Chapter 80: Devotion

Liang Shu jumped out of Lu Jinsheng's car midway, and not long after, she turned back to retrieve Jiang Pingsheng's ashes before finally driving back to Zero Manor.

In the evening, Liang Shu called Gu Hansheng.

She asked him when he could come back, and Gu Hansheng said tomorrow.

There was a faint hint of a woman's voice on the other end.

Without probing further, Liang Shu was about to hang up.

"Liang Shu," the man suddenly called out to her, his voice deep and resonant, sending shivers down her spine like electric currents coursing through her body.

She unconsciously responded with an "mm."

He continued, "When I come back, we have a wedding to attend."

With that said, Liang Shu probably understood.

In these past few days, public opinion had exploded, overshadowing all previous scandals.

The wedding between Young Master Jing of the Yucheng family and Miss Wei of the Wei family.

People said that Young Master Jing, who was always indulgent and romantic and had been exiled by his family, had returned to the country and firmly established himself in the Jing family within a few short months, relying on means and women.

Jing Yu was a close friend of Gu Hansheng, so of course Gu Hansheng would attend his wedding.

But this put Liang Shu in a dilemma.

She said, "Can I not go?"

"Why not?" he asked.

After some thought, Liang Shu answered earnestly, "I am in a dubious position. People will surely gossip about you then, which isn't good."

He was always considerate of her.

But Gu Hansheng didn't seem pleased at all. He mocked her with a cold sneer, "How can one be considered righteous? If need be, Mrs. Gu can carry our marriage certificate around all the time and show it to everyone she meets. Would that be righteous enough for you?"

This man's sarcasm always left Liang Shu defenseless.

"Gu Hansheng, stop teasing me."

"Where's the teasing? It's just telling you to face reality. Mrs. Gu of Gu Hansheng has never been one to hide from the light. If you skip this occasion, what about next time?"

Liang Shu clearly felt her temper rising, her chest feeling tight. She retorted with a touch of stubbornness, "Then let Shi Qing accompany you."

Previously, whenever Gu Hansheng attended any banquets, he was accompanied by either Shi Qing or Ji Chen.

Back then, it was understandable, after all, he lacked companionship.

But now, doing so wouldn't hold water.

Gu Hansheng's expression darkened immediately, his tone slightly cold and his words somewhat harsh, "What? Wasn't it Shi Qing who shamelessly and eagerly wanted to marry me back then?"

Liang Shu tightened her grip on the phone, her knuckles turning white, feeling even more choked up inside.

In a retaliatory tone, she refused to back down, "But that's what you said at the time. I'm just a common woman, living in the darkest corners of Yucheng. Such a person doesn't deserve the spotlight. I'll just be your kept woman for the rest of my life."

At this moment, even Liang Shu herself seemed to have overlooked her use of the term "for the rest of my life."

"You enjoy having a kept woman, so why bother with those two marriage certificates? Liang Shu, is there anyone in this world as good as you, enjoying the benefits and convenience of being Mrs. Gu while neglecting the obligations that come with it? Are you heartless like this?"

"I'm just thinking of you."

"You really don't need to."

From the sound of it, Gu Hansheng was angry.

In a daze, Liang Shu seemed to hear the faint voice of a woman on the other end again, but she didn't dwell on it, as Gu Hansheng had already ended the call.

...

A certain star-rated hotel in Wencheng.

Su Qin elegantly wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin, looking at the man who had returned after taking a call. Whether it was her imagination or not, Su Qin felt that his complexion was much worse than when he left just now.

She took a sip of wine and glanced at the man sitting across from her, unable to help but remark, "It's rare. Mr. Gu's expression seems as if he's been wronged."

Gu Hansheng lowered his gaze, leisurely wiping his hands with a hot towel before tossing it aside. When he looked up, his expression returned to normal, lips curling slightly. "Have you finished eating?"

Su Qin glanced at the almost untouched food in front of him. He had just picked up the call as soon as the meal arrived, and she couldn't help feeling a bit sorry. She shrugged. "Not yet."

With that said, she picked up her knife and fork again.

Having dinner with Gu Hansheng, Su Qin felt the experience was exceptionally poor.

They would be taking the same flight to Yucheng tomorrow and were staying in the same hotel tonight, dining together as well.

Having immersed herself in Western culture for years, Su Qin was accustomed to eating Western cuisine. So naturally, she ordered Western food when they arrived at the restaurant. Moreover, the ambiance suited Western cuisine.

But to Su Qin's surprise, she saw the man sitting opposite her elegantly and calmly eating the Chinese dishes on his plate. She remarked, "Mr. Gu, I never thought you detested Western cuisine to this extent. It really ruins the atmosphere."

At her words, the man paused, looking at her calmly. "What atmosphere do we have?"

"..."

Su Qin shifted the topic to Su Yan. "Has my sister's condition improved in recent years?"

Gu Hansheng's expression remained indifferent. "No improvement."

"Although the car accident back then was tragic, there were still many survivors. Why did it have to be Su Yan..."

"She's lucky to have survived at all. What more are you expecting?"

Su Qin gripped her fork tightly. "Gu Hansheng, my sister came back to the country for you, but as soon as she returned, she encountered a major accident and has been in a vegetative state ever since. She's constantly facing life-threatening danger, and your attitude towards her is truly unjustifiable."

There was a sharp snap.

The man directly threw the utensils in his hand onto the table and looked at Su Qin. "Did I not do my utmost to save her from the accident?"

"But she still hasn't awakened..."

"Do I need to explain to you what a 'vegetative state' means?" Gu Hansheng's lips curled. "I'll do my best to keep her alive and make every effort to wake her up, but I don't rule out the worst possible outcome."

"Her blood type is rare. How are you trying to keep her alive?"

A glint of imperceptible coldness flashed in Gu Hansheng's eyes, then he said, "So what you're implying is that all people with rare blood types in the world have died out except for Su Yan, is that it?"

Su Qin fell silent and said nothing more.

The dinner felt suffocating.

He was Gu Hansheng.

In Yucheng, he could command the winds and rain and extend his reach to foreign countries.

Su Qin didn't deny Gu Hansheng's feelings for Su Yan.

When Su Yan returned to the country, she was involved in a major car accident right away. Su Qin was lucky to have not been in the same car. She witnessed the disaster firsthand and saw Gu Hansheng's frenzy at the sight of Su Yan's tragic condition.

His anger was enough to destroy everything, only because Su Yan was on the brink of death.

At the time, Gu Hansheng spared no effort, spending vast amounts of manpower, resources, and money just to save Su Yan.

In just two weeks, Su Yan's life hung by a thread time and time again.

In the end, Gu Hansheng spared no expense in inviting experts from home and abroad to come over, barely pulling Su Yan's life back from the gates of hell.

Su Yan became a vegetable, but she was still alive, and there was still a possibility of her waking up.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

In the hospital corridor that day, Su Qin saw Gu Hansheng's silhouette smoking, feeling his unprecedented loneliness. At that moment, Su Qin even wondered, what would happen if her sister, Su Yan, really passed away?

In Su Qin's impression, Su Yan loved Gu Hansheng deeply, and Gu Hansheng surely loved her in return.

If Su Yan died, Gu Hansheng would probably go mad.

It was also on that day when Su Qin wanted to find a quiet place to catch her breath. Passing by the ICU area, she saw a woman standing in the corner, clutching her heart and wailing uncontrollably.

With her long hair covering her face, transparent tears kept falling to the ground, and her overflowing sorrow seemed to infect everyone around her.

In the ICU, Su Qin faintly saw medical staff covering a person lying on the bed with a white cloth.

She sighed, life was unpredictable.

At the same moment, there were people rejoicing and grieving.

The woman's heartbreaking cries were too much for Su Qin to bear. She hesitated, standing not far from her, watching.

A nurse stood by with compassion in her voice. "It's so pitiful, crying so heartbreakingly."

"Yes, it pains my heart just to see it."

Su Qin furrowed her brows, wanting to approach and console her, but the nurse behind her grabbed her clothes, making her turn around.

The nurse wore a difficult expression and shook her head. "Don't go. Let her cry quietly for a while. After being tense for half a month, the thread in her mind is still broken, alas."

Su Qin stood in place, looking at her, unable to help but ask, "She..."

The nurse sighed, her tone filled with pity and sorrow. "Her boyfriend had a car accident. He endured for half a month in our hospital, but he passed away today. She was almost by his side every moment for the past half month, not shedding a single tear. This girl is probably heartbroken to the extreme. I was worried that..."

As she spoke, her eyes grew moist. "Now you see, she's completely broken."

Another nurse added, "Yes, for the past half month, she hardly ate or drank. She even fainted twice and needed IV nutrition. It's really pitiful."

Su Qin's mood was complicated, and she could only sigh.

The nurse continued, "This is truly a case of heaven envying talent. Half a month ago, the car accident on Yongning Road was extremely tragic. This girl's boyfriend, who was only twenty-two years old, was a graduate student at Yuda, guaranteed admission to a Ph.D. program. It's such a pity."

Su Qin was shocked and felt a pang in her heart.

Half a month ago, in the extremely tragic car accident on Yongning Road, there were six deaths, over a dozen injuries, and two critically injured.

One of the critically injured was her sister, Su Yan.

The other person was this twenty-two-year-old graduate student from Yuda, who was the boyfriend of the woman crying so bitterly.

At the time, Su Qin had been focused on Su Yan's condition and hadn't paid much attention.

She had only heard people mention that there was also a brilliant student from Yuda in the accident. After the accident, prayers for him flooded various forums from the school to society.

Su Qin looked at the woman crying so sorrowfully and felt deeply moved. The cruelty of fate was unbearable.

But at the same time, fate also offered hope.

Like Su Yan.

The atmosphere here was too oppressive. Su Qin looked back at her and turned to leave.

In this world, all beings suffer.

...

The next day, Su Qin accompanied Gu Hansheng back to Yucheng.

At the airport, a driver came to pick them up.

Gu Hansheng and Su Qin sat in the back seat, while Shi Qing sat in the passenger seat.

In the car, Gu Hansheng said, "The driver will take you back to the hotel first. Find some time to come with me to see Su Yan."

Su Qin absentmindedly twirled her hair with fingers painted with red nail polish. She withdrew her gaze from the window and looked at Gu Hansheng. "Hotel?"

The man didn't reply.

Shi Qing, who was sitting in the front seat, promptly spoke up. "Miss Su, I've booked a deluxe suite in a six-star hotel in Yucheng for the next half month. Of course, if you want to stay longer in Yucheng, we can discuss it later."

Su Qin smiled faintly, saying, "I won't stay in a hotel. Either let me stay with my sister or I'll stay at your place."

With that said, she fixed her gaze on Gu Hansheng.

Gu Hansheng's fingers on his knee moved slightly, unconsciously rubbing between his thumb and forefinger.

After a while, he said, "Fine."

He settled Su Qin in his clean apartment in the city center. It was a prime location, with a private elevator directly to the unit, spacious and luxurious, with only two units per floor.

Gu Hansheng didn't stay long, simply saying, "Contact Shi if you need anything."

Su Qin later took off her coat and leaned against the sofa, crossing her arms as she looked at him. "Mr. Gu, I have a question for you."

Gu Hansheng looked at her.

"If Su Yan hadn't had the accident, would you have married her?"

The man didn't even hesitate to think. Thin lips uttered a few words directly, "There are no 'ifs'."

"Alright, I understand."

Su Qin reclined on the sofa behind her, waving her hand at him. "I won't disturb you anymore. Take care."

...

Being away on a business trip for a week, there was a pile of work waiting for Gu Hansheng at the company.

After settling Su Qin, Gu Hansheng went straight to the company and got so busy that he forgot about time, and it was already dark outside.

Zero Mansion.

Qu An looked at the woman pacing in the living room since five or six in the afternoon, not saying anything. Holding her phone, she occasionally glanced out the window.

By now, it was past seven o'clock, and Qu An approached her again. "Madam, it's already seven o'clock. Would you like to have dinner first?"

Without turning her head, Liang Shu continued to pace, extending a hand to make a rejecting gesture. "No need."

"I remember the master said he would come back today. It's already this late. Should I prepare dinner for him, or would you like to call and ask?"

Liang Shu repeated her previous gesture. "No need to call."

Qu An sighed internally.

In the end, when Gu Hansheng returned, it was already ten o'clock at night.

Qu An took his coat at the door, and he asked, "Where is Madam?"

After some thought, and to avoid affecting the relationship between the couple, she said, "Madam is probably upstairs resting now. She wanted to call you earlier, but she was afraid of disturbing you." Qu An followed Gu Hansheng into the living room. "Sir, have you eaten anything outside?"

Gu Hansheng had been busy all day and didn't realize it was already past seven or eight o'clock. He had asked Shi Qing to buy something to eat.

But he wasn't hungry now, so he shook his head. "You go rest. I'll go upstairs and check on her."

It was past ten, and Liang Shu was still awake.

When Gu Hansheng came in, she was doing her nightly skincare routine in front of the bathroom mirror after taking a relaxing bath.

She seemed surprised by his sudden entrance, turning her head to look at him.

"You..."

Having not seen each other for nearly a week, Gu Hansheng hadn't changed much.

He stood at the door, looking at Liang Shu intently.

Liang Shu continued to apply products to her face, ignoring him.

When she finally finished, Gu Hansheng strode over in two steps, lifted her into his arms, and then lowered his head to sniff at her fair neck. A low voice escaped his throat, "You smell good."

He thought she smelled nice, but Liang Shu didn't find him pleasant.

She pressed her hands against Gu Hansheng's muscular chest, wrinkling her nose disdainfully. "Mr. Gu, you're all covered in cologne, it's so unpleasant."

With that, Liang Shu shook her head, still holding her nose.

She had just finished her bath, her hair tied up in a bun, her skin fair and rosy, a rare sight given her usual cold complexion. Gu Hansheng felt a softness in his heart as he looked at her.

Thinking of the not-so-pleasant phone call from yesterday, he held her tighter in his arms and casually said, "Shi Qing's fault."

"..."

It seemed that whenever something happened, they always blamed Shi Qing.

Unable to struggle free, Liang Shu raised her head slightly, her gaze meeting his prominent Adam's apple. She asked, "Was your trip to Wen City smooth this time?"

"Average," Gu Hansheng replied.

She seemed to remember something and asked again, "Was it you who dealt with Qian Hui's matter?"

"What matter?"

Qian Hui hadn't been living peacefully in the hospital afterward. Her identity as a third party had been exposed, and overnight, she had become like a mouse crossing the street, everyone shouting and beating her.

Liang Shu had gone to the hospital in the morning and heard from the nurses that she had been discharged.

As for where she went, no one knew.

Gu Hansheng said, "If I hadn't acted, Ye Lan wouldn't have let her off either. She brought this upon herself, no one else to blame."

"Oh."

After some cuddling, the atmosphere felt a bit off. Liang Shu refused further advances and insisted he take a shower first.

When he came out of the shower, Liang Shu was lying in bed, resigned to her fate, and let him have his way.

As they finished, Liang Shu lay in his arms, looking at the soft glow of the bedside lamp on his side, feeling drowsy.

Gu Hansheng held her, his palm resting lightly on her abdomen, his voice tinged with tenderness. "In a couple of days, Mom said she'll send some high-quality Chinese herbs over. We'll have the kitchen brew them for you to nourish your body. And then, we'll listen to her and have a baby, okay?"

Hearing this, Liang Shu tensed up.

She remembered the birth control pills hidden deep inside her bedside table and felt resistant to Gu Hansheng's words. Her drowsiness vanished instantly. "Let's just go with the flow. But our situation, I'm afraid, isn't suitable for having a child."

Only Liang Shu dared to say such outrageous things in front of Gu Hansheng.

Gu Hansheng held her tighter, his tone cooling. "What if I insist on having a child?"

Liang Shu clenched her fists under the covers. "My health isn't good, and I might not be able to get pregnant."

"Nonsense."

She blinked, then said softly, "Given time, if you sweep me out the door, what will happen to the child? Will it belong to you or to me?"

If such a situation were to occur, there was no need to think about it.

The child would definitely belong to Gu Hansheng.

Firstly, she didn't have stable financial resources, and secondly, she didn't have the means to compete with Gu Hansheng.

She didn't even have the right to compete.

Gu Hansheng patted her back, reprimanding her, "Nonsense."

Liang Shu pressed her fingers, forming a fist under the covers. She said, "I'm not joking with you. Your White Moonlight is still waiting for you. I've also said that if she wakes up, I'll leave without hesitation, and I won't go back on my word."

"Then vacate it now."

Before he could finish, the woman's soft arms had encircled his waist proactively, burying her face in his chest. "Mm, I can't vacate it now."

Without waiting for him to speak, Liang Shu added, "I'll hold this position first. When your little lover wakes up, I'll leave. Is that okay?"

"Ah Shu is really naive. Do you think I, Gu Hansheng, am someone you can summon at your whim?"

Liang Shu rubbed against him. "I don't dare."

Her actions were clearly provocative, and Gu Hansheng had originally not intended to tease her anymore, but this time she had been the one to provoke him first.

So the fire continued into the latter part.

...

The next day, Liang Shu found an opportunity to say to Gu Hansheng, "I didn't give Mom any gifts before. Christmas Eve is coming soon, right? I want to go to the temple to get her a safety charm. Is that okay?"

This was the first time Liang Shu had taken the initiative to mention Wen Mingting, which warmed Gu Hansheng's heart.

He asked, "What time shall we go together?"

Liang Shu thought for a moment and said, "I checked the weather forecast. Sunday and Monday of this week are both good days. Let's pick a time to go on one of these days."

Next Monday marks the wedding of Master Jing Yu from the Jing family, a day naturally to be set aside, hence Mr. Gu Hansheng has arranged for Sunday.

The grandest and most spiritually endowed temple in Yucheng sits atop the highest peak, known as Cold Mountain Temple.

The temple lies halfway up the mountain.

The driver dropped the two at the foot of the mountain, and Gu Hansheng gently clasped Liang Shu's cool hand, saying, "Since we're seeking a talisman for mother's safety, we must be devout. The Buddha favors the devout. Let us ascend the stairs; you will surely obtain the talisman."

Mr. Gu remarked that the Buddha favors the devout.

Thus, as they climbed the stairs, Liang Shu avoided his touch, countering, "The Buddha transcends worldly affairs, severs ties of worldly love. At this moment, if Mr. Gu were to hold my hand, the Buddha would not be pleased. The Buddha favors the devout, as you said."

With that, Liang Shu did not look at his expression, lifting her foot to ascend the next step. At this early stage of the ascent, her body still felt light, and with a few steps, she left Gu Hansheng behind.

Regardless of the season, Cold Mountain Temple always draws a steady stream of worshippers.

At this moment, a worshipper recognized Gu Hansheng, who was casually dressed compared to the usual, seen in the financial reports as the decisive and daring tycoon of Yucheng. Now, in the flesh, he appeared before the worshipper, who was thrilled.

Excitedly, the worshipper inquired, "May I ask, are you Mr. Gu?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Hansheng shifted his gaze, but from the corner of his eye, Liang Shu had never left his sight.

With calm composure, Gu Hansheng lightly smiled at the man beside him and extended his right hand, "Hello."

The worshipper reached out to shake hands, "Today is truly fortunate to meet you. This trip of mine is not in vain, I..."

Gu Hansheng knew the man likely had more to say, but on this vast white path, further delay would mean Liang Shu would soon be out of sight.

So Gu Hansheng said, "Today, by chance, we are both here to burn incense and pray for blessings. Let us meet on the mountain. My wife is mischievous; I fear she might hurt herself. Gu will take a step ahead."