Twenty minutes later, the taxi stopped at the entrance of the Lanting Club.
This was Jiangcheng’s top private club, so low-profile it didn't even look like a business establishment.
There were no neon signs at the entrance, only a warm yellow wall lamp illuminating the house number.
The dark gray marble exterior walls were covered in vines, and the iron gates were half-ajar, with the faint sound of running water coming from within.
Su Wan paid the fare and stepped out of the car.
The waiter at the door was slightly startled when he saw her, but he quickly recognized her.
Although the Su family had fallen, Su Wan’s face wouldn't be forgotten that quickly in Jiangcheng’s elite circles.
“Miss Su, Young Master Gu is already waiting for you inside.” The waiter respectfully led the way.
They crossed a small path paved with bluestone slabs, with neatly trimmed bamboo groves on both sides. The night wind rustled the bamboo leaves.
At the end of the path was a standalone building, brightly lit.
Gu Huaiyu was standing at the door.
He had changed into a dark gray casual suit and styled his hair; he looked much better than he had sounded on the phone.
But Su Wan saw at a glance that he had lost weight. His eyes were sunken, and his cheekbones were more prominent than before. Standing under the light, he looked almost skeletal.
When he saw her walking over, Gu Huaiyu’s eyes lit up.
“Wanwan.” He took two steps toward her but then stopped himself, as if afraid that getting too close would scare her away. “You’re here.”
Su Wan stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up at him without responding.
The night spread out behind her, making her face look as cold and indifferent as a piece of uncarved jade.
“Let’s talk inside.” She stepped up the stairs and passed him without a second glance.
Gu Huaiyu’s gaze followed her back, and the light that had just flickered in his eyes dimmed a bit more.
The private room wasn't large, but it was exquisitely decorated.
A small mahogany table, two chairs, and a sofa set by the window, with tea and fruit already prepared on the coffee table.
An incense burner in the corner was lit, emitting the white tea scent that Su Wan used to love.
Su Wan sat in a chair, not touching anything on the table.
Gu Huaiyu sat opposite her, his eyes fixed on her face as if he couldn't see her enough.
“Wanwan, I—”
“Which hospital is your father staying in?”
Gu Huaiyu was cut off and blinked. “What?”
“Gu Mingshan,” Su Wan looked directly at him, her gaze as calm as if she were asking about something trivial. “Which hospital is he in?”
The anticipation on Gu Huaiyu’s face froze bit by bit.
He looked at her, as if trying to find a trace of something else in her expression.
Concern? Worry? Even just a little bit of their past affection?
But there was nothing.
There was only indifference on that face, a businesslike calm.
“Wanwan,” his voice was a bit dry, “why do you want to see him?”
“He’s dying.” Su Wan’s tone had no fluctuations. “I want to see him before he dies.”
Gu Huaiyu’s fingers tightened slightly.
He knew Su Wan hated Gu Mingshan.
That hatred was different from her hatred for him—for him, it was deception, betrayal, and the breaking of their engagement.
But for Gu Mingshan, it was a blood feud.
The bankruptcy of the Su family, the car accident that killed Su Zhenhua and his wife, every single instance of the siege and manipulation—none of it was possible without Gu Mingshan’s handiwork.
What good could come from Su Wan wanting to see Gu Mingshan?
“Wanwan,” he took a deep breath, his voice very low and soft, like he was coaxing a child throwing a tantrum.
“I know you hate him, you hate our Gu family. He did indeed wrong the Su family, he wronged you...”
“But listen to me, he’s dying.” His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“The doctors say three months at most, maybe even shorter. He can’t even get out of bed now, and he can’t even speak clearly...”
“Even if you hate him, he’s already a dying man. Can you... can you not go to see him at this time?”
His voice carried a hint of cautious pleading: “If you have any resentment, take it out on me. Whatever you want, just tell me...”
“As long as it makes you feel better, I’ll do anything.”
Su Wan looked at him and suddenly felt it was absurd.
This man had once personally pushed her into the abyss, and now he was standing on the edge of that abyss, begging her in a near-humble posture to spare his father.
“Anything?” she asked.
Gu Huaiyu’s eyes lit up, and he nodded frantically. “Anything! Just say the word, as long as I can do it.”
Su Wan leaned back against the chair, looking down at him as the corners of her mouth slowly curled into an arc.
There was no warmth in that smile.
“Fine. Then get my brother out.”
Gu Huaiyu’s expression froze.
“My brother, Su Zhuo,” Su Wan said word by word. “He was sentenced to six years. I want you to overturn his case and get him out.”
“Wanwan...” Gu Huaiyu opened his mouth, a look of difficulty appearing on his face.
“Su Zhuo’s case is a solid intentional assault charge. Xu Tianlin’s injury assessment was level two minor injury, and the court sentenced him to six years. This is based on legal grounds...”
“Legal grounds?” Su Wan interrupted him, her voice suddenly turning cold. “Gu Huaiyu, you’re talking to me about the law?”
“What kind of person is Xu Tianlin? He kept so many girls locked in the basement of that western suburb villa, forcing them into prostitution, illegal detention, abuse, and rape. Every single thing he did is more disgusting than the last.”
“My brother hit him because he wanted to bully me! If my brother hadn't arrived that day, you know exactly what would have happened!”
“Now Xu Tianlin is in prison himself, and all those cases have been exposed. Does my brother’s case not deserve to be brought out for a retrial?”
Gu Huaiyu fell silent.
He knew Su Wan was right.
After Xu Tianlin’s case broke, the verdict in Su Zhuo’s case indeed seemed particularly jarring.
A person who acted to protect his sister was sentenced to six years, while the true villain went unpunished...
This contrast, if placed in the court of public opinion, would be enough to overturn everything.
“I know you’re right.” He lowered his head, his voice muffled.
“There is indeed room to overturn this case.”
“I can... I can have the legal team look into it, find a lawyer to re-appeal, and go through the proper legal procedures. But this will take time...”
“I can’t wait that long.” Su Wan’s voice was as hard as iron. “Gu Huaiyu, what did you just say? Anything? As long as I say it, as long as you can do it?”
Gu Huaiyu looked up and met her gaze.
There was no hatred in those eyes, nor was there any anger. There was only a bone-chilling coldness.
That coldness was more unsettling than hatred—hatred at least meant he still mattered, but this coldness was indifference, disdain, treating him as nothing more than a tool to be used.
“Fine!” he heard his own voice say.
“I promise you! I’ll find a way to get Su Zhuo out as soon as possible.”
Su Wan looked at him and said nothing.
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