Chapter 283: Tearing Your Mouth Apart

“Idiot! That woman has such a lowly status—how could she possibly be qualified to attend the Defender Duke’s Old Madam’s birthday banquet?”

The thought of Zhao Wei harboring romantic feelings for Su Wan filled County Princess Lin’an with irritation. Frustrated, she took out her anger on Cao Suxue, shooting her a fierce glare.

“If you dare to spread rumors and stir up trouble, I’ll tear your mouth apart!”

Cao Suxue put on a look of fear and panic, quickly responding, “County Princess, how would I dare lie to you? Precisely because her status is low, if she does attend the Old Madam’s birthday banquet, wouldn’t that prove something?”

County Princess Lin’an clenched her teeth tightly. “Even if it’s true, so what? She’s already married!”

Cao Suxue wanted to say more, but Lin’an’s expression was already dark with fury.

County Princess Lin’an flung her sleeves angrily and stormed off toward the teahouse, abandoning her plans to browse the jewelry shop.

Cao Suxue watched her retreating figure, the corners of her lips curling into a smirk. The fish had taken the bait.

——

Su Wan sat inside the carriage, while Gu Baozhu lay silently on her lap, saying nothing.

“Zhu’er, if something is troubling you, you can talk to me about it.”

Su Wan’s fingers gently stroked her slightly dull, yellowed hair. The carriage swayed with the uneven road, and sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a slanted glow on Gu Baozhu’s face.

Her double eyelids were wide, and her eye sockets deep, giving her an almost mixed-blood appearance. Under the sunlight, her slightly yellowish hair took on a light brown hue, making her look both beautiful and adorable.

“I went to see him… I originally just wanted to make him angry, to make him regret everything… But now I regret it instead…” Gu Baozhu lowered her eyelids and murmured in a muffled voice, “He didn’t care about us. No matter what I said, it didn’t affect him at all. But when I saw him feeling sad—when I realized that he actually does care about us—I felt even worse.”

Su Wan gently rubbed Gu Baozhu’s head. This only proved that Gu Baozhu had a kind and soft heart. She cared about whether Gu Qingsong truly cared for them, which was why she couldn’t remain indifferent when she saw his sorrow.

In trying to hurt Gu Qingsong with her words, she had ended up wounding herself as well.

“Zhu’er, we all love you very much. We hope you can live without worries and be happy every single day. You can do whatever you want, follow your heart—we won’t interfere. In fact, we will support you.”

Su Wan gently pinched her soft, fair little cheeks and said with a smile, “You don’t have to think too much.”

Gu Baozhu remained silent.

Su Wan gently patted her back, trying to help her relax.

Just before stepping off the carriage, Gu Baozhu murmured softly, “I miss Second Brother.”

These words instantly struck a chord with Su Wan, leaving her stunned for a long moment.

Gu Baozhu still didn’t know that Gu Jingyun wasn’t actually her biological Second Brother. The child who had passed away was a deep wound in Mother Gu’s heart.

If this pain couldn’t be resolved, then the marital bond between her and Gu Qingsong would truly come to an end.

Su Wan held Gu Baozhu’s hand as they returned to the Gu residence. As they passed the screen wall, her gaze immediately fell upon Mother Gu, who was seated in the front hall.

The two of them stepped inside, and Su Wan noticed a bright red invitation card with gold speckles placed on the table.

Mother Gu gazed at Gu Baozhu for a moment, and noticed her red-rimmed eyes. She immediately knew that the child had cried. She pulled Gu Baozhu into her embrace, and asked gently, “Zhuzhu, are you hungry?”

Gu Baozhu shook her head and buried her face in Mother Gu’s arms, hugging her tightly without saying a word.

No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Mother Gu understood that Gu Baozhu was feeling lost and unsure of what to do.

If Gu Baozhu truly had no lingering thoughts about Gu Qingsong, Mother Gu would have surely pointed out his faults to comfort her.

Mother Gu gently patted Gu Baozhu’s small head, letting out a soft sigh. Then, she picked up the invitation card beside her and handed it to Su Wan. “This was delivered by a servant from the Defender Duke’s household. They said that the Old Madam was frightened and has been unable to eat. They are asking you to go and take a look.”