Back to the Past: The Rise of the False Heiress Marrying the True Tycoon

Chapter 993: There’s a Mistress

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Gu Zi’s lips curved into a radiant, playful smile. Leaning in close to Su Shen’s ear, her warm breath tickling him, she teased in a deliberately ambiguous tone, “Why hold back?”

The words lingered, sweet and maddening, as she gently lowered herself back onto her heels. Her lips brushed past his ear, the contact fleeting yet potent, igniting a fire within the man who had been painstakingly restraining himself.

Just as Gu Zi turned to leave, Su Shen pulled her back with one swift motion, drawing her into his arms once more. This time, there was no pretense of restraint. His hand encircled her waist as he bent his head down, capturing her lips in a kiss that deepened with each passing second.

The exchange was electric—an intimate dialogue of passion, as every shiver and tingle between their entwined bodies spoke of unspoken desire.

Back at the military compound, Lin Miao barely stepped through the gate before encountering the last person she wanted to see.

Mo Li, sauntering out with her signature smugness, radiated the kind of satisfaction only a victor could flaunt.

Lin Miao instinctively frowned, her heart sinking with a dull ache. She thought of dodging the encounter, but Mo Li was already striding toward her, a triumphant smile plastered across her face.

“Well, Lin Miao, skipping school again, are we? What brings you back here?” Mo Li’s voice was dripping with mockery.

Lin Miao despised Gu Zi the most, but Mo Li came a close second. And yet, here Mo Li was, making herself impossible to ignore. Forcing a brittle smile, Lin Miao replied, “Oh, just picking up some study materials. What about you? You—”

Her voice faltered. Her eyes were drawn, unwillingly, to the faint, unmistakable marks on Mo Li’s neck, left deliberately exposed as if to taunt her. Words failed her.@@novelbin@@

How could Lin Miao not guess where those marks came from? Mo Li had been practically glued to Gong Zhan under the guise of “work,” styling herself like Gu Zi to an almost ridiculous degree. Of course, something would happen between them. Gong Zhan was a man, after all, and no man would resist prey served so willingly on a silver platter.

But what could Lin Miao do about it now? She had neither the courage to confront Gong Zhan nor the strength to face what would inevitably follow—divorce. Just the thought of seeing him again sent a cold shiver down her spine.

Pretending not to notice, Lin Miao tried to sidestep the issue, but Mo Li wasn’t about to let her off so easily.

Smirking, Mo Li leaned in. “It’s not really a coincidence, Lin Miao. You’d better get used to seeing me around the compound. Sooner or later, the position you can’t hold onto will be mine.”

With a sneer and a pointed laugh, Mo Li sauntered off, leaving Lin Miao rooted in place, her eyes red with frustration. She hated Mo Li with every fiber of her being but had no idea how to deal with her.

Yet this encounter only solidified Lin Miao’s resolve—she would get into university, secure her status as Gong Zhan’s wife, and, when the time came, make Mo Li pay dearly for her arrogance.

Lin Miao stormed back home, her mind in turmoil. The moment she stepped inside, she was greeted by the sight of Zhang Mei, her mother, who sat with an air of perpetual grievance.

Though Zhang Mei had been discharged from the hospital, she looked no healthier than when she was admitted.

Lin Miao suddenly remembered that her mother was in the same precarious position she was—both of their husbands had strayed. The only difference was that Zhang Mei had yet to identify her rival.

Zhang Mei wasted no time diving into her complaints. “Miao Miao, your father just found another excuse to run off again. I bet he’s gone to see that tramp Li Li! I swear, my life is a misery. Who would’ve thought my own husband would fall for the housekeeper under my very nose? And to think I trusted her!”

This scandal had spread through the compound like wildfire ever since Zhang Mei’s discharge. The timing had been too coincidental—Li Li had asked for leave the day before Zhang Mei came home, citing urgent matters back in her village. She’d even had the audacity to request an advance on her wages.

Needless to say, she never returned.

It wasn’t until later that Zhang Mei realized Li Li had likely fled to avoid her wrath.

Now, the mere memory of her misplaced trust filled Zhang Mei with bitter regret. She’d been so mortified by the affair that she had barely left the house, dreading the whispers of the other military wives.

As for Gu Shan, her husband, he’d received a formal reprimand for “improper conduct.” While he now made a show of staying home more often, he seized every opportunity to sneak away.

Zhang Mei saw all this but chose to endure it for Lin Miao’s sake. If Lin Miao could get into university, it would all be worth it. After all, Gu Shan was the one at fault. His guilt had softened his temper, making him more accommodating at home—at least on the surface.

But today, with Gu Shan slipping out yet again, Zhang Mei’s anger boiled over.

Lin Miao, who had been away at school and unaware of the household’s daily drama, was stunned. She couldn’t believe the identity of her father’s mistress. Li Li? That unremarkable village woman with absolutely nothing to her name?

How could Gu Shan have stooped so low? Men, she thought bitterly, were truly capable of anything when desperate.