Long Time No See (GL) - Chapter 33

“Sister Yun!” Ming Yan looked at her holding Gu Weirong, utterly furious. “Can’t you save me some face? Ever since she appeared, you’ve distanced yourself from me.”

Ming Yan felt unbalanced. They used to be so close. Yun Shu had spoiled her and tolerated everything.

Since that day, she had been extremely cold to her, turning instead to be close to Gu Weirong.

Yun Shu was unmoved, still holding Gu Weirong’s hand tightly. “I told you before that a superior background doesn’t give you the right to casually use your power to oppress others. Weirong is the assistant I personally recruited in Xuan’an. By ordering her directly over my head, are you ignoring me, or are you deliberately trying to embarrass her?”

Ming Yan realized her words were too harsh and her actions improper, and quickly said, “I… I didn’t mean it that way, Sister Yun.”

With Yun Shu’s high position, how could she casually meddle with her people, and so arrogantly? Wouldn’t that just make her more disliked?

But she was too afraid of Yun Shu leaving her. Gu Weirong’s unshakeable position had begun long ago, and she was afraid that Gu Weirong would occupy Yun Shu’s heart.

“We’ll book our own tickets. You should go back first.”

Seeing Yun Shu giving her marching orders made Ming Yan even more uneasy. She pressed, “Sister Yun! I was wrong. Can you please stop being so cold to me? Why does it have to be this way?”

Where was the thoughtful and considerate Sister Yun from before? Where was the woman who always greeted her with a smile?!

Yun Shu turned her face away and replied indifferently, “You know why I’m like this.”

“Enough, enough! Can’t I just accept my position? I surrender, I’ll stop, I give up, I will never have improper thoughts about you again. Is that enough, Yun Shu!” Ming Yan’s sobbing tone erupted with the emotions suppressed in her heart. She walked toward the door in disappointment, constantly looking back at Yun Shu.

But Yun Shu stood firm, unwilling to spare her even a glance, decisively leaving no room for negotiation.

Ming Yan wiped her tears and looked deeply at Gu Weirong again. There was resentment and sadness in her eyes. Was it a mistake, or did Gu Weirong also see a hint of pity?

Perhaps Ming Yan thought that she, too, would end up this way.

Only after Ming Yan completely left did Yun Shu turn her head. She gazed at the doorway for a moment and sighed helplessly.

“What… happened between you two?” Gu Weirong asked softly.

“It’s nothing. Go find Lü Xin and book the tickets together. We’ll go back to pack later and leave tonight.”

Gu Weirong nodded.

She boldly guessed that Ming Yan’s confession had been rejected by Yun Shu, and their deep talk that night might have been related to this.

Yun Shu was usually easygoing and gentle. She had been so close to Ming Yan before. Just because of being liked, would she so resolutely cut off their bond?

Ming Yan was like a mirror, seemingly reflecting her future.

Gu Weirong felt a little uneasy. Would there be a day when she overstepped her boundaries, touched Yun Shu’s bottom line, and was also abandoned?

A flight of over two hours brought Gu Weirong back to City A.

As the plane landed, the cold air hitting her face made her shiver.

The debriefing report conference was held the next day. Yun Shu didn’t arrange for Gu Weirong to stay in a hotel but took her to another place.

The nighttime view of the sea slipped past her eyes. Unfamiliar roads, yet familiar scenery, gave Gu Weirong a feeling of being in a different era.

The last time she came here, she was full of resentment towards Yun Shu. This time, her state of mind was vastly different.

If she had discovered Yun Shu’s intentions earlier, and confirmed her own feelings sooner, would she not have missed those five years?

Gu Weirong leaned against the window, gazing outside without moving.

The city where Yun Shu had lived for five years. She didn’t have a chance to take a good look last time. This time, she wanted to take in all the scenery and hide it in her heart.

The place was filled with the traces of Yun Shu’s presence, places permeated with her scent. She liked it no matter how she looked at it.

What kind of life had Yun Shu lived here for the past five years? What had she experienced? It was still a mystery.

“It’s not your first time here. Is the scenery outside that beautiful?”

Yun Shu’s gentle voice sounded in her ear. Gu Weirong smiled back, “Not as beautiful as you.”

The thousands of sceneries in the world would pale in comparison to Yun Shu. The vast starry sky and the bright white moon were not as good as one of Yun Shu’s smiles.

Perhaps because of this unforgettable liking, Yun Shu always shone with light, enveloping Gu Weirong’s world.

“Did you smear honey on your mouth today? Are you thanking me for helping you out this afternoon?” Yun Shu’s humorous words made the evening atmosphere a little lighter.

“I need to thank you for this? Why didn’t you mention the last time you forcibly dragged me here? Consider us even.”

“True. Last time you were gnashing your teeth in hatred for me. You’re much better behaved this time.” Yun Shu recalled Gu Weirong’s selfless act, and her heart rate suddenly quickened by half a beat. Whenever she thought of that incident, it felt thrilling, and she still felt a little scared.

No matter how gorgeous the rhetoric and moving the language, nothing surpassed the body’s instinctive reaction.

In that moment, Weirong disregarded even her own life for her.

Only Gu Weirong herself knew what was going on.

“Times are different now. By the way, where exactly are you taking me? Why did you book a hotel so far away?”

Gu Weirong thought they would stay at the same hotel as last time, but today’s route and scenery were vastly different from last time. It shouldn’t be the same direction.

“Why stay in a hotel when there’s a house? I’m taking you to my place.”

Yun Shu never referred to the house as “home.” Without people, how could she?

“Taking me to your place? Really??” Gu Weirong couldn’t contain her excitement. Being able to see Yun Shu’s house was something she had always dreamed of. “Why didn’t you arrange for me to stay at your place last time?”

Yun Shu raised a meaningful smile: “Last time was last time, this time is this time. I wouldn’t dare bring someone who harbors resentment toward me home. Safety first.”

“You…”

As if she was going to eat people. The so-called “hate” and “dislike” were clearly a misunderstanding, but Yun Shu deliberately brought it up to tease her.

Gu Weirong glared at her sullenly.

Yun Shu smiled without speaking. The main consideration then was that she was at the center of attention and couldn’t guarantee her personal safety, so she was afraid of involving Weirong.

If she could have foreseen those accidents, how could she have brought Gu Weirong into danger? She inevitably felt some regret now.

But Gu Weirong was thinking that it was fortunate she caught the flight that day and experienced a life-and-death ordeal with Yun Shu, which brought them closer.

Yun Shu’s home was in the coastal area. Standing on the balcony, one could hear the waves and look out at the sea. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Before entering, she said a strange sentence to Gu Weirong.

“Control your emotions once you go inside.”

“Huh? What do you mean? Can your house make me lose control of my emotions?”

Yun Shu didn’t answer. She placed her thumb on the fingerprint lock and opened the door.

The whole house’s voice control system automatically turned on all the lights. After the power was connected, the smart sensor detected the indoor temperature and adjusted the air conditioning and floor heating.

As the view became wider and brighter, Gu Weirong’s eyes froze. She suddenly thought she was dreaming, feeling a sense of time and space crossing.

The decoration style in front of her was identical to the one in Xuan’an. When the old house was redecorated, her mother brought out several styles for the two of them to choose from. Gu Weirong and Yun Shu tacitly chose the simple and artistic style.

Yun Shu was still young then, preferring light-colored styles, simple and fashionable.

Gu Weirong still remembered that because of the renovation, they rented a place near the school for a long time.

Although the house was small, it hid the family’s beautiful times and planted the seed of deep affection for Yun Shu.

Gu Weirong stroked the light gray wall, moving step by step toward the bedroom. The wallpaper, curtains, and even the furniture looked like replicas.

Entering here opened the door to memories. The well-preserved house turned the wheel of time back to over ten years ago. Gu Weirong’s steps were slow, her eyes not daring to blink much, afraid of missing any spot.

The place was spotless. Yun Shu had people clean it regularly. The house was tidy and organized, with nothing randomly placed, just lacking some warmth of life.

Gu Weirong walked slowly, and Yun Shu quietly followed her, not saying a word.

Walking into the study, a striking photo wall came into view. Gu Weirong never knew Yun Shu had collected so many photos.

The family photo from her tenth birthday, the trophy photo from winning the math competition at age twelve, photos of her mother teaching every time, group photos from trips, candid shots of her and Yun Shu playing and fooling around, and so on…

This wall recorded all of Yun Shu’s happiness. She had happiness but was always afraid of losing it. A long time ago, she realized that the fate between people should be short-lived and that she would lose it one day.

So she secretly took photos of Teacher Lin cooking, Weirong doing homework, and Teacher Gu preparing lessons, and also quietly saved other photos.

Gu Weirong’s vision blurred. She pressed her sore eyes, trying to force the tears back, but looking along the photo wall, she saw her own figure from her university days.

“How could this be…” She couldn’t believe it.

In her freshman year, she joined the school’s volunteer association and went to special schools to accompany the children.

In her sophomore year, she ran for the host of the school anniversary gala and walked onto the stage.

In her junior year, she participated in Fengqi’s campus recruitment and officially started her internship.

On the day she officially graduated in her senior year, she jumped up in her academic gown.

The four years of university life were all in these precious photos. Gu Weirong’s tears streamed out. Disregarding her image and pride, she asked, “You, how do you have these?”

Yun Shu smiled, then looked at the photos, her calm gaze flowing over each old photo. During these years in City A, she lived entirely on memories.

Who would have expected that the more she cherished, the more she missed, and the more she missed, the lonelier she became?

“I never thought I would bring you here one day.” Yun Shu’s gaze fell on Gu Weirong’s photo collection, a slight smile on her face. “Every year when I returned to Xuan’an, I would go to see you. I knew your situation like the back of my hand, knowing you didn’t lack tuition fees, had excellent grades, a rich extracurricular life, and a smooth career. I was very relieved.”

“When did you go back? Why didn’t I know anything?”

“You didn’t need to know. Besides, you hated me so much. After finally escaping my clutches, how could I show up? In the end, it was me who couldn’t let go, always afraid you would suffer, not have enough money, or not take good care of yourself. Later, I realized it was just groundless worry. You are Teacher Lin’s daughter, how could you not be doing well?”

Yun Shu spoke lightly, treating it as water under the bridge, but Gu Weirong lost control. “You’re always like this, coming silently and leaving without a word, enduring things you shouldn’t have to bear in silence. I was ignorant, immature, and unreasonable, yet you still did this for me. It’s not worth it, not worth it!” Gu Weirong beat her chest and stomped her feet. The more she realized Yun Shu’s painstaking efforts, the more she hated herself.

“Weirong!” Yun Shu grabbed her hand and gently rubbed her shoulder. “Calm down. We’ve resolved the misunderstanding, haven’t we? Self-reproach and remorse are meaningless.”

“Then what is meaningful?”

Yun Shu paused, gently wiped the tears from her eyes, and said softly, “You being by my side is the greatest meaning.”