The Pure and Kind Shen Qingling

Gu Yijin felt like his lungs were about to explode from anger, but he could not say anything. He forced out a smile and said, "It's fine. You didn't know what was going on either."

Lin Qingdai frowned and sighed. "It seems Uncle Gu has scolded Brother quite a lot in private. Brother, don't be sad. Although Uncle Gu's biological son has returned now, you did grow up here after all. Uncle Gu will still remember the feelings you shared in the past."

Gu Yijin truly wanted to laugh. Did he need her to tell him that? She had even specifically emphasized the words "biological son," stabbing him viciously in the heart!

The most awkward person in this house was no longer Lin Qingdai, but him, Gu Yijin, the fake son!

Shen Qingling could barely hold back his laughter. Before Gu Yijin could speak, he immediately said, "I already said I wouldn't push anyone out. Things should stay the way they were before. I don't want my arrival to hurt anyone."

Lin Qingdai looked at Shen Qingling. "Brother Qingling is too kind. Brother Yijin will definitely be very grateful to you."

Gu Yijin could no longer maintain the unpleasant expression on his face. He stood up and said, "It's very late today. We can talk about anything tomorrow. I'm going to rest first."

Lin Qingdai called after him and stabbed him again. "Is Brother Yijin's room still the same one as before? Will I have to look for you in a different room from now on?"

Gu Yijin pretended not to hear and went straight upstairs.

Gu Yutang rolled her eyes, stood up, and left as well.

Lin Qingdai showed Wen Sulan and Shen Qingling a saddened expression.

"Did I say something wrong? Why is Brother Yijin ignoring me?"

Wen Sulan looked at Gu Yijin's retreating back and shook her head in disappointment.

Qingling had suffered so many years of injustice, yet not only did he not blame him, he was even so kind to him and considered his situation in this family.

But what about him? He could not even endure a few words like that.

Besides, Qingdai had not done it on purpose. Qingdai was a child Wen Sulan had watched grow up, obedient and sensible. He was simply too narrow-minded to bear it.

Wen Sulan comforted her. "It's all right, Qingdai. Don't mind him. Go study."

Lin Qingdai looked at Shen Qingling expectantly. "Then can I ask Brother to tutor me?"

"It won't take up much of Brother's time. As long as Brother lets me come ask him questions when he's free, that'll be enough. If he doesn't have time, I'll save them for next time. Is that okay, Brother Qingling?"

Lin Qingdai was so good at speaking that Shen Qingling naturally could not refuse. The enemy of his enemy was his friend.

He hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay."

Lin Qingdai's eyes curved into crescents. "Brother Qingling is such a good person. Before, no one in the house except Aunt Wen paid any attention to me. I never dared ask anyone else questions."

Who else could she mean? Gu Yijin, of course.

Forget it. With his grades, there was no way she would ask him anyway.

After saying goodnight to them, Lin Qingdai returned to her room.

Only after Lin Qingdai left did Shen Qingling ask, "Who is she?"

"She is the daughter of your father's good friend, Lin Chen. Back then, Lin Chen's whole family met with disaster, and she was the only child left. Your father took her in at Lin Chen's request, and she grew up in our home."

"Qing Dai is a pitiful child. She's sensible and obedient. Just treat her as your younger sister. She seems to like you very much. I've never seen her be so close to anyone before. You're the first."

"I understand."

"It's getting late. I'll take you to see your room. Tomorrow, we'll have another look around the house."

"Okay."

Wen Sulan led Shen Qingling to his room on the second floor.

Shen Qingling looked around at the furnishings. Everything looked brand-new.

"Was this Gu Yijin's room before?"

"Yes. From now on, this will be your room."

In Wen Sulan's eyes, this was also a signal. She believed Gu Yijin had to be replaced by Qingling, and this room conveyed that meaning as well.

But Shen Qingling did not accept it.

"I don't want to take someone else's things. This room was his before, so it should be returned to him. I'll just stay in a new room."

Wen Sulan froze, feeling both touched and heartbroken.

How could her son be so kind?

He was clearly the one who had everything stolen from him.

It was laughable that Gu Yijin had the nerve to get angry just now.

Wen Sulan persuaded him, "Qingling, this is your home. Everything here will be yours in the future, including this room. Don't feel burdened. The more you act like this, the more guilty Mom feels."

Shen Qingling looked into her eyes and said, "As long as you care about me, that's enough. I don't want anything else."

Wen Sulan was completely stunned. Her eyes reddened, and tears fell just like that.

Only then did she understand that he had returned to the Gu Family solely for her.

Not because of the conditions Gu Chenwang had offered, nor for anything else. He had only come back for this hard-won love.

The one he cared about was her.

No one in this family had ever cared about her this much.

"Mom is sorry."

"Actually, I've never blamed you. No child could ever stop loving their mother."

Those words completely broke Wen Sulan.

She hugged Shen Qingling and began crying again.

077 said, "Although I can't detect her mental activity, I can still make a guess. If there were any, they should be: Wen Sulan's maternal love value: 100. Guilt value: 1000."

"Oh, and there should be those two hiding in the corner. Their feelings must be quite complicated too."

Gu Yijin and Gu Yutang, who had been eavesdropping nearby, were both utterly stunned.

Gu Yutang had never expected Shen Qingling to be this kind of person.

Why was he... so heartbreaking?

Like her, he had grown up without a mother's love.

Shen Qingling had not grown up in this complicated environment where interests and family affection were tangled together. He was purer, simpler, and kinder.

Although he was not good with words, he truly was a very, very good person.

Gu Yutang could not help reflecting. Had she been too cold toward him?

Gu Yijin also looked at Shen Qingling with a complicated expression.

Damn it, Shen Qingling, were you some kind of saint?

Did they really have to keep yielding a room back and forth?

What did he mean? Was he pitying him?

They were enemies who would not rest until one of them was dead!

Could he not show him some tricks for once?

For the first time, Gu Yijin hoped someone would actively try to harm him, fight him for things, and curse him out.

Gu Yijin seemed to have developed an M mentality toward Shen Qingling, begging to be hit, cursed, and abused.

But Shen Qingling was not an S. He would not satisfy him.

In the end, Wen Sulan still chose to respect Shen Qingling's decision and prepared another room for him.

Shen Qingling was very satisfied. He did not want to sleep in Gu Yijin's room. It was disgusting.

Many people could not sleep that night, but Shen Qingling slept soundly.

There was no sound of dripping water, no damp and sticky bedsheets, no rustling Mr. Mouse. At last, he had a sweet dream.

This time, Lin Qingdai did not have another nightmare either. She no longer dreamed of those terrifying and helpless memories: the exam room where she had fainted, the car accident with blood that would not stop flowing...

She dreamed of Shen Qingling.

In the dream, he reached out his hand to her.

He said, "I'll protect you."