Qiao Xiguan frowned.
What exactly was her existence in the Gu Family?
With a hooked corner of her mouth, she couldn't help but smile, her charming voice saying, "It's my first day back, and I didn't want to make a big fuss."
"Getting smarter," Gu Zijun's fingers caressed Qiao Xiguan's face, from top to bottom, pausing at her soft lips. He gently pried her lips open, "Today, I'll let you off."
She watched as Gu Zijun got up from the bed and walked out of her room.
She took a slight breath.
Was this body involved with Gu Zijun?
After being tossed around by the third young master of the Gu family, sleeping peacefully was out of the question.
After a quick clean-up in the bathroom, she changed her clothes and left the room.
The Gu Family's courtyard wasn't particularly large, but it didn't feel cramped with so many people living together, and the decor was high-end and luxurious.
She descended the stairs step by step, following the hallway.
Her circle of life had always been simple. Her parents were somewhat wealthy, self-made with no ties to the nobility, and after she graduated from university, she took over her parents' business. With Qi Lingfeng's help, her journey was smooth, and her assets had already surpassed those of other noble families in Shanghai, making her a person of high status! But unexpectedly, all of it was a deliberate scheme by someone with intent.
She had loved so deeply and earnestly only to be told, "Huo Xiaoxi, I have never loved you in my life, not once. Seeing you die was the most pleasurable thing I've ever done in my life."
Qi Lingfeng.
Are you pleased now?!
Hugging the woman he loved, he had taken her wealth and was now living the life of the privileged.
She pressed her lips together, controlling her emotions.
No one was in the hall.
Calmly, she headed toward the back garden, following the direction of the hall.
The backyard was overgrown with green grass, featuring a luxurious open-air swimming pool, elegant jogging paths, exquisite tables and chairs with street lamps, and a greenhouse that was somewhat shocking.
Inside the greenhouse.
All kinds of precious flowers bloomed in competition, whether they belonged to this season or not, all bared their wanton smiles.
The scent of pollen was too strong; she actually didn't like these short-lived species very much.
But at this moment, she bent down, lowered her head to lightly sniff the blue enchantress in front of her, and then asked, "Do you like flowers?"
At this moment, the eldest young master of the Gu family was not sitting in a wheelchair, but rather was seated casually among the flowers, personally pruning and weeding them.
He glanced at her and continued with his work, seemingly filtering out her words automatically as if he hadn't heard them.
"I'll tell you a secret," she said with a smile, not minding in the slightest.
Gu Zichen gave her a cold look, apparently not very interested in her secret.
Qiao Xiguan didn't care and continued, "While in prison, I was injured by another inmate and needed three stitches. The wound is still there. So…" she pointed to her head, "there's something wrong here."
She had to thank that inmate, actually.
Because she was reborn.
"Hmm," Gu Zichen responded indifferently.
She thought that Gu Zichen was not interested in her.
Not just uninterested, he probably was very repulsed.
She turned to leave.
She was not someone who liked to fervently chase after cold indifference.
Even though this person was her "husband."
The so-called husband.
"Help me up," a deep, somber voice suddenly came from behind Gu Zichen.
Qiao Xiguan hesitated for a moment before walking over to assist him.
She had always thought he would be skinny, at least appearing somewhat frail, but to her surprise, the pressure he exerted on her was substantial enough to challenge her strength. And judging from her recent rough estimate, this man's height should be no less than 180cm, perhaps even taller.
She caught her breath slightly.
"Pick up the newspaper on the ground for me," Gu Zichen said. His tone was neither warm nor friendly, and seemed to carry a hint of command.
Qiao Xiguan didn't bother to take offense, and bent down with her eyes tightening.
The front-page headline was all too familiar to her.
She picked it up and handed it to him, feigning nonchalance, "What's your take on this accident?"
"What accident?" Gu Zichen frowned, looking down at the newspaper, "I rarely look at these things. It's just a random one I grabbed from home to sit on."
"This woman," Qiao Xiguan pointed to the mosaic-covered face in the paper, "was almost married to you at one point."
Gu Zichen looked down at the spot she was pointing to.
"That's all in the past. I have little interest in the outside world," he said bluntly, without consideration for anyone's feelings.
Qiao Xiguan stood silent, pursing her lips.
Gu Zichen's face remained austere as he pushed his wheelchair away.
When he left the greenhouse, he casually threw the newspaper he was holding into a nearby trash bin.
Qiao Xiguan quietly observed his actions.
Gu Zichen, what kind of man are you really? She thought of his appearance as disinterested in everything, which oddly left her with an indescribable sense of mystery.
She bit her lip, her eyes slightly narrowed.
As Gu Zichen left the greenhouse, he looked through the glass at Qiao Xiguan still standing there.
Besides his parents, who else in the family knew about his dealings with Huo Xiaoxi?
It had been many years since a marriage was discussed, a marriage where they had never met face to face. Yet, Huo Xiaoxi's father was willing to give his daughter in marriage to a man with a disability like himself for the sake of a deal... In the end, Huo Xiaoxi chased her own happiness, and he was abandoned by her.
That's when Qiao Xiguan came into the picture.
Would Qiao Xiguan be willing to marry him willingly?
No woman would ever willingly marry him.
It was all because of commercial alliances, all for the sake of gaining benefits.
He let out a cold laugh. The Qiao Xiguan who returned this time had really gotten her head smashed, or was she hiding something else, some truth?!
Qiao Xiguan didn't stay long in the greenhouse and headed back to the hall.
The hall was no longer as deserted as before.
The Gu family matriarch Qi Huifen and the second daughter-in-law Yan Xintong returned from shopping.
Seeing Qiao Xiguan appear, Yan Xintong greeted her with seeming warmth, "Isn't this the eldest sister-in-law? I had forgotten it's your release day today. Are you okay?"
Her voice was soft and tender.
Qiao Xiguan looked at Yan Xintong.
Something in her heart stirred suddenly.
Is it hatred?
Qiao Xiguan, do you hate this woman?
"Eldest sister-in-law? Are you out of your mind since just getting out of prison? Or is there a problem with your hearing? I'm talking to you," Yan Xintong laughed sweetly, but her tone was full of irony.