Gu Huaiyu took a deep breath and began to calculate seriously. “Xu Tianlin’s case is making a huge splash right now, and public attention is at an all-time high.”
“If we re-examine the incident where Su Zhuo injured Xu Tianlin within this current climate, we can completely frame it as acting for a just cause or even legitimate self-defense.”
“I have resources in several media outlets. We can hype this up first to get the public to notice the case. Once public opinion builds, the judicial authorities will be forced to take another look...”
As he spoke, he suddenly felt that the way Su Wan was looking at him had changed.
That cold outer shell seemed to have cracked, revealing something soft underneath.
She tilted her head slightly, the curve of her lips no longer so hard, and her gaze even held a trace of... warmth?
“Huaiyu,” she called his name.
Gu Huaiyu’s heart skipped a beat.
She hadn’t called him that in a long time.
Ever since the Su family’s downfall, she had called him “Gu Huaiyu,” “Young Master Gu,” or “you bastard”—but she had never called him “Huaiyu.”
“Thank you.” Her voice was very soft, carrying a tenderness he hadn’t heard in ages. “I know this is difficult, but the fact that you’re willing to help me... I’m truly moved.”
Gu Huaiyu felt like he was walking on air.
He watched as she stood up, walked around the small table, and came to stand before him.
She reached out, resting her hand gently on his shoulder, then leaned down and pressed a light kiss onto his cheek.
Warm, soft, and carrying that familiar scent from his memories.
“Wanwan...” He raised his hand, wanting to grasp hers.
She didn’t pull away.
Instead, she sat in the chair next to him, leaning over slightly to rest against his shoulder.
“You’ve lost so much weight.” Her voice came from the crook of his neck, muffled and tinged with a hint of heartache. “Have you not been eating properly again?”
Gu Huaiyu’s eyes suddenly grew hot.
Those words were so familiar.
Back when Su Wan was still by his side, every time he stayed up late working, she would grumble and complain like this. Then, she would clumsily cook him a late-night snack, sticking her tongue out in embarrassment if she burnt it.
He thought he would never hear those words again in this lifetime.
“Wanwan,” his voice was incredibly raspy as he cautiously wrapped an arm around her shoulder, as if afraid she would shatter if he used too much strength. “I’m fine. As long as you’re willing to talk to me, I’m fine with anything.”
She gave a soft “mm” and didn’t pull away.
Gu Huaiyu’s heart beat so fast it felt like it would leap out of his chest.
He lowered his head, resting his forehead against the crown of her head, greedily inhaling that long-lost scent.
She was still here.
She was still by his side.
She was willing to give him another chance.
He closed his eyes and tightened his arms, pulling her whole body into his embrace.
She leaned submissively against his chest without struggling, even reaching out to wrap her arms around his waist.
Gu Huaiyu felt that, at this moment, he would be willing to give up anything in exchange for this.
He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, then her forehead, and then her cheek.
She tilted her face up slightly, looking at him with a hazy gaze. Those eyes held the familiar dependence and tenderness he remembered—
Gu Huaiyu leaned down and captured her lips.
...
The private room was deathly silent.
The white tea incense in the burner had long since finished, leaving only the faintest trace of a lingering scent.
Su Wan stood by the window, looking at her own reflection in the glass.
Behind her, Gu Huaiyu was sitting and talking to an empty chair.
His voice was so tender it could practically drip with sweetness. As he spoke, he reached out and carefully caressed the back of the chair as if he were stroking a lover’s cheek.
“Wanwan... do you know how much I missed you...”
“During this time, I’ve been thinking about our past every single day...”
He leaned down toward the back of the chair and kissed it gently.
His lips pressed against the cold wood, making a faint sound.
Su Wan raised her phone, aiming the camera at him.
In the frame, Gu Huaiyu had his eyes closed, kissing an empty chair with a look of utter intoxication.
As he kissed it, he muttered to himself, saying things like “I’ll be good to you” and “give me another chance.”
Su Wan recorded him with an expressionless face, even changing angles to capture the near-pious obsession on his face with perfect clarity.
Then he stood up, carefully cradling the chair in his arms as if he were holding a real person, and began to pace slowly around the room.
“Wanwan, are you cold? I’ll turn up the air conditioning...”
“Do you want something to drink? I remember you used to like hot drinks...”
He rambled on to the chair, the expression on his face so tender it was almost distorted.
Su Wan put her phone away and watched the scene coldly.
It took a full ten minutes before Gu Huaiyu sat back down in his own seat.
The lazy satisfaction of being satiated still lingered on his face as he stared ahead with hazy eyes.
In his eyes, Su Wan was sitting opposite him, her head slightly lowered with a shy blush on her face.
“Wanwan,” his voice was gentle. “You said just now that you wanted to see my father...”
“Yes.” Su Wan’s voice came from the window, but to Gu Huaiyu’s ears, it sounded like it was coming from “opposite” him.
“I just want to go see him.” She walked back to the table, her tone much flatter now. “Regardless of everything, he still watched me grow up. Now that he’s dying, death ends all grudges... Let the past be the past.”
She paused and lowered her eyes. “I don’t mean anything else by it. I just want to take a look.”
Gu Huaiyu felt a surge of tenderness in his heart.
He felt that Su Wan had changed.
The version of her that had been filled only with hate seemed to be softening now.
She was willing to come see him, willing to let him hold her, and willing to let him kiss her.
Even though she hadn’t said anything about forgiveness, her body was honest.
Since she was willing to be like this with him, what was the harm in letting her see his father?
“Alright.” He nodded and stood up. “I’ll take you.”
Su Wan looked up at him.
There was no gratitude or emotion in that look; it was as calm as a pool of stagnant water.
But in Gu Huaiyu’s eyes, that look held relief, forgiveness, and a little bit of... something he couldn’t quite understand.
He walked over, wanting to take her hand.
Su Wan’s hand twitched slightly, but in the end, she didn’t pull away.
Gu Huaiyu slid his fingers through hers, their hands interlaced.
Her hand was very cold, as cold as a stone in winter.
But Gu Huaiyu didn’t care; he felt as though he were holding the whole world.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Su Wan gave an “mm” and let him lead her out of the private room.
The night was as thick as ink.
Gu Huaiyu’s car was parked at the club entrance—a black Maybach, polished to a spotless shine.
He opened the passenger door for Su Wan, and only after she was seated did he walk around to the other side to get in.
The engine started, and the headlights illuminated the road ahead.
“He’s at Jiangcheng First People’s Hospital, in the VIP Inpatient Department,” Gu Huaiyu said as he drove.
“He’s in a suite on the top floor, with a dedicated medical team watching him twenty-four hours a day.”
Rate on N.U.
