Volume One, Chapter 20: Then You Shall Stay Here!

Su Yuejin bit her lower lip so hard it nearly bled. Anger and jealousy churned within her like a venomous serpent gnawing at her reason. She could not let Si Tang off the hook! She refused to believe she couldn’t outmatch a woman who had been absent for four years. Now, Gu Zhouzhou obeyed only her; she had already managed the small matters—surely the bigger ones would be easier. She simply could not accept that Gu Yubai, who hadn’t touched a woman in four years, could still resist temptation. As for Si Tang, she had plenty of ways to deal with her!

Gu Yubai pushed open the door to Gu Zhouzhou’s room and entered directly. He saw Gu Zhouzhou bowing his head, holding a pen, absentmindedly poking at his homework. “Sit up straight,” Gu Yubai’s voice was low and carried an undeniable authority.

Startled, Gu Zhouzhou trembled and quickly straightened his back, clutching the pen tightly like a child caught in wrongdoing. Gu Yubai stood beside him, looking down with sharp eyes. “Why did you lose your temper and refuse to eat today?”

Gu Zhouzhou hesitated, his small, uneasy eyes darting about, unwilling to meet Gu Yubai’s gaze. “That woman... didn’t pay attention to me today...” he mumbled softly. “I... I felt a little upset.”

Gu Yubai frowned deeply, his tone icy. “The woman you’re talking about is your mother. If you treat her like this, what attitude do you expect her to have toward you?”

Gu Zhouzhou’s cheeks flushed crimson, a flash of grievance and defiance in his eyes. “She’s my mother! Doesn’t a mother have to love her child unconditionally?”

Gu Yubai sneered coldly. “Your mother is first and foremost herself, and only then your mother. If you’re unwilling to even call her 'mom,' how could she not be hurt?”

Stubbornly, Gu Zhouzhou lifted his chin, his gaze filled with obstinacy. “I don’t want her to be my mother. I want Aunt Su to be my mother.”

“Aunt Su is Aunt Su; your mother is your mother,” Gu Yubai said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

“But if you marry Aunt Su, couldn’t she be my mother then?” Gu Zhouzhou looked at Gu Yubai with hopeful eyes.

Gu Yubai’s heart sank. He stared intently at Gu Zhouzhou, his gaze sharp. “Who told you that?”

Gu Zhouzhou recalled what Su Yuejin had told him during dinner. His little brain raced. His eyes flickered nervously, avoiding Gu Yubai’s eyes. “No... no one told me... I just want Aunt Su to be my mother...” His voice grew smaller and smaller, almost inaudible.

“Because... because Aunt Su is young, beautiful, and gentle...” He stole a glance at Gu Yubai, seeing no reaction, and boldly continued, “She would do anything I want...”

Gu Yubai looked at his son’s flickering eyes and evasive tone, the answer already clear to him. He took a deep breath, struggling to suppress his anger.

“I won’t marry Aunt Su,” Gu Yubai said, his voice low and resolute. “You will only ever have one mother.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Zhouzhou’s face instantly fell. His lips curled downward, and his eyes welled up with tears.

“I... I just don’t want my original mother...” he began to sob quietly, his small shoulders shaking.

Gu Yubai watched his son’s pitiful expression, feeling a complex mix of emotions—both heartache and helplessness. “Do you like Aunt Su that much?”

Without hesitation, Gu Zhouzhou nodded, tears trickling down.

Gu Yubai’s gaze grew deep and his tone calm. “It just so happens Aunt Su has no plans these days...” He paused, then added, “And your short vacation is coming up soon... You can stay with Aunt Su for a few days.”

Gu Zhouzhou stopped crying immediately, his eyes wide with disbelief and joy. “Really? Really?”

Gu Yubai nodded, a complex emotion flashing across his eyes.

Gu Zhouzhou broke into a bright smile and jumped up excitedly. “That’s great! That’s great!” He clapped happily, his face radiant.

Watching his son’s joy, Gu Yubai felt a twinge of bitterness.

Meanwhile, Su Yuejin was scheming how to appear vulnerable before Gu Yubai, hoping to stir his pity and prevent him from sending her away. She had rehearsed several times in her mind how to cry, how to express her grievances—when Gu Yubai stepped out of Gu Zhouzhou’s room.

She immediately put on a tearful expression and approached him. “Yubai...” she called softly, her voice fragile like a leaf drifting on the wind.

Just as she was about to say something to win his sympathy and ask him not to send her away, Gu Yubai spoke first. “Zhouzhou wants to stay with you for a few days.”

Su Yuejin froze, her expression instantly stiffening. She stared at Gu Yubai in shock, unable to react.

“What?” She doubted she had heard correctly.

“I said Zhouzhou wants to stay with you for a few days. His short vacation is coming up soon,” Gu Yubai repeated patiently, his tone calm and emotionless.

Su Yuejin’s mind raced, struggling to process this sudden news.

This was nothing like she had expected!

She had assumed Gu Yubai would blame her over Zhouzhou’s behavior, allowing her to break down and gain his sympathy.

But instead, he had directly told Zhouzhou to stay with her.

How could this be acceptable?

“This... this won’t do,” she stammered, her eyes flickering nervously, avoiding Gu Yubai’s gaze.

Gu Yubai frowned slightly, growing impatient. “What’s wrong with it?”

Su Yuejin’s eyes darted as she scrambled for an excuse.

“Didn’t you say... I should stay in a hotel?” she cautiously reminded him. “Zhouzhou staying in a hotel... wouldn’t be convenient!”

Gu Yubai was silent for a moment, seemingly considering the logic in her words.

Su Yuejin’s heart leapt to her throat as she anxiously awaited his reply.

“Then you can stay here,” Gu Yubai said lightly.

Su Yuejin’s heart soared with joy, barely able to suppress a laugh.

Truly, fortune favored her!

She hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly.

It seemed heaven was on her side after all.