After the Divorce, She Shines - Chapter 99
Chapter 99
Grandfather Gu watched as his wife held her phone, tears streaming down her face in silence.
This was highly unusual!
He hurried over and asked anxiously, “Why are you crying after taking a call? Who upset you? Tell me, and I’ll give them a piece of my mind!”
Grandma Gu gripped her phone, sobbing. “Old man, you’re going to be a great-grandfather. Hua’er is pregnant!”
Grandfather Gu froze. “Huh? Xiao Su is pregnant?”
“Yes, she’s finally pregnant.” Grandma Gu wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Heaven has eyes. Our Gu Family finally has an heir.”
Even Grandfather Gu, who never wore his heart on his sleeve, was moved. He reached up and pinched the bridge of his aching nose.
He sighed with emotion. “I told you, Xian’er was meant for great things after surviving that disaster. Three years ago, when he had that car accident, one critical condition notice after another was issued, but he pulled through by sheer force of will. Two years after marrying Xiao Su, he was able to stand again. Now that they have a child, the heavens have truly been kind to him.”
Grandma Gu was weeping uncontrollably. “Exactly. Out of all the children, Xian’er is the one I pity most. He’s been through so much since he was little.”
Grandfather Gu kept wiping away her tears, saying, “It’s all thanks to Xiao Su staying by his side. That girl may be quiet, but she has a heart of gold.”
“You’re right. If she hadn’t been there for him, Xian’er might not have made it.”
Meanwhile, Gu Beixian, who had been completely ignored, waited for a long time while holding his phone.
But his grandparents didn’t say a single word back to him. The old couple was so busy chatting and crying together that they had forgotten all about him.
Gu Beixian silently hung up the phone.
He accompanied Su Hua to the doctor’s office.
Men weren’t allowed inside the obstetrics and gynecology consultation room, so Gu Beixian sat on a bench outside to wait.
Su Hua walked into the office and handed her test results to the doctor.
The doctor took the sheets, scanned them carefully, and looked up. “No anemia, infectious diseases and hereditary family diseases are ruled out, and your HCG levels are normal. Have you been taking folic acid?”
Su Hua nodded. “I’ve been taking it for a month or two.”
The doctor pushed the results back to her. “Focus on your nutrition when you go home. The first trimester is a critical period, so avoid sexual intercourse. Come back in about a month for an ultrasound to rule out an ectopic pregnancy.”
“Alright, thank you, Doctor.”
Su Hua picked up her papers and stood up.
She went out and found Gu Beixian, and the two of them left together.
Once they were in the car, Gu Beixian received a call from Grandma Gu.
“Beixian, bring Hua’er to the old manor. I’m going to have the chef prepare a feast to reward my precious granddaughter-in-law. I have so much to say to my little great-grandchild.”
This time, it was Gu Beixian’s turn to be amused.
“Grandma, Su Hua just got pregnant. The fetus hasn’t even started developing yet; it doesn’t even have ears. The baby won’t be able to hear you.”
Grandma Gu was dismissive. “I don’t care. I’m going to talk to it anyway.”
As people age, they become like children. When she got stubborn, nothing could move her.
Gu Beixian had no choice but to concede. “Fine, you can say whatever you want. By the way, don’t keep mentioning a ‘great-grandson’ in front of Su Hua. You’re the most open-minded grandmother; you can’t favor boys over girls, okay? Don’t put any pressure on Su Hua now that she’s pregnant.”
Grandma Gu laughed. “As long as it’s born from my precious granddaughter-in-law, I’ll love it whether it’s a boy or a girl.”
After hanging up, Gu Beixian took Su Hua’s hand in his and squeezed it tightly.
The corners of his lips curled up involuntarily.
No matter how cold or stoic he usually was, he couldn’t hide the joy of becoming a father for the first time.
That evening, the two of them went to the old manor.
As soon as they got out of the car, Grandma Gu came out to meet them. She took Su Hua’s hand and beamed as she stared at her stomach.
Su Hua hadn’t expected her to be this happy. No wonder Gu Beixian was always suggesting they have a child.
Grandma Gu led Su Hua into the living room, chatting and laughing. She ushered her onto the sofa and sat down beside her.
She reached out and gently stroked Su Hua’s flat belly, saying, “My precious great-grandson…”
Remembering Gu Beixian’s instructions, she quickly corrected herself, “…or precious great-granddaughter, you must be a good, obedient baby in your mother’s belly. Don’t give her a hard time.”
Seeing her in such high spirits, Su Hua just smiled quietly and let her talk to her stomach.
It would be wonderful if time could just stand still at this moment.
After they had chatted for a while, Grandma Gu took out her old-fashioned phone and called Gu Aoting.
She said in a proud tone, “You brat, let me tell you some wonderful news. I’m going to be a great-grandmother!”
Gu Aoting, who was currently discussing business with Chu Yanru, was stunned.
A full minute passed before he finally spoke.
“Are you saying Su Hua is pregnant?”
“Who else would it be? Your eldest son doesn’t even have a wife.”
Gu Aoting’s expression turned incredibly sour as he said coldly, “Is there anything else, Mother?”
Grandma Gu’s face immediately chilled. “You brat, what kind of attitude is that? You’re going to be a grandfather. Aren’t you happy?”
Gu Aoting said impatiently, “I’m busy over here. We’ll talk after I’m done.”
Grandma Gu hung up the phone in a huff.
Gu Aoting tossed his phone onto the desk and lifted a hand to rub his temples.
Sitting across from him, Chu Yanru’s face had already darkened the moment he heard Gu Aoting mention Su Hua’s pregnancy.
He slammed the documents onto the table.
With a black face, he said, “You promised me you’d help set Suosuo up with Beixian. Now that Su Hua is pregnant, are they still getting divorced or not?”
Gu Aoting frowned. “I did try. I used work as an excuse to tie them together and racked my brain to create chances for them. But those two just can’t rekindle anything. How is that my fault?”
“I don’t care. Suosuo is my only daughter. I cherish her like my own eyes. You’d better come up with a solution fast. Don’t let her get hurt.”
Gu Aoting forced down the irritation in his chest. “Fine. I’ll think of something else.”
After Chu Yanru left, Gu Aoting picked up his phone and called his eldest son, Gu Lin. “Cancel tonight’s engagement. Come with me to the Gu Family Old Residence.”
“Yes, Father.”
Forty minutes later.
Gu Aoting arrived at the Gu Family Old Residence with Gu Lin.
Grandma Gu, who had been happily putting food into Su Hua’s bowl, saw Gu Lin and her smile stiffened for a beat before she quickly switched to a polite yet distant smile.
She greeted him, “Lin’er, you’re here.”
Gu Lin replied with impeccable manners. “Hello, Grandma.”
“Sit, sit. Hurry and have a seat,” Grandma Gu said, motioning him over.
They were so courteous it hardly felt like they were family.
They’d been married three years, and Su Hua had only seen Gu Lin three times in total-each time at the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner.
He resembled Gu Aoting quite a bit: sharp brows, phoenix eyes, an aquiline nose, and an air that made him seem hard to approach.
Gu Lin was the son Gu Aoting had with his ex-girlfriend, Lin Niaoniao. He’d grown up in the Lin Family.
Su Hua knew little about him.
All she’d heard from Gu Aoting was that Gu Lin listened to him, was decisive and ruthless, and didn’t get bogged down in romance.
But Su Hua felt that someone truly decisive and ruthless usually wasn’t the obedient type-unless there was some hidden reason, or some ulterior motive.
Gu Lin walked to the seat across from Gu Beixian and smiled. “Congratulations, Second Brother. Becoming a father at such a young age.”
Gu Beixian gave a faint smile. “Thanks.”
Gu Lin pulled out a chair and sat down.
Gu Aoting sat as well.
His expression was severe, his brows drawn tight, his whole face heavy-like he had something major to announce.
Without any preamble, he went straight to the point with Grandfather Gu. “Dad, in the future, I plan to hand the company over to Ah Lin. This child is calm and decisive, won’t be troubled by romantic entanglements, and follows orders. He’s more suitable to be the successor.”
The smile at the corners of Gu Beixian’s mouth froze.
All his life, he had been raised as the heir.
Gu Lin had always been the also-ran.
Gu Beixian understood perfectly-Gu Aoting was suddenly changing his tune to put him in his place.
Without showing anything on his face, Gu Beixian picked up the serving chopsticks, took a lean meatball, and placed it into Su Hua’s bowl. “You’re pregnant. Eat more lean meat.”
Gu Beixian didn’t say anything else, yet Su Hua could still sense the disappointment and frustration buried in him.
If he had listened to Gu Aoting back then and divorced her, Gu Aoting wouldn’t be saying this today.
The position of successor to the Gu Group would have been his, without question.
Su Hua had been happy, too-she was pregnant, and everyone had seemed so delighted.
But the moment Gu Aoting arrived, it was like he dumped a bucket of cold water over the table.
Quietly, Su Hua reached under the table and held Gu Beixian’s hand.
His hand was colder than usual.
Su Hua’s heart tightened, and she looked at him with aching sympathy.
Gu Beixian sensed what she was thinking. He squeezed her hand back, their fingers interlacing, and gave her a small smile as if to say: I’m fine. Don’t worry.
Grandfather Gu coughed twice and said, “Aoting, you’re only in your fifties. It’s too early to talk about choosing a successor. This is a major matter-we should think it through carefully.”
Gu Aoting smiled without warmth. “It’s not early. If we set it now, we can start training him. Three to five years of grooming, and it’ll be perfect timing for him to take over.”
As soon as he finished speaking, crisp, forceful steps sounded outside.
The sharp tapping of high heels on the floor.
The sound came closer and closer, clearer with each step.
Then the door creaked open.
Qin Shu strode in, wearing a perfectly tailored black designer skirt suit and stunning high heels, her presence razor-sharp.
She slapped a divorce agreement down in front of Gu Aoting with a heavy thud.
Standing perfectly straight, she said coolly, “I’ve drafted the divorce agreement. Split the marital property down the middle. The Gu Group gets split in two as well-half to your eldest son, half to my son. Sign it.”
