In the preceding two years, Gu Beixian found himself unable to stand on his legs, sinking into despondency with inclinations towards self-harm.
Su Hui developed a habit during that time—whether day or night, whenever he disappeared, she would worry that he might be contemplating dark thoughts. Thus, she would tirelessly search until she found him, finding solace only when he was located.
Even after his legs recovered, this habit persisted.
Pushing open the door to the adjacent guest room, Su Hui found it empty. She proceeded to the study, but that too was vacant.
From the bathroom to the bedroom, balcony, downstairs, and even the kitchen, she searched everywhere but could not find Gu Beixian.
Her heartbeats became erratic, fluttering like someone playing drums on her heart.
Although she knew he wouldn't attempt self-harm again, an instinctive fear still lingered.
Pushing the door open, she hastened towards the courtyard.
A massive lightning bolt suddenly struck, illuminating the pitch-black night as bright as day, followed by a deafening thunderous roar.
Su Hui covered her ears, her searching steps, however, did not cease.
In the dim light, she saw a tall figure in front of her—a slender silhouette, dressed in a pristine white shirt tucked into black trousers, with a strong waist and an upright posture.
The clear and handsome face exuded an elegant charm, featuring well-defined facial features.
Though a hint of weariness shone in his eyes, the refined and noble air remained undiminished.
It was Gu Beixian.
Su Hui breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against a nearby tree, covering her chest. She panted lightly, her gaze glued to the man approaching.
Seeing Su Hui, Gu Beixian quickened his pace, walking towards her.
As he reached her, he took hold of her hand, his cool palm enveloping her fingers entirely. He inquired, "Why did you come out?"
Su Hui assessed him from head to toe, finding him unharmed. Her tensed heart finally settled back into her chest, and with a hint of lingering fear, she said, "In the middle of the night, where did you go?"
Due to breathlessness, her voice trembled.
Gu Beixian looked at her, a subtle change in his expression. He spoke softly, "Went out for a smoke. It started thundering, and I was afraid you'd be scared, so I came back."
After saying this, he held her hand, leading her back inside.
Just as they reached the door, rain poured down in torrents, splashing a muddy scent into the air.
The rain fell urgently, more reminiscent of a summer downpour than a spring rain.
Entering the house, Su Hui caught a strong smell of smoke from him. She scolded, "Didn't you quit smoking? Why did you secretly smoke again? You're not being good."
Her tone carried a mix of scolding and grievances, like scolding a child, causing Gu Beixian to burst into laughter. "Won't smoke again next time."
"You promise every time, but end up smoking again." Su Hui was a bit angry.
"Tonight, my mind was troubled. I'll try to smoke less in the future." He assured.
Thinking of Gu Aoting's words, Su Hui guessed what was bothering him.
Grandmother discouraged him from divorcing, while his father pressured him to do so. Stuck in the middle, he was probably torn.
Su Hui tentatively asked, "Am I the reason for your trouble?"
Gu Beixian's eyes flickered slightly, then he rubbed her head and whispered, "Yes, little fool, you trouble people by being so silly."
This had a playful undertone.
Su Hui, initially feeling a bit sentimental, couldn't help but laugh at his "little fool." She playfully rolled her eyes, "You're the one who's the little fool."
A hint of a smile appeared in Gu Beixian's eyes. "Next time, don't come out looking for me. I'll be fine."
Su Hui softly replied, "It's a habit."
Gu Beixian paused, holding her hand tighter and not letting go for a long time.
The two changed into slippers and went upstairs together.
Su Hui said, "You smoked, go brush your teeth."
"I brushed them before bed."
Su Hui gently pushed him with her shoulder, her voice soft, "Go brush them."
Gu Beixian held her shoulder, smiling, "You've been a bit different lately."
"How am I different?"
"You've become a bit coquettish, and you talk more than before."
Su Hui grinned, "Don't men like women who can be a bit coquettish?."
Gu Beixian's lips curled in a smile, "That's true."
He released her and entered the bathroom.
Su Hui followed.
With his right hand injured, squeezing toothpaste was inconvenient, so she helped him with it.
Gu Beixian picked up the toothbrush with his left hand, brushing his teeth in front of the mirror.
Perhaps, emotions were more sensitive at night. Su Hui thought about the days spent with him. There weren't many left, and she felt a bit sentimental. Without saying anything, she hugged his waist from behind, burying her head in his back.
She didn't say anything, but her heart was full of reluctance.
Objectively speaking, except for the awkwardness of having Chu Suosuo around, he was quite unobjectionable.
Gu Beixian finished brushing his teeth, rinsed his mouth, held her hand, and said, "Su Hui, you've been a bit clingy lately."
Su Hui raised her eyebrows, "Do you find me annoying?"
"I wouldn't dare."
He smiled, holding her hand and walking towards the bedroom.
The wind rose, causing the curtains to rustle.
Gu Beixian walked to the window and closed it.
The two lay down on the bed.
Another thunderous roar echoed, louder than the previous two, deafening.
Su Hui shivered instinctively.
Gu Beixian pulled her into his arms, covering her ears with his hands. He kissed her forehead and said softly, "Don't be afraid, I'm here. Sleep well."
Su Hui murmured in agreement, nuzzling into his arms like a little cat, finding a comfortable position and quickly falling into a deep sleep.
One week later.
After having breakfast with Gu Beixian, Su Hui got into the driver's car to go to the hospital to visit her grandmother.
Upon arriving at the hospital and just getting out of the car, she received a call from an unfamiliar number, a young man identifying himself as Gu Aoting's assistant. Polite, he said, "Miss Su, our chairman wants to meet you."
Recalling the conversation between Gu Aoting and Gu Beixian on the night of Qin Shu's birthday, Su Hui felt a heavy burden on her heart.
But as Gu Aoting was an elder, she had no reason to refuse.
They arranged to meet at a coffee shop near the hospital at ten o'clock.
Su Hui arrived ten minutes early.
Ten minutes later, Gu Aoting arrived on time.
He had a dignified appearance, a solemn demeanor, and an imposing presence. Even without saying a word, he made people feel an inexplicable pressure.
Su Hui was slightly nervous, standing up obediently and calling out, "Dad."
Gu Aoting nodded, gesturing for her to sit.
After they took their seats, he ordered a black coffee, checked his watch, and said, "I'm busy and don't have much time to beat around the bush. Let's get straight to the point."
Su Hui's heart pounded, but she maintained a polite smile. "Please go ahead."
Gu Aoting lifted his coffee cup, took a sip, and continued, "As you know, I have two sons, Gu Lin and Beixian. Although Beixian is the younger one, he is more talented. I value him more. Three years ago, when he first entered the company, it didn't take long for him to shine, showing outstanding performance. Unfortunately, he had a car accident. If he hadn't had the accident, given your background, you wouldn't have been able to cross social classes and marry him. You two come from completely different worlds."
These words were quite hurtful, almost pointing at her and accusing her of being a lower-class person, accusing her of social climbing.
Su Hui's smiling face froze, and she gripped the cup handle tightly.
Gu Aoting's gaze lingered on her, "The Gu family and the Chu family have had business dealings for many years. Beixian and Suosuo grew up together. We always considered Suosuo as the prospective daughter-in-law. When Suosuo went abroad, and you, looking like her, entered the scene, we thought Beixian needed someone by his side. This person could be you or anyone else resembling Suosuo."
Su Hui, who always thought she had good psychological endurance, felt that she couldn't hold on.
She tightly pursed her lips, remained silent, and held the cup with both hands.
Tears welled up in her eyes, as if they could overflow in the next second.
Gu Aoting's rather ruthless voice reached her ears again, "You've invested three years of youth and helped Beixian a lot, but he has also helped you a lot. Let's talk about money; the money you got from Beixian is something many people can't earn in their entire lives. One should know when to stop, Miss Su. You're clever, and you should know what to do, right?"
After a long time, Su Hui made a low sound.
Hearing her agreement, a slight smile appeared on Gu Aoting's face. "Don't tell Beixian about our meeting. You're a reasonable child. You probably don't want to see a rift between me and him over such a trivial matter."
A trivial matter?
Su Hui laughed at herself.
For her, it was a major event for a lifetime, but for him, it was an insignificant matter.
She forcibly held back her tears, slowly raised her head, looked at him, and said lightly, "I understand."
Gu Aoting's smile deepened, "You're a good child. Uncle actually likes you. The only thing is your family... Uncle is a businessman, and the company is the most important. It's the culmination of generations of hard work for our Gu family. Don't blame Uncle for being realistic; this society is just like that."
The address "uncle" made Su Hui smile.
He probably had never treated her as family.
"I understand. Goodbye, Uncle." After saying this, Su Hui grabbed her bag, stood up, and left.
Because she had been mentally prepared, Su Hui didn't feel too sad.
When she left the Western restaurant, her face was quite calm, as if nothing had happened. Her back was straight, and she didn't cry. She just sat in the small garden of the hospital for a whole morning.
There was a wisteria in the garden.
She sat on a bench under the wisteria, quietly admiring the flowers.
The wisteria bloomed very romantically, hanging in clusters on the branches, small flowers crowded together.
She used to think it was a very lively flower, but today she found that it was so sad. The densely packed flowers were filled with unspeakable sadness.
The sadness was about to overflow.
She had been so focused on appreciating the flowers that she didn't notice someone watching her from a distance.
It was a tall man with strong and straight legs, dressed in well-made black casual clothes, wearing a mask on his face.
He had a pair of very beautiful eyes, deep and black, with long, dark eyelashes. When he looked at others, his eyes were cold, but when he looked at Su Hui, they were warm. The eyes were clear, moist, and naturally affectionate.
Su Hui had been sitting for a long time, and he had been silently watching for a long time.
He disappeared completely into the crowd only after Su Hui left safely.