Qin He withdrew her hand and turned to look.
A noblewoman slowly descended the stairs. She was dressed impeccably and wore exquisite makeup, but her eyes were filled with dissatisfaction and disgust towards Qin He.
Qin He thus knew that this woman before her was likely the one who disliked her and forced her to resign from her job.
Gu Qishen called out faintly, "Mom."
Guessing the woman's identity, Qin He merely nodded at her and then said with a smile to her grandmother, "Grandma, I'll go wash my hands first."
Gu Qishen stared at her retreating back towards the restroom for a few moments.
He had expected her to retort to his mother just as she had to him.
He tugged at the corner of his lips and said to the woman who had approached him, "Mom, Qin He..."
Although Madam Gu disliked Qin He, she was mindful of Grandma Gu's presence and merely said faintly, "Isn't it natural to wash your hands?"
Qin He returned after washing her hands and acted as if Madam Gu didn't exist, chatting with Grandma Gu the entire time.
Soon after, the maid announced that dinner was ready.
Qin He helped Grandma Gu to her seat, scanned the dishes on the table, and her smile faded a bit.
She liked spicy food, but this entire spread before her was so bland it was unappetizing.
She couldn't believe that after two years of marriage, her family still didn't know her preferences.
Madam Gu had just gone into the kitchen, likely to instruct them to prepare the meal as blandly as possible.
She took a few bites and then put down her chopsticks.
Gu Qishen noticed she wasn't eating much and frowned, but said nothing.
It was Grandma Gu who spoke, "Why isn't Xiao He eating? You used to like these dishes, didn't you?"
Qin He's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a headache coming on.
It turned out they genuinely didn't know.
Just how far had she gone for this man in the past? Complimenting a table full of dishes she disliked as delicious?
She supposed she was what people called a love-struck fool.
Perhaps she had acted too convincingly before, and now Qin He found it difficult to refute. She could only smile and say, "I'm not very hungry today, Grandma. It's alright."
After dinner, Gu Qishen and Qin He prepared to leave.
Grandma Gu was very reluctant. "Xiao He, you are my chosen granddaughter-in-law. If you are ever wronged, you must tell me, and Grandma will stand up for you. If you leave, that brat won't get away with it!"
Having lived most of her life, she could see through the matters between her children and grandchildren at a glance.
Some things could not be faked.
"Okay, Grandma. Qishen treats me very well. I will come to see you often in the future." Qin He didn't say much, just smiled and agreed.
Just as the two were about to step out of the house, Madam Gu, who had walked over from the side, suddenly called out to Gu Qishen, "Stay here. I have something to tell you."
Before Gu Qishen could reply, Qin He had already spoken, "Then I'll be going now."
Perhaps thinking his mother truly had something important to say, Gu Qishen abandoned the idea of leaving and told Qin He, "Wait, it's too late. I'll have the driver take you."
Qin He was indifferent. "Okay."
She hadn't glanced at Madam Gu once throughout the entire interaction.
This had infuriated her considerably.
After Qin He left, Madam Gu directly called Gu Qishen back into the room.
Out of the sight of others, she could no longer contain her disgust for Qin He. "She was really even more impolite today. I wonder what kind of upbringing she had..."
As she began to speak, Gu Qishen had already frowned imperceptibly. He interrupted her faintly, "Mom, did you have something you wanted to tell me?"
Interrupted, Madam Gu stopped talking about that topic. She gave him a cold look and turned to throw her phone in front of him. "I just saw this. Take a look."
Gu Qishen picked it up and his brow immediately furrowed.
Several photos were of Qin He and Lu Mingxi at the bar that day.
Qin He's face was clear in the photos, but Lu Mingxi's was blurry.
Some of the shots were taken at opportune moments, making them appear very intimate.
Gu Qishen's fingers gripped the phone tightly, his thin lips pressed together, his eyes dark.
After a long moment, he exhaled deeply and said heavily, "Mom, it's a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding? With the photos right here, you tell me it's a misunderstanding?"
Seeing that she was about to say more, Gu Qishen placed the phone face down on the table and said calmly, "Mom, we're actually already divorced."