Chapter 24
Heartache
Gu Zi looked up at the man in front of her. He was standing against the light, his face obscured, leaving only a squinted glimpse of his eyes, which remained inscrutable.
“No,” the man’s voice remained as cold as ever, devoid of any emotion.
Su Shen was puzzled. Had Aunt Chu not informed Gu Zi that her daughter, Chu Tian, would be helping with the food delivery?
Or did Aunt Chu never visit his house at all, and Gu Zi had come of her own accord?
Realizing this, a dangerous glint flickered in Su Shen’s narrowed eyes. He gestured for Gu Zi to enter, saying, “Please, come in.”
Gu Zi smiled and followed Su Shen into the farm.
The interior of the farm carried a heavy odor, but Gu Zi paid it no mind.
Su Shen walked up to Chu Tian and looked down at the lunch box in his hand. Then, he handed it to Chu Tian. “You can take this back. It must have been exhausting for you to come all the way here.”
Chu Tian stood in place, dumbfounded, her brain failing to process what was happening. She held the lunchbox, seemingly frozen.
Su Shen glanced at Gu Zi behind him, then led Gu Zi towards the main hall.
As Gu Zi passed by Chu Tian, she gave her a quick glance before her gaze settled calmly on Su Shen’s back.
Su Shen walked into the main hall, and the people around immediately made way for him.
Upon reaching the innermost part, Su Shen pointed to a chair and said, “Please, have a seat.”
A nearby man astutely offered his own chair to Su Shen, saying with a smile, “Boss, you can have my seat.”
Afterward, he sat on the ground nearby, keeping his gaze fixed on Su Shen and curiously asking, “Boss, who is this…”
Su Shen’s gaze fell on Gu Zi’s face. He saw Gu Zi sitting there elegantly. She was as beautiful as a painting and did not fit in with everything around her.
He originally did not want Gu Zi to come here. The matter between the two of them was rather special, and the fewer people who knew about it, the better.
Su Shen’s gaze shifted to Gu Zi’s face. He lowered his eyelids and contemplated for a moment before speaking the truth, “She… is from the Lin family. She arrived here yesterday and intends to fulfill our marriage arrangement.”
When everyone heard the word “Lin family”, their expressions instantly turned ugly.
Their village was originally impoverished, with families struggling to make ends meet.
Su Shen had returned at a time when they were in dire straits, helping the entire village prosper. Their village had become one of the wealthiest in the vicinity, and more and more young women were willing to marry him.
However, due to his decision to adopt his sister’s three children and his unwillingness to have more children, there weren’t many who were willing to marry him, despite the high dowry he offered. Nevertheless, some were still drawn by the allure of such a generous dowry.
The Lin family’s daughter, Lin Miao, had been attracted by the substantial dowry. People in the area were keenly aware of Su Shen’s situation and were eagerly anticipating a grand wedding.
Little did they know that Lin Miao was so heartless—she had taken the dowry and then canceled the wedding, leaving Su Shen as the laughingstock of the region.
Hence, the villagers held a deep grudge against Lin Miao.
They never expected Lin Miao to show her face here again.
Everyone looked at Gu Zi with disgust, wishing they could tear her to pieces.
Gu Zi wore a gentle smile on her face, her gaze calm as a serene lake. Her voice was like a gentle breeze as she said, “I believe there might be some misunderstanding between us. I am indeed from the Lin family, but I am not Lin Miao. My name is Gu Zi.”
“I and Lin Miao were switched at birth when we were very young. Lin Miao is the true daughter of the Gu family, and she has returned to her rightful family. I, on the other hand, am the biological daughter of the Lin family. Therefore, my presence here is to fulfill my marriage agreement with Mr. Su.”
Gu Zi keenly felt the hostility in the air dissipate.
“I’ve heard that Lin Miao might have found her biological parents, but I never expected it to be true.”
“Why didn’t she just return the dowry money?”
“Who knows what she’s thinking?”
“Are you from the city?”
Gu Zi nodded in response to a young woman’s question.
The crowd let out collective gasps of surprise.
No wonder they felt that Gu Zi was different from the others. She was like a fairy in a painting. It turned out that she was a girl from the city.
They couldn’t believe that a delicately raised city girl would willingly leave the city to come to the countryside and actively fulfill a marriage contract!
Their jaws nearly dropped in shock.