Chapter 103: Sorry, I Love You

Meng Shutang didn't wake up.

But Gu Yunci still trembled his fingertips slightly, and slowly withdrew his hand.

"…I wait for you willingly."

As Meng Shutang expected, Song Yilin didn't have a fever afterward, but she set an alarm, and the alarm didn't wake up at the time she expected.

She opened her eyes because Song Yilin woke up to drink water and accidentally knocked over a glass.

"Beautiful sister, why are you here?"

Meng Shutang got up, "You're sick; your uncle asked me to look after you."

She paused, "What do you want to do, drink water?"

"Mm."

The little one nodded.

Meng Shutang first poured him a glass of water, then grabbed a broom to sweep the floor.

Song Yilin finished the water, slipped on slippers, and ran out of the house.

Kids are like that; they don't pretend to be ill.

When that happens, their true nature shows immediately.

Meng Shutang took her phone and went downstairs, inadvertently noticing it was already ten o'clock.

She had actually slept more than four hours.

Gu Yunci was busy in the kitchen; he was good at making children's meals, which surprised Meng Shutang.

Seeing him cooking both regular meals and children's meals, Meng Shutang, sweating profusely, came in to help.

She asked Gu Yunci, "My alarm… did you cancel it?"

Gu Yunci nodded, "Seeing you didn't sleep all night, I wanted you to get more rest.

I didn't expect looking after a child to be so tiring; I should have let Huo Yanchen come earlier."

During the meal, Song Yilin thought the food was made by her and praised her nonstop, "Beautiful sister, not only are you good‑looking, but your hands are also skillful.

Unlike my uncle and my mother, who can't do anything."

Gu Yunci said, "When you talk about your mother, just say mother; don't bring me into it."

Meng Shutang pinched his little cheek, "What you ate was made by your uncle."

Song Yilin frowned slightly, "Uncle, you actually can make children's meals? Who did you originally intend to make them for?"

Gu Yunci, upon hearing that, turned his gaze and glanced at Meng Shutang.

Meng Shutang pretended not to see, observing that Song Yilin's spirits were good and they could even bicker, which made her more at ease about his illness.

Song Yilin asked, "Beautiful sister, when will you bring Xin Xin to Qian Shui Wan to play?"

Meng Shutang was slightly startled; she didn't want to bring Xin Xin here—not because she's stingy or because Song Yilin is sick and she wants to avoid contact, but simply because of Gu Yunci.

Song Yilin, seeing her stay silent, thought she found the place uninteresting and hurriedly promoted, "It's really fun here; uncle bought me several small shovels, and I lead Xin Xin to play with soil in the garden outside—so much fun."

Meng Shutang gave a faint smile, "Alright, I'll bring her over when there's a chance."

Song Yilin noticed Gu Yunci constantly glancing at Meng Shutang, suddenly remembered something, his eyes sparkling, and in a babyish voice said, "The first time I saw you, sister, I fell for you. I used to… I used to want to marry you!"

Meng Shutang was taken aback, then laughed, her voice softening a bit, "You little runt, you can't even speak smoothly, yet you're already thinking about taking a wife?"

"I'm serious!" Song Yilin puffed out his chest, sounding particularly righteous, but after glancing at Gu Yunci his tone softened, "Uncle also says I'm too young; sister can't marry me."

Meng Shutang nodded, "Your uncle is right; you should study hard and later serve the country."

Song Yilin replied, "That would be after I start elementary school."

Saying that, he grabbed Gu Yunci's arm, and in a squeaky voice shouted, "Then sister, would you marry uncle? Being my uncle's daughter‑in‑law is the same as marrying me!"

As soon as the words fell, the air suddenly fell silent for a moment.

Meng Shutang wanted to laugh, but couldn't.

Gu Yunci, seeing her uneasy, coaxed Song Yilin, "Alright, stop talking, just eat properly."

Meng Shutang got up to leave, "Song Yilin is better, I should go too."

Gu Yunci tried to retain her, "Do you miss Xin Xin? If so, I can bring her over."

Meng Shutang was about to politely decline when the phone rang; a voice from her grandmother said, "Tang Tang, come back quickly, Xin Xin is missing."

Meng Shutang asked, "Where are you?"

"Xihu Gongyuan, we just took her out, and in the blink of an eye she vanished."

"Don't panic, I'm coming right away."

She hurriedly rushed to the doorway, her steps out of sync while putting on shoes; Gu Yunci saw this and pulled his coat to help her put it on.

She was so focused on being anxious that she didn't notice, and slipped it on smoothly.

"I'll go with you."

"No, Song Yilin just recovered; he can't face the wind, better let him go out tomorrow."

Meng Shutang left, and Gu Yunci immediately took out his phone and called Qin Zheng.

"Xin Xin is lost; ask the people you sent, who took her?"

Five minutes later.

"President Gu, it's Miss Bai."

"They are still by the lake; Miss Bai didn't harm Xin Xin, she just bought a toy for her."

"Alright, I understand," Gu Yunci said, hanging up and calling Meng Shutang, "No need to worry, Xin Xin was taken by Bai Cixian. My people are guarding around, Xin Xin won't be in any danger."

Squeak, the car slammed on its brakes at the roadside.

Meng Shutang's accusing voice came, "Did you send someone to follow us?"

If not for this incident, Gu Yunci had planned to keep Meng Shutang in the dark forever.

But he absolutely does not want her to keep misunderstanding that he has something with Bai Cixian. "Listen to me, after you return the autumn auction will crack down on fakes. I've been investigating in secret and traced it back to my second uncle. He approached my father, and my father, to suppress the matter, used you to threaten me."

Her slender fingers gripping the steering wheel tightened slightly, "Agreeing to donate cultural relics to the Palace Museum is also one of your concessions?"

"Yes, as long as you're safe, I compromise."

"Gu Yunci, how can you be so unprincipled? Do you know what your second uncle did? He will ruin the entire industry!"

"I know, but I also cannot lose you. Back then my mother fell down the spiral staircase, and my father watched with his own eyes, yet remained indifferent."

You expect his conscience to awaken, thinking that your crackdown on fakes is a good deed for the industry?

People like him only care about profit, not about right or wrong.

As the head of the Gu family, he only cares about the family's reputation, its interests, its stability; everything else… he can sacrifice.

I can't afford the gamble; I've already lost you once, I can't lose you a second time."

After a long silence on the phone, Meng Shutang asked again, "Will you spare your second uncle?"

"Of course not."

"Good then." Meng Shutang finished speaking and hung up.

She raised her hand to glance at her arm and could still faintly see a small scar, the one left when Bai Cixian pushed her down and scratched her back then; if she loved her, why was she so cruel back then!

Someone behind honked the horn; she steadied herself, called Li Xiuyun, and told her not to look for Xin Xin any longer, that she knew where she was.

Afterward, she went to West Lake.

When she arrived, Xin Xin was crying, "Where is my mother? Take me to find mother."

Xin Xin cried with a heart‑wrenching sob, Meng Shutang felt a pang of pain in her heart, but she dared not respond—first, fearing to frighten the child, second, fearing to stir up trouble.

"Your mother is clearly right here, just out of sight; maybe she ran off with some man!"

Having said that, Bai Cixian laughed.

Upon hearing that, Xin Xin's crying became even more heart‑wrenching.

"Stop crying, your mother has abandoned you; from now on you'll be a wild child no one wants."

Xin Xin sobbed as if she might collapse, "I want mother, I want mother…"