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墨書 Inktalez
Time is the fairest judge and the cruelest sculptor.
Years slipped by in an instant. I successfully completed my studies abroad, earning a master's degree with excellent grades. With my outstanding professional skills and experience gained in top laboratories, I secured an offer from a Fortune 500 company, with a position and salary that were quite impressive.
My life turned a new and brilliant page.
On the day I returned home, my parents and Zhang Qi were already waiting for me at the airport. Seeing their familiar and warm smiles filled me with an indescribable sense of warmth and belonging.
After returning home, I didn’t immediately dive into work; instead, I took some time off to spend quality moments with my parents. The family business was thriving under their management, no longer the struggling small enterprise it once was. My father even half-jokingly asked if I wanted to come back and take over the family business.
I smiled and declined. I had my own path to follow.
“Our Yan Yan has grown up and has her own ideas now,” my mother said, affectionately patting my head.
Seeing my parents healthy and spirited, and our family harmonious and warm, I sincerely thanked the heavens for giving me this chance to start anew.
When I met up with Zhang Qi, we reminisced about many past events from university and updates about our classmates. Naturally, we couldn’t avoid mentioning Lu Ze and Lin Weiwei.
“Lu Ze…” Zhang Qi grimaced slightly, a hint of disdain on his face. “I heard he’s doing terribly. That small company he worked for seems to have gone under, and now he’s unemployed again. He’s become increasingly despondent, drinking all the time. I even heard he got detained for a few days recently because of some drunken trouble.”
“His parents hardly care about him anymore; they think he’s a disgrace,” Zhang Qi sighed. “I never expected someone who was once so successful would end up like this.”
I listened quietly, feeling no stirrings in my heart. This was all his own doing.
“What about Lin Weiwei?” I casually asked.
“Oh, she got married,” Zhang Qi replied with a hint of amusement in his tone. “She married that rich second-generation guy from university. But I’ve heard things aren’t going well; her in-laws look down on her for coming from an ordinary background and don’t treat her well. Her husband is also quite the playboy, running around with other women. Lin Weiwei might seem fine on the surface, but only she knows how tough it really is.”
A refined egoist may not necessarily find the happiness they seek in the end.
This news was nothing more than idle gossip to me; once heard, it was easily forgotten. I was no longer Gu Yan, who would be emotionally affected by their situations.
Until one day, I unexpectedly “ran into” Lu Ze.
That day, I accompanied my mother shopping at a mall. While retrieving our car from the underground parking lot, a man in a security uniform—stooped over with stubble covering his face—blocked our way.
As I focused on him, I realized it was Lu Ze.
Years had stripped away any trace of his former self. His skin was sallow, his eyes sunken and murky; his hair was unkempt, exuding a strong smell of cheap cigarettes and alcohol mixed with an overwhelming sense of despair.
When he saw me, his eyes brightened for a moment before dimming again, revealing a complex expression of shame, unwillingness, and pleading.
“Gu Yan…” he croaked out hoarsely, trying to sound amiable. “Long time no see… you’re back?”
My mother clearly recognized him as well. She furrowed her brows and instinctively pulled me behind her, watching him warily. "What do you want?"
"Auntie, I—I didn't mean anything..." Lu Ze hurriedly waved his hands, appearing somewhat flustered. "I just... I just wanted to say I'm sorry."
He looked at me, his eyes filled with regret. "Gu Yan, I know I was wrong, truly wrong. Back then, I was blind; I was a jerk... If I could do it all over again, I would definitely..."
"There are no ifs." I interrupted him, my voice cold and devoid of any emotion. "Lu Ze, we have no relationship anymore. I don't want to talk about the past."
My calmness and detachment seemed to pierce him. The color drained from his face, leaving it pale. He murmured to himself, "Yeah, it's all in the past... You're doing so well now; you must have forgotten all about me... Of course, someone like me doesn't deserve to be remembered by you..."
He lowered his head, his shoulders slightly shaking as if he were silently crying.
Seeing him in such a pitiful state, filled with regret, did not stir any sympathy within me.
Those who are pitiable often have their own faults.
This was all the retribution he deserved.
"Let's go, Mom." I linked my arm with my mother's and turned towards our car.
Lu Ze did not try to stop us again; he simply stood there, staring blankly as we walked away.
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