At one o'clock in the morning, Gu Xiaoli received a call from the police station. The biting cold wind outside didn't deter her from rushing out without even grabbing a coat.
A heavy snow had blanketed City A, rendering the roads impassable for vehicles. Clad only in slippers, she stumbled and fell several times along the way, her palms bruised and discolored. It was a struggle, but she finally made it to the police station.
The uniformed officer took one look at her thin, coral fleece pajamas and shook his head disapprovingly. His face stern, he asked, "Are you Gu Xiaoli?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Lu Nansheng is your husband, and Gu Yanruo is your sister, correct?"
The officer's words struck her like a bolt of lightning. She shuddered, then slowly lifted her bright, dark eyes, feigning composure as she replied, "Yes." Her voice was hoarse, almost unrecognizable.
She's back. Gu Yanruo has finally returned...
"Your husband and your sister were caught in a love hotel. We need you to come and bail them out," the officer stated matter-of-factly, sliding a folder across the table towards her. He raised an eyebrow, signaling for her to sign.
A love hotel...
Caught!
What a reunion, what a blaze of passion!
Gu Xiaoli's brow furrowed deeply, her trembling hands struggling to grasp the pen. Just then, a soft, alluring voice cut through the air, "Gu Xiaoli, I'm back. It's time you stepped aside from the position of Mrs. Lu."
Her back stiffened, a thin layer of sweat forming on her forehead. The voice continued, "All these years, you've been copying my hobbies, my lifestyle. Aren't you tired? Yet, you still couldn't change my place in Nansheng's heart."
"Gu Xiaoli, you'll always be nothing but a loser!"
Each word sliced through Gu Xiaoli's heart, reopening the wound that had yet to heal, soaking it in saltwater. Pain mingled with shame, slowly eroding her mind.
She picked up the pen, swiftly signed her name, and asked in a low voice, "Is this okay?"
From start to finish, she completely ignored the provocateur, treating her as if she were invisible. Gu Yanruo's forehead twitched with anger, her delicate hands clenched into fists. This ungrateful woman had the audacity to disregard her words! She would definitely teach her a lesson!
The officer, momentarily stunned, nodded blankly, "Yes, that's fine."
Gu Xiaoli hurriedly made her way toward the door, only to collide with a solid chest. Looking up, she met the deep, brooding eyes of Lu Nansheng. Her heart wrenched painfully, and she froze in place.
Instinctively, she tried to flee, but Lu Nansheng gripped her wrist tightly. The pain from her earlier fall flared up unbearably, and she gasped sharply.
Lu Nansheng's voice was icy, as if laced with frost. "What? Feeling guilty after seeing Yanruo, aren't you?"
Gu Xiaoli's head snapped up, her eyes wide with disbelief. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
"Gu Xiaoli, if it weren't for you, Yanruo would have been Mrs. Lu long ago. This is what you owe her!"
Each of his words felt like a sharp, unrelenting blade, slicing through her heart and tearing it to pieces.
Her entire body went numb from the pain. Gu Xiaoli stumbled back a few steps, her bright eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Nansheng, about what happened back then—"
"Enough! Once you've signed, get out of here!"
Before she could finish, Lu Nansheng cut her off harshly. She bit her lower lip hard, forgetting the pain in her wrist.
Step by step, she walked toward the door. Her slippers were soaked, her heels exposed to the cold air, red and swollen. Her pale face grew even more bloodless in the freezing night.
