Chapter 143 - 143: Huo Sicheng’s With Another Woman
Gu Qingcheng gazed silently at Yi Shui, her thoughts swirling in a mix of confusion and concern.
“Can’t you share it with me?” she asked again, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration.
“It’s not that I’m unwilling to share,” Yi Shui replied with a sense of reservation.
“Why is he so unhappy?” Gu Qingcheng inquired further.
“Madam, I truly don’t have that information,” Yi Shui responded, his expression a mixture of helplessness.
Gu Qingcheng was left speechless by his response, her thoughts churning as she sought understanding.
Yi Shui, without any further explanation, turned and quietly departed the room.
Her mind racing, Gu Qingcheng found herself at a loss for words yet again.
She had believed Yi Shui was privy to the reason behind the unhappiness, but now she realized he was counting on the other party to provide that answer. In the end, it seemed he was just as uncertain as she was.
Exhaling a soft sigh, she leaned back, the medicine likely contributing to her growing drowsiness, coaxing her into the embrace of sleep.
In the depth of the night, Huo Sicheng’s restlessness denied him any reprieve from sleep.
Thoughts of Gu Qingcheng nestled in his arms plagued him whenever he closed his eyes. Those moments were swiftly followed by reminders of the pain she had caused him due to Qi Shaoze.
Eventually, he found himself standing outside Gu Qingcheng’s room.
The door was guarded by a middle-aged female nurse who addressed him respectfully, “May I assist you?”
Hesitating only momentarily, Huo Sicheng questioned her in fluent French, “Has she taken her medicine? Has she had dinner? Did she mention any discomfort? Is she sleeping?”
His rapid succession of questions caught the nurse off-guard, but she replied, “Madam took her medicine, but she declined dinner. She mentioned a headache and has fallen asleep.”
Gathering his resolve, Huo Sicheng pushed open the door and entered the dimly lit room. Gu Qingcheng lay on the bed, her pallor akin to paper. Even in slumber, her brow furrowed as if in pain.
His heart ached as he bent down, softly brushing his lips against hers. “Rest well,” he murmured, his hand enveloping hers in a gentle hold. “I’ll be here.”
Perhaps his words reached her even in sleep. Slowly, her features eased, and she slipped into a deeper slumber.
The following day, sunlight trickled into the room through the crevices in the curtains.
Gu Qingcheng’s long eyelashes fluttered as she roused from her sleep, her gaze heavy with remnants of drowsiness.
Today felt better, despite a lingering sense of dizziness. With determination, she rose from the bed.
The nurse entered, carrying fresh clothes, and addressed her with respect, “Madam, I’ve brought your change of clothes.”
“I’d like to take a shower first,” Gu Qingcheng requested.
“Of course, Madam. I’ll prepare the bath for you,” the nurse complied.
A rejuvenating shower washed away her weariness, and as she examined the clothes, she inquired about their origin. “Huo Sicheng sent these, didn’t he?”
The nurse shook her head gently. “Madam, Yi Shui instructed me to bring them.”
Surprise etched across Gu Qingcheng’s face, and she chuckled. “It wasn’t Yi Shui. It was Huo Sicheng.”
Her certainty arose from the moon-white dress, meticulously embroidered with lily of the valley and lily petals—a design tailored to her taste. She recognized this dress as one of his considerate gestures.
Huo Sicheng had always remembered her preferences, and this dress, along with others in her wardrobe, were evidence of his thoughtfulness.
She changed into the new clothes, making her way to the living room.
Upon glimpsing the attire, she mused aloud, “So, Huo Sicheng did choose these for me?”
In the living room, a foreign woman’s flirtatious voice reached her ears, causing her heart to clench in an inexplicable ache. Renilla’s sweet-toned voice reverberated, “Brother Sicheng, I miss you. You miss me too, don’t you?”
From her vantage on the second floor, Gu Qingcheng witnessed the scene— Huo Sicheng interacting with a foreign woman, his expression full of delight.
A pang of jealousy surged within her—a revelation that caught her off guard.
Jealousy.
It was an emotion she hadn’t anticipated feeling.
Huo Sicheng was truly proving to be a heartbreaker, involving himself not only with Ji Sisi but also with a foreign woman.
“Brother Si Cheng…” Her thoughts spiraled into frustration, her labels for him turning from “Brother” to much harsher terms.
Gripped by the realization that Huo Sicheng’s actions affected her so deeply, she grappled with her feelings. But her perspective shifted as thoughts of Huo Xuan, his innocent form, interjected themselves.
Was this woman perhaps Huo Xuan’s biological mother?
With this thought, her jealousy abated, replaced by a newfound compassion for the woman. If she was indeed Huo Xuan’s mother, then she had shared a love with Huo Sicheng—a love that deserved respect.
No longer burdened by the need to offer consolation, Gu Qingcheng withdrew to her room.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Huo Sicheng’s icy tone resonated, commanding Renilla, “Leave.”
Renilla stood stunned, her hand suspended in midair, her emotions flitting between shock and sorrow. Her reddened eyes teared up, her fingers twisting, aching for comfort.
“Brother Si Cheng, I only wanted to check on you,” her voice quivered with vulnerability.
Renilla’s connection to Huo Sicheng was long-standing, a history of unrequited love. She had striven to win his favor since her youth, hoping he would reciprocate her feelings.
To capture his attention, she’d tried every approach. She was well aware of his preference for the serene and graceful.
As Renilla acquiesced, her gaze shifted, landing on Huo Sicheng’s moonlit form, heartache mixing with longing.
Yet, this moment of pain was brief. A thought surfaced—a possibility that the foreign woman might be Huo Xuan’s biological mother.
This realization dissolved her jealousy, and she retreated to her room, granting space to the woman who might have shared a deeper bond with Huo Sicheng.
Simultaneously, in the living room, Huo Sicheng’s voice cut through the air, cold and unyielding, his instructions unwavering.
“Damon, if you wish to continue our partnership, advise your sister to conduct herself appropriately. Otherwise, cooperation is futile, and I won’t mince words.”
Damon led Renilla away, murmuring consolation, aware of her devotion and the delicate nature of her emotions. “I told you Si Cheng was in a foul mood. Why provoke him? Men are drawn to the softness of water—the tender, the understanding. Embrace that role, and you’ll capture his heart.”
Renilla’s history with Huo Sicheng ran deep, an unrequited love that had seen her bend over backwards to win his affection, met only with indifference.
Unbeknownst to her, Huo Sicheng’s heart carried a complex mix of emotions. He brooded over his reasons for choosing the wheelchair, pondering a path to a life less restricted.
Damon voiced his observation, questioning the necessity of this constrained existence. “Si Cheng, how much longer do you intend to use the wheelchair? You possess the means and strength to live openly without this limitation. You needn’t confine yourself any longer.”
Huo Sicheng’s enigmatic eyes held a depth of thoughts. “I have my reasons,” he stated, a weight of secrets accompanying his words.
Their conversation reached its conclusion, both men proceeding to the living room. There, Renilla awaited, her emotions oscillating between yearning and disappointment.
She had cherished a hope, a desire that their longstanding connection might evolve into something more. But Huo Sicheng’s indifferent demeanor had forced her to come to terms with a bitter reality.
As Damon and Huo Sicheng engaged in their discussion, Renilla, who had been privy to his wheelchair-bound state, chose to busy herself by preparing juice for him.
Stepping into the kitchen, she encountered an unfamiliar middle-aged woman who had just finished cooking. Suspicion flickered in Renilla’s gaze, her tone accusatory, “And you are?”
Respectfully, the nurse explained, “I’m a nurse employed by Sir.”
Renilla’s arms crossed, her demeanor no longer that of gentle grace but of a fierce challenge.
“Nonsense!” she retorted vehemently, her confidence unwavering. “Only male servants reside in Brother Sicheng’s home. He wouldn’t permit women to enter.”
A sense of pride colored her words. “I am the sole exception—the only woman allowed within his realm.”
“Moreover,” she continued, voice sharp and cutting, “You claim to be a nurse?
Brother Sicheng would never allow someone of your age to attend to him.”
Her words were a calculated assault, masking the jealousy that surged within her. She had spent years trying to win Huo Sicheng’s attention, yet she had not gained his affection.
Her confident facade was a shield against the vulnerabilities beneath. She declared herself the only woman fit to occupy his world.
“And,” Renilla pressed further, “you were sent by Yi Shui? Huo Sicheng wouldn’t entrust his care to an older woman like you.”
Indignation filled her tone, her jealousy now unabashed as she interrogated the nurse about her presence..