[May You Love Me as I Love You] Chapter 2: The Typhoon

When Li Chongming's call came, Song Er was listening to the music Su Xie had sent her. She was half-reclining on a chair in the顾 family's backyard, using the cool evening breeze to start choreographing a dance. It must have been a piece Su Xie had just composed, not yet released on the market, so Song Er had never heard it before.


Although the school anniversary was a month away and didn't have very complex requirements, since she would be performing with Su Xie and it was her first performance after returning to China, Song Er was taking it very seriously.

"Uncle, what's up?"

Song Er turned off the music and answered the call, slightly relaxing her legs which had gone a bit numb from sitting cross-legged.

"Are you free tomorrow? Let's have dinner together in the evening."

When she returned to the country, Li Chongming happened to be away on a business trip for a project.Gu Cheng once mentioned that this was a bit troublesome, but now it seems the issue has been resolved.

Song Er thought about her schedule for tomorrow. The morning was a rare free period, but the afternoon was full of classes. She had originally planned to use the empty dance studio in the evening to try out choreography for the music Su Xie sent, but now it seemed she would have to postpone it.

"Yes, I am," she replied.

"Then I'll come pick you up at the Gu's house when I get back tomorrow?" Li Chongming suggested.

"No need, I'll go directly from school. Just send me the address."

She and her uncle weren't particularly close, but after her parents' death, he became her only family. Because her uncle had to manage the Song Corporation while also taking care of her, he made the difficult decision to have her live with the Gu family, who were old friends of the Song family and with whom she had an arranged marriage.

After they made the arrangements, Li Chongming didn't say much more and hung up. Song Er packed up her things and returned to her room.

The restaurant Li Chongming booked was a local one, likely because he considered that Song Er had just returned from abroad. However, he seemed to have forgotten that Aunt Zhou's local cooking was always very authentic.

"Uncle."

As soon as Song Er entered the restaurant, she saw Li Chongming. He looked travel-worn, as if he had just rushed from the airport. After she sat down, Li Chongming motioned for a waiter to come over so they could order.

At Li Chongming's suggestion, Song Er ordered a few dishes they both liked from memory. Even so, she still asked for his opinion before handing the order to the waiter.

"Have you been staying at the Gu's house since you came back?" Li Chongming asked, feigning concern.

Song Er disliked hearing these questions. He had rarely checked in on her after pushing her into the Gu family, yet every time they met, he would ask, "Are you used to living there? How are the Gu family?" But these were questions she had no right to choose the answer to.

"Yes, I've always lived there anyway."

Since she was thirteen, she had been a guest in the Gu's house. Although the Song family's house was in her name, it was the Gu family's servants who went to clean it every week, and she had never returned there.

Not wanting to be reminded of painful memories, not wanting to wallow in the past, she chose to avoid it out of cowardice.

"Are you used to it?"

"The time abroad is over, there's nothing more to say about it; and with the Gu family, there's nothing I'm not used to. They've always treated me very well."

"That's good."

Every time they met, they would say these same few things, until it felt as if they had nothing else to talk about.

Song Er hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Don't work too hard either."

Ever since her parents passed away, all the affairs of the Song Corporation had fallen on Li Chongming's shoulders. Over the years, he was always an early bird and a late riser, and working overtime was a common occurrence. The Song Corporation had been getting better and better under his management. Although Song Er didn't pay much attention, she would occasionally hear about it at the dinner table at the Gu's house.

"I know my limits. You too, take good care of yourself and don't make me worry."

"I will."

"I will." She had said the same thing when her uncle dropped her off at the Gu's house that year. She would be well-behaved, take care of herself, not make anyone worry, and be a sensible person who didn't cause trouble.

From that moment on, she was no longer the little princess who could get whatever she wanted. She had to hide her feelings, learn to be strong, and learn all the caution she had never cared about before.

But she knew all of that so clearly, yet she still made a mistake in the end, an uncontrollable, involuntary mistake.

The dinner ended without them bringing up any new topics. Li Chongming drove Song Er back to the Gu's house, went in and greeted the Gu family, chatted for a while, and then left.

The weather forecast had said a typhoon was coming to Xuchuan this week, but it had been saying so for a week, and the sun was still hanging high in the sky. Not to mention a typhoon, there wasn't even a breeze. On the contrary, the temperature was reaching a new high every day.

Aunt Zhou fanned herself with a palm fan, complaining impatiently that the weather forecast was less trustworthy than a child's idle talk.

It wasn't until Friday evening after dinner that a cool breeze finally started to blow. Song Er stood by the window and deliberately opened it. She happened to see Gu Lixing's car pull into the garage.

He seemed to be busy every day. Even when they occasionally ran into each other at dinner at the Gu's house, he basically didn't talk much. But it also seemed like everyone was busy, even Gu Cheng, who she rarely saw just idling at home.

A knock came on the door. It was Gu Cheng, holding a small bowl of watermelon. It seemed he had sent Aunt Zhou away on his way up.

"How's school?"

"I'm not being singled out by teachers, I can talk to my classmates, and I have you and Su Xie. The only difficulty is that the public course teachers are always very hypnotic, but it's manageable." Song Er took a bite of watermelon first, then took the bowl from his hand and answered with a very serious look.

Gu Cheng patted her shoulder in a show of cooperation. "Then you're doing well."

"It's alright, just so-so."

Song Er then pretended to be nonchalant, but couldn't hold back a laugh at the end.

Gu Cheng added an unceremonious comment. "When are you going to become our company's official spokesperson?"

"I can do that—" Mid-sentence, her eyes met Gu Lixing's, who was on his way back to his room. Song Er immediately turned her head away in a panic. "That, thank you," she said, raising the watermelon bowl in her hand, and prepared to go back to her room.

"Good night." Gu Cheng smiled and said goodbye, as if he hadn't seen the sudden change in Song Er.

"Good night."

Late at night, the typhoon that the weather forecast had been talking about for days finally arrived. In an instant, there was thunder and lightning, and strong winds. The glass windows seemed like they would break under the heavy force at any moment.

Song Er was curled up in her blanket, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

On nights with thunder and lightning, she would always have insomnia, because it was on such a night that she had received a call from the police station. The police told her that her parents had gone missing in a shipwreck, and their bodies were only recovered two days later.

There was a knock on the door. She knew who it was. Only he knew that she couldn't sleep on nights like this, but she didn't intend to answer.

The person outside knocked for a while. Seeing that she wasn't moving, he called her instead.

Song Er knew that if she didn't open the door, this phone would ring persistently all night.

The moment the door opened, before she could react, Gu Lixing pulled her into his arms. One hand covered her ears, and the other gently patted her back. She didn't want it, but when she was held in Gu Lixing's arms, that familiar feeling made it impossible for her to push him away.

After the strong winds, the heavy rain came, and big raindrops hit the windows, making a rattling sound. They stayed in that position, and no one spoke first.

Song Er told herself in her heart, just for a moment, just for a moment, don't worry about the cause and effect, don't worry about the so-called fate. She loved him, and even though she tried her best to ignore it, that kiss was like a brand in her mind, a scab that had turned into a scar.

"Song Er—"

"You can let go of me now." Song Er feigned calm, withdrew her hand, and pushed Gu Lixing.

It was still raining outside, and occasionally lightning flashed, followed by rumbles of thunder, but Song Er knew that even if she were greedy, the object couldn't be Gu Lixing.

"Why?"

Why did she agree to get engaged to Gu Cheng when she still liked him?

"I'm sorry, I lost control."

Song Er said, but it was more like she was talking to herself. The room was not lit, and Gu Lixing couldn't see the stubborn and sad expression on her face as she lifted her chin.

In the darkness, she vaguely heard Gu Lixing give a light laugh, followed by his cold voice. "You use me and then throw me away. You're really heartless."

"Then please, never come again."

Song Er turned around and, guided by instinct, walked to the bed, fumbling and crawling back into her blanket. A long time passed before she finally heard the sound of Gu Lixing leaving. He seemed to have said something, but the rain outside was too loud for her to hear.

Already suffering from insomnia, she felt even more awake after Gu Lixing's visit, and it wasn't until dawn that she finally felt sleepy.

When she woke up, the rain had lessened. Aunt Zhou and Xiao Zhang were in the backyard, directing the gardener they had hired from Master Liao in Chenxi to trim the flower branches that had been beaten by the rain all night. They were all very careful, saying that the flowers were planted by the old master for the old lady years ago and couldn't be messed with.

Seeing Song Er get up, Aunt Zhou put down what she was doing and prepared to go to the kitchen to make her something, but Song Er stopped her.

"I have to go out in a bit, I'll just eat outside."

She was going to school to practice dancing. Su Xie had sent her the music several days ago, but due to her busy class schedule, she had only just managed to finish choreographing the entire piece. She planned to use her free time to get more familiar with it, not to mention that her daily basic practice couldn't be neglected.

She packed her things and walked to the door, where she happened to see Gu Lixing's car pulling out of the garage.

Because of what happened last night, Song Er subconsciously wanted to avoid him, but Gu Lixing's car stopped beside her.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to school, it's not on your way." Guessing that Gu Lixing was going to the company, Song Er's rejection was very direct.

Gu Lixing seemed not to have heard the second half of her sentence and commanded, "Get in."

Seeing that she didn't move for a long time, Gu Lixing added, "The project Gu Cheng is working on is at a critical stage right now. He must be very busy."

Gu Lixing didn't need to relay this to her. Gu Cheng had already mentioned it to Song Er a long time ago. The fact that Gu Lixing brought it up now was probably because he was still angry about the airport incident.

She couldn't be too obvious before she even left the Gu's house. If the servants heard something and it reached the old lady, she didn't know how she would explain it.

"Thank you."

The journey was silent and the atmosphere was awkward. Song Er had no choice but to turn on the music. The first song was "Nocturne in C-sharp Minor," but it was better than the silent treatment.

Last night, she could have turned off her phone and there would have been no need to open the door, but when she thought that the person outside was Gu Lixing, her body had already walked there on its own.

When he pulled her into his arms, she could have struggled free from the start and not waited until later.

Did Gu Lixing see through her? He probably did, otherwise he wouldn't have asked her "why" and wouldn't still have a dark look on his face.

When they arrived at Xuda, Song Er thanked him and got out of the car without looking back. Gu Lixing, on the other hand, stayed there for a long time, watching Song Er's retreating figure thoughtfully until she was out of sight, then he drove away.

After that rain, the weather in Xuchuan started to get cooler.

Song Er's schedule after returning to the country was not very full, and her activities were very simple. She spent most of her time at school. Su Xie had already seen her dance and was very satisfied, only making some simple adjustments to match the overall stage.

The school anniversary was a relatively large event at Xuda. The preliminary selection of programs had already taken place last week. Although Song Er's program was not in the scope, she still went to perform once.

As the anniversary approached, the student union became very busy. When asked about the stage decorations, Song Er gave the decision-making power to Su Xie. It was his program, so she didn't plan to take the lead.

Su Xie said she was lazy, and she just smiled without refuting.

The rehearsal was scheduled for the day before the anniversary, but before that, the student union said they needed to do a run-through.

The run-through was in the evening, and Gu Cheng came to accompany her. Song Er was originally worried that he would be bored and planned to call him when it was about to end, but he arrived early and thoughtfully prepared milk tea for everyone on site.

The marriage alliance between the Song and Gu families was no longer news, but many people thought it was just a simple commercial marriage. Seeing Gu Cheng's attitude towards Song Er now made many girls openly envious.

Unable to tell how much was genuine and how much was feigned, Song Er could only smile in response. After the crowd dispersed, she said to Gu Cheng, "It's over now, everyone probably sees me as a love rival."

"Why don't you say I intended to do this, to save some young men from being disrespectful?" Gu Cheng said nonchalantly, which earned him a resentful glare from Song Er.

They discussed the program with Su Xie. They didn't have much time to rehearse together. Not only were their class schedules different, but they also had other things to handle, so the time they could squeeze out was not much.

But it looked like the program was coming along nicely now. Because of Su Xie, the program, which was originally the last one, was taken out and rehearsed first. This was also good, as it saved them from having to wait until the end.

After it was over, Song Er and Su Xie had planned to go to the dance studio next door to practice for a while, but the student union members in charge of the anniversary wanted to invite Su Xie to stay and give them some guidance. In that case, practice was impossible, so Song Er simply told Su Xie and left with Gu Cheng.

It was already nine o'clock in the evening when they got back to the Gu's house. After a busy day, and with a rehearsal tomorrow, Song Er started to wash up and prepare to go to bed early when she got back. While she was blow-drying her hair, Gu Cheng suddenly came to find her.

"What's wrong?" Song Er asked, puzzled.

Gu Cheng looked a little conflicted. He paused for a while before speaking. "Xiao Er, there's a problem with the project. I have to go on a business trip early tomorrow morning."

Song Er had always been uninvolved in Gu Cheng's affairs at the Gu Corporation. But the two had agreed earlier that Gu Cheng would come to support her at the school anniversary. Tomorrow was the rehearsal, and the day after was the official performance. Gu Cheng specially came to tell her that he had to go on a business trip, so it seemed he wouldn't be able to make it back for the day of the performance.

She deliberately didn't mention the hidden meaning in his words and asked with concern, "Is it so urgent? Is the problem serious?"

"It's alright. It's just that a partner we had contacted early on suddenly became hesitant. All the work has already started, so we can't delay because of this. The timing is a bit tight."

Song Er breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."

"I'll try my best to rush back for the school anniversary," Gu Cheng promised.

Song Er reacted by nudging Gu Cheng with her elbow and laughing to comfort him. "It's just a school anniversary performance, not a world championship. You don't have to take it so seriously. The company's business is more important."

"I'll handle it as soon as possible."

"Mm, I know." Song Er hadn't taken it too seriously in the first place, and was now a little embarrassed by Gu Cheng's attitude.

Noticing her thoughts, Gu Cheng stopped emphasizing it, reached out and ruffled her hair, and still apologized.

"Sorry."

"It's nothing," Song Er said with a smile. "Go get some rest. You have to get up early tomorrow."

"Then... good night."

"Good night."

Song Er didn't take this matter to heart. She watched Gu Cheng leave, blow-dried her hair, and went to sleep.

But on the morning of the school anniversary, when she saw Gu Lixing's car parked at the door waiting for her, she suddenly thought of something.

"It was you, wasn't it?" She stood outside the car, her expression certain, as if she were interrogating him.

She didn't know much about the company's affairs, and she didn't quite understand what Gu Cheng had said, but she also knew that the matter was probably more complicated than he had made it out to be.

Gu Lixing didn't seem to care. He reached out and adjusted the glasses on his nose with one hand, and the other rested on the car window. "Gu Cheng couldn't make it back, so he asked me to take you."

It was a tacit admission, but his nonchalant demeanor made Song Er angry.

Gu Lixing could be so willful and selfish sometimes, expressing his so-called feelings in a presumptuous way. Just like three years ago, if he had just explained, if he had just said he was sorry, she wouldn't have left so resolutely.

He seemed not to have expected Song Er to turn and leave. Gu Lixing got out of the car with a dark look on his face, quickly caught up to Song Er, and grabbed her wrist. "Get in!"

"Gu Lixing, why are you doing this?"

"I told you, I won't let you go so easily," Gu Lixing explained. "The person in charge of that project is not a good person to begin with, so it's normal for a problem to arise."

"Then can you say you didn't do it on purpose?"

Gu Lixing suddenly fell silent, looking at Song Er expressionlessly. After a while, he let out a light snort and admitted frankly, "Who said I didn't?"

Song Er instinctively wanted to shake off Gu Lixing, but he didn't let her. Without another word, he pulled her to the car, pushed her into the passenger seat, and drove to Xuda.

"Gu Lixing, Gu Cheng and I are about to get engaged."

In the car, Song Er brought this up again, but this time she was more direct, like a reminder, and also like a warning. If you listened carefully, there was a hint of helplessness.

"What do you want to say? That you like Gu Cheng, or that Gu Cheng likes you, or that you're in love?" Gu Lixing glanced at her in his free time, his tone contemptuous and disdainful.

"It's a necessity, it's a promise."

"But it's not love," Gu Lixing's words always hit the mark. "Song Er, how could you forget this?"

"Gu Lixing, I have already lost the right to choose, or rather, from the moment I moved into the Gu's house, I no longer had that right."

She lowered her eyes, speaking with a mix of indignation, resentment, and helplessness.

The moment she moved into the Gu's house under the pretext of a marriage alliance between the Gu and Song families, she was a**suming that she accepted all the arrangements. She didn't have the right or the capital to resist like Jiang Jingjing. She had nothing and all she could do was accept.

Gu Lixing suddenly stopped the car, turned to look at Song Er, his expression focused and sincere. After a long time, she heard him speak.

"What if I give you that right?"

Song Er's heart skipped a beat. When she looked at Gu Lixing again, he had already turned his head and continued driving. She suddenly gave a light laugh. She was the one who had given up that right, so how could he give it to her?

She didn't say anything more. The worst possible outcome between her and Gu Lixing was to never contact each other again, which she had already experienced abroad. A slightly better outcome would be a normal relationship, but no matter what, it seemed there was no need to say so much.

When they arrived at Xuda, Song Er didn't pay any mind to Gu Lixing and went straight to the backstage of the theater. She and the ballet dancers from the School of Art were a**signed to the same lounge, but not long after she entered, someone came to tell her that Su Xie was looking for her.

"Just get ready over here. I've looked at their side, there are a lot of people, and it's probably going to be chaotic later."

Su Xie had already changed into his clothes. The white suit made him look very handsome. Song Er's dress was a light blue ballet leotard. To match the music this time, a lot of glitter and silk had been added, making her look like a fairy of the night.

Unlike other performances, they prepared their own clothes. When she was getting her costume ready, Song Er had a hard time choosing, but later when she found out about Su Xie's stage ideas, she immediately thought of this set. It was custom-made for a competition a long time ago, but the music was changed at the last minute and it wasn't used, but it came in handy now.

"Thank you."

Song Er wasn't being polite. Besides, Su Xie was so generous to offer, how could she refuse his kindness? Their performance was the last one, so the time was very generous. However, Su Xie seemed to have a few other musical programs he needed to check on. He didn't stay in the lounge for long and left.

While waiting to get her makeup done, Song Er received a call from Gu Cheng, who said that things over there were a bit draining and he wouldn't be able to rush back to see her performance. His tone sounded a little tired.

Song Er told him to rest well. As for the performance, she had heard that it would be live-streamed on the school's forum, and the performance video would also be saved as a record, so he could watch it anytime he wanted.

After they chatted for a few more minutes, a student in charge of makeup came over, and the two ended the call. Song Er went to the changing room to change her clothes and then started to get her makeup done.

When Su Xie returned, Song Er's makeup was just finished. As soon as she opened her eyes, they met Su Xie's, who was sitting across from her. Song Er asked him generously, "Mr. Su, are you satisfied?"

"My taste in people isn't bad."

Knowing he was doing it on purpose, Song Er made a face at him and found a mirror to look at herself. She was quite satisfied. She couldn't help but take a picture with her phone and post it on her social media.

Soon, many people came to comment. Surprisingly, Gu Lixing, who rarely used social media, actually liked the post.

When the performance started, Su Xie went out again. The school had a**signed him a seat to watch the show, so Song Er was left alone in the lounge.

Surprisingly, she was a little nervous, perhaps because it was her first collaboration with Su Xie, or perhaps because Gu Lixing had sent her a message saying he was looking forward to tonight's performance.

This nervousness lasted until the moment she stood on the stage.

Su Xie's piano was placed on the right side of the stage, leaving a lot of space for her. The stage setting was a night forest, with rustling trees and twinkling stars, and she was the fairy of this forest.

She stood on the stage and subconsciously looked at Su Xie. The other person's lips moved, silently saying three words, "Relax." With Su Xie's encouraging gaze, she took a deep breath, took her stance, and waited for the music to begin.

As Su Xie's fingers glided across the keys, the notes overflowed little by little. Song Er danced slowly with the music, like a butterfly on the notes, confident and radiant.

Every movement was so graceful. With the rhythm and melody of the music, she danced on the stage. They were the creators of a visual and auditory feast, and they accomplished a perfect performance.

Gu Lixing, an honorary alumnus, sat in a front-row seat, staring intently at Song Er on the stage. At this moment, she was always the most captivating. In just an instant, she could make countless people immerse themselves in her dance.

She was a natural dancer. Her professional teacher had said the same thing a long time ago.

Gu Lixing tapped the armrest of his seat with his finger, a thoughtful look on his face for a moment, then he gave a slight smile and continued to watch the performance.

After the performance ended, everyone seemed to have not yet woken up from the feast. It wasn't until applause sounded from somewhere that everyone was awakened, followed by a wave of applause.

After taking a bow, Song Er looked up and saw Gu Lixing standing in the middle of the crowd. He was the first to stand up and applaud, as if to prove what he had said before. Even though many people followed and stood up one after another, Song Er only had eyes for him.

The performance was very successful, and it could be seen from the audience's reaction. Back in the lounge, Su Xie asked Song Er if she wanted to go have dinner together later. Song Er couldn't refuse. She was just about to agree when she saw a person at the lounge door.

"You don't mind if I join?"

Gu Lixing's words were directed at Song Er, but they happened to follow Su Xie's question.

The teacher who performed with Song Er tonight? Gu Lixing looked at Su Xie with undisguised hostility. According to the introduction, he was a musician who had returned from abroad and had just started teaching at Xuda this semester. From the looks of it, his relationship with Song Er seemed to be out of the ordinary.

Song Er didn't think this was a good suggestion, but before she could refuse, Su Xie spoke first. "And who is this?"

"Gu Lixing."

There was no extra introduction. Her relationship with the Gu family was not a secret in Xuchuan, and besides, Su Xie knew more than that.

Sure enough, Su Xie gave Song Er a meaningful look before smiling and agreeing to Gu Lixing's suggestion.

The dinner place was a**signed to a location near Xuda. It wasn't far, so the three of them decided to walk there. Because of tonight's performance, Song Er's fame at school was no longer limited to the School of Art. They hadn't walked far when someone came up to greet her.

Probably not wanting to deal with this, the three of them tacitly sped up their pace. When they reached their destination, they were half the time faster than usual.

Song Er didn't know if she was doing it on purpose, but all the way there, she kept talking to Su Xie about things from abroad and about the performance.

Gu Lixing didn't talk much to begin with, and with those topics, he was even more silent. Throughout the entire meal, he didn't say a word.

She had thought that she could get along with Gu Cheng because they were of similar age, but now it seemed that it wasn't just a matter of age. He and Song Er even had very few topics to talk about.

In the car on the way back, Gu Lixing's face was cold. He was already an imposing person, but now even the glasses on his nose couldn't hide the coldness.

"Are you and Su Xie very close?" he asked.

Song Er wasn't surprised by his question. She had deliberately made him uncomfortable tonight, so she had expected this.

"Yes, we're friends from abroad. You know, there aren't many Chinese people living abroad, so it's natural for us to become close after meeting."

Gu Lixing didn't like hearing these things, but he still continued to ask, "What does he do?"

Song Er gave a slightly official asessment, but when she spoke, her eyes were full of appreciation. "He's a Chinese musician who is highly aadmired in the international music scene. It's said that he's proficient in dozens of instruments, but I've only heard him play the piano. However, his music room abroad is indeed filled with a lot of instruments."

The phrase "his music room abroad" made Gu Lixing's face change slightly. After a while, he spoke again. "Then how did you two meet?"

He a**asked casually. If the previous questions were all leading up to this, then this one was the key point of the entire conversation. He didn't care what their relationship was like or what Su Xie's basic information was. He just wanted to know how they met.

One Gu Cheng was already giving him a headache, and now another Su Xie had appeared out of nowhere.

Song Er was surprised that Gu Lixing had become so long-winded, but she still answered. "When I was abroad, I would occasionally go to bookstores, and Su Xie happened to go there often as well. Once, I accidentally knocked off his headphones and was surprised to find that he was listening to Sampson's music. Later, I found out that he was Sampson."

She didn't hide anything and told him everything. Besides, there was nothing to hide between her and Su Xie.

Gu Lixing finally stopped asking questions and drove the car sullenly. He didn't say another word until they reached the Gu's house.

After taking a shower, he sat in his study, his face pensive, his fingers tapping the table in a rhythmic manner. He thought about what had happened today.

Finally, he made a phone call. "Find someone to investigate Su Xie."

Gu Cheng's affairs ended up taking him almost a week. He contacted Song Er a few times in between and didn't mention work much, but from his tired voice, she could tell it wasn't easy.

Song Er had a full day of classes today. After the last class, she was about to change her clothes and go home when she looked up and saw Gu Cheng standing in the hallway outside the classroom.

A greeting was still stuck in her throat when Gu Cheng pulled her into a hug and she heard him say, "I'm sorry," with a sense of guilt.

Classes had just ended, and there were many students and teachers walking by. Song Er was a little embarrassed and broke free, quickly changing the subject. "Is everything taken care of?"

"Pretty much. They can handle the rest." As he said that, Gu Cheng handed the apology gift he had prepared long ago to Song Er. "I heard you were very beautiful that day."

"You've already seen the photos." Song Er was not modest and took the gift. She suddenly remembered that her dance clothes were still full of sweat and quickly said, "Wait a minute, I'll go change."

When Song Er came out, Gu Cheng was still in the same spot. When he saw her, he naturally took her bag.

It was still early when they arrived at the Gu's house. Song Er took a shower and brought a bowl of watermelon to the backyard. Not long after, Gu Cheng came to find her. Although he had not rested well for several days in a row, he was still trying to keep his spirits up.

"Xiao Er, when do you think would be a good time to get engaged?"

Gu Cheng aasked very casually, but Song Er knew that he must have thought about it for a long time before finally speaking. Although she had already thought it through in her heart, when she was aasked, she hesitated, and even instinctively wanted to avoid the question.

"I..."

She hadn't yet sorted out her feelings for Gu Lixing and wasn't ready to start a new relationship.

She couldn't say these things to Gu Cheng. Perhaps, she had always been deceiving herself, thinking that this would give her a reason to let go of Gu Lixing, but she was never ready to get engaged to Gu Cheng in the first place.

Noticing her hesitation, Gu Cheng also seemed to feel that his question was a bit abrupt, and he said in a relaxed manner, "No rush, I'll wait until you're ready."

Song Er met Gu Cheng's gaze and felt a**ashamed of her reaction at that moment. "I'm sorry, Gu Cheng."

Gu Cheng ruffled her hair and warned her with a stern expression, "But don't make me wait too long. You know there are many girls who like me."

Song Er, for once, didn't play along with his joke. She gave a forced smile and changed the subject. "You should go rest. Auntie Zhou will be worried if she sees you like this."

Probably feeling that the atmosphere would only get more awkward if they stayed like this, Gu Cheng took a bite of watermelon from Song Er's hand and indeed went to rest. As he left, he added, "I was just a**asking. I'm not trying to pressure you."

"I'm sorry," she replied softly.

After Gu Cheng left, Song Er sat in the yard, staring blankly at something, her mind full of worries.

She hadn't failed to consider these issues. She had thought that three years would be enough for her to let go of Gu Lixing. She had also been trying to let go, never allowing herself to think about him for three years, and even if she did occasionally, she would quickly stop herself.

But some things, once they happen, take root in the heart. She tried her best to chop them down, but she couldn't resist a spring breeze that could easily make them grow back again.

When Gu Cheng a**asked her just now, she subconsciously thought of Gu Lixing.

The phone next to her was buzzing. Song Er came back to her senses, looked at the caller ID, and her eyebrows involuntarily furrowed. She hesitated for a moment before finally answering the call.

"What's wrong?"

"If I said it was about your parents, would you come to the front door?"

Song Er didn't have time to think and hung up the phone and ran to the door, in such a hurry that she even forgot to change her shoes.

Gu Lixing saw her like this and didn't say anything. After she got in the car, he immediately drove away without a moment's delay.

Because she had run so fast, it took Song Er a long time to calm down after getting in the car. She panted slightly and a**asked, "What do you know?"

Gu Lixing seemed not to have heard her. No matter what she a**asked on the way, he was silent, until he drove the car to Xuchuan Bay.

"I remember you haven't been here since that incident."

He looked at the endless sea with a soft tone. Before getting out of the car, he threw his glasses in the car, which meant he was no longer willing to put on even a hint of a disguise.

Song Er's nerves were on edge. She a**asked cautiously, "Why did you bring me here?"

"Song Er, there are some things you can't escape from," Gu Lixing said with a slight smile on his face, turning to look at Song Er. "Including the fact that you love me."

"Gu Lixing, I thought I had made myself clear enough." Song Er instinctively took two steps back, putting distance between herself and Gu Lixing, and rarely, she showed her anger.

"Then have you really decided to get engaged to Gu Cheng?"

"What does it have to do with you?"

She already felt guilty for rejecting Gu Cheng, and now hearing Gu Lixing bring it up, the fire that had been suppressed in her heart was aall directed at him. Her tone was naturally not very friendly.

Gu Lixing didn't seem to care. He looked at the sea for a long time, and finally sighed, and said with a bit of difficulty, "I really didn't want you to know about those things."

"What do you know?"

"Song Er." Gu Lixing's eyes were deep as he stared at Song Er, his tone serious. "If one day you have to choose between Gu Cheng and me, what will you do?"

This kind of stare made Song Er very uncomfortable, and she quickly looked away in a panic.

"Weren't you going to talk about what happened back then?"

Gu Lixing suddenly pulled Song Er into his arms, resting his chin on her head, his voice softening. "If you really have to choose, whether it's Gu Cheng or Li Chongming, you must choose me."

Why did she hear a hint of helplessness in his voice? But the next second, she used all her strength to break free from his embrace.

"Gu Lixing!" Song Er's face fell completely. "Do you think I have no other choice but you? We're already over. Why won't you just let me go?"

Gu Lixing's attitude became even more determined. He stressed every word. "Promise me, don't believe them."

"Why? Why should I not believe them? One of them is my uncle, and the other is about to be my fiancé. What reason do I have not to believe them?"

As if he had expected her to be emotional, Gu Lixing relaxed. "What if I told you they are not worth your trust at all?"

He first called her out with a random excuse, then said a bunch of inexplicable things without mentioning what he had said on the phone, and now he was even a**asking her to be suspicious of Gu Cheng.

He didn't like Gu Cheng, and she knew why. She had tolerated him targeting Gu Cheng before, but how could he go so far as to aask this of her? That was his nephew, and even if it was because of her, he shouldn't be so aa**assuming about him.

Song Er gave a cold laugh and finally met Gu Lixing's gaze. "I admit I liked you, but now I really wish that those feelings never existed. I wish you and I had no connection from the very beginning."

Finally, she added, "Gu Lixing, I really regret ever liking you."

Did she regret it? Not entirely, but she thought about how careful Gu Cheng was when he brought up the engagement this afternoon, and the dejected look in his eyes because of her hesitation. She couldn't ignore any of this.

If she hadn't known it was wrong but still liked Gu Lixing, if she had stayed away from Gu Lixing from the beginning, would things have turned out differently?

She couldn't allow herself to stay with Gu Lixing like this anymore. It would make her feel too guilty.

Or, she was even more angry that Gu Lixing was saying this about Gu Cheng, who was almost a victim of their mistake. That was his nephew, and even if it was because of her, he shouldn't be making such a**sumptions about him.

Gu Lixing called her from behind, but she ignored him. At this moment, she just wanted to leave quickly and get rid of the suffocating guilt.

She had said before that she didn't like this bay, and now it seemed that this bay was not friendly to her either. Six years ago, it took her loved ones, and now it was forcing her to make a decision to let go of her most cherished love in this way.

Why was her face suddenly wet? And not just her face, but the road under her feet, the distant lights, and the shrubs nearby. Why were they all wet?

Was it raining? Ha, how fitting.

"Get in the car!" Gu Lixing parked the car next to Song Er, rolled down the window, and a**asked with a hint of anger.

But Song Er didn't even look at him. She walked forward quickly, with no intention of getting in the car.

Gu Lixing had no choice but to follow beside her, driving and trying to persuade her.

But when Song Er was being stubborn, not even nine oxen could pull her back. At this moment, it was even less likely for her to be moved.

The rain after autumn carried some coolness. It was also at night. In no time, Song Er was soaked by the heavy rain, but she didn't waver and continued to walk forward.

Finally, Gu Lixing lost his patience. He stopped the car, took a few steps to Song Er, and said, "If you want to throw a tantrum, do it at home."

Song Er wasn't willing, but she couldn't resist Gu Lixing's strength. Besides, Gu Lixing was also angry at her. In no time, he dragged her to the car.

"I don't need you to a**ask me." Song Er tried hard to shake off Gu Lixing's grip, but he was holding her tightly and pushing her into the car. He didn't stop until he pushed her into the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt.

"Stop making a fuss, be a good girl," he said.

Song Er's face fell. It wasn't that she was really listening to him. She just knew that even if she got out of the car now, she would be dragged back in anyway. In the end, it would just make her look ignorant and as if she were doing it on purpose to make a scene for him.

The first thing Gu Lixing did after getting in the car was to turn on the heat. He also took his jacket from the back seat and gave it to Song Er. "Put this on."

Song Er didn't take it and a**asked seriously about something else. "Gu Lixing, I'm not throwing a tantrum."

Throwing a tantrum was to confirm one's place in the other person's heart and to cunningly win a contest, but she wasn't.

She didn't take it, and Gu Lixing didn't force her. Instead, he a**asked, "Is your hand okay?"

When he aasked her, Song Er touched her right elbow, and it hurt, causing her eyebrows to furrow, but she didn't aanswer.

During their argument just now, Song Er's hand accidentally hit the car door. She instinctively let out a cry of pain at the time, and she didn't expect Gu Lixing to have heard it.

She didn't say anything, and Gu Lixing didn't a**ask again. He drove directly back to the Gu's house.

When Aunt Zhou saw them both come back wet, especially Song Er's disheveled look, she couldn't help but complain, "Didn't you say you were going to meet a classmate? How did you end up like this?"

Song Er gave a forced smile and said a little a**ashamed, "I forgot to bring an umbrella."

"Hurry up and take a hot bath, and change out of these clothes. I'll go make some ginger tea for both of you," Aunt Zhou said with a bit of annoyance. She wasn't really trying to scold them, just worried that they would catch a cold. And sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, she turned around and went to the kitchen to make ginger tea.

Despite this, Song Er started to get a fever in the middle of the night. In the morning, she felt aaches all over and was so weak that she just curled up in her blanket.

Seeing that Song Er hadn't come down for breakfast, Gu Cheng went upstairs and knocked on her door for a long time before she finally opened it. She was wrapped in a thin blanket, her face was flushed, and she was leaning on the door, trying to keep her spirits up. "What's wrong?" she a**asked, her voice hoarse.

"Do you have a cold?" Gu Cheng reached out and felt her forehead.

Song Er tried her best to open her eyes twice. "I think so. My head hurts a little."

Gu Cheng helped her to the bed and made her lie down. He went downstairs to get a thermometer and then hurried to have Aunt Zhou contact Dr. Chen. When he saw the number on the thermometer, his face fell. "How did you get such a high fever?"

"I'm sorry."

Although they had an awkward scene just yesterday, Gu Cheng had put it behind him. His eyes and heart were all focused on Song Er's illness.

Gu Cheng drove Song Er to Dr. Chen's clinic. Song Er was wrapped in a thick coat, lying weakly in the passenger seat, holding a cup of hot water, a rare sign of her being docile.

Dr. Chen was a famous doctor in Xuchuan. If it weren't for the relationship between the Gu family and him, it would have been impossible for him to see them right away.

Song Er felt like she was walking on cotton balls and couldn't use any strength. It seemed she was really running a high fever. If Gu Cheng hadn't been holding her, she would have fallen to the ground at any moment.

Dr. Chen gave her a quick checkup, wrote a prescription, and told Gu Cheng to take her to the next room for an IV drip.

Her body was already weak, and with some sedative ingredients in the medicine, Song Er fell asleep in no time.

It was probably because of the medicine's effect that Song Er started to sweat and kick off her blanket during the IV drip.

Every time she kicked it off, Gu Cheng would cover her again. He repeated this over and over, not getting angry at all. He also borrowed a towel from Dr. Chen and carefully wiped the sweat from her forehead.

When Song Er woke up, it was already afternoon. Gu Cheng was looking down at his phone. He looked up, and their eyes met.

"Are you feeling better?" Gu Cheng was the first to speak.

Probably because she had been sleeping for a long time, Song Er felt dizzy when she sat up abruptly. After a while, she said, "Much better." Her voice was still hoarse.

Dr. Chen came over to check on her, told them to come back again tomorrow, and prescribed some oral medication before they could leave.

After leaving the clinic, Gu Cheng a**asked Song Er what she wanted to eat. Song Er didn't have an appetite for now, but Gu Cheng still called ahead and told Aunt Zhou to prepare some porridge.

Gu Lixing had left this morning and happened to hear Gu Cheng tell Aunt Zhou to contact Dr. Chen, saying that Song Er had a cold. When he came back from the company, he saw the two of them in the living room pushing a bowl of porridge back and forth.

Last night, he had thought about whether or not to tell Song Er the truth, but in the end, he hesitated. He was very clear that once he told Song Er, she would definitely want to get to the bottom of it, but he wasn't fully prepared yet, so how could he involve her?

What surprised him was Gu Cheng's importance in Song Er's heart. He was very sure that Song Er did not like Gu Cheng, but even if she didn't, Gu Cheng was still her most trusted friend.

Gu Lixing suddenly felt jealous of Gu Cheng. He was jealous that Gu Cheng could have Song Er's unconditional trust; jealous that he could openly like Song Er; jealous that he and Song Er were classmates and could have so much time together; jealous that Song Er would talk to him about anything.

Since when, every time he saw the two of them being driven to school in the same school uniform, and thought that they would be taking the same classes, facing the same teachers, having the same troubling questions, and having a headache because of a sudden test one day, he would think that he wished he could be in his place.

The girl who was flustered because she had stepped on his shoe, who was nervous and uneasy because she had accidentally intruded into his secret base, was always so cautious when facing him. She cautiously aasked him if he could teach her academic subjects, cautiously aasked if he could take her to Xuda next time she made progress, and cautiously, without meaning to, she broke into his heart.

Gu Lixing did not stop and went straight to the study upstairs. Facing the company's documents, his mood became even worse.

This emotion continued until Monday.

When Han Xun entered the office today, he felt that the atmosphere was a bit off. He didn't know if the air conditioning was too strong or if the weather was getting cooler. As soon as he opened the door, he couldn't help but shiver.

"Mr. Gu, did you turn down the air conditioning in your office too low?"

Han Xun had been following Gu Lixing since he first joined the Gu Corporation. Their years of friendship made them more like friends than boss and employee most of the time, so he naturally wasn't so reserved when he spoke.

Gu Lixing looked up and a**asked, "Are you very free today?"

"I finally closed a big deal, I should have time for a cup of coffee, right?"

Gu Lixing smiled slightly without a**answering. Han Xun suddenly realized that something was not right and quickly retreated. "I just remembered I have something to do, so I'll be going now."

Soon, he received Gu Lixing's order to notify all project managers to go to the conference room for a meeting.

The monthly meeting had just been held last week, and now they were being told to have another one, which made everyone suspicious. They all came to Han Xun to get some information. "Why did Mr. Gu suddenly call for a meeting again?"

If Han Xun knew the reason, he wouldn't have almost walked into the line of fire just now, but he still revealed the only information he had. "Mr. Gu seems to be in a bad mood today, so everyone be careful."

Because of Han Xun's reminder, everyone was on high alert. When Gu Lixing came in, the conference room was silent. He coldly scanned the room, sat down openly, and said nonchalantly, "Everyone, please report on the progress of your current work."

At Han Xun's signal, the most senior manager spoke first. "We are currently preparing for the expansion of the company in the first half of next year. The detailed plan will have a first draft at the end of this month."

Gu Lixing did not answer immediately. He flipped through the documents in his hand as if he was carefully considering. Finally, he said with dissatisfaction, "The end of the month is too slow. I want to see a complete plan next Monday."

"Mr. Gu, this..." The person seemed to want to argue, but after receiving a look from Han Xun, he quickly changed his words. "Our team will do our best."

Next was the next person. "Regarding the investment and naming rights for major TV stations next quarter, we have started to create a feasible plan based on the results of the last meeting, and it should be completed by late this month at the earliest."

"In addition to the TV programs with fixed viewership, I also want a detailed analysis report of the new programs that major TV stations and websites are planning to launch. The more detailed, the better. Give it to me within this week."

After that, no one escaped. Even the teams whose projects had already been approved had their plans scrutinized. Gu Lixing simply looked at them and found several mistakes, being so strict that he didn't even let go of the backup plans.

At the end of the meeting, Gu Lixing adjusted his glasses, gave everyone a faint smile, and said to them, "We need to add a plan for next year. After acquiring the cosmetics brand we had decided to acquire, we also need to add a dance supplies factory and launch it as a new brand. This will also be the company's key project for next year. In addition to the relevant research results, all departments will rush to create corresponding plans, from investment and promotion to packaging and marketing, to be discussed at the end of the month."

The meeting was only half an hour long, but no one had an easy time.

When Han Xun was organizing the meeting minutes, he was secretly a little happy that Gu Lixing hadn't mentioned him at all, which meant he must have understood how hard he had worked. But when he handed the meeting minutes to Gu Lixing, the other person suddenly spoke. "You said you were finished with your work?"

"More or less," Han Xun replied very perfunctorily.

Gu Lixing took a document from the bottom of the mountain of files on his desk. "Then you go to Jiangzhou for me. Find a way to get Mr. Zhao from Changfeng to sign this contract." In the end, he didn't forget to add a kind reminder, "Don't agree to any of the conditions he mentioned last time."

Han Xun held the "letter of a**signment" in his hand, extremely unwilling to face the shameless, fickle, and thick-skinned Mr. Zhao from Changfeng. He only regretted why he had to talk so much and walk into the line of fire.

For the next week, the Gu Corporation's office was almost fully lit up until ten o'clock at night, and the sound of keyboards formed a rhythmic symphony.

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