“Of course it’s important—it’s a huge matter! You know that girl who came looking for Ciyuan, Su Wantang? I just saw her at the hospital, and Ciyuan…”
Li Cuiping held nothing back about the situation.
Her decision to report this behind his back wasn’t entirely about opposing Gu Ciyuan.
She knew how to prioritize.
Compared to family disputes, the fact that Su Wantang—a capitalist’s daughter—was pregnant out of wedlock was the real ticking time bomb.
After all, she had come to their family and stayed with them for quite some time. If this matter came to light, the Gu family would be the first to bear collective responsibility.
How fierce the situation outside had become was something Gu Changsheng, who spent all day immersed in military affairs, might not fully grasp, but she understood it better than anyone.
A chief physician at the hospital had been reported by a patient and labeled a rightist for misspeaking. Li Cuiping had no desire to see such a scene play out in her own life.
Having finally welcomed better days, she valued her life dearly.
Gu Changsheng still couldn’t believe it. “You couldn’t have mistaken it, could you? How is this possible?”
But privately, he knew Li Cuiping wasn’t one to make baseless accusations.
“Whether I saw it wrong or not, you can ask your precious son and find out. All these years, no matter how he’s treated me, I could endure it. But I’m telling you, Gu Changsheng, if he dares to bring trouble upon the Gu family and our children because of his own actions, don’t blame me for fighting you with everything I’ve got!”
…
The curtains were drawn, leaving the room dim and gloomy.
She sat on the bed, feeling lost and abandoned by the world.
Gu Ciyuan had brought her back and left without a word, his gaze complex and inscrutable.
Su Wantang had no idea what he was truly thinking.
The feeling reminded her of the day her father had abandoned her—the same helplessness and fear.
Su Wantang stroked her lower abdomen and let out a long sigh.
Perhaps she never should have come here in the first place.
Especially after spending the day enjoying Gu Ciyuan’s kindness, she felt even more that she shouldn’t have come to bring trouble upon him.
Human thoughts are always complicated. Decisions don’t always hold firm; they shift and change with one’s surroundings.
But what Su Wantang didn’t know was that from the moment she boarded the train to Jingdu, her decision to marry Gu Ciyuan was no longer hers to change.
It wasn’t until mid-afternoon that Gu Ciyuan returned and knocked on her door.
Su Wantang hurried to open it and saw his tall figure standing outside, his expression unreadable.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Gu Ciyuan finally relented, reaching out to ruffle her hair and gesturing for her to come inside.
Su Wantang spoke first. “Have I caused you a lot of trouble?”
Gu Ciyuan gave a bitter smile.
The trouble was indeed significant.
Her background alone was enough to give him a headache.
Taking her in like a younger sister was one thing, but marriage was another matter entirely.
Especially a military marriage.
He had spent the entire afternoon dealing with this very issue.
The Political Commissar had advised him at length, and he had exhausted every possible solution. The report had been submitted, but whether it would be approved remained uncertain.
But these were things he couldn’t possibly tell Su Wantang.
“Don’t overthink it. How could you be trouble? You’re…”
The word “sister” now felt like a joke he couldn’t bring himself to utter.
Gu Ciyuan asked her seriously, “Su Wantang, some decisions have no turning back once made. Are you certain you want to marry me?”
“I…” Su Wantang hesitated before nodding, “Am I allowed to?”
Gu Ciyuan curved his lips slightly, “Then remember, someone might come to speak with you later. Don’t be afraid—it’s just routine inquiries. If they ask about your father and sister, truthfully explain how they sold you off. As for the pregnancy, keep it concealed for now. Can you manage that?”
Su Wantang nodded, “I can.”
“Good girl.”
With that single word, Gu Ciyuan turned and left.
Su Wantang intended to follow him but couldn’t match his pace. In just a few steps, he was already in the courtyard, striking a match to light a cigarette.
He didn’t rush to smoke it, letting the smoke drift from his fingertips.
To Su Wantang, his retreating figure seemed filled with melancholy.
She could only tell herself to be selfish.
Stop considering others for now—think of herself, think of the child in her womb.
Life wasn’t easy for a woman alone, let alone with a child in tow.
She wasn’t the female lead, blessed with Su Ye’s luck to attract swarms of admirers vying to be her guardian.
Even Su Ye had paid with her body for such protection.
As for her—the beautiful but vicious supporting character in the story—her end was a tragic death.
Without Gu Ciyuan’s protection, who knew if she’d encounter another Lord Zhao!
So she had to be selfish.
She’d given Gu Ciyuan an opportunity to avoid responsibility, yet he personally uncovered the truth she’d hidden. It seemed heaven willed him to take responsibility.
Initially afraid Gu Ciyuan might retaliate upon learning the truth, Su Wantang relaxed when he didn’t, no longer constantly thinking of escape.
When Zhang Fang returned from work and learned the news, it struck her like a thunderbolt.
She never imagined the child in Su Wantang’s womb actually belonged to Gu Ciyuan.
What a calamity!
But facing her tall, steady nephew, how could she possibly advise him to be an irresponsible man?
Zhang Fang felt a suffocating pressure in her chest, stuck and unresolved.
Seeing Su Wantang, her expression turned cold.
Gu Ciyuan reassured her, “Aunt isn’t angry with you—she’s upset with me. Don’t take it to heart.”
Su Wantang nodded, “I understand.”
These days she would remain obedient and well-behaved, ensuring she caused Gu Ciyuan no unnecessary trouble.
Lying in bed, Zhang Fang grew increasingly unsettled.
If only she hadn’t persuaded Gu Ciyuan to take Su Wantang for that damned examination.
As for the consequences, delaying them day by day would have been better than having this mess erupt just as Gu Ciyuan had earned merits and was due for promotion.
Zhao Jun also lay awake. Everyone has selfish concerns—having watched Gu Ciyuan grow up, he naturally didn’t want the young man’s future ruined over this baffling situation.
Turning to his restless wife, Zhao Jun reminded her, “I actually suspect this child might not be Ciyuan’s.”
“Oh?”
Zhang Fang immediately turned toward him, her gaze burning into his eyes, “That rascal Ciyuan wouldn’t mistake whether his own child, would he?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Zhao Jun carefully analyzed the situation with her.
Although Su Wantang had only been in their home for a day, Gu Ciyuan’s affection for her was visible to everyone.
If the child was Gu Ciyuan’s, why would Su Wantang have tried so hard to conceal it at first?
Zhang Fang immediately sat up from the bed. “Are you saying that bastard is about to become a stepdad to someone else’s child? Just wait till I go beat that scoundrel to death.”
Zhao Jun quickly stopped her again. “Enough now. Don’t you know your own nephew’s temperament? Once he’s set on something, not even ten oxen could pull him back. You’d better…”