Chapter 3: Indifference Su Nian looked up at him with teary eyes, her cheeks flushed pink from the alcohol. Gu Yichen's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He shifted his gaze slightly and nodded.

"Mom."

"Chen Chen, wait!"

Seeing Gu Yichen prepare to head upstairs, Xu Qing grew anxious. She pushed Su Nian into Tang Shi's arms.

"You watch over Nian Nian for now; I'll be back shortly."

The mother and son headed to the study on the second floor. Tang Shi let out a cold snort before finally tearing her glare away from Gu Yichen. Her voice mixed tenderness with frustration as she said, "Nian Nian, let's just forget about that jerk, okay? Tomorrow, I'll start looking for some sweet 'little puppy' or even a fierce 'little wolf' for you—someone caring and obedient."

Her company managed countless artists; good-looking men were the last thing she lacked.

"Mm, I want to divorce him,"

Su Nian tilted her small head. She blinked innocently, then offered a charmingly naive smile, revealing two intoxicating dimples on her cheeks. Tang Shi poked one of those dimples, blinking playfully in return.

"Then don't go back on your word once you're sober!"

* "Nian Nian says that since you got married, you've never once shared marital relations?"

Xu Qing closed the study door, her expression heavy and serious. Gu Yichen paused mid-motion as he loosened his tie, responding calmly with a simple "Mm."

"Why?"

Xu Qing felt her heart constrict, her words tumbling out urgently.

"Nian Nian is your wife; how could you treat her like this?"

Gu Yichen slowly turned his head. His dark eyes were deep and sharp, yet suddenly a faint smile touched his lips, laced with subtle mockery.

"Then what should I do?" he countered.

"Hate a woman, yet still share normal marital life with her?"

Xu Qing choked on her words, frowning as she asked gloomily, "Nian Nian is so wonderful, and she has sacrificed so much for you. Even if you don't love her, you shouldn't hate her, should you?"

She still remembered the Su Nian of the past—radiant, lively, and striking, drawing attention wherever she went. Yet for the sake of her son, Su Nian withdrew from various social circles, learned to cook, cared for her husband's daily needs, and devoted herself entirely to being a good wife. Gu Yichen sat behind his desk and opened his laptop. The soft blue light from the screen cast across his face, making his handsome, chiseled features appear even colder.

"Mom, I need to work," he replied indifferently.

Xu Qing sighed. Thinking of Su Nian's委屈 tears, she stepped forward and pressed her hand onto the keyboard helplessly.

"I watched Nian Nian grow up. She's the only treasure my best friend left behind before she passed. Please treat her better. I'm begging you, as your mother!"

Gu Yichen's slender fingers hovered over the keyboard.

"Back then, Father and Uncle Su made the final decision, while you cried, made scenes, and even threatened suicide to force me into marrying Su Nian. This marriage was never something I wanted."

Xu Qing opened her mouth as if to speak, but ultimately, she could only sigh and leave the room. Silence settled within the study. Gu Yichen didn't immediately resume working. Instead, images of Su Nian's drunken face floated through his mind—her clinging gaze, her sorrowful expression. What exactly did he hate about Su Nian? Gu Yichen curled the corner of his lips slightly, forming a cold arc. Six years ago, when Su Nian was eighteen and he was nineteen, she used to follow him everywhere. Her eyes would sparkle whenever she looked at him, like a well-behaved little white bear. Back then, everyone teased that she was his sweet little shadow. Both families had intended to match them, and he himself had held a certain fondness for this lively, sweet, and clingy young girl, never refusing her companionship. The turning point occurred when he turned twenty-one. He would forever remember that year: heavy snow sealed off the mountains, trapping him and Su Nian on a desolate mountain path.

Feverish and barely conscious, he watched her take their only remaining food and walk away decisively. Snowflakes drifted down, lone wolves howled in the night. Gritting his teeth to stay awake, he clung to the last sliver of hope regarding Su Nian, convincing himself that she had left only to find help. But he waited the entire night, and Su Nian never returned. It wasn't until sunrise that Shen Wanrou, passing by accidentally, discovered him and instructed her bodyguards to rush him to the hospital.Presumably out of shame, Su Nian, who had once loved clinging to him, avoided Gu Yichen throughout the entire winter break and only saw him again when school resumed. Gu Yichen pushed aside his stray thoughts and dealt with work expressionlessly. He didn't blame Su Nian; her abandoning him to survive on her own was understandable, but understanding didn't mean he could remain unaffected. That cold back had severed every possibility of him ever falling for Su Nian again.

* Su Nian lay obediently on her stomach, hugging a pillow, wearing a silk camisole nightdress that outlined her graceful curves. The air conditioning kept the room at a comfortable temperature. A pale pink wall lamp added a touch of tender intimacy to the space.

"Nian Nian, turn your face toward the door," Xu Qing said gently.

After adjusting Su Nian's pose for a while, she nodded in satisfaction.

"So beautiful and alluring—he's bound to be moved."

Success or failure would be decided tonight. Xu Qing left the room and asked Housekeeper Zhang to prepare a glass of milk.

"I'll take it over."

"Yes, Madam."

The next second, Housekeeper Zhang's eyes widened in shock. Xu Qing had slipped something into the milk before carrying it toward the study. After seeing Tang Shi off and helping Su Nian freshen up, she had urgently sent someone to purchase an aphrodisiac.

"Chen Chen, here you go."

She smiled tenderly, her features radiating the gentle grace typical of a beauty from Jiangnan. Gu Yichen, reviewing a document, took the glass without hesitation and drained it in one gulp.

"Stop working. It's already midnight. Go bathe and rest."

Half-forcefully, Xu Qing pulled him toward the bedroom. On the bed, Su Nian slept soundly. Gu Yichen's gaze faltered for an instant before he quickly looked away, yet the seductive scene on the bed had already been imprinted in his mind.

"Mom, this is useless."

Did she really think dressing Su Nian like this would make him look twice? Xu Qing didn't answer, but disappointment flickered across her face. Only after Gu Yichen entered the bathroom did she allow a slightly triumphant smile to surface.

"Trying to outwit your own mother?"

Casually, she took Gu Yichen's phone, locked the bedroom door from the outside, and instructed the villa's bodyguards and staff, "Remember, no one is to open the door for him under any circumstances."

Su Nian's throat felt dry. She opened her blurry eyes and lazily sat up. There was no water glass on the nightstand, only her phone and a note. From the bathroom came the faint sound of running water—a familiar noise. Just like every time before: she waited alone at home until she drifted off, and only then would Gu Yichen return. He would be in the bathroom; she would listen to the water, waiting for him to finish washing up.

Afterwards, they would each sleep on opposite sides of the bed, as cold and distant as strangers. Slightly dazed from alcohol, Su Nian acted on impulse, picking up the phone and the note. Following the number written there, she made a call. She had so much to say, so many grievances to pour out. Whenever she felt down, she was told to call that number. That's what the police officer had said. When Gu Yichen emerged from the bathroom and opened the door, he immediately heard the girl's cheerful laughter. Unfamiliar yet strangely recognizable. In the past, Su Nian had loved to laugh; later, in his presence, she had never laughed at all. Only then did he realize Su Nian was on the phone, her eyes closed. Who was she talking to? And why was she laughing so happily? Coincidentally, in her moment of joy, Su Nian accidentally pressed the speakerphone button.

A man's voice rang out clearly from the phone. It was pleasant, carrying the clear freshness of youth, with a tone so sweet and soft it seemed almost syrupy. He was singing a children's song; the melody itself was plaintive, yet the tempo was so fast that it easily provoked laughter.

"Big sister, do you understand music too?"

the young man asked gently, his tone tinged with a hint of coquettishness that made one's heart itch.

Su Nian felt her entire heart melt.

"Of course I do. I know lots of things. Though I'm probably rusty now—I'm busy cooking and washing vegetables…"

A ripple passed through Gu Yichen's gaze. Su Nian's fingers twitched slightly as she unconsciously stroked the pillow, murmuring softly, "Your voice is so nice—so well-behaved and sweet. I really want to touch you."

She used to have a little dog whose soft, mellow barks could melt anyone's heart.Unfortunately, Gu Yichen disliked animals. After they got married, he coldly stated, "If you want to keep it, then don't live here,"

forcing her to give away the puppy.

"Alright, we can meet,"

the young man replied, his voice still soft and gentle.

They chatted happily. Gu Yichen's expression grew chilly; seeing Su Nian smile so sweetly made his temple throb. He stepped forward, intending to hang up her phone.

"But won't your husband mind?" the young man asked uneasily.

Su Nian fell silent for a moment, her voice dimming: "No, he said I'm free to do whatever I want outside, to be with any man I choose."

Gu Yichen's hand froze mid-air. Yes, he had said those very words tonight.Author: Su Nian: Fine, fine, let me find any man I want,Just don't regret it later~