When she saw this scene, a heavy stone seemed to settle in Xia Xing’s chest, choking her.
They had been married for five years, yet Gu Huaijin had never once gone with her to drop Gu Ziting off at kindergarten.
Xia Xing had brought it up before, only to be turned down by Gu Huaijin, who claimed he was far too busy with work.
So it turned out he was not busy at all.
He simply did not want to go with her.
Gu Ziting rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned, clearly having stayed up late the night before and not gotten enough rest.
But at Lin Susu’s words, his eyes flew wide open.
Sure enough, he spotted Xia Xing standing a short distance away.
Lin Susu looked down at Gu Ziting.
“Ziting, I told you.
How could Miss Xia truly be angry with you?
Look, she came so early just to see you.”
A flicker of triumph crossed Gu Ziting’s eyes after hearing this.
He stared at Xia Xing and put on a haughty tone.
“Don’t think you can manipulate me with your schemes.
I won’t let you lead me around.
I won’t forgive you until you apologize to Aunt Susu.”
Lin Susu turned to Gu Huaijin with a soft smile.
“Ajin, it seems Ayi’s idea actually worked a little.”
Gu Huaijin let out a faint “Mm.” Then he spoke to Xia Xing.
“Susu hasn’t had much of an appetite lately.
Go prepare medicinal food for her now.”
Xia Xing shot him a strange look, her red lips parting to utter two cold words.
“Delusional.”
Lin Susu stepped forward to smooth things over, playing the peacemaker.
“Miss Xia, stop quarrelling with Ajin.
We can all sit down and talk this through.
You haven’t worked all these years and have no income.
You’ve always lived a life of luxury.
You must have suffered terribly after leaving home, haven’t you?”
Lin Susu pleaded, “Miss Xia, just apologize to Ajin.
Ziting is still young.
We shouldn’t drag children into adult conflicts, don’t you agree?”
Her underlying implication was that Xia Xing was using the child to draw attention to herself.
Gu Huaijin fixed Xia Xing with an icy stare.
“Apologize to Susu now, and I will let bygones be bygones for everything that happened before.”
Gu Ziting frowned, his face clouded with displeasure.
“Mom, I am not your tool to fight for attention.”
Xia Xing looked at the three of them, united against her, and felt an overwhelming absurdity.
To an outsider, they would look like a real family, and she the villain bullying them.
Lin Susu sounded earnest, almost like her closest friend.
“Miss Xia, you’d better know when to stop while you’re ahead.” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Xia Xing let out a cold laugh.
“Know when to stop?
Freezing my bank cards and demanding an apology — this is what you call ‘being good’?
Would you want this kind of goodness for yourself, Miss Lin?”
Lin Susu opened her mouth but could find nothing to say.
Just then, Gu Ziting suddenly stepped in front of Lin Susu, spreading his arms wide with a stern expression, taking on the stance of her protector.
“Don’t bully Aunt Susu ever again!”
Xia Xing was genuinely stunned.
Over this period, Gu Ziting had been fawning over Lin Susu, yet he had never stood opposite her like this, acting as her adversary.
No — that was not quite right.
It was only because Xia Xing had always caved and given in first in the past that this scene had never played out.
Looking at Gu Ziting’s hostile glare, Xia Xing stumbled, barely keeping her balance.
A glint flashed quickly across Lin Susu’s eyes.
She stepped forward, reaching out as if to steady Xia Xing.
“Miss Xia, watch out — Ah!”
Lin Susu lurched sideways as though she had been shoved, stumbling toward the road.
A car was passing by not far away.
She was on the verge of falling into its path when Gu Huaijin reacted instantly, pulling her safely into his arms.
Tears welled up in Lin Susu’s eyes at once.
Her body trembled faintly from fright.
“Ajin… I… I almost lost you forever…”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, delicate and heart-wrenching.
Gu Huaijin’s face turned stone-cold.
His gaze, sharp as a blade, shot straight toward Xia Xing.
Lin Susu clutched Gu Huaijin’s arm.
“Ajin, it wasn’t Miss Xia’s fault… please don’t blame her.
I just lost my footing…”
Seeing this, Gu Ziting hurried over anxiously.
“Aunt Susu, are you all right?”
Lin Susu forced a weak smile.
“I’m fine…”
Before she finished speaking, Lin Susu suddenly fainted.
Gu Huaijin paid Xia Xing no more mind.
He lifted Lin Susu into his arms and strode toward their car.
Gu Ziting followed closely behind.
Neither of them spared Xia Xing a single glance.
Xia Xing watched Gu Huaijin and Gu Ziting’s retreating figures.
Her heart sank as if plunged into glacial, frigid water.
Xia Xing closed her eyes, took several deep breaths, then lifted her trembling feet and walked slowly away.
…
Xia Xing had thought that with the large sum of money Shen Yeming had given her, Shen Xi would be a difficult child to care for.
He was not picky about food at all, eating whatever she served him.
Obedient and quiet, never making a fuss — truly an angelic child.
That night, Xia Xing had just settled Shen Xi to sleep when her phone vibrated.
She answered the call, and Yu Yan’s urgent voice came through the line.
“Xing’er, what are you doing right now?
Have you seen the news?”
Xia Xing closed the door to Shen Xi’s room and spoke softly.
“I just put Shen Xi to bed.
What’s wrong?”
“You’re trending!”
“Trending?” Xia Xing frowned in confusion.
“What’s the hashtag about?”
“Someone dug up your identity… Ugh, I can’t explain it in a few words.
Go check it yourself!”
After hanging up, Xia Xing opened the trending page with doubt in her heart.
She had always kept a low profile.
During her five-year marriage to Gu Huaijin, they had barely appeared in public together.
Apart from a handful of Gu Huaijin’s acquaintances, almost no one in their social circle knew who she was.
How could she be trending?
Confused, Xia Xing pulled up the hot search list on her phone.
A blazing red entry sat firmly in the number-one spot.
She tapped on the trending tag and saw photos of herself.
Digging into the legendary Mrs.
Gu: The life story of a woman surnamed Xia.
Beneath the headline were several watermarked exclusive photos and a written account.
“As we all know, the famed ‘Buddha of the Capital Circle’ Mr.
Gu Huaijin has an unforgettable first love — Miss Lin Susu, who recently returned home.”
“Yet five years ago, Gu Huaijin suddenly rushed into a flash marriage for unknown reasons.
Only recently have we learned the truth behind his sudden wedding: it was a shotgun marriage.”
“And his bride, of course, was Gu Huaijin’s wife, the woman surnamed Xia.”
“Rumour has it that it was she who shamelessly climbed into Gu Huaijin’s bed, cruelly tearing him apart from Lin Susu and forcing Lin Susu overseas.”
“Not long ago, Lin Susu returned home for treatment as she suffers from a terminal illness.
Overcome by jealousy, the woman surnamed Xia began hounding her at every turn, even cursing Lin Susu to die soon.”
Beneath this text were more photos and a short video.
Most showed the moment when she “pushed” Lin Susu, with Lin Susu staring tearfully at her, looking like an innocent wronged white flower.
Xia Xing opened the video.
It opened with her own cutting remark:
“Naturally, I can’t compare to Miss Lin’s charm.
Gu Huaijin’s sister adores you, so do his friends.
Gu Huaijin and Gu Ziting are both head over heels for Miss Lin.
Even God… seems to favor someone like Miss Lin.”