Su Yumin had just come down from the plane when his wife told him about it. It was then he instantly sent someone to check where Su Huaibei was having his meal today. Upon receiving the message, he sped there. “Look at you. You’re already at this age, why are you still not being serious about anything?
“Dad!” Su Huaibei frowned. “How am I not serious about it?”
“How can you say you are? Tell me, what have you done when you left for the capital twenty-five years ago?” Upon seeing Su Huaibei, Su Yumin felt anger rose in his chest. “Don’t assume I don’t know what you’re doing all the time. I just didn’t want to waste my breath on you. Let me tell you this. You have to acknowledge Nuan, there is no room for discussion about this matter. As for that woman, the Su family will never see her as part of the family!”
Su Yumin was determined. “If you’re still adamant about wasting your time and effort on that woman, I’ll kick you out even if you’re my son!”
“Dad, this is my private matter. Can you stop sticking your nose into my business?”
“Stop sticking my nose into your business? If I stop getting involved, you’ll be even more unruly. That woman is a troublesome one. I know everything that’s going on about her in the country. I won’t accept a woman whose private life is a mess. Moreover, she even abandoned the Su family’s granddaughter!”
Su Yumin scoffed before turning to look at Su Yunwan and Lin Shuqin. “Yunwan, Shuqin, you’re both at home recently. Tell me more about it.”
“I…” Su Yunwan hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Huaibei, Dad’s right. None of us have a thing against Shi Nuan, but Shu Qing’s really not a good woman. Huaibei, you’ve been stubborn about this for many years. What is the point of it?”
“Yunwan, this is my personal affair!” Su Huaibei furrowed his brows. Just as the words left his mouth, everyone heard footsteps coming from upstairs. In the next moment, Shu Qing could be seen standing at the stairs, when she saw the number of people gathering, she sneered, “Is this a trial? Su Huaibei, your family really loves to toy with people. Do they really think I enjoy staying here? Go on, tell them yourself. Am I willingly staying here?”
“Shut up!” Su Huaibei creased his brows. “Stop talking.”
“Why aren’t you letting her talk? Go on, continue.” Su Yumin stood up. “And here I am thinking that you’ve already left. Turns out you’re still staying here. Since you’re here, let’s make things clear. Did you agree to leave with Huaibei back then?”
Although Shu Qing acted domineering with Su Huaibei, she still held a tinge of fear when faced with Su Yumin.
Looking at her expression, Su Yumin continued, “Jiang Yuan, I didn’t think that you were so bad back then. I didn’t expect that you’re a scheming woman. If you’ve left with Huaibei and spent your time well with him, I wouldn’t have said anything. But your relationship with Huaibei over the years is complicated, to say the least, and you’ve even abandoned your own child. Do you think the Su family will accept a woman like you?”
At that, Shu Qing clenched her fists. “Who said that I want to be in the Su family, anyway?” She then shot a frigid glare at Su Huaibei. “Look, Su Huaibei, regardless of now or twenty-five years ago, we’re fated to have a bad ending. Why are you still so stubborn about this?”
Shu Qing’s question was like a hammer pounding into Su Huaibei’s heart, and the latter paled.
His grim eyes locked onto Shu Qing’s, and the way he gritted his teeth was as though he wanted to crush her right then and there.
Upon noticing his expression, the rest of the Su family could not help but frown. “Huaibei…”
Despite them calling him out, his gaze remained fixed on Shu Qing. “Since you’ve chosen to be with me back then, your decision will be for life. That was what you’ve said, Jiang Yuan.”
Shu Qing shuddered upon his words. She dared not look into Su Huaibei’s eyes. Clenching her fists, she turned her head to the side and bit down hard on her lower lip.
“Look into my eyes, Jiang Yuan. I refuse to believe that you’ve forgotten.”
“What’s there not to believe? Shu Qing closed her eyes. A thought flashed into her mind, and she raised her head. There was no longer any pain in her eyes as she stared at Su Huaibei coldly. “Have you forgotten that Jiang Yuan is already dead? She’s been killed, and you’re one of her murderers. All that’s left now is a body. I am Shu Qing. Shu Qing!”
Shu Qing walked toward Su Huaibei and lifted her head to look at him. She reached out with trembling hands to touch the latter’s face. He was once her beloved, but now, his existence was her agony. “You and I both should understand that we can’t go back anymore. From the moment Shen Qianan was born and the moment you wanted to kill her, it’s decided that we can’t go back to what we were like before anymore.”
“But she’s the bastard child of you and him!” Su Huaibei grabbed Shu Qing’s hand. “I said that as long as you abandon that girl, I can let bygones be bygones.”
“What about Shi Nuan? If Shen Qianan was a bastard child, what is Shi Nuan?”
Slap! Su Huaibei gave Shu Qing a tight slap, and her head snapped to the side from the force.
She stumbled and took several steps back. Covering her face, she burst into laughter. “Bastard child? Su Huaibei, the one who isn’t getting accepted is the one who’s the bastard child; Shi Nuan is the bastard child.”
“I’ll kill you!”
“Huaibei!”
Su Huaibei abruptly halted. He grabbed his chest as he slowly crouched down, looking deathly pale.
“Bei!”
“Huaibei!”
Almost everyone from the Su family crowded over and pushed Shu Qing aside.
“Huaibei, what’s wrong?”
“Huaibei!”
“Move aside, everyone.” Su Huainan was swift to decide. He looked at Shu Qing with a sharp gaze. “What’s wrong with Huaibei?”
Shu Qing had seen the color draining from Su Huaibei’s face. The moment he collapsed onto the ground, she froze as everyone surrounded him, her mind going blank. She wanted to move forward to find out what happened to him, but she found that she could not even budge an inch.
At that moment, Shu Qing thought she saw the Su Huaibei from his younger days. The words Su Huaibei said back then rang in her ears. She was reminded of the beginning of her nightmare.
“No. I don’t know. I don’t know anything!”
“You lunatic!” Su Yunqing gritted her teeth and grabbed Shu Qing. “Snap out of it and tell me what’s wrong with Huaibei!”
“No. I don’t know!”
“Mr. Su!” Fu Yi rushed to the scene when he heard the servants’ conversation outside. When he saw Su Huaibei lying on the ground, he promptly took out some medicine and fed it to Su Huaibei. “Mr. Su, how do you feel?”
“Fu Yi, what’s going on?” Su Huainan grabbed his collar. “What’s wrong with Huaibei?”
“I… Sir, please send him to the hospital first.”
Thus, the group instantly brought Su Huaibei to Su Shaoqing’s hospital. Almost every member of the Su family was waiting outside the emergency room. Even Su Shaoqing, who was in the middle of his shift, rushed over. “How’s Uncle Huaibei?”
“He’s still in the emergency room.” Su Huainan pinched the bridge of his nose. He then reached out to pat Su Shaoqing’s shoulder. “Why are you here?”
“How can I not be here when something happened to Uncle Huaibei? But…” Su Shaoqing turned to look at Fu Yi and Shu Qing. “What’s going on?”
Shu Qing was in a daze. She did not know why she was at the hospital. This was supposed to be the perfect opportunity for her to escape Su Huaibei and the Su family, but she did not leave.
Fu Yi glanced at the upset Shu Qing and looked away. “Mr. Su’s heart has been in a bad state for the past few years. Over twenty years ago, his heart was injured. Back then, he was bleeding out, and he nearly died in operation. He only survived because he was strong. After that incident, he has a bad heart, and he has to take his medication regularly. The doctor said that he can’t be too agitated or else the attacks will become more frequent. That’s why…” Fu Yi trailed off and glanced at Shu Qing with reddened eyes before turning back to Su Shaoqing.
Fu Yi’s words made the other Su family members’ hearts skipped a beat. “W-Why did something like this happen to Huaibei? Why didn’t he tell us about something as major as this?”
“I’m sure all of you know what kind of person he is. He’s the kind who doesn’t tell much to anyone. Moreover, back then…” Fu Yi looked at Shu Qing resentfully. “If not for that matter, his personality wouldn’t have changed as much.”
The Su family members, and even Shu Qing, were stunned by his words. Shu Qing ran toward Fu Yi and grabbed him by the collar. “What did you say? Say it again. When did he get injured? Why don’t I know anything about it?”
“Of course you don’t. Where were you when he was injured? You’re in some other man’s house, giving birth to his child!”
“No…” Shu Qing collapsed onto the ground. “You’re lying to me. How can this be? He… He said he doesn’t want me anymore. He…”
“How naive must you be to believe everything he says? What about the time he says he loves you then? Why didn’t you believe in that?”
“I…”
It was true that she did not believe in that. Back when she was pregnant, she was looking for him everywhere to no avail. After that…
When Shi Nuan and Fu Chengyan arrived, Shu Qing was still sitting on the ground, mumbling to herself. The members of the Su family were still waiting outside, and the light outside the emergency room had yet to go out.
Shi Nuan strode over, and Fu Chengyan quickly grabbed Shi Nuan’s hand and helped her over.
Her appearance startled the Su family members.
“I’m the one who called her to come.” Su Shaoqing walked over and handed a glass of warm water to Shi Nuan. “Regardless of everything, Nuan is still Uncle Huaibei’s daughter.”
Shi Nuan took the glass of water from Su Shaoqing. “Thank you. How is he?”
“He’s still in there,” Su Shaoqing replied with a rare solemnness, and Shi Nuan could sense that it was a grave situation.
On her way here, Shi Nuan kept thinking about one thing. Why am I worried and nervous that Su Huaibei is sick? The answer was obvious.
Although Su Huaibei had not raised her, he was still the man who gave her life.
“He’ll be fine.”
Upon hearing the words, Su Shaoqing raised his head in shock before he gave her a faint smile. “It’s cold in the night. Shall I ask the nurse to bring a chair over? Or maybe you and Fu Chengyan should wait in my office. I’ll notify you when he’s out.”
“There’s no need.”
