Long Time No See (GL) - Chapter 13

Gu Weiran walked alone on the bright neon walkway, hearing singing that sounded like a heavenly melody coming from not far away.

It was a bar named “Star Moon,” and it was already late, but there were still many people sitting there. Gu Weiran stopped and stood still. By the quiet seaside, there were occasional sounds of waves, and the singing from the bar was like an angel singing.

Gu Weiran didn’t like to drink and rarely went to such entertainment venues. In Xuan’an, she had only been to the Rose bar. The singing and slow pace of a quiet bar could always make people temporarily forget their troubles.

She casually ordered a few bottles of beer and sat in a corner, listening to the music and using the alcohol to stimulate her stomach and senses.

The singer was performing “Long Time No See” (Hao Jiu Bu Jian), which was Gu Weiran’s favorite song. From the melody to the lyrics, every word sang straight into her heart.

She used to think the song was simply nice to listen to, but now she felt it was deeply sorrowful. “Long Time No See” should have been a casual greeting upon meeting, but now it felt like a luxury.

Gu Weiran never thought she would one day become the protagonist of the lyrics.

Perhaps her mood was too terrible today; hearing this song made her feel inexplicably melancholic.

Thinking of Yun Shu’s actions, it was like something was whipping her heart, and it hurt so much.

Gu Weiran was deeply troubled. The number of times she thought of Yun Shu was increasing; it seemed Yun Shu had taken root in her mind. It had only been about half a month since they reunited, yet her mood constantly revolved around Yun Shu.

Thinking of this, Gu Weiran’s brows furrowed even deeper, followed by another glass of wine going down. When emotions are written all over one’s face, it inevitably attracts attention.

Gu Weiran was exceptionally beautiful, and she had garnered attention since she walked into the bar. Sitting alone in the corner, looking lost and dispirited, she attracted two young men.

“Miss, you look quite unhappy,” one of the young men approached to strike up a conversation.

Gu Weiran was drinking moodily and did not respond.

A beautiful woman looking slightly tipsy was very pleasing to the eye. Gu Weiran was originally the xiaojia biyu (delicate and refined) type, with a pure and lovely appearance. When she wasn’t smiling, her eyes always held a hint of faint sadness. Her exquisite facial features looked as if they had been sculpted, and her entire being exuded the aura of a classical beauty, easily arousing a desire for conquest and protection in others.

The two men were a bit drunk. Seeing Gu Weiran sitting alone the whole time, they walked over.

“How about we have a drink together?”

Just as the man was about to sit down, the chair was instantly pulled away, and he nearly missed the seat.

“Excuse me, this seat is taken.”

A cool, clear female voice carried an almost palpable chill. Gu Weiran found the voice familiar and looked up.

“Sister Hong?”

Sister Hong sat down next to Gu Weiran, holding up her wine glass. Every move she made exuded femininity. She possessed more charm and allure than Gu Weiran, and her temperament was more cold and glamorous.

The men’s interest piqued when another beautiful woman arrived. “Sister, why don’t we share the table?”

“My little sister isn’t in a good mood. You have ten seconds to disappear.” Sister Hong took a sip of her wine and lightly tapped the table with her fingertip, as if counting.

The two men exchanged glances and weren’t intimidated; instead, they moved closer. One of them tried to reach out and act improperly, but Sister Hong set her wine glass down and grabbed his wrist.

She gave him a cold look, then twisted his arm. The man cried out in surprise. Sister Hong didn’t let go and continued to increase the force. The man was in so much pain that he doubled over, nearly kneeling.

“A-a-a-ah, it hurts…”

Sister Hong calmly held his wrist with one hand and casually took another sip of wine with the other.

She didn’t release the pressure until she heard their pleas for mercy.

“I was wrong, Sister, I was wrong, I’ll leave right away.” The man was in such pain that tears nearly streamed down his face, feeling like his hand was about to be twisted off. The other man stood by, shaking with fear, not daring to move. Perhaps Sister Hong’s presence was too overwhelming, and since they were just small-time hooligans with little experience, they didn’t dare to cause trouble.

“Sister, we were wrong, we won’t dare to do it again. Please, please let us go…”

Hearing both of them begging for mercy, Gu Weiran covered her mouth and chuckled, the gloom of the entire evening instantly dispelled.

Sister Hong glanced at Gu Weiran’s suppressed laughter, then finally let go. The two men scurried back to their seats, looking utterly defeated.

“Sister Hong, have you practiced Sanda or boxing? You’re so formidable.” Gu Weiran looked admiring. Sister Hong smiled slightly, “It’s a bit too noisy with all these people here. Shall we go for a walk outside?”

Gu Weiran nodded.

The scenic area was adjacent to the circular beach. It was past midnight, and the area was quiet and peaceful. This was the first time Gu Weiran had walked so closely with Sister Hong, and she felt a subtle but much-improved mood.

“Sister Hong, you look like you’re not very happy?”

Sister Hong stopped and looked at her in surprise, then smiled and said, “Why do you say that?”

“I feel like, Sister Hong always has something on her mind.”

Sister Hong was silent for a moment, then looked up at the starry sky, forcing a smile: “If you can see my unhappiness, you should also be able to see the intentions of others.”

“What are you trying to say, Sister Hong?” Gu Weiran felt that she was implying something.

“I was there that night too. We hadn’t planned on calling the young master at all. Since people had already come over, it wasn’t easy to directly turn them away, which is why Yun Shu got tangled up. In fact, she was also a victim.”

“I… didn’t…” Gu Weiran stammered, trying to explain, but Sister Hong waved her hand and intentionally said, “Given Yun Shu’s personality, she probably wouldn’t explain anything to you. I’m being nosy today, just pretend you never heard it.”

She had seen Gu Weiran’s reaction that day—the look in her eyes was tinged with sorrow and sadness. What could all those subtle expressions mean, if not concern?

“I was a bit rash that day. Sometimes I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I can’t figure out many things, and I can’t control the conflict and anxiety in my heart.”

“If you can’t figure it out, then don’t think about it. The hardest thing for a person is not accepting others, but facing themselves squarely.”

“Facing myself squarely?” Gu Weiran’s heart felt as if it had been pricked by something. Did she misunderstand herself? Or did she not understand herself well enough?

The fluorescent pathway emitted a faint light. Gu Weiran was preoccupied with her thoughts. Sister Hong lightly patted her shoulder and said, “Go back early. Don’t make the people who care about you wait.”

“No one is waiting for me, Sister Hong. You should go back too, it’s very late.”

“I run a bar, so my days and nights are upside down; I’m long used to it. You can come to Rose to hang out when you’re free.”

“Sure. Could I have your special Rainbow Cocktail?”

The Rainbow Cocktail was a specialty, a ‘net celebrity’ drink at Rose, not sold to the public. Only Sister Hong could mix it, and she only made it for special people.

No one knew that behind the Rainbow Cocktail lay Sister Hong’s deep affection.

“The Rainbow Cocktail is not for just anyone to drink.”

“Uh, are there any conditions?”

Sister Hong raised an eyebrow, “Do you know the meaning of the rainbow?”

Gu Weiran asked curiously, “Isn’t the Rainbow Cocktail named after its colors?”

“When you understand the meaning of the rainbow, come find me, and I will definitely mix one for you. Goodbye.”

Sister Hong’s figure gradually disappeared into the night. Meeting her felt like a fantastical encounter—it suddenly appeared and ended just as quickly. However, the night was no longer lonely, and Gu Weiran’s heart felt much relieved.

Her jet-lagged sleeping pattern meant she still didn’t feel sleepy at two in the morning. She walked alone by the seaside for a while but didn’t run into Sister Hong again.

The sea in the distance was a dark, oppressive expanse. If she kept walking, she might wait until sunrise. But what was the point of watching the sunrise alone? Facing such a beautiful scenery, Gu Weiran thought of Yun Shu again.

She shook off the superfluous thoughts and started on the way back to the hotel.

Her phone had been on silent. When she took it out, she realized there were countless messages and several missed calls. Before clicking on the conversation thread, she felt a mixture of anticipation and fear of seeing Yun Shu’s number.

Staring at the phone screen for a while, Gu Weiran finally clicked it open. There were eight unread messages: seven from Yang Ou, and only one from Yun Shu.

She could see the three words without even opening it: “Where are you?”

Checking the missed calls, they were all from Yang Ou.

Just asking one question, couldn’t she have called? Even though she couldn’t hear, she would still see it.

Her concern for her was only this much.

But why was Gu Weiran expecting Yun Shu to care about her? It was absolutely ridiculous.

She didn’t reply to any message and walked straight toward the hotel. Just as she stepped into the lobby, she heard someone call her name.

“Weiran.”

Hearing the voice, Gu Weiran turned around in surprise. Yun Shu was sitting upright on a sofa in the lobby, with a faint smile on her face.

She slowly walked over, carrying a shopping bag. Gu Weiran’s emotions were in turmoil. Seeing Yun Shu was always agonizing, yet a faint joy always welled up in her heart.

She would also recall how Yun Shu looked when she was with Ming Shangdong, which made it hard for her to accept.

“You’re back.” Yun Shu walked up to her. Gu Weiran nodded curtly.

Yun Shu didn’t blame her, just a simple statement, which reminded Gu Weiran of the past.

In the past, whenever school ended, if Yun Shu was home, she would always greet her at the door and say, “You’re back.”

She would get her slippers, bring her the stewed soup, definitely prepare a glass of hot milk every night, and make breakfast in the morning.

Sometimes, to take care of her, Yun Shu would leave work on time to cook and then go out to run errands and meet clients after dinner.

Gu Weiran had attended high school as a day student. Now that she thought about it, if she had chosen to board at school back then, perhaps Yun Shu wouldn’t have been so tired.

“Why didn’t you go home?” Gu Weiran asked in a cool, detached manner.

Yun Shu lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, “Where is my home?”

After Teacher Lin passed away, she lost her dearest family. After leaving Gu Weiran, she didn’t even have a home. For her, a house was just a cold building, without the warmth of daily life, human connection, or family.

Gu Weiran’s heart was stung by her words, but she retorted, “Having a house is a home.”

Yun Shu didn’t reply, but instead handed over the shopping bag, “I bought you a scarf. Remember to wash it before you wear it.”

“I won’t accept gifts for no reason.” Gu Weiran didn’t appreciate it.

“Thank you for helping me.”

“Helping you with what?” Gu Weiran continued to struggle. As for the Bu Ye Cheng (Sleepless City) incident, she could say it was a coincidence, and she had instructed that the article be posted anonymously. If someone investigated, they could just say Yang Ou wrote it.

Yun Shu nodded slightly, lowering her eyes, not specifying or breaking the silence, simply stuffing the scarf into Gu Weiran’s hand. “It’s not because you helped me that I bought it. If you absolutely need a reason, that’s what I’ll say. Red looks good on you, and I bought it when I saw it.”

“Don’t you know that young people generally prefer black, grey, and white, and don’t like bright colors like this?”

“You’re not a typical person.” Yun Shu’s smile was rich, and her response left Gu Weiran speechless.

She could never win an argument with her. How annoying!

“I’ve booked your flight for tomorrow afternoon. You can sleep in a little tomorrow morning. After you go back, move to the new place. I’ll send you the address tomorrow.”

Gu Weiran: “??? You’re making decisions for me again?”

“Don’t I have the right to decide for you?”

“I…”

Is she going to use her甲方 (party A/employer) status to pressure me again??

This woman is only gentle for five seconds!! Gu Weiran clenched her teeth and forced a smile, “Yes, you are absolutely qualified.”

Yun Shu squinted and smiled, “I hope to see you waiting for me at home when I return in a few days.”

“What if I happen to not be home?”

“Then we’ll extend the three-month cohabitation to four months.”

“You?!!!” Gu Weiran pointed at Yun Shu indignantly, but her index finger was caught by Yun Shu. Yun Shu leaned her smiling face toward her, chuckling, “Don’t play any tricks.” After saying that, she didn’t forget to gently pinch her fingertip. Gu Weiran suddenly felt an unbearable itch in her heart and quickly pulled her hand back.

The corners of Yun Shu’s mouth curved into a beautiful arc. She looked deeply at Gu Weiran before turning and leaving.

Gu Weiran stood still for a long time, unable to calm down, her face still flushed with heat. The receptionist walked up to her.

“Miss Gu, we have already prepared a dedicated car to the airport. Just call the front desk ahead of time tomorrow.”

“She arranged it?” Gu Weiran knew this hotel was under the Minde Group. Who among these people wouldn’t recognize Yun Shu? They all treated her with utmost respect.

“Yes, General Manager Yun specifically instructed it. She waited here for you for two hours today.”

“Two hours?”

Gu Weiran’s brows tightened. She looked down at the scarf, her feelings complicated.

Yun Shu, why are you doing this?