Chapter 40 Tuantuan and Aunt Shu both love you

Chu Pei had already led his men to disperse the crowd, and then took Tuan Tuan inside first.

Shen Zhen's body trembled slightly, all her grievances and resentment finding an outlet in this moment. She clutched Gu Yushu's clothes tightly, unwilling to let go; even in her wretched state, she was still loved.

Gu Yushu coldly stared at Chen Lin and Shen Guozhu, his face grim and his deep eyes filled with boundless rage. He said to Chu Pei, "Send these two people to prison!"

Chen Lin immediately threw a tantrum on the ground, crying and shouting, "Is there no law? You won't even spare your own parents! What a vicious woman!"

Gu Yushu glanced at Chu Pei impatiently and said sternly, "Chu Pei, hurry up and resolve this. Don't let these two people show up again!"

Chu Pei gave a signal to the bodyguards behind him, who immediately restrained Chen Lin and Shen Guodong. From a distance, Chen Lin continued to curse, using the most vile words to insult her daughter.

Gu Yushu carried Shen Zhen forward, and Shen Zhen struggled to get down, saying, "Ashu, you're dirty..."

"Zhenzhen, don't move."

Gu Yushu tightened his arms around Shen Zhen and shoved her into the car. He gently stroked the sticky hair on her forehead and tenderly wiped her cheeks with a handkerchief, his eyes full of tenderness: "Zhenzhen, I didn't protect you well. I'm sorry. Be good, let's go home first. I'll have the family doctor come and check you out."

Shen Zhen stared blankly up at Gu Yushu. Her dark, deep eyes reflected her disheveled state, her wet hair cascading down her back, and her face a mess of colors.

Gu Yushu wasn't in much better shape; his custom-made suit was sticky and his chin was smeared with paint.

But faced with her broken and vulnerable state, Gu Yushu's eyes were filled with deep affection, a love that was clear and unwavering. How could this not move her? She had never felt even a shred of love from her parents; she longed to be loved and feared losing the ability to love. It was Yushu who showed her that she was worthy of love; it was Yushu who gave her a sense of belonging.

Shen Zhen stopped struggling, obediently lowering her head, remaining silent the entire way. The neon lights receded into the distance, dazzling and brilliant, but not a single one belonged to her.

Although Shen Zhen wasn't the smartest student in her class, she was definitely the most diligent. She studied relentlessly, desperate to escape the suffocating family environment. She never let up, yet she could never escape the influence of her parents or her brother. Perhaps some people are only meant to stay in the mire? Why struggle at all?

When she was in high school, Chen Lin and Shen Guodong didn't want to send her to school anymore. They envied other girls who were working in factories and earning money. They would scold her as a money-loser, saying she was useless and wasted money.

That summer, Shen Zhen worked odd jobs for two whole months, earning a thousand yuan. She then begged her junior high school teacher to lend her two thousand yuan. The teacher repeatedly assured her that Shen Zhen would never ask her family for money after starting school, and that she could earn even more money for her family if she went to university. Only then did Shen Zhen have the opportunity to go to high school.

During high school, Shen Zhen only dared to eat one steamed bun per meal. She worked whenever she had free time, and was very thin and small due to long-term malnutrition. It wasn't until college that Shen Zhen took in Yu Shu. Because Yu Shu was a picky eater and had a bad stomach, Shen Zhen began to think of all sorts of delicious foods to help raise Yu Shu.

The light kept turning past Gu Yushu's profile, making her face appear dark and indistinct. When Shen Zhen turned her head to look at her, she felt a sense of unreality.

What would her life have been like if she hadn't met Yu Shu? The thought of a life without light is painful...

As soon as Gu Yushu got home, he filled the bathtub with water and stripped Shen Zhen completely naked. In the steamy atmosphere, Shen Zhen couldn't clearly see Yushu's expression. The hot water enveloped her skin, and Yushu's fingertips gently caressed her with tenderness.

Gu Yushu wiped Shen Zhen's body again and again without any lust, until the paint was washed away and the original color of her skin was revealed.

Shen Zhen blushed and wanted to do it herself, but Yu Shu pushed her hand back without allowing her to refuse. Today, she sat in her office waiting for Shen Zhen to come, but she didn't come for a long time. She called her, but Shen Zhen didn't answer. For some reason, she began to feel a vague unease.

She took Chu Pei downstairs and saw Shen Zhen standing alone in the crowd, hugging Tuan Tuan. From a distance, she could see people pointing and whispering around her.

God knows how much her heart ached at that moment, as if it were being torn apart. She didn't know how many times Shen Zhen had experienced such a scene before. Shen Zhen was proud yet fragile; all her strength was just a protective shell.

Without a word, Yu Shu wrapped Shen Zhen in a large bath towel, his eyes filled with tenderness. His slender fingers ran through her long, black hair, and his voice was languid as he said, "My darling has finally recovered."

Shen Zhen's face flushed slightly. She couldn't remember anyone ever bathing her before, but Yu Shu made her feel cared for once again.

Hot tears welled up in Shen Zhen's eyes. She leaned softly into Yu Shu's arms and asked in a nasal voice, "Yu Shu, thank you for accepting everything about me."

"Tsk!" Yu Shu picked her up and carried her horizontally. "You're already moved? If you live with me, won't you be crying every day?"

Shen Zhen nuzzled her neck. "Hmm, it's okay to cry... as long as I'm with you..."

Yu Shu smiled silently. The two were snuggling together in the room when a fluffy head peeked in through the doorway and asked in a childish voice, "Mommy, can I come in?"

Yu Shu pulled Shen Zhen's nightgown tighter around her chest, beckoned to Tuan Tuan at the door, and said softly, "Tuan Tuan, come in."

Tuantuan ran in, stood timidly in front of Shen Zhen, and asked somewhat dejectedly, "Mom, do Grandpa and Grandma hate us?"

Shen Zhen felt a pang in her heart, squatted down, looked into Tuantuan's eyes, and said earnestly, "Grandpa and Grandma are old, and we can't change their minds. Tuantuan, they don't love you because they don't love Mom."

Tuantuan tilted her head, softly hugged Chen Zhen's neck, and asked in a childish voice, "Mommy, is it because you're not a boy that they don't love you? I heard my teachers say that some people like boys."

Shen Zhen patted Tuan Tuan's head tenderly, "Mmm."

Tuantuan then cautiously asked, "Will Mom not love Tuantuan because she's a girl?"

Shen Zhen kissed the girl's soft cheek and said gently, "No, Mom will always love Tuantuan. Mom thinks girls deserve more love so they can be braver!"

Tuantuan, seemingly understanding but not quite, clung to Chen Zhen, saying, "Mommy, don't be sad. Tuantuan and Aunt Shu both love you."

Shen Zhen chuckled, glanced at Yu Shu standing to the side, and they smiled at each other.

She was unfortunate, yet incredibly fortunate to have Ashu and Tuantuan.