Translator: Helliot
Editor: P’Raikantopeni
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Secretary Wang was sharing an intimate lunch with his girlfriend at a cozy French restaurant.
“When can you quit that job of yours?”
Being asked such a question by his girlfriend, Secretary Wang, who had been enjoying his meal, suddenly frowned. “Do we have to talk about this on a date? Just relax, honey. We’re going to the movies later.”
“If you don’t resign, then there’ll be no happy dinners or movie dates.”
“What’s the problem?”
“We were enjoying ourselves last time, but you had to rush out as soon as your boss called you. You were dashing out the door even while we were in bed!”
Before Secretary Wang could even explain himself, his phone rang. “Hello, Chief Gu? What’s wrong?”
Speak of the devil.
Grumbling, his girlfriend jabbed at her steak with her fork.
“Forget it, it’s nothing.”
Gu Ze hung up the call. He suddenly felt at a loss. He just wanted to confide in someone, but he realized that he had no one he could talk to.
And what could Secretary Wang tell him?
But Secretary Wang has been by his side for over a decade, after all. If not Secretary Wang, who else was he going to talk to?
After thinking about it, he dialed Secretary Wang’s number again. “I’m at Ren’An Hospital. Come over.”
As soon as the call ended, Secretary Wang got up to leave, but his girlfriend wailed, “If you leave me here, I’m breaking up with you!”
“Then let’s break up.”
Gu Ze was his life-saver, so how could he choose a woman over a friend? Even though he was a high achiever, he did not come from a good family background. If not for Chief Gu’s help, he would not have come as far as where he did today.
“Chief Gu.” Secretary Wang was surprised to see Gu Ze sitting on a bench outside of a ward. This man who was also so proud suddenly looked so somber.
Sitting down next to Gu Ze, he asked, “Chief Gu, what’s wrong?”
“I think I’m starting to have feelings for someone. What should I do?”
The instant his lips touched his forehead, he shrank back in fear. Gu Ze even felt alarmed to be enlightened to the fact that he had feelings for this man.
He actually liked him.
He was doing what a man would do with his lover, and he had done so without any intention to take revenge on this man, nor to tease him.
Gu Ze reached up for his cigarette, only to realize when his fingers touched his lips that he hadn’t been smoking at all.
“Feelings for…whom?” Secretary Wang was astonished. So many women came and went from Gu Ze’s side, and Qing Shui was the only one who managed to stay slightly longer than the rest.
So who else could Gu Ze have feelings for?
But Gu Ze did not respond to him directly. He mumbled on by himself. “I realize liking him makes me feel hurt, and it makes me feel sad. I should’ve been happy if he were dead, but I don’t feel happy at all. Just seeing him gives me the urge to sleep with him, and it makes me want to kiss him. I kept trying to hold back because I kept telling myself, he’s not worthy. But…I still kissed him today. I never even felt the same way towards He Manyu, so how is he the only one who makes me feel this way?”
“Chief Gu, liking someone is a good thing. Miss He has already been gone for so many years. It should be time for you to settle down with someone new.” He had been watching Gu Ze latching onto He Manyu and constantly immersing himself in his grief.
“But no matter what, it shouldn’t be Meng Fu.” Gu Ze scoffed with self-ridicule. He could have fallen for anyone, so why did it have to be Meng Fu?
He was a man, and his enemy.
“Meng…Fu?” This name was terribly familiar to Secretary Wang. He glanced at Gu Ze, but Gu Ze didn’t look like he had lost his mind. Could it be…a woman with the same name as Meng Fu?
So, was Chief Gu troubled over falling in love with a woman called “Meng Fu”?
“You can go, Secretary Wang.”
Secretary Wang left the hospital in confusion. When he got into his car, he turned to look at the large signboard of the hospital. Only then did he realize something important. Why did Gu Ze ask to see him at a hospital?
Gu Ze mulled over his feelings for a while longer before making it to the smoking area for a cigarette. After a quick smoke, he went back to the ward. Ye Yan and Meng Yi had still yet to return. It was lunch time, so they were probably going to take a while.
Meng Fu had still yet to wake up, and in his deep sleep, this man was not as timid or anxious as he usually was. Instead, he looked at peace, as if a heavy weight had been taken off his shoulders, allowing him to finally have a good rest.
“Tell me, Meng Fu…What should I do?” While asking this question to someone he would never get an answer from, he looked down at Meng Fu’s hand, free of tubes.
His fingers were thin, long, and with faintly raised veins.
Gu Ze reached out and touched them gently with his fingertips before moving away. But then, he tried touching him again.
Feeling out of place, he put his hand back by his side.
“Meng Fu, you definitely won’t believe me when I say that I like you, because even I myself can’t believe it. I had just been asking you to kill yourself…Heh, even you think it’s ridiculous, don’t you? He Manyu is dead, my baby is dead, so what should I do? It really sounds like a joke, doesn’t it? Wake up soon, Meng Fu. I’m not done hating you yet, so you can’t die.”
Gaze moving back down, he finally made the determination to take the hand into his own.
His hand was as cold as a corpse’s. Gu Ze held it firmly, hoping to pass his own warmth to it.
But just as he had managed to warm it up a little, the door opened.
“Why are you still here?” Ye Yan looked annoyed.
Gu Ze quickly let go of the hand. “Finally back from lunch? How nice, leaving him behind like that. What are you going to do if something happens?”
“You know what? Yeah. I really do worry that something’s going to happen with you around.”
“Heh.” Gu Ze sneered. “If you really care that much for your cousin, then why weren’t you there when your mother took his house and his money from him?”
“What do you mean?”
“Cut the shit. Your mother, their very aunt, took advantage of them when they were at their lowest to rob them.”
Ye Yan’s face was filled with shock. Meng Yi was currently hiding behind him and tugging at his clothes. He wanted to speak, but he wasn’t given the opportunity.
“That’s bullshit! Do you hate Meng Fu so much that you have to slander his family, too?”
“I’m not slandering anyone. Just ask that mother of yours. The house should still be around, but who knows about the money? Money’s easy to spend, after all…Your mother’s been buying a lot of branded goods, hasn’t she?” Gu Ze smirked when he saw Ye Yan’s exceptional reaction. Feeling that he hadn’t said enough, he went on, “Do you know why Meng Yi’s so afraid of your mother? Isn’t it because she hates him? And also, Meng Yi doesn’t like flowers. You should have seen Meng Yi’s allergies flare up when you came back, didn’t you? Your mom knew about his allergies, but she made Meng Yi hold flowers for her anyway.”
Ye Yan remembered that he did actually see rashes on Xiao Yi’s body once when he returned on school break. Xiao Yi seemed used to it and didn’t pay it too much mind, but he was the one who rushed him to a hospital.
“Xiao Yi, is that what happened? Did my mom tell you to hold flowers for her?”
Meng Yi could hardly understand their conversation. He was thinking about the chicken cutlet he had this afternoon, and was even hoping to tell Big Brother Ye Yan that he wanted chicken cutlet again for dinner. Being suddenly asked this question, he thought about it for a moment before answering, “Auntie told me that the flowers were pretty, and if I took them, I would be pretty too.”
Looking at Meng Yi’s innocent face, an ache surged up Ye Yan’s heart, forming a tsunami of anger. How could the mother he had always respected so much turn out to be such a person?
Meng Yi did not get to tell Ye Yan about the chicken cutlet yet, so when he saw Ye Yan leaving in a hurry, he called out, “Big Brother Ye Yan.”
He wanted to chase after him, but was stopped by Gu Ze.
Gu Ze held a finger to his lips, indicating for Meng Yi to stay quiet.
“Meng Fu’s still sick so you can’t be noisy Be a good boy and go play over there, alright?”
“Why did Big Brother Ye Yan leave?”
“He’s gone to confront that aunt of yours who keeps bullying you.”
“No bullying! Meng-Meng says that Auntie is family! Xiao Yi will be good, Xiao Yi won’t cause trouble. Xiao Yi has to be a good boy…” Meng Yi muttered earnestly.
Really? Even after all she’s done? How kind—how cowardly—you must be, Meng Fu. But of course, other than that selfish aunt of yours, who else could you have relied on back then?
“Yes, no bullying. My mistake. He’s just going to talk to your aunt about some matters…” He corrected himself. During this moment, he actually saw himself being kind towards this little fool.
“Oh…Then, when will he come back?”
“Soon. Just play by yourself for now.”
“Okay.” Suddenly remembering something, Meng Yi asked, “Has Big Brother eaten yet?”
“No.”
“Is it to take care of Meng-Meng?”
Gu Ze did not answer.
Seemingly understanding something, Meng Yi grinned. “Big Brother is really a good person.”