Chapter 117: My Wife Is Gone, I Have No Need for Pride

“He didn’t use to like sweets, but recently he found a candy, and since then, he’s been carrying candy in his pocket every day,” Gu Pingsheng said, his voice low and hoarse as he looked at Wen Zhixia.

Wen Zhixia frowned as she looked at the candy in her hand. “Gu Pingsheng, what trick are you trying to play now?”

“This is Youzhi’s test report. Every check-up result is shown here,” Gu Pingsheng said, his eyes deep as he handed the paper to her.

Wen Zhixia didn’t understand why, after three years, Gu Pingsheng was so eager to show her these medical reports. She glanced at the little bean who was looking up at her eagerly, hesitated for a moment, then finally turned her cheek away. “No matter what issues this child has, it’s between you and his mother. What does it have to do with me?”

Was she supposed to be responsible for a child he had with another woman just because they had been together once?

No matter how adorable... it had nothing to do with her.

“He calls you ‘Mama,’” Gu Pingsheng grasped her hand, rubbing his fingertip against her palm. Before she could speak, he continued, “Both the child and I need you. We can’t be without you; we’re inseparable.”

Hua Qianjiao watched this strange scene before her with suspicion and a trace of... embarrassment.

The embarrassment wasn’t because of her, but because of Gu Pingsheng.

No matter how you put it, he was a major businessman, a financial tycoon known in the public eye, yet here he was, shamelessly acting like a spoiled child in front of a woman.

Hua Qianjiao doubted her own hearing, but the scene before her clearly proved it was no illusion.

Wen Zhixia pulled back her hand but failed to break free. The odd tableau of them standing in front of the hospital had undoubtedly drawn many curious glances. “Gu Pingsheng, this is a hospital. Aren’t you afraid of running into someone you know and losing face?”

“My wife is about to run off with some wild man. There’s no home left. What face do I have to keep?” he retorted.

Gu Pingsheng was inherently rebellious. In his youth, he had been reckless. He seemed more restrained now, but when he chose to be shameless, he threw dignity aside completely.

When the tough approach failed, he would cast aside his high-ranking CEO image and cling to her stubbornly, refusing to let go.

It was this patience back then, coaxing and deceiving Wen Zhixia bit by bit, that made her fall for him.

Wen Zhixia furrowed her brows. “Have some shame!”

“No more,” he said, then lifted her up in one swoop. Glancing at the little one, he gestured for him to follow, and without another word, carried her away.

Hua Qianjiao was dumbfounded and hurriedly pursued them. “Hey! You—”

“Our marital issues are between us. Miss Hua, please leave,” Gu Pingsheng said in a deep voice.

“Gu Pingsheng, are you crazy?! Put me down!” She wasn’t good at cursing, and had limited vocabulary from years of restraint. She had only ever practiced all these words on Gu Pingsheng: “Crazy,” “Insane,” “Scoundrel,” “Disgusting,” “Have some shame”...

“You can shout louder if you want. I don’t care. I don’t mind embarrassing myself this once. But if you’re so thin-skinned and want to be watched by others, go ahead,” he said with a wicked grin, his tongue scraping his molars.

The little bean quietly followed Gu Pingsheng, watching his father carry Mama home.

Wen Zhixia wore thick clothes for winter, making it difficult to struggle, while Gu Pingsheng was dressed lightly as usual, unfazed by the cold. Frustrated, as he opened the car door, she bit down hard on the exposed skin of his neck.

Gu Pingsheng’s hand froze. Flesh was flesh after all, and her small white teeth really hurt when she bit down.

“Let go.”

Wen Zhixia truly released him, and his furrowed brows relaxed slightly. But the next moment, she changed position and bit him again, seemingly venting both her frustration and anger on him.

Gu Pingsheng gasped, then slapped her bottom, pressing her down onto the back seat of the car. “If you don’t stop biting, I’ll show you what ‘really disgusting’ means right here.”

He knew exactly how to exploit her thin skin—always effective.

Stretching out his long arms, he lifted little Youzhi onto the back seat as well, then locked the rear doors.

Wen Zhixia tried to open the doors but to no avail.

“Bang—”

Gu Pingsheng came around to the driver’s side and slammed the door shut.

“Gu Pingsheng, you…”

“Crazy,” Gu Pingsheng cut her off flatly.

Wen Zhixia pursed her lips tightly. “Do you think what you’re doing is funny?”

Starting the car, Gu Pingsheng glanced up, his narrow eyes catching her image in the rearview mirror. “You being by my side—that’s all the meaning I need.”

Wen Zhixia sat coldly in the back seat. Little Youzhi tilted his head up, noticing her displeasure. He rubbed the candy wrapper in his pocket, unwrapped a candy, and offered it to her. “Mama, eat.”

Such a tiny child, soft and adorable—Wen Zhixia couldn’t bring herself to lose temper with him.

Though she wanted to refuse coldly, she eventually took the candy.

Seeing her accept it, Youzhi grinned, revealing a row of neat little teeth. He cuddled closely into her arms, nuzzling and clutching tightly, putting all his weight on her.

Worried he might fall, Wen Zhixia instinctively held him tighter. “Don’t move around in the car. It’s dangerous.”

Little Youzhi seemed not to hear or ignored her, squirming happily closer still.

Gu Pingsheng watched this scene through the rearview mirror.

When they rounded a bend, he suddenly slammed on the brakes.

Wen Zhixia’s body pitched forward; she instinctively held Youzhi tightly, but he still bumped into the seat in front.

For an adult, this wouldn’t be an issue; usually, Youzhi was the kind of silent child who wouldn’t cry or fuss even after bumps, simply brushing himself off and standing up.

But this time, when Wen Zhixia settled and asked if he was hurt, little Youzhi’s eyes immediately reddened, his nose twitched, and tears fell like golden beads, overwhelmed with distress.

Wen Zhixia gently stroked his bumped head. “It’s okay, my little bundle. Be good, don’t cry.”

Gu Pingsheng’s lips twitched slightly into a faint smile.

Children often had a keen sense—they knew when you cared, and even small pains could feel magnified many times over.

Especially since Youzhi was quiet and somewhat withdrawn, but smarter than others his age.

“Mama, kiss.”

Perhaps from hearing it so often, Wen Zhixia never corrected the little one’s constant “Mama.”

Because after meeting her, he seemed never to consider calling her anything else.

“There was a sudden stop ahead. Are you two okay?” Gu Pingsheng asked softly.

Wen Zhixia hadn’t seen if there was a car braking suddenly in front, but she had no desire to respond.

Little Youzhi looked from Wen Zhixia to Gu Pingsheng, then obediently nestled back into Wen Zhixia’s arms, ignoring his own father as if they were united against him.

Gu Pingsheng driving: “...”

Lanhu County.

Gu Pingsheng drove straight to the front door of the house, resting his arm on the car door as he waited for Wen Zhixia to get out. “Xia Xia, we’re home.”

Wen Zhixia wanted to say this place no longer had anything to do with her, was no longer her home, but she truly didn’t want to engage with him. She turned her face away, pretending not to hear.

Gu Pingsheng looked at her cold demeanor and suddenly recalled their school days. Back then, she was famous among teachers and classmates as a well-behaved girl, gentle and kind, but she had always looked down on him, finding him annoying and bad.

He often had bruises on his face from fights. He thought those scars were a man’s badge of honor, but to her, he was just a street brawler. Whenever he cornered someone in the hallway, she always showed that “I look down on you” expression, which made Gu Pingsheng itch with a strange longing.

The more indifferent and distant she acted, the more unwilling she was to let him get close, the more he circled around her every day.

“Hey, Wen, aren’t you a good student? Don’t you want to help your classmates? Not even going to share a single problem with me?” He raised his narrow eyes with a teasing smile and pushed a workbook toward her.

Wen Zhixia pursed her lips and turned her face aside, not wanting to deal with him.

Her neck was beautifully shaped, her skin fair and tender, as if it could drip water when pinched. Though she never gave him a single good look, Gu Pingsheng preferred her cold, icy, jade-like little scholar self to all those who constantly flattered him.

“Hey, little bookworm, I’m talking to you.” Didn’t she see that he had specially bought this workbook to strike up a conversation? What was that attitude?

And why specially? Because apart from the school textbooks stuffed in his drawer, the school bully had no extracurricular books or workbooks.

Wen Zhixia was annoyed by him and threw the workbook at him with a mock fierce glare, choking on her words: “You haven’t read a single word in this book. You’re crazy! Why do you have to hold me back every break?”

Every break. Every single break!

He’d grab her as soon as class ended and pin her to her seat. Sitting for too long made her uncomfortable—she’d tolerated him for a long time!

It was the first time the little bookworm had lost her temper in class. The classmates all turned to look. Gu Pingsheng’s face flushed in a mix of blue and red—it was quite a scene.

A boy who also didn’t like studying and spent his days slacking sarcastically leaned over. “Hey, so our little genius can get mad too…”

“Bang!” Gu Pingsheng kicked the desk in front of him, causing the boy to stagger. “Damn it, Gu Pingsheng, are you crazy?”

Wasn’t he just sticking up for her?!

“If you can’t talk, then shut your mouth. None of your business!” Like a dog chasing mice, meddling where it shouldn’t.

The boy feared Gu Pingsheng and left muttering curses.

Wen Zhixia had been startled by his kick. She was only annoyed just now; usually, she kept her distance from people like Gu Pingsheng. After venting, she felt a little uncertain.

“Don’t be mad. I’m trying to turn over a new leaf, be a better person, and learn more from good students, okay?” He lied easily without caring if it fit his school bully image. He thought the little bookworm was very easy to fool.

The memory flashed back. Gu Pingsheng looked at Wen Zhixia sitting in the car, glanced at the little one.

The little guy tilted his head, propping his chin as he lay nestled in Wen Zhixia’s arms, utterly content, completely ignoring his own father and their supposed father-son alliance.

Gu Pingsheng felt his heart tighten.

His wife ignored him, and his son had betrayed him; both heartless one after another.

“Get out, Xia Xia. Maybe you’d rather I carry you down,” he said after a deep breath.

Only then did Wen Zhixia turn her face, said nothing, and got out—only to turn and head back the way she came.

The little one trotted beside her, “tap tap tap,” as if to say, “Wherever Mama goes, I go.”

Gu Pingsheng massaged his temple, feeling a headache coming.

He stepped forward and scooped her up effortlessly, his steady gaze falling on the easily swayed little one. “Keep up.”

Wen Zhixia kicked to get down, but Gu Pingsheng deliberately jostled the car, and in self-defense, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

Looking up and seeing the smile at the corner of his lips, Wen Zhixia’s anger flared anew.

“Mr. Gu, madam, and young master,” Aunt Wang and Aunt Zhao greeted cheerfully upon hearing the commotion and seeing the three return together.

Wen Zhixia coming back brought joy not only to little Youzhi but also to them.

Gu Pingsheng instructed them to take care of Youzhi and took Wen Zhixia straight to their room, locking the door behind them.

Wen Zhixia was placed on the bed and stood up immediately.

Gu Pingsheng grabbed her arm. “Xia Xia, let’s talk calmly. There’s nothing between me and Zhao Fuhe. You might not know, but I’ve sent her away. She won’t appear before you again. I kept her for your sake. You should know what you mean to me.”

He wanted nothing else but to have her by his side.

Wen Zhixia lifted her eyes, and after hearing him out, she asked in a flat voice, “Are you done?”

Calm and expressionless, both in person and tone.

“You don’t believe me?” His dark eyes fixed on her.

“I believe you,” she said. “So can I leave now?”

Her indifferent attitude was the hardest for Gu Pingsheng to endure. He would rather she get angry—it would at least mean that she cared about him.

His large hand caressed her cheek. She seemed unchanged, just as she had been in school after all these years. “Xia Xia, did you ever really like me?”

He had coaxed her so many times, said he loved her so many times, but in truth, he had never been certain.

Because she had said the same words to other men.