Chapter 85

Chapter 85

“I’m really fine. Go to sleep,” Gu Beixian said as he reached out to turn off the bedside lamp.

Su Hua stared at his handsome profile in the silence for a long time.

In the darkness, his silhouette seemed deeper, like a bottomless sea. Beneath the calm surface, it felt as though a violent storm was hidden away.

Su Hua silently pondered the reason.

After a while, she spoke softly. “Gu Jinyao’s genealogy book was brought to Tianshou Pavilion for me to restore. If you don’t want me to do it, I’ll return it to him tomorrow and tell him to find someone else.”

Gu Beixian replied indifferently, “There’s no need. Just fix it. It’s your job.”

“But I feel like you’re unhappy.”

“I’m happy.” Gu Beixian’s tone was unusually flat, carrying a hint of perfunctoriness.

No matter how she heard it, he didn’t sound happy at all.

Su Hua took a deep breath. “Just tell me. What should I do? Whatever you want me to do, I’ll listen to you.”

“Just do what you need to do. I’ll adjust my own mindset.”

Seeing a slight softening in his words, Su Hua lay back down and leaned into his embrace. She gently stroked his cheek and leaned in to kiss his lips.

In truth, she wasn’t very good at coaxing people.

During those two years when Gu Beixian couldn’t stand and had to rely on a wheelchair, he had suddenly fallen from being a proud favorite of heaven to a disabled man. The contrast was too great, and his mood had been extremely depressed; he would lose his temper and throw things at the slightest provocation.

Every time he lost his temper, she would just stand quietly by his side. Once he had finished venting, she would silently clean up the mess.

Thinking back on it now, she had been so foolish. If she had gone up to hug him and kiss him back then, would his temper have been less volatile?

It wasn’t until recently that she learned from Gu Beixian that when the other person is angry, you should just lean in for a kiss and a hug, and everything will be fine after a night’s sleep.

She had tried it a few times, and it worked every single time.

So, she tried the same method tonight.

However, Gu Beixian gently pushed her away. He even turned over, leaving her with nothing but his cold, firm back.

Su Hua felt like she was being given the cold shoulder. She had her dignity, too. Consequently, she also turned over, facing away from him.

After several minutes, she heard Gu Beixian say, “I drank today. You’re trying to conceive, so let’s wait for another day.”

Su Hua felt that this excuse was far too forced. In the past, whenever he drank, his desire would be even stronger than usual. He was clearly rejecting her advances on purpose.

That night, Su Hua lay in bed tossing and turning, not falling asleep until very late.

The next morning, the early sun shone through the gaps in the curtains, casting a faint trail of broken gold on the floor.

Su Hua dressed and went downstairs. She saw that Gu Beixian had already finished breakfast and was tying his necktie in front of the full-length mirror. A black business suitcase stood by the door.

Su Hua was a bit surprised. “You’re going on a business trip?”

Gu Beixian’s hand paused while tying the knot, but he quickly resumed as if nothing were wrong. He said calmly, “I’m going to Haicheng to attend a national Building Economy Expo.”

“Why didn’t I hear you mention this last night?”

“I forgot.”

“How many days will you be gone?”

“Three days.”

Su Hua breathed a sigh of relief. Three days was acceptable. If it were any longer, she wouldn’t be able to stand it; she would miss him too much.

Su Hua checked her watch and asked, “What time is your flight? I’ll take you to the airport.”

Having finished his tie, Gu Beixian turned to look at her. The corners of his lips curled slightly as he said, “There’s no time. Go eat your breakfast. It’s only three days, anyway. I’ll call you tonight.”

Su Hua walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She truly hated to see him go.

Sensing her reluctance, Gu Beixian gently ruffled her hair and said, “If you miss me, just give me a call.”

Su Hua gave a soft hum of agreement.

He lowered his eyes slightly, gazing into hers, and said warmly, “Eat well. Don’t work too hard.”

“You too.”

Afraid he might overthink things, Su Hua added, “I’ll be staying home to restore the genealogy book lately. I won’t be going out, not even to Tianshou Pavilion. Aside from Aunt Liu and my mother, I won’t see anyone. You can rest easy.”

A faint smile finally touched Gu Beixian’s lips. This time, it was a real smile, not a forced one.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. Resting his chin against her forehead, they shared a moment of intimate tenderness. “Our Huahua is so good,” he murmured.

With that hug, the clouds dispersed and the rain cleared. The ice melted, life returned, and spring bloomed.

Su Hua breathed a secret sigh of relief. It was far too distressing when he kept his thoughts bottled up.

She saw Gu Beixian to the car. Only after the driver had turned the corner and the car was out of sight did Su Hua turn back into the house.

After breakfast, she went to the study to continue restoring Gu Jinyao’s family genealogy. After finishing the disassembly page by page, she began the cleaning process. It was a tedious and monotonous task that required immense patience, resilience, and a high degree of mental focus.
When Su Hua was working, she usually set her phone to silent.

She was afraid of getting distracted, which could lead to irreparable mistakes. Once she got busy, she often lost track of time and everything else.

It wasn’t until after ten o’clock at night that Su Hua remembered she should call Gu Beixian.

She picked up her phone and saw several missed calls, all from him. She dialed his number back.

The phone rang three times before someone answered.

It was a delicate, feminine voice. “Who are you looking for?”

The voice was very familiar.

It was Chu Suosuo!

It felt like a clap of thunder had erupted right next to her ear. Su Hua’s entire body shuddered.

Her teeth chattered slightly. “Is that you, Chu Suosuo?”

“Yes, Sister Su Hua. Surprised?” Chu Suosuo said with a giggle.

No matter how one heard it, that laugh sounded like a provocation.

Su Hua forced herself to remain calm. “Where is Gu Beixian? Why do you have his phone?”

“Oh, you mean Beixian? He’s in the bathroom taking a shower.”

Su Hua felt like her head was about to explode; her mind was filled with a loud buzzing sound, as if she were surrounded by tens of millions of bees.

In a commanding tone, Su Hua said, “Put him on the phone!”

“I already told you, he’s showering. He’s in the shower! How is he supposed to answer the phone while he’s showering?” Chu Suosuo’s tone was somewhat impatient.

Su Hua questioned her coldly, “Why are you in his room?”

Chu Suosuo gave a dainty, cloying laugh, heavy with implication. “Are you really that stupid, or are you just playing dumb? When a man and a woman share a room, what else would they be doing besides that?”

Su Hua hung up.

Her knuckles turned white as she gripped her phone. Her fingers were shaking violently.

Her mind was a mess. Her heart throbbed with waves of pain, as if someone were squeezing and twisting it with their hands. It hurt terribly.

She clutched her head in agony and leaned weakly against the wall.

It took a long, long time before she slowly calmed down.

She felt that this might be a misunderstanding. She didn’t believe Gu Beixian was that kind of person. He clearly cared about her so much; how could he possibly go to Haicheng just to share a room with Chu Suosuo?

Chu Suosuo had to be up to something!

Su Hua found the number for her driver, Ah Hong, and called him.

When he picked up, she said, “Help me book a flight to Haicheng. As soon as possible!”

Her usually gentle voice carried a rare sense of urgency and sharpness.

It was the first time Ah Hong had heard her speak in such a tone. He hurriedly replied, “Understood, Young Mistress. I’ll book it for you immediately.”

Su Hua added, “Find out the name of the hotel and the room number where Gu Beixian is staying and send it to my phone.”

“Yes, Young Mistress. I’ll look into it right away.”

Not long after she hung up, Ah Hong sent her the hotel address. After checking the flights, he called back and said, “The earliest flight departs at three in the morning. Young Mistress, does that work for you?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll pick you up around one o’clock?”

“Fine.”

Su Hua couldn’t wait until dawn. If she had to wait that long, she felt she would go insane.

She slowly sat down on the carpet, hugging her knees, counting every second. She had to endure until one o’clock before she could head to the airport.

She sat there as still as a withered tree, her face pale and calm, but her heart was a storm of shifting tides and ancient sorrows.

Meanwhile, in a penthouse suite at the Haicheng Grand Hotel.

Gu Beixian finished his shower, put on a bathrobe, and walked out while drying his hair with a towel.

As soon as he entered the living room, he saw Chu Suosuo wearing a white professional suit. She was sitting demurely on the sofa with her knees together.

A stack of documents lay on the coffee table.

A layer of frost settled in Gu Beixian’s eyes. He asked icily, “What are you doing here?”

Chu Suosuo raised a hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. Her eyes flickered with charm as she said softly, “Uncle Gu asked me to bring over a document for you. He said it was urgent.”

She picked up the document from the coffee table and leaned forward to hand it to him.

Gu Beixian reached out and took it.

The document was indeed something he needed. However, he had asked his own assistant to bring it. He hadn’t expected his father to pull such a stunt!

Gu Beixian asked in a frigid voice, “The door was locked. How did you get in?”

Chu Suosuo looked at him with an innocent expression. “Uncle Gu gave me the key card.”

Gu Beixian understood instantly.

There were two key cards for the suite; one was with him, and the other was with his assistant. Gu Aoting must have sent someone to take the card from the assistant and give it to Chu Suosuo, using the delivery of the document as an excuse for her to enter his room.

He truly was stubborn! Even now, he refused to give up!

Gu Beixian felt an unspeakable sense of loathing. With a cold, handsome face, he walked to the door without a word and pulled it open. He said to Chu Suosuo in a harsh tone, “Get out!”