Reborn in Flames

Chapter 39: Falling in Love at First Sight

Su Huan lifted her little face, her big eyes looking at Gu Beixian moistly. Such a lofty person, to be able to say such words, it can be said to be not easy. How could she not like him? She was almost dying of love for him. If there really was something she didn't like, it was his bad temper, but this year, he had always been very restrained in front of her. She also didn't like that he had an annoying ex-girlfriend, but recently he had always stood by her side. Ever since she said that she minded Chu Suosuo, he had deliberately kept his distance from Chu Suosuo. Su Huan's heart softened, and just as she was about to open her mouth to agree to him, someone knocked on the door. The door opened, and a receptionist-like girl came in and said, "Miss Su Huan, someone is calling for you downstairs." Su Huan had locked her mobile phone in the locker of the dressing room when she changed into her wedding dress. Thinking that someone had an emergency and was looking for her, she said "sorry" to the photographer and went downstairs to answer the phone. Coming to the first floor, she picked up the landline. The voice of Gu Aoting came from the mobile phone, indifferent, "Miss Su, one should keep one's word, I hate people who break their promises the most." Su Huan felt as if she had been publicly slapped in the face, her cheeks burning, and after a while, she said, "I didn't break my promise. Beixian just came back from abroad yesterday, and today is the weekend, the Civil Affairs Bureau is not open." Gu Aoting said coldly, "Next Monday, I will have my assistant clear his schedule, I hope Miss Su won't disappoint me again." Su Huan hummed. Gu Aoting said meaningfully, "I do value Beixian, but if he displeases me, I am not indispensable to him."

My eldest son, Gu Lin, is slightly less talented in business than him, but he is decisive and resolute in character, not indulging in romance, and he listens to me. Our family is different from yours; we have a large enterprise, and the business world is like a battlefield. There are only victors and losers, no father-son or brotherly affection. If Bei Xian doesn't become a king, he becomes a bandit. Miss Su, can you understand what I'm saying?"

The underlying message: If you don't divorce, you will be the stumbling block on Gu Bei Xian's path to success, a sinner.

Old hands are good at speaking, aren't they? Not a single vulgar word was used, yet it made the listener feel as if they were sitting on pins and needles, unable to lift their head.

What more could Su Huan say?

If she didn't divorce now, she would become a sinner.

With a pale face and a slightly trembling voice, she said, "I understand."

Gu Ao Ting hung up the phone.

Su Huan left the reception desk with heavy steps and found a corner where no one was around to hide.

She had to work hard to calm her emotions.

Feeling that she was almost there, she pretended as if nothing had happened and returned to the photo studio, but she no longer had the interest to take pictures.

After taking a few shots haphazardly, she said to the photographer, "That's enough, just these."

Leaving the photo studio, she quietly went to the dressing room to change clothes and remove her makeup, then left with Gu Bei Xian.

After going out, Gu Bei Xian asked her, "Who called you just now?"

Su Huan shook her head, "No one."

Gu Bei Xian looked at her intently, "Tell me the truth."

Su Huan avoided his gaze, looked down at the watch on her wrist, and said half-jokingly, "I promised to support you, but I'm afraid I can't keep that promise, so let me treat you to a meal instead."

Gu Beixian fell silent for a moment, the hidden light in the depths of his eyes gradually fading away. He casually rubbed her head and said with a teasing tone, 'Trying to get rid of me with just one meal? You're such a cheapskate.' Su Huan forced a smile, 'If one meal isn't enough, then let's add another.' Gu Beixian didn't speak again. The two found a restaurant nearby. After dining, they came out and it was already completely dark. They got into the car. Gu Beixian asked, 'Where to?' Su Huan pulled the seatbelt across and fastened it, saying, 'Take me to the hospital.' 'So late, and you still need to go to the hospital? Doesn't your grandmother have a nurse to take care of her?' 'My grandmother has been acting strangely lately, she's particularly clingy to me, especially at night. She doesn't want the nurse, doesn't want my mom, she just wants me to accompany her.' Gu Beixian raised his hand to carefully tuck the hair that had fallen by her ear behind it, his dark eyes quietly locking onto her, wanting to say: I'm also very attached to you, especially at night. But he felt that it was too sentimental for a big man to say such things, and ultimately didn't say it. Even if he said it, it wouldn't mean much. The car arrived at the hospital, and it started to rain. Gu Beixian parked the car, took an umbrella from the trunk, and walked Su Huan to the inpatient department. The umbrella was almost entirely tilted towards Su Huan, leaving half of Gu Beixian's shoulder exposed to the rain. Su Huan noticed and pushed the umbrella handle, shifting the umbrella towards him. But after a few steps, the umbrella was covering her side again. Su Huan raised her hand to push it again, but Gu Beixian held her hand and said softly, 'It's okay for a big man like me to get a little wet in the rain, but you, a young lady, can't stand the cold.'

Su Huan's eyes welled up with tears as she hooked her arm around his and didn't let go until they reached the ward door. In the evening, Su Huan helped her grandmother wash her face and feet. Looking at the loose and wrinkled skin on her grandmother's face, Su Huan felt a pang of sadness. She had been raised by her maternal grandparents since childhood, and her feelings for her grandmother outweighed those for her mother. As the night deepened, she lay beside her grandmother and hugged her from behind. Her grandmother, once tall and strong like a tree, was now thin and narrow, like a withered grass swaying in the wind. A few days ago, during a full body check-up, it was found that all her internal organs had aged, especially the kidney she had transplanted three years ago. At this age, the doctors no longer supported further surgery due to the high risks, and could only count the days as they came. Su Huan was preoccupied and couldn't sleep. Her grandmother wasn't asleep either. In the darkness, she heard her grandmother's hoarse voice, speaking slowly: 'Child, it's grandma who has dragged you down. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have married into such a family, nor would you have gotten divorced.' Su Huan buried her head in her grandmother's bony back and after a long while, she spoke: 'I don't regret marrying him, truly.'

Grandma didn't speak, just sighed heavily. The next day, Monday. Su Huan and Gu Beixian made an appointment to come to the Civil Affairs Bureau. When she got out of the car, Su Huan looked up and saw a coffee shop with elegant decoration on the roadside. She paused and stopped her steps. Three years ago, the first time she met Gu Beixian was there. She remembered that it was cold in the late spring that day. He wore a black cashmere coat, was even more handsome than in the photos, with a cool and detached temperament, and a kind of handsomeness that was out of reach due to his high status. Although he was sitting in a wheelchair, he couldn't hide his noble aura. He had a pair of very beautiful eyes, dark and deep, with deep double eyelid creases, and his eyelashes were slightly drooping at the outer corners because they were too long. Such beautiful eyes were melancholy and cold, like dusty pearls. Looking into his eyes, she felt inexplicably distressed. Those eyes were so much like A Yao's eyes. Thirteen years ago, when she saw him for the last time in the hospital, he was wearing an oxygen mask on his face and couldn't speak, so he just looked at her silently with those eyes, kept looking, with such melancholy and heart-breaking eyes. Seeing Gu Beixian's equally melancholy eyes, she really wanted to hug him, wanted to kiss his eyes, wanted to smooth out the pain at the bottom of his eyes bit by bit. "Why aren't you moving?"

Gu Beixian's deep and pleasant voice pulled Su Huan back from her memories. He took hold of her cold fingertips, his own just as chilly. Su Huan responded and followed his pace. Upon reaching the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, she turned back and glanced at the name of the café, 'Love At First Sight'. In Chinese, it means 'Love at First Sight'. There were many people getting divorced inside the Civil Affairs Bureau, and they needed to take a number and queue up. Most of them were young couples around their age, who got into arguments and decided to divorce. The young couples in front of them all had cold faces, looking like they were on the verge of a fight, like enemies. Only she and Gu Beixian were holding hands, with affection in their eyes, looking reluctant to part. Because they were so different and both had such high attractiveness, everyone cast surprised glances at them. Su Huan felt a bit embarrassed and turned her face towards Gu Beixian. He raised his hand to embrace her, his fingers naturally stroking her back, comforting her. This was not coming to get a divorce at all, it was clearly coming to show off their love. Finally, someone couldn't help but point to the marriage registration office and said, "Go over there to get your marriage certificate, did you guys come to the wrong place?" Gu Beixian's expression was cool and indifferent as he said, "We're getting a divorce."

Everyone present immediately began to whisper among themselves, clearly not understanding them. They looked like they had such a good relationship, so why divorce? Just as it was almost their turn, Su Huan's phone suddenly rang. She took out her phone from her bag and walked to the window to answer the call. Before she had heard even half a sentence, she was already in tears. Sensing that something was wrong, Gu Beixian walked over. Seeing her face covered in tears and her complexion pale to the point of being unlike a normal person, his heart clenched and he asked urgently, 'What happened?' 'Grandma, my grandma, I don't have a grandma anymore...' Su Huan sobbed uncontrollably, her knees went weak, and she collapsed to the ground. Gu Beixian quickly scooped her up into his arms, lifted her slightly, and started to walk outside.

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