Su Yun felt the same way, so she said, "Comrade Gu Hai, thank you."
"It's nothing…" Gu Hai clearly wanted to say more, but after opening his mouth, he held back.
He checked Su Yun's test paper and said, "Comrade Su Yun, you did quite well on this math test. You only got four questions wrong…"
"What? I actually got four questions wrong? That won't do! I need at least a 99% accuracy rate if I want to get into my dream university!"
Hearing this, Gu Hai asked naturally, "Comrade Su Yun, which university do you want to apply to? And what major?"
Su Yun glanced at him. "Isn't that obvious? The best university in the capital—Jing University! If I can get in, I'd be smiling even in my dreams. As for the major, I don't really care!"
As she spoke, she looked at Gu Hai with admiration.
Gu Hai was a postgraduate at Jing University. In her previous life, he had achieved both fame and fortune—completely different from her miserable fate.
If nothing unexpected happened, Gu Hai would surely attend Jing University again in this life.
But she wasn't bad either. At least she had changed her destiny. She had a powerful system and a chance to take the college entrance exam again. Maybe one day, she could even become Gu Hai's classmate.
And when Gu Hai became successful in the future, she could brag to others that he had once been her partner. How impressive would that be?
Just thinking about it made Su Yun smile.
Although Gu Hai didn't know what she was smiling about, it didn't stop his mood from improving. His eyes curved into a smile as well.
"Comrade Su Yun, I think your dream will definitely come true. I even have a feeling that we might become classmates in the future…"
And maybe even more…
As Gu Hai imagined a future with Su Yun, his face flushed, and he suddenly felt shy.
But Su Yun was completely absorbed in her grand plans for the future and didn't notice his expression. She patted his shoulder and said, "Comrade Gu Hai, I'll take that as a good omen. When I get into Jing University, I'll definitely treat you to a meal to repay you!"
"For now, tell me where I went wrong."
Pulled back to reality by her words, Gu Hai set aside his thoughts and began explaining her mistakes with complete focus.
---
After a full day of lessons, Gu Hai returned to the alley where his home was located. As soon as he arrived, he saw a woman standing outside the courtyard, hesitating and not daring to knock.
She had her long hair tied back and wore neat, respectable clothes, looking like a cadre.
Gu Hai's expression darkened, and his good mood instantly vanished.
He walked over with a cold face, his gaze sharp as a blade. "Why are you here again? We already agreed to have nothing to do with each other. You're already married, yet you keep coming back. Are you trying to humiliate yourself?"
When the woman saw Gu Hai, her expression relaxed slightly. Noticing his new clothes, she hurriedly said, "Ah Hai, I came today because I really have something important to discuss!"
"Your brother—"
"Stop right there!" Gu Hai cut her off coldly. "I only have younger siblings. I don't have a brother. Don't try to force a relationship."
The woman sighed. "Ah Hai, I had no choice but to remarry. Don't be angry with me. Your Uncle Wen only has one son. Now the family is in trouble, and I had no choice but to come to you…"
"No choice?" Gu Hai sneered. "When my father died in the line of duty, they gave over eight hundred yuan in compensation. You took the money and remarried immediately. And now you're saying you had no choice?"
"Was it because that man couldn't give you a good life? Didn't you say he was your first love, your childhood sweetheart? If my father hadn't been in the way, you would've already been together. Now that you've finally gotten your wish, why aren't you happy?"
His words were like knives, piercing the woman's heart.
"Ah Hai, don't say that. I really had no choice. Your Uncle Wen's son is already twenty this year and is looking to get married. You know how hard it is to find a job nowadays. The girl's family said that as long as your brother Daxing gets a job, they can hold the wedding immediately."
"So I was thinking… your father had some connections in the Public Security Bureau. Maybe you could help your brother Daxing find some work first, and later—"
"I've heard enough!" Gu Hai snapped. "If you had any shame left, you wouldn't have come to me!"
"I can't even bring myself to use my father's connections, yet you have the nerve to come here and ask me to help your stepson get a job?"
"If you care so much about your first love, why did you marry my father in the first place? You should've married Wen Xiangqian instead!"
The woman opened her mouth, unable to respond.
Back then, if the Wen family hadn't looked down on her—if her family hadn't been so poor that she couldn't even afford a proper dowry—how could she have married Gu Shaoqian, a rough man?
Now she had finally married her beloved Wen Xiangqian as his second wife, yet she couldn't even handle something as simple as finding a job for her stepson. She felt utterly useless.
Overcome with emotion, she suddenly knelt before Gu Hai, clutching his new clothes as she cried. "Ah Hai, for the sake of me giving birth to you, please help me… Your Uncle Wen only has Daxing as his son. He's counting on him to marry soon and carry on the family line. Look at you—you're already wearing new clothes, but your brother Daxing has nothing. Please take pity on him and help him, okay?"
At the moment she knelt down, Gu Hai felt a deep chill in his heart.
His own mother… kneeling before him for another man's son.
What a great maternal love.
Too bad it wasn't for him.
Tears filled Gu Hai's eyes. Just as he was about to push her away, the courtyard door suddenly opened. Eight-year-old Gu Jun rushed out with a broom, shouting at the woman, "Leave now! Don't cause trouble at our door, or I'll drive you away!"
Seeing Gu Jun, the woman cried out, "Junzi, I'm your mother! How can you chase me away?"
Gu Jun's eyes turned red as he gripped the broom tightly. "You're not my mother! You're a bad woman! You're not my mother—go away! Leave!"
Gu Hai pulled Gu Jun into his arms and turned to the woman coldly. "Leave. I won't help you. You're no longer our mother. Your son is Wen Daxing. Go back and serve him instead of coming here. If you come again, I'll have someone beat up your husband. I mean it."
"Ah Hai, how can you be so heartless? I'm your mother!" the woman cried desperately, trying to bind him with family ties.
Gu Hai's voice was firm and resolute. "I don't have a mother. Get lost!"
The woman continued crying and tried to approach Gu Jun again, but it was useless.
Seeing that she couldn't gain anything here, she could only wipe her tears and leave unwillingly.
After she left, Gu Jun burst into loud sobs in Gu Hai's arms. "Waaah… Big Brother, I don't have a mother anymore… I don't have a mother…"
Gu Hai tried his best to comfort him. "It's okay. You still have your brothers and sisters. We'll always be here."
But Gu Jun cried even harder. "But… I still want a mother… Why doesn't she want us? Why did she leave? Waaah…"
Gu Hai had no answer.
All he could do was hold Gu Jun tightly, the two of them clinging to each other for warmth.