Caught off guard, Chu Suosuo was slapped several times, leaving her stunned.

Her face burned with pain, her ears rang, and stars danced before her eyes.

Growing up, no one had ever dared to lay a finger on her.

Furious, she grabbed the assailant's arm and scratched wildly.

The two scuffled together.

The Chu family driver, who had been hiding in a corner, rushed over and forcefully separated them.

Only then did Chu Suosuo realize that her attacker was Gu Beixian's younger sister, Gu Nanyin, and she froze in shock.

Su Hua was also surprised to see it was Gu Nanyin.

Worried she might be bullied, Su Hua hurried over and shielded her behind herself.

Catching a glimpse of the scratches on her wrist, Su Hua felt a pang of pain and carefully applied a band-aid from her bag, asking softly, "Does it hurt?"

Gu Nanyin gasped in pain, "It's okay, sister-in-law, she didn't scratch your face, did she?"

Su Hua shook her head, "No."

Gu Nanyin glared at Chu Suosuo and said, "You don't have to be polite to that kind of person. Just slap her. Why bother reasoning with her? Reason is for humans, and she's not one!"

Hearing this, Chu Suosuo was infuriated.

She suppressed her anger and managed to squeeze out a few tears, saying pitifully, "Nanyin, we grew up together. I've always treated you like a real sister. How could you..."

Gu Nanyin rolled her eyes, "Please, I don't need a sister like you. My brother has been so good to you, our whole family has treated you well, and yet the moment my brother had an accident, you ran away faster than a rabbit. Now that you see my brother's leg is healed and everything is back to normal, you come back to steal him away and bully my sister-in-law. Have you no shame?"

Chu Suosuo's face flushed with anger and embarrassment, "I had my reasons..."

"Reasons my foot, my brother might believe you, but I don't!"

Just as Gu Nanyin finished speaking, Su Hua's phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID; it was Gu Beixian.

Hesitating for a second, she answered the call.

Gu Beixian asked, "Where are you?"

"At the western restaurant just south of the entrance to the antique street."

"I'm nearby, I'll be there in three minutes." He hung up.

Images of him embracing Chu Suosuo last night flashed through Su Hua's mind, causing her heart to ache.

Seeing the white roses he had given Chu Suosuo on the table made her feel even worse, as if a huge stone was pressing on her chest, suffocating her.

Minutes later, Gu Beixian entered the restaurant with his subordinates.

Tall and straight, with pale skin and striking features, his long legs moved with grace under his black trousers, exuding an air of nobility and elegance that was captivating.

Initially, the restaurant's patrons were drawn to the fight between Chu Suosuo and Gu Nanyin.

But as soon as Gu Beixian appeared, all eyes were on him.

Seeing him, Chu Suosuo's eyes lit up, and she ran towards him, sobbing, "Brother Beixian!"

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Gu Beixian frowned slightly, "Why are you here too?"

Chu Suosuo's eyes were red as she said pitifully, "I was looking for Su Hua to explain last night's incident, but before we could talk, she insulted me, and Nanyin hit me."

She pointed to her swollen cheek and pouted, "It hurts."

Gu Beixian glanced at Su Hua, "Is what she's saying true?"

Su Hua smiled.

She hadn't expected her beloved to be such a person – heartless, deceitful, and playing the victim first.

Indeed, those who are favored are always fearless.

Su Hua was about to speak when Gu Nanyin interjected, "Brother, think about it. Su Hua is such a gentle person; would she insult Chu Suosuo without provocation? When you were ill and irritable these past two years, did she ever argue with you? I hit Chu Suosuo because she tried to scratch my sister-in-law's face, and I think I was too lenient."

Gu Beixian turned to Chu Suosuo, "How did you provoke Su Hua? Why did you try to scratch her face?"

Chu Suosuo's face turned pale, and tears streamed down as she said with a quivering voice, "I didn't. Su Hua and Nanyin misunderstood me. Brother Beixian, you have to believe me."

She reached out to grab Gu Beixian's hand and leaned into his embrace.

Gu Nanyin stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and yanked her aside, scolding, "Are you spineless or just sick? My brother is a married man, and you're still trying to throw yourself at him? Spineless crab! Shameless!"

Chu Suosuo clutched her chest in pain as tears fell like broken pearls.

Gu Beixian frowned slightly and told Gu Nanyin, "Ease up a bit, Suosuo has severe depression, don't provoke her."

Gu Nanyin scoffed, "Don't use depression as an excuse for shamelessness. I've seen many people with depression who are self-respecting, kind, and good. Not like her, who chooses to be a troublemaker instead of a decent person!"

Chu Suosuo cried out and ran out, stumbling.

Her driver hurriedly picked up her bag and checkbook and followed her.

Gu Beixian turned and instructed his bodyguard, "Follow her and make sure she doesn't try to kill herself again."

"Yes, Mr. Gu." The bodyguard followed.

Gu Nanyin snorted, "If she really wants to die, she should find a place where no one is around and just do it. Who is she trying to scare with all that crying?"

Gu Beixian's eyes turned cold as he reprimanded, "Nanyin, you've gone too far!"

Su Hua stepped in front of Gu Nanyin, "If you're going to blame someone, blame me. Nanyin was just standing up for me."

Looking at Su Hua, Gu Beixian's gaze softened, and he handed her a tube of imported scar removal ointment, "This was sent from abroad. Follow the instructions and apply it so the wound on your neck doesn't scar."

Su Hua looked at the ointment with mixed feelings.

She knew he didn't love her, but sometimes it seemed like he cared.

Quickly, she laughed at herself mockingly. If he really cared, how could last night have happened?

Last night's incident was too painful.

It hurt so much that she had lost the courage to question him.

Gu Nanyin took the ointment and put it in Su Hua's hand, glaring at Gu Beixian, "Brother, if you dare to let down my sister-in-law, I won't acknowledge you as my brother anymore!"

Gu Beixian replied indifferently, "Children shouldn't meddle in adult affairs."

"I'm only a year younger than sister-in-law, I'm not a child!"

Gu Beixian ignored her and took Su Hua's hand, speaking softly, "Have you eaten? If not, I'll take you."

Su Hua withdrew her hand as if shocked, "I'm full."

Gu Beixian looked down at her, his eyes warm, "I said last night was a misunderstanding, do you believe me?"

Su Hua stood tall, her usually gentle voice a bit sharp, "It was just bad timing on my part, interrupting you."

Gu Beixian's smile deepened, tinged with helplessness, "Alright, I'll take you home."

Su Hua picked up her bag and walked out.

Gu Beixian followed her with long strides, his assistant trailing behind.

Exiting the restaurant, Su Hua passed a flower shop and went inside.

After looking around, she pointed to a bouquet of white roses and said, "I'll take one of those."

The clerk asked, "How many would you like?"

Thinking of the twenty roses Gu Beixian had given Chu Suosuo, Su Hua said spitefully, "Two hundred."

The clerk paused for a moment and then smiled, "Please wait."

After a long wait, the flowers were finally ready, and Su Hua realized why the clerk had paused.

Two hundred roses, once wrapped, were nearly a meter in diameter.

They were big and heavy.

She struggled to hold them, but it was satisfying. Why wait for someone to give her flowers when she could buy them herself? She could afford it.

Gu Beixian took out his card to pay, but Su Hua handed it back, saying, "I have my own money."

She said it with firmness.

She was spending the money she earned from work.

Gu Beixian smiled faintly, knowing she was upset.

After paying, Su Hua walked out with the huge bouquet of white roses.

The large bouquet made her slender figure even more delicate, like a tall and straight bamboo, graceful yet strong.

Gu Beixian reached out to help.

Su Hua dodged his hand.

Gu Beixian's hand hung in the air for a second before slowly retracting.

They walked side by side.

Looking at the dense roses in her arms, Gu Beixian asked, "Do you also like white roses?"

"I don't."

"Why buy so many then?"

"Hmm!"

Gu Beixian's eyes crinkled with amusement, "I didn't think you liked flowers. I thought you only liked paintings."

"I'm a woman too!"

Seeing her usually good-natured appearance, it was the first time Gu Beixian saw her looking so indignant, and he found it refreshing, "Then what flowers do you like? I'll send them to you next time."

Su Hua pursed her lips and remained silent.

She grew up with her grandparents at the foot of the mountains, loving the wild chrysanthemums, dandelions, and the irises, pink beans, and sunflowers planted under the window.

She felt an affinity for these simple and resilient flowers, but had no feelings for the precious and delicate imported roses in her arms.

Buying so many was purely out of spite.

Approaching Ancient Treasure Studio, Su Hua suddenly stopped and said, "You don't need to send me any further."

Gu Beixian raised an eyebrow, "Afraid your colleagues will see me?"

"Sooner or later we'll divorce, won't we?" Her voice trembled, her heart quivering.

The current situation, neither divorcing nor staying together, was like a dull knife cutting flesh, painfully lingering.

Gu Beixian was silent for a moment, then stopped walking, silently watching her figure recede into the distance, his eyes as deep as a calm sea.

Su Hua arrived at the entrance of Ancient Treasure Studio and ran into the young master of the shop, Shen Huai.

He smiled, "Such a big bouquet, did your boyfriend give it to you?"

"No, I bought it myself."

Shen Huai's smile deepened, "It must be heavy, let me carry it for you."

Su Hua handed him the flowers and smiled, "Thank you."

Shen Huai joked, "You're the backbone of our shop, what's carrying a bouquet for you?"

"Mr. Shen is too kind."

The two chatted and laughed, walking shoulder to shoulder into the shop.

Gu Beixian stood tall and handsome in the distance, watching with a cool gaze that turned chilly.

It was an indescribable feeling.

It was as if a pig had barged into his carefully nurtured garden, intent on rooting up his vegetables.

Almost instinctively, he wanted to chase the pig away.

That's when he realized he wasn't as magnanimous as he had thought.

Brushing his chin with his tongue, Gu Beixian instructed his assistant, "Find out more about that man."

"Yes, Mr. Gu."

They got into the car and headed back to the company.

Half an hour later.

The assistant received a call and reported to Gu Beixian, "Mr. Gu, that man is named Shen Huai, a doctor by profession. Ancient Treasure Studio is his grandfather's shop. He and the madam have had phone records dating back three years."

Gu Beixian's eyes flashed coldly, "Check Shen Huai's nickname, see if it's Ah-Yao."