Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Whose Child Is Chen Jingsu Carrying? Chu Tang didn't dare to think about that possibility. Her heart leaped into her throat, and her fingers trembled slightly. No. Jiang Shixu wouldn't do that! He had said that in his heart and in his eyes, there was only her. But then how was she supposed to explain the recording that Gu Zechuan had just played? Chu Tang's mind was in turmoil. Gu Zechuan was silent for a moment. He gave Chu Tang plenty of time for her wild thoughts to run their course. After a while, Gu Zechuan continued, "Chen Jingsu kidnapped your sister and tried to kill you. Jiang Shixu took a knife for you, and she nearly killed him! Logically speaking, after everything Chen Jingsu did, there's no way the Jiang family would let her off. But think about it—she was already in police custody. Why did someone immediately snatch her away the moment she said she was pregnant?" Chu Tang frowned deeply, pressing her lips together without saying a word. "Why don't you guess whose child Chen Jingsu is carrying?" These words struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. Chu Tang's body trembled uncontrollably from the shock. "Shut up!" She was agitated, glaring fiercely at Gu Zechuan as she snapped, "Stop spouting nonsense and stirring up trouble here! Shixu isn't that kind of person! He's not like you! Don't assume everyone is dirty just because your own heart is!" A flicker of hurt passed through Gu Zechuan's deep black eyes, and bitterness welled up in his heart. Was Jiang Shixu really that good in her eyes? Was he really that filthy and despicable? Hah. Gu Zechuan suppressed the bitterness in his heart, composed himself, and put on a carefree expression with a hint of a smile in his eyes. "Everything I said is the truth, Chu Tang. You trust Jiang Shixu too much. If he had nothing to hide, why would he keep it from you?" "Get lost!" Chu Tang said angrily. Gu Zechuan shrugged and chuckled lightly. "Jiang Shixu is with Chen Jingsu right now. Why don't you call him and ask?" "Stop trying to drive a wedge between us!" Chu Tang shoved Gu Zechuan hard and turned to go back inside. Gu Zechuan grabbed Chu Tang's wrist and pulled her toward the door. Chu Tang stumbled and nearly fell. Gu Zechuan reached out and wrapped his arm around Chu Tang's waist, lowering his head to lean in close, inhaling deeply from her hair with an infatuated look on his face. "Chu Tang, leave him. Come back to me." Chu Tang drove her knee up hard into Gu Zechuan's stomach. He let out a pained cry and released her. Chu Tang didn't hesitate to slap him across the face. "Smack!" The sound of the slap was crisp and sharp. Chu Tang's eyes blazed with angry flames as she snapped, "Gu Zechuan, stay away from me! You're not worthy!" Gu Zechuan's head turned to the side from the force of the slap. Then he looked up, staring straight at Chu Tang, the corners of his eyes red, the handprint clearly visible on his face. "Chu Tang, why are you so cruel to me?" His voice was soft, as if he were deeply hurt. Chu Tang let out a cold laugh, her eyes filled with mockery. "You still have to ask why? Hah, because you're already dirty. We can never go back to how things were." Chu Tang lifted her chin and looked down at him with disdain. "A man who doesn't respect himself is a rotten cucumber. I, Ruan Chutang, never look back!" With that, she didn't give Gu Zechuan a chance to speak. She turned around and slammed the door shut with a loud bang. Gu Zechuan stood outside, staring at the closed door, deep pain brewing in his dark, profound eyes. Because you're already dirty. We can never go back to how things were. Every word she said was so hurtful, like sharp needles stabbing into his heart, leaving it riddled with holes and bleeding. Gu Zechuan returned dejectedly to the apartment he had just bought. Right next door to Chu Tang's. He turned on the shower in the bathroom and scrubbed his body over and over again. "Chu Tang, Chu Tang..." Gu Zechuan rubbed his body vigorously, his skin turning red from the friction. He called out Chu Tang's name, tears mixing with the shower water as they rolled down his face. "I'm not dirty... Once I wash clean, I won't be dirty anymore. Don't despise me..." ... Back in her room, Chu Tang's heart couldn't settle for a long time. The recording Gu Zechuan had just played was clearly Chen Jingsu's voice. Had she really been snatched away right from under the police's noses? Why hadn't Jiang Shixu told her? What was the urgent matter he mentioned tonight? Could it really be related to Chen Jingsu? Chu Tang tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. After much deliberation, she couldn't help but call Jiang Shixu. The call connected and rang for a long time, but no one answered. Until it automatically hung up. This was the first time Jiang Shixu hadn't answered her call. Chu Tang's heart grew even more unsettled. She lay in bed. Scenes from over a month ago replayed in her mind over and over again. The way Chen Jingsu looked at Jiang Shixu was so fervent and infatuated. Seeing her and Jiang Shixu embracing, Chen Jingsu had charged at her with a knife, trying to stab her to death. How could a woman go that crazy for love? Even if she had loved him for ten years without results, wouldn't it be too extreme to resort to murder? Could there be some other hidden truth behind all this? After Jiang Shixu was stabbed, Chen Jingsu broke down completely, laughing and crying at the same time, looking utterly deranged. She seemed genuinely regretful and terrified—not like she was putting on an act. She was truly afraid that something might happen to Jiang Shixu. Chu Tang recalled the scene after Jiang Shixu was injured. She remembered it clearly: Jiang Shixu was wounded, his own life hanging by a thread, yet he was still wiping away her tears, softly comforting her, telling her not to cry. He was on the verge of death, and yet his eyes held only relief. Relief that it wasn't her who was hurt. Shi Xu-gege loved her so much—how could he ever do something to betray her? Gu Zechuan must be trying to drive a wedge between them! Shi Xu-gege would give up his own life for her. He didn't hesitate for a single moment when he shielded her from that knife. How could his feelings for her possibly be fake? As for that recording... Even if it was real, it was edited, cut off at both ends. It proved nothing. The recording only had Chen Jingsu's voice—there was no sound of Shi Xu-gege at all. Gu Zechuan's purpose in playing that recording was to make her suspicious of Jiang Shixu. She couldn't fall for his tricks. Shi Xu-gege said he would explain everything to her in person once he finished handling the urgent matter at hand. So all she had to do was wait. She absolutely couldn't be led astray by Gu Zechuan's smooth talk. He said Chen Jingsu was pregnant—setting aside whether that was even true. Even if it were true, how could he prove the child was Jiang Shixu's? Gu Zechuan just wanted her to overthink, to make her believe the child in Chen Jingsu's belly belonged to Jiang Shixu. She couldn't let him win! With that thought, Chu Tang gradually calmed down, her chaotic emotions settling. She opened her phone and sent Jiang Shixu a WeChat message. 【Shi Xu-gege, why didn't you pick up when I called you just now? Is the matter at hand really tricky? Give me a call back tomorrow once you're done. I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight.】