After going downstairs, Su Huan turned a corner and entered the restroom. She closed the door, sat on the toilet lid, covered her face with both hands, and calmed down for a while before remembering what she needed to do. She took out her phone and sent a text message to Gu Beixian: 'Mom asked you guys to come down, it's time to cut the cake.' Gu Beixian replied: 'Okay.' Su Huan sat for a few more minutes, then stood up, pushed the door open, walked to the sink, and turned on the faucet to wash her hands. Looking up, she saw her reflection in the mirror, her complexion was extremely pale. She pulled up the corners of her mouth and smiled, trying to look a bit more normal. 'Clack clack clack,' the crisp sound of high heels approached from a distance. Then the door was pushed open, and a charming figure flashed in. She was wearing a night blue starry dress, it was Chu Suosuo. She glanced at Su Huan, smiled insincerely, and said, 'Long time no see, Sister Su Huan.' Su Huan responded indifferently with a 'hmm' and wiped her hands with a towel. Chu Suosuo walked around her, went to the mirror, took out a lipstick from her exquisite clutch, and leaned down to touch up her makeup, casting sidelong glances at Su Huan in the mirror while saying in a sarcastic tone, 'Sister Su Huan, this dress is quite a good imitation, did you buy it on Taobao?' Su Huan's hand paused, and she replied with a half-smile, 'The dress was designed by my mother-in-law herself. If Miss Chu has poor eyesight, I suggest you go to the hospital for an eye examination.' 'Really?' Chu Suosuo pretended to be surprised and turned her head to look at her again, 'A dress designed by Auntie Qin, how come it looks so knockoff when you wear it?'

She pursed her lips and clicked her tongue meaningfully a few times. The implication was clear: even wearing genuine items, one couldn't pass for the real deal if they looked like a knockoff. Su Huan didn't make a sound, quietly observing herself and Chu Suosuo in the mirror. Clearly, Chu Suosuo was a richly pampered daughter of a wealthy family, but for some reason, Su Huan felt more like the traditional lady of a distinguished house. Perhaps it was because she had practiced painting since childhood, cultivating an elegant and refined temperament, with bright and clear eyes that were neither flattering nor evasive. On the other hand, Chu Suosuo, despite being dressed in glittering jewels, had a wandering gaze, flirtatious and coquettish, reminiscent of the eyes of a concubine from the olden days. In Gu Nanyin's words, it was 'bitchy'. Su Huan lifted her chin, pointing at the mirror, 'Open your eyes and take a good look. I'm taller than you, prettier than you, better than you, and my temperament is superior to yours. Who is the genuine article and who is the imitation is clear at a glance.' 'You!' Chu Suosuo's face turned red with anger, and with a forceful movement, she snapped the lipstick in her hand. Su Huan turned and walked away. Stepping outside, she heard Chu Suosuo's arrogant voice from behind, 'So what if you're prettier and better than me? My dad is stronger than yours. In this circle, having a good father is more important than anything. I will definitely win Bei Xian back, just you wait!' Thinking of Gu Aoting's words, Su Huan felt as if hundreds of ants were crawling inside her. It was an itchy and uncomfortable sensation. She gripped the hem of her dress tightly and turned to look at Chu Suosuo, saying nonchalantly, 'To be a mistress with such a sense of superiority, Miss Chu is probably one of a kind.'

“I hope your dad can live to be two hundred years old, always shielding you.” Chu Suosuo was so angry that her breathing became rapid and erratic, “I still have my brother!” Thinking of Chu Mochen, Su Huan smiled faintly, “Your brother has pretty solid values, he might not support you doing this. You should find a way to buy more life-prolonging medicine for your dad instead, to protect you for one more year is one more year.” “Bang!” Chu Suosuo angrily slammed the bathroom door shut. The smile on Su Huan’s face gradually solidified. What does it matter if you win an argument? With Gu Beixian, she had truly lost. How cruel reality is, no matter how hard you try, it’s not as good as having a good father. With a good father, even marriage gets an extra boost. After Gu Aoting and Gu Beixian came downstairs, Su Huan had already calmed her emotions. She acted as if nothing had happened, singing the birthday blessing song with them for Qin Shu, blowing out the candles, and cutting the cake. After eating the cake, Gu Beixian said to her, “Let the driver take you back first, I’ll be home later.” Su Huan nodded with a smile, “Okay, you get busy.”

After saying goodbye to Qin Shu, Su Huan left the Gu family and got into the car. On the way, when she passed a pharmacy that was open 24 hours, she asked the driver to stop and went in to buy a box of emergency contraceptive pills. She had slept with Gu Beixian last night, and it was her ovulation period, but he hadn't taken any safety measures. It was not the right time to have a child. Gu Beixian's mind was unsettled, and he might divorce her one day. Since birth, she had never experienced fatherly love and understood too well the feeling of lacking affection; she didn't want her child to go down the same path. Back home, Su Huan took a pill according to the instructions and swallowed it with warm water. The other pill was to be taken 12 hours later, so Su Huan casually placed the pill box on the sideboard next to the water dispenser. She went upstairs for a quick shower, brushed her teeth, and lay down in bed, but she couldn't sleep, her thoughts churning endlessly. It was nearly midnight when Gu Beixian returned, having drunk a bit with the guests. He changed into slippers, unbuttoned his suit jacket with one hand, took it off, and hung it on the rack. Picking up a glass, he walked to the water dispenser to pour himself a drink, and his gaze suddenly hardened as he caught sight of the contraceptive pills on the sideboard. He picked them up and looked. Yes, they were indeed contraceptive pills. There was one left; the other had already been taken by Su Huan. She didn't want to have his child. Gu Beixian's eyes gradually cooled, and he picked up his phone to dial Xiao Yi's number. Soon, a lazy male voice came from the phone: 'Brother, what do you need at this hour?' Gu Beixian asked without much emotion, 'What does it mean when a woman refuses to have children with her husband?'

Xiao Yi was groggy and slow to react, casually saying, 'What else can it indicate? This woman doesn't love her husband.' Gu Beixian's heart jolted fiercely, then he said indifferently, 'I see.' He hung up the phone, his complexion surprisingly calm, but his hand gripped tighter and tighter, almost deforming the phone. After a while, a few cold laughs spilled from his lips; he laughed at his own foolishness. To think he wanted to tie her down with a child, to trap a woman who didn't love him. He threw the phone onto the table, picked up a wine glass, opened the wine cabinet, took out a bottle of red wine, and poured a full glass. He walked to the sofa, sat down, and took a big gulp. Recalling Xiao Yi's words, he gripped the cup in his hand forcefully, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. Suddenly, with a 'crack,' the wine glass was crushed in his hand. The sharp fragments of glass cut into the skin of his palm, but he couldn't feel the pain. Su Huan, who had been awake all along, suddenly heard a clear shattering sound from downstairs and jolted up from the bed. She walked to the railing and looked down. She saw Gu Beixian's right hand covered in dark red liquid, indistinguishable whether it was wine or blood, with broken glass shards on the floor. She hurried back to her room, opened the cabinet, found the first aid kit, and headed downstairs. By the time she hurried down the stairs, Gu Beixian had already walked to the window to make a call. His tall and slender figure stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, indifferent, heroic, his posture straight as pine and cypress in the wind and snow. Some men, just by their back, can bewitch the beauty of spring. Su Huan stopped in her tracks, quietly waiting for him to finish the call. She heard him ask the other party, 'Has the man who smashed Chu Suo's hands been found?'

Without knowing what the other party had said, Gu Beixian suddenly lost his temper, 'A bunch of incompetents! Why is it so troublesome for you to find someone? Go look again! If you can't find them, all of you get lost!' Su Huan stood there frozen, her heart turning cold. He really cared about Chu Suosuo. In the dead of night, he was still helping her look for the murderer. And here she was, foolishly carrying the first-aid kit down to help him bandage his wounds, such a loser! Su Huan bent down, gently placed the first-aid kit on the ground, and turned to walk away. After taking a few steps, she heard Gu Beixian's voice again from behind: 'Has that woman named Huang Que been caught?'