Gu Xiangyun looked at Su Jin, feeling a twinge of guilt under her piercing gaze. She forced a laugh and muttered, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Su Jin suddenly smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I believe that those who commit evil will face a bitter end—tortured and damned to the 18th level of hell. Don't you agree?"
The image of Fu Siyan almost dying because of that car crash made rage surge in her chest.
Gu Xiangyun, you will pay for everything you've done, Su Jin silently vowed.
Gu Xiangyun flinched under Su Jin's cold and steady stare. For a moment, she was so stunned that she couldn't even form a response.
Sensing the tension rise again, Su Mingyuan quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Alright, that's enough. Xiao Jin must still be shaken from what happened. If it weren't for Fu Siyan, she might not be here at all. I'll find time to personally thank him—maybe invite him to a meal."
He smiled warmly, clearly not wanting to miss any opportunity to get closer to the Fu family.
Turning toward Su Jin with a teasing glint in his eyes, Su Mingyuan asked, "So, how did Fu Siyan come to save you? Is he… interested in you? I mean, it's not every day a man risks everything unless there's something—or someone—he cares about."
Su Jin lowered her eyes slightly, lips curving into a quiet smile. "I wouldn't dare assume what Fu Siyan is thinking," she replied, voice calm and laced with ambiguity.
But a faint flush crept up her cheeks.
A shy expression flickered across her face.
And that subtle change didn't escape Gu Xiangyun's eyes.
Su Nuo's face turned pale with anger, but she still forced an elegant smile. The contrast only made Su Jin feel even more amused.
How satisfying.
"Oh, I see," Su Mingyuan said meaningfully, his tone layered with implication.
Afraid he might continue down that line of questioning, Su Jin quickly changed the subject. "Dad, I was really frightened. The kidnapper in the car said someone wanted me dead. You must find out who's behind this and give me justice."
"Of course!" Su Mingyuan replied, instantly frowning. "I'll report it to the police right away. Whoever dares to harm my daughter won't get away with it."
Su Jin nodded gently—but her gaze had already shifted toward Gu Xiangyun, whose face had stiffened the moment she heard the word police.
"I heard the kidnapper was seriously injured and sent to the ICU, right?" Su Jin asked deliberately.
"Mom, don't worry," she added with a light smile. "Fu Siyan promised me he'd make sure the man wakes up. Once he does, we'll know who's really behind this."
Gu Xiangyun's hands balled into fists, her knuckles white. She forced a smile and replied with difficulty, "Oh… really?"
Su Jin's eyes narrowed slightly.
She's nervous—very nervous.
And that only strengthened Su Jin's conviction.
Several people were gathered around Su Jin, but Su Nuo, who had been standing off to the side, suddenly felt ignored. She clutched Gu Xiangyun's arm and whined, "Mom, I'm cold. Look, my sister is clearly fine now—can we just go home?"
She was fuming inside. The moment she arrived, she'd been pretending to be concerned, but now she just wanted to curse Su Jin out loud.
Gu Xiangyun, however, was clearly distracted. Her thoughts were entirely consumed by the mention of the surviving kidnapper. If that man really lived and spoke—as Su Jin claimed—she could be in serious trouble.
"Mom, what are you thinking about?" Su Nuo asked impatiently when she noticed Gu Xiangyun wasn't paying her any attention.
She didn't want to stay in the hospital a second longer. Especially not when Su Jin was still here, looking so smug—it made her want to tear that face apart.
Gu Xiangyun blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. She gave Su Nuo a forced smile and said, "Oh, it's nothing."
She had been too nervous just now. Why on earth did she think Su Jin already knew she was the one who gave the order?
No. Impossible.
She's just a naïve little girl—how could she possibly be that sharp?
Don't panic. Calm down. Calm down.
Gu Xiangyun took several deep breaths, forcing herself to regain composure. But just as she was beginning to settle, she heard Su Jin speak again.
"Mom, stay here with me tonight."
Gu Xiangyun, who had been planning to leave with Su Mingyuan, turned around in shock. Her eyes flickered with a mix of disbelief, mockery, and rising anger.
"Sister, you must be joking," Su Nuo chimed in sweetly before Gu Xiangyun could respond. "Mom hasn't been feeling well lately—she might not be able to take care of you properly. And there are nurses in the hospital, right? I'm sure you don't want Mom's health to be affected, do you?"
Little tramp. You're really getting bold now, aren't you?
If it weren't for Su Jin's status as the daughter of the Su family, Su Nuo would've slapped her across the face already.
Su Mingyuan was also puzzled. These two had always been like fire and water—how could Su Jin possibly want Gu Xiangyun to stay?
"I'm scared," Su Jin said softly, her voice trembling as she clutched the hospital bedsheet. "Maybe other kidnappers followed me into the hospital… I'm afraid They'll come back."
That excuse struck a chord with Su Mingyuan. "It's understandable," he nodded. "After going through something like that, it's normal to be afraid."
Gu Xiangyun's eyes flared with fury. Did this wretched girl know what she was implying?
Was she deliberately saying that?
"Mom," Su Jin turned to her with a sweet, innocent smile that made Gu Xiangyun's heart clench, "don't you want to know who kidnapped your daughter? The doctor said he might regain consciousness tonight."
The smile on Su Jin's face was saccharine, but to Gu Xiangyun, it felt like a blade dipped in poison.
At that moment, she was certain—Su Jin already knew everything. She knew Gu Xiangyun was behind the kidnapping.
"Fine. I'll stay," Gu Xiangyun ground out through clenched teeth.
The moment she spoke, both Su Mingyuan and Su Nuo turned toward her in shock, speechless.
Everyone knew Gu Xiangyun treated Su Jin like a thorn in her side. She had never even pretended to care about her before.
Was she out of her mind? Lowering herself to stay in the hospital and care for Su Jin?
"Mom? Are you really staying here?" Su Nuo couldn't help asking, her voice laced with disbelief.
The thought of Gu Xiangyun taking care of that wretched Su Jin made her stomach turn.
Why should her mother lower herself for her? That illegitimate daughter with a questionable background?
"I'm Xiao jin's mother. Of course I should take care of her," Gu Xiangyun said, emphasizing the word care with venomous precision. The glare she shot at Su Jin could've burned through steel.
Su Nuo let out a breath of relief, secretly smug.
I knew it. There's no way Mom would genuinely look after that waste. She must be staying to make her suffer… good. Let's see how long Su Jin keeps up her arrogant act.
Su Mingyuan, indifferent to the subtle war between Su Jin and Gu Xiangyun, didn't object. Since Gu Xiangyun offered to stay, he simply nodded and left the hospital with Su Nuo in tow.
Now, only Su Jin and Gu Xiangyun remained in the ward.
The polite mask on Gu Xiangyun's face immediately dropped.
What replaced it was raw hatred—eyes gleaming with vicious intent, staring at Su Jin like she was prey to be torn apart.
"Come on, what the hell do you want?" Gu Xiangyun no longer dared to underestimate Su Jin. After all their recent clashes, she knew this girl wasn't the same pushover from before.
Su Jin leaned back slightly, her lips curling into a mocking smile. Her eyes, calm and cold, met Gu Xiangyun's with equal cruelty.
"Mom, why are you looking at me like that?" she said softly. "Don't forget—I'm your daughter."
"Daughter?" Gu Xiangyun scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "You? A bastard like you has no right to that title. Nuo'er is the only legitimate daughter of the Su family. You're not even worthy to carry her shoes."
"Oh?" Su Jin raised an eyebrow, her voice laced with sarcasm. "So Su Nuo holds such a precious place in your heart?"
"What are you trying to say?" Gu Xiangyun snapped, her eyes narrowing sharply. "You can't compare to her. You'll never match her. Don't even think about dragging her down with you."
Su Jin didn't flinch. She tilted her head, smiling faintly. "No need to get so worked up. I asked you to stay for one reason."
She paused, her voice dropping slightly.
"I want to make a deal with you.