Chapter 4: This Was Given by Mother Before She Passed  

“Go.”  

Lu Zhenzhu heard her own voice, calm as still water.  

Gu Huai’s Adam’s apple pressed against her forehead as he swallowed hard. “But I promised you…”  

How amusing that he pretended to struggle when he so clearly wanted to go.  

“She needs you more, doesn’t she? Go.”  

Lu Zhenzhu looked up at him.  

Outside, the rain suddenly intensified, droplets hammering against the glass like the shattered rhythm of her heartbeat.  

“Go, I’ll be fine.”  

As Gu Huai stood, the sash of his pajamas brushed against the back of her hand.  

He paused at the door and glanced back, the lamplight casting a chiaroscuro across his profile. “I’ll be back soon.” When he left, he took the broken comb with him.  

The rain against the window sounded just like that night years ago when they had embraced in the downpour.  

Only now, the rain carried only the sound of her solitary heartbeat and the distant breaths from the master bedroom—breaths that did not belong to her.  

News of Gu Huai forcing Lu Zhenzhu to apologize to Jiang Sesè quickly spread through their social circle.  

Everyone whispered that he was on the verge of leaving her.  

But Lu Zhenzhu could only pretend not to hear, dutifully playing the role of his obedient wife.  

At three in the morning, Lu Zhenzhu received a call from the auction house.  

Clutching the receiver, she listened as the voice on the other end enunciated clearly: “The restored edition of *Bluebird* will be the finale of tomorrow night’s auction.”  

Her nails dug deep into her palm, and only one thought filled her mind—she *had* to win that painting.  

To do so, Lu Zhenzhu turned her attention to the old belongings Gu Huai had once given her, which she had recently sorted out.  

But now, stripped of love, they were only good for one thing—being sold for money.  

On the night of the charity gala, the dazzling glow of crystal lamps bathed the venue, illuminating glamorous gowns and exquisite makeup.  

Lu Zhenzhu stood alone in a corner, clad in a plain white qipao, her gaze serene yet tinged with quiet desolation as she watched the guests mingle and laugh.  

Then, at the revolving door, Gu Huai entered arm in arm with Jiang Sesè.  

Jiang Sesè shimmered in a bright yellow evening gown, her diamond earrings swaying with each step, their brilliance stinging Lu Zhenzhu’s eyes.  

Gu Huai, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, wore a faint smile as he greeted those around him, his eyes never once drifting in Lu Zhenzhu’s direction.  

As the auction began, the atmosphere grew lively.  

When *Bluebird* was wheeled onto the display platform, Lu Zhenzhu’s breath hitched.  

The painting depicted a bluebird breaking free from its cage, soaring toward freedom under a vast sky. In the lower right corner, the signature “Lu Qin” was like a sharp blade, piercing straight into the softest part of her heart.  

That was her mother’s handwriting.  

Aside from the comb Jiang Sesè had destroyed, this was the only relic her mother had left behind in this world—and she *had* to have it.  

“Miss Lu, your deposit…” The staff member’s voice carried an apologetic tone.  

Lu Zhenzhu produced an envelope containing all she had—the proceeds from selling the jewelry Gu Huai had once given her and the money from mortgaging her old family home.  

“Five hundred thousand,” Lu Zhenzhu called out first, her voice steady, though the slight tremor in her hand betrayed her nerves.  

Jiang Sesè turned to look at her, lips curling into a taunting smile as she elegantly raised a hand adorned with red nail polish. “One million.”  

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Lu Zhenzhu saw Gu Huai lounging on a sofa, idly smoking, his gaze flickering over her with vague amusement.

“Three million.” Lu Zhenzhu gritted her teeth, gripping the bidding paddle tightly, her palm already slick with sweat.

Jiang Sesè’s smile widened, her voice crisp: “Five million.”

The auction hall fell silent instantly, all eyes shifting between the two women.

Lu Zhenzhu’s heart pounded like a drum as she gazed at the painting, as if seeing her mother’s gentle smile—it represented the precious time they had shared, the last beautiful memory of her mother’s life.

Staring at Jiang Sesè’s fingers coated in bright red nail polish, Lu Zhenzhu recalled the traces of torn canvas at the charity gala: “Don’t touch it.”

Her voice carried suppressed fury.

“Oh, but I will.” Jiang Sesè laughed and continued raising the bid.

Lu Zhenzhu took a deep breath, lifted the hem of her dress, and strode toward Gu Huai.

Her high heels clicked sharply against the polished marble floor, but to her ears, each step sounded like a heavy drumbeat.

“Please, lend me the money. I don’t want anything else—just this painting!” She stood before Gu Huai, her voice low but urgent. “This painting means everything to me.”

Jiang Sesè’s grip on Gu Huai’s arm tightened instantly, a flicker of displeasure flashing in her eyes.

Gu Huai raised an eyebrow at Lu Zhenzhu, the ash from his cigarette falling onto her cheongsam, leaving a small black burn. “How important is it?”

Lu Zhenzhu looked at him, tears welling in her eyes. “It’s the last thing she left me, her final…” Her voice broke into a sob.

She remembered her mother, weak on her deathbed, clutching her hand and saying she hoped this painting would always stay with Lu Zhenzhu.

Gu Huai studied her reddened eyes, silent for a moment before reaching out to gently tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “But I have to be fair, don’t I? I won’t take sides. Sesè is using her own money. If she wins the bid, it’s hers.”

“This isn’t just any painting!” Tears spilled down Lu Zhenzhu’s cheeks. “It’s the only keepsake my mother left me. How can you be so cruel?”

“Had enough?” His tone dripped with impatience. “It’s just a painting. Buy another one.”

“This isn’t just any painting! It’s the only keepsake my mother left me. How can you be so cruel?”

Gu Huai shook off her hand, his gaze icy. “Cruel? I’m only making the fairest decision.”

Fair? In truth, the scales in his heart had long tipped in Jiang Sesè’s favor.

When the auctioneer’s gavel fell, Lu Zhenzhu watched helplessly as the battle ended.

But she refused to give up. She rushed toward the backstage.

However, when she arrived to claim the painting, her heart shattered at the sight—Jiang Sesè was dragging a fountain pen forcefully across the canvas, vivid ink strokes tearing through the Bluebird, as if tearing through Lu Zhenzhu’s heart.

Noticing Lu Zhenzhu’s arrival, Jiang Sesè didn’t even flinch. “Oh, Zhenzhu-jie, you love this painting so much? But I just don’t want you to have it.”

She laughed, tossing the ruined painting into the trash and carelessly dropping the pen aside.

Lu Zhenzhu lunged forward, only for Gu Huai to seize her wrist as he arrived.

His voice was a cold warning: “Lu Zhenzhu, don’t you dare lay a finger on her.”

“Ah! A-Huai, I was so clumsy—I accidentally scratched Sister’s painting. But I really didn’t mean to! If she wants to hit me, she has every right…”

As expected, the moment she cried, Gu Huai’s heart softened.

He shielded her behind him, protecting her: “Stop making a fuss, it’s just a painting. We can buy another one.”

“This isn’t just any painting! It’s my mother’s keepsake!” Lu Zhenzhu shouted at him, tears streaming down her face. “You promised me!”

Gu Huai pinched her chin forcefully, a cruel smile curling his lips: “Just a painting, and you’re crying like this? It’s just something left behind by a dead person…?”

Jiang Sesè hid behind Gu Huai, feigning remorse as she said, “Sister Zhenzhu, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to. My hand just slipped…”