Chapter 38: Being Carried Back to Gu Tingyan's Villa

"Yes."

Gu Tingyan was carrying Qin Shu out of Gu Laoyezi's courtyard when he ran into Gu Huaiyuan, who looked at Qin Shu in Gu Tingyan's arms with icy eyes, his expression terrifyingly gloomy.

Gu Huaiyuan stared at Qin Shu with eyes that could kill: "For this woman, you burned down your mother's courtyard; Gu Tingyan, have you gone mad?"

Qin Shu met Gu Huaiyuan's gaze without dodging or showing fear, neither humble nor pushy.

She had always known that Gu Huaiyuan did not like her, feeling she was unworthy of the current Gu Tingyan.

Hearing Gu Huaiyuan say that Gu Tingyan had burned down his mother's courtyard, she was utterly astonished.

She had not expected that Gu Tingyan would go against his mother like this for her sake.

Gu Huaiyuan: "She is your biological mother!"

"Even if she is wrong, you cannot treat her this way!"

Held in his arms, Qin Shu tightened her grip on the collar of Gu Tingyan's chest; yes, no matter what, that was still his biological mother.

Gu Tingyan must not be feeling well inside either.

To burn down his mother's courtyard—what kind of fury must it have taken to do such a thing?

If those with ulterior motives seized upon this, they would surely make a big deal out of it, and Gu Tingyan would be criticized yet again.

All of this was because of her.

Qin Shu's eyes stung, her voice hoarse: "Gu Tingyan..."

Gu Tingyan tightened his hold on her, pressing her firmly against his chest so she could hear the strong, powerful beat of his heart.

Facing his father's questioning, a mocking smile appeared on Gu Tingyan's face: "Qin Shu was forced to kneel by her for so long, yet I never saw you stand up to speak a word of justice for her."

Gu Tingyan looked at him with cold, sharp eyes: "As a father-in-law, are you also being harsh to your daughter-in-law?"

He sneered: "If this gets out, I'm afraid it won't sound very good."

Gu Tingyan carried Qin Shu and walked away; Gu Huaiyuan stared at his back with gloomy eyes, his voice vicious: "Don't forget, you are not the one in charge of Gu Group yet!"

Gu Tingyan's body paused slightly.

"Gu Huaiyuan! I am not dead yet!"

"It is not your place to speak for the Gu Family!"

Gu Laoyezi's voice rang out, resonant and filled with explosive rage.

Gu Huaiyuan had not expected to disturb the old man; he frowned and said with dissatisfaction: "Dad, don't meddle in this!"

He said coldly: "Gu Tingyan has been spoiled rotten by you!"

"Look at what he has become after all these years of your spoiling!"

"Next time, for the sake of a woman, will he dare to commit patricide?"

Gu Laoyezi raised his cane and struck Gu Huaiyuan's back hard, his breathing unstable with anger: "You beast, I spoiled Tingyan?"

He was so angry he was blowing his beard and staring: "If I hadn't looked after Tingyan, would he even be standing in front of you in one piece today!"

Gu Tingyan could not stand up; Gu Laoyezi had not expected that his own beastly son would simply abandon Tingyan, leaving him and Qin Shu in the backyard to fend for themselves!

If he hadn't discovered it, Tingyan would have truly been consumed by this deep, walled residence that gave him birth and raised him.

Gu Huaiyuan stood where he was without dodging; he knew the old man was in poor health and did not want to anger him, so he took the blow head-on.

In some respects, Gu Huaiyuan was a famously filial son in Beijing.

No matter how strict, harsh, or heartless he was toward Gu Tingyan, he never dared to talk back to Gu Laoyezi, letting him hit or scold him as he pleased.

When Gu Laoyezi was sick, he could stay by the old man's bedside twenty-four hours a day to show his filial piety.

It wasn't a performance for others to see; with his current status and the power in his hands, he could have sent Gu Laoyezi straight to a nursing home, and others would still compliment him on his filial piety.

Gu Huaiyuan was genuinely anxious about his old father.

Back when conditions were difficult in the old society, the Gu Family's background was poor and they were purged; Gu Huaiyuan had three older sisters and two older brothers above him, all of whom died.

The three sisters did not survive past the age of 20.

Of the two brothers, one died at 18, and the other died in the prime of his life at 35.

Gu Huaiyuan was the only healthy, surviving youngest son of Gu Laoyezi.

His life was bought with the blood of his older brothers and sisters who had sacrificed everything for him.

Seeing Gu Laoyezi's breathing become unstable, Gu Huaiyuan's expression changed, and he hurriedly stepped forward to help him catch his breath: "Dad, take a deep breath."

Seeing that Gu Laoyezi was almost choked with anger, Gu Tingyan's expression also changed: "Grandfather!"

Gu Laoyezi waved his hand, leaning on his cane to take a few deep breaths: "I'm fine, I won't die yet."

Gu Huaiyuan frowned: "Dad, don't talk about dying; it's bad luck."

Gu Laoyezi said irritably: "If you stop angering me, I'll live longer."

Gu Huaiyuan: "........."

Gu Laoyezi pushed him away and walked out, saying coldly: "Tingyan, take Qin Shu and come with me."

Gu Huaiyuan: "Dad, where are you going?"

Gu Laoyezi: "I don't want to live with you; I want to live with my grandson and granddaughter-in-law!"

Gu Huaiyuan: "........."

Gu Huaiyuan: "You are at such an advanced age, can you stop being willful? The Old Residence has family doctors and nannies to take care of you at any time."

Gu Laoyezi: "Bring them all along."

Gu Huaiyuan: "........."

He did not want to provoke the old man, so he could only look coldly at Gu Tingyan: "Take good care of your grandfather."

Gu Tingyan raised his eyelids: "I know, I don't need you to remind me."

Gu Huaiyuan glanced at Qin Shu in Gu Tingyan's arms; if he had known, he should never have let Qin Shu enter the house in the first place.

What a vixen, a disaster!

Gu Tingyan was always obedient when he was a child, had excellent grades, and was the pride of Gu Huaiyuan and Lin Jingshu.

Ever since the accident happened and he married Qin Shu, he had been going against his own biological parents every single day.

The villa.

Qin Shu was carried back by Gu Tingyan; she had not expected to return here yet.

Gu Tingyan looked at the figure of Gu Laoyezi, held her, and whispered, "Grandfather wants to stay here, so you will have to be wronged for a few days."

"His health is poor, so he cannot know about the divorce."

Qin Shu pressed her lips together: "Mm."

Nighttime.

After Gu Tingyan coaxed Gu Laoyezi to sleep, he went upstairs to take a shower in the bathroom.

When he came out of the bathroom, he saw Qin Shu sitting on the bed holding a quilt, looking at him straight on: "Are you sleeping on the floor?"

Gu Tingyan: "..."

Gu Tingyan's face turned dark; he walked over and spread the quilt back out that was in Qin Shu's hands: "When Grandfather comes in and sees me sleeping on the floor, how will you explain it to him?"

"Say that our relationship is bad and we are sleeping in separate beds?"

Gu Tingyan sighed: "Can he not be worried?"

Gu Laoyezi was truly good to Qin Shu, doting on her as if she were his own granddaughter.

Ever since Qin Shu's mother and grandfather passed away, her grandmother also often did not remember her.

It had been a long time since Qin Shu had felt the taste of familial affection.

She did not want anything to happen to Gu Laoyezi.

Gu Tingyan chuckled: "Besides, we have already had a child."

"Are you afraid I will eat you?"

Gu Tingyan scanned her up and down: "You have an injury on your knee; I am not that much of a beast."

Qin Shu pressed her lips together, tacitly accepting that Gu Tingyan would share the bed with her.