Shen Lin's eyes turned red in an instant after a few seconds of daze, with one hand covering her left cheek, and the other pointing at Su Wan, her face filled with disbelief and her voice trembling, "You, you dared to hit me?!"
"Is there ever a right time to hit you?"
Su Wan rubbed her palm and looked down at her from above, "That slap was on behalf of my mother."
Her expression was very faint, with a slight tilt at the end of her eyes, but the words she spoke were cold, "Shen Lin, if you dare to bully the Su Family again, it won't be as simple as a slap."
Shen Lin shivered, crying out in a whiny tone, "Su Wan! Have you gone mad! Do you think you're all that because you married into the Gu Family? Do you know why everyone dares to bully you and your mother? It's because Brother Nanzhou doesn't like you! You're still going to get a divorce!"
"So what if we do," the young girl found it somewhat amusing, her expression was like watching a clown perform, "What does getting a divorce have to do with me slapping you?"
Su Wan bent down slightly to meet Shen Lin's eyes; light from outside shone in, her eyes a very gentle amber color, speaking slowly and distinctly,
"Do you know, Shen Lin, you should feel fortunate that my mother could still wake up."
A chill spread from her heart to her limbs, Shen Lin's words stuck in her throat, her lips quivering incessantly.
As the last syllable fell, Su Wan stood up, showing her first genuine smile since she arrived, "I'm leaving, goodbye."
Just as the young girl turned around, she saw Gu Nanzhou standing at the doorway but couldn't tell how long he had been there.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly, "Mr. Gu...?"
"When did you get here?"
Gu Nanzhou glanced down at her, she had light makeup on today, that delicate little face looking even more charming, "I came not long after you got here."
Which means he had heard the entire conversation between the two of them, including the slap she gave Shen Lin.
Su Wan pursed her lips, looking away, unsure of what to say.
Shen Lin, sitting collapsed in the chair, brightened up, seeing Gu Nanzhou as if she had seen a savior.
Her voice was no longer as shrill and angry as before, she whined with a pinched throat and a face full of grievance, "Brother Nanzhou, Su Wan hit me..."
From the beginning to the end, Gu Nanzhou hadn't given Shen Lin even a glance.
His brows furrowed slightly, still staring at Su Wan, with a low voice, "Why didn't you come to me first."
"I forgot."
Gu Nanzhou's frown deepened, "Forgot or didn't want to?"
Su Wan was silent; she lowered her head, playing with her clothes' hem. After a while, as if she had made up her mind, she looked up seriously at Gu Nanzhou.
"Mr. Gu, let's talk."
Gu Nanzhou was momentarily startled, his eyelashes drooping down to look at her, "Let's go to the office."
Su Wan shook her head, "No need for that, let's just talk right here."
"You go ahead."
"Mr. Gu," Su Wan looked at the face she had been fond of for so many years, her voice very soft when she finally spoke, "I've thought about it, and I don't think we're quite right for each other."
Upon hearing this, Gu Nanzhou's brows furrowed even deeper, and his tone sank much more, "What do you mean."
"Let's get a divorce,"
As the young girl spoke these words, the faces of those sneaking around outside the door to eavesdrop instantly turned white, as if they had heard some life-threatening news.
Gu Nanzhou's expression changed as well.
Su Wan thought he hadn't heard clearly, so she repeated, "What I mean is, we should split up."
Last night she had thought a lot, and between her and Gu Nanzhou, it seemed like there were mountains and seas, and between the mountains and the sea, there was a chasm that could never be crossed.
For the first time, Su Wan felt that Shen Lin was right. Everyone dared to bully her and her mother because Gu Nanzhou didn't like her.
Now, her mother had nearly gotten into an accident because of her, and Su Wan suddenly didn't want to continue like this anymore.
This road was dark with no light; she couldn't see the end nor get a response.
She should have known that there was never any destiny between her and Gu Nanzhou. The shallow bond of husband and wife these past few years had just been her struggling on her own. To keep knocking on a door that wasn't opened for you was impolite.
Having uttered the words "divorce," Su Wan unexpectedly felt a sense of relief.
Gu Nanzhou's lips were tightly pressed together. His eyes narrowed, and there was a thin layer of coldness in his brows. He stared at Su Wan unblinkingly, as if he was trying to get an answer from her.
The words of the young girl seemed to be seared into his heart, scorching him until he suddenly lost his composure.
After a moment of silence, Gu Nanzhou finally spoke, "Su Wan, do you know... what you're talking about?"
His voice was very low and a bit hoarse. In his usually unaffected eyes, a flicker of panic flashed by, then disappeared.
Su Wan tugged at the corners of her mouth, with a feeble smile. "Mr. Gu, I know what I'm saying, and I am not just speaking out of anger either."
"If it's because I didn't handle this matter in time, then I apologize. You don't need to take it out on me like this."
"But I'm not taking it out on you," Su Wan looked down, "I just feel…"
She didn't know how to explain to Gu Nanzhou, and she didn't know what to explain.
Su Wan suddenly remembered a certain year on Gu Nanzhou's birthday when she had spent a lot of time and effort, asking numerous people for help, to buy him cufflinks customized by a famous designer from abroad.
She gave them to him full of joy, but the next day, the gift box was still on the desk, the ribbon perfectly tied in a bow. Gu Nanzhou had not opened it.
Su Wan concealed her sadness for a long time. When Gu Nanzhou noticed and asked her about it, she realized that all of his clothes were custom-made, with cufflinks specifically designed to match. They were unique in City A and no doubt many times more expensive than what she had given him. Suddenly, she also didn't know how to explain.
Actually, there was nothing to explain. Some things, once you decide to leave them behind, should not be brought up again to be trampled on.
"Feel what?"
Ever since the young girl suggested divorce, a deep resentment had been piling up in Gu Nanzhou's heart, so strong that he couldn't think clearly.
His brow furrowed, his gaze turned colder, and he said heavily without realizing, "Su Wan, this marriage was arranged by grandfather, it's not child's play as you seem to think."
"Even if you get divorced and leave the Gu Family, who will take care of your mother's medical bills, your own food, clothing, housing, and transportation? It's easy to get used to luxury, but hard to give it up. The Su Family can't provide the life you want right now. You're used to being Mrs. Gu, so after the divorce, what can you do?"
"But I have never been Mrs. Gu," the statement from Su Wan's mouth sounded incredibly feeble. She suddenly let out a light laugh, "Never mind, I think I want to go back now."
Gu Nanzhou subconsciously grabbed Su Wan's wrist, his eyes narrowing, "Where are you going?"
Su Wan looked at him somewhat puzzled, "To the hospital, to see my mother."