Chapter 30

Qiao An lay on the bed with tear-filled eyes. Her arms and legs had already been bandaged, and aside from some swelling in other areas, there was no more bleeding.
Xu Hui, her eyes similarly red, and Qiao Yi, his brows tightly furrowed, looked at their daughter, clearly heartbroken. Fortunately, although their daughter was injured, it wasn't severe, she would recover after some rest. The main injury was to her left hand, which wouldn't affect her daily life too much.
Still, their hearts ached: "How did you get so badly hurt? Be more careful on the stairs next time. Were you playing with your phone?"
Qiao An shook her head: "I really wasn't."
If there was one habit carried over from her past life, it was undoubtedly her love for her phone. Although Qiao An knew her main mission, she would still get absorbed in her phone during her free time and enjoyed using it while walking.
Qiao Yi and Xu Hui had scolded her several times for this, but she never seemed to change.
Xu Hui quickly shook her head: "Alright, alright, if you say you weren't, then you weren't. Qiao Yi, carry An An to the car."
"Mhm." Qiao Yi nodded, his gaze heavy as it swept over Gu Ze. Seeing the complex mix of guilt on the young man's face, he already had an inkling of what had happened but said nothing, simply picking up his daughter instead.
As Qiao An was lifted, the movement tugged at her buttocks and lower back, making her suck in a sharp breath again. Her face twisted in pain, and she muttered under her breath with barely contained fury, "Why did we have to come to the hospital?!"
The original host of this body had always been treated by the Gu family's private doctor whenever she fell ill.
The third floor of the Gu residence had a dedicated room equipped with medical devices. Unless it was a situation requiring surgery, most issues, especially minor injuries like sprains or bruises, could be handled at home.
Of course, the room had initially been set up to closely monitor Grandpa Gu's health. But after Gu Ting arrived, he ended up using it more frequently. Whenever the original host had a fever or a cold, Dr. Zhang would come over to administer IV drips.
Qiao Yi froze for a moment, his heart aching so sharply it trembled. He almost wanted to put his daughter back down, but Xu Hui stopped him, urging him to hurry, better to endure a short burst of pain than prolonged suffering.
Gu Ze followed closely beside Qiao Yi. Hearing Qiao An's complaint, he lowered his head guiltily and whispered, "I'm sorry."
In his panic, he had completely forgotten that the old mansion had a dedicated doctor on call, which would have been far more convenient than rushing to the hospital.
Gu Ze was slightly shorter than Gu Ting, but he was still a tall, lanky teenager. Usually bold and unrestrained, he now seemed to shrink in Qiao An's presence. Though his height hadn't changed, he appeared diminished somehow.
His long, elegant hands clenched into tight fists, veins bulging prominently on the back, giving them a slightly fierce appearance.
Qiao An, feeling utterly defeated, rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth against the pain, her back already drenched in sweat.
Xu Hui tried to comfort her, promising to make all sorts of delicious treats for her.
Gu Ze listened quietly as he followed them toward the Gu family car.
His lips pressed tightly together, his gaze fixed solely on Qiao An's bare feet, slender, pale, and delicate, with faint blue veins visible across the tops.
No one noticed the emotions swirling in Gu Ze's eyes at that moment.
When he saw Gu Ting collapse, he had felt a surge of satisfaction. His parents had died because of Gu Ting, yet Gu Ting had continued to live comfortably.
Everyone assumed a three-year-old wouldn’t remember, but Gu Ze did. Gu Ting was inherently cold and detached, so emotionless that everyone was at a loss. Yet, as their parents' firstborn, they had poured all their efforts into him.
On Gu Ting’s fifth birthday, for some inexplicable reason, the boy who usually behaved like an unfeeling robot suddenly insisted on going to an amusement park.
It was a rare instance of Gu Ting expressing a desire, and the doting Gu parents were more than willing to oblige.
They were overjoyed, driving off happily.
But then the accident happened.
Both died on the spot, and Gu Ting had vanished!
As Gu Ze grew older, he began to suspect his uncle might have been behind it, after all, familial bonds in wealthy families could sometimes be laughably fragile. But his grandfather insisted it wasn’t true and even had his uncle take Gu Ze in.
Once old enough to understand, Gu Ze secretly investigated.
He confirmed it was indeed an accident, a drunk driver caused the crash and died instantly as well. The pile-up had claimed more than three lives, causing ripple effects of devastation.
The driver’s family fell apart, and those who remained showed no signs of unexplained income, living quietly and farming in their hometown. This dispelled Gu Ze’s suspicions.
With no one else to blame, all his hatred converged on Gu Ting.
Especially after discovering that Gu Ting had been found and brought back at fifteen, still as cold-blooded as before the age of five, no, even more so than before.
Such a person did not deserve to live!
But he was the one his parents had desperately protected. Gu Ze couldn’t bring himself to kill him, yet every time he saw Gu Ting, he couldn’t help but want to make him suffer. That was why he repeatedly took action, not enough to kill, but enough to see emotion on his face.
Look, he was panicked, afraid.
So he wasn’t truly emotionless, just not toward others, right?
Today was no different. Who told him to cross paths like this?
What Gu Ze hadn’t expected, however, was that Qiao An would be willing to help Gu Ting in such a way.
Qiao An had always liked Gu Ting before, a secret kind of affection. Her gaze would unconsciously drift toward him, and she’d subtly try to stay close to him. Gu Ze noticed all these small signs and found it rather amusing.
But today, witnessing that scene, he had to admit, he was deeply shaken.
He couldn’t help but think of something,
Back then, when his parents protected Gu Ting, even as the entire car was crushed and deformed, they managed to keep Gu Ting completely unharmed. Was it the same kind of scene?
Fearless and unwavering, solely to protect him.
At this thought, Gu Ze couldn’t help but lift his eyes to look at the girl.
She was being helped into the car, probably aggravating her wounds again, grimacing in pain. Even though she was quite pretty, making such an expression was somewhat comical and not very flattering.
Yet, despite that pain, she had rushed over in that instant, so timely.
Gu Ze bit his lip, the pain reminding him he wasn’t dreaming, while also making him acutely aware of a newfound jealousy toward Gu Ting in his heart.
He was always so lucky, possessing everything.
But…
Gu Ze’s phoenix eyes suddenly brightened. After Qiao An settled in the car and Xu Hui sat beside her, he hurriedly took the seat on her other side before Qiao Yi could.
Qiao An looked at Gu Ze in surprise at his somewhat rushed action.
Gu Ze responded with a faint smile.
And hidden deep within his phoenix eyes was a wealth of anticipation.
Could she protect him, too?
He was more likable than Gu Ting.

At the Gu Residence
Due to the incident, the birthday celebrant had left, and the others had dispersed as well.
The once lively living room fell silent again.
Gu Ting remained seated on the stairs.
The bloodstains had already been wiped clean by the servants, leaving no trace. Yet he still stared in that direction, as if something were there.
He sat like that for a long time.
Grandpa Gu passed by and watched him for a while. He tried speaking to him, but Gu Ting showed no reaction as usual, so he silently went upstairs.
Today, he had given the house to his grandson for a birthday party, so he took the opportunity to go to the company, which could also be considered an inspection.
There was no need to elaborate on how things were going.
It was just because of this unexpected incident that Qiao Yi had to go to his daughter's side, so he came back as well.
Gu Ting was still sitting there, and the servant assigned to him hesitated repeatedly before deciding to take him away. In the end, the two of them worked together to lift him up.
Gu Ting did not resist this action.
The two of them took Gu Ting upstairs.
Just as they reached the staircase, they suddenly heard a faint sound of pain at the door. Gu Ting, who had been willing to cooperate just moments before, twisted away from their grasp, broke free from between them, and quickly rushed down the stairs.
When he saw Qiao An being carried in, breathing heavily to ease her pain, Gu Ting’s eyes widened slowly, then sparkled. With an expressionless face, only his eyes conveyed his emotions.
He happily moved closer, blocking Qiao Yi’s path.
Qiao Yi frowned helplessly. "Young Master, please step aside a little. An An needs to rest."
Gu Ting paid no attention, staring intently at Qiao An, scanning her from head to toe several times. With each glance, the shock in his eyes faded a little.
Qiao An was amused by his reaction, and the pain she felt seemed to lessen. She said, "Step aside a little."
The girl’s voice was as clear, gentle, and soft as always.
It no longer sounded weak and breathless, as if she might disappear at any moment.
Gu Ting blinked and finally heard her, stepping back and inadvertently pushing aside Gu Ze, who was also following Qiao Yi.
Gu Ze’s face darkened, and he wanted to shove back.
But he suddenly paused, glanced at the girl nestled in her father’s arms, pursed his lips, and reluctantly slowed his steps, not competing with Gu Ting.
He couldn’t let Qiao An see him bullying Gu Ting again.

Qiao An was placed on the soft bed.
Lying here, even on her back, the wounds on her lower back and buttocks didn’t hurt as much from the pressure. She let out a long, relieved sigh.
"You all go and do what you need to do. I’m feeling much better now," Qiao An said with a tilted head and a smile.
"Alright, call me if you need anything," Xu Hui said, placing the phone from the table into her hand before leaving with Qiao Yi.
For some reason, Gu Ze didn’t leave. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat nearby.
Gu Ting simply sat on the floor beside the bed, looking up at her. His peach-blossom eyes, glistening with moisture, radiated genuine joy. His thin lips moved slightly as he glanced at her bandaged left hand, and his mood darkened a little. "It hurts!" he said.
Qiao An shook her head and smiled. "It doesn’t hurt if I don’t touch it." Seeing Gu Ting blink in response, she knew he understood. She asked, "You’re willing to talk now? Can you say something else?"
Gu Ting closed his lips and silently watched her.
Gu Ze leaned back in his chair, his eyes shifting as he curled his lips into a mocking smile.
Someone as cold-hearted as him wouldn’t respond to others.
Gu Ze selectively ignored the fact that when they had entered earlier, Qiao An had asked him to step aside, and he had actually done so. With a hint of mockery in his eyes, he waited.
He had never seen how the two of them interacted before, but now he wanted to see for himself.
Did she really have that much patience?
Seeing that Gu Ting remained silent, Qiao An pursed her lips, her eyes darting around. She raised her voice slightly and said, "Say to me: Hello!"
Then she looked at Gu Ting expectantly.
The pain in her body had subsided, and now all her curiosity was directed toward Gu Ting. She wondered, could this be the key to unlocking him ahead of time?
One second, two seconds passed.
No sound came.
"Tch." A low, mocking laugh came from Gu Ze. "He won't respond to you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Ting spoke up: "Hello!"
His voice was slightly cold and emotionless, but pleasant to the ear, not the hoarseness of a teenage boy's voice breaking, nor overly delicate, but somewhere in between, with a hint of depth.
Qiao An was pleasantly surprised. She glanced at Gu Ze and raised an eyebrow, saying, "See? He spoke. He'll slowly recover."
Gu Ze was also stunned by the voice for several seconds, looking at Gu Ting in astonishment. Hearing her words, he quickly suppressed his expression, a hint of sourness in his tone as he muttered under his breath, "That's it? I can say way more than him!"