Chapter 9: Aspiring High
Li Yunlian's tone was drawn out, pregnant with implication. Every word insinuated that the bankrupt heiress, Su Wan, was unworthy of Gu Nanzhou.
Su Wan knew what Li Yunlian's words meant. The pride that still lingered in her bones called for her to speak up and argue, yet what Li Yunlian said was all true.
A pale sense of powerlessness surged in her heart. The young girl stared at her fingertips, taking a long time before she could find her voice again. "I know, mother... Mrs. Gu."
Su Wan's skin was already fair, but now it had turned even paler. The sight of her bowing her head silently was pitiful.
But the more pitiful she looked, the more Li Yunlian felt repulsed.
Li Yunlian waved her hand impatiently, signaling Su Wan to leave.
When Su Wan closed the door, she saw Shen Lin standing outside, not knowing how long she had been there.
Seeing her, Shen Lin snorted coldly, her words laced with sarcasm, "Miss Su, a phoenix is a phoenix, a chicken is a chicken, even if the chicken was once a phoenix, now it's just a dyed chicken."
Su Wan didn't even bother with a fake smile, replying expressionlessly, "Then Miss Shen might not be aware that some chickens, no matter how high they jump, can never become a phoenix."
Her eyes were light, her expression indifferent. She stood straight, her beautiful amber eyes giving Shen Lin a glance that inexplicably made Shen Lin's breath waver.
A mocking smile tugged at the corners of Su Wan's mouth as she withdrew her gaze and didn't look at Shen Lin again, striding forward. "Excuse me, you're blocking the way."
Shen Lin unconsciously stepped aside to let her pass. Only after Su Wan had walked a distance did Shen Lin realize what she had done. Her face flushed with anger, she cursed out, "You think you're something special because you're marrying Gu Nanzhou? A fallen heiress hoping to turn her fate around, but sooner or later you'll still get a divorce!"
Upon hearing this, the young girl paused, turned her head, and smiled sincerely at Shen Lin, "Even if we get divorced, Gu Nanzhou still wouldn't choose you."
She didn't wait to hear more, walking away without looking back.
Standing at the entrance of the Gu Family's old mansion, Su Wan looked up at the thick moonlight. A feeling of exhaustion came swiftly and intensely, enveloping her tightly.
She felt like she couldn't hold on any longer.
The young girl's emotions were piled up together, her expression stretched taut to its limit.
She opened her phone's contact list, found Gu Nanzhou's number, stared at it for a long time, and finally couldn't resist dialing it.
She really wanted Gu Nanzhou to come pick her up.
The phone rang a few times before connecting, and a familiar deep voice answered, "Hello."
Hearing Gu Nanzhou's voice, the tension in Su Wan's mind snapped, and she nearly burst into tears. Suddenly feeling very aggrieved, "Mr. Gu," the young girl sniffled, fighting the urge to cry, "could you... come pick me up?"
There was silence on the other end for two seconds.
It had only been quiet for two seconds, but to Su Wan it felt like an eternity—so long that she almost forgot what she was going to say next.
Two seconds later, Gu Nanzhou finally spoke, "Sorry, I'm in a meeting."
He paused before adding, "I'll send Azhang to pick you up."
"I see," the young girl's voice was soft, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you."
Gu Nanzhou faintly sensed that Su Wan was not in her usual state, his brows furrowing slightly. "You..."
He was about to say something when, the next second, he heard Su Wan laugh softly as she often did, her voice tender, "Mr. Gu, please go on with your work, I'll hang up now."
It seemed like everything before was just Gu Nanzhou's imagination.
He didn't dwell on it, simply instructing Azhang to pick up Su Wan. After getting his things in order, he glanced at the employees who, fearing to disturb "Mr. Gu," didn't dare make a sound during the call and said indifferently, "Continue."
In the old residence, right after Su Wan hung up the phone, the tears she had been holding back fell, one by one, dropping to the ground, as her vision slowly blurred.
Su Wan didn't want to cry in front of Gu Nanzhou; she had already lost everything. Her pride and willfulness seemed to have been completely eroded away during those years of isolated helplessness with no end in sight.
If it had been the Su Wan of the past, who was showered with adoration, she truly couldn't bear even a hint of grievance. But life was unyielding, and with no one to support her, she had to rely on herself.
Su Wan pressed her lips together, her gaze focusing to a point as Li Yunlian's words echoed in her ears.
Actually, what she said was quite right, and it wasn't just her who felt that way; everyone believed that this marriage was a case of Su Wan marrying up.
Su Wan remembered how, when she first married into the Gu Family, she had scorned the idea of marrying up that they spoke of with an earnest heart, thinking perhaps with a little effort, Gu Nanzhou would come to like her.
Liking someone is just liking someone; there's no such thing as marrying up or down.
A gust of wind blew by, and Su Wan pulled her coat tighter around her, burying half of her face into the fluffy scarf.
She suddenly felt that the connection between her and Gu Nanzhou had been maintained solely by her clinging to her fondness for him, stubbornly holding on until now.
Without reciprocation in love, she truly didn't know how long she could endure.
The wind today wasn't strong, quite gentle, yet it made her feel bone-chillingly cold.
When Azhang drove up, he found Su Wan standing alone in front of the old mansion's grand gate, her slender figure starkly contrasting with the imposing iron gate.
Su Wan got into the car where the temperature was quite high, and only after she moved her icy fingertips did she feel like she took a breath.
Azhang caught a glimpse of Su Wan in the rearview mirror and, feeling sorry for her, decided to put in a good word for his boss.
"Miss Su, Mr. Gu was very busy today, he had meetings all morning, in fact…" He paused, "Actually, Mr. Gu is quite worried about you; before I left, he specifically instructed me to come pick you up quickly."
The first part was his own addition, but the last part was indeed true.
Azhang thought that for the triple overtime pay Gu Nanzhou gave him, he should at least try to help him out.
Listening to Azhang's somewhat nervous explanation, Su Wan smiled to show her understanding, "I know Mr. Gu is very busy."
That's why she didn't blame him; she blamed herself.
Azhang sighed with relief, feeling like Miss Su didn't seem angry, he finally put his heart at ease.
Seeing the weariness in Su Wan's eyes, he chose not to talk further, wisely keeping his mouth shut.
Su Wan turned her head, staring out of the car window at the layers of tree shadows, lost in thought.
She suddenly spoke softly, "Do you think I'm really not good enough for Gu Nanzhou?"
When she heard others say it often enough, she started to believe it herself.
Su Wan's voice was very light, as if she was muttering to herself, and before the last note could fall, it just disappeared into the air.
Azhang was taken aback for a moment, not quite catching what Su Wan had said, so he asked again, "Miss Su, what did you just say?"
Su Wan withdrew her gaze and smiled at him, her voice soft and gentle, "It's nothing, I was just saying that it seems quite cold today."
Azhang silently looked at the somewhat high temperature gauge inside the car.
"Then I'll turn the heating up a bit higher for you, take care not to catch a cold."
"Okay, thank you."