Staying

Gu Zi leisurely sipped her tea while playing with the child in her arms.

After about an hour, footsteps approached the door, and Gu Zi caught a faint whiff of blood. She held the child and looked towards the door.

A man in his thirties entered. He was a pig farmer. With Lin Miao's eagerness to escape, Gu Zi expected to see a beer belly and a simple demeanor.

But what she didn't expect was that a cold and slender man entered. He was dressed in traditional Chinese clothing, exuding an air of coldness.

As the man approached, Gu Zi stood up, still holding the child.

The man was quite handsome, with well-defined features. In her era, he could have become a celebrity solely based on his looks.

Su Shen sized Gu Zi up. When he saw her carrying the child, the coldness in his eyes dissipated a little. "What's your name?"

"Gu Zi," Gu Zi replied, focusing her gaze on the man's face, her voice gentle. "I'm eighteen years old. Lin Miao, who was engaged to you before, is the biological daughter of the Gu family. I'm the daughter of the Lin family, so I'm here to fulfill the marriage agreement between our two families."

Su Shen's eyes shifted to the sofa, his expression indifferent. "Please, have a seat."

Gu Zi sat down on the sofa while holding the child. She didn't know what to say as Su Shen sat nearby, scrutinizing her.

Su Shen had heard about Lin Miao finding her biological parents and the rumor that Gu Zi refused to return to the Lin family because of her dislike for poverty. However, he couldn't understand why she had come to him of her own accord now.

"You might not be aware of my situation," Su Shen said succinctly. "I'm thirty years old now. Have you really thought this through?"

He was twelve years older than her.

Gu Zi smiled faintly and nodded. "I'm aware of your age. I've thought it through."

Su Shen was slightly stunned. His sharp eyes were locked onto Gu Zi. "I have three children, all of whom were adopted from my sister. Even if I remarry, I don't intend to have any more children."

Gu Zi smiled and shifted the child in her arms slightly towards Su Shen. With one hand holding the child, she extended the other towards him. "I will do my best to be a good stepmother and take care of these three."

Su Shen only paused for a moment, then glanced at Gu Zi's fair and smooth hand. He hesitated briefly, shook her hand briefly, and quickly withdrew his own.

"Well, then, you can stay here for now," Su Shen said calmly.

"Thank you," Gu Zi smiled.

Aunt Chu, who had been watching this scene, was anxious and had beads of cold sweat on her forehead. She had wanted to remind Su Shen about the Lin family's deceit, but when she remembered what Gu Zi had said earlier, she hesitated.

Aunt Chu knew she couldn't interfere in this matter involving Gu Zi. She approached Su Shen and said, "Little Su, the Lin family is full of tricksters. Why are you..."

"Aunt Chu, the one I was engaged to before was Lin Miao. She deceived me, not her," Su Shen said with a complex expression as he looked at Aunt Chu.

Gu Zi thought Aunt Chu wouldn't dare to speak carelessly, but she was surprised to hear her speak out. She smiled and said, "Aunt Chu is very enthusiastic towards me. As soon as I entered, she brought the dog over to greet me."

Su Shen's face darkened. His dog was capable of causing fatal harm. Aunt Chu's intentions were clear, but Gu Zi...

"That dog is so cute and commanding, not at all aggressive," Gu Zi smiled as she looked at the little girl in her arms. "Our Lele also loves dogs, right?"

The little girl in Gu Zi's arms was called Su Le. She was Su Shen's youngest child.

Su Shen's gaze fell on Gu Zi's face. Only then did he realize that she was not complaining, but stating a fact.

Su Shen looked at Gu Zi and continued, "As long as you're good to the children, that's enough. As for the wedding, if your family doesn't want to hold it, so I haven't prepared for it either. If you want to, we can pick a suitable date later.

"If you don't have any other matters to discuss, I'll head to the farm. Things have been busy there recently," Su Shen said calmly.

"Sure," Gu Zi smiled and nodded. "Whether we have a wedding or not doesn't matter. I just wanted to know where I'll be staying."

When Su Shen heard Gu Zi's words, his expression froze.

There were quite a few rooms in the house. Other than his and the three children's room, the other rooms were still empty. There were no beds in those rooms. 

"The first master bedroom on the second floor, right next to the stairs, is where you'll stay," Su Shen said.

Gu Zi smiled and said, "Great. You can go about your business. I can handle the rest myself."