Volume One, Chapter 13: For the First Time, Gu Hanxiao Felt Inferior Because...

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When Gu Hanxiao discovered Su Nuan’s fake tears, his brow furrowed tightly. Unaware that every move she made was being closely watched, Su Nuan pressed on, pinching the corner of her eye until it welled with genuine tears, then weakly spoke, “If given the chance, who wouldn’t want to study…”

Seeing Su Nuan’s reddened eyes, Gu Jinghuai felt a surge of pity and gently asked, “Little sister Su Nuan, is there something you’re reluctant to say?”

Hearing this, Song Niannian seemed to recall something; her face turned pale as she hurriedly changed the subject, “Uh... Grandma, let’s eat first. The food is getting cold, and eating cold dishes isn’t good for your health.” She glanced nervously at Su Nuan. “Su Nuan, let Grandma eat first. If you have any grievances, you can tell her after the meal.”

Gu Jinghuai was not convinced. “Oh, why not eat and talk at the same time? Little sister Su Nuan, tell me who bullied you. I’ll definitely help you get revenge!”

These words made Song Niannian’s complexion go even whiter. Su Nuan’s eyes flickered with triumph as she calmly said, “It’s nothing really… It’s just that our family only had one spot for high school, and it wasn’t given to me.”

Grandma Gu was puzzled. “I heard your father say before that there are only two children in the Su family—you and your cousin. Your cousin has already joined the army. How could the high school spot not go to you?”

Grandma Gu’s words made Gu Hanxiao look at Su Nuan with a trace of contempt.

He wanted to see how Su Nuan would spin this lie.

“Because… Dad said I wasn’t studying hard enough, so he let Niannian take the spot,” Su Nuan said with her eyes downcast, her voice choked.

Only she knew that the tears in her eyes this time were not fake.

Back then, Su Xunan had secretly taken Song Niannian to the admissions office and snatched Su Nuan’s spot without informing anyone. The truth only came out near the start of the school year when Li Man bought Su Nuan’s school supplies. Li Man was furious at her husband’s concealment and even clashed physically with Su Xunan, nearly injuring Song Niannian’s eyes.

At that time, Su Xunan told her that since the college entrance exam hadn’t been reinstated, attending high school was not as good as going to a technical school. Learning a hard skill would make it easier to get factory work. Influenced by him, Su Nuan thought Li Man was making a fuss, and she had a huge tantrum, saying many hurtful things.

She said Li Man was petty and did not deserve her father; having a mother like Li Man was a lifelong shame. Only a gentle and magnanimous woman like Song Niannian’s mother was worthy of her father. Li Man was nothing but a homewrecker...

Li Man was so angered by these words that she returned to her natal home and didn’t show up for a whole month. Su Nuan, proud of having stood up for justice, thought her mother was hiding out in guilt.

Later, Su Xunan transferred Song Niannian’s household registration into the Su family to facilitate her schooling as an unregistered child, making her and Su Nuan “sisters” on the same household register.

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Neighbors who heard about this spread a lot of gossip, many publicly insulting Song Niannian and her mother as shameless. At that time, Su Nuan was blinded by the feigned kindness of this mother and daughter, afraid that Song Niannian would be hurt, and had even clashed more than once with neighbors who spoke fairly on Song Niannian’s behalf.

The scoundrel Su Nuan in her past life had no idea these events meant that Su Xunan openly favored one side, that the mistress had already come into the house, and that Song Niannian—who was barely connected—had the same inheritance rights to the Su family property and Su Xunan’s estate as Su Nuan, the legitimate daughter.

As for her, she only knew how to defend Su Xunan, protect the reputation of Song Niannian and her mother, and blindly blame her own poor mother.

Thinking of this, an overwhelming sense of guilt and sorrow surged within Su Nuan. Her shoulders trembled as hot tears fell, drawing sympathetic glances from everyone at the table.

Yet Gu Hanxiao’s expression remained unmoved because he knew Su Nuan’s tears were fake, intended only to win favor from the Gu family.

He wanted to warn Su Nuan not to waste her time on these useless tricks. But as his gaze fell on her, he found that her once sly and triumphant face now showed only deep sorrow and pain.

“...”

Looking at Su Nuan’s tear-streaked face, Gu Hanxiao hesitated for a few seconds and silently pulled out a small folded handkerchief from his pocket. But before he could offer it, Gu Jinghuai squatted beside Su Nuan, holding out a handkerchief like a gift.

It was a pale-colored handkerchief embroidered with little green leaves—delicate and fresh. The one in Gu Hanxiao’s hand was dull in color and worn in texture, entirely mismatched with the young and beautiful Su Nuan.

Gu Hanxiao lowered his eyes and clenched the handkerchief tightly in his palm.

“Thank you,” Su Nuan said as she took Gu Jinghuai’s handkerchief.

Looking at the grateful smile on the girl’s face, Gu Hanxiao suddenly felt a pang in his heart, like biting into a red jujube from the old tree at the military district—sweet, yet sour.

“Little sister Su Nuan, don’t cry,” Gu Jinghuai comforted tenderly. “My father is the director of the machinery factory and has many connections. When he returns from his trip, I’ll have him arrange a spot for you to attend high school. Don’t worry, with me around, no one will snatch your school place again.”

“...”

His words were loaded with meaning, practically slapping Song Niannian’s face in public, making her flush crimson and fumble awkwardly.

Grandma Gu and Zhang Ping also spoke up.

“Don’t worry, Nuan. Grandma will make sure Uncle Gu helps you find the best school in Pengcheng!”

“Right. When you graduate, you can even consider working at Auntie’s newspaper or Uncle Gu’s machinery factory,” Zhang Ping promised heartily.

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As they spoke, their eyes swept over Song Niannian one by one, their disdain barely concealed.

Song Niannian was so embarrassed she felt like sitting on pins and needles. Her hands clenched tightly beneath the table.

She had been outmaneuvered by Su Nuan again!

No, this wouldn’t do! She couldn’t let the Gu family despise her, nor be cast out. She had endured enough of the hard life with Feng Lan, and had no desire to return to working as a nightclub hostess!

Recalling those painful memories, Song Niannian suddenly fell to her knees with a thud.

“—Little sister Su Nuan, I’m sorry!!”

Everyone was stunned by her sudden action; the room fell silent.

Seeing this, Song Niannian gritted her teeth and slapped her own face several times.

“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. I should have firmly refused Uncle Su’s offer back then! I’m the one who caused little sister Su Nuan to lose her chance to study. I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

As she spoke, the blows were so hard that her cheeks visibly swelled and reddened.

“Hey! What are you doing!” Grandma Gu shouted angrily in dialect, “Hey, go help her up quickly!”

Zhang Ping and Gu Jinghuai hurriedly rose and roughly pulled Song Niannian to her feet. Her face was swollen like a pig’s head, with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth—a pitiful sight.

“No one blames you. Ah, child… why are you so hard on yourself?” Grandma Gu said, glancing at the handkerchief clenched in Gu Hanxiao’s palm and nudging him.

“...”

Gu Hanxiao had no choice but to offer the handkerchief he had originally meant for Su Nuan to Song Niannian instead.