Chu Suosuo's palm-sized, pale face was strikingly similar to her own.

It wasn't clear exactly what features made them look alike, but at a glance, the resemblance was uncanny.

It took a second look to tell them apart.

Upon closer inspection,

Chu Suosuo was the delicate version, with curved eyebrows, a slightly furrowed brow, a petite nose, and cherry lips. Her features had a fragile, glass-like quality.

Su Hua, on the other hand, exuded a sense of calm, indifference, and an innate resilience.

It was only at this moment that Su Hua realized she was nothing more than a stand-in for Gu Beixian.

She laughed at herself, mockingly.

No wonder he agreed to get married after just one look three years ago. The reason was right here.

"Beixian, you, you're here." Hua Qirou, Chu Suosuo's mother, greeted him with a forced smile.

Her eyes, however, were less friendly when they swept over Su Hua.

Gu Beixian nodded slightly in response.

Hua Qirou walked to the bedside and gently patted Chu Suosuo's shoulder, "Suosuo, Brother Beixian has come to see you."

Chu Suosuo slowly opened her eyes, her gaze passing over Su Hua's face without much surprise.

As if she had always known about their similar looks.

She turned to Gu Beixian, tears brimming in her eyes, and said weakly, "Brother Beixian, I didn't try to kill myself. I just couldn't sleep and took a few extra sleeping pills. My mom overreacted and insisted on bringing me to the hospital to have my stomach pumped. I'm sorry for troubling you and Sister Su Hua to come here so late."

With reddened eyes, Hua Qirou scolded, "A few pills? You took almost half the bottle! If I hadn't found you in time, you would have..."

She began to sob, covering her mouth.

Gu Beixian sat down by the bed.

He looked at Chu Suosuo with indulgent eyes, his tone affectionate yet reproachful, "Don't ever do something so foolish again, understand?"

"Mhm." Chu Suosuo pouted, nodding tearfully, looking pitiful and obedient.

Gu Beixian took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the tears from her eyes, as gently as if he were handling the most precious porcelain.

His gaze was tender and full of pity.

Su Hua watched Gu Beixian, stunned.

In their three years of marriage, he had never shown her such tenderness.

Perhaps this was the difference between love and the absence of it.

Even though Chu Suosuo had abandoned him during his toughest times, he still loved her.

Perhaps for some men, no matter how deeply other women cared, it was useless if they weren't the one who tormented him.

It felt like there was a fishbone stuck in her throat.

Su Hua couldn't stay any longer, "You two talk, I'm leaving."

Hearing this, Gu Beixian looked back at her, his expression indifferent, "Explain to Suosuo before you go."

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Taking a deep breath, Su Hua said, "Miss Chu, Beixian and I are together because we didn't want to upset Grandma..."

Her voice choked, and she couldn't continue. She turned and left.

This was the first time she had defied Gu Beixian.

And the first time she had lost her composure in front of him.

Once the door closed, Chu Suosuo said to Gu Beixian, "Brother Beixian, you should go after Sister Su Hua. She seems upset."

Gu Beixian was silent for a moment, "It's fine, she won't be angry."

"She must be very forgiving then," Chu Suosuo said somberly. "I didn't expect Sister Su Hua to have such a good temperament, so gentle and graceful, not at all like someone from a small village. I thought she wasn't a match for you."

Gu Beixian felt uncomfortable hearing this, "Although she grew up in a small village, her mother and grandmother were teachers, and her grandfather was a restorer of ancient paintings and calligraphy at a museum before he retired. She comes from a scholarly family."

"No wonder."

Suddenly, they had nothing more to say.

After a quiet moment,

Chu Suosuo cautiously probed, "Sister Su Hua is beautiful, and she has such a good temperament. You must love her very much, right?"

Gu Beixian was looking at his phone, slightly distracted. Hearing her, he looked up and asked, "What did you just say?"

A flicker of disappointment crossed Chu Suosuo's eyes, "Brother Beixian, you should go and see Sister Su Hua off. It's not safe for a girl to be out alone so late at night."

Gu Beixian stood up, "I'll take her home and then come back to see you."

"Go quickly," Chu Suosuo said softly.

Gu Beixian got up and left.

Watching his retreating figure, Chu Suosuo's gaze darkened.

After he was gone, Hua Qirou scolded, "You finally got him here, why did you let him go?"

Chu Suosuo frowned, "Didn't you see how restless Brother Beixian was? His body was here, but his mind was on Su Hua. It's better to let him do as he wishes. If something happened to that woman on the way, he would blame himself, and he might even blame me."

Hua Qirou clicked her tongue, "You're young, but you're more calculating than your mother."

When Gu Beixian found Su Hua, she was almost at the hospital's main entrance.

Her slender, straight figure, in the chilly spring wind, was as beautiful as a bamboo in an ink painting.

Gu Beixian quickened his pace to catch up with her.

Neither of them spoke, just walked side by side in the silence as dark as the night.

Exiting the main entrance,

Su Hua turned to wait for a taxi by the roadside.

Gu Beixian grabbed her wrist and led her toward the parking lot.

Getting into the car,

Gu Beixian pulled out a card from his bag and stuffed it into Su Hua's coat pocket, "I was rude tonight. This is a little compensation. The PIN is your birthday."

Su Hua felt humiliated.

In his eyes, she could be easily dismissed with money, not even worth the effort of a comforting word.

He only ever comforted Chu Suosuo.

Reaching into her pocket, Su Hua tried to take out the card.

Gu Beixian held her hand firmly, his tone heavy and uncompromising, "Keep it. Apart from money, I have nothing else to give you."

Su Hua felt as if her heart was filled with sand, uncomfortable and gritty.

What she wanted was never his money.

Midway home,

Gu Beixian received a call from the Elderly lady, "Did you ignore my words? Come back immediately."

"We're almost home," Gu Beixian said in a cool tone before hanging up.

Returning to the Gu Family mansion,

As they entered,

They saw the Elderly lady slumped on the sofa, pale-faced but with eyes that were bright and alert, watching them.

She extended her hand, "Give me the phone."

Gu Beixian handed over his phone.

The Elderly lady found Chu Suosuo's number and dialed it.

Once connected,

She spoke sternly, "Miss Chu, our Beixian is a married man. Please be mindful and don't call him unnecessarily! Since you broke up three years ago, don't look back, and don't harbor any foolish hopes for Beixian!"

Without waiting for Chu Suosuo to respond, she hung up and tossed the phone onto the coffee table.

Gu Beixian frowned, "Suosuo has severe depression, she can't handle such stress."

The Elderly lady scoffed, "Even if she had cancer, it's none of your concern. Your wife should be your priority!"

Gu Beixian's eyes grew colder, "Grandma, you..."

The Elderly lady began to cough violently, covering her mouth.

Su Hua hurried over to help her up.

After settling the Elderly lady into bed and calming her down, Su Hua returned to the guest bedroom.

Seeing Gu Beixian had just finished a call, putting his phone on the nightstand.

Probably pacifying Chu Suosuo.

Su Hua silently went to the living room sofa, grabbed a long pillow, and placed it in the middle of the bed as a divider.

She took out another blanket from the closet, one for each of them.

She took off her coat, lifted the blanket, and lay down.

It was already three in the morning, and she was extremely tired, her mind muddled, wanting nothing more than to sleep.

As soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep slumber.

She slept until the sun was high.

Upon opening her eyes, Su Hua was caught off guard by the sight of a handsome, sculpted face staring at her intently.

They were so close, their breaths mingling.

His warm breath brushed her forehead, his deep eyes restrained yet hazy.

And she was nestled in his arms, her hands tightly wrapped around his waist, her legs entwined with his, in an incredibly intimate position.

The air grew thick with unspoken tension.

Su Hua, as if electrocuted, hastily let go of his waist and scrambled out of his embrace.

Half annoyed, half resentful, she said, "How did I end up in your arms?"