Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Standing to the side, I heard Qin Yi's voice calling out to me. Instinctively, I pulled away from Gu Xiang's embrace and looked over. It wasn't just Qin Yi; Lu Ming and Wang Yue were also there.
I didn't know why it was such a coincidence, but I instinctively recalled that during a previous meal with Qin Yi, I had casually mentioned that my mother-in-law was staying at this hospital. Could it be that Qin Yi had done this on purpose?
The thought sent a chill down my spine.
"What are you all doing here?" I asked. Wang Yue replied that she suddenly felt dizzy and uncomfortable, so they brought her over. "What a coincidence," Qin Yi said with a bright smile, not mentioning the situation where Gu Xiang and I had been hugging just moments before.
I discreetly wiped away the tears threatening to spill from my eyes and managed a smile in return. "I came to see my ex-husband's mother, and Gu Xiang came with me."
"What a coincidence! You all came too? What's wrong with Wang Yue? Dizziness? Is it a cold or fever?" Gu Xiang said as he walked over to Wang Yue and placed his hand on her forehead.
Wang Yue smiled cheerfully and didn’t stop Gu Xiang’s actions. She playfully replied, "I don’t know; I just suddenly felt dizzy. This is perfect; I get to see Gu Xiang Gege! If you’re feeling better later, let’s have a meal together. I really miss you."
Gu Xiang teased her, "You're already grown up, yet you still talk like this. Your health is important; have you checked? What’s the reason?"
Wang Yue said it was probably just low blood sugar and that the doctor advised her to rest well. I stood behind them, watching them chat casually like old friends, wishing desperately to leave this dreadful place.
But Qin Yi wasn’t going to let me leave so easily. She came over and pulled me along, insisting that I join them for dinner. I shook my head, saying, "I’m feeling a bit unwell too; I want to go back and rest."
"Come on! If you're not feeling well, you should get checked here at the hospital. If everything is fine, we can all go eat together. If you don’t eat, it might make you feel worse," Wang Yue's voice floated from behind.
I knew things weren't going to be that simple. At the dining table, Wang Yue started incessantly talking about my relationship with Gu Xiang, saying how well-matched we were and how happy we would be together.
Her comments were completely opposite to what she had said before when she criticized me. Now she seemed to think that I complemented Gu Xiang well—did that mean she thought poorly of Gu Xiang?
Clearly not.
Lu Ming and Gu Xiang remained mostly silent; whenever they spoke, it was about men's preferences or similar topics, avoiding any discussions among women just like during previous gatherings.
Occasionally, Qin Yi would try to intervene on my behalf by telling Wang Yue to stop talking about it, but her attempts lacked conviction. Wang Yue continued unabated, even suggesting that if Qin Yi and Lu Ming remarried, it would be wonderful for me and Gu Xiang to be together as well—double happiness!
It felt as though refusing would make me seem clueless.
Wang Yue made an exaggerated expression, poking Gu Xiang's arm as if she were very dissatisfied. "Gu Xiang, brother, we're all busy with your matters right now. How can you not take it seriously? It makes me feel like I'm meddling."
I rolled my eyes internally. You're meddling, okay!
"I'm really sorry. I wasn't paying attention just now. Seeing your serious expression and how actively you were speaking, I actually thought you were talking about your own matters."
I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Gu Xiang must have done it on purpose; he didn't seem like someone who would unintentionally say something like that. Seeing me laugh, Wang Yue was very displeased. "Oh, so it seems you're just enjoying the gossip while not caring about the real issue. If I had known, I wouldn't have said anything. You've already held each other in the hospital and still won't admit it. Let's see how long you can hide it."
I didn't want to get involved in this topic, but if I spoke too much as the person involved, I wouldn't be able to avoid it. Hearing Wang Yue say this, I sulked.
"Wang Yue, I don't understand what you mean."
"What do you mean?"
"Since it's my personal matter, whether I choose to speak about it or not is my own business. How long can I hide it? Even if I really don't tell you, it's a straightforward choice not to say anything. I'm not hiding anything from you, nor do I have the obligation to tell you."
"You!" Wang Yue's face turned red with anger. "Aren't I just concerned about you? You treat my good intentions as if I'm being unreasonable! You're just bullying me for being younger."
"You're in your twenties; are you still considered young? It's rare for someone your age to say something like that. The world didn't change drastically in the few years before you were born; that can't be an excuse for not knowing how to speak properly."
Wang Yue was left speechless with anger, opening her mouth several times without making a sound. Qin Yi tried to mediate from the side: "Alright, alright, Wang Yue has been spoiled by us. We usually treat her like a precious little sister and have never spoken harshly to her. She says whatever she wants, so if she has offended you in any way, Zhuang Jun, please be more forgiving."
Does that mean I spoke too harshly?
"At this age, one should be out experiencing the world. There are plenty of older brothers and sisters around; there are also many people who aren't older siblings. A few people might spoil you, but thousands will come to correct your faults."
The events of the past few days had left me feeling unsettled; I didn't even want to deal with basic etiquette anymore. Perhaps because they had never seen me so articulate before, even Qin Yi looked a bit surprised.
For a moment, it became very quiet; no one spoke until Gu Xiang broke the silence: "Zhuang Jun, I've noticed that since Miao Miao left, you've started to resemble her more and more. That's great! Seeing you is like seeing two of her. Come on, eat something; didn't you eat very little at lunch?"
As he spoke, Gu Xiang began to serve food into my bowl. I shot him a secret glare; he hadn't reacted when others were talking about our little conversation earlier, and now he was serving food again—wasn't that just giving them another opportunity to gossip?
Fortunately, Qin Yi and Wang Yue didn't say anything further, especially Wang Yue, whose face remained sour throughout the meal. After eating, Qin Yi and Wang Yue took Lu Ming's car, while Gu Xiang drove me home.
As we were leaving, Qin Yi called out to me, "Zhuang Jun, we should meet up more often. We're friends, right?"
Everything seemed a bit blurry at night. Qin Yi stood a certain distance away from me, and I couldn't see her expression clearly. I couldn't even tell what I was feeling inside. I nodded lightly as if to acknowledge her words but didn't respond verbally.
Sitting in Gu Xiang's car, he joked, "It looks like Qin Yi really likes you. She rarely tells people to keep in touch like that."
I immediately felt irritated and shot Gu Xiang a glare, recalling what had just happened at the dinner table. "How can you say that? Didn't you notice that Qin Yi doesn't like me at all?"
Gu Xiang replied in surprise, "I didn't notice that. You're just overthinking it."
"How is that possible? You're a psychologist and yet you don't understand women? I think Qin Yi must absolutely hate me. And then there's Wang Yue, who is just there to voice Qin Yi's thoughts. If there's something Qin Yi can't say herself, she lets Wang Yue do it. Just listen to how annoying she is."
I vented a lot of my frustrations to Gu Xiang without caring that he was also Lu Ming's friend and a friend of Qin Yi and Wang Yue. I was just angry today and wanted to let it out.
Gu Xiang listened without offering any opinions until I finished speaking and still hadn't said anything. I looked at him in confusion. "Aren't you surprised by what I said? Do you think it's reasonable?"
Gu Xiang nodded in agreement. "I think it's very reasonable; that's just how women are."
His words deflated my anger. He was right; that is how women are. I forced a smile and said, "So you’re saying that what they say doesn’t bother you at all?"
Is it because I'm a woman that I scrutinize what other women say so closely? Thinking about it this way, could it be my fault?
"What's there to be angry about? They’re just expressing their opinions. You can choose to listen or not; clearly, you chose not to listen earlier, which was the right choice for you. You're such a good kid."
I laughed and wanted to punch Gu Xiang playfully. "Don't tease me like that! You make me sound so childish. And you're the one who said Qin Yi genuinely wants to be friends with me; it seems you're the one with a child's understanding."
"Haha, I think you're the one who's misunderstood."
Gu Xiang suddenly laughed and said, "How should I put it? If Qin Yi wants to do something, she definitely has her reasons. Everyone does that. But if Qin Yi wants to befriend you, then she truly means it. It's either friends or enemies; do you want to be her enemy?"
Gu Xiang's words truly surprised me; it felt like something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
"Her meaning is quite obvious, isn't it? She doesn't want to be your enemy, so everything she's doing now should make you feel fortunate. You should be patting your chest and saying, 'Ah, thank goodness she doesn't want to oppose me; that would really be a hassle.'"
"So you're saying I should just let Wang Yue manipulate me like Qin Yi does? And then follow her lead to be with you?"
It was a sarcastic remark that I found amusing as I said it, but Gu Xiang seemed to be in deep thought. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.
"If you think that's acceptable, I can go along with it."
"What?" I looked at Gu Xiang's profile in confusion, unable to discern his emotions.
"Wang Yue isn't wrong, right? A single man and a recently divorced woman getting together is legally permissible. So if you're willing..."
I quickly raised my hands in front of me to stop him. The things I had heard so far were already absurd enough: "Stop, stop! Don't say any more. If I'm allowed to be with anyone legally, does that mean we all have to get together? This is just a joke. I'll think more about what you said regarding Qin Yi."
Gu Xiang laughed and didn't pursue the previous topic. He nodded in agreement and said, "Well, think about it. I suggest you accept it; it will make your life... how should I put it? Simpler?"
I thought about it; after encountering all these people, my life could no longer be simple.
Comment 0 Comment Count