SMSJ Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Confidante versus ex-girlfriend stand-in, I wonder who will win?

Gu Su was a bit distracted, originally Luo Xiaoan planned to go to the bar to have some fun, but when she saw this, she had to give up the idea and returned to her home with Cheng Jingshi.

Just as she got down from the car, a black Bentley stopped in front of the underground garage door, the door opened, and Zhang Chengyu walked out from inside, taking a few steps in front of Cheng Jingshi.

The two men looked at each other with all eyes, and it was unknown if it was Gu Su’s illusion that there seemed to be fire and light.

“I thought my eyes were blurred, so it’s really Mr. Cheng, Su Su how did you manage to labor Mr. Cheng’s great ride?” Zhang Cheng Yu stuck his hands in his pants pockets and smiled somewhat carelessly.

“Mr. Zhang is polite, my cousin and Su Su are close friends. I will be a car driver for a while, don’t mind.” Cheng Jingshi slightly nodded his head, Scholarly and courteous.

“Of course I don’t mind, go up and have a drink?”

“No, I still have things to do, it’s good that the task of an escort is done, see you later.”

Cheng Jingshi got into the car and waved at Gu Su, but Luo Xiaoan was a bit reluctant and glared resentfully at Zhang Cheng Yu: “Susu, just call me if there’s something, I’ll be at your beck and call.”

Such a protective Luo Xiaoan makes Gu Su’s heart warm, she smiled and hugged Luo Xiaoan, whispering, “You seem like a fried hen.”

“Which is not true, I’m a youthful pretty girl, okay!” Luo Xiaoan giggled and got into the car.

Gu Su still wanted to watch them leave, but Zhang Cheng Yu yanked her hard and roughly shoved her into the car as it roared into the garage.

From the elevator up to the house, Zhang Cheng Yu did not say a word, Gu Su’s arm was yanked to the point of raw pain. She struggled for a while in a muffled voice, but was pushed onto the sofa by him.

With his hands propped up on either side of Gu Su’s sofa, the two of them were almost face to face, and Gu Su could clearly see the flames dancing in his eyes.

“Are you looking for the next person, Gu Su, I’m still here, don’t be so hasty.” Zhang Cheng Yu laughed mockingly.

Gu Su was stunned, for a while she laughed out loud, almost out of breath. “Zhang Cheng Yu, isn’t your brain hole a little too big? Who do you think Cheng Jingshi is? Is he as down and dirty as to look at someone else’s wife?”

Zhang Cheng Yu was inexplicably relieved, but didn’t want to make Gu Su feel better at all: “But I can’t guarantee that someone would be shameless enough to plot something.”

Gu Su’s face went white, her heart twitched, the pain instantly traveling throughout her body, and even her toes curled up.

“Also, let me remind you that Cheng Jingshi is a man-eater who doesn’t spit out bones, if you get any sneaky ideas, be careful that there won’t even be any bones left.”

Gu Su’s eyes were wide open, her dark eyes gradually covered in a layer of moist vapor, making it seem like something was about to drip down in an unbearable manner.

Zhang Cheng Yu’s heart suddenly cracked open as if something had seeped in, and he was caught off guard, instantly averting his face.

“Zhang Cheng Yu, don’t insult me ……,” Gu Su said in a trembling voice, ”and don’t insult yourself.”

Zhang Cheng Yu stood up hastily, walked to the bedroom not a moment later and walked out, his black formal clothes changed into beige casual clothes, draped in a casual coat of the same color plus a scarf. He pulled open the door and was about to walk out.

Gu Su murmured and asked, “Where are you going? Looking for Shi Xia Rui?”

Zhang Cheng Yu turned back and said in a deep voice, “Si Yu has returned to China, Wen Cheng and I have agreed to receive her.”

Gu Su knew about these two, back when Gu Yun and Zhang Cheng Yu were passionately in love, although Gu Su avoided as much as she could, she had inevitably heard some of it from the dinner table.

Lu Wencheng and Shen Siyu are Zhang Cheng Yu’s best friends who grew up together, Lu Wencheng is the vice president of Zhang He Group, and has been Zhang Cheng Yu’s deputy since he graduated from college, and the two of them have the same feelings for each other; while Shen Siyu is the only daughter of the Shen family, and is one of the most hated people in Gu Yun’s life.

“Acting as a fake mistress in the name of a confidante.”

This was Gu Yun’s evaluation of Shen Siyu.

When Gu Su and Zhang Cheng Yu got married, Shen Si Yu didn’t come to the wedding, and was rumored to have had a big fight with Zhang Cheng Yu, and her Missy temper flared up and she went on a study trip to Europe.

Gu Su flopped down on the sofa and smiled for a while, confidante versus ex-girlfriend stand-in, I wonder who will win? However, no matter who wins, it has nothing to do with her.

The cold front came, and the sycamores on the street which still had a few leaves hanging two days ago, went bald all of a sudden.

N City’s winters had never been cold, and this bout of temperatures hit a new low for the past two years. Gu Su has always been afraid of the cold, with a long down jacket hooded, wrapped herself tightly from top to bottom, Luo Xiaoan joked that she was a dog bear reincarnation.

She especially likes a down jacket with a fur collar, and when she puts on the hood, it covers half of her face. Then she lowers her head and flips it off, suddenly revealing her whole face to make a ghostly face, which made Luo Xiao-an wail with joy.

Maybe it’s because it’s close to the Spring Festival, Zhang Chengyu’s frequency of appearing in the house has also increased. On this day, Gu Su came home from work and saw him sitting on the sofa watching TV for the first time ever.

In the kitchen, Auntie Wu is still cooking, tomorrow she will go back to her hometown. She will come back after the 8th day of the Lunar New Year, so she has been stuffing the refrigerator with food for the past two days.

“Susu, after I leave, you can just make do with the cooking. If it doesn’t work, go back to the old house and deal with it for two days. By the way, you will sacrifice the stove tomorrow. Don’t forget to go home for dinner.” She warned while serving the dishes.

Gu Su answered, rubbed her fur collar twice and stood in the living room waiting for the warmth to come up before she took off her down jacket.

“Cheng Yu, did you eat the Dongpo pork buttons that Su Su cooked last time?” Aunt Wu continued to nag.

Gu Su stiffened for a moment, as if she hadn’t heard, and scurried into the bedroom.

Zhang Cheng Yu casually asked, “When did she cook it? I don’t know.”

“Su Su has been studying with me for a week, saying that it’s a surprise for you on your anniversary,” Aunt Wu said in surprise, “and her hand was accidentally cut by a knife in two slits and bled a lot.”

Zhang Cheng Yu said indifferently, “She’s given me enough surprises, there’s no need for this one.”

The meal is ready, but Gu Su has been slow coming out, and Zhang Cheng Yu impatiently walks into the bedroom to call her, only to find her on the phone.

“Can you deliver it tomorrow? The day after tomorrow is also fine …… What? It’s already downstairs! I’m not ready here …… I don’t have anyone at home …… I’m sorry …… Okay then …… ”

She hung up the phone in frustration and silently walked towards the outside, when she passed by Zhang Cheng Yu, her steps paused and she whispered, “There will be something I bought delivered later.”

The doorbell rang, and Aunt Wu opened the door to see that there were four big men and a white grand piano mortared at the door.

Gu Su commanded and carried the piano into an unused study, which was neatly packed and didn’t look crowded at all when they put it in, it had obviously been prepared beforehand.

This study has been vacant, Zhang Chengyu almost never came in, and only now did he realize that compared to the other commonly used study, this place is exceptionally elegantly arranged.

Against the window was a rocking chair with a floral cushion, behind it was a row of Chinese bookcases with a few books and magazines scattered about, and on the wall hung a sliver of four Chinese paintings, a few strokes of which sketched out the moonlit night, the riverside, the ancient temple, and the wanderer on the ship, making it seem extraordinarily evocative.

Zhang Cheng Yu stared at the piano for a while and frowned: “What did you buy a piano for? Isn’t it too late to start learning now?”

Gu Su forced a smile, “I’ll play it when you’re not around.”

“Suit yourself.” Zhang Cheng Yu walked out of the room with large strides.

Gu Su greedily stroked the piano, the smooth baked lacquer could almost reflect a person’s silhouette, the curve of the keyboard was just right, the feel of pressing down was warm and the sound was crisp.

Because of Gu Yun’s request, she hadn’t touched the keyboard that used to be her companion for more than three years, and that night’s song Four Little Swans at the banquet had completely hooked up this attachment, and it was out of control.

If she and Zhang Chengyu are not destined to go to the end, let this fateful piano make a final note for both of them.

The next day was the day of the stove sacrifice, and the Chinese New Year was approaching. The company was very idle, and the management was a lot laxer. A few senior people left their posts at every turn, leaving only a few newcomers to guard the door.

Luo Xiaoan’s family are all abroad, she does not intend to go home, and asked around what fun and delicious places are available for New Year’s Eve.

“At New Year’s, N City is almost half empty, you’d better hurry up and fill up the refrigerator, or you won’t even be able to find a place to eat.” Gu Su smiled and admonished.

“How annoying, I’m going to sneak into my cousin’s house to mix up some food, and I can’t let my aunt see it, or I’ll be arrested by her.” Luo Xiaoan said resentfully.

“’Who the hell is your fiancé? Can’t you communicate properly?” Gu Su’s curiosity rarely kicked in.

“Who knows who he is! He’s a liar plus a gangster, looks like a monster, so tall, with muscles one by one, he can slap me to death, do you think I can marry him?” Luo Xiaoan looked furious.

Gu Su was startled and instinctively felt it was impossible, “You’re joking, right?”

“Really, it’s more real than real gold,” Luo Xiaoan was that little bit frustrated, “My parents have been drugged, saying that they were promised marriage at a very young age, and that they had to repay the favor, and couldn’t break the marriage, so they sold me.”

Gu Su did not know how to comfort her, so she could only divert from the topic and said something interesting about the New Year’s Eve in N City, which gradually made Luo Xiaoan happier, and she made an appointment to meet up one day in the New Year’s Eve to have some fun together.

In the afternoon, Gu Su took an hour’s leave, and took a taxi to the Zhang family villa located in the eastern part of the city at Nan Yan Lake, where a small white building was hidden in a lake and mountains.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, Gu Su saw Xu Ai, Zhang Chengyu’s mother, organizing the greenhouse with flower scissors. She called out “Mom” and walked over to ask if she wanted to help.

Xu Ai shook her head and told her to go to the living room to rest.

There was no one in the living room, Gu Su went upstairs, and went to study with ease. Zhang Cheng Yu’s father, Zhang Jia Ren, was holding an antique vase, and waved at her when he saw her, “Su Su, come and look at this blue and white flower and bird jar, the color is really beautiful.”

Gu Su didn’t know anything about antiques, as soon as she heard that this Western Han Dynasty flower and bird jar cost millions of dollars, her fingers holding the jar twitched, and she busily shoved it back into Zhang Jaren’s hands.

“Dad, I’m going to check on Grandpa.”

Grandpa Zhang was watching the cartoon Journey to the West in his room, and was very unhappy to see Gu Su: “Why did you just come?”

Gu Su smiled cheerfully and carefully took out a tightly wrapped bag from her purse, “Guess what I brought you?”

Grandpa Zhang’s eyes lit up, “Is it ginseng fruit? That monkey of a grandson has been stealing it, isn’t it delicious?”

“Grandpa, it’s not ginseng fruit, it’s sugar fried chestnuts, want some?”

The aroma of the sugar fried chestnuts immediately overflowed the whole room, Grandpa Zhang snatched it and stuffed it into his mouth by smashing his saliva.

“You’re not allowed to eat it now, let me check, did you learn your homework from the last time?” Gu Su hurriedly snatched down the chestnuts.

“Learned!” Grandpa Zhang couldn’t wait to drag her to the study next door, there was a piano in the study, Grandpa Zhang sat down and clumsily started to press on the keys, his wrinkled fingers stiffly curled up, and intermittently played a song called “Little Swallow”.

“Grandpa you’re really good,” Gu Su praised while grabbing a handful of chestnuts out, ”Oops you don’t have to rush, you have to peel the shells, you can only eat three a day, I’ll have Auntie put the others away.”

Grandpa Zhang answered vaguely, put the three chestnuts carefully on the side, and started to peel the shells and eat the chestnuts.

Gu Su sat with her chin in her hand and watched, a smile at the corner of her mouth.

Zhang Jaren and Xu Ai were university professors, knowledgeable and emotionally introverted, and had always adhered to the concept of free development in Zhang Cheng Yu’s education, so Gu Su got along with them very smoothly after she entered the house.

Zhang He Group was founded by Grandpa Zhang, the old man gradually delegated power to the eldest grandson Zhang Cheng Yu a few years ago, and completed the handover, after Zhang Cheng Yu got married. Grandpa Zhang was once very dissatisfied with him for such a hasty marriage.

More than a year ago, Grandpa Zhang got Alzheimer’s disease, and his IQ and memory gradually deteriorated. Finally, he followed the doctor’s advice, and the whole family moved to this mountainous and beautiful South Goose Lake for convalescence, in the hope of curbing the deterioration of his condition.

T/N: My first language isn’t English, and there may be some grammatical errors. But I try not to deviate from the author’s narrative. If there are any errors or nonsensical sentences, feel free to comment.