The Mouth Is Stubborn, But the Body Is Quite Honest [Rebirth] - Chapter 18

: 018 Should I Do Something Big This Life?

Qi Wanyang was momentarily transported back to her childhood by Gu Linlang’s warm embrace.

She was only five years old then, having just suffered the trauma of her parents’ death in a car accident. She hadn’t spoken for three months.

In the dance class run by her mother’s best friend, the other children mocked her, calling her the “mute freak.”

It was Gu Linlang who burst into her dark world like a little sun.

She would press her favorite snacks into Qi Wanyang’s hands, would put her hands on her hips and scold the naughty children who threw stones at her until they cried, and, just like now, would hold her tightly during every lunch break, practicing pronunciation with her word by word.

“Come, say it with me, Lin—lang—”

“…Lin…lang.”

“That’s right! Wanyang is so good!”

The sound of Gu Linlang’s cheering still seemed to echo in her ears. Qi Wanyang unconsciously burrowed deeper into the embrace.

Back then, Gu Linlang would always pat her back with her soft little hands and say in a baby voice, “Take your time, I’ll always be here for you.”

With her companionship, Qi Wanyang quickly regained the ability to speak and even started taking dance classes with her.

But later… after Gu Linlang’s mother passed away unexpectedly, that sunny, cheerful little sun gradually disappeared.

Qi Wanyang understood that pain all too well. She desperately wanted to become a pillar of support for Gu Linlang, but the girl was stubbornly independent. She only relied on Qi Wanyang for a brief period before completely pushing her away. Qi Wanyang never knew exactly what happened…

“What’s wrong? Does it hurt?” Gu Linlang noticed her slight trembling, her voice carrying a rare note of tension.

Qi Wanyang softly hummed, “Mhm.”

It hurt, her heart hurt.

She didn’t know how long their intimacy could last.

Gu Linlang hesitated, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz: “How about… you bite me? We can share the pain?”

Qi Wanyang burst out laughing, deliberately teasing her: “Bite where?”

Gu Linlang looked at the hand pressing the ice pack, then moved the other hand wrapped around her waist, and finally said softly, her ears turning pink: “Shoulder… or neck?”

Qi Wanyang hadn’t expected her to say that. Staring at the faintly pink section of her neck, she was seized by an impulse, leaned in, and gently bit her.

“Hiss—” Gu Linlang shivered. It wasn’t pain, but a tingling sensation that shot straight down her spine to her heart, making her toes curl from the itch.

Qi Wanyang knew when to stop and pretended to close her eyes drowsily: “I’ll take a nap.”

If she bit again, a certain proud girl would probably explode.

Feeling the warmth on her neck retreat, Gu Linlang secretly sighed in relief, yet felt an unexpected emptiness.

She realized the “smelly fox” wasn’t smelly at all. In fact, she smelled great. That clean, pleasant scent drifted into her nose, making her dizzy and almost forget her own name.

Also, why was she so utterly defenseless against a vulnerable Qi Wanyang? Otherwise, why would she have suggested the embarrassing line, “How about you bite me?”

What is going on? This is toxic. Another instance of social suicide. She only hoped Qi Wanyang would factory-reset this memory upon waking up!

But Gu Linlang was also slightly distracted. Had someone relied on her like this deep in her memory before?

She felt far too practiced at doing these things.

Over an hour later, the plane landed smoothly at Tokyo Haneda Airport.

When Dana emerged from economy class, she saw Miss Gu opening a bottle of water and cautiously feeding it to her Ms. Qi’s lips.

She couldn’t help but adjust her glasses, finding the sight almost unbelievable.

As she got closer, she noticed that Ms. Qi looked energetic and seemed to be in good spirits.

In contrast, Miss Gu, after feeding the water, was rubbing her neck and flexing her shoulders, looking like she hadn’t rested well at all.

The more Dana looked, the more familiar the sight became. Wasn’t this exactly how Ms. Qi looked a few days ago when she had a crick in her neck?

“Let’s go,” Qi Wanyang said faintly upon seeing Dana approach.

The three walked toward the exit together. Gu Linlang pulled out her phone as they walked, looking up nearby hospitals. Her mind was entirely focused on quickly getting Qi Wanyang’s shoulder treated.

But just as they stepped out of the terminal, several smartly dressed Japanese men approached them. Their respectful demeanor was only short of a ninety-degree bow.

The leading man spoke fluent Chinese and smiled: “Ms. Qi, we’ve been waiting for you.”

Qi Wanyang nodded slightly and exchanged polite greetings.

Gu Linlang watched, momentarily confused. Qi Wanyang introduced her, and only then did Gu Linlang realize that Qi Wanyang was here to attend an international technology summit focused on artificial intelligence. There was simply no time to go to a hospital first.

“Dana, please take Miss Gu to her hotel first,” Qi Wanyang instructed Dana. Her tone was light but brooked no argument.

“But…” Dana was about to speak, but Gu Linlang quickly jumped in: “No need! You only brought one assistant; you must be swamped. I can get to the hotel myself.”

She paused, her eyes involuntarily glancing at Qi Wanyang’s shoulder. “Um… can I come to the summit with you? I minored in programming and I’m quite interested in AI.”

Gu Linlang knew Qi Wanyang too well; once busy, she would completely forget about her injury. Gu Linlang needed to follow her to ensure she received timely medical attention.

Qi Wanyang smiled slightly at the request. Although she was dressed in a stern, formal business suit, the smile softened her entire demeanor. Her peach-blossom eyes curved like pools of spring water, shimmering brightly.

Gu Linlang’s heart gave an unexpected thump, and she involuntarily held her breath.

“Of course, you can.”

Hearing Qi Wanyang agree, Gu Linlang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, though her face inexplicably felt hot. She quickly looked away, refusing to look at her any longer or allow herself to think anything more.

Qi Wanyang turned to the Japanese men: “This is Miss Gu Linlang. She will be attending the conference with me.”

The Japanese men immediately bowed to Gu Linlang and greeted her fluently in Chinese: “Miss Gu, welcome.”

Having regained her composure, Gu Linlang returned the greeting gracefully.

Afterward, the group got into the car sent to pick them up. Gu Linlang casually snapped a photo of the Tokyo streets and posted it to her family chat to let them know she was safe.

As soon as the message was sent, her dad Gu Hongyi’s reply popped up: “Has my precious daughter missed Dad? You made it to Japan? Tell Dad about any interesting things on the way!”

Gu Linlang smiled slightly. If she were to talk about interesting things, the near-plane crash would definitely be number one, but she couldn’t possibly tell her family that. She casually replied: “Of course I miss you! I miss Aunt Lirong and Chengze too~” She followed it up with an adorable heart emoji.

Gu Hongyi was delighted by the message and immediately replied with a chibi-style “Loves my precious daughter the most” sticker.

Sun Lirong quickly sent a similar sticker, and Gu Chengze, who had just finished class, popped up in the chat, sending a “miss the whole family” sticker.

The family, despite being separated by screens, felt like they were gathered together.

Speaking of these stickers, Gu Hongyi had specially commissioned someone to design them.

Although they were cartoon big-headed figures, they perfectly captured the essence of each family member and were very heartwarming.

After exchanging a few more casual messages, Gu Linlang exited WeChat.

She hadn’t mentioned meeting Qi Wanyang once. If she told her dad they were sticking together everywhere, he would definitely overthink things, wouldn’t he?

Before long, the car arrived at the site of the AI Technology Summit.

In recent years, with the rapid development and widespread application of artificial intelligence technology, an increasing number of international technology summits have adopted AI as a key topic or theme.

As a reborn person, Gu Linlang knew exactly how explosively popular AI was going to be this year.

She remembered that in her previous life, Qi Wanyang had skillfully seized the AI opportunity, successfully introducing and promoting a series of innovative smart medical technologies that allowed Qi’an Pharmaceuticals to soar again. She even won the Outstanding Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for it.

But what surprised Gu Linlang was that Qi Wanyang was targeting the lucrative AI sector so early.

In contrast, their Gu Sheng Group, while realizing the potential ten months later and rushing to develop a smart housing project, was still a step too slow.

Gu Linlang stroked her chin, considering if she should warn her dad when she returned home and suggest launching the smart housing project early. This would not only give them a head start but also save a significant amount of cost, ensuring they successfully caught the AI express train.

However, on second thought, she hesitated. She never liked getting involved in company affairs. If she showed too much enthusiasm, her dad would certainly want her to take over.

But she genuinely had no interest in corporate management. She simply wanted to live a free life, do what she loved, and pursue her dreams.

Speaking of dreams…

Gu Linlang suddenly felt a bit lost. In her last life, she died before she could achieve anything significant. Should she do something big this life?

But what exactly to do, she hadn’t quite figured out yet.

Fortunately, Gu Linlang wasn’t the type to get bogged down in indecision.

Soon, her attention was captivated by the diverse array of AI products on display in the convention hall. Top companies from around the world were showcasing their innovative results integrating artificial intelligence.

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies created immersive experiences; smart homes made life more convenient; smart medicine offered new hope for health; and autonomous driving technology revealed a new model for future transportation…

Looking at these, Gu Linlang suddenly felt a surge of excitement. She remembered leading a game development team in her previous life, which also leveraged the AI boom.

They created an ultra-realistic fighting game that fulfilled her regret of not being able to fight vigorously due to her heart condition. Notably, the core code for this game was written by her.

Although Gu Linlang’s major was economics and management due to her family business, she had also taken elective courses in computer science. In programming classes, where others struggled, she thrived.

Writing code and developing games might not be a grand ambition, but it was something she both loved and excelled at.

She preferred sitting in front of a computer screen, typing code and creating her own virtual world, rather than spending her days in meetings reading reports.

The atmosphere reached a minor climax when it was Qi Wanyang’s turn to take the stage and present.