Chapter 15: Everyone Wants Him to Get a Divorce

He had never once thought about divorcing Qin Shu.

Even if Chu Sheng had returned.

He had still never thought about it.

Gu Tingyan's mind's eye conjured up Qin Shu's reddened eyes, and a slight ache bloomed in his chest.

Gu Tingyan walked to the balcony and lit a cigarette; he slowly exhaled a ring of smoke, the thin mist shrouding his handsome face.

Gu Tingyan leaned against the railing, letting the cool breeze blow over him, his eyes fixed on the lamp in the window, lost in thought.

A ringtone echoed through the night sky; Gu Tingyan pulled his phone from his pocket and answered it—it was a call from his father, Gu Huaiyuan.

Unless necessary, Gu Huaiyuan rarely called him.

Calling so late at night, something must have happened.

Gu Tingyan answered quickly, his voice low: "Dad, do you need something?"

Gu Huaiyuan said in a low voice: "Come to the Old Residence."

Gu Tingyan: "Mm."

Gu Tingyan walked toward the exit while still on the phone; after hanging up, he headed upstairs, but the bedroom door was locked from the inside by Qin Shu, and it wouldn't open.

Gu Tingyan pursed his lips and knocked on the door: "Huahua, I'm going to the Old Residence; Dad needs me for something."

"I might not be back tonight."

He waited for a while after speaking, but heard no response from Qin Shu.

Gu Tingyan knew she had heard him; he stood at the door for a moment before turning to leave.

Qin Shu heard Gu Tingyan's voice outside the door but pretended not to; she heard the sound of a car horn downstairs and knew Gu Tingyan had left.

Gu Tingyan drove all the way to the Old Residence.

The Old Residence.

Gu Huaiyuan and Chu Xuanming were sitting together drinking tea, smiles on their faces, chatting happily.

Seeing his son-in-law Gu Tingyan arrive, Chu Xuanming hurriedly greeted him with a smile: "Tingyan is here."

Seeing that Chu Xuanming was also there, Gu Tingyan paused for a moment, then addressed Gu Huaiyuan: "Dad."

"Did you need me for something?"

Gu Huaiyuan told him to sit: "Try the new tea your father-in-law brought; it's a rare, top-tier grade."

Gu Tingyan didn't understand what game these two were playing; he sat down, drank a cup of tea, and said with a faint expression: "Do you have something to say?"

Gu Huaiyuan glanced at Chu Xuanming, signaling for him to speak.

Chu Xuanming looked at Gu Tingyan and smiled: "I saw the news today; thanks to you, Tingyan, for saving my Sheng."

"I can tell that you still have my Sheng in your heart."

Hearing this, Gu Tingyan's brows furrowed tightly.

He looked at Gu Tingyan and said: "The one who was originally engaged to your Gu Family was also Chu Sheng."

"Now that Sheng is back, why not let everything return to its rightful place?"

Chu Xuanming looked at Gu Tingyan and asked: "What do you think?"

Gu Tingyan's expression was cold; he tapped his fingers on the table and gave a mocking smile: "What do you mean?"

Chu Xuanming looked at him and said earnestly: "Divorce Qin Shu and marry Chu Sheng."

"After all, the one who was supposed to marry you in the first place wasn't my adopted daughter."

Qin Shu's status as a substitute bride was that of Chu Xuanming's adopted daughter.

Qin Zhiyun had been driven out with a three-year-old Qin Shu, schemed against by Chu Xuanming until she was left with nothing, and had disappeared from everyone's sight ever since.

Beijing only knew that the Chu Family had two golden, jade-precious daughters, but they overlooked the fact that Chu Xuanming had another daughter.

Chu Xuanming observed Gu Tingyan's expression and spoke in a flat tone: "Tingyan, I know the one you love is Sheng."

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have abandoned Qin Shu to protect her like that."

Gu Tingyan was slightly taken aback.

He lowered his eyes, remained silent for a moment, then looked up and asked: "Do you think that because I saved Sheng, it means I can't forget our old feelings?"

"Isn't it?" Chu Xuanming smiled: "I am a man; I understand you."

"After you divorce Qin Shu, I will give her a sum of money as compensation."

Chu Xuanming paused: "As for the child, he can stay in the Gu Family."

"Sheng will treat him as her own."

This was the result he and Gu Huaiyuan had discussed.

Chenchen was the eldest grandson of the Gu Family; it was impossible to let Qin Shu take him away.

So, they would just have to wrong Sheng by making her a stepmother.

Gu Huaiyuan looked at Gu Tingyan, expressionless, and said coldly: "Your mother likes Sheng, and I also think she looks better than Qin Shu."

"Go divorce her tomorrow; the Gu Family won't give her a penny less than what she is owed."

Gu Tingyan only found it absurd that his marriage was being decided by them.

Without asking for the wishes of the person involved, they had made the decision for him.

It was like this when he married Qin Shu, and it was the same now that they wanted him to divorce Qin Shu and marry Chu Sheng.

For his father to relent, Chu Xuanming must have provided something his father desired.

Gu Tingyan stood up with a cold face and said icily: "I have no intention of getting a divorce."

"I'm afraid your calculations were wrong."

Gu Huaiyuan and Chu Xuanming were both stunned upon hearing this.

Gu Tingyan actually didn't want a divorce?

Could it be that he has actually fallen for Qin Shu?

Chu Xuanming's eyes narrowed dangerously: "Gu Tingyan, what do you mean?"

Gu Tingyan said coldly and heavily: "It means that my marriage is not a sacrifice for your negotiation table."

He stared at Chu Xuanming, his gaze chillingly cold: "Did Chu Sheng send you here?"

Gu Tingyan's black eyes were deep and heavy, staring at him without blinking; his bone-chilling gaze made Chu Xuanming shiver involuntarily.

Chu Xuanming was so angry he wanted to throw a cup at him: "Is that how you think of my daughter?"

"This was my own idea; she knows nothing about it!"

Chu Xuanming truly doted on his daughter Chu Sheng and hoped she could reconcile with Gu Tingyan as before; he had even promised Gu Huaiyuan to give Chu Sheng fifty percent of the shares as a dowry.

That Chu Sheng was Chu Xuanming's legitimate heir.

Upon hearing this, Gu Tingyan's indifferent expression softened, his gaze no longer so sharp and terrifying, and he turned and walked out the door.

"I have no intention of divorcing, so stop plotting against Qin Shu here."

"Since she married me, she is my wife."

After saying this, Gu Tingyan turned and left directly.

Chu Xuanming's face was terrifyingly gloomy; he glared at Gu Huaiyuan and sneered: "You really have raised a good son."

Gu Huaiyuan's face looked terrible; during the day, Gu Tingyan had been so protective of Chu Sheng that he had thought Gu Tingyan had feelings for her.

Back then, Qin Shu being able to marry into the Gu Family was because Chu Xuanming had been unscrupulous, refusing to marry off his own biological daughter and shoving some random woman over instead.

Qin Shu had no background, no family status, and only a pretty face.

At that time, Gu Tingyan was like a cripple, and no one wanted to marry him and spend the rest of their life as a widow in name only; they had no choice back then.

Otherwise, there is no way Qin Shu could have married into the Gu Family.

Now that Gu Tingyan could stand up again, they naturally had other ideas, wanting to marry him to a wife who could be of assistance.

Gu Tingyan walked out of the room with a cold face and saw Gu Yichen and Lin Jingshu standing at the doorway; Lin Jingshu saw her son come out with an icy expression.

Lin Jingshu looked at Gu Tingyan and frowned: "How have you considered the matter your father proposed to you?"

Gu Tingyan spoke irritably: "Mom, stop meddling in this."

One after another, they were all desperate for him to get a divorce.

Gu Tingyan picked up his son from the floor with a cold face: "Come home with Dad."

Gu Yichen's small face was tense, and he subconsciously looked up at Lin Jingshu: "Grandma."

"Go ahead."

Lin Jingshu watched the backs of the father and son as they left, her expression cold.