Chapter 607 - 523: Heartless
Chapter 607: Chapter 523: Heartless
Xiao Man didn’t see Wu Xiangyun until it was time for everyone to be seated. Since the eldest son had brought home his new wife, his parents—the new in-laws, Gu Qiyuan and Tian Xueqin—were naturally in attendance. Wu Xiangyun was by Tian Xueqin’s side greeting guests, but both the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law looked rather strained. Tian Xueqin’s smile was as stiff as a mask. Wu Xiangyun was likely just unaccustomed to the situation, but she remained relatively composed. Gu Shao Feng had probably given her a pep talk beforehand, telling her not to be afraid of Tian Xueqin.
Xiao Man and Wu Xiangyun smiled, held hands, and exchanged a few words. Tian Xueqin didn’t speak to Xiao Man; she just stood by and watched coldly. Wu Xiangyun couldn’t linger for long, so she left with her mother-in-law.
Xiao Man sighed as she watched their retreating figures. ’In my past life, despite Gu Shao Feng’s cold and ruthless nature, he was still outmaneuvered by his mother. It ended up harming Wu Xiangyun, and while he married Zeng Rong, their marriage was miserable, splitting the family in two. In this life, these two lovers finally got their happy ending. I just hope everything goes smoothly for them from now on.’
There were several young women among the guests, and Zhou Hui Lan asked Xiao Man if she wanted to join their table. Xiao Man just smiled and shook her head; she wanted to stay with her grandmother and Mrs. Ai.
There was another reason: Sun Meirong was, to her surprise, also at that table. Xiao Man wasn’t sure how to face this "love rival" who acted as if she didn’t even exist. And then there was Zeng Rong, whose eyes were swollen like peaches and as red as a rabbit’s. ’Isn’t this a wedding reception? What’s she doing here looking like she’s attending a funeral?’ And Gu Shaoling, who had always adored Zeng Rong and accepted countless favors from her, was now acting like a heartless, oblivious girl, snuggled up next to Sun Meirong. The two of them were chatting away cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to Zeng Rong’s strange state.
Given the circumstances, Xiao Man had no intention of going over there. She was afraid it would kill her appetite, and she was starving and in desperate need of some food.
After the meal, the hosts would typically serve a round of tea for a short chat before allowing the guests to depart. Granny Gu naturally kept Grandma Tang by her side, so Xiao Man helped Mrs. Ai out of the hall. They walked down the covered veranda and into the courtyard to stroll among the flowers, chat, and aid their digestion.
The mother-daughter pair first walked along a straight, paved path before turning onto a smaller trail dense with foliage. The Gu family courtyard had an intricate design, but Xiao Man wasn’t worried. Mrs. Ai had visited a few times and had been specially instructed by Tang Qingshan, so there was no risk of her getting lost. Having just eaten their fill, they simply wanted to enjoy the fresh scent of the flowers and breathe some fresh air.
Others had the same idea. Not far off, a man and a woman were standing under a Golden Osmanthus Tree. Not wanting to disturb them, Xiao Man and Mrs. Ai stopped their conversation, planning to resume it after they had walked past.
Who would have thought the pair would suddenly spring into action? Perhaps worried about being overheard, they were as silent as mimes. The woman grabbed the man, who was trying to leave, and attempted to throw herself into his arms. The man dodged away, but she stuck to him like a shadow, seemingly determined to force an embrace. The two ended up in a struggle of pushing and pulling. Finally, as if she could no longer stand it, the woman let out a suppressed sob. Xiao Man and Mrs. Ai stopped walking. They stood behind a wisteria trellis, watching with curiosity. By now, darkness had fallen, but there was enough light filtering through the leaves for them to see clearly. The man was none other than Gu Shao Feng, and the woman was Zeng Rong.
’How did those two get mixed up with each other? And so intimately, too!’ Xiao Man was taken aback, while Mrs. Ai’s eyes were practically sparkling with a hunger for gossip.
"Gu Shao Feng, stop! If you dare walk away, I’ll go find that woman right now and tell her everything about us!" Zeng Rong threatened, sobbing quietly.
She knew the foliage in the Gu family courtyard was planted with specific sightlines in mind; from certain angles, you could see others when they couldn’t see you. That’s why she had used an excuse to lure Gu Shao Feng under the Golden Osmanthus Tree, speaking in a hushed voice, certain they wouldn’t be discovered. She had no idea that Xiao Man and Mrs. Ai were just steps away.
Gu Shao Feng had sensed their presence long ago, which was why he wanted to leave as quickly as possible, but Zeng Rong was clinging to him tenaciously. Though he was normally as cold as ice, he would never intentionally hurt or embarrass a friend or relative. Besides, Zeng Rong was a woman. All he could do was endure her for now.
When he realized it was Xiao Man and Ai Wenli, he actually felt a sense of relief. They were family, which meant word of this wouldn’t get out.
"What are you going to tell my wife?" Gu Shao Feng didn’t bother to lower his voice. His cool, clear tone was actually rather pleasant on the balmy summer night.
"Are you going to tell her we were childhood sweethearts? That when you were ten, I played the groom while we were playing house? Or that when you were twelve, I carried you on my back after pulling you out of the ocean? What’s the point? I can tell you this right now: my wife won’t get angry over things like that. She doesn’t know the person I was back then; she only wants who I am now and who I will be in the future! Zeng Rong, you’re not a little girl anymore. I suggest you stop being so capricious! We may have grown up together, but that doesn’t mean I have feelings for you, much less that I ever intended to marry you. I’ve seen you host shows on television—you’re mature, graceful, beautiful, and elegant. A lot of people I know admire you, but I feel nothing. That’s all the destiny there is between us!"
Xiao Man really wanted to give Gu Shao Feng a round of applause. ’I thought the handsome iceberg was a man of few words, but who knew he could be so eloquent? His delivery was flawless.’
Mrs. Ai also smiled and nodded in approval.
Zeng Rong, now a sobbing mess, clutched Gu Shao Feng, refusing to let go. "You faithless, heartless bastard... Was that just playing house? When you saved me from the ocean, everyone saw you holding me in your arms! What am I supposed to do if you don’t marry me? You should know better! You have to take responsibility!"
Gu Shao Feng: "..."
’I’m supposed to take responsibility for that, too?’ He found the notion utterly unacceptable.
’It was all so long ago. He couldn’t even remember why he’d been silly enough to play the groom. Back then, all the kids used to play together. The girls would play house, and they’d often drag the boys in to play along. Some of them even played the father or the grandfather. Were those supposed to become real, too?’
’And as for saving Zeng Rong that time, how else was he supposed to get them both out of the water without holding on to her? He had gritted his teeth and used every ounce of his strength; the waves had nearly swept him away for good. And this was his reward? To be called heartless?’
Just as Gu Shao Feng was fuming with indignation, he heard Zeng Rong continue, "I told you before—we had a past life! I saw it all so clearly in my dreams. You and I were married. We were a deeply loving couple, and our little family was happy and perfect. We even had a wonderful, handsome son together. You loved him so, so much..."
"Shut up! That’s absolute nonsense!" Gu Shao Feng was convinced the woman had gone mad. He lost all patience, his anger flaring. Despite being in a suit, he was in no mood to act like a gentleman. He ripped Zeng Rong away from him and shoved her to the ground. Perhaps out of sheer humiliation, he didn’t even glance toward Xiao Man and Mrs. Ai before turning and stalking off in the opposite direction.
Mrs. Ai gave Xiao Man a light tug on the arm, and the two supported each other as they quietly slipped away.
Xiao Man kept her breathing steady, but her mind was a raging tempest. ’Zeng Rong knows they were married and had a son in their past life! I never noticed anything strange about her before. Could something have happened recently? A shock so great it awakened her memories of her past life? Speaking of which... what a pity about that sweet, shy boy. But wait, in the past life, didn’t Gu Shao Feng and Zeng Rong also have a little daughter who lived abroad with her? Why did she only mention their son and not their daughter?’