Chapter 46: Hateful Scumbag – 6

The place Su Tianyu had arranged to meet Gu Xizhou was a very refined Japanese Cuisine restaurant.

On the way, Gu Xizhou looked up a pile of information on Su Tianyu, skimmed some of her interviews, and combined it with Su Nanfeng and Su Zhiyi’s evaluations of her, forming her own rough judgment.

This was a traditional, ambitious, decisive middle-aged alpha. Her business tactics, much like her treatment of her own children, were somewhat impersonal and cold.

Her views were similar to most alphas’, believing that in this society, only the strong could survive.

Based on this inference, Gu Xizhou could roughly guess what kind of son-in-law the other party had in mind.

Therefore, Gu Xizhou hoped she could take the initiative.

The car soon arrived at the Japanese restaurant named “Bamboo House.” Guided by a server, Gu Xizhou passed through the main hall and entered a private room directly.

The private room was built next to a central courtyard. The courtyard featured a bamboo water fountain, looking exceptionally elegant. The moment the shoji screen door slid open, Gu Xizhou’s first sight was Su Tianyu sitting upright on a tatami mat.

Su Tianyu wore a well-tailored women’s suit, her long hair coiled at the back of her head. Her brows and eyes held the same sharp authority as Su Nanfeng.

If it had been a few years earlier, Gu Xizhou would still have felt intimidated seeing such an authority figure. But when a person has fallen into the mud, struggled desperately for a long time, and lost much human dignity and pride, external things like social class or identity could no longer strike a blow to her heart.

After all, she had already tasted the unwillingness born of powerlessness.

The two faced each other. Gu Xizhou, as the junior, spoke first: “Hello, Auntie.”

Su Tianyu nodded, stretched out her hand, and pointed forward: “Sit down first.”

Gu Xizhou complied with her cue, removing her shoes according to Japanese etiquette and kneeling on the tatami.

Just as she was seated, Su Tianyu poured her a cup of tea and pushed it in front of her, saying lightly: “I asked you to dinner today mainly because yesterday was too busy, and I didn’t have much chance to chat with you properly.”

“After all, Zhiyi has never brought an alpha before me. I want to know what kind of alpha my daughter has actually fallen for.”

Gu Xizhou did not take the tea. Instead, she straightened her back and said, neither servile nor overbearing: “I also wanted to have a talk with you.”

Su Tianyu was somewhat surprised and glanced at her.

She saw the delicate-looking alpha opposite her looking straight at her, gaze burning: “I came to visit you today precisely to clarify one thing.”

“What do I need to do to become Zhiyi’s wife?”

Her aim was very clear; she had come for Su Zhiyi.

Su Tianyu had seen many bold young people, but those who dared to say such things in front of her were truly rare.

Su Tianyu smiled, her sharp eyes glinting with shrewdness as she scrutinized Gu Xizhou, her smile not quite a smile: “Young one, in what capacity are you saying such words to me?”

Gu Xizhou felt no timidity under this gaze. Instead, she said frankly: “In the capacity of your daughter’s lover, your student, and a seeker of knowledge, asking this question.”

“I want to fight for an opportunity for my beloved, so I need to understand your stance.”

Very well. Neither servile nor overbearing, and without the prideful self-esteem common to youth. Su Tianyu admitted she felt a flicker of appreciation for this young person.

Su Tianyu’s gaze was sharp, her tone authoritative: “I can give you an opportunity, but it depends on how far you can go.”

Gu Xizhou talked with Su Tianyu in the Bamboo House all afternoon. It was around 5:30 in the evening when she returned to her and Su Zhiyi’s apartment.

Carrying the ingredients for dinner, she walked to the ground floor of the apartment building just as Su Zhiyi returned from work. Seeing Gu Xizhou laden with things, Su Zhiyi quickly walked over and naturally took them into her own hands, asking as they walked: “Didn’t you say at noon you were going out to see a friend? How come you’re back at this hour?”

Gu Xizhou didn’t refuse her help, walking side-by-side into the elevator: “I have to cook for my beloved, of course.”

Su Zhiyi’s face flushed warm. She poked Gu Xizhou’s cheek, chiding: “Sweet talker.”

They returned home together, entered the kitchen, and made a hot meal. Su Zhiyi was currently doing a rotation in the Emergency Department, very tired every day. Each evening when she returned, she would tell Gu Xizhou about what she had seen and experienced.

The hospital is the place in this world where most people of comfortable means can witness the myriad facets of life. Here, painful, sorrowful, farcical, and absurd things could all happen.

The more she worked, the more Su Zhiyi perceived the hardships of life, and she gradually began to grow fond of this job of hers.

Sitting at the dining table, Gu Xizhou listened to Su Zhiyi recount some daily observations, hesitating for a moment before speaking: “Zhiyi…”

Su Zhiyi raised her eyes to look at her, her gaze gentle as always: “What is it?”

Gu Xizhou thought for a bit and then said to Su Zhiyi: “Actually, today it was your mother who came to see me.”

Su Zhiyi froze instantly, her instincts telling her it wasn’t good news. She put down her chopsticks and looked at Gu Xizhou very nervously: “What did she want with you?”

Gu Xizhou’s tone was hesitant. After a long moment, she said: “She gave me ten million to leave you.”

Su Zhiyi’s eyes widened, and she subconsciously asked: “Did you sign a contract? If you don’t sign a contract, she can take the money back.”

Gu Xizhou: …

She couldn’t help but laugh out loud, shaking her head: “No, I didn’t take it.”

Su Zhiyi knew she definitely wouldn’t take it, but hearing Gu Xizhou say so still made her sigh with relief. To mask her emotions, Su Zhiyi poked at her rice bowl, her tone a bit complaining: “What… that was ten million, you know.”

“If you’d taken it, and she tried to break us up, you and I could have just eloped together.”

Su Zhiyi had an excellent upbringing, but sometimes she would also make such Shakespeare-level, romantically adventurous jokes.

Gu Xizhou’s eyes felt hot. After a while, she said: “I thought about it that way, but somehow it didn’t feel right. You and I shouldn’t be like that.”

“Zhiyi, you deserve better.”

Su Zhiyi was stunned, her heart clenching. Her voice carried a hint of unease: “What do you mean? Don’t tell me you’re planning to break up with me instead of taking the ten million?”

Her worry was too vivid. Seeing such an expression on her face, Gu Xizhou couldn’t bear it.

The alpha’s heart throbbed with pain. She gazed softly at her beloved and said gently: “How could I? You are the reward Heaven gave me with such difficulty. How could I let you go?”

Gu Xizhou reached out and held Su Zhiyi’s hand, gentle yet firm: “I didn’t take that ten million. I traded it for an opportunity.”

Su Zhiyi clasped her hand back, asking curiously but with an underlying understanding: “What kind of opportunity?”

“An opportunity to be with you.”

Su Zhiyi’s eyes reddened instantly. Her voice was complex: “Then what requirements did my mother… impose on you?”

Gu Xizhou held her hand and softly explained the deal she had made with Su Tianyu: “She wants me to give up my medical school offer and, after graduating university, work in your family’s company.”

“In three years, if I can achieve the position of a subsidiary company manager, she will agree to let you and me get engaged.”

Su Zhiyi’s expression immediately changed, looking at Gu Xizhou with shock: “Xizhou, how could you agree to her? You said you wanted to be a good doctor.”

“How can you…”

Give up what you wanted to do for me?

Gu Xizhou didn’t mind deep down whether she could become a doctor or not. From the start, she had applied to medical school because of Su Zhiyi.

Now, giving it up was also because of Su Zhiyi.

This was fate, a twist of destiny playing tricks.

But her girlfriend was very angry, even immediately standing up, grabbing her phone to call her mother: “No, how can she do this?”

“Who I marry is my freedom. She can’t interfere with me like this, can’t mandate what profession my future partner has!”

Mother has robbed me of my dreams; must she rob Gu Xizhou of hers too?

Gu Xizhou quickly pulled her back, encircling her in her arms, holding her tightly: “Zhiyi… Zhiyi…”

Su Zhiyi’s rationality temporarily returned. She deflated and rubbed her cheek against Gu Xizhou’s, her voice dejected: “This isn’t fair, Xizhou… she can’t treat you like this, and she can’t treat me like this…”

Gu Xizhou smiled, nuzzling her hair, coaxing gently: “Zhiyi, this isn’t unfair. Life is about gains and losses. Because people are different, many things are difficult to have both ways.”

“I simply chose you between the two options of something I like and a future with you.”

When Gu Xizhou spoke earnestly, her words could be quite moving.

What she said was indeed heartfelt, but more than that, it was to solidify Su Zhiyi’s love for her: “If I choose to be a surgeon, I could still marry you, but you would be caught between me, your mother, and your family responsibilities, suffering greatly.”

It was Su Zhiyi’s “love” that had pulled her out of the darkness, and for the rest of her life, she was willing to live for this love.

She was originally this kind of worthless waste. To become Su Zhiyi’s sharp tool, she was more than willing.

Gu Xizhou soothed Su Zhiyi’s emotions, speaking softly: “If I change my career and work hard to earn your mother’s approval, then in the future, I can share a lot of your work for you. I could even ensure you can do what you want to do.”

“I care about you, Zhiyi.”

“I am also willing to make some compromises in life for you.”

Su Zhiyi’s eyes were red, tears slowly sliding from the corners: “Our Xizhou is sacrificing so much…”

It was guilt, it was pity, it was love.

These were precisely the things Gu Xizhou wanted. She wanted Su Zhiyi to owe her, love her, and never be able to leave her.

Gu Xizhou turned her around, gently kissed the tears from the corners of her eyes, and coaxed softly: “Not much, not much at all.”

“Compared to you, there is nothing in this world important enough to make me give you up.”

She did indeed plan to do so, and would always do so.

Unfortunately, life often defies wishes, full of missed chances and wrong turns, rarely granting a perfect ending.