Lin Huichu’s expression stiffened for a fleeting moment before returning to normal. She let out a scoff, her eyes filled with mockery as she looked down at Shen Weilan with an air of superiority.
"Let’s lay our cards on the table, then. The position of Mrs. Gu belongs to me. You’d be wise to be sensible, initiate the divorce yourself, and leave with nothing."
Shen Weilan reacted as if she had heard a hilarious joke. "A mistress like you is telling me to leave with nothing? Did a donkey kick you in the head?"
"In matters of the heart, there is no such thing as a mistress, only those who aren't loved," Lin Huichu sneered at Shen Weilan. "You’ve been married for over two years, and A-Ze hasn't even touched you."
"And you actually believe that?" Shen Weilan feigned a look of surprise. "We sleep in the same room every night, and I am young and beautiful. Any man who is capable would find it hard to resist."
She wasn't lying; they did sleep in the same room, though one of them occupied the bed while the other took the sofa.
Lin Huichu’s complexion shifted drastically, her eyes darkening. "You're lying. A-Ze wouldn't lie to me. A greenhouse flower like you isn't his type at all."
Shen Weilan tutted, casting a look of profound pity at Lin Huichu. "You’re too naive to believe a man would remain chaste for any woman." She gestured toward the two-meter-wide bed. "Every night, we are intimate on this very bed and fall asleep in each other’s arms."
Her goal was to provoke Lin Huichu and sow discord between her and Gu Yunze.
"No, you must be lying! I won't believe a word you say!" Lin Huichu’s eyes were bloodshot, her fists clenched as she glared at Shen Weilan. Despite her words, her chest heaved with suppressed rage.
Shen Weilan took out her phone, pretending to dial Gu Yunze. "I’ll call my husband, then, so you can stop clinging to false hope."
She made a move to dial, but Lin Huichu lunged forward to snatch the device. Shen Weilan was taller; she held the phone high above her head, watching Lin Huichu with a playful, teasing gaze. "What’s the matter? Afraid of hearing an answer that will break your heart?"
Lin Huichu bit her lower lip, her eyes filled with venom. She had intended to humiliate Shen Weilan into giving up, yet she was the one being stonewalled. She couldn't swallow this frustration. She cast a glance toward Gu Haoran, who was standing nearby. "Ranran, Mommy is being bullied by Shen Weilan. Aren't you going to come over and help?"
Before they arrived, Lin Huichu had told Gu Haoran to simply watch from the sidelines and stay out of it. But now that she was losing, she was ready to play her trump card.
Hearing this, Gu Haoran scurried over on his short legs, fists balled up, ready to strike Shen Weilan. Before he could reach her, Shen Weilan grabbed him by the back of his collar and hoisted him up like a little chick.
Lin Huichu’s pupils contracted, her heart tightening. She hadn't expected Shen Weilan to lay a hand on the child. She could only imagine how much grievance the boy had suffered under her care all these years.
"Shen Weilan, you’re even bullying a child? Do you even have a conscience?"
Shen Weilan let out a cold laugh. Lin Huichu had no shame; wasn't it she who had sent the boy over to hit her?
"Let me go!" Gu Haoran kicked his legs in the air, shouting threats. "Otherwise, I’ll have Grandpa and Grandma kill you!"
"Apologize to me, and I’ll put you down." Now that her heart had turned cold, Gu Haoran was nothing more than the child of a man who would soon be her ex-husband; he meant nothing to her.
"No! I didn't do anything wrong! You’re the one bullying me and my mommy!" Gu Haoran shrieked at the top of his lungs.Shen Weilan merely gave a calm smile, turned, and walked over to the floor-standing garment rack. There was a hook on the left side, and she hung Gu Haoran directly onto it.
The garment rack was designed to hold a significant amount of weight; it could easily handle not just one Gu Haoran, but several.
Gu Haoran was paralyzed with fright. Once he realized what had happened, he burst into loud sobs, reaching his hands toward Lin Huichu. "Mommy, save me! I’m so scared."
Lin Huichu was frantic. She hurried toward them, but suddenly, she stopped.
*Wait.*
If she allowed A-Ze and everyone else to see Shen Weilan treating Gu Haoran this way, public opinion alone would be enough to destroy her. Even the Gu Family would never let Shen Weilan off the hook.
Lin Huichu’s mind raced, and she immediately pulled out her phone to start recording a video.
She instantly shifted into character, weeping as she begged Shen Weilan for mercy. "Miss Shen, I know you don't like me and that you’ve misunderstood my relationship with A-Ze, but the child is innocent. Won't you please take him down? I’ll kowtow to you and apologize."
Watching Lin Huichu’s masterful performance, Shen Weilan felt amused. It was the first time she had seen someone so determined to court their own disaster.
*Very well,* she thought, *her performance is only helping me.*
Shen Weilan remained silent, watching Lin Huichu with an intrigued expression.
Gu Haoran was trembling all over with terror, his eyes brimming with tears. He choked out, "Mommy, save me..."
At this moment, his fear eclipsed his love for Lin Huichu; he just wanted someone to rescue him.
But Lin Huichu gave him a sharp look. "Be a good boy, Ranran. Mommy will definitely save you, but you made your Auntie Shen angry. Hurry up and apologize to her, all right?"
Hearing Lin Huichu’s words, Gu Haoran’s little heart gave a painful twitch. He was terrified to his core.
*Why does Mommy have to deal with Shen Weilan first? Why can't she just come over and take me down?*
The situation reminded Gu Haoran of something that had happened not long ago. He had climbed a tree to hide, hoping to get Shen Weilan scolded by his daddy.
He had been playing all day and was tired and sleepy, so he fell asleep in the tree. When he woke up, it was already night.
He had been terrified then, his fear every bit as intense as it was now.
But in his moment of greatest panic, Shen Weilan had appeared. She climbed the tree, held him tightly, and comforted him, telling him not to be afraid.
Yet, as she climbed down, her foot slipped, and they fell.
Shen Weilan had used her own body to shield him. He remained completely unharmed, while Shen Weilan had scraped her hands and feet.
"Mommy... I’m really so scared. Won't you please hold me and bring me down?" His tone bordered on a plea, yet he received not a shred of softness from Lin Huichu.
Lin Huichu continued her act, looking at Shen Weilan and whispering, "Miss Shen, you are a magnanimous person, please don't hold it against a child, will you? I apologize to you on my son’s behalf."
"In truth, the child is only longing for a mother’s love. From his perspective, he hasn't done anything wrong!"
Shen Weilan simply watched on calmly, curling her lips into a smile every now and then.
The more satisfaction Lin Huichu felt in her performance now, the harder she would be slapped by reality later.
Since this woman had initiated the provocation, how could Shen Weilan not have prepared a contingency?
No matter what Lin Huichu said, Shen Weilan didn't utter a word. She didn't look like someone being accused; she looked more like a spectator watching a show.
Lin Huichu’s lips were becoming parched from talking, yet Shen Weilan still wouldn't strike back.
However, Lin Huichu’s entire goal was to see Shen Weilan retaliate. Otherwise, how was this play supposed to continue?
Gu Haoran could no longer bear the fear in his heart. He began to give in, looking pitifully at Shen Weilan. "Auntie, will you please hold me and bring me down?"