Chapter 983: Better Than His Birth Mom

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Gu Zi and Su Li rode back in the Gao family’s car, just as they had arrived earlier. Once seated, Gu Zi felt a twinge of embarrassment and turned to the driver.

“I told you earlier that you didn’t need to wait for us. You could have gone back first. This is too much trouble for you,” she said apologetically.

The driver kept his eyes on the road, his tone respectful but firm.

“Mrs. Su, you are someone our madam holds in very high regard. Since she specifically instructed me to bring you to the hospital, it’s only natural that I see it through to the end. Don’t feel bad about it. It’s no trouble for me at all. The Gao family has done so much for me, after all.”

The Gao family was indeed prestigious, but not every member of the family carried the same weight. The driver was well aware that his position as the Gao family’s chauffeur was thanks to his distant relation to the Gaos. It was a good job—one he had no intention of jeopardizing.

Given how highly Mr. and Mrs. Gao regarded Gu Zi and her family, he, too, knew better than to show any sign of negligence or displeasure.

Seeing that the driver was adamant, Gu Zi didn’t press the matter further. Instead, her gaze shifted to Su Li, who sat unusually quiet beside her.

He hadn’t said a single word since they left the hospital—a stark contrast to his usual chatty and lively demeanor. Gu Zi couldn’t help but wonder if the events earlier had stirred up some unpleasant memories for him.

Reaching out, she gently rubbed his forehead and spoke softly.

“Don’t dwell on unhappy thoughts, sweetheart. Let the bad memories stay in the past, okay?”

Su Li finally lifted his eyes to meet hers. His expression was solemn, and after a long pause, he spoke in a low voice.

“Mom, it’s not that I’m unhappy. It’s just… I feel like this whole thing might be my fault.”

Gu Zi blinked in surprise.

“Your fault? What makes you think that?”

Su Li bit his lip and stayed silent for a moment before heaving a sigh.

“Because I like to show off too much. When we were eating barbecue today, I shouldn’t have bragged about it to everyone. If I hadn’t, Xu Sheng wouldn’t have been tempted by the smell of the food and come over to our house. He wouldn’t have fainted at our doorstep, and you wouldn’t have been falsely accused by his mom. It’s all my fault.”

Truth be told, Su Li had already been grappling with regret ever since the heated argument between his mom and Xu Sheng’s mother erupted at the hospital.

Why had he felt the need to show off? He couldn’t shake the feeling that his behavior had caused trouble for his mom. From now on, he vowed to be more humble and never boast like that again.

Hearing his confession, Gu Zi felt a wave of relief and pride wash over her. Su Li seemed to have grown more mature. She reached out and patted his hand reassuringly.

“Su Li, it’s good that you can reflect on your actions, but you shouldn’t shoulder all the blame. Xu Sheng fainted because he ate expired bread, not because you were showing off the barbecue skewers. What happened today was just an unfortunate coincidence.”

Gu Zi paused before adding firmly, “Remember, this wasn’t your fault. But still, we should keep our distance from Xu Sheng’s family in the future to avoid more trouble.”@@novelbin@@

Su Li nodded seriously, then hesitated as another thought struck him.

“Mom, there’s something I don’t understand. Why does Xu Sheng’s mom treat him that way? He’s so weak, and yet she still hit him. She doesn’t act like his real mom at all—more like a wicked stepmother.”

Gu Zi fell silent at his question. Su Li had voiced something that had unsettled her too. Huang Fei’s treatment of Xu Sheng was so cold and harsh that it was difficult to comprehend.

For a moment, Gu Zi struggled to find the right words. After all, the truth could be brutal. But then she reminded herself that growing up also meant learning about life’s harsher realities. Perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing for Su Li to know the truth sooner rather than later.

After a brief internal debate, she spoke carefully, “Not all parents in this world truly love their children. Some people love themselves far more than they could ever love their kids. Others don’t love their children at all—they only have expectations. They care less about the child as a person and more about what the child can achieve for them. For these parents, affection is conditional. They reward their children with love only when it serves their interests, to ensure the child continues to bring them more success.”

As she spoke, Gu Zi felt a pang of sadness. Wasn’t Huang Fei exactly that kind of parent? And weren’t her foster parents, Gu Shan and Zhang Mei, the same?

The more she thought about it, the clearer it became. Her foster parents had never truly loved her—they had only cared about the status and honor she brought to them. It was no wonder the original Gu Zi had placed such importance on romantic love. Deprived of parental affection, she had craved love so desperately that she would risk everything for it—even her life.

Su Li frowned as he listened, his face darkening with sympathy for Xu Sheng. He had always thought his own life was tragic, but now he realized Xu Sheng’s situation was even worse.

Still, Su Li felt a flicker of gratitude. No matter how bad things had been, at least now he had Gu Zi—not just a mom, but the best mom anyone could ask for. She wasn’t his birth mother, but she loved him like no one else ever had.