Chapter 352 You Abandoned Me

When she saw Du Huayue standing in the main hall of the Gu family, Du Xiaoxian was pleasantly surprised. Gu Niannian was even happier to see him. She jumped toward Du Huayue and hugged his neck, calling out in a warm voice, “Uncle, are you here to see me?”

“Of course. I miss you.” Du Huayue hugged her and kissed her. He then gave her the toys he brought. “Do you like them?”

“Yes!” Gu Niannian hugged the big Barbie doll and answered with a smile.

“Brother Ah Yue, why are you here?” Du Xiaoxian smiled and asked, “Why didn’t you give me a heads-up?”

Du Huayue looked at her up and down. “I see that Niannian is dressed beautifully and looks like the young lady of a rich family. But why don’t you look like the young madam of a rich family at all?” He frowned. “Your clothes…”

Du Xiaoxian smiled guiltily. “I have nothing to do, so…”

Gu Niannian said quickly, “Mommy now works as a servant at Grandmother’s house. She has to do a lot of cleaning every day. I help to sweep too!”

“Xiaoxian, are you working as a servant in the Gu family’s residence? What happened?” Du Huayue asked.

“Daddy won’t marry Mommy. He’s still angry at Mommy!” Gu Niannian complained to Du Huayue now that he was here. She did not know what was going on between the adults. All she knew was that her uncle was definitely on her mother’s side.

By then, Fang Yaru and Gu Guangxian had come downstairs to join them when they heard the news about Du Huayue’s arrival.

“Niannian’s uncle, you’re here. Why didn’t you tell me in advance? I would have sent a car to pick you up!” Fang Yaru glanced at the purple uniform Du Xiaoxian was wearing, and then looked at Du Huayue’s grim expression. She knew that things were going to be tricky.

“There’s no need for all that.” Du Huayue was furious, so he did not bother watching his tone. “Mrs. Gu, do you remember what you said to me back then? You wanted Xiaoxian to come back with you so that you could make things up to her and give her a good life. But she’s now working as a servant in your house! No matter what, she gave birth to your grandchild, so at least she deserves credit for it. How can you treat her like this?!”

“Brother Ah Yue, this has nothing to do with Master and Madam.” Du Xiaoxian saw that Du Huayue was getting angry and quickly explained, “This was my idea. They treat me very well.”

“Well, my ass. Xiaoxian, you’re too kind, so you’re easily bullied. If I had known you were a servant here, I would have dragged you back to Yawan with me. Although life is a little hard there, at least you will be treated well!” Du Huayue looked at Du Xiaoxian with a face full of anger.

“Calm down. There’s no need to be so angry.” This was Gu Guangxian’s first time meeting Du Huayue. He knew that Du Huayue and Du Xiaoxian were very close. “Xiaoxian doesn’t like being idle. We respect her choice. In this family, she can do anything she wants! As for her relationship with Nianbin, they definitely have some problems, but things are slowly improving. I think…”

“That’s enough, Mr. Gu. Don’t try to make it sound better than it is.” Du Huayue interrupted him, took out the newspaper from his bag, and threw it in front of Gu Guangxian. “How can their relationship improve when things have gotten to this state? Xiaoxian is kind and accommodating. She’ll endure anything, but I can’t. I can’t turn a blind eye now that I know about this. I came here today to take my sister and her daughter back with me!”

“Little Du, please calm down.” Fang Yaru quickly comforted Du Huayue. “Please let us explain, okay?”

Gu Guangxian picked up the newspaper and read the contents. He looked grim as well and barked out, “Call Nianbin and get him to come back now!” He knew that Gu Nianbin was on close terms with the starlet Lan Guo. However, Gu Guangxian did not expect things to go so high-profile as to read about Gu Nianbin in the papers. Now they were in the wrong.

Fang Yaru instructed Xiao Bonian to make the call, and then said with a smile, “Little Du, Nianbin definitely has feelings for Xiaoxian, but they’ve been apart for so long. They just have a little misunderstanding between them. This matter can’t be rushed. They have to take it slow.”

“How long will it take?” Du Huayue said, “Gu Nianbin doesn’t want to marry her at all. He’s now with a big star. He doesn’t seem to care about Xiaoxian’s feelings at all.”

Gu Niannian, who had been quietly listening to the adults, suddenly blurted out, “Uncle, Daddy always makes Mommy cry. I don’t like him. Please take us with you.”

“Oh no, my dear. You can’t leave.” Fang Yaru immediately became anxious when she heard Gu Niannian’s words. “Grandpa and Grandma treat you very well, don’t we? Your surname is Gu. This is your home!”

“But Mommy isn’t happy here. I found her crying a few times when no one was looking.”

“You heard her. Children don’t lie.” Du Huayue stroked Gu Niannian’s head. “Be good. We need to talk about something. Can you go upstairs and play on your own for a while? I’ll play with you later, okay?”

Fang Yaru quickly asked Ah Ling to take Gu Niannian upstairs. It would not be appropriate if Gu Niannian heard certain things being discussed.

Gu Nianbin returned very quickly. Gu Niannian had just gone upstairs when he appeared at the door. When he saw Du Huayue, an unamiable look appeared on his face. “Why are you here?”

“I’m here to get Xiaoxian.” Du Huayue got straight to the point.

“Fine.” Gu Nianbin sat down beside his parents. “Take her with you. No one is forcing her to stay here. She can go everywhere she wants.”

“Nianbin!” Fang Yaru scolded her son, “What nonsense are you saying? How can Xiaoxian leave? She’s Niannian’s mother!”

“She’s just Niannian’s mother,” Gu Nianbin responded indifferently, “What does that have to do with us?”

Fang Yaru quickly scolded him, “Nianbin, are you trying to anger your father? Stop talking.”

“I’m telling you this right now in front of Niannian’s uncle,” said Gu Guangxian as he looked at his son. “Nianbin, I will only accept Xiaoxian as my daughter-in-law. I’ll never let Niannian have a stepmother.”

Gu Nianbin was about to say something, but Gu Guangxian snapped with anger. “Do you want to anger me to death?”

Fang Yaru was afraid that the father and son would get into an argument, so she quickly elbowed Gu Nianbin and said, “Calm down, Guangxian. He gets it.”

Du Xiaoxian sat there with her head lowered. Gu Nianbin’s words were like knives slicing through her heart. She could bear it, but she also had some self-respect. She really wanted to shout at Gu Nianbin at the top of her lungs, but she was used to holding it in.

“Xiaoxian, say something!” Seeing that the situation was at an impasse, Fang Yaru pinned her hopes on Du Xiaoxian.

Du Xiaoxian looked up and glanced at Gu Nianbin. He did not look at her. Instead, he just focused on smoking quietly.

Du Huayue said, “Xiaoxian, don’t be afraid. No one can stop you from leaving if you want to.”

Du Xiaoxian continued staring at Gu Nianbin. There was a trace of stubbornness in her expression. Maybe it was because her gaze was so persistent that Gu Nianbin finally met her gaze.

His gaze remained indifferent, completely devoid of warmth. A lump come into Du Xiaoxian’s throat as tears began to fill her eyes. She looked at Gu Nianbin as she answered, stressing each word, “I won’t leave. I want to be with my child and my child’s father.”

“Xiaoxian!” Du Huayue raised his voice. “Are you sure? He doesn’t want you! He’s in a relationship with another woman!” Du Huayue got up and waved the newspaper before her. “Look carefully. He’s with this star named Lan Guo.”

“I know.” Du Xiaoxian’s voice was very calm. “Brother Ah Yue, I know you’re doing this for my own good, but I want to stay here. Unless they force me to leave, I’ve decided to stay here.”

“Why would we force you to leave? Xiaoxian, of course, we want you to stay!” said Gu Guangxian. “You’re a member of our family!”

“That’s right, Xiaoxian.” Fang Yaru chimed in, “We’ve always considered you like family. Don’t work as a servant anymore. It really isn’t something you should do.”

“I like how things are right now.” Du Xiaoxian forced out a smile. “I can’t stay idle.”

Now that Du Xiaoxian had made her decision, it was useless for Du Huayue to try and change her mind. He practically begged Du Xiaoxian to go with him, but Du Xiaoxian was unmoved. She just apologized. In the end, Du Huayue had no choice but to leave sadly.

Du Xiaoxian walked him to the door. Seeing that there was no one around, Du Huayue said, “Xiaoxian, let’s have dinner together tonight and bring Niannian with us. I won’t be here for long. I have to rush back.”

Du Xiaoxian replied, “Alright, Brother Ah Yue. I don’t know what to say after you came all the way here for me. I’ll treat you to dinner tonight.”

“It doesn’t matter whose treat it is. The most important thing is to have a good meal together. Don’t bring any member of the Gu family there.”

“I know you don’t like to be around them. Don’t worry, It’ll just be me and Niannian.”

Du Huayue glanced at the door from afar and whispered, “Will they stop you from bringing Niannian with you?”

“Of course not. They’ve never done anything to restrict my freedom.”

Du Huayue nodded. “You can head back in now. I’m leaving.”

Du Xiaoxian stood there without moving. She watched Du Huayue disappear from her sight before she slowly turned around and walked back.

Gu Nianbin walked down the stairs just as she passed the lawn. He looked at her solemnly. “It was such a good opportunity. Why didn’t you leave? Do you like staying here, being not well-treated?”

Du Xiaoxian looked at him bravely. “Apart from you, no one has been mistreating me.”

Gu Nianbin snorted. “Wow, you’re bold now that you have someone backing you. I didn’t ask you to stay. If you had any sense, you’d leave quickly! That would be good for everyone!”

Du Xiaoxian bit her lip as she stared at him. She suddenly asked, “Gu Nianbin, will you really be happy if I leave?”

“Of course.” Gu Nianbin raised his voice in an exaggerated manner. “Do you have to ask when the answer is so obvious?”

“Do you hate me that much?”

“Yes, I hate you. I hate you so much. I really hate you!”

“Because I left?”

“Because you abandoned me.”

Du Xiaoxian was stunned. It was a while before she finally spoke, “You should know that I left to save Gu Corporation.”

“I didn’t need you to do that. I told you a hundred times that I didn’t need that!”

“But that’s all in the past! What do you want me to do? Do you want me to turn back time?” Du Xiaoxian seemed to roar out that sentence. After enduring everything for so long, she really couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Gu Nianbin did not expect her to flip out all of a sudden. He was shocked. Although he looked pale, his voice softened. “Why are you shouting?”

Now that she started, she could not stop. Du Xiaoxian let out everything she had been keeping inside. “Gu Nianbin, let me tell you. No one can make me leave this place unless I want to!”

“Alright, if you don’t leave, then I’ll leave!” Gu Nianbin said as he got into the car and left.