Chapter 42: No Love, No Care
The car came to a smooth stop, and the door opened automatically. As the man stepped out, the driver instinctively moved away to wait at a distance.
Shen Wanru lowered her gaze, feeling nervous. This was only her second time being this close to Gu Hanling.
As he approached, she lifted her eyes, a shy blush appearing on her cheeks at the sight of his unbelievably handsome face.
In her mind, she couldn’t help but think about that ungrateful white-eyed wolf, Shen Xi. That woman got to spend every day and night with this man, living as his wife.
The jealousy inside her burned wildly, making it hard for her to breathe.
But none of that mattered anymore. After today, she, Shen Wanru, would be the one lying next to Gu Hanling. At least, that was what she believed.
Taking a deep breath, she put on a pitiful expression and said in a soft voice,
"Brother-in-law, I’m really sorry to bother you, but there’s something you need to know. Otherwise, it would be unfair to you."
Gu Hanling looked at Shen Wanru’s outfit, his eyes showing a hint of displeasure.
She was clearly trying to imitate Shen Xi’s style, that fresh and innocent look. But to him, it was nothing more than a poor copy.
Shen Xi’s beauty was effortless, radiating a unique charm from the inside out. But Shen Wanru, even in similar clothes, could never capture that same essence. And besides, did she even have one-tenth of Shen Xi’s looks?
"Oh? Go ahead, I’m listening."
Gu Hanling gave a polite smile, but his tone was cold and distant.
Shen Wanru felt a thrill of excitement. It seemed like she had already secured her future.
"My sister has always been a troublemaker. Back in high school, she bullied other students. She was the leader of a gang, cornering people in the bathroom just to humiliate them. One of the students she picked on was so scared that they stopped coming to school."
Liu Qiulan quickly chimed in, her face filled with just the right amount of sorrow and disappointment.
"At home, she bullied her younger sister too and never showed any respect to her parents. Over the years, we’ve suffered so much because of her. If it weren’t for the fact that she’s family, we wouldn’t have put up with it for this long."
As she spoke, she even wiped the corners of her eyes, putting on an act of pure misery.
Shen Xi’s father sighed softly from the side, nodding along, as if ashamed of his "unruly" daughter.
Gu Hanling let out a quiet, mocking laugh. Did they think he was blind?
He knew exactly what kind of person Shen Xi was. He also overheard Shen Xi's conversation with her father yesterday. He already knew the purpose of their visit.
And even if all of this were true. What did Shen Xi’s past have to do with the Shen Xi of today? Though, to be fair, even now, she was still hopelessly obsessed with love.
"Hmm... and then?"
Gu Hanling’s voice was calm, as if none of this really mattered.
"Shen Xi’s character is terrible. If she stays with the Gu family, she’ll only bring shame to you and ruin your reputation."
"After thinking it over carefully, our family decided we had to warn you as soon as possible. That girl is a master manipulator, always scheming and acting."
Hearing Liu Qiulan’s words, Gu Hanling almost wanted to laugh. That woman? Good at acting?
Back at the Gu family’s old mansion, she had indeed put on quite the performance.
But wasn’t that the whole point? He had paid her to play the role of Mrs. Gu. Ff course, she had to act the part.
"Oh, I see. Thank you for letting me know."
Then, with a faint smirk, he added,
"But actually, I like that she can act."
The three people in front of him instantly froze, their eyes widening in shock.
Liu Qiulan opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but it was as if the words were stuck in her throat.
They had thought that, as Shen Xi’s closest family members, Gu Hanling would surely believe them.
But Gu Hanling had already lost his patience. Seeing that they had nothing more to say, he turned to leave.
Shen Wanru panicked. She didn’t care about appearances anymore. She rushed forward and blocked his path.
"Brother-in-law, you don’t know this yet, do you? Shen Xi doesn’t even care about you. The one she truly loves is her first love!"
Her eyes were filled with bitterness and obsession. Why did Shen Xi get to be loved by a man like Gu Hanling?
Shen Xi’s father and Liu Qiulan were horrified. They quickly grabbed onto Shen Wanru, while Liu Qiulan covered her daughter’s mouth, trying to stop her from saying anything else.
Because no man would be able to accept hearing that his own woman was secretly in love with someone else.
Shen Wanru had heard about Gu Hanling’s ruthless ways before. Take the Jiang family, for example, bankrupt and ruined overnight. That was all his doing.
If he decided to take his anger out on the Shen family, wouldn’t that be a disaster?
But right now, Shen Wanru was completely blinded by jealousy. Before Liu Qiulan could even cover her mouth, she forcefully shoved her hand away.
Like a wild beast that had lost all reason, she screamed hysterically,
"Brother-in-law, she’s been lying to you! She gave everything to her first love a long time ago. I even went with her to the hospital for an abortion! She’s nothing but a used woman! She doesn’t deserve to marry you!"
The atmosphere instantly turned ice-cold. Gu Hanling’s expression darkened, his voice filled with chilling contempt.
"Is this how the Shen family raises their children? Which ancient era did you time travel from? Do you not realize the world has changed?"
Liu Qiulan’s hands trembled as she quickly covered her daughter’s mouth, her voice shaking as she pleaded,
"M-Mr. Gu, please don’t be angry! She’s just a child, she doesn’t know how to watch her words."
At the same time, she shot Shen Wanru a fierce glare, warning her to shut up.
"There won’t be a next time."
Gu Hanling coldly threw out those words before sweeping his gaze over the Shen family. Then, without another glance, he turned around and left.
He got into his car and sped off, leaving a trail of dust behind.
Even in his anger, he had been a gentleman, giving the Shen family more dignity than they deserved.
Shen Wanru shivered under his icy gaze, suddenly regaining a bit of clarity. Her legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the ground.
She stared blankly at the direction he had left, tears pouring down uncontrollably. She kept mumbling to herself,
"Why... why her? What makes Shen Xi worthy of him?"
Liu Qiulan felt heartbroken seeing her like this. She tried to comfort her,
"Stop crying. The way Gu Hanling reacted just now... If he really liked Shen Xi, this will definitely bother him. Even if they don’t break up now, there’ll be fights. Maybe they’ll even divorce!"
Then she suddenly frowned.
"Wait. You actually went with Shen Xi for an abortion? How come I never knew?"
Shen Wanru hesitated for a second before mumbling,
"I... I just made it up in the heat of the moment..."
Shen Xi’s father sighed deeply from the side, shaking his head.
"Are you dumb! Do you think he's stupid? Now we’ve completely offended Gu Hanling. The Shen family is doomed!"
Liu Qiulan glared at her husband.
"What’s the point of saying that now? Let’s talk about it later!"
…………………………………………
Gu Corporation Headquarters.
The atmosphere was suffocating, like the calm before a storm.
BANG!
The sharp sound of a file being slammed onto a wooden desk echoed through the office.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Gu! I’ll redo it right away!"
A trembling employee rushed out of the CEO’s office, apologizing repeatedly. He was already the seventh victim today.
Outside, a group of employees stood hesitantly, some holding documents for review, others carrying tea. No one dared to go in.
Seeing yet another poor soul fail miserably, everyone’s eyes turned to Assistant Liu, the top aide in the CEO’s office.
It was clear. Only he could save them now.
Assistant Liu let out a deep sigh, adjusted his glasses, then picked up a tray of tea from the secretary. Bracing himself, he knocked on the door.
"Come in."
He stepped inside and saw Gu Hanling tapping his fingers impatiently against the desk.
Moving cautiously, he set the tea down gently. Gu Hanling’s brows were furrowed, his frustration boiling under the surface. Of course, he didn’t think he actually liked or cared about Shen Xi.
But how could his own sleeping doll be seen by another man, unzipped and revealing the white, soft, glutinous cotton inside?
"Investigate my wife’s past with Shi Jingyan of the Shi family."