Volume One, Chapter Fifteen: It Was the First Time Gu Yubai Had Ever Heard It

Gu Zhouzhou agreed without a second thought. “Then I’ll tell Dad when we get back!”

A smug expression immediately appeared on Su Yuejin’s face.

Over the past few years, Gu Yubai had indeed treated her well. He had consistently promoted her and never resisted simple physical contact, but he had never truly allowed himself to grow close to her.

How could Su Yuejin possibly be satisfied with that?

She wanted to hold Gu Yubai firmly in the palm of her hand. She wanted to marry him and bear him a well-behaved son.

As for Gu Zhouzhou…

Su Yuejin lowered her eyes to glance at him, the corners of her lips curling into a contemptuous smile.

Si Tang and Tan Yin were both in a foul mood. Instead of choosing gifts right away, they went to a café and ordered two cups of coffee.

Seeing that Si Tang looked upset, Tan Yin could not help asking with concern, “Tang Tang, are you all right?”

Gu Yubai was one thing—he was nothing but a scumbag—but Gu Zhouzhou…

That was the child Si Tang had carried for ten months, nearly sacrificing her life to bring into the world. How could she possibly sever that bond so easily?

Si Tang shook her head and gave a bitter laugh. “I’m fine. I just feel a little exhausted.”

“Don’t think about it too much, Tang Tang.” Tan Yin took her hand. “Everything will get better.”

Si Tang nodded and drew a deep breath, doing her best to suppress the negative emotions in her heart. She knew she could not allow these things to defeat her.

When she had decided to return home, Si Tang had already convinced herself that from then on, she would live only for herself. Her former husband, her son—none of them mattered. She herself had to come first.

Even so, seeing Gu Zhouzhou like that still left her unable to control the bitterness in her heart.

She raised a hand and patted her own cheek, repeatedly warning herself inwardly.

“Si Tang, pull yourself together. Do you really want to go back to the way things were? Think about how that little ingrate treated you!”

Only after finishing her coffee did Si Tang finally calm down. She was about to leave the café with Tan Yin when her phone suddenly rang.

She picked it up and saw that it was an unfamiliar number.

Worried that it might be something work-related, she answered immediately.

“Hello, this is Si Tang from Brightstar.”

“Si Tang, it’s me.”

A low male voice came from the other end of the line.

It was Gu Yubai.

Si Tang’s heart clenched violently, as though an invisible hand had seized it in a tight grip.

Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the phone until her knuckles turned white.

The emotions she had only just managed to settle surged up again in an instant. The aroma of coffee suddenly tasted bitter, filling the air like a reflection of the complicated feelings churning inside her.

“Is there something you want?” She tried to make her voice as cold as possible.

After a brief silence, Gu Yubai spoke again, his voice carrying a suppressed fury. “Su Yuejin said you bullied her and Zhouzhou at the shopping center.”

At that moment, Si Tang felt utterly ridiculous.

Yes. It had always been this way, and it still was.

As long as Su Yuejin said a single word, no matter what had actually happened, Gu Yubai could always shift all the blame onto her.

He was like a blind fool, unable to see or think clearly—almost a completely different person from the shrewd businessman he was elsewhere.

“Bullied her? Gu Yubai, did you call just to interrogate me?” Si Tang nearly burst out laughing. “You believe everything Su Yuejin says?”

“I just want to hear your explanation.” Gu Yubai’s voice remained low, but it carried an unquestionable authority.

“An explanation? What do I need to explain to you?” Si Tang’s voice rose slightly, thick with sarcasm. “Gu Yubai, we’re divorced! Whom I bully and what I do are none of your business!”

“Zhouzhou is my son, and he’s your son too! How can you be so heartless?” Gu Yubai’s voice suddenly rose, a suppressed roar making it especially jarring in the relatively quiet café and drawing several curious glances from those nearby.

Si Tang instinctively looked around and bit her lower lip.

“So what? I went shopping, and that means I bullied her? If that’s the case, then there must be countless people in that shopping center capable of bullying her.” Si Tang forcibly restrained her anger and said coldly, “Is that shopping center only open to Su Yuejin and Gu Zhouzhou? Since President Gu is so wealthy, why don’t you just buy the whole place?”

“She said it was you…” Gu Yubai paused. His tone softened slightly, though suspicion still lingered in his voice. “She said you deliberately picked a fight and humiliated her in front of Zhouzhou.”

A wave of fury shot straight to Si Tang’s head. She sprang to her feet, no longer able to control her emotions.

“Gu Yubai, do you have any sense at all? You believe Su Yuejin too? Don’t you know what kind of person she is? She’s a deeply calculating woman! She deliberately pretends to be pitiful in front of you to win your sympathy, and you actually believe her!”

She let out two cold laughs. “Oh, perhaps you really don’t know what kind of person she is. After all, she’s the woman you love most. No matter what she says, you believe her without question! You’re such a complete idiot!”

The customers around them all turned to stare, curiously studying the agitated woman. Tan Yin anxiously tugged at Si Tang’s sleeve, signaling her to calm down.

Gu Yubai had been caught completely off guard by Si Tang’s tirade, and his eyes widened.

In his mind, the Si Tang of the past had been gentle, considerate, and understanding. The woman before him now was forceful, like a hedgehog covered in defensive spines.

But this was the first time Gu Yubai had ever heard Si Tang curse at someone.

Si Tang realized that she had lost control. She drew a deep breath, struggling to calm her racing heart, but she still could not suppress the anger burning inside her.

“Gu Yubai, I’ll say this one last time: Keep your woman in check, and don’t let her appear in front of me again! If you really care about Zhouzhou, then spend more time with him instead of letting your woman bring him to me and flaunt herself!”

With that, Si Tang hung up without the slightest hesitation. Her chest rose and fell violently, as though it were about to burst open.

Tan Yin looked at her worriedly. “Tang Tang, what did that bastard say this time? How did he manage to get you so worked up?”

Si Tang shook her head and gave a bitter smile. She knew she should not be angry, but she simply could not control her emotions.

She had been taught from childhood to be a gentle woman, to be considerate of others, and to care about their feelings and emotions. Si Tang had never once allowed herself such a wholehearted outburst.

Yet after venting her anger, she suddenly felt much lighter.

She picked up her bag and stood. “Come on, Yin Yin. Let’s go buy the gifts.”

Seeing the pleased expression on her face, Tan Yin relaxed as well. She linked arms with her and led her out of the café.

Meanwhile, on the other end, Gu Yubai listened to the dead tone coming through the phone, and his expression darkened.

Si Tang had cursed at him—and then hung up on him.

With a loud bang, Gu Yubai threw his phone onto the desk.

Irritated, he tugged at his tie. His chest felt as though it were being crushed beneath a massive stone, making it difficult to breathe.

He did not understand why he felt this way. He had only wanted to find out the truth, yet Si Tang’s attitude had made him even angrier.

Could it be that she truly no longer had any feelings for him?

The thought filled him with sudden panic.