GV – Chapter 60

One of the benefits of being rich was having ample private space in the hospital.

Guo Yu had been in her private space for three days. During that time, even after she had woken up, no one had come to see her. For a once-unignorable figure in A-City’s social scene to fall to such a state was a fact that Guo Yu herself found ironically laughable.

Of course, the primary reason was that Shangguan Chong hadn’t come. He probably didn’t want to be saddened by the sight of things that reminded him of his loss, so he left her to her own devices.

As for her group of fair-weather friends, they were likely watching intently to see which way the wind would blow.

And Guo Siwan, if she hadn’t been sent abroad, was probably locked up somewhere, her situation likely no better than her own.

Guo Yu endured this humiliating silence for three days, during which she berated five young nurses to tears. Finally, she realized it was all pointless. Guo Yu calmed down, picked up her phone, and called Shen Wei. She got straight to the point: “This is Guo Yu.”

Shen Wei’s reply was just as gloating as Guo Yu remembered. “Auntie Guo, shouldn’t you be resting up? Why do you have time to contact me?”

“I just thought you might be interested in the cause of your mother’s death.”

“You’re not going to tell me there was something suspicious about my mother’s death, are you? Please, Auntie Guo, that kind of plot is so outdated now.”

“I have evidence.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a cautious reply: “I’ll find some time to visit you.”

Guo Yu hung up and surveyed the hospital room for the one hundred and twenty-third time. It was decorated in a light blue, Mediterranean style. The scent of fresh flowers masked much of the smell of disinfectant, but a faint trace remained, a periodic reminder that this was a hospital and she was a patient. The loss of this child had a strange effect; it had stripped away the facade of youth she had built with wealth. Now, she was starting to look like a middle-aged woman—a pitiful and dejected one at that.

The fatigue and bitterness hidden beneath cosmetics and expensive skincare products were now fully displayed on her face. A few wrinkles had crept up around her alluring eyes, and the skin around her pale lips showed signs of sagging.

She had entered old age in a disgraceful manner.

Guo Yu crushed the last flower in the vase on her right. The defeat written on her face wasn’t the most terrifying thing; she had made herself beautiful once, and she could do it again.

But now, she was like this flower, having lost all practical value, with only the possibility of being admired left. No, she was worse than this flower. She knew too much to evoke any aesthetic pleasure. She was like the yearbook of an unpopular person, filled with hurtful words—worse than trash.

Sooner or later, Shangguan Chong would discard her.

Before that happened, she had to make herself useful again.

If she couldn’t be the mother of the Shangguan family’s heir, then she would just have to become the mistress of the Shangguan family.

First, she needed to get her hands on what Shen Wei had. Only then would she have the leverage to negotiate with Shangguan Chong. He didn’t have many years left anyway. When the time came, everything would belong to her and her daughter.

As for Shen Wei—sorry, but she had always been jealous of Jin Yuan. Naturally, she felt no affection for her child.

Whether she was the real one or not.

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Meanwhile, Shen Wei, having hung up the phone, turned to look at Ye Yuhuan, who was brewing tea for Song Zhiqing. The excitement of having accomplished something major was immediately replaced by a faint sense of speechlessness.

Honestly, Ye Yuhuan, can’t you have a single independent thought? You just do whatever Song Zhiqing says.

I called you out to discuss how to take down the Shangguan family, not to create a dating opportunity for you two.

Utterly exhausted, Shen Wei leaned against Shangguan Xianxian, pouting for her to feed her a piece of dessert, completely oblivious to the pot calling the kettle black.

After they had all eaten and drunk their fill, Shen Wei spoke lazily, “So, what now?”

Ye Yuhuan had given Song Zhiqing a rough summary of the situation with the Shangguan family. Any parts involving her and Shen Wei’s “prophecies” were attributed to Jin Yuan’s foresight. As a result, Song Zhiqing now held an emotion bordering on worship for the woman once labeled a bad example for all the daughters of A-City’s high society. She was currently mobilizing her paparazzi forces to dig up stories about Jin Yuan.

“Play along with her. If Guo Yu really has evidence, it’s a bonus. If she’s just bluffing, pretending to go along with it fits your persona.”

Ye Yuhuan never would have thought she was fated to be a strategist wherever she went. Seeing the good-for-nothing female lead with a look that said, “My dear minister, you are correct. We approve,” Ye Yuhuan silently gritted her teeth. She really doesn’t want to think for herself at all, does she?

Fortunately, Song Zhiqing, who was pretending to still be hung up on Shangguan Xianxian, reacted with lightning speed. She instantly dropped the fake, starry-eyed look she was giving Shangguan Xianxian and switched to her exclusive Ye Yuhuan support-squad expression. Ye Yuhuan immediately felt healed.

Fine, if the female lead wants to be useless, so be it.

As long as I’m capable, that’s enough.

It was worth noting, however, that the current situation in the private room was as follows: Shen Wei was still lying in Shangguan Xianxian’s arms, Ye Yuhuan was sitting primly and brewing a second pot of tea, and Song Zhiqing was spending five percent of her time occasionally glancing at Shangguan Xianxian to feign affection, and the other ninety-five percent admiring Ye Yuhuan from head to toe.

Even in a situation like this, Shen Wei felt no sense of crisis that her girlfriend was being coveted. Meanwhile, Ye Yuhuan had just accidentally spilled tea over the rim of the cup while pouring for Shangguan Xianxian.

Ugh, it seems Song Zhiqing… really does still love her.

Inside, Ye Yuhuan’s heart cried like a stray kitten’s, but on the surface, she maintained the dignified air of a reincarnated Tea Sage. Unfortunately, some things were beyond a person’s control. Song Zhiqing’s words, “The one I like is Shangguan Xianxian,” were now playing on an infinite loop in her mind.

Ye Yuhuan’s hand trembled again, and she accidentally splashed tea on her fingers. She let out a soft breath and set down the teapot. “I’m going to the restroom.”

After carefully running cold water over the reddened spot on her skin, Ye Yuhuan’s heart finally returned to a state of calm. She straightened her clothes and turned to go back to the room.

Pushing open the door, Ye Yuhuan saw the female lead leaning in to kiss Shangguan Xianxian with a look of deep affection. Perhaps it was because she was too shocked, or perhaps she hadn’t expected the sound of her entry to be incapable of disturbing the loving couple, but Ye Yuhuan, facing this scene up close for the first time, did nothing.

With a soft “smack,” Shen Wei pulled away from Shangguan Xianxian, satisfied. She turned her head and discovered Ye Yuhuan, who had frozen into an ice sculpture.

The stiffness was contagious; Shen Wei also froze into an ice sculpture.

Shangguan Xianxian followed suit, but not before giving Shen Wei a sharp pinch.

Shen Wei yelped but didn’t dare move.

She was screaming internally. Is Ye Yuhuan some kind of pervert? How can she just watch people kiss with a straight face? A person like her doesn’t deserve to kiss anyone, ever!

She’s the type to be collectively banished by the Planet of Kissers!

When Song Zhiqing walked in with bubble tea takeout, she was greeted by an atmosphere as frosty as the Harbin Ice Sculpture Festival.

What… happened?

Song Zhiqing questioned Ye Yuhuan with her eyes. Ye Yuhuan looked away, not wanting to elaborate. It was awkward, mainly because she had been too close.

And she hadn’t been prepared to enter peeping-tom mode, which made it even more awkward.

Shen Wei, however, quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Song Zhiqing was here. For the sake of the only person not in on the secret, Shangguan Xianxian would have to be a little nicer to her, right?

She eagerly went to take the bubble tea, a complete reversal of her earlier mockery when Song Zhiqing had announced she’d ordered some for a teahouse. But Shangguan Xianxian was a step faster, and went even further by pushing her toward Ye Yuhuan and pulling Song Zhiqing over to sit with her.

This successfully unlocked the “Enemies Meet, Eyes Red with Animosity” achievement for Shen Wei and Ye Yuhuan.

“Thanks, how did you know I like this flavor?” Shangguan Xianxian said, taking her cup and offering a tactical compliment.

Huh? Song Zhiqing was completely bewildered. This isn’t the first time I’ve bought you guys bubble tea. Didn’t I ask you all before?

The bizarre scene before her offered no clues. All Song Zhiqing had left was the self-awareness to hand Ye Yuhuan her bubble tea, only to be met with a pair of inscrutable eyes.

Song Zhiqing snapped out of her daze.

Whatever happened, I’m sitting really close to Shangguan Xianxian right now!

She was afraid Ye Yuhuan would get the wrong idea, but also afraid she wouldn’t. However, she was given no more room to perform. The moment Ye Yuhuan took the bubble tea, she grabbed Song Zhiqing’s hand and led her away.

Shen Wei immediately sidled up to Shangguan Xianxian, entering full-on clingy mode, and shot a grateful look at Ye Yuhuan’s departing back—she couldn’t let Shangguan Xianxian give her the cold shoulder any longer.

The memory of the one-month kissing ban was still seared into her mind.

Song Zhiqing let Ye Yuhuan pull her along, her confusion not yet dissipated. But that no longer mattered. What mattered now was Ye Yuhuan’s hand holding hers—long, slender, and cool to the touch.

She bit down on her straw to hide the smile at the corners of her mouth.

Ye Yuhuan is… jealous, isn’t she? Hehe.

Of course, Ye Yuhuan was, to some extent, jealous. It was an uncomfortable feeling that would normally require a large glass of freshly squeezed tomato juice to suppress, but having Song Zhiqing by her side worked just as well. At that thought, her grip tightened.

But she still couldn’t forget the look on Song Zhiqing’s face when she had looked at Shangguan Xianxian. Even knowing that nothing could happen between them, Ye Yuhuan couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

In both the preordained fate and the past she had witnessed, Song Zhiqing had been deeply in love with Shangguan Xianxian.

This was just… awful.

What was worse was that her displeasure wasn’t just about Song Zhiqing’s development under this fate. It was also—or rather, mostly—about the fact that Song Zhiqing liked Shangguan Xianxian.

They walked without paying attention to their direction until they entered a park and approached a lake. When the path ended, Ye Yuhuan finally stopped.

Sitting on a bench by the lake, Ye Yuhuan felt sullen.

She was angry, angry at herself.

To have dragged someone out so unreasonably.

“Sorry, I just thought of something I needed to tell you.”

It was an unconvincing excuse, but Song Zhiqing seemed to believe it. “What is it?”

Ye Yuhuan pressed her lips together. The best thing to say would be that she had finalized Song Zhiqing’s study plan for the year and needed to discuss it with her privately.

But what came out was: “Are you angry?”

“Hm?”

“That I just pulled you out of there.”

“It’s fine. We’re good friends, we can do anything.”

Ye Yuhuan took a deep breath and suddenly felt even angrier.

“I saw Shangguan Xianxian and Shen Wei kiss just now.”

She said it directly, then watched Song Zhiqing’s expression. It was despicable, like someone who tattles in secret.

Oh, so that’s what happened. No wonder the atmosphere was so strange.

Seeing that Song Zhiqing still hadn’t reacted, Ye Yuhuan suppressed her self-loathing and emphasized, “They seem very close.”

“It’s fine if they’re close.”

“But don’t you like Shangguan Xianxian?”

Song Zhiqing blinked, her almond eyes shimmering. She looked innocent, but her words were utterly disingenuous. “Liking someone doesn’t mean you have to possess them. I’m happy as long as I know she’s happy.”

Hmph, as if. If I couldn’t hold your hand right now, I wouldn’t be playing this roundabout game of pretending to love someone else with you.

Ye Yuhuan’s brow furrowed. If her devotion was at this level—not at all like a villainess, but more like the unrequited love of a saintly supporting character—perhaps it was enough to avert that tragic future.

But at that moment, the late winter chill seeped into her heart, and her well-wrapped body felt as fragile as a swaddled infant.

She let go of the other girl’s hand.

And stuffed her own into her pocket.

Her gaze deepened as she looked out at the still-frozen lake. She continued, “They even made a sound when they kissed.”

Song Zhiqing took a long slurp of her warm bubble tea, chewing on the pearls. She responded indistinctly, “That’s okay. Kisses always make sounds.”

Ye Yuhuan dug her nails into her own fingertips.

“Yes, they do,” she replied.

Then she finished her entire cup of bubble tea.

It tasted awful.

She would never like this flavor of bubble tea again.

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