Su Hui returned to her grandmother's ward.
Upon seeing her extremely pale complexion, Su Peilan anxiously inquired, "What happened, my dear? Why does your face look so dreadful?"
Su Hui shook her head, walked to her grandmother's bedside, sat down, and held her hand, smiling as she engaged her in conversation.
Su Peilan, with an impatient temperament, didn't wait long before pulling Su Hui's wrist and said, "Come with me for a moment."
They moved to the corridor.
Su Peilan stared into her eyes, asking, "Has Gu Beixian bullied you again?"
"No."
"Then who troubled you? I'm your mother; if there's an issue, you should tell me, not someone else." Su Peilan sounded a bit anxious.
Su Hui calmly replied, "Gu Beixian's father approached me."
"Gu Aoting is bothering you?"
"He asked us to divorce."
Su Peilan coldly scoffed, "When Gu Beixian couldn't stand up from his wheelchair before, why didn't Gu Aoting force you to divorce? Now that Gu Beixian can run and jump, he's pressuring you to divorce? Heartless and unfaithful! Burning bridges after crossing the river, grinding an axe after the massacre, killing the donkey after grinding the mill, having the heart of a wolf and the lungs of a dog!"
Su Peilan scolded Gu Aoting for a while before asking, "What did Gu Beixian say?"
"He said to have a child, and if I get pregnant, he won't divorce."
Su Peilan angrily retorted, "Have a child! With an shameless ex-girlfriend and a heartless father. With these two stirring the pot, even if you have a bunch of children, they could still break you two apart, and then the children will be pitiful."
Su Hui nodded, "That's what I think too."
Su Peilan impatiently waved her hand, "Go ahead, get a divorce, the sooner, the better. My daughter is young, beautiful, talented, and with a good temper. After the divorce, you can find any man you want."
Su Hui felt a bit emotional, leaning on her mother's shoulder and shedding tears.
Tears flowed uncontrollably.
Sometimes crying is a form of release, a way to let go of emotions, making it seem like the pain is not so overwhelming.
Su Peilan gently patted her back, feeling a bit choked, "Blame me for being useless, letting you suffer. We, from a small and humble family, can't match their kind of family."
Just as Su Hui was about to speak, her phone suddenly rang.
She took out her phone and looked at it.
It was a call from Gu Beixian.
Wiping her eyes, she answered, "Hello."
Gu Beixian said, "They'll remove the splint from your hand tomorrow. I've arranged with Dr. Bai, it's at 10:30 in the morning. Don't forget."
Su Hui politely and distantly replied, "Thank you."
Gu Beixian sensed something off in her tone and paused, "What's wrong?"
Su Hui pursed her lips and said, "I want to spend more time with my grandmother recently. I won't go back at night, I'll stay at my mom's place. It's closer to the hospital. Can you go back and help pack my things and have someone send them over?"
Gu Beixian fell silent for a moment, "Alright, I'll find time to bring them to you."
"Thank you."
That night, Gu Beixian brought Su Hui's hospital card and some necessities, along with a pot of spare ribs soup.
He handed the soup to Su Hui, "Liu Sao made this. Drink more soup; it'll help your bones heal."
Su Hui took it, thanked him, placed the soup on the table, and awkwardly said, "You should go back; the company is important."
Gu Beixian raised his eyebrows slightly, "I've finished work."
"Go back and rest well; you have work tomorrow."
Gu Beixian's deep, dark eyes locked onto her, silent and unmoving for a while. After he left, Su Hui opened the thermos, divided the soup into three portions, and shared it with her grandmother and mother.
The soup was rich, with added cordyceps and wolfberries.
Su Hui sipped it slowly.
Su Peilan didn't drink a drop, staring at the soup bowl and sighing heavily.
The next morning at ten.
While waiting for an X-ray outside the radiology department, Gu Beixian arrived again.
Dressed in a suit with a tie, looking hurried, he held a pile of documents and answered phone calls one after another. Evidently, he had taken time out of his busy schedule.
Su Hui waited for him to finish the calls and said, "If you're so busy, you don't have to come. Removing a splint is a simple task; I can handle it myself."
Gu Beixian put his phone and documents into his briefcase, saying casually, "Work must be done from start to finish."
The word "finish" tugged at Su Hui's heart inexplicably.
After the splint was removed, the doctor gave many instructions, including how to do rehabilitation.
Gu Beixian recorded it with his phone and sent it to Su Hui's phone.
The two returned to her grandmother's ward.
Dr. Shen Huai was checking her grandmother's health.
Su Peilan stood beside him, chatting and laughing. When she saw Gu Beixian approaching, she deliberately raised her voice and asked, "Dr. Shen, do you have a girlfriend?"
Dr. Shen glanced at Su Hui and replied, "No."
Su Peilan, now interested, said, "How about considering our little Hui? She's excellent, skipped several grades since childhood, graduated from college at nineteen. Well-behaved, good-tempered, hardworking, and she also has the skill to restore ancient paintings."
Dr. Shen smiled, "Su Hui is indeed outstanding."
Su Peilan glanced at Gu Beixian provocatively, saying to Dr. Shen, "If you're interested in our little Hui, go ahead and pursue her. Although she looks calm on the surface, she's actually easy to talk to."
Dr. Shen straightened up, took off his mask, looked towards Su Hui, and smilingly said, "Sure, I'd love to."
Gu Beixian, standing on the side, had a changed expression, a kind of indescribable coldness, a slight mocking in his raised lips, coldly and distantly observing Dr. Shen and Su Peilan's exchange.
Su Peilan continued provocatively, looking at Su Hui, "Little Hui, I think Dr. Shen is quite good. Handsome, good temper, and also the young master of your restaurant. You two should have a lot in common."
Su Hui frowned, restraining her mother, "Mom, can you say a little less?"
"Why not let me speak? Mountains may change, rivers may shift, but three-legged toads are hard to find, and two-legged men are everywhere!"
Gu Beixian remained silent, slammed the medical records
and the hospital card onto the table, turned around, and left.
Su Hui followed.
Gu Beixian initially walked fast.
Su Hui had to jog a bit to catch up.
As they approached the elevator, he slowed down a bit, deliberately or unintentionally waiting for Su Hui.
After entering the elevator, neither of them spoke.
The elevator was crowded.
Gu Beixian pulled the fabric on Su Hui's shoulder, pulling her behind him to protect her.
On the first floor, they got out of the elevator in silence.
The late spring chill made the wind quite cold.
Su Hui couldn't help but shiver.
Gu Beixian single-handedly unbuttoned his suit and threw it over her shoulders.
Su Hui raised her hand to take it off.
Gu Beixian held her shoulder, preventing her from removing it, and bent down to button it for her.
He buttoned it somewhat forcefully, his handsome face darkening.
After finishing, he walked away.
Su Hui hurriedly took a few steps to catch up.
It wasn't until they reached the parking lot that he stopped and looked down at her from a higher vantage point, saying coldly, "Don't want to go home, is it for the convenience of developing a relationship with Shen Huai?"
Su Hui looked at him with a touch of resentment in her eyes.
It was a very hurtful look.
Gu Beixian paused for a moment and apologized, "I was a bit impulsive just now."
Su Hui pursed her lips, remaining silent.
Gu Beixian lowered his gaze to her and suppressed his emotions, saying, "I feel like we have a lot in common. Shen's surname, looks just average compared to me. As for temperament, I might not be as good as him, but this past year, I've been quite restrained in front of you."
A sour feeling lingered in Su Hui's heart, indescribable.
She walked slowly to stand in front of him, leaning against him without reaching out to hug.
Just leaning there, looking quite powerless.
Gu Beixian's eyebrows twitched slightly. After a few seconds, he raised his hand and circled her into his arms.
Su Hui, holding back tears, softly said, "Prepare the divorce agreement when you go back. You had a prenuptial agreement, and you already gave me the breakup fee long ago. The divorce agreement should be simple to prepare."
Gu Beixian's eyes tightened, and he suddenly used some force to hug her, making it hard for her to breathe.
After a while, he asked, "Did my father approach you?"