Chen Yujuan was still somewhat worried. "But the Gu Corporation needs investment from the Shen Corporation right now. I'm afraid if Lin Huichu comes, she'll provoke Shen Weilan, especially since you promised Shen Weilan that you wouldn't allow Lin Huichu to step foot in the Gu Family estate."
"I did say that, but tonight's situation caught us by surprise. Ranran is sick, and he desperately needs his biological mother by his side."
Chen Yujuan wanted to say more, but Gu Haoran grabbed her arm, looking up at her with a pitiful expression.
"Grandma, I feel terrible. I want to Mommy. Please."
"Oh, my precious grandson, don't say such things. Grandma will agree to it, then," Chen Yujuan hurriedly said.
Having her little darling beg her like that would take years off her life.
Gu Chongyang immediately sent a driver to pick up Lin Huichu.
An hour later, Lin Huichu arrived at the Gu Family estate. This was the first time she had set foot in the house since her divorce.
She held her head high, putting on the airs of the mistress of the house.
Her gaze swept around the room. The cabinets in the living room were lined with numerous antiques, every single one of them extremely valuable.
Almost all of the antiques here had been given to Gu Chongyang by Shen Weilan, because she knew he liked to collect them.
"Miss Lin, please come upstairs with me." The butler said politely, gesturing for Lin Huichu to follow.
In return, however, she shot the butler a sideways glance, as if displeased with how he addressed her.
The butler was completely baffled. If he didn't call her Miss Lin, was he supposed to call her Young Madam?
Upon reaching Gu Haoran's bedroom, Lin Huichu transformed once again.
"Grandpa, Grandma." Lin Huichu approached Gu Chongyang and Chen Yujuan with a smile on her face. "You don't mind if I call you the same thing the child does, do you?"
Before Gu Chongyang and his wife could reply, Gu Haoran interjected hastily, "I don't mind!" With that, he turned to look at them. "Grandpa, Grandma, am I right?"
"Naturally." Chen Yujuan had no choice but to nod through gritted teeth, though she felt somewhat dissatisfied inside.
It had been over two years since the divorce, so it was naturally inappropriate for Lin Huichu to use the same address as the child, but she couldn't well scold her in front of him.
"Ranran is sick and hasn't broken his fever for hours. There is fever medicine here, give it to him," Gu Chongyang instructed Lin Huichu.
"Alright, I understand." Lin Huichu's reaction was very calm, as if she didn't care about Gu Haoran's illness at all.
"Then take good care of Ranran. Later, I'll have a servant send some food up. If nothing comes up, you shouldn't leave the room," Chen Yujuan instructed Lin Huichu.
Lin Huichu put on an obedient look and nodded.
Once outside, Chen Yujuan couldn't help complaining about Lin Huichu. "I think Lin Huichu as a mother is worse than Shen Weilan as a stepmother. The child is sick like this, and she still has the heart to put on makeup. I don't feel like she's worried about Ranran at all.
I remember once before when Ranran had a persistent high fever, Shen Weilan stayed by his side, tending to him without sleep for two whole days and nights before he got better."
Gu Chongyang stopped in his tracks and glared at Chen Yujuan. "What's the use of telling me all this? Who made Shen Weilan not Ranran's biological mother? What's the point of doing more?"
"Why are you glaring at me? I was just running my mouth, that's all. If you don't want to hear it, fine." Chen Yujuan turned around and stormed downstairs in a huff.
Gu Chongyang let out a cold snort and headed to the study instead.
Meanwhile, in the master bedroom.
Shen Weilan had just finished taking a shower and was planning to lie down to rest when her phone vibrated.
She glanced at WeChat and saw a message sent by Gu Haoran.
She tapped on the message to open it. It was a photo of him and Lin Huichu, the mother and son smiling happily, with the background clearly being Gu Haoran's bedroom.
Shen Weilan's gaze darkened slightly. She and Gu Yunze hadn't even divorced yet, and Lin Huichu was already unable to contain herself and was trying to move right in?
Was this her way of provoking her?
Gu Haoran sent another message: [Auntie, just let go of my daddy. Grant my daddy and mommy their wish. A forced melon is not sweet, and you aren't worthy either.]
Gu Haoran was only three years old and had just started kindergarten; his vocabulary was limited. Shen Weilan could say with certainty that this message must have been sent by Lin Huichu.
Shen Weilan sneered. She couldn't be bothered to deal with this bizarre pair of mother and son.
Did they think Gu Yunze was plated with gold? He had cheated on her, and she had to cling to him no matter what?
She saved the photo and then used an anonymous email account to send it to a gossip magazine. Since Lin Huichu was so eager to be the young mistress of the Gu Family, she would give her a helping hand.
On the other end, Lin Huichu waited and waited without getting a reply from Shen Weilan. She had assumed that once Shen Weilan found out she had come to the Gu Family, she would throw a huge tantrum just to make things difficult for the two elders.
Yet Shen Weilan acted as if she hadn't received the message at all.
"You scold her, call her a bad woman, and say she ruined your family—use the ugliest words you can find," Lin Huichu egged Gu Haoran on.
Gu Haoran naturally complied. Children nowadays matured early; even without Lin Huichu coaching him, he knew how to hurl the nastiest insults.
Yet the voice messages sent out sank like stones in the ocean. Twenty minutes passed without a single response from Shen Weilan.
Lin Huichu frowned tightly and muttered under her breath, "How can Shen Weilan manage to stay so calm?"
"Mommy, what should we do if the bad woman ignores us?" Gu Haoran frowned as well. He had said so many things, but it felt like punching a pile of cotton—there was no impact at all.
Lin Huichu narrowed her eyes. Since Shen Weilan wouldn't come to them, they would go to her. She refused to believe that she could provoke her right at her doorstep and still have Shen Weilan remain indifferent.
"Let's go. To her bedroom." Lin Huichu whispered in Gu Haoran's ear, "Later, you do this..."
Gu Haoran nodded repeatedly. "Okay, Mommy."
Leaving the bedroom, the mother and son headed straight for Shen Weilan's room.
Shen Weilan had guessed they would come looking for her, so she hadn't locked the door. She wanted to see what kind of trouble Lin Huichu could stir up this time.
"Bad woman, are you blind? I sent you so many messages, why didn't you reply to me?" As soon as he entered the room, Gu Haoran saw Shen Weilan lying sideways playing on her phone. His anger flared up instantly, and he glared straight at her.
Lin Huichu lowered her gaze and glared at Gu Haoran. "Ranran, you must not be so rude. Miss Lin is your stepmother."
"Hmph, she's nothing of the sort. I don't acknowledge her." Gu Haoran pouted, looking displeased.
Shen Weilan chuckled dryly. She sat up straight, tilting her head as she sized up Lin Huichu. "What did you just call me?"
Calling her Miss Lin inside the Gu Family home? Was that appropriate? She and Gu Yunze were still legally married at the moment, and Lin Huichu ought to show her respect by calling her the young mistress of the Gu Family.
Lin Huichu feigned incomprehension at Shen Weilan's words and changed the subject. "Miss Lin, please don't misunderstand. Ranran had a fever tonight and just wanted me by his side.
I know my appearance here is truly inappropriate, but I'm doing it for Ranran's sake as well. I believe Miss Lin can understand."
"I don't understand." Shen Weilan spoke bluntly, not sparing Lin Huichu an ounce of face. "What is an ex-wife doing coming over to play the third party?"
"You've misunderstood, Miss Lin. A-Ze and I aren't what you think. We are completely innocent, just like family."
Just like family!
Shen Weilan laughed out of anger, her gaze suddenly sharpening. "With the mere fact that you came to the Gu Family and yet addressed me as Miss Lin, your intentions are glaringly obvious. There are only the three of us here, so why bother putting on a show?
You might not be tired of acting, but I'm tired of watching."