Chapter 103: Why Wasn't It You Who Died?

Ji Yanli wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked coldly at the equally battered Gu Tingyan: "The outside world's assessment of you is correct indeed; you truly are a man who is ruthless and cold-blooded."

"Xiao Hua will be killed by you sooner or later!"

"Gu Tingyan, love is about fulfillment, about letting go."

The anger within Gu Tingyan was ignited in an instant: "What do you know?"

His scarlet smile was mocking: "You don't understand anything, what right do you have to judge me?"

He looked at Ji Yanli, full of sarcasm: "You are the one who fulfilled her, who let her go."

"That is why she became my wife."

Ji Yanli was struck fatally; his complexion turned deathly pale in a flash, and he murmured in a low voice: "If only I had known she would live so poorly."

The man's eyes held endless regret: "Back then, I would never have let go, no matter what."

……

Gu Tingyan returned to Gu Yichen's hospital room with his injuries and looked at the servant caring for Gu Yichen: "Do not let the Madam know that the young master's legs are ruined."

He paused, feeling a sense of exhaustion: "And do not let her know that the old master is staying in the intensive care unit."

"Yes."

During the time Qin Shu was recuperating, Gu Tingyan did not dare appear before her at all; whenever Qin Shu saw him, her emotional fluctuations were particularly intense.

Gu Tingyan could only wait until she had fallen into a deep sleep at night before he dared to visit her in the hospital room.

Looking at the palm-sized face on the hospital bed that had become terribly gaunt, he held Qin Shu's hand tightly and pressed it against his face, his scarlet eyes brimming with moisture.

When dawn broke, Gu Tingyan dragged his weary body back to the villa.

On the day of Zhang Ma's funeral, Qin Shu snuck out of the hospital and appeared at the funeral, dressed in black and holding a black umbrella.

Zhang Ma's parents favored sons over daughters, so they did not come even after she died.

Everyone knew she was a single mother raising a daughter and working as a servant for others, but they did not know she was a servant for the Gu Family.

Therefore, the relatives all looked down on the mother and daughter; very few people came to the funeral, no one from her maiden family came, and the only others were a few servants who worked with her at the Gu Family.

Zhang Ma had only one daughter, named Zhang Yueyue, who was only a junior in college this year; the mother and daughter had relied on each other for survival.

Zhang Yueyue knelt before the tombstone, crying her heart out; in front of the tombstone was a black-and-white photograph, and the woman was smiling very kindly, her brows and eyes filled with warmth.

Seeing Qin Shu, the culprit, appear here, she rushed over and struck her heavily across the face, screaming in anger: "Who allowed you to come!"

Her eyes filled with tears, grief and indignation intertwined: "It was all you who killed my mother!"

"Why, why are you still standing here perfectly fine!"

"Why wasn't it you who died!"

Every word and every sentence struck Qin Shu like a heavy punch, leaving her unable to catch her breath.

Qin Shu's hand, gripping the umbrella handle, turned white at the knuckles; she lowered her eyes, her voice very soft: "I also wish it were me who died."

Why wasn't it her who died back then.

Zhang Ma was not killed by her, but she died indirectly because of her.

Qin Shu: "I'm sorry."

Zhang Yueyue's eyes were filled with tears; she knew this was not Qin Shu's fault, as her mother had died saving the young mistress of the Gu Family, and the Gu Family had also given her a large sum of money.

That money was more than she could earn in eight lifetimes.

But she just hated.

Hated Qin Shu.

Why was it her mother who died, and not Qin Shu!

Qin Shu's expression was blank; she walked straight to Zhang Ma's tombstone, and the Zhang family relatives, seeing her imposing manner, felt wary and stepped aside to clear a path.

Qin Shu walked to the tombstone, bent her knees, and knelt before Zhang Ma's tombstone, bowing her head heavily several times.

The umbrella fell, and the rainwater drenched her body, her damp hair sticking to her cheeks.

The woman's back was straight, her long hair and black clothes making her look breathtakingly beautiful.

Qin Shu's eyes were red-rimmed, and as she stared at the person on the tombstone, the deep sorrow in her heart could not dissipate.

The woman had come uninvited and left as soon as she finished bowing.

The Zhang family relatives watched her back as she left, and even many years later, they still could not forget the beauty of that fleeting glimpse of the woman.

"Yueyue, what is the relationship between this woman and Zhang Ma?"

Zhang Yueyue stared hatefully at Qin Shu's back: "My mother died precisely because she saved her."

Qin Shu walked down the mountain from the cemetery, where a pitch-black luxury car was parked by the side of the road.

Gu Tingyan, sitting in the car, saw her walking down drenched; he opened the car door, took an umbrella, quickly stepped out, and strode to Qin Shu's side, placing the large umbrella over her head.

The man's eyes were filled with heartache: "Why didn't you use an umbrella?"

Seeing the scarlet slap mark on Qin Shu's cheek, Gu Tingyan's gaze deepened, turning terrifyingly cold, and he raised his hand to touch it: "Who hit you?"

Qin Shu raised her eyes and gave him a cold look, then walked straight past him.

Gu Tingyan grabbed her hand, his voice urgent: "Huahua, come back to the car with me."

Gu Tingyan's voice was low: "You haven't finished your postpartum recovery yet; getting rained on is bad for your health."

The man pleaded: "Get in the car, okay?"

Qin Shu ignored him and continued walking forward in the rain; the cold rain mixed with snow fell upon her, leaving her entire body freezing, cold to the point that both her heart and body were numb.

Yet Qin Shu seemed unable to feel the cold.

Gu Tingyan stepped forward and forcibly wrapped his arms around her waist to drag her toward the car, saying angrily: "If you have any grievances against me, you can say them out loud."

"You can hit me or scold me, anything."

Since waking up, Qin Shu had not liked talking to him and would have a stress reaction whenever she saw him; he had already been avoiding her for half a month.

Gu Tingyan's voice trembled, filled with pain: "I only beg you, can you please not punish yourself like this."

Qin Shu shoved him away violently, took off her high heels, and threw them hard at Gu Tingyan, roaring in a low voice: "Get lost!"

Qin Shu glared at Gu Tingyan with bloodshot eyes, her face full of mockery: "I told you to get lost!"

Gu Tingyan closed his eyes for a moment, stepped forward to embrace her, and dragged her toward the car: "I'll get lost once I take you back to the hospital."

Qin Shu gave a cold laugh: "Are you really that cheap? Do you have to keep clinging to me?"

"Gu Tingyan, aren't you cheap?"

Gu Tingyan's expression shifted slightly; his body stiffened as he held her, his fingertips trembling, his heart spasming unbearably from being belittled and cursed by her like this.

Qin Shu struggled violently in his arms, but Gu Tingyan forcibly held her down, refusing to let go, until suddenly, his voice trembled as he exclaimed:

"Huahua."

Qin Shu's face turned deathly pale, and she fainted in his arms; Gu Tingyan carried her into the car like a madman and drove quickly to the hospital.

Qin Shu recuperated in the hospital for a month before being discharged; at the same time, Director Chen's film "Imperial City" was released, and Su Lingxi, played by Qin Shu, became an overnight sensation.

Su Lingxi was both evil and righteous, a vicious female supporting character who was thoroughly wicked yet maintained a clear sense of compassion; she was ruthless and cool, with a tragic and miserable background, climbing up from the bottom step by step through schemes and calculations.

Qin Shu's breathtaking beauty, a face as bewitching as a demon's, looked suffocating on the big screen.

The internet was flooded with frantic shares of Su Lingxi's highlight clips; the beautiful and moving vicious female supporting character had explosive strength, strong line delivery, and superb acting skills, directly overshadowing the lead actress, Chu Sheng.

Qin Shu became a hit, a household name overnight, exploding in popularity.