Two years ago, Gu Beixian was unable to stand on his legs, sank into a depression, and had suicidal tendencies. Su Huan thus developed a habit: no matter day or night, as soon as he disappeared, she would worry that he might do something desperate, and would tirelessly search for him until she found him, only then feeling at ease. Even after his legs recovered, this habit remained unchanged. Su Huan pushed open the door to the guest bedroom next door; no one was on the bed. She then went to the study, which was also empty. She searched the bathroom, the shower room, the balcony, downstairs, and even the kitchen, but Gu Beixian was nowhere to be found. Her heartbeat became erratic, pounding tumultuously as if someone was playing gongs and drums on her heart. Though she knew he would not attempt suicide again, she still instinctively felt fear. She pushed open the door and hurried towards the courtyard. Suddenly, a huge flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the pitch-black night as bright as day, followed by a thunderous 'boom'. Su Huan raised her hand to cover her ears, but her searching steps did not stop. Amidst the flickering light and shadow, she saw a tall figure approaching her, cold and composed, a snow-white shirt tucked into black trousers, his waist firm, his posture tall and straight. His pale face was clear and handsome, with well-defined facial features. Though there was a clear hint of weariness in his eyes, his elegant and noble aura was undiminished. It was Gu Beixian. Su Huan breathed a slight sigh of relief, leaning against a nearby tree to steady herself, clutching her chest and gasping for air in small breaths, yet her gaze remained glued to the man. Seeing Su Huan, Gu Beixian quickened his pace and walked towards her. Upon reaching her side, he took her hand, his cool palm fully enveloping her fingers, and asked, 'Why did you come out?'

Su Huan sized him up and down, and seeing that he was unharmed, her heart finally settled back into her chest. She spoke with a hint of lingering fear, 'Where did you go in the middle of the night?' Her voice trembled slightly due to her heavy breathing.

Gu Beixian looked at her, a subtle change in his eyes, and said softly, 'I came out for a cigarette. It started to thunder, and I was afraid you'd be scared, so I came back.'

After saying that, he took her hand and walked towards the house.

Just as the two reached the doorway, the rain poured down, splashing up the earthy smell of mud.

The rain was so heavy, it didn't seem like spring rain, but more like summer rain. They entered the house.

Su Huan smelled the strong scent of smoke on him and chided, 'Didn't you quit smoking a long time ago? How come you secretly smoked again? You're not being good.'

Her tone was a mix of scolding and complaining, like she was disciplining a child, which made Gu Beixian laugh, 'I won't smoke next time.'

'Every time you promise so nicely, but then you smoke again next time.' Su Huan was a bit angry.

'I was feeling restless tonight, I'll try to smoke less in the future.' He seemed to be making a promise.

Thinking of Gu Aoting's words, Su Huan guessed what was troubling him.

His grandmother didn't want him to divorce, but his father was forcing him to, and he was stuck in the middle, probably torn between the two.

Su Huan tentatively asked, 'Am I the one who's bothering you, right?'

Gu Beixian's eyes paused slightly, then he rubbed her head and said softly, 'Yes, little fool, you're so silly that you're bothersome.'

This had a bit of the flavor of playful banter.

Su Huan, who was initially a bit sentimental, couldn't help but laugh out loud at his 'little fool,' and gently rolled her eyes at him, 'You're the little fool.'

A smile rippled in Gu Beixian's eyes, 'Don't come out looking for me next time, I'll be fine.'

Su Huan spoke softly, 'I'm used to it.' Gu Beixian paused, his grip on her hand tightening, and he didn't let go for a long time. The two changed into slippers and went upstairs side by side. Su Huan said, 'You've been smoking, go brush your teeth.' 'I brushed them tonight.' Su Huan gently pushed him with her shoulder, her voice soft, 'Go on, brush them.' Gu Beixian smiled and held her shoulders, 'You've been a bit different lately.' 'In what way?' 'You've become coquettish, and you talk more than before.' Su Huan smiled, 'Don't all men like it when a woman is coquettish?' Gu Beixian's lips curved into a smile, 'That's true.' He let go of her and stepped into the bathroom. Su Huan followed. His right hand was injured, making it inconvenient to squeeze toothpaste, so she helped him with it. Gu Beixian picked up the toothbrush with his left hand and started brushing his teeth in front of the mirror. Perhaps people are more sentimental at night, Su Huan thought of the days she spent with him, which wouldn't be many, and felt a bit sad. She couldn't help but hug his waist from behind, her head buried in his back. She didn't say anything, but her heart was full of reluctance. Frankly speaking, aside from the annoyance of Chu Suosuo, there was nothing to fault him for. After brushing his teeth and rinsing his mouth, Gu Beixian held her hand and said, 'Miss Su Huan, you've been a bit clingy lately.' Su Huan raised an eyebrow, 'Do I annoy you?' 'Dare not.'

He smiled and took her hand, heading towards the bedroom. The wind picked up, rustling the curtains. Gu Beixian walked to the window and closed it. The two lay down on the bed. With a 'boom', another spring thunderclap sounded, louder than the previous two, deafening. Su Huan shivered instinctively. Gu Beixian pulled her into his arms, covering her ears with his hands, and kissed her forehead, whispering, 'Don't be afraid, I'm here, go to sleep.' Su Huan murmured, snuggling into his embrace like a kitten, finding a comfortable position and soon fell into a deep sleep. A week later. After having breakfast with Gu Beixian, Su Huan got into the driver's car to visit her grandmother at the hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital and getting out of the car, she received a strange phone call from a young man. The caller claimed to be Gu Aoting's assistant and said politely, 'Miss Su, our chairman would like to meet with you.' Recalling the words Gu Aoting said to Gu Beixian on the night of Qin Shu's birthday, Su Huan felt a heavy weight in her heart, as if she was suffering from the torture of being flayed alive. However, Gu Aoting was an elder, and she had no reason not to meet him. They agreed to meet at a café near the hospital at ten o'clock. Su Huan arrived ten minutes early. Ten minutes later, Gu Aoting arrived precisely on time. He had a majestic appearance, a solemn expression, and an extremely strong presence; even without saying a word, he made people feel inexplicably oppressed. Su Huan was slightly nervous, stood up, and obediently called out 'Dad'. Gu Aoting nodded, indicating for her to sit down. After taking a seat. He ordered a black coffee, glanced at his watch, and said, 'I'm very busy and don't have much time to beat around the bush, so I'll get straight to the point.'

Su Huan's heart was pounding, but she maintained a polite smile on her face, 'Please go ahead.' Gu Aoting took a sip of his coffee and said, 'As you know, I have two sons, Gu Lin and Bei Xian. Although Bei Xian is the younger son, he is more talented, and I value him more. Three years ago, when he first joined the company, it didn't take long for his talent to shine through and stand out from the rest, unfortunately, he got into a car accident later on. If it weren't for the accident, based on your circumstances, it would have been impossible for you to cross social classes and marry him. You are from two completely different worlds.' Such words were too hurtful, almost pointing a finger at her nose, insulting her as an inferior, accusing her of climbing above her station. The smile on Su Huan's face froze, her fingers clenching the cup handle tightly. Gu Aoting looked at her with a meaningful gaze, 'The Gu and Chu families have had business dealings for many years, and Bei Xian and Suo Suo have been childhood sweethearts. We have always considered Suo Suo as our prospective daughter-in-law. The reason we chose you to be Bei Xian's wife was because Suo Suo went abroad, and you look like her. Bei Xian needed someone like that by his side, it could be you, or anyone else who looks like Suo Suo.' Su Huan had always thought she had a good mental constitution. But at this moment, she really felt like she couldn't hold on any longer. She pursed her lips tightly, silent, holding the cup with both hands, head bowed. Tears hovered over her eyeballs, seemingly ready to burst out at any moment. Then she heard Gu Aoting's rather heartless voice again, 'You've given three years of your youth, helped Bei Xian a lot, but he has also helped you a lot. Not to mention anything else, just in terms of money, the amount you've received from Bei Xian is more than many people earn in a lifetime.'

"One should know when to stop when things are going well. Miss Su is so smart, she should know what to do, right?" After a long while, Su Huan let out a low 'Hmm'. Seeing that she agreed, Gu Aoting's face revealed a hint of a smile, "Don't tell Bei Xian about our meeting. You're a sensible child, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to see him and me develop estrangement over such a trivial matter." Trivial matter? Su Huan laughed at herself. To her, it was a matter of a lifetime, yet to him, it was insignificant. She forcibly held back her tears and slowly raised her head to look at him, saying indifferently, "I understand." Gu Aoting's smile deepened, "You're a good kid in every way, Uncle actually quite likes you too. The only issue is your family... Uncle is a businessman, and the most important thing is the company, which is the effort of several generations of our Gu family. Don't blame Uncle for being realistic; society is just like that." The term "Uncle" made Su Huan smile. He probably never really considered her family. "I understand, goodbye Uncle."

Having said that, Su Huan grabbed her bag, stood up, and left. Because she was mentally prepared, Su Huan didn't feel too sad. When she left the Western restaurant, her complexion was quite calm, as if nothing had happened, her back straight. She didn't cry, not a single tear. It was only after returning to the hospital, sitting in the small garden for a whole morning. There was a wisteria in the garden. She sat on the bench under the wisteria, quietly admiring the flowers. The wisteria blossomed brilliantly, clusters upon clusters hanging on the branches, tiny flowers crowded together. She had always thought it was a lively flower, but today she realized that these flowers bloomed with such sorrow, the dense petals filled with an unplaceable sadness. The sadness was almost overflowing. She was so engrossed in admiring them that she didn't notice someone watching her from a distance. It was a tall man with long, straight legs, wearing well-made black casual clothes and a mask on his face. He had a pair of beautiful eyes, dark and deep, with very black and long eyelashes. His eyes were cold when looking at others, but warm when looking at Su Huan alone, his gaze clear and moist, inherently affectionate. He watched silently for as long as Su Huan sat there. Only after Su Huan left safely did he completely disappear into the crowd.