After understanding Chu Song Qi Nian's meaning, Gu Zhi Yan felt like a cloud had cleared, revealing the sun.
The problem that had been bothering her for so long finally had an answer.
Miss Shu, from birth, was unwelcome. Her growth was filled with darkness and humiliation, yet she always maintained an optimistic and positive attitude towards life. This was something Gu Zhi Yan could not comprehend.
The four words "respect life" were enough.
Song Qi Nian's tears continued to fall, and Gu Zhi Yan watched her, feeling a pang in her heart.
Previously, Gu Zhi Yan had thought Song Qi Nian was a person who would stop at nothing. However, after understanding 'Miss Shu' and observing Song Qi Nian's actions during this period, she realized she might have misunderstood her.
It was difficult for Song Qi Nian to have such parents and family.
Gu Zhi Yan was actually a rather cold and detached person. Even with Shen Chi Yan, after the age of eighteen, she rarely concerned herself with him.
But at this moment, she felt a trace of sympathy for Song Qi Nian.
"Alright, stop crying."
She wanted to reach out and pat Song Qi Nian's back to comfort her, but having rarely performed such intimate gestures, she felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Meeting Song Qi Nian's tear-filled eyes, her heart was pierced.
As she reached out to comfort Song Qi Nian, the door was violently pushed open, and Shen Chi Yan, with a worried expression, burst in.
Upon entering the room, Shen Chi Yan saw Song Qi Nian's eyes and nose tip red from crying, looking as if she had suffered immense injustice.
Gu Zhi Yan, who had extended her hand, quickly retracted it upon seeing him.
Shen Chi Yan mistakenly thought Gu Zhi Yan was going to hit Song Qi Nian. With a cold face, he strode over, pulled Song Qi Nian up, and shielded her behind him.
"She's mute, why are you giving her a hard time?"
Seeing Shen Chi Yan's misunderstanding, Song Qi Nian reached out to explain, but Gu Zhi Yan's clear, cold voice rang out, "Don't you dislike her? Why are you so nervous?"
Shen Chi Yan didn't know what possessed him. Upon hearing that Song Qi Nian had been called away by Gu Zhi Yan, he became extremely anxious.
Especially seeing Song Qi Nian's tearful appearance, he felt both agitated and angry.
"Even if I don't like her, it's not for others to lecture her!"
With that, he turned to Song Qi Nian, "Let's go!"
Before Song Qi Nian could explain or say goodbye to Gu Zhi Yan, Shen Chi Yan pulled her out of the room.
Shen Chi Yan and Gu Zhi Yan, both mother and son, had naturally cold personalities, and each was busier than the other, making their meetings very rare.
Shen Chi Yan had never spoken to Gu Zhi Yan in such a harsh tone.
Gu Zhi Yan wasn't angry. Instead, she felt a sense of relief. Compared to her son, who was always polite, distant, and cold, this son now possessed a hint of human warmth.
It seemed Song Qi Nian had changed him quite a bit.
And he... he was probably already smitten, without realizing it.
...
After Shen Chi Yan got Song Qi Nian into the car, he said coldly to Gao Kun Lun, "Drive!"
Gao Kun Lun, not knowing what had happened, immediately started the car.
Fearing that she would affect Shen Chi Yan's relationship with Gu Zhi Yan, Song Qi Nian reached out to gesture, but Shen Chi Yan grabbed her hand and pushed it down, yelling at her sternly, "Are you an idiot? You don't dodge when someone hits you!"
No!
Gu Zhi Yan hadn't hit her at all!
But Shen Chi Yan didn't give Song Qi Nian a chance to use sign language.
"Cry, cry, cry, you only know how to cry, what's the use of crying?"
Shen Chi Yan took a tissue and wiped the tears from Song Qi Nian's face. His movements were far from gentle, even rough. Song Qi Nian flinched in pain. "You're not allowed to dodge!"
Shen Chi Yan's expression turned terrifyingly grim. "Aren't you usually quite petty in front of me? Why this time..."
Song Qi Nian couldn't bear it any longer. She reached out and covered his incessantly chattering mouth.
Seeing Shen Chi Yan staring at her coldly, Song Qi Nian realized what she had done. She immediately let go of Shen Chi Yan and quickly gestured, "You misunderstood. Mom didn't make things difficult for me, nor did she hit me."
Song Qi Nian, as quickly as she could, gestured everything that had happened when she went to see Gu Zhi Yan to Shen Chi Yan.
Shen Chi Yan's expression gradually shifted from anger to something difficult to describe.
"Really?"
Song Qi Nian nodded obediently and continued gesturing, "I'm sure she wasn't trying to hit me when she reached out, perhaps... she wanted to comfort me?"
Gu Zhi Yan comforting someone?
Shen Chi Yan was skeptical.
After all, since he could remember, whether he was injured during military training or felt unwell when sick, Gu Zhi Yan had never comforted him, nor had he ever seen Gu Zhi Yan comfort anyone.
However, he was quite surprised that Gu Zhi Yan would ask Song Qi Nian to analyze a character's inner thoughts for her.
"You misunderstood Mom, you need to apologize to her."
Shen Chi Yan naturally knew this, but he was quite displeased. He reached out and pinched Song Qi Nian's cheek, "Don't you realize who I'm doing this for, you ungrateful girl!"
Song Qi Nian's cheeks were slightly plump, and they felt very good to pinch.
Song Qi Nian felt a little uncomfortable, but she didn't push Shen Chi Yan away. Instead, she smiled at him.
"Thank you..."
Meeting Song Qi Nian's clear, bright, and piercing eyes, Shen Chi Yan abruptly let go of her. "Don't cry so easily in the future. You look terrible when you cry."
If he hadn't seen her crying, he wouldn't have misunderstood.
Song Qi Nian sniffled and sat properly, not daring to look at Shen Chi Yan again.
The more Shen Chi Yan thought about it, the more annoyed he became. Although he and Gu Zhi Yan were not like other mother and son with affectionate interactions, they had never argued.
This time, his misunderstanding of Gu Zhi Yan because of Song Qi Nian made him feel quite uncomfortable.
That day, Shen Chi Yan found someone to bid a high price for a set of emerald bracelets and sent them to Gu Zhi Yan.
It was a gift to apologize.
After receiving the bracelets, Gu Zhi Yan gave a faint smile, "I didn't expect such an unexpected bonus."
Without thinking, she knew it must have been Song Qi Nian who told Shen Chi Yan the truth.
Gu Zhi Yan was becoming more and more satisfied with Song Qi Nian.
At this moment, Song Qi Nian was drowsy.
After a long day, coupled with crying and a long journey, she couldn't resist the sleepiness and slowly closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, Shen Chi Yan received a WeChat message from Lin Qiu Tong.
"A Yan, have you left?"
It was then that Shen Chi Yan realized he had left with Song Qi Nian without saying goodbye to Lin Qiu Tong.
Damn it, he had gone there specifically for Lin Qiu Tong, how did it turn out like this?
It's all that mute's fault!
Shen Chi Yan glared coldly at Song Qi Nian. Song Qi Nian was already asleep, but her body involuntarily shivered when Shen Chi Yan's icy gaze fell upon her.
As if startled.
"A Yan?"
Lin Qiu Tong's WeChat message came again.
Shen Chi Yan frowned and replied, "Sorry Qiu Qiu, I had an urgent matter to deal with and left without a word."
Lin Qiu Tong sent a "Hmph, I'm angry" emoji.