Understanding dawned in Gu Zhiyan's mind as Song Qi Nian's meaning became clear. The question that had haunted her for so long finally had its answer.
Miss Shu's life had been marked by rejection from the moment of her birth, her path filled with shadows and shame. Yet somehow, she'd maintained a brightness that Gu Zhiyan had never quite understood. But now she knew—"Reverence for life." Those simple words explained everything.
Song Qi Nian's tears continued to fall, and Gu Zhiyan felt an unfamiliar disquiet settle over her. She'd always seen Song Qi Nian as ruthlessly ambitious, someone who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. But watching her now, seeing her profound understanding of Miss Shu and reflecting on her recent actions, Gu Zhiyan realized she might have been wrong. Given what Song Qi Nian had endured with her family, with parents like hers... perhaps she'd been through enough.
Gu Zhiyan had always prided herself on her emotional distance. Even with Shen Chi Yan, she'd stepped back once he'd turned eighteen, barely involving herself in his life. But now, watching Song Qi Nian, she felt an unexpected surge of compassion.
"That's enough crying now."
She wanted to reach out, to offer some comfort with a gentle pat on the back, but such gestures felt foreign to her. Still, when she saw Song Qi Nian's tear-streaked face, something in her chest tightened painfully.
Just as she extended her hand—
BANG!
The door burst open, and Shen Chi Yan rushed in, anxiety written across his face.
When Shen Chi Yan entered, he found Song Qi Nian with swollen, red-rimmed eyes and a face flushed from crying. She looked utterly distraught, as if someone had deeply wronged her.
In that same moment, Gu Zhiyan yanked back her outstretched hand at the sight of him. Shen Chi Yan, seeing only his mother's withdrawing hand and Song Qi Nian's tears, jumped to the wrong conclusion. His face hardened as he crossed the room in swift strides, pulling Song Qi Nian behind him protectively.
"She's mute! What gives you the right to bully her?"
Song Qi Nian realized his mistake and tried to sign an explanation, but Gu Zhiyan's voice cut through the air first, sharp with frost: "I thought you said you didn't like her. Why so concerned now?"
Even Shen Chi Yan couldn't explain the anxiety that had gripped him when he'd heard Gu Zhiyan had called for Song Qi Nian, or the rage that flooded him at the sight of her tears.
"Whether I like her or not doesn't give anyone the right to lecture her!" He turned to Song Qi Nian abruptly. "We're leaving!"
Before she could explain anything—before she could even bid Gu Zhiyan goodbye—Shen Chi Yan had already pulled her from the room.
Mother and son were cut from the same cloth, both naturally cold and distant. Between their personalities and their packed schedules, their meetings were rare and precious things. Yet Shen Chi Yan had never spoken to Gu Zhiyan with such bite in his voice before.
But instead of anger, Gu Zhiyan felt something close to relief. This heated, protective version of her son was a far cry from his usual distant, polite indifference. He finally showed some real emotion. It seemed Song Qi Nian had changed him more than anyone expected. And as for his feelings toward her... perhaps he'd already fallen for her without even realizing it himself.
After dragging Song Qi Nian into the car, Shen Chi Yan turned to Gao Kunlun with a cold command: "Drive!"
Gao Kunlun had no clue what had happened, but he started the engine without hesitation.
Song Qi Nian worried she'd caused a rift between Shen Chi Yan and his mother. She reached out to sign an explanation, but Shen Chi Yan grabbed her hand mid-motion and forced it down.
His voice cut with accusation: "Are you stupid? Someone tries to hit you and you just stand there?"
No, wait—Gu Zhiyan hadn't tried to hit her at all!
But Shen Chi Yan wouldn't let her explain. "Crying, crying, crying! That's all you do! What good does crying do?"
He snatched a tissue and roughly wiped her face, his movements harsh and angry. The force of it stung.
Song Qi Nian tried to pull away from the pain, but—
"Don't move!"
Shen Chi Yan's face was twisted with anger. "You're always so clever with your little schemes when it comes to me. But now, how come—"
Song Qi Nian couldn't stand it anymore. She reached up and pressed her hand against his mouth, silencing his tirade. When Shen Chi Yan fixed her with an icy stare, the reality of what she'd just done hit her.
She quickly pulled her hand away and signed: [You've got it wrong. Mom didn't give me any trouble, and she definitely didn't try to hit me.]
Her hands flew through the signs as she explained everything that had happened with Gu Zhiyan. Shen Chi Yan's fury slowly gave way to an unreadable expression.
"Really?"
Song Qi Nian nodded earnestly and continued signing: [I'm certain. She wasn't going to hit me. I think... she was trying to comfort me?]
Gu Zhiyan? Offering comfort?
Shen Chi Yan could hardly believe it. In all his memories—whether he was injured during military training or sick in bed—Gu Zhiyan had never once tried to comfort him. He'd never seen her comfort anyone, for that matter.
But the fact that she'd asked Song Qi Nian to help analyze a character's emotions... that was unexpected.
[I need to apologize to Mom. You misunderstood her.]
Shen Chi Yan knew he should, but the admission left him feeling unsettled.
He reached out and pinched her cheek. "You don't even realize I was worried about you, do you, you little ingrate?"
Her cheeks were soft under his fingers. Though she squirmed a bit at his touch, she didn't pull away—just smiled up at him.
[Thank you…]
When she turned those bright eyes on him, Shen Chi Yan quickly let go. "Stop crying so much. You look awful when you cry."
If he hadn't seen her tears, he wouldn't have jumped to conclusions in the first place.
Song Qi Nian sniffled and sat quietly, avoiding his gaze.
The more Shen Chi Yan thought about it, the more it bothered him. Even though he and his mother weren't particularly close, they'd never fought before. Now he'd accused her wrongly because of Song Qi Nian. The guilt gnawed at him.
That evening, he ordered an outrageously expensive set of emerald bracelets and had them delivered to Gu Zhiyan—his version of an apology.
When Gu Zhiyan received them, her lips curved into a slight smile. "Well, this is an unexpected bonus."
She knew without asking that Song Qi Nian must have told him the truth. Her approval of the girl grew stronger by the day.
Meanwhile, Song Qi Nian was fighting to keep her eyes open as exhaustion settled over her.
After such a draining day—the tears, the drama, and now the long car ride—she couldn't fight off sleep any longer. Her eyelids grew heavy, and soon she drifted off.
Shen Chi Yan's phone buzzed. A message from Lin Qiu Tong: "Ah Yan, have you left already?"
Only then did it hit him—he'd been so caught up with Song Qi Nian that he'd left without saying goodbye to Lin Qiu Tong.
Shit.
He'd come here specifically to see Lin Qiu Tong—how had everything gotten so derailed? All because of that damn mute!
He shot Song Qi Nian a cold look. She was sound asleep, but somehow his glare made her shiver slightly, as if sensing his hostility even in her dreams.
"Ah Yan?"
Another message from Lin Qiu Tong.
Shen Chi Yan's frown deepened as he typed back: "Sorry, Qiuqiu. Something urgent came up. Had to leave without saying goodbye."
Lin Qiu Tong's response was a single angry emoji.
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