The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 514 - 517. The domineering Guoguo

Yu Xiaoxuan pinched her daughter’s little face and teased her, "Crying over such a trivial thing, aren’t you embarrassed?"

Seeing her mother not taking her side, Guoguo felt even more aggrieved and turned to Shen Qinglan, "Aunt."

Shen Qinglan just smiled. In this situation, she really couldn’t take Guoguo’s side.

It was Jingjing’s mother who spoke up first, "Jingjing, give the toy to your little sister."

Jingjing was an obedient child. Although somewhat reluctant, she still handed the toy over to Guoguo. Guoguo took it and finally stopped crying, holding up the toy and said to An’an, "Brother An’an, let’s play a game."

Yu Xiaoxuan saw this and frowned slightly, whispering to her daughter, "Guoguo, when your sister gives you a toy, what should you say?"

"Thank you, sister." Her little face beamed with a smile.

"You’re welcome."

Yu Xiaoxuan was not satisfied, "Guoguo, you need to play with your sister and learn to share, understand?"

Guoguo nodded obediently and took the initiative to grab Jingjing’s hand, "Sister, let’s play together."

Seeing this, Shen Qinglan said to An’an, "You take Jingjing and Guoguo to play, and Mommy will prepare some food for you, okay?"

An’an nodded, took one hand to grab Jingjing’s and another to grab Guoguo’s, and led them to sit down on one side.

The three adults watched them for a while, and seeing them play together harmoniously, they went downstairs with peace of mind. Shen Qinglan went to the kitchen; she planned to prepare some fruit for the children.

But it wasn’t long before crying was heard from the children’s room again, this time it was Jingjing. Shen Qinglan was just carrying the fruit out from the kitchen, planning to take it upstairs when she heard the cries and quickened her pace.

In the room, Jingjing was crying loudly with her mouth wide open, An’an was at her side wiping her tears, looking helpless, and Guoguo stood quietly on the side, still holding a small car in her hand.

Jingjing covered her head with one hand and wiped her tears with the other, looking utterly wronged.

Shen Qinglan put down the fruit plate and took Jingjing into her arms, "What happened? Why are you suddenly crying?"

Jingjing didn’t speak, just looked at Guoguo.

An’an saw his mother come in and immediately said, "Jingjing wanted us to play with the small cars together, but Guoguo wouldn’t let Jingjing play and hit her."

Yu Xiaoxuan, who had just come in, heard An’an’s words, and her expression instantly changed, looking at her daughter.

Jingjing’s mother didn’t say anything, just came forward to hold Jingjing in her arms, softly comforting her. She took down Jingjing’s hand and found a red spot on her forehead, but it wasn’t serious.

Yu Xiaoxuan’s face was full of embarrassment as she repeatedly apologized. Jingjing’s mother didn’t take it to heart, smiling and saying, "It’s okay, it’s normal for kids to fight and horse around, don’t worry about it."

Shen Qinglan didn’t expect Guoguo to be so domineering, but since this wasn’t her own child, she naturally couldn’t say much.

Jingjing cried in her mother’s arms for a while and gradually calmed down.

Yu Xiaoxuan pulled her daughter over and looked at her sternly, "Why did you hit your sister?" Her expression was serious. Guoguo, seeing her mother like this, became scared and shrank back. Yu Xiaoxuan held her firmly, staring intently, "Tell Mommy why you hit someone?"

Guoguo hung her head low, "I just wanted to play with Brother An’an." Her voice was very soft, but Yu Xiaoxuan heard it clearly.

Yu Xiaoxuan’s expression was very serious as she pulled her daughter onto the balcony. "Tell Mommy, why didn’t you play with your sister? Did sister bully you?"

Guoguo shook her head.

"Since sister didn’t bully you and even gave you her toy, why didn’t you play with her?" Yu Xiaoxuan also wondered if her daughter, at such a young age, was so domineering because they had spoiled her too much.

"Brother An’an only plays with her, not with me." Guoguo kept her head low, twisting her little hands, her face full of grievance.

Yu Xiaoxuan, however, seemed to pay no heed to her grievance and sternly said, "Guoguo, children need to learn to share. Just now, when your sister was playing a game with Brother An’an, she gave you the toy when she saw you coming. She was so nice to you, how could you hit her? If you act like this, Mommy won’t bring you to see Brother An’an anymore, and you’ll have to stay at home alone."

Upon hearing this, Guoguo immediately burst into tears. Jingjing’s mother heard the crying and hurried over, "Xiao Xuan, it’s just a small conflict between children, there’s no need to be like this."

"This child is too domineering, if we don’t properly teach her, it’ll be unbearable in the future." Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t want to scold her daughter in front of others, but Guoguo’s bad behavior couldn’t be encouraged.

As it was a matter of disciplining her own daughter, Jingjing’s mother couldn’t say much. She sighed, turned around, and went back into the room. Yu Xiaoxuan looked at her daughter, "Don’t think that just because you cry, Mommy won’t talk to you. Guoguo, Mommy must make it clear to you about what happened today. Are you going to quiet down and listen to Mommy now, or should Mommy wait until you’re done crying to speak? It’s your choice."

In the past, as soon as she cried, Mommy would soften, but now, it didn’t work. Guoguo’s face was streaked with tears, caught between crying and not crying. Yu Xiaoxuan continued to watch her, and Guoguo gradually quieted down.

"Do you know where you went wrong today?" Yu Xiaoxuan asked seriously.

Guoguo extended her hand to wipe her tears and nodded, "I know."

"Tell me, what did you do wrong?"

"I shouldn’t have hit sister."

"What else?"

"I should have played with sister."

"And what else?"

Guoguo silently looked at Yu Xiaoxuan, not knowing what else she did wrong.

"Guoguo, whether others want to play with you is their business. You can’t get angry and hit others just because they don’t want to play with you. That’s wrong," Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t know how to explain the principle of not being domineering to a two-year-old child but tried her best to articulate the reasoning in her own words. She didn’t expect Guoguo to understand everything, but every little bit she did understand would be valuable.

Guoguo still felt very aggrieved, "But in the past, Brother An’an always played only with me."

"Brother An’an isn’t just yours, he will make other friends too. Guoguo, a well-behaved child knows how to share. For example, if you have something tasty, you share it with other children, and if you have a fun toy, you play with it together with other children. You can’t only think about yourself, understand?"

Guoguo seemed to grasp the concept but wasn’t fully convinced, "But Mommy..."

"There are no buts, Guoguo. Brother An’an also likes those children who are willing to share with others. If you keep acting like you did today, then Brother An’an won’t like you anymore, and he won’t play with you in the future. Mommy isn’t trying to scare you, I’m telling you the truth."

Guoguo’s little face crumpled into a frown.

"Moreover, hitting people is wrong. Since you hit your sister today, you must apologize to her, understand?"

Guoguo looked at her mommy, and Yu Xiaoxuan looked back encouragingly, "Go inside and apologize to your sister now. You need to say ’sorry’ to her, understand?"

Guoguo nodded her head, walked up to Jingjing, and said, "Sister, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have hit you. Here, you can have this toy."

Jingjing glanced at her own mother and took the toy. "It’s okay; it doesn’t hurt."

Guoguo wasn’t very strong; Jingjing’s forehead was redder mainly because children’s skin is delicate. In just this short time, the red mark on her forehead had already faded quite a bit.

"Sister, you’re not angry anymore, right?"

Jingjing shook her head, "I’m not angry." She took Guoguo’s hand, "Let’s play together." Guoguo nodded and followed Jingjing to play games with An’an. Soon, their room was filled with the cheerful laughter of the three children, clearly enjoying themselves immensely. Among little kids, conflicts come and go quickly, but they reconcile in the blink of an eye.

Although Jingjing’s mother didn’t take the incident to heart, Yu Xiaoxuan had it on her mind and brought it up with Han Yi that evening.

It so happened that Han Zhengshan was also there. After hearing what Yu Xiaoxuan said, he was indifferent. "It was just a little bump; is it really that serious to make her apologize explicitly? You could do such a thing; she’s only so many years old, what does she know about being overbearing?"

Yu Xiaoxuan disagreed with Han Zhengshan, "Dad, that’s not the way to look at it. Precisely because Guoguo is young, we need to educate her. If we let her develop an overbearing character now, it’ll be even harder to correct later, and she’s a girl."

"What’s wrong with the Han family’s granddaughter being a bit domineering? She has the capital to be overbearing," Han Zhengshan didn’t think his Guoguo did anything wrong. "I think Guoguo did well today. She should hold onto what’s hers; how could you just give it to someone else? As her mother, how could you reprimand your own daughter in front of others?"

Han Zhengshan was dissatisfied with Yu Xiaoxuan’s actions today. In his view, Guoguo could do no wrong, and as her mother, she should always support her child.

Han Yi’s face darkened. "Hold your tongue," he said to Han Zhengshan.

Han Yi turned to Han Zhengshan, "If you’ve got nothing else to do, then go back. We don’t need your help to educate our child."

At those words, Han Zhengshan’s face turned ashen, "Am I not your father, and is not Guoguo my granddaughter? Don’t I have the right to intervene?"

"You’re welcome to visit Guoguo anytime, but her education doesn’t need your involvement. Xiaoxuan and I can educate her well."

"You call that education? Scolding your own daughter in front of strangers?" Han Zhengshan was furious.

Han Yi actually thought that what Yu Xiaoxuan did today was correct. If they were to follow Han Zhengshan’s perspective, who knew what kind of person Guoguo would turn out to be.

"She’s my daughter, and I’ll educate her as I see fit, without your input," Han Yi said coldly.

"Fine, fine, fine, I can’t meddle with your kid. I’ll go; I’ll leave right now." As Han Zhengshan stood up and left, he somewhat wanted Han Yi or Yu Xiaoxuan to stop him, but unfortunately, neither of them had any intention of doing so at that moment.

"Han Yi, I certainly don’t agree with what your dad said. Guoguo’s bad habits must be corrected. So young and already so domineering; if we don’t correct it in time, she will only become even more overbearing. I don’t want my child to be a disliked female tyrant in the future," Yu Xiaoxuan said frowningly and discontentedly.

"I know; I agree with your approach. My father is just spouting nonsense. Don’t listen to him. It’s true; we can’t indulge Guoguo’s bad habits."

Yu Xiaoxuan glared, "It’s all because you spoil her. I’ve told you before, when it’s time to educate Guoguo, educate her. But what about you? As soon as she cries, you’re soft-hearted. How can you educate her then?"

Han Yi looked embarrassed. He knew he was indeed too indulgent with Guoguo at times, "Well, isn’t she our only child?" With just her, who else should he dote on?

"Qinglan has only one child as well; how come Qinglan isn’t so indulgent with An’an?" Strictly speaking, An’an received far more affection than Guoguo, yet An’an was very well educated, extremely polite, and sensible.

Whenever it came to the topic of Guoguo’s education, Yu Xiaoxuan would get angry. Han Yi was a typical ’daughter slave.’ Whatever the daughter said, went. Every time when Guoguo did something wrong, Yu Xiaoxuan would try to discipline her, but Han Yi always tried to smooth things over.

"Han Yi, I’m telling you very seriously today that Guoguo must be strictly reprimanded. When I discipline Guoguo in the future, you are not allowed to help her."

Han Yi smoothed things over with Yu Xiaoxuan, "Alright, alright, I will definitely stand by your side. However you say to educate her, that’s how we will educate her."

Yu Xiaoxuan had long seen through his true nature, "You’re just saying what sounds good right now." As soon as Guoguo starts crying, this man immediately goes soft. Where will he remember what he is saying now?

Han Yi awkwardly touched his nose, "Next time I promise to discipline her properly, absolutely no soft heart."

Yu Xiaoxuan snorted coldly and went upstairs to see her daughter, "You had better be able to do it."

**

Ever since Duan Ling had come to look for Gu Jiajia that day, Gu Jiajia thought that Duan Ling would come to find her again soon, but after waiting three days, not only had Duan Ling not appeared before her, but there had not even been a phone call or a message. Gu Jiajia became anxious.

She wanted to call Duan Ling, but she didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t possibly take the initiative to ask Duan Ling to take responsibility, could she? Especially since she had already said she wouldn’t hold him responsible. To say it now would be like slapping her own face. And then, how would Duan Ling see her? But just waiting like this was too torturous for Gu Jiajia. After back and forth contemplation, Gu Jiajia couldn’t come up with a better plan and could only stay home, feeling frantic.

Duan Ling, these past few days, had been trying to forget what happened that day. Like Cui Zeyu said, since Gu Jiajia herself didn’t care, and he didn’t want to marry her, then it should just be treated like a fleeting affair and forgotten. It seemed that Gu Jiajia herself also didn’t want to see him. When he went to her home that day, she had shut him out immediately. He thought that perhaps both of them needed some time to cool off. It was this huge misunderstanding that made Gu Jiajia feel like an ant on a hot pan these past few days.

Duan Ling didn’t know how Gu Jiajia was doing; these days, he had been busy with work. Only by being busy could he forget all this.

After waiting another two days, Gu Jiajia could no longer sit still and showed up at Duan Ling’s company.

"Miss Gu, Mr. Duan is in a meeting right now; you cannot go in," the secretary stopped Gu Jiajia outside the office door.

Gu Jiajia frowned; she didn’t like Duan Ling’s secretary at all. She never saw a smile from her, "I’m going to wait in the office for my brother-in-law."

"Miss Gu, Mr. Duan isn’t here right now, and I can’t let you in. Please understand," the secretary dutifully stood at the door, preventing Gu Jiajia from entering.

Gu Jiajia’s face darkened, "Duan Ling is my brother-in-law, I’m just going in to wait for him, and I’m not going to do anything like steal confidential files. What do you mean by stopping me like this?"

"Miss Gu, I am just doing my job. Mr. Duan has said that no one is allowed in his office when he’s not here." The secretary stood firm, knowing who Gu Jiajia was and that she was Duan Ling’s sister-in-law. Logically, she shouldn’t treat her this way, but Duan Ling was her boss. She couldn’t ignore her boss’s orders to listen to an outsider.

Gu Jiajia stared at the secretary, her expression sour, "What if I insist on going in?" Her rebellious spirit rose. The more the secretary stopped her, the more she wanted to go in, and the secretary’s attitude today was strange. Previously when she came to see Duan Ling, the secretary hadn’t stopped her like this, which made her suspect that maybe Duan Ling really wasn’t inside. Or perhaps the meeting was just an excuse, and Duan Ling simply did not want to see her. Did his avoidance signify that Duan Ling didn’t really want to take responsibility for her? The thought that he would treat that night’s event as if it never happened made Gu Jiajia push past the secretary and try to enter, but the secretary grabbed her.

"Miss Gu, this makes it very difficult for us. If Mr. Duan comes back and finds out, he will blame us. If it’s serious, he might even ask us to leave the company. So please cooperate, don’t go in. Or you could wait here and rest until Mr. Duan comes back."

"Get out of my way, I must go in today," said Gu Jiajia, irritation flashing in her eyes as she forcefully pushed past the secretary and flung open the office door.

There indeed was someone in the office, but it wasn’t Duan Ling; it was Haohao. Haohao was sitting in Duan Ling’s place, leaning over the desk doing his homework.

Gu Jiajia had pushed the door so forcefully that it slammed into the wall with a loud bang, startling Haohao who was writing, causing him to draw a line across his notebook, ripping the paper. Gu Jiajia hadn’t expected Haohao to be there.

"Miss Gu, please leave," the secretary, angered by Gu Jiajia’s actions, had never had anyone barge into the office like Gu Jiajia had.

Gu Jiajia, however, seemed not to hear her and just stared at Haohao, her brow furrowed, "Why are you here today?" she asked, unable to hide her displeasure.

Haohao had long known that Gu Jiajia didn’t like him, so he wasn’t upset by her cold and disdainful tone. He just picked up an eraser to rub out the pencil mark that he’d made on his notebook.

Seeing Haohao ignore her, a flash of annoyance crossed Gu Jiajia’s eyes. Indeed, he was the wretched offspring of Pei Yinong, just as disgusting as his mother.

"There’s nothing for you here now; you may go," Gu Jiajia told the secretary.

The secretary didn’t leave. "Miss Gu, this is Mr. Duan’s office. Mr. Duan is not here, and you can’t come in. Please leave."

"But if my brother-in-law is not here, and no one else can come in, then why can he?" she pointed at Haohao.

The secretary knew that Haohao was Duan Ling’s son, after all, it wasn’t the first time Duan Ling had brought Haohao to the company. "The little master was brought to the office personally by Mr. Duan, and before he went into his meeting, he also instructed that no one else is to enter and disturb the little master during the meeting, so please leave, Miss Gu."

"I’m not going anywhere today." Gu Jiajia plonked herself down on the couch. "I’ll just sit here and wait for my brother-in-law to come back." Why could Haohao enter and she couldn’t?

The secretary was visibly troubled. "Miss Gu, if you keep this up, I will have to call security."

Gu Jiajia’s expression darkened as she glared at the secretary. "Do you believe that when my brother-in-law gets back, I’ll have him fire you?" She was just a secretary, a mere employee for Duan Ling; when she became the boss’s wife, the first thing she would do was fire this woman.

The two were at an impasse, arguing so loudly that Haohao simply couldn’t focus on his homework. Haohao frowned and said to the secretary, "Aunt Zhu, just let her stay here."

The secretary looked at him, her expression softening. "Are you okay by yourself?"

Haohao nodded, and the secretary glanced at Gu Jiajia again. Gu Jiajia looked mildly annoyed. "What does that mean? Are you suggesting I would bully a child?"

That was quite possible, the secretary thought to herself.

Gu Jiajia read the meaning in the secretary’s eyes and seethed internally. She just cursed her luck that she wasn’t the boss’s wife just yet, or she would have made this woman leave immediately.

"Miss Gu, Mr. Duan will be back very soon," the secretary said, the implication clear: best not to do anything unwise and risk being caught out by Mr. Duan.

Gu Jiajia’s face was full of impatience as she waved her hand dismissively, "Hurry up and leave. You’re just a secretary, but you’re really nosy."

The secretary looked at Haohao one more time, not entirely reassured, then turned and left.

Once the secretary was gone, Gu Jiajia turned to look at Haohao, but Haohao kept his head down, completely ignoring her. Gu Jiajia stood up and walked over to Haohao’s side. "Oh, doing your homework, I see."

Haohao remained silent.

"I’m talking to you, kid. At least respond when I’m speaking to you," she said.

Without putting down his pen, and not even lifting his head, Haohao replied in an even tone, "Didn’t you already see that I’m doing my homework?"

Taken aback by Haohao’s retort, Gu Jiajia’s expression soured. "Aren’t you supposed to be at school today? Why are you here?" Normally, Haohao would only be with Duan Ling on the weekends.

Haohao didn’t feel like explaining to her, so he kept silent. Today, he was indeed supposed to have class, but several children in his class had caught the latest influenza virus and been quarantined. The school, worried about the other students, had let everyone off to prevent an outbreak, so Haohao had been at home these past few days. When Duan Ling found out, he had called Pei Yinong, hoping to take Haohao to the movies. But when an urgent meeting came up unexpectedly, he had Haohao wait in his office until the meeting was over, and then they would go to the cinema together.

"Hey, kid, you’ve got no manners. When someone talks to you, you should at least answer back. What does this silence mean?" Gu Jiajia grew increasingly irritated with Haohao’s continued disregard for her. "You’re just like your mother, with no manners."

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Haohao suddenly looked up, staring steadfastly at Gu Jiajia. "You’re not allowed to talk about my mother."

"What’s wrong with talking about your mother? What did I say that’s wrong? Your mother not only lacks manners but also shame. She hasn’t even married, and she already had a child," Gu Jiajia said disdainfully, without considering that Haohao was just a seven-year-old child and whether such words were appropriate for him.

Haohao’s face flushed red with anger as he glared at Gu Jiajia. "You’re not allowed to talk about my mother. My mother is not like that."

"Not like what? Is it not true that your mother had you without being married?" Gu Jiajia challenged.

This was an ironclad fact, and even Haohao was powerless to refute it, "Anyway, I won’t let you talk about my mom like that. My mom is the best person in the world."

"Your words are laughable, to say the least. If your mom is the best person in the world, then there are no good women left. A woman like your mom, in ancient times, would have been submerged in a pig cage. Oh, I’m afraid you don’t even know what that means. Let me explain. In the past, if a woman didn’t uphold the virtues expected of her, like your mom, she would be put in a cage and drowned in a river. That’s what submerging in a pig cage means. Your mom is just lucky to be living in modern times, otherwise, you wouldn’t even exist."

"But, it’s also thanks to your mom’s thick skin that she dared to give birth to you. If it were me, I’d rather be dead than live in disgrace."

"Bang." The teacup smashed at Gu Jiajia’s feet,

Haohao’s face turned beet red with anger, and he glared at Gu Jiajia, "You bad woman, don’t you dare talk about my mom like that! You’re the worst woman in the world, without any shame or manners." Haohao, who never cursed at people, was driven to swear.

Gu Jiajia was startled; she hadn’t expected such a small kid to have such a temper. She became furious, "How dare you, you little brat, not only curse at me but also get physical. You think I won’t dare to hit you, don’t you? Today, I’m going to discipline you on behalf of your dad."

"If you dare to hit me, I will tell my dad." Haohao retorted, chin up and unafraid.

"What, afraid I’ll tell? Do you believe that even if I did hit you, your dad wouldn’t dare to say anything to me?" Gu Jiajia said hatefully. She had always been displeased with Haohao’s presence; if not for him, would Duan Ling still be hung up on Pei Yinong? And this kid, just like his mom, had never taken her seriously. She had been wanting to teach him a lesson not for a day or two, and now that she finally had her chance, she wasn’t going to let it pass.

"If you dare touch me, my dad will definitely be angry."

"Ha, your dad wouldn’t be angry. I’m about to marry him, and soon I’ll be your stepmom. It’s only natural for a mom to discipline her son; even your dad won’t be able to say anything."

Gu Jiajia rolled up her sleeves, ready to strike, but Haohao certainly wasn’t foolish enough to just sit there and let her hit him; he stood up and ran.

Gu Jiajia gave chase; she was determined to properly teach this brat a lesson today. Haohao ran toward the door, and glancing back at Gu Jiajia, he suddenly ran into a wall of flesh and nearly fell to the ground.

Duan Ling reacted quickly, catching Haohao, "What are you running for?"

Gu Jiajia, not expecting Duan Ling to be back at that moment, looked anxiously at Haohao, fearing he would tattle. Haohao didn’t disappoint her, accusing Gu Jiajia as soon as he saw Duan Ling, pointing at her, "She wants to hit me."

Upon hearing this, Duan Ling’s expression instantly changed as he looked at Gu Jiajia, "Brother-in-law, don’t listen to his nonsense, I didn’t want to hit him. Besides, I have no reason to hit him."

"She just insulted my mom. I wouldn’t let her, so she wanted to hit me," Haohao added.

Gu Jiajia was secretly furious, cursing the damned brat. "Brother-in-law, listen to me. I really didn’t want to hit him. Instead, it was he who yelled at me and threw a cup at me. Look at the shards on the floor, they’re from him. If I hadn’t dodged quickly, that cup would have hit me."

Gu Jiajia explained, but Duan Ling’s gaze didn’t reflect understanding, "You can leave now."

"Brother-in-law, you believe me, I really didn’t..."

"You leave." Duan Ling evidently believed Haohao’s story, not wishing to hear what Gu Jiajia had to say.

"Brother-in-law, would you rather believe a little brat than me? He never liked me; can his words be trusted?" Gu Jiajia looked at Duan Ling with a face full of disappointment.

"Gu Jiajia, don’t make me say it a third time." Duan Ling said sternly.

Gu Jiajia glared at Haohao and left, swinging her sleeves. Today, she had come to test Duan Ling’s attitude, but instead, Duan Ling had witnessed this scene. Now he must think she really had bullied this brat; God knows what he would think of her. It was all Pei Yinong’s fault; not only was she shameless, but her son wasn’t any better. Gu Jiajia cursed Pei Yinong’s ancestors in her mind.

After Gu Jiajia left, Duan Ling looked down at Haohao. Haohao no longer wanted to stay with Duan Ling, "I want to go home. Please take me back."

"So, you are really angry? Then your uncle apologizes to you."

"I don’t want your apology. My mommy is the best woman in the world, and she is not shameless." Haohao, now seven years old, actually understood some things, and he took to heart what Gu Jiajia said about Pei Yinong today. In his view, it was because of Duan Ling that his mommy never married before she had him, and all these years, people outside looked down on his mommy because of Duan Ling.

Therefore, the bit of goodwill he originally had for Duan Ling was completely obliterated by Gu Jiajia’s words today.

When Duan Ling heard Haohao’s words, his face darkened, but this emotion was not directed at Haohao; it was towards Gu Jiajia who had left. He had not expected Gu Jiajia to say such things to Haohao.

"Haohao, listen to your uncle explain. In your uncle’s heart, your mommy is also the best woman in the world. Don’t take to heart what that auntie said just now. And don’t be angry with your uncle because of her words, okay?"

Haohao did not speak.

"Uncle says sorry to you. Don’t be angry anymore, or, how about uncle takes you to the amusement park to play?" Despite Duan Ling’s attempts to make it up to him, Haohao insisted on going home.

Duan Ling had no choice but to agree to take Haohao home. On the way back, Haohao remained silent. No matter what Duan Ling talked about, he did not respond.

It was only when they were almost home that Haohao finally spoke, "I hate that woman."

Duan Ling realized he was referring to Gu Jiajia and replied, "Uncle knows, the next time you come, she promises not to appear in front of you."

"Will you marry her?" Haohao asked, his little face twisted.

"Who told you that?" Duan Ling glanced at him through the rearview mirror.

Haohao told the truth, "She said it herself just now. She said that you would be getting married soon. Is it true?"

A flash of coldness crossed Duan Ling’s eyes, but his expression was gentle when he looked at Haohao, "It’s not true. She lied to you. Uncle will not marry her."

Haohao nodded his head, "If you marry her, then I won’t be able to come see you anymore. I don’t like her."

Duan Ling pulled the car over to the side and said seriously to Haohao, "Haohao, your uncle will not get married. Uncle will never marry anyone in this lifetime. As for what that auntie said, you don’t need to take it to heart. Every word she said is not true, whether it’s about marriage or what she said about your mommy, you can forget all of it."

"So, you really won’t marry her?" Haohao was still a bit anxious.

"Yes, I won’t marry her."

"Then that’s good." Haohao was reassured. Actually, Duan Ling was quite nice to him, and he didn’t truly dislike Duan Ling. But if Duan Ling married Gu Jiajia, then he would end up rejecting Duan Ling as well.

Having taken Haohao home, Duan Ling didn’t go back to the office, but instead called Gu Jiajia, "Where are you?"

Gu Jiajia was already angry, naturally, her tone was not good, Duan Ling actually drove her away in front of a little brat, "What does it matter to you where I am? Weren’t you just scolding me?"

"Where are you right now? I’ll come to find you." Duan Ling asked again.

Gu Jiajia’s eyes lit up, thinking that Duan Ling was coming to coax her, her expression somewhat smug. She knew that Duan Ling wasn’t entirely indifferent to her, after all, they had already been intimate, hadn’t they? So she pretended to be unwilling and reluctantly gave the address.

Duan Ling arrived quickly, but his face was somber, causing Gu Jiajia’s heart to skip a beat with a foreboding feeling.

"What did you say to Haohao today?" Duan Ling got straight to the point.

"Brother-in-law, are you here to question me?"

"Jiajia, you know my temper."

Gu Jiajia pouted, a picture of grievance, "Brother-in-law, it really wasn’t my fault today. I just saw him sitting there alone doing his homework, so I kindly asked him a question, but he responded to me in such an indifferent manner. In a moment of anger, I said a few unpleasant things about Pei Yinong. Who would have thought the kid had such a big temper? He grabbed the teacup and threw it at me. How could I tolerate that? And by the way, I didn’t actually hit him. I was just trying to scare him a little."

"So, you really said that Yining was shameless?" Duan Ling seized on the main point.

Gu Jiajia looked somewhat uncomfortable. Duan Ling instantly understood, "Gu Jiajia, you actually said such words to a seven-year-old child? What are you really after?"

"Brother-in-law, this is so unfair to me. He’s just a child, what can I possibly be after? It was just a slip of the tongue in a moment of anger. Right after, I felt regret and wanted to apologize to him, but then the little brat hit me."

"You even told Haohao that the two of us are getting married?" Duan Ling was furious, his face darkening.

Gu Jiajia’s face stiffened, not expecting Haohao to have spilled that too, "Brother-in-law, I was just joking with him."

"Gu Jiajia, I don’t care whether that’s your idea of a joke or if you’re serious, listen to me clearly, I won’t marry you, and I hope you will stop saying such things."

Gu Jiajia looked at Duan Ling in disbelief, "Brother-in-law, you..."

"That night was my mistake. Whatever compensation you want, how much ever you want, I can give it to you, but you better drop the idea of marriage. I won’t agree to it."

Initially, Duan Ling’s stance wasn’t so firm. What happened that night left him with deep guilt toward Gu Jiajia, but her behavior toward Haohao today made him see certain truths and bolstered his resolve.

Gu Jiajia could never have imagined that her words today just completely dispersed any hesitation Duan Ling had.

"Compensation? Brother-in-law, do you think I’m after your money?"

"Besides money, I don’t have much else to give you."

"Duan Ling, what do you take me for? Am I some kind of call girl? You’re trying to pay me off with money?" Gu Jiajia had turned an iron shade of pale.

"So what do you want? That night you said it yourself; you didn’t need me to take responsibility," Duan Ling said bluntly.

Gu Jiajia looked steadily at him, "I’ve changed my mind. Duan Ling, I want you to marry me. Since you slept with me, you should take responsibility for me. I did say before that it was only a fling, and you shouldn’t worry about it, but now I regret it. I want you to marry me."

Originally, Gu Jiajia didn’t want to force Duan Ling, but his attitude today scared her. Even if it meant forcing him, she wanted to secure a marriage first; the rest could wait until later. She couldn’t afford to think that much now.

Duan Ling gazed at her firmly, his expression somewhat distant. He seemed to have never truly recognized the woman before him. She was no longer the simple girl she once had been, "I won’t marry you. I can agree to any other condition except marriage." Confronted with Gu Jiajia’s sudden change, Duan Ling became even more resolute.

"I don’t want any other conditions. I just want to marry you. Nothing else will compensate. Before you, I was pure and untouched, and you were my first man. I relinquished my purity to you. You can’t turn your back on me just like that." Facing Duan Ling’s alienation, Gu Jiajia’s panic deepened.

"Duan Ling, strictly speaking, you forced me that night. Taking responsibility for me is only right."

Duan Ling stared into Gu Jiajia’s eyes, "Is this your real purpose after all? Was I really forcing you that night?" He suddenly doubted her words.

Gu Jiajia’s expression froze, and tears suddenly fell, "Duan Ling, what does that mean? That night you were drunk, not me. You mistook me for Pei Yinong and took me to bed. My heart was full of grief! It was my first time, the most precious first time for a girl, and it was taken by you under those circumstances – who could I tell about my feelings of humiliation and degradation?"

Duan Ling could never handle a woman’s tears. Seeing this, he softened his tone, "Jiajia, it’s my fault. You can hit me or yell at me all you want, and I can provide whatever amount of money, but marriage, I’m sorry, I really can’t do that. I don’t love you, and I never will. Even if you married me, you wouldn’t be happy."

"Duan Ling, why are you so cruel to me? I only loved you, do I deserve to be hurt by you? Fine, you don’t want to marry me, that’s your choice, but one day you may regret it!"