Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Hearing the words “President Gu,” Su Hua momentarily thought she was dreaming.

Gu Beixian had just left this morning. It was impossible for him to be back again tonight.

She turned her head to look back.

At the edge of the night, a man’s silhouette slowly detached itself from the darkness.

Gradually, a tall, upright figure came into view.

The pure, white moonlight spilled over him, casting a lonely, silvery glow around him.

The man possessed a face of peerless beauty, with pale skin and deep features that exuded a cold aura.

Su Hua was stunned.

It really was Gu Beixian.

He drew closer and closer.

When he left this morning, he had been full of vigor. Now, he carried the travel-worn air of exhaustion.

Su Hua could hardly believe her eyes.

She stared at him blankly, unable to move.

It wasn’t until a bodyguard called out, “Young Mistress, it really is President Gu. President Gu has come to find you.”

Only then did Su Hua snap out of her daze like a dreamer being jolted awake. Her heart began to thud wildly as she instinctively asked, “Why are you here?”

Gu Beixian didn’t answer. He only lowered his eyes, gazing at her in silence.

His eyes were dark, somber, disappointed, and lonely.

Su Hua had never seen such a complex mix of emotions in his eyes before.

For a moment, she felt as if she had done something wrong.

She hesitated before speaking. “I couldn’t sleep. I heard someone playing the flute, so I came out for a walk.”

The man playing the flute heard the voices. Interrupted, he lowered his instrument and slowly turned around.

Gu Beixian saw the man’s face clearly.

It was Gu Jinyao.

The one person he never wanted to see again in his life.

A chilling aura radiated continuously from his body.

A faint, cold sneer touched the corners of his lips. Looking toward Gu Jinyao, he said with an ambiguous tone, “I shouldn’t have come. I’ve disturbed you two.”

Leaving those words behind, he turned and walked away.

His steps were resolute.

Su Hua froze for a second before chasing after him. “It’s not what you think! Let me explain!” she called out as she ran.

Gu Beixian acted as if he hadn’t heard her, never breaking his stride.

He walked with long, rapid steps, moving incredibly fast.

A surge of anger was pent up in his chest.

He had traveled a thousand miles, rushing here through the dust and wind just to see her for a moment.

But what about her?

In the dead of night, she had run off to meet another man, and she had even been staring at his back with tear-filled eyes.

It felt as if a handful of sand had been stuffed into Gu Beixian’s heart, chafing him painfully.

He couldn’t help but let out a series of cold sneers.

Su Hua chased him for a while, but she couldn’t keep up. Eventually, she broke into a light jog.

The country road was rugged and uneven. Focused entirely on Gu Beixian, she didn’t watch her step.

With a thud, she tripped and fell to the ground.

An instinctive cry of pain escaped her lips.

Her knee had slammed right into a stone.

It was a sharp, numbing pain that pierced straight to the bone.

She clutched her knee, rubbing the injured spot with her hand, her brow tightly furrowed.

Hearing her cry of pain, Gu Beixian’s body stiffened, and he slowly came to a halt.

He looked back to see Su Hua sitting on the ground, her expression twisted in agony.

Frowning, he turned back toward her.

He walked to her side and knelt down, wanting to check her injury, but her pants were too tight to roll up.

His fingers gently rubbed her knee as he chided, “How could you be so careless?”

“It’s because you were walking so fast and wouldn’t wait for me. I was so busy chasing you that I didn’t look at the road,” Su Hua said, her brows knitted as she looked at him through teary eyes.

Because she had been crying, the tip of her nose was a youthful shade of pink.

Staring at her pink nose, most of Gu Beixian’s anger dissipated.

He thought to himself: Being this in love with this woman is truly a form of suffering.

“You’re the one who made me angry first,” he said, his voice muffled.

Su Hua felt wronged. “You’ve misunderstood me. Listen to my explanation. I didn’t know beforehand that he was Gu Jinyao. It’s not what you think. I just…”

In her haste to explain, she became somewhat incoherent and couldn’t go on.

On the other side, Gu Jinyao saw Su Hua fall and saw her pained expression. His legs moved toward her almost uncontrollably.

He had only taken a single step when Gu Beixian noticed.

“Explain when we get back.” Gu Beixian slid one arm under her knees and the other under her armpits, lifting her off the ground in a horizontal carry. He then headed toward the entrance of the guesthouse.

He walked with hurried steps, as if afraid someone would catch up to them.

Seeing this, Gu Jinyao stopped in his tracks.

Only then did he realize he had lost his composure.

Watching their figures grow distant until they finally disappeared, his gaze became deep and dark.
After a long time, he slowly turned around, walked onto the ancient bridge, and picked up his flute to continue playing.

If the mournful melody could be translated into words, it would say:

The moonlight is hazy, the night has not yet ended, and all around is lonely and still.

The cold lamp on the table flickers dimly, accompanying me as I sit alone in bitter solitude.

It wasn’t until Gu Jinyao was nowhere in sight that Gu Beixian slowed his pace. Breathing slightly hard, he asked, “Does your leg still hurt?”

Su Hua wrapped her arms around his neck and said softly, “It doesn’t hurt anymore. You can put me down.”

“We’re almost there. A little longer won’t hurt.”

Su Hua couldn’t win the argument, so she gave in.

She took a moment to organize her thoughts and explained, “The materials Shen Yuan sent for haven’t arrived yet, so I had no work tonight and went to bed early. I woke up after a while and couldn’t get back to sleep. Then I heard someone playing the flute-it sounded quite beautiful. I was curious, so I came out to take a look. I didn’t know it was Gu Jinyao. If I had known, I would have stayed away to avoid any misunderstanding.”

Gu Beixian gave a low grunt of affirmation.

However, his face remained expressionless.

Su Hua couldn’t tell if he believed her or not.

After a moment’s thought, she reached up and gently touched his travel-weary face, teasing him softly, “You just left this morning; why are you back again tonight? You’re so busy, you don’t need to keep coming over. There are several bodyguards protecting me; nothing will happen.”

Gu Beixian pursed his lips and remained silent.

He thought to himself: It’s a good thing I came.

If he hadn’t, those two would have definitely started talking.

What if Gu Jinyao had acted on impulse and told her that he was actually Lu Yao?

How would that have ended?

He didn’t dare imagine what kind of reaction she would have if she found out Gu Jinyao was Lu Yao-the Ay Yao she thought about day and night.

Back at the guesthouse.

Gu Beixian carefully placed Su Hua on the bed and helped her remove her pants to inspect the injury.

A patch on her fair knee was red and slightly swollen.

The skin wasn’t broken and there was no bleeding, but it looked like it was going to bruise.

He went to the bathroom, filled a basin with cold water, dipped a towel in it, wrung out the excess, and slowly applied the cold compress to her knee.

The cold compress would help reduce the swelling and ease the pain.

Then he fetched a basin of warm water, dampened the towel, and wiped the tears from her face and the dust from her hands.

Seeing him bustling about, Su Hua said, “Sit down and rest for a bit. Stop working.”

He had taken two flights today and spent so much time in a car, not to mention being busy at the office all day.

She didn’t understand him.

How could someone usually so shrewd waste so much time?

Traveling back and forth to see her every single day-all that time wasted on planes and in cars.

Doing something so futile wasn’t like him at all.

Gu Beixian gave a brief response and went to the bathroom to shower.

Even though it was his second night staying there, he still wasn’t used to the primitive conditions.

He showered quickly and came out wearing his pajamas.

He sat on the edge of the bed, lifted the covers to lie down, and silently pulled Su Hua into his arms.

Su Hua felt a bit guilty toward him.

Regardless of the reasons, what happened tonight was indeed a bit inappropriate on her part.

She didn’t know what had come over her; she had simply been drawn by the flute music, which had stirred up memories of the past and an old friend.

Under those circumstances, anyone would have misunderstood and been angry upon seeing that scene.

She remembered that every time she got angry, Gu Beixian would kiss her, and after a night’s sleep, they would be reconciled.

As the saying goes, a couple’s quarrel starts at the head of the bed and ends at the foot.

Following his usual lead, she leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth, then his cheek.

She slid her hand under the hem of his pajama top.

She felt his beautiful, well-defined abdominal muscles.

Her fingers flowed over his body like water.

In their three years of marriage, she had always been the passive one in their intimate life.

This was the first time she had taken the initiative.

Gu Beixian caught her restless hand and said absentmindedly, “Another day. I’m tired today.”

Su Hua’s hand, which had been wandering over his abs, suddenly froze.

She looked at him with slight confusion. “Don’t you come here every day just for this?”

Gu Beixian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He pinched the tip of her nose and chided, “You think I fly all this way just to sleep with you?”

Su Hua was puzzled. “Isn’t that it?”

“No.” He lowered his eyelids, staring at her pale collarbone. “What kind of man do you take me for?”

His voice sounded a bit cold, mixed with a trace of imperceptible grievance.