Chapter 15
1050 Words
He stood there quietly under the setting sun, his brows furrowed, his gaze deep, watching a girl not far away. Short hair, a pretty face. The girl smiled slightly, then took quick steps forward, throwing herself into his arms. He seemed to pause for a moment but didn't push her away.
The person he didn't push away was her, her roommate, Xu Qing.
When Youyan saw his hand encircle Xu Qing's waist, she turned away.
The puzzle that remained unsolved soon reached the time for departure.
Youyan smiled, tucking that secret moment back into her heart.
"Senior." Youyan patted Lin Ziyan, who was still petrified, "Are you ready? I'll go get a napkin."
Lin Ziyan finally understood what it meant to shoot oneself in the foot. He didn't mind getting close to Youyan, but out of habit, he glanced at his boss. The soft voice had already said, "Senior, if you don't agree, it's fine. I'll just drink."
"Drink, drink, drink!" The voices inside and outside the table were loud, all waiting for the drama to unfold.
Youyan smiled, reaching for the bottle of liquor.
Her movements were swift; she poured a glass, closed her eyes, and swallowed it down.
Some recalled something; that was the glass Gu Ye Bai had used earlier. Chu Ke bit her lip, thinking, another woman!
She laughed, "Senior Lu, the bottle's still full, no need to rush, take your time."
Guessing Gu Ye Bai's feelings, one would think he must hate Youyan. Chu Ke, always favored by Gu Ye Bai, was excellent at reading people. Her words were met with a chorus of agreement, and the curly-haired girl, who felt indignant for Huaian, sneered repeatedly.
Youyan furrowed her brows, downing the cup in one go, her face turning red as she clutched her chest and coughed violently.
Xu Qing wanted to say something but held back. Youyan wiped her mouth and started pouring another drink.
The light refracted through the glass, dazzling. At the other end of the glass, Gu Ye Bai's eyes darkened.
Youyan couldn't drink. Lin Ziyan suddenly remembered this and panicked.
"Ziyan." Just as he was in a daze, he heard Gu Ye Bai's voice.
He felt his scalp tingle. He couldn't be sure of Gu Ye Bai's feelings for Youyan. He hadn't dared to ask in the four years. After all, anyone who had seen his madness back then wouldn't broach the subject.
Lin Ziyan responded, anxious, almost wanting to hide in a corner.
Gu Ye Bai said, "Ziyan, after the game ends, you should leave too. Don't stay too late. You still need to sign that contract in S City tomorrow."
Lin Ziyan felt like collapsing. The contract in S City was for a charity art auction in collaboration with the government. He had coaxed Gu Ye Bai into going personally because the female deputy mayor there was notoriously difficult.
He wanted to protest, but he saw Gu Ye Bai's gaze casually drift to Youyan, just one glance, then look away, so nonchalantly.
He knew that Gu Ye Bai knew he knew.
He was shocked but then had an epiphany. He quickly grabbed the bottle from Youyan, laughing, "If President Gu can drink for his confidante, can't I, Lin Ziyan, drink for my junior?"
Youyan was stunned, then felt a suffocating pain in her chest, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She hurriedly covered her mouth, apologized softly, and rushed towards the restroom.
In her haste, she knocked over a tray held by an oncoming waiter, getting herself all messy.
Someone couldn't help but laugh, causing a burst of laughter that filled the entire hall.
When Youyan returned, it was less than ten minutes later, but the party had already dispersed. The hall was almost empty.
He was still there, of course, along with Huaian. Xu Qing, Lin Ziyan, Chu Ke, Fang Minghui, and two other women close to Chu Ke, presumably her friends, were also there.
"Youyan, are you okay?" Xu Qing approached, her face showing some concern.
Youyan's face was pale, but she shook her head.
Xu Qing said, "We were waiting for you. The men have their cars. Decide who you'll ride with."
"I'll take a cab by myself."
"Xiaofang, take Chu and also give Miss Lu a ride."
Everyone was taken aback by this, Youyan even more so. That deep, smooth voice was his. Even the slightest trace of his thoughts was unreadable to her. She didn't expect any information about her to come from him. But this one sentence filled her with a bitter ache.
Miss Lu. They had their sweetest, most intimate moments, but now they were the most familiar strangers. Four years ago, she had betrayed him. Four years later, he had set the boundaries of her world.
Fang Minghui respectfully agreed.
Youyan clenched her hands in her pockets tightly.
Lin Ziyan, feeling guilty about Youyan, threw an arm around Fang Minghui's shoulder, laughing, "Xiaofang, your senior drank, for your senior's safety, take me and your senior too."
Meaning, he wouldn't drive and was hitching a ride.
"But, there's not enough space." Fang Minghui was taken aback.
Chu Ke, with a sly smile, said, "Dummy, aren't there President Gu and Senior Huaian? Senior Lu can go with them. Right, Senior Huaian?"
Excellent! That's exactly what I was waiting for. Lin Ziyan smiled inwardly. This little girl was up to no good, trying to push Youyan onto Huaian to make things awkward for her.
Xu Qing gave a cold laugh and subtly glanced at Gu Ye Bai, whose expression was light and unreadable.
"Since that's the case, Youyan, you can come with us then." Huaian smiled faintly, stepping forward to take Youyan's hand. Youyan was surprised, then nodded quietly. There was no room for pretense now. After today, this might be the last time they met.
Wasn't it good to have a bit more time to look at him?
Gu Ye Bai gave Lin Ziyan a sidelong glance before taking Huaian's hand, "Let's go."
Xu Qing said quietly, "Youyan, stay in touch."
Youyan exchanged a few words with Xu Qing, said goodbye, and then hurriedly followed behind.
The two were already far ahead, and from a distance, they looked so fitting together. She thought she understood what Susan meant by perfect harmony.
- Writer
