Chapter 36: “It’s Alright, Our Son-in-Law is Wonderful”

After finishing her last commission, Wen Zhixian no longer had to rush to her shop in the mornings.

Once Qi Yanjing left, she leisurely watered the ferns at home and didn’t head out until nine o’clock.

Getting out of her car, she held her bag and bent slightly to unlock the shop’s door. Suddenly, someone grabbed her wrist and shoved her into the backseat of a nearby car.

Gu Yuchen. It was him again.

The car door slammed shut with a loud “bang”, startling her.

A “click” followed, and the doors were locked.

Gu Yuchen sat beside her, still carrying his usual graceful demeanor. But seeing him, she instinctively shrank back, pressing herself against the car door in fear.

Her panicked expression stung him deeply. His lips parted slightly in disbelief. “Are you afraid of me?”

Gu Yuchen leaned closer, his voice low and chilling, sending shivers down her spine. “Why are you afraid of me?”

He couldn’t comprehend it. She had liked him so much before. Even though they didn’t see each other daily, he would occasionally find time to visit her. She used to talk endlessly to him, even if he barely listened. But at least she was happy, holding onto his arm and smiling.

Now, the woman before him overlapped with the one in his memories. Unconsciously, his hands settled on her shoulders.

This wasn’t the Zhixian he remembered. She shouldn’t be looking at him with such an expression.

The disparity in physical strength between men and women was already significant, and Gu Yuchen had been trained. In such a confined space, she had no advantage, let alone any chance to escape.

When Gu Yuchen’s hands touched her shoulders, she shook him off in disgust. “Don’t touch me.”

Her expression… Why was it like that?

Wen Zhixian tugged at the car door repeatedly, but it wouldn’t budge.

Gu Yuchen reached out, intending to touch her left cheek. Just as his hand was about to land on her soft features, Wen Zhixian sneered, “Are you planning to hit me again?”

She was already pressed against the door, with nowhere left to retreat.

His fingertips felt cold.

Gu Yuchen froze. Her guarded gaze made him pause. “I would never lay a hand on you.”

“Gu Yuchen, do you think that’s believable?” she retorted.

How could he say such words with a straight face?

“It was my fault. I didn’t realize how serious it was. I just found out last night that it affected your hearing.” He had been waiting here all morning for her to show up. Hurting her had caused him immense pain.

Wen Zhixian remained expressionless. “Gu Yuchen, who are you pretending for? I won’t accept any apology from you, in any form. I also hope you’ll stop appearing in front of me. This city is big enough. If you make even the slightest effort, we won’t run into each other. Let’s just be strangers.”

Gu Yuchen understood everything. He just wanted her to yield first. But she didn’t see the point.

She had always been accommodating in their relationship, but there were things she couldn’t and wouldn’t concede.

“Zhixian, can you give me another chance? I’ll make it up to you. I can’t stand you being with someone else.” Gu Yuchen pulled her into his arms, his voice low and tinged with desperation.

Wen Zhixian struggled fiercely, but his grip was unyielding. “Let me go! Don’t touch me! Help!”

This side of Gu Yuchen terrified her. A composed madman was capable of anything.

“You broke my cup. The cup is shattered now. I don’t want any compensation from you. Let’s just forget everything and go back to how we were before.”

“Get off me!” she yelled, raising her knee and kicking him hard.

The kick forced Gu Yuchen to release her.

Suddenly, loud banging echoed against the car window. Wen Zhixian looked up and saw her parents outside.

“Mom! Dad!” she called out.

“Gu Yuchen, open the car door!” Shen Ling banged on the window.

“If you don’t open it, I’ll call the police!” Wen Xingzhi couldn’t believe Gu Yuchen would actually do something like this. In the past, such behavior from him was unimaginable.

Under the pressure of their status as elders, Gu Yuchen unlocked the car door.

Wen Zhixian immediately bolted out of the car. Shen Ling inspected her from head to toe, her worry evident. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“Uncle Wen, Aunt Shen,” Gu Yuchen stepped out of the car. His 6’1″ frame and tailored black suit exuded a regal air. Standing before them, he apologized, “I’m sorry. I acted impulsively and ended up hurting Zhixian.”

He had visited their home multiple times to apologize, but they had refused to see him.

He hadn’t expected their first meeting since the incident would be under such circumstances.

“You didn’t apologize to Zhixian when it happened, and now you’re desperate to make amends afterward?” Shen Ling’s fury was palpable. “Gu Yuchen, when we learned about your breakup, I didn’t blame you at all. I blamed Zhixian. But now I see—what on earth did you do? You hit our daughter. I’ve never laid a hand on her, so what gives you the right? Who do you think you are?”

Shen Ling’s anger flared uncontrollably. The boy she had watched grow up, the once-promising son-in-law, turned out to be such a disappointment.

Wen Zhixian squeezed her mother’s hand gently.

Gu Yuchen had no rebuttal. Powerless, he could only listen in silence.

Wen Xingzhi was equally upset, though his tone remained cold and even. “Yuchen, you don’t need our forgiveness. Your parents have already apologized, and Zhixian has moved on. She’s married now and is living a good life. Please don’t disturb her anymore.”

Mentioning Zhixian’s marriage, Gu Yuchen’s voice dropped. “Uncle Wen, Aunt Shen, do you truly know the man she married? How long have they known each other? Have they really taken the time to understand one another? Can you honestly feel at ease letting her be with him?”

Why would they allow Zhixian to marry someone she barely knew? Was she acting out of spite, and were her parents letting her have her way just to oppose him?

“We thought we knew you, and look where that got us. You’ve known Zhixian for 26 years, and you turned out to be a cautionary tale.”

Gu Yuchen was speechless. Yes, he was the cautionary tale.

“I never imagined things would come to this,” Wen Xingzhi continued. “We never cared how you treated us as elders. It didn’t matter. All we wanted was for you to treat Zhixian well. But reality proved the opposite. You constantly neglected her. We used to excuse your behavior, even comforting Zhixian by saying you were busy and tired. We understood why you spent so little time with her. But looking back, if you hadn’t ignored her so often, Zhixian wouldn’t have come to us with complaints.”

The more they recalled, the more disheartened they became.

Wen Xingzhi sighed. “It’s fine. Our son-in-law treats us wonderfully. He even makes time for us as her parents.”

Wen Zhixian nearly burst out laughing at her father’s passive-aggressive remark.

Hearing this, Shen Ling’s anger began to dissipate.

Gu Yuchen maintained his composure, though his expression showed faint traces of despair. Unable to bear any more, he prepared to leave. Before stepping away, he gave a slight bow and said, “I’m sorry.”

The car pulled away slowly, disappearing into the distance.

Wen Zhixian noticed the faint sadness on her parents’ faces. Their feelings toward Gu Yuchen weren’t solely anger. After all, they had watched him grow up and once regarded him as their future son-in-law. Their emotions were a complicated mix of anger, disappointment, and pity.