Chapter 19: Lu Shiyan is the next client that Gu Jinshu is looking for?

Lin Qinghai didn’t understand—when did Gu Jinshu and Lu Shiyan meet!? Could it be that Gu Jinshu had broken off their engagement without the slightest reluctance because she had already found someone else? And the most critical point was that this “someone else” was better than him—in the simple fact that he was the biological grandson of the elder Commander Lu, Lin Qinghai could never compare in his lifetime.

Lin Qinghai’s clenched fists tightened even more, his tone almost gritting through his teeth.
“Commander Lu, Gu Jinshu is far from being as good as you think. Not long ago, she slept with some random man. I don’t know what tricks she used to hook you in, but you’d better be careful—otherwise, you might end up playing the fool without even knowing it.”

“Is that so?”
Lu Shiyan’s long legs stepped directly toward Lin Qinghai. The distance between them was so close that Lin Qinghai felt completely pressured, even finding it difficult to breathe. Lu Shiyan’s dark eyes surged with emotions Lin Qinghai couldn’t read, and soon, Lu Shiyan averted his gaze, as if afraid that if he looked for even one more second, Lin Qinghai’s legs would go weak and he’d fall to his knees.

That gaze was terrifying—no wonder this man had clawed his way to his current position on his own ability.

“You’re not me, so how would you know whether or not I’m happy to be the fool in this situation?”

Lin Qinghai’s worldview collapsed. What kind of man was Lu Shiyan? His partner had to be the very best. And yet Lu Shiyan was willing to throw away his status for Gu Jinshu!

“Lin Qinghai, if I see you pestering Jinshu again—” Lu Shiyan’s threat was cut off midway as Lin Qinghai, agitated, immediately retorted:
“Even if you’re Commander Lu, what, are you planning to abuse your authority for personal revenge?!”

“Heh.” Lu Shiyan let out a soft laugh.
“Why would I need to bother with something so troublesome? We can settle it privately.”

He raised a brow. “You haven’t forgotten the results of the recent military competition, have you? Your stamina is still far from enough.”

The last thing Lin Qinghai wanted was to lose face in front of Gu Jinshu. But now, not only had he lost face, he’d lost dignity as well. Gu Jinshu had climbed up to a higher branch—that was the real reason she now had confidence.

Ha! Lin Qinghai only found it laughable. Could Gu Jinshu really think Lu Shiyan would marry her? Men like that were only in it for the fun. When he was done playing, he’d kick her away without hesitation. When that day came, Lin Qinghai would be there to enjoy the show.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Qinghai shot Gu Jinshu a fierce glare before leaving.

Gu Jinshu understood the meaning in his eyes, but before she could say anything, Lu Shiyan stepped in front of her.

“If you’re not planning on keeping those eyes, you might as well donate them.”

“…”
Lin Qinghai ground his teeth but didn’t dare talk back. He turned and quickly left.

Seeing the trouble resolved, Gu Jinshu spoke in a light tone about Lu Shiyan’s earlier act of stepping in for her:
“Thanks.”

“That’s it?”
Lu Shiyan’s thin lips curved slightly. The cold, stern aura he had shown facing Lin Qinghai was gone, replaced by a hint of warmth.
“Your way of expressing gratitude is a little too simple. Lacks sincerity.”

Gu Jinshu thought for a moment.
“I’ll treat you to dinner.”

“Dinner and that’s it?” Lu Shiyan sounded dissatisfied.

“What do you mean then?” Gu Jinshu hadn’t expected a man’s thoughts to be so hard to guess.

“In addition to dinner, take me to a movie.”

“Alright.” Gu Jinshu agreed readily.
“Not today though. I’ll contact you when I’m free.”

“I’m free whenever you are.” Lu Shiyan made it clear she could call him anytime.

“Let’s go, I’ll walk you back,” he said softly after noting how late it was.

Gu Jinshu fell into step behind him. His legs were long, and he walked briskly; she couldn’t keep pace when walking beside him. Lu Shiyan noticed and adjusted his stride.

As the evening breeze brushed past, Gu Jinshu suddenly recalled her earlier question.
“You said that night wasn’t our first meeting? When did we meet before? I don’t remember.”

Lu Shiyan: “Of course you don’t remember—back then, your mind and heart were completely full of Lin Qinghai.”

Gu Jinshu stopped in her tracks. So… the man had fallen for the original her at first sight?

The thought left her with an odd, indescribable feeling. Even though she was now the same person as the original, before that night they had been two different people.

Lu Shiyan was entirely unaware of her thoughts.

…

Gu family.

It was rare for Gu Moyu to come home for dinner. Lately, the hospital had been so busy that he barely had time to rest. At such a young age, he was already the chief surgeon in the orthopedics department of the First People’s Hospital—Gu Zehua and Niu Chunli’s greatest pride.

Not having seen their son for a while, they naturally had the housekeeper prepare more dishes for dinner. It was a rare family-of-four gathering.

Gu Chuxue smiled faintly.
“Brother, the last time our family had a reunion dinner was two months ago! I know you’re busy with work, but no matter how busy you are, you need to take care of yourself. Look at you—you’ve lost weight.”

“This isn’t a reunion dinner.”

Since the moment Gu Moyu had returned, his expression had been dark and gloomy.

Gu Chuxue’s smile froze.
“You… you mean because Jinshu isn’t here? She already said she wants to completely cut ties with our family.”

The implication was clear: Gu Jinshu was no longer one of them.

“Moyu, it’s rare for you to come home. Let’s just enjoy dinner happily and not talk about unpleasant people or things.”

Niu Chunli placed a piece of braised pork into his bowl.
“Your mom made this herself—see how it tastes.”

“Did something happen at the hospital?” Gu Zehua put down his glass and asked in a deep voice.

“No.” Gu Moyu turned his stiff neck and shook his head.
“Dad, Mom—Jinshu is young and doesn’t understand, so she wants to cut ties with the family. But how could you just let her?”

There was a sharp smack as Gu Zehua slammed his chopsticks down.

“Will you drop it already? I told you—don’t mention that name again! Why do you keep going on about it? Gu Jinshu is not my daughter, and certainly not your sister! Our family has only ever acknowledged Xue’er.”

“Dad! It’s because of your attitude that Jinshu became completely disappointed in this family. That’s why she never talks to you about anything. You don’t understand her at all—you don’t know how smart she is.”

Gu Moyu had been provoked—just earlier today. He didn’t want to place all the blame on himself, so he could only fault his parents for mistreating Gu Jinshu.

Now, she was Old Master Zhang’s prized student, with a bright future ahead. Moreover, he could tell that she held a special place in Old Master Zhang’s heart. She had studied medicine and her skills were far from low—otherwise, how could she have earned such favor?

“Brother, don’t argue with Dad and Mom. Whatever you want to say, let’s just sit and talk calmly.”

Gu Chuxue’s face had turned pale with fear.

“Xue’er, you know Dad and Mom are easily swayed by what they hear—so stop always speaking badly about Jinshu to them! No matter her faults, she’s still related to us by blood.”