The atmosphere in the old Gu family mansion was quiet and solemn.
Gu Chengyu had been living here for half a month.
He had been going to the conglomerate less frequently lately, handling daily affairs in his study, but the low pressure emanating from him made the servants in the house tread carefully, afraid to make any unnecessary noise.
Madam Gu gently pushed open the study door, carrying a freshly brewed cup of tea.
Her son, headstrong and arrogant since childhood, rarely stayed cooped up in the old mansion for such a long time without going out.
At first, she thought it was due to busy work at the conglomerate, but now she was beginning to sense something was off.
Especially this morning, when she subtly inquired about the girlfriend he had mentioned wanting to marry last time, Gu Chengyu's face instantly darkened. He only replied coldly: We're taking a break for now.
Madam Gu gently placed the teacup on the desk. Seeing the faint dark circles under her son's eyes, she understood most of the situation.
She sat down gracefully on the nearby sofa, her tone gentle. "You seem in low spirits recently. Is work too tiring? Should Mother arrange for you to meet a few friends to relax? Like the young ladies from the Shen and Song families..."
Gu Chengyu's fingers, which had been reviewing documents, paused. Without looking up, he replied impatiently, "No time. Not interested."
Madam Gu was not discouraged and continued with a slight smile, "Well, there's also the Zhou family's..."
"Mother."
Gu Chengyu finally looked up, cutting her off, his tone resolute. "I've said it before. I only want Qianqian. I have no interest in other women."
Madam Gu was taken aback by his bluntness, feeling somewhat helpless. "But didn't you break up with her? Since you've separated, there's no harm in meeting other girls..."
"Who said we broke up?" Gu Chengyu frowned, his tone irritable. "We're just taking some time apart to cool off."
"Your future grandson will only come from her. Anyone else, don't even think about it."
Madam Gu was completely stunned.
They've broken up? And he's still thinking about having children with her?
This logic... sounded so contradictory.
Wait a minute...
Madam Gu carefully observed her son's expression—irritated, aggrieved, and dejected—and a startling thought suddenly occurred to her.
Her son, who always looked down his nose at others and had only ever been the one to end relationships...
Could it be that he was the one who got dumped by that young woman named Su Qianqian?!
No wonder he had been like a lost soul for the past half month, moping at home. His father said he wore a cold face at the company too, as if everyone owed him money.
Considering this possibility, Madam Gu wasn't angry. Instead, she found it rather novel and even felt a slight urge to laugh.
She took a sip of tea and gently dabbed the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief to prevent herself from actually laughing out loud.
Could there really be a girl who dumped her son, who was like a little tyrant?
This Su Qianqian must be quite a remarkable young woman.
She had only heard she was a minor celebrity, extremely beautiful, and spoiled rotten by her son.
Half a year ago, it was for her that her son rejected the carefully chosen marriage alliance she had arranged, saying he would only marry someone he loved.
And now, just half a year later, he had managed to lose the person he loved? And was the one who got dumped?
Madam Gu cleared her throat and changed her line of questioning. "How is Miss Su doing now?"
At the mention of Su Qianqian, the light in Gu Chengyu's eyes dimmed.
He snapped the file shut, stood up, and walked to the window, his back to Madam Gu, his voice strained. "She's doing just fine! Being away from me hasn't affected her one bit."
"Who knows how many people are lining up to fawn over her now!"
The jealousy in his words was almost palpable.
Madam Gu nodded in understanding.
So it was true. He had been dumped, and thoroughly at that. The young woman was thriving, while her son was here alone, nursing his broken heart.
She shook her head and stood up. "Alright, handle your own affairs. Mother won't interfere."
"However..."
She paused at the door, turned back to look at her son's tall yet lonely figure, her tone softening a little.
"If you truly love her, don't cling to that prideful attitude of yours."
"Girls sometimes need to be coaxed."
With that, she gently closed the study door.
Silence returned to the study.
Gu Chengyu remained standing by the window, looking out at the meticulously manicured garden of the old mansion, but his mind was filled with images of that delicate, soft figure—the way her eyes curved when she smiled, the way she looked like a pear blossom bathed in rain when she cried, the resolute look on her face when she said they needed to separate...
His heart ached with a dull, heavy pain.
These past two weeks, he had been living like a walking corpse.
For the first time, he understood what it truly felt like to miss someone.
It was an agony that made him want to go mad.
