Ending Up with the Female Lead’s Mom - Chapter 10

Outside the hospital ward, Su Yao and Gu Zhanci stood on opposite sides, neither acknowledging the other.

Gu Shiyue had come along with Gu Zhanci. She didn’t understand why Gu Zhanci was so anxious about Su Ming, and she was surprised to see that their relationship was better than she had imagined.

When she helped get Su Ming into the car earlier, she saw Su Ming’s face was flushed and her body was scorching hot. The situation was indeed serious. Although she disliked Su Ming and felt she was always interfering with her life, Gu Shiyue couldn’t help but feel a bit worried about her.

Gu Shiyue took out her phone and saw a message from Lin Yi.

“How is she?”

Gu Shiyue lowered her head to reply: “The doctor is still trying to bring her temperature down.”

Just as she sent the message, she saw Gu Zhanci walking toward her. Gu Shiyue immediately tucked her phone away.

Gu Zhanci noticed the small movement and said, “You go back first.”

Gu Shiyue said, “Okay, then you…”

Gu Zhanci replied, “I’ll wait until she wakes up.”

When Su Ming woke up, she felt a splitting headache, a stuffed nose, a swollen throat, and her entire body felt limp.

Last night, she dreamed she was on an iceberg surrounded by freezing winds. It was no use even when she wrapped herself tightly in the quilt. She hadn’t expected to wake up burning with fever; it seemed she definitely had one.

Su Ming struggled to open her eyes, only to find she wasn’t at Gu Zhanci’s house. Everything in front of her was a vast expanse of white—her most familiar place: the hospital.

She had spent most of her previous life in the hospital. Born in a hospital, died in a hospital. Suddenly, Su Ming was overwhelmed with mixed emotions, until a delighted voice startled her.

“Baby, you’re awake?”

It was Su Yao.

“Sis, that’s so cheesy,” Su Ming spoke, only to realize her voice was incredibly hoarse. Her throat felt like it was filled with coarse sand, tasting slightly metallic.

She coughed hard a few times and tried to sit up.

Su Yao held her down. “Don’t move. Drink some water to moisten your throat first.”

Su Ming drank the water from Su Yao’s hand, and her throat felt much clearer. She asked, “What happened to me?”

“Ask Gu Zhanci.” Su Yao had been so angry earlier that she didn’t even know the specifics of how Su Ming caught the fever.

Su Ming turned her head and saw Gu Zhanci standing by the bed with her arms crossed, eyes downcast and face calm.

Su Ming wanted to reach out and wave, but realized her right hand was hooked up to an IV. She could only force a smile.

Gu Zhanci took a step forward, looking down at her. “The air conditioning in your room was set to 18°C and left on all night. What did you think would happen?”

Gu Zhanci’s voice was somewhat cold; she seemed to be angry.

Su Ming froze, then stammered, “It… would waste a lot of electricity?”

Gu Zhanci: “…”

Su Yao covered her face.

“Still joking, it seems she’s fine.” A doctor in a white coat walked in. “Young people shouldn’t rely on a good constitution to blast the AC like that. That’s not how you use it. You hit 39°C. If your natural body temperature wasn’t already higher than average, you would have fried your brain.”

Su Ming: “…”

Su Ming finally remembered what happened last night. She said guiltily, “I forgot to turn it off yesterday.”

Gu Zhanci wanted to say, How could you even forget that? But seeing Su Ming lying there weak and listless, she remained silent.

Su Yao, learning it was all her sister’s own doing, looked a bit awkward and didn’t speak.

The doctor continued, “Even if you leave it on, remember to set a timer. Many people have been hospitalized recently due to AC issues, but hitting a fever as high as yours is rare.”

“Fortunately, no permanent damage. Just finish the IV. You seem to have a strong build; stay for two or three days and you can be discharged.”

It was the holidays—the post-Gaokao holidays with zero homework. At the thought of spending them in a hospital, Su Ming felt a bit depressed.

Su Yao saw her dejected look and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you hurting somewhere?”

Su Ming shook her head. “Sis, I’m hungry.”

Su Yao slapped her forehead. “Right! I’ll go buy you food. By the way, Mom and Dad will visit tonight.”

Su Ming was shocked. “Why did you tell them?”

She hadn’t met the original host’s parents yet, though she had their memories. They were in their fifties; she didn’t want them to worry.

“You have a high fever. It was my fault for not looking after you. I already got a scolding when I told them.”

Su Yao was about to leave but turned back, saying to Gu Zhanci: “President Gu, please look after my sister for a moment.”

Gu Zhanci said with a fake smile, “Don’t worry. This time, I won’t ‘care’ for her all the way into bed.”

Su Yao: “…”

She said, “My sister is already in bed.”

Gu Zhanci sneered and glared at her. “President Su, it seems you finally realize what kind of nonsense you were spouting earlier.”

Su Yao: “…”

Su Ming watched them curiously. “What kind of riddles are you two playing?”

“It’s none of your business. Just recover well. Be good, Sis will be right back.”

Su Yao hurried out.

Only Gu Zhanci and Su Ming were left in the ward.

Su Ming asked, “Sister, was it you who brought me here?”

She vaguely remembered seeing Gu Zhanci through a haze. At the time, her mind was a blur; she thought she was dreaming.

Gu Zhanci originally didn’t want to talk to her, but said, “Yes.”

Su Ming quickly said, “Thank you, Sister.”

Then came a few more loud coughs.

She could tell Gu Zhanci was angry, but it wasn’t obvious—at the very least, she wasn’t her usual indifferent self.

Sure enough, Gu Zhanci spoke next: “Was my house so hot that you needed to set the AC that low?”

Su Ming said sheepishly, “It’s just that I’m afraid of the heat.”

Gu Zhanci stared at her. Su Ming wanted to act spoiled, but before she could succeed, she started coughing again. Having a high fever in summer was truly miserable.

Gu Zhanci said helplessly, “Stop talking. Just lie there.”

Su Ming could only lie back obediently.

Su Yao returned soon with a variety of breakfast items. Remembering it was her sister’s own fault for the fever, she said, “President Gu, would you like to have breakfast with us?”

Gu Zhanci said, “No thanks, I’m leaving.”

Su Ming called out to her, “Sister, will you come see me?”

“No.” Gu Zhanci left very decisively.

Su Ming: “…”

Seeing Su Ming staring at the direction where Gu Zhanci left, Su Yao took care of her breakfast while sizing her up. Her tone was a bit sour.

“I used to hear you mention Gu Shiyue every single day until my ears grew calluses. Now you don’t mention Gu Shiyue, but you’re with Gu Zhanci every day.”

Su Ming felt guilty. “No I’m not!”

Su Yao said, “You call her ‘Big Sister’ so sweetly, but when you call me, it’s just ‘Sis.’ Am I that old?”

Su Ming said, “No, it’s… the nature of the title is different.”

After all, that ‘Big Sister’ isn’t the same as this ‘Sis’.

“Forget it, I won’t argue with you.”

“Lie down and wait for the fever to break. Don’t cause trouble for me.”

Su Ming squirmed. “But it’s hot here.”

Su Yao intentionally put on a stern face. “You hit 39°C and it just broke. Of course you feel hot.”

Su Ming pursed her lips and stopped talking.

Gu Zhanci returned home. Lin Yi had already left. Gu Shiyue looked like she wanted to say something. Gu Zhanci didn’t understand what adolescents agonized over and said, “If you have something to say, say it.”

Gu Shiyue mustered her courage: “I want to live in the dorms.”

“You already texted me about that. I didn’t say I disagreed. Just stay safe,” Gu Zhanci said.

Maybe Su Ming was right; it was just living in a dorm.

Gu Shiyue hadn’t expected such direct approval. She was stunned and didn’t know how to respond.

Gu Zhanci’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You don’t need to be so afraid of me, Gu Shiyue. Since you were a child, I haven’t mistreated you, have I?”

Gu Shiyue immediately shook her head. “No.”

Gu Zhanci waved her off. “If not, then go study.”

Gu Zhanci was a bit tired today. She changed and went to work, quickly immersing herself in tasks. By the weekend—the third day of Su Ming’s hospitalization—she received a message from Su Yao’s account.

“Sister, are you coming to see me today?”

Su Yao would call her “Sister”?

Gu Zhanci quickly realized it wasn’t Su Yao, but Su Ming. No wonder it had been so quiet the past few days; Su Ming’s phone had been left at her house.

“Not today either,” Gu Zhanci replied.

She could almost see Su Ming’s head drooping in disappointment.

It was the weekend, and she had nothing to do. Gu Zhanci stood up, preparing to head to the hospital.

“Zhanci, are you going out?”

Gu Zhanci really wanted to ignore this woman’s presence, but her good upbringing prevented her from doing so.

She said, “Going to the hospital to see a ‘little youngster’.”

The woman was surprised. “A little youngster? Whose child? You didn’t secretly have a kid of your own, did you?”

Gu Zhanci: “…”

“I won’t have a child with someone, and I’m not allowed to have a child. Don’t you know that well? The Gu family has only one heir, and that person will never be me.”

Gu Zhanci’s voice was chilled.

The woman seemed frightened. “Zhanci, don’t be angry.”

Gu Zhanci didn’t want to talk more. “Do as you please. Gu Shiyue will be back soon. If you have a message, tell her yourself.”

“Okay, go ahead with your business,” the woman said softly.

Gu Zhanci walked to the door, but the moment she opened it, she saw Su Yao at her doorstep, looking as if she were about to knock.

“President Su, is something the matter?”

The sudden opening of the door startled Su Yao.

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m here to get my sister’s clothes and phone.”

Gu Zhanci: “…”

What kind of misunderstanding could there be between them?

Gu Zhanci invited Su Yao in.

As soon as Su Yao entered, she saw a strange woman sitting on the living room sofa. The woman looked gentle, wearing a white V-neck shirt that made her cleavage look particularly sexy. Yet, she had the face of a little lamb, making one want to bully her ruthlessly.

“Yo, I didn’t expect President Gu to be ‘hiding a golden beauty’ (having a mistress) in her house.” Su Yao was always dedicated to pulling Gu Zhanci off her pedestal. Seeing such a fragile woman in Gu Zhanci’s home, she blurted out her thoughts.

She knew beneath that serious exterior was a wild soul!

Gu Zhanci’s eyes grew dark.

The woman on the sofa, seeing Gu Zhanci return, seemed very happy and didn’t notice Su Yao’s nonsense.

Su Yao wore an “I understand” face. “We’re all adults; playing around is fine. No need to keep her hidden.”

Gu Zhanci said through gritted teeth: “She is my Step-Mother.”

Su Yao: “…”

“Even a step-mother isn’t… isn’t out of the question for playing…”

Ugh, my big mouth!