed immediately after.

It felt as if a wild beast had sunk its jagged teeth into him, biting down so hard that he couldn’t catch his breath for a long time.

He tightened his grip on her waist, pressing her into his chest. Holding her tightly, he scolded softly, “Silly girl, don’t say such foolish things.”

Having depended on each other for three years, he couldn’t bear to hear such words.

Su Hua fell silent for a moment before saying, “Fortunately, Gu…”

She stopped herself mid-sentence.

She had originally intended to say that it was fortunate Gu Jinyao had arrived in time.

However, remembering that Gu Beixian didn’t like her being too close to Gu Jinyao, she swallowed the rest of her words.

Instead, she changed her tune. “Fortunately you came. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared to sleep tonight.”

Gu Beixian had actually guessed what she was going to say in the second half of her sentence. His expression shifted instantly, becoming very gloomy.

When he heard her change her words, the gloom in his eyes dissipated again.

He gently stroked her back and said warmly, “I brought two more bodyguards with me. They’ll both stay. Don’t worry about people saying you’re putting on airs; they’re a bunch of rough men, so it’s safer for them to be around. You’re so beautiful that people are bound to take notice of you wherever you go.”

This time, Su Hua didn’t argue.

If she had known this would happen, she should have listened to Gu Beixian from the start.

If she had brought a few more bodyguards, none of this would have happened.

Because of the fright she had received that night, she began to have nightmares once she fell into a deep sleep.

She dreamed of the fire from thirteen years ago.

The flames roared, the wind howled, and thick smoke filled the air.

A pale, thin youth risked his life to push her out of the fire, only to be consumed by the flames himself.

Her face was covered in tears as she reached out her arms, crying and screaming, “Ay Yao!” She tried to pull him out of the fire, but no matter how hard she tried, he wouldn’t budge…

Gu Beixian watched the woman in her nightmare, tears shimmering at the corners of her eyes as she murmured “Ay Yao” in her sleep.

He frowned slightly, pulling her into his arms and gently patting her to soothe her.

He thought to himself: Let her call out for him.

He would endure it.

As long as she didn’t realize that Gu Jinyao was Lu Yao.

As long as she didn’t leave him, he would accept whatever name she called out in her dreams.

The next morning.

Su Hua sat up in bed.

She saw Gu Beixian coming out of the bathroom.

He was dressed impeccably in a suit, looking ready to depart.

Looking at the man’s handsome, elegant, and distinguished face, Su Hua suddenly felt very reluctant to let him go.

She threw on some clothes and got out of bed. Walking up to him, she silently wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest.

Though she said nothing, her physical actions betrayed her lingering attachment.

Gu Beixian smiled and ruffled her hair. “I told you not to come, but you insisted. Do you understand how I feel now?”

Su Hua gave a soft hum of agreement.

“Finish up your work quickly and come back. Next time, turn down this kind of work if you can. Try your best not to leave Jingdu. It’s so far away that it’s inconvenient for me to visit you.”

Even though she was the one clinging to him and didn’t want him to leave, Su Hua deliberately turned the tables on him, teasing, “President Gu, you’re so clingy.”

Gu Beixian’s lips curled into a faint smile.

He lifted his chin slightly, his handsome face looking cool and composed as he said as a matter of course, “It’s only natural for me to be clingy with my own wife.”

Su Hua’s heart felt as sweet as honey.

For the first time, she felt that the title of “wife” could sound so beautiful.

It seemed like an ordinary word, but it was actually filled with tenderness.

Beneath it lay a deep emotional foundation.

It meant sharing joys and sorrows, supporting each other through thick and thin, and standing together through honor and disgrace.

Gu Beixian wanted to leave both bodyguards behind.

Su Hua was worried about his safety on the road and insisted he take one with him.

Unable to sway her, Gu Beixian took one. He planned to call and send two more bodyguards over while he was on his way.

He felt that when it came to bodyguards, the more there were, the safer Su Hua would be.
When Su Hua walked Gu Beixian out to his car, she ran into Shen Yuan downstairs.

Shen Yuan had suffered from insomnia the previous night and had taken two sleeping pills, leaving her in a deep, heavy slumber. She was completely unaware of everything that had happened to Su Hua.

Upon seeing Gu Beixian, Shen Yuan greeted him enthusiastically. “Hi! Hello there, gorgeous. What brings you here?”

Gu Beixian gave her a frigid, piercing glare. His handsome face was as dark and gloomy as midwinter snow. Without a word, he walked right past her, the air around him heavy with an incredibly low pressure.

He felt that Su Hua’s presence here was entirely due to her instigation, yet she hadn’t looked after her properly after bringing her along. After such a major incident involving Su Hua last night, she hadn’t even shown her face.

Finding her warm greeting met with a cold shoulder, Shen Yuan was utterly bewildered. She grabbed Su Hua and asked, “What’s wrong with the handsome Mr. Gu? That look he just gave me was terrifying.”

Anxious to see Gu Beixian off, Su Hua replied casually, “That’s just his personality. You’ll get used to it.”

“I see,” Shen Yuan said hesitantly, letting go of her.

After seeing Gu Beixian off, Su Hua returned to her room. After a moment’s thought, she called Gu Jinyao to thank him. Gu Beixian had arrived so suddenly the previous night that she hadn’t had the chance to properly express her gratitude.

After listening to her thanks, Gu Jinyao said casually, “You’re welcome. A rare talent like you is someone anyone would want to protect upon meeting.”

Hearing him say this, Su Hua felt a secret sense of relief. Fortunately, he didn’t harbor romantic feelings for her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known how to interact with him.

Not wanting to owe him a favor, she said, “Doesn’t your father like the works of Bada Shanren? Which one is he missing? I’ll help him paint a replica.”

“There’s no need. What happened last night was a simple matter. I would have saved anyone in that situation; you don’t need to take it to heart,” Gu Jinyao said dismissively.

Su Hua thought for a moment. “Then I’ll just choose one to replicate myself.”

Gu Jinyao couldn’t dissuade her, so he said, “He is missing the Withered Tree and Cold Crows Painting.”

“Alright. I’ll paint it once I return to Jingdu, okay? There isn’t any suitable ancient xuan paper here.”

“No rush. Take your time.”

After hanging up, Su Hua continued her work on the ancient silk painting. She worked until the afternoon, when she vaguely heard the area outside becoming lively, as if many people had arrived.

Feeling tired, Su Hua stretched her back, set down her tools, and pushed open the door to step outside. She saw several white-haired elders being ushered in by a group of people. These were likely the experts participating in the excavation of the Warring States Tomb.

A large-scale archaeological project required the full cooperation of geologists, historians, literary scholars, and cultural relic restoration experts.

Among them was an old expert in ancient painting and calligraphy restoration whom Su Hua knew. His name was Qi Baisong.

The moment Su Hua stepped out, Qi Baisong spotted her, and his eyes immediately lit up. From a distance, he greeted her with a cheerful smile. “Little granddaughter of the Su Family, you’re here too! I heard a genius young girl had joined this excavation, and I guessed it was you.”

His laughter was hearty and his voice boisterous. As soon as he spoke, everyone turned in unison to look at Su Hua.

Feeling a bit self-conscious under their gaze, Su Hua smiled and replied, “Hello, Elder Qi.”

Qi Baisong laughed again and said repeatedly, “Good, good. It’s good to see you.”

After they exchanged greetings, Su Hua was about to head back inside when she noticed a pair of bright, piercing eyes staring at her from the crowd.

Su Hua followed the gaze. It belonged to a stalwart old man with hair and a beard as white as snow. Judging by his appearance, he had to be over eighty years old. He wore a deep blue silk Tang suit, and though his face was deeply wrinkled, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s.

His gaze was too direct and too complex, leaving Su Hua completely baffled. Then, the old man began striding toward her. His pace was vigorous, completely uncharacteristic of his age.

He came to a slow halt about twenty meters away from Su Hua. He stared at her, scrutinizing her intently. For some reason, the corners of his eyes gradually turned red. After a long while, his dry, wrinkled lips trembled as he murmured to himself, “She looks like her… She looks so much like her.”