Chapter 73: Gu Yunci Suspects the Little Girl Is His Daughter

After a week of business travel, Gu Yunci landed at Jiangcheng International Airport.

The first thing he did after getting off the plane was to search everywhere; these past days, that cute little girl kept lingering in his mind.

He really wanted to find her, ask her name, and whose child she was.

He wanted to establish some kind of connection with her.

Ideally he could see her every day.

She was like a little sun; as long as he could see her, he felt his whole world was illuminated.

Just thinking of her erased all his ambitions; he only wanted to stay by her side day after day.

But after searching for a long time without success, he left and went straight to the hospital to see Meng Shutang.

The doctor told him, "The patient was transferred to the senior cadre ward that same day; by now she should have been discharged."

Senior cadre ward!

That is, Lu Shenyang had the ability to arrange it for her.

He said thank you, turned and left.

That afternoon, when Meng Shutang heard Gu Yunci had returned, she went to the 28th floor to find him.

As soon as she entered the president's office, she was stunned.

The large, cold, business‑style office was perfectly arranged with pots of crabapple blossoms.

By the floor‑to‑ceiling window, the desk, and the corner low table, a glance up revealed crabapple blossoms, a glance down still showed crabapple blossoms, silently covering every visible spot.

This should be her second time entering Gu Yunci's office after four years.

The first time, she seemed to have paid no attention at all; after finishing, she left.

But this time, she saw it.

She didn't know why she noticed this time; perhaps because both he and Meng Zhibang had deeply hurt her, and she left no trace with Meng Zhibang, yet this man was still willing to put effort into pretending.

Gu Yunci was delighted to see her approach, got up excitedly, and was about to call her "Tang Tang".

Seeing her cool face, "Teacher Meng, are you feeling better?"

Meng Shutang nodded, "Thank you, President Gu, for your concern; I'm already fine."

As she spoke, she took out a document and placed it on the desk, "Although I was ill these past few days, I haven't fallen behind on work."

Gu Yunci watched her businesslike demeanor and listened earnestly.

Perhaps because there were too many papers spread out, when she left, Meng Shutang dropped one.

Gu Yunci only saw it after work that afternoon.

He called Meng Shutang, but she didn't answer.

He immediately got up and headed to Qingluju to deliver it to her.

Arriving at her doorstep, from afar he saw a fallen girl's hair clip at the entrance.

Pink strawberry, very pretty, just like the ones Meng Shutang bought at a girl's shop that day.

His steps halted, and at that moment a child's laugh came from inside the house.

The soundproofing was good, the voice was faint, yet he still heard it.

In his mind, the image of the little girl he had seen at the airport a few days earlier flashed instantly.

No wonder seeing her then gave him a vague, blood‑tingling feeling.

If she were Meng Shutang's daughter, wouldn't she be Gu Yunci's daughter as well?

He walked over and knocked; shortly after, Meng Shutang came to open the door.

He handed her the paper, "This is what you dropped; I couldn't reach you by phone, and I thought it must be important, so I brought it over."

Meng Shutang took it, glanced at it, and thanked him.

When she looked up and saw him peeking inside, her face turned deathly pale; she immediately stepped out of the house and slammed the door shut.

"Gu Yunci, what are you looking at inside? Do you know this is harassment?"

Gu Yunci stammered, "This… is it yours?"

Meng Shutang looked at the strawberry hair clip, "It's not ours."

Gu Yunci's throat tightened, his breathing became erratic, "There's a little girl in your home, she… is she our daughter?"

He seemed pulled by a force, almost without thinking, blurting out the sentence.

Meng Shutang was taken aback.

In his impression, Gu Yunci was not that kind of person; he was strategic, cautious, never lost composure over anything.

How could he so rashly utter such a sentence?

"Gu Yunci, I've said it before, there are no children between us."

Xin Xin is her only child, unrelated to you, Gu Yunci.

She will raise her alone, and will never let her repeat the same old path.

The first thing she does when she comes home each day is ask her mother, "Is dad home?" "When will he return?" "Is he coming back tonight…?"

As Meng Shutang's daughter, she must have grown up surrounded by love, bright and confident, never plagued by doubt.

After speaking, she opened the door and entered the house, then slammed the door shut again.

Gu Yunci stood frozen, staring at the tightly closed door, bewildered.

From inside, a soft little girl's voice drifted gently, like a kitten, vague yet clear.

"Mom, who's outside?"

The voice was not loud, yet it pierced Gu Yunci's heart like a needle.

They had been apart for four years.

She said that before leaving she had aborted the child.

There is no child between them.

Then whose child is this?

Gu Jin Xing?

Lu Shenyang?

Regardless, she has a new life, a shoulder she can rely on, a child, but she has no him.

Gu Yunci's face turned ashen, his chest tightened, and a faint fishy‑sweet taste rose in his throat.

She is truly ruthless!

I used to not believe she harmed Bai Cixian; for the past four years I've been ashamed and annoyed because that day I didn't protect her in front of everyone.

Now that I think about it, a woman who could cruelly abort even her own child—what couldn't she do?

Gu Yunci only feels the world he trusted collapsing, crushing him into a sorry mess.

He bites his teeth hard and swallows that surge of blood.

He doesn't dare linger, not even daring to glance at that door again, and turns, stumbling away.

He doesn't return to Qian Shui Wan, but goes to the bar that Shen Duan and the others often frequent.

One bottle after another, one glass after another, the strong liquor burns his throat, the pain making his whole body tremble.

He doesn't blame her, only himself.

He forced her to this point; he deserves to bear all this.

Outside, the night deepens; he leans on the table, his fingertips digging hard into the surface.

Just as Shen Duan and Huo Yanchen enter, they see him leaning there, and can't help teasing.

Huo Yanchen, "Yo, President Gu, are you drowned in wine? Usually you always keep a dignified stance and don't drink. Why are you slumped here silent today?"

Gu Yunci says nothing.

He sees it, kicks his leg, "Don't play dead; if you drink yourself a stomach perforation, I can't cure you."

Shen Duan says, "Alright, Gu Yunci, why did you drink yourself into this state?"

"If I tell anyone, the business‑ruling President Gu, now slumped on a bar table like a stray dog, who would believe it?"

The two see he doesn't move, laugh and sit beside him, assuming he's just unaccustomed to drinking and got tipsy, taking a short break.

But just as they sit, they hear a voice, "Tang Tang, Tang Tang…"

The voice is soft, hoarse with wine, yet unmistakably clear.

Huo Yanchen's hand pauses slightly, his heart gives a thud.

The next second, that voice sounds again, trembling with sobs, over and over: "Tang Tang… I'm sorry… Tang Tang…"

Shen Duan can't bear it, stands up and snatches his phone.

Huo Yanchen: "What are you doing?"

Shen Duan: "Call Bai Cixian and have her come to take him away!"

Huo Yanchen stands, presses his hand on him, "He's not calling for Bai Cixian, he's calling for Meng Shutang."