If he didn’t love her, why would he abandon his wife and stay by her side all night?
Gu Tingyan’s feelings toward Qin Shu were only a husband’s sense of duty and responsibility—not love.
On the night of the high school graduation exam, Qin Shu confessed to Gu Tingyan.
The very next day, Chu Sheng and Gu Tingyan announced their relationship on social media.
If you don’t love someone, you just don’t.
So many years had passed, and Qin Shu still couldn’t compete with her.
Qin Shu and her mother were nothing more than stepping stones for the two of them.
Qin Zhiyun had never been able to outdo Chu Sheng’s mother, and the daughter she bore was just as useless as she was.
What a pitiful, pathetic pair of mother and daughter.
Chu Sheng’s eyes held a determined glint as she said calmly, “Don’t worry. He will.”
“If it weren’t for that car accident back then, Tingyan and I would never have been separated.”
Chu Sheng pressed her lips together. “And Dad would never have let Qin Shu take my place and marry into the Gu family!”
“The only one he loves is me.”
The fact that she and Qin Shu were actually half-sisters from the same father disgusted her to no end.
After Chu Sheng died, Chu Xuanming naturally wouldn’t give up on the towering tree that was the Gu family, so he had someone tie up Qin Shu and send her to the Gu household as a substitute bride.
Few people in the capital knew that she and Qin Shu were half-sisters sharing the same father—not even Gu Tingyan knew.
Because Chu Xuanming refused to acknowledge Qin Shu.
When Chu Xuanming divorced Qin Zhiyun, the Chu family directly kicked the mother and daughter out.
Qin Zhiyun was schemed against so thoroughly that she was forced to leave with nothing.
Whether it was eight years ago or eight years later!
The person Gu Tingyan loved was always her, Chu Sheng.
Gu Tingyan would always belong to her alone!
And Qin Shu was nothing more than a replacement.
Jiang Chenxue asked, “Haven’t you told Gu Tingyan yet that you also gave birth to a son for him?”
Chu Sheng’s hand paused, her gaze turning distant. “Don’t tell him yet.”
Jiang Chenxue didn’t understand. “Why not tell him?”
“If he finds out you bore him a child—”
“He’d divorce Qin Shu and marry you immediately!”
Chu Sheng’s face showed irritation as she lowered her head and replied, “Mom, stop it. I have my own plan.”
She couldn’t say anything yet, because Chen Chen wasn’t actually Gu Tingyan’s child. If the Gu family ran a DNA test, everything would be exposed!
Fobbing the child off on Gu Tingyan scared Chu Sheng too.
She wouldn’t do it unless absolutely necessary.
Jiang Chenxue frowned. Such a good card—why wasn’t her daughter using it right away?
She should make Gu Tingyan divorce Qin Shu immediately.
Since Chu Sheng had given Gu Tingyan a son, there was no need for that little brat growing in Qin Shu’s belly.
From now on, all the property under the Gu family name would belong to her grandson alone!
At the hospital.
Gu Tingyan also received a message from the driver. He was woken by his phone vibrating: “President Gu, madam got into a car accident on the way to pick up the young master.”
Gu Tingyan saw the message on his phone, his expression shifting slightly. An intense fear rose inexplicably in his heart as he urgently asked, “Where is she?!”
“Madam is fine—just the car was wrecked.”
Gu Tingyan: “Wait for me to come over.”
Gu Tingyan let out a slight sigh of relief and strode out.
Chu Sheng put away her phone, her eyes looking pitifully at him. “Tingyan, where are you going?”
“Huahua got into a car accident.” Gu Tingyan rubbed his forehead and turned back to look at her. “I’ll have A Zhong bring you some food later.”
Chu Sheng asked with concern, “Is she alright?”
Gu Tingyan left in such a hurry that he didn’t even answer her question.
Chu Sheng sat on the hospital bed, her fingers clenching tightly, an inexplicable panic rising in her heart.
Could he really have fallen for Qin Shu?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible! She would never allow it!
Chu Sheng’s mind conjured up Qin Shu’s face—always wearing a school uniform, thick black glasses, bangs covering her forehead, dressed in plain, outdated clothes that couldn’t be shown in public.
Back in school, Qin Shu’s grades were nearly on par with Gu Tingyan’s, often tying for first and second place in the grade.
Other than being good at academics, she was good for nothing. Men wouldn’t like such a boring, cold-tempered woman.
Gu Tingyan had been the favored son of heaven since childhood—there was no way he’d like such a “plain” woman.
Chu Sheng thought of something and hastily sent a message to Jiang Chenxue: “Mom, Tingyan is coming over. Whatever you do, don’t let him find out about Chen Chen!”
She didn’t want to use this card unless absolutely necessary.
Jiang Chenxue didn’t understand, but she did as told.
When Jiang Chenxue got out of the car and saw Qin Shu, she was momentarily stunned, her gaze turning icy cold.
The thick, tacky black glasses on Qin Shu’s face were gone. Her bangs had grown out, revealing a smooth, fair forehead. On her beautiful face were bright, spirited eyes, skin as white as jade, and lips like cherries—she looked like a celestial being from a painting.
She was even more stunning and captivating than her mother—her beauty surpassing hers entirely!
That face had turned out to be so breathtakingly beautiful.
Jiang Chenxue hadn’t seen her stepdaughter in a long time. She never imagined that beneath those black glasses lay such an extraordinary face!
After that bitch Qin Zhiyun died, she had seen the daughter Qin Zhiyun bore—her face had been covered in dark spots!
As she grew up, she became timid and unlikable, severely nearsighted, with glasses covering half her face. Her temperament was ordinary, and her face was ordinary too.
She had nothing in common with Qin Zhiyun at all.
Back then, when Jiang Chenxue allowed Qin Shu to marry into the Gu family as a substitute bride, she never thought Gu Tingyan would fall for such an ordinary woman.
So she permitted Qin Shu to marry into the Gu family.
Who would have thought that Qin Shu, so young, could be so deeply scheming!
They had all been fooled by her!
Jiang Chenxue’s face turned extremely ugly.
Ever since Chu Sheng’s accident, she had basically been abroad and had never paid any attention to the Gu family.
She never expected that behind those glasses of Qin Shu’s was hidden such a vixen’s face!
If she had known, she would have had someone slash that face of Qin Shu’s to pieces!
Qin Zhiyun had been a nightmare she couldn’t shake since the moment she was born.
Qin Zhiyun was heaven’s favored daughter; standing before her, Jiang Chenxue was instantly overshadowed, and others could never see her. But so what? Qin Zhiyun’s husband now belonged to her.
And the husband of Qin Zhiyun’s own daughter loved her daughter too!
Jiang Chenxue hadn’t lost to her after all!
Gu Tingyan rushed all the way to the scene, pulling the car over to the side of the road and getting out.
The moment Gu Tingyan appeared, Chu Chen, sitting in the back seat, kept his eyes fixed on him.
He had been exceptionally clever since childhood. Chu Sheng had shown him photos of his father.
He remembered them at a single glance.
So this was his father—he really was handsome.
Jiang Chenxue hadn’t expected Gu Tingyan to actually come. She quickly said, “Tingyan, why are you here?”
Five years ago, everyone thought Gu Tingyan would never stand again. The hospital had even issued a critical illness notice, saying he would need massive amputations to survive.
Even Jiang Chenxue had lost all hope.
Then, out of nowhere, a Ghostly Physician Master no one had ever heard of appeared and saved him, preserving his legs.
But he could only spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
And now, he had miraculously stood up again.
This string of miracles was truly astonishing.
If only they had known…
Why had they done what they did back then…
Gu Tingyan said, “My wife was in a car accident. If I don’t come, who will?”
Jiang Chenxue nearly ground her teeth to dust, but she walked over with a smile on her face: “That’s not what I meant.”
Qin Shu stood by the roadside with the child and the driver, waiting for the traffic police to arrive.
Elder Gu was ill and needed care, so Lin Jingshu had asked her to pick up the child from kindergarten.
“Does it hurt?” Gu Tingyan walked over and saw that Qin Shu was injured. He furrowed his brows, his expression cold and sharp, and gently touched the wound on Qin Shu’s arm.
Qin Shu’s heart stirred slightly: “It’s nothing.”
The scrape on Qin Shu’s arm had been from protecting the child.
Seeing that Gu Tingyan had arrived, Jiang Chenxue paid Qin Shu no mind at all and simply smiled at Gu Tingyan: “Tingyan, whatever it costs, we’ll pay for it all.”
Qin Shu looked up at him, her arms tightening slightly around her son. This was Chu Sheng’s mother—he probably wouldn’t make things difficult for her.
“Does our Gu family lack your paltry money?”
Gu Tingyan turned around, his gaze icy, and said without the slightest courtesy: “Eyes are for driving properly.”
His tone was indifferent, carrying an invisible pressure: “Apologize.”
Qin Shu looked up at Gu Tingyan in surprise, never expecting him to defend her.
Jiang Chenxue’s face turned ugly, twitching slightly.
Could Gu Tingyan actually have fallen for Qin Shu?
Jiang Chenxue took a deep breath and looked at Qin Shu: “I’m sorry. We’ll pay whatever compensation is due.”
By the time Gu Tingyan had taken them away, Chu Chen was leaning out the window, staring at Gu Tingyan’s tall, imposing back, and the child in the man’s arms who was about his own size.
He glared at Qin Shu with hatred in his eyes—this was the wicked woman who had stolen his father!
Chu Chen turned his head to look at Jiang Chenxue: “He’s my father!”
Jiang Chenxue: “Mm.”