Gu Nanzhou's gaze was gloomy as he stared at the girl's exposed pearly white earlobe. His Adam's apple bobbed, and the frustration in the depths of his heart grew even heavier.
He pursed his lips, his eyes exuding a thin coldness, and his voice gradually became colder, "Fine, I understand."
Su Wan could tell that Gu Nanzhou seemed a bit angry, but she didn't want to argue with him right now; she was too tired.
Su Wan remained soft and gentle as she smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Gu."
Gu Nanzhou was irritated by her smile. He replied coldly without looking at her, turned around, and walked away.
Alone, Su Wan stood in the same spot, lost in a daze, until Gu Nanzhou's figure was no longer visible. Then she adjusted her expression and headed towards her mother's hospital room.
Seated in his car with legs crossed, Gu Nanzhou pulled at his tie with one hand and squinted as he lit a cigarette.
He didn't know what was annoying him so much; just the thought of Su Wan's distant tone made him feel very uncomfortable right now.
He didn't like this feeling of being out of control.
The car filled with smoke as Gu Nanzhou sat with half-closed eyes, the tip of his finger glowing scarlet.
After a long silence, he stubbed out the cigarette in the container and, with a stern face, made a phone call to his assistant.
After learning the truth, Su Wan behaved very quietly, too quiet to be normal.
Gu Nanzhou would have preferred her to be angry or lose her temper like last time, rather than being this quiet.
Gu Nanzhou instructed his assistant to have someone keep an eye on Su Wan, to prevent her from getting into any more trouble.
By the time Gu Nanzhou returned to the villa, it was very late.
Seeing him, the long-waiting Housekeeper Wu wiped her hands on her apron with some hesitation, "Sir, did you and Miss Su have a fight? Miss Su didn't come back today."
Gu Nanzhou paused for a moment, recalling what the person he had sent reported—that Su Wan was staying in the hospital and wouldn't be returning.
"No," Gu Nanzhou's expression was indifferent, though his demeanor was not too good. "She's at the hospital."
Housekeeper Wu breathed a sigh of relief that there was no quarrel, though she wondered whether Miss Su could rest well in the hospital.
Thinking this, Housekeeper Wu couldn't help but chatter, "Sir, don't mind me talking too much. Such a big thing has happened, Miss Su must be terribly worried. Tomorrow, I'll make a soup for Miss Su and Mrs. Su. When you leave, could you please bring it to Miss Su on your way?"
Gu Nanzhou unexpectedly grunted in acknowledgment, seeming to take her words to heart.
After seeing off the elder, Gu Nanzhou looked out at the deserted living room. With Su Wan not at home, he suddenly felt somewhat uncomfortable.
In the past, no matter what time he came home, the young girl would always be waiting for him in the living room, without fail.
When she saw him, her beautiful eyes were always smiling, bright and sparkling, which was very comforting to look at.
Gu Nanzhou took out his cellphone and sent a message to Su Wan,
"Not coming back?"
Su Wan replied instantly, "Hmm."
A few seconds later she added, "I won't come back, Mr. Gu. I'm staying at the hospital with Mom today."
"Goodnight, Mr. Gu."
Her words were almost the same as the ones she usually sent him, so it seemed she wasn't holding a grudge over the incident. After all, the Gu Family was also involved. Just the thought of the other members of the Gu Family made Gu Nanzhou's gaze darken.
Putting down his cellphone, he stood on the balcony and took out another cigarette from the box to light up.
Even though he was aware that Su Wan wouldn't return, he still inexplicably wanted to talk to her.
The moonlight outside the window was dense, a few strands of it fell upon the man's face, making his expression indistinct amidst the hazy glow, but his beautiful eyes were pitch-black and deep, like an unfathomable abyss.
The next day, an employee told Mr. Gu that Miss Su had gone home in the morning, and an hour later said that Miss Su had put on makeup and seemed to be heading to the company.
Gu Nanzhou paused for a moment and asked what she was coming to the company for,
The employee on the other end of the phone hesitated before speaking up, nervously, "Mr. Gu, Miss Su seems to be looking for Miss Shen."
"Shen Lin?"
"Yes, Mr. Gu, don't you remember? Just a few days ago, Miss Shen was assigned to the planning department of the company, it was said to be by higher-up's command."
Gu Nanzhou's expression darkened; he didn't remember this at all.
At this moment, standing under the Gu Group building, Su Wan held the photocopies of the evidence she had taken from Gu Nanzhou.
Su Wan rarely came to Gu Nanzhou's company, and as she entered, many people didn't recognize the boss's wife.
After she got on the elevator reserved for senior executives, some couldn't help whispering,
"Who is that, here to see Mr. Gu?"
"Doesn't look like it, don't you know what kind of people our Mr. Gu associates with?"
"But that Miss Shen who suddenly parachuted in not long ago, isn't there a rumor that she has a quite special relationship with Mr. Gu?"
Su Wan heard these words loud and clear. She wasn't angry, just thinking to herself that Li Yunlian had acted quickly to have Shen Lin appointed to the company so soon.
The elevator reached the planning department, Su Wan walked to Shen Lin's office door, and knocked.
A lazy female voice came from inside the office: "Come in."
Su Wan opened the door, Shen Lin looked up, and their eyes met.
"You..."
Seeing Shen Lin's stunned expression, Su Wan's smile was faint, "Miss Shen."
Shen Lin felt a sudden pang of anxiety, she barely maintained her composure, her tone unfriendly, "What brings Miss Su here? I'm very busy, if Miss Su needs something, please speak with my assistant first."
"It won't take up much of your time," Su Wan said, putting the photocopies on Shen Lin's desk, pushing them in front of her.
She didn't bother with pretenses, asking directly, "Why are you trying to harm my mother?"
Shen Lin opened the papers and saw that they contained very detailed records. Her expression flickered with surprise and her hand trembled as she held the paper, but she quickly regained her composure.
She was just a fallen heiress no longer favored, Shen Lin sneered internally. Su Wan had nobody backing her; there was nothing to fear.
"So what if it was me," Shen Lin said, propping up her face, her eyes haughty and her tone derisive, "What can you do to me, Miss Su?"
"Do you know what your mother's caretaker said? She said she had had enough, she didn't want to look after the mother of someone powerless and insignificant. So after I promised her benefits and a position, she didn't hesitate to reveal to me all your mother's routines."
"Oh, and another thing, Miss Su surely doesn't know how your mother is faring in the nursing home, right?" Shen Lin clicked her tongue, feigned a sigh, "Poor Mrs. Su, with a daughter out of favor, she herself has to suffer too."
"I admit I was the mastermind, but what can Miss Su use to fight me? Your down-and-out Su family? Or your marriage with Brother Nanzhou, which is merely for show?"
Shen Lin thought that Su Wan would storm off in a fit of embarrassment and rage, but her expression remained completely undisturbed from beginning to end, as if she couldn't care less about what Shen Lin was saying.
Smiling, Su Wan said, "Are you done, Miss Shen?"
Shen Lin was momentarily taken aback, seemingly caught off guard by her reaction, and subconsciously retorted, "What..."
The next second, a crisp slap echoed through the office.