Chapter 161: Aphasia

Hearing that Gu Yichen had woken up, Lin Jingshu hurried into the room.

She sat by the bedside, gripped Gu Yichen's hand tightly, and looked at him with eyes full of worry: "Chenchen, how are you?"

Gu Yichen looked at his grandmother's face before him; the worry on her face did not look fake in the slightest, as if she were truly worried about him.

Yet, she was also truly capable of abandoning him for the sake of profit.

To say it didn't hurt would be a lie.

Gu Yichen wanted to say he was fine, but he opened his mouth and froze.

He... could not speak.

Seeing him not speaking, Lin Jingshu anxiously reached out to touch Gu Yichen's forehead; the child's cheeks were flushed red, and his forehead was still scalding hot—the fever had not yet broken.

Lin Jingshu turned back to vent her anger at the doctor, furious, and said coldly: "How are you treating him? Why hasn't the young master's fever broken from yesterday until now?"

Cold sweat broke out on the doctor's forehead, and he explained earnestly: "The young master has a weak constitution and caught a chill, so the fever won't break that quickly."

After hearing this, Lin Jingshu pressed her lips into a tight line.

Before the age of five, Gu Yichen was still a very outstanding child with excellent health; he was the "other people's child" in everyone else's mouths.

Ever since that blizzard night four years ago, Gu Yichen had tumbled down from the attic to save Qin Shu, breaking his leg.

He dragged that broken leg, blood winding down it, and on the snow-white ground, that deep trail of blood stretched from the doorway all the way outside the Old Residence, over a distance of several hundred meters.

He had stayed by Qin Shu's side like that, enduring the freezing cold in the blizzard, losing quite a bit of blood; he was only a five-year-old child who had suffered a great shock.

Gu Yichen's body had not been as good as before; he was delicate, had poor resistance, would run a high fever from the slightest chill, and would faint at the drop of a hat.

The doctor said he refused to eat, resulting in hypoglycemia, which caused him to faint.

It was only when Gu Laoyezi stayed by his side and fed him spoonful by spoonful that Gu Yichen could manage to eat.

Looking at her grandson's thin chin and the little face that couldn't hold an ounce of flesh, a wave of heartache rose in the depths of Lin Jingshu's heart.

She would rather Gu Yichen be a bit worse, more troublesome, and thoroughly bad.

Only then would Lin Jingshu have more confidence in her choice to discard him, abandon him, and not want him.

Yet, from childhood to now, he had always been too well-behaved and sensible—so sensible it made one's heart ache.

Even a cold-hearted, indifferent, and ruthless woman like Lin Jingshu could not help but feel a shred of pity for him.

Back then, she could be ruthless and cold toward her own son, Gu Tingyan, leaving him to fend for himself.

But toward Gu Yichen, this biological grandson, she could not be that absolute.

They say affection skips a generation; Lin Jingshu's feelings for Gu Yichen were far greater than those for her own son, Gu Tingyan.

Gu Yichen had also always been obedient to Lin Jingshu's words, very well-behaved.

The only time he defied her was to save Qin Shu, and he had broken a leg doing it.

Lin Jingshu would rather he be a bit worse, not so well-behaved.

After hearing the doctor's words, the flames of Lin Jingshu's anger dissipated completely; she silently tucked the corner of the quilt for Gu Yichen and told him cruelly: "Grandma won't be able to take care of you in the future."

"You will live with your great-grandfather, and your father."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yichen just nodded obediently.

Gu Laoyezi walked in and, seeing his pale, frail little face, felt heartache: "Oh my, my dear great-grandson."

"You finally woke up, you scared your great-grandfather to death."

A faint smile appeared on Gu Yichen's pale little face to comfort his great-grandfather, saying he was fine.

Lin Jingshu looked at him, paused slightly, and sensed Gu Yichen's abnormality; a foreboding premonition suddenly arose in her heart.

She blurted out: "Chenchen?"

"Why aren't you speaking?"

Gu Yichen lowered his eyes and glanced at Chu Sheng; his little watch was still in Chu Sheng's hand.

Lin Jingshu also looked toward Chu Sheng, her gaze landing on her hands, her eyes sharp and her voice cold: "Why is Chenchen's little watch with you?"

Chu Sheng was so frightened she hurriedly returned the watch to Gu Yichen and explained in a panic: "Mom, it was Chenchen who accidentally dropped the watch on the floor."

"I picked it up for him."

Lin Jingshu raised her eyes and looked at her; that look was very cold, as sharp and piercing as a razor blade, like the cold, biting wind of midwinter that made one ache.

Chu Sheng's face turned pale in an instant; Lin Jingshu had never looked at her with such an expression before.

In the past, the look Lin Jingshu gave her was always gentle, smiling, amiable, and kind.

Just like a merciful Bodhisattva.

It was as if she treated Chu Sheng like her own daughter.

This look seemed to be Lin Jingshu's truest face.

A chill rose in the depths of Chu Sheng's heart; this look was familiar.

She had seen it somewhere before.

Chu Sheng suddenly went stiff all over and froze.

She knew where she had seen it.

On Qin Shu.

The way Lin Jingshu looked at Qin Shu back then was just like how she was looking at her now—very terrifying, like she was going to eat someone.

She hadn't felt it before; Chu Sheng had even felt a secret thrill when she saw Qin Shu being scolded.

Standing where she was, Chu Sheng suddenly felt her hands and feet go ice-cold.

Could it be that it was her turn now?

It must be an illusion, right?

How could Lin Jingshu look at her with such a cold gaze?

Chu Sheng looked over again, and her heart finally settled; Lin Jingshu had returned to that gentle appearance—it must have been an illusion.

Gu Yichen took back his little watch, lowered his head to type on it, and after finishing, he handed it to Lin Jingshu: "Grandma, I can't speak anymore."

Lin Jingshu took the watch, lowered her head to glance at it, and her expression changed drastically; the watch slipped from her hand, but she didn't even notice.

Lin Jingshu was dazed, deeply struck, and murmured in a low voice: "How could this be?"

Gu Huaiyuan: "What happened?"

"Why do you look like you've lost your soul?"

Seeing Lin Jingshu's devastated expression, Gu Huaiyuan walked over, took the watch, and upon seeing the line of text on it, he was equally stunned.

Gu Laoyezi struck Gu Huaiyuan on the back with his cane, anxious to death: "What did Chenchen say?"

Gu Huaiyuan swallowed with difficulty, fearing the old man would be triggered; he walked over to support him and rubbed his back: "Dad, you must promise me to keep your composure."

"You need to be mentally prepared."

Gu Laoyezi's health was not as good as it used to be; after being resuscitated four years ago, the doctor had said that if he were to be stimulated again, even the Great Luo Immortals would be unable to save him.

Gu Huaiyuan wanted to hide it, but Chenchen would be living with the old man in the future, and it couldn't be hidden; the old man was sharp as a tack and would surely notice.

Gu Huaiyuan said: "Chenchen... he... can no longer speak."

Gu Laoyezi only felt a boom, as if a bolt of thunder had struck him.

Looking at his great-grandson's pale and thin little face, Gu Laoyezi's eyes turned red instantly, and he cried out in grief: "How could it be like this?"

"Oh Heavens, how could you bear to treat a child this way?"

"If there truly is retribution, punish me, this old man, instead."