"Why should I make things difficult for Su Hua?" Qin Shu asked, frowning.

Gu Beixian replied emotionlessly, "You know your own character."

Qin Shu said nothing more, hung up the phone, opened WeChat, and sent him her location.

Handing the phone back to Su Hua, she laughed at herself and said indignantly, "Brat, to think you assumed I was out to trouble you. Do I really seem like a wicked old woman?"

Su Hua remembered how Qin Shu had coldly confronted Chu Suosuo at the Hermès boutique earlier, and indeed, her words had been quite cutting.

But since it was Chu Suosuo on the receiving end, Su Hua felt nothing but exhilaration and moved.

She smiled, "No, you're the most beautiful mother-in-law."

Qin Shu's anger turned to delight, "You sure know how to talk. That brat, his wife was almost driven away by his antics, and here I am, kindly trying to coax her. And what do I get? A dog biting Lu Dongbin, ungrateful for the good intentions."

Su Hua now understood everything.

It must have been Grandmother Gu or Gu Nanyin who said something to Qin Shu.

That's why the usually aloof Qin Shu, on her return to the country, was showering her with gifts and dresses.

Su Hua was quite taken aback by the attention.

Families like the Gu Family always valued matching social status.

Back when Beixian couldn't stand on his legs and was wheelchair-bound, he was considered a match for her.

Now that Beixian's legs had healed and he had returned to the company as the CEO of a listed corporation like Gu Group, commanding the wind and summoning the rain, he was high above and the center of attention.

And she, even with her talent for restoring ancient paintings, lacked a powerful family background and was still vulnerable.

She felt this herself, let alone what others might think.

That's why Chu Suosuo, with her status as a wealthy heiress, dared to provoke her so openly time and again.

Before long, Gu Beixian arrived.

He pushed open the door, scanned the café, and upon spotting Su Hua, strode over, pulled her from her chair, and said in a deep voice, "Let's go."

Su Hua withdrew her hand, looked up at him with a smile, "Go where? I'm having a great time chatting with mom."

She pointed to the bags and gift boxes on the table, "These are all gifts from mom."

Gu Beixian's expression softened slightly as he asked, "She didn't say anything to upset you, did she?"

"No, mom's been very kind to me."

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Gu Beixian raised an eyebrow, "You're not lying to me?"

Su Hua was puzzled, "Why would I lie to you?"

"As long as you're not lying, let's go after you finish your coffee."

"I hardly ever get to see mom, we haven't talked enough yet." Su Hua was reluctant to leave.

Qin Shu, holding her coffee, said with a smile, "You better go with him, or he might curse me out in his heart."

Su Hua laughed, "He wouldn't dare."

Qin Shu gave Gu Beixian a look, "You don't understand, men forget their mothers once they have a wife. Now, he only has eyes for you, his wife. What about me, his mother?"

Although it was a complaint, it made Su Hua laugh.

Laughing, she felt a twinge of sadness. If only what Qin Shu said was true, that would be wonderful.

On the last day of the month.

It was Qin Shu's birthday.

In the evening, Su Hua changed into the starry blue dress Qin Shu had given her, applied light makeup, and was driven to the Gu Family mansion.

The villa was brightly lit.

The nine-meter-high living room was spacious and bright, beautifully decorated, with a luxurious table filled with high-end buffet dishes, delicacies from land and sea, an array of drinks, fruits, and exquisite desserts.

The male guests wore suits and ties, and the female guests were all in evening gowns, dressed to the nines.

Everyone raised their glasses and made merry, the atmosphere was lively.

Qin Shu, though appearing cool and detached, was adept at socializing, moving through the crowd, engaging in lively conversation, and charming everyone.

This was Su Hua's first time experiencing such a lively birthday party since marrying into the Gu Family.

Previously, when Beixian had been in a car accident and couldn't stand, the entire Gu Family had been shrouded in gloom.

Even when the Elderly lady had a birthday, it wasn't celebrated grandly, just a simple meal with a few close relatives at the old house.

As soon as Su Hua entered, everyone turned to look at her.

Men and women alike showed looks of amazement.

Su Hua, already beautiful without makeup, was stunning with it, and in formal attire, she looked like a fairy descended to earth.

Her oval face with arched black eyebrows, large eyes shimmering with light, was radiant.

With a slender figure, the long, floor-length night blue dress adorned with countless tiny diamonds sparkled like stars.

The light from the lamps and the stars on her dress reflected off each other, giving her an ethereal aura as she moved.

Qin Shu also saw Su Hua and immediately came over warmly, taking her arm and introducing her to everyone, "Let me introduce you all, this is my daughter-in-law, Su Hua."

The crowd was surprised, "When did your son get married? Why didn't you tell us?"

Qin Shu smiled, "They've been married for three years, the wedding will be held soon."

A middle-aged lady in a purple evening gown, standing close by, looked Su Hua up and down and praised, "So beautiful and with such good temperament, she must be from a distinguished family, right?"

Su Hua's eyes dimmed slightly, just about to speak.

Qin Shu squeezed her hand and said, "Su Hua is the granddaughter of the 'Restoration Sage' Su Wenmai, a descendant of a scholarly family."

The lady in the purple gown wasn't into antiques and didn't recognize the name Su Wenmai. Her expression changed subtly as she said, "A scholarly family, that's also quite good," her tone clearly dismissive.

The smiles on the faces of others also took on ambiguous meanings.

Su Hua, sensitive to these nuances, felt uncomfortable, though it didn't show on her face.

Qin Shu led her inside and whispered in her ear, "Don't mind those people, they're all vulgar, reeking of money, and ignorant."

Su Hua's heart warmed, and she smiled at Qin Shu, "Thank you, mom, I'm fine."

Qin Shu patted her shoulder, "Good. Sit here for a while, help yourself to anything you want to eat, call a servant if you need anything. Beixian will be here soon, I'll go entertain them."

Su Hua bowed slightly, "You go ahead, don't worry about me."

Once Qin Shu was away, Su Hua found a seat.

Having been married to Beixian for three years, she had kept a low profile, and this was her first public appearance.

Except for Qin Shu, she didn't know anyone in the room, which made her somewhat uncomfortable.

Su Hua took a glass of juice, sipped it gently, and scrolled through her phone.

Suddenly, a sarcastic female voice came from behind, "Oh, Su Hua is here too. Dressed in that little gown, from a sparrow to a phoenix, I almost didn't recognize you."

The words were too harsh.

Su Hua's scalp tingled slightly as she turned to look.

Not far away stood a tall, slender woman in a black evening gown, well-maintained so her real age was indiscernible, with a long face and high cheekbones, and a hint of harshness in her eyes.

It was Gu Beixian's aunt, Gu Fengjiao.

Su Hua stood up, greeted her with a forced smile, "Good evening, aunt."

Gu Fengjiao, holding a glass of red wine and walking in high heels, looked Su Hua up and down with a slanted gaze, "Lucky girl, marrying my nephew, you've got it all—wealth, family background, looks, and grace."

Su Hua barely curved her lips, replying neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Beixian is indeed outstanding, but I'm not lacking either."

"You're not lacking, but your family background is quite unimpressive, tsk tsk, no comparison to our Gu Family," Gu Fengjiao said with a sneer and a sip of her wine.

Su Hua held back and said lightly, "The status of my family doesn't matter, as long as Beixian is good to me. Not just Beixian, but grandfather, Grandmother Gu, mom, and Nanyin, they all treat me with great respect."

Gu Fengjiao didn't expect Su Hua, who seemed gentle and soft, to be tough.

She retorted for every remark, unwilling to back down.

Gu Fengjiao became angry, "They're just well-mannered. You're not a match, no matter how much you try to gild yourself!"

Suddenly, a stern male voice intervened, "Su Hua doesn't need to gild herself; she's gold on her own, more than enough for me!"

Su Hua turned at the sound.

The tall and upright man, dressed in a dark suit, with deep features and a handsome, imposing face, approached with long strides.

Reaching her, he stopped and looked down at Gu Fengjiao, enunciating clearly, "My woman is not for an outsider like aunt to judge!"

Gu Fengjiao's face turned ashen, unable to utter a word.

"Husband, you're here." Su Hua's eyes curved, and she picked up her dress, running towards him.