Chapter 4: The Bed Is Yours Now, Young Madam Gu

As the old lady's words fell, Meng Shutang turned her eyes to glance at Gu Yunci; the other party pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

"Cough, cough…" The old lady gave a few dry coughs.

The old lady's health had never been very good.

She had lung cancer and had undergone three surgeries. When she was young she was quite plump; now she was nothing but skin and bones.

The surgery a year ago had nearly cost her her life.

These past few years she had been living at Donghua Mountain, recuperating her body while devoting herself to chanting Buddhist scriptures.

Meng Shutang couldn't guess why she had suddenly come back; seeing her cough, she couldn't help but feel heartache. "Grandma, you're feeling unwell again?"

"It's nothing, just my old ailment."

The old lady had always been one to report only good news and hide the bad, but today was an exception. "A while back my thyroid was bothering me, so I had another minor surgery. At my age, any surgery at all is a race against the Grim Reaper.

But I didn't tell any of you — saying so would only make you worry and fret for nothing."

Meng Shutang said, "Grandma, you don't have to shoulder everything on your own. Something as big as surgery — you should have told us.

I know you didn't say anything because you care about us, but we care about you even more. Now that the surgery is done, rest well and recover. If anything is uncomfortable, please don't ever hide it from us again, do you hear?"

She held tightly onto the old lady's hand, her soft tone unable to conceal the heartache within.

The old lady smiled with gratification. "This time it was Grandma's fault; next time I'll definitely have you all by my side. Actually," she shifted the conversation, placing Gu Yunci's hand on top of Meng Shutang's, "if you and Yunci hurry up and give me a chubby great-grandson, I'll hold him and play with him every day. My mood will improve, and the illness will naturally get better!"

After saying so, she didn't forget to glare at Gu Yunci. "Did you hear that? You brat, don't just focus on that lousy company of yours. Having a child is more important than signing a ten-billion contract!"

Gu Yunci didn't think so.

Even though Meng Shutang was the industry-acknowledged master of ancient bead restoration, when it came down to it, she was nothing more than a craftswoman earning a living!

What was Gu Yunci's status?

The one who could stand beside him had to be a young lady from a family of equal standing who could support his future prospects.

Meng Shutang was far from that!

"The meal is set; don't just keep talking. Old lady, let's eat!" Gu Heng called out.

During the meal, the old lady's almond eyes looked at Gu Yunci, then glanced at Meng Shutang, smiling faintly without speaking.

After the meal, the old lady had a heart-to-heart talk with Meng Shutang for a while, then casually found an excuse to call Gu Yunci upstairs. The moment she opened her mouth, she said, "I know what you're plotting in your heart, but you'd better give up that idea right now. My grandson's wife can only be Shutang. If you want a divorce, you'll have to get past me first.

Also, stay away from Bai Cixian. You young people have a saying, don't you — the best ex is a dead ex.

So what is she doing now, coming back from the dead?"

Gu Yunci hung his head, his expression somewhat sullen. "My affairs — don't interfere."

The old lady, who couldn't be called hale and hearty but was at least self-sufficient, suddenly grew weak, bracing herself against the table to barely stand steady. "I have lung cancer and just had surgery a while back. Don't upset me."

With that, she broke into a violent fit of coughing.

Gu Yunci's hand hanging at his side curled slightly. "I got it. You should rest!"

After saying that, he helped the old lady to the bed, closed the door behind him, and left to return to his bedroom.

The moment he left, the frail old lady visibly became spirited and vigorous. "Hmph, this Bai Cixian — I must teach her a lesson."

Saying so, she took out her phone and dialed a call.

Downstairs, Meng Shutang was about to help the servants clean up. She had always been a diligent person; at Qian Shui Wan, she would also help Aunt Zhang, Sister Li, and the others with chores.

But before she reached the kitchen, Gu Heng called her to a stop.

"Shutang, come here a moment."

The father-in-law and daughter-in-law stood under the eaves by the entrance. The wind was rather strong, and Gu Heng's snow-white shirt billowed and puffed in it.

"If the old lady hadn't been so unreasonable back then, I'd never have agreed to let Yunci marry you even if you beat me to death. He deserves a better wife."

Gu Heng vented all the dissatisfaction that had been pent up in his heart over the years in one breath. "These three years, our Gu family hasn't treated you poorly, have we? Since you signed the divorce agreement, that means you're divorced. Tonight Yunci went to pick you up — why did you still come over?

Or is it that in your heart, you're deliberately dragging things out to torment me?"

Ever since the marriage, Gu Heng had looked at her with displeasure — finding fault with everything.

She had always been utterly respectful and had never dared to defy him.

Torment him — would she dare?

Her heart suddenly seized with waves of pain. Meng Shutang clenched her hands. "Was this marriage something I could control? You saw it yourself that year — it was your eldest son who took me away!

And this divorce now — it's not up to me either!"

Gu Heng raised his hand, wanting to slap Meng Shutang across the face.

But suddenly thinking of something, his hand clenched tightly together instead, and his tone softened a few degrees.

"These three years, Jin Xing has suffered a lot. Every time I think of him in Africa, I feel so awful I can't sleep.

He grew up with fine food and clothing — can he get used to the coarse food over there?"

Meng Shutang had never known that Gu Jin Xing was in Africa.

After marriage, she had contentedly been Mrs. Gu and never inquired about any man other than Gu Yunci.

But she did feel guilty toward Gu Jin Xing.

"Don't worry, we will get divorced."

Once she left this family, Gu Jin Xing could come back, and Gu Yunci could marry the woman he loved — everyone would be happy!

Her tone was flat, her eyes faintly holding tears.

Gu Heng heard this and nodded slightly. "You and Yunci are simply not the same kind of people. Your marriage was a mistake from the very start.

Staying by his side will only deepen the hatred between him and Jin Xing."

After saying that, he turned sideways and left.

After all that had been said, Meng Shutang felt that this last sentence was what Gu Heng had most wanted to say.

The words Aunt Zhang had spoken that night surfaced in her mind — Gu Yunci and Gu Jin Xing had never gotten along since they were young.

Yes, from the very beginning, their marriage was a mistake; she was entirely a tool for Gu Yunci's revenge.

Now that they've used her up, she too will be discarded.

When she returned to the room, Gu Yunci was already lying on the bed; after tidying up briefly, she got onto the bed as well.

She had just sat down when the man said, 'Get down.'

Meng Shutang glanced around the room that had only a bed, not even a sofa, and asked, 'If I'm not sleeping on the bed, where should I go?'

'Figure it out yourself.'

Meng Shutang did not obey; after three years, she had been obedient enough.

She placed the pillow directly in the middle of the bed, saying, 'President Gu, don't overthink it; I'm just appeasing Grandma.'

Saying that, she lay down fully clothed.

She had just lain down when she said, 'President Gu, I see you haven't signed the divorce agreement yet, you...'

Meng Shutang had just lifted her head when Gu Yunci's phone rang; he glanced at it and slowly rose.

His gaze turned toward Meng Shutang, the lines of his profile revealing a chilly, hard aloofness.

It was Bai Cixian calling.

'Yunci brother, I got into a car accident; could you come take care of me?'

'Sure.'

The man hung up, got dressed, and before leaving came to Meng Shutang's side, pulling her into his embrace; his distinct-knuckled hand pinched her chin, and with a cold curl of his lips he said, 'The bed is yours now, Young Madam Gu.'

His actions were as usual, forcefully gentle, but his words were cold like a bucket of ice water in midwinter, drenching her from head to toe.

She stared at him quietly.

After the man left, she lifted her hand and pulled the thin blanket beside her up, tightly covering half her face.