Two years after Yi Tianyu went abroad, he encountered Gu Shiyun in another state.
The weather was a bit chilly that day, and Yi Tianyu pulled his collar up to cover half his face.
Because of this, Gu Shiyun, who was talking to someone, didn’t notice him.
Yi Tianyu, however, recognized her at a glance. After all, Gu Shiyun and Xue Jiao were half-sisters—there was some resemblance between them.
And Xue Jiao was the woman he had missed to the depths of his bones. Whenever he saw someone who resembled her in a crowd, he couldn’t help but look twice, let alone someone he already knew.
He stopped and watched.
Gu Shiyun was clearly pleading with someone. Standing at a distance, he couldn’t hear what was being said.
Before long, he noticed Gu Shiyun say something, and the man reached out toward her.
Yi Tianyu frowned slightly.
A moment later, he saw the man trying to tear off Gu Shiyun’s clothes.
Though it was cold and the streets were sparsely populated, with this spot being particularly secluded, a passerby or two might still come by occasionally.
As the man pinned Gu Shiyun down, Yi Tianyu strode forward with a frown and yanked him away.
“What the hell are you doing?!” The man spoke in Chinese.
Yi Tianyu’s frown deepened. “I’ve called the police.”
The man faltered for a moment, but soon raised his voice again. “She’s willing!”
At that moment, Gu Shiyun stood up. “Mind your own—”
Her gaze landed on Yi Tianyu’s face, and she froze in shock. “You… Yi Tianyu?!”
Yi Tianyu gave her a cold glance, utterly indifferent.
Instead, Gu Shiyun grew frantic. She rushed forward and grabbed his arm. “Yi Tianyu! Take me back to China, I’m begging you!”
He ignored her because he could tell—this woman had indeed been willing. Her goal, naturally, was to return to China.
As for why she couldn’t, it was likely Lin Zhihua’s doing.
He turned to leave.
Gu Shiyun couldn’t hold him back, so she half-dragged herself after him, clutching at his clothes. “Why won’t you take me back? Gu Xue Jiao and Lin Zhihua are getting married—aren’t you angry? If you take me back, I’ll help you get Xue Jiao!”
Getting married?
Yi Tianyu turned his head and met Gu Shiyun’s venomous gaze.
He found this woman truly terrifying. He had only just learned that Xue Jiao and Lin Zhihua had registered their marriage and had come out to clear his mind. Yet this woman, who seemed to be in such dire straits, somehow had the latest news?
Just how deep was her hatred for Xue Jiao that, no matter her circumstances, she was always keeping tabs on her?
Yi Tianyu was genuinely unsettled. He looked at Gu Shiyun and sneered. “You want to cause trouble for Xue Jiao? Then you’ll never set foot in China again.”
The moment his words landed, a flash of hatred flickered in Gu Shiyun’s eyes.
Yi Tianyu strode away without looking back.
Behind him, Gu Shiyun shrieked—
“What’s so great about her?! She’s with Lin Zhihua now! Why are you still protecting her?!”
Yi Tianyu’s figure had already disappeared. The man, now threatened, grew even angrier and grabbed Gu Shiyun.
“You bitch, you’re gonna—”
Gu Shiyun shoved him away with a cold laugh. Yi Tianyu had seen her desire to return to China—he would surely report it to Lin Zhihua, making her chances of going back even slimmer.
As for this man… she no longer cared.
She tried to leave, but the man wouldn’t let her go. In their struggle, Gu Shiyun fell, her head hitting the wall, and she passed out.
The man panicked and immediately fled.After a long while, Gu Shiyun opened her eyes in confusion. She had just had a dream—a dream without Lin Zhihua, without Li Sitong, where Gu Xue Jiao had already been schemed to death by Cheng Mingjiao early on.
In that dream, she had married Cheng Mingze, who was successful in his career, and she became the enviable noble Miss Gu, Mrs. Cheng, admired by everyone.
"Hahahaha—I'm Mrs. Cheng, I married Cheng Mingze."
"Hahahahaha."
Yi Tianyu let out a deep sigh, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
He walked for a long time again, growing tired, and randomly ducked into a coffee shop. He ordered a cup of coffee and sat there quietly.
The shop was empty today, and the couple running it couldn't help but strike up a conversation with their only customer.
"Sir? Which country are you from?"
"China," Yi Tianyu replied with a polite, distant smile.
The woman nudged her husband, who then brought out a dessert for Yi Tianyu.
"Here, you're in luck. My wife just made this. I don't like sweets, and she's on a diet, so we're giving it to you."
Yi Tianyu raised an eyebrow, looking at the two of them.
Then he smiled and accepted it. "Thank you."
He didn't lack the money to buy desserts, but he could accept the clumsy kindness of this couple beside him.
"Hey, no need to thank us. What's troubling you?" The man, seeing that he'd accepted the dessert, became much friendlier and pulled up a chair to sit across from him.
Perhaps it was the sincerity in the man's eyes, but Yi Tianyu found himself revealing the thoughts he hadn't dared to voice: "The woman I love married someone else."
"Ah?" The man's eyes widened.
The woman couldn't help but step forward too. "I think you're very handsome. You must be quite popular in your country, right? Why didn't that girl like you?"
Yi Tianyu forced a smile. "Because there was a better man who loved her too. I wasn't good enough for her."
"What's this talk about being good enough or not? Young man, there are plenty of fish in the sea. Don't be so sad."
Yi Tianyu shook his head with a smile, his eyes reddening.
What other fish in the sea? There was only one Xue Jiao, only one Gu Xue Jiao who was so wonderful.
He opened his mouth and slowly began to tell his story.
The man exclaimed, "Ah, you really had bad luck. She did like you, but there was just a more suitable choice beside her. If you'd matured a bit more by now, you might still have had a chance."
Yi Tianyu smiled bitterly.
The woman added, "Ah, young boys always have this disadvantage. She clearly liked you back then, but you couldn't see it and didn't give her any sense of security! If you had your current personality back then, she would've liked you no matter what!"
Yi Tianyu froze, suddenly looking up. "She liked me..."
"Of course! If she didn't like you, why would she have treated you so well? Do top students have nothing better to do?"
Yi Tianyu was stunned. He revisited his memories with Xue Jiao once more, his heart aching.
He laughed, then laughed until tears fell.
That night.
Yi Tianyu lay in bed, thinking he wouldn't be able to sleep, but in fact, he drifted off quickly.
He had a dream, returning to the start of his second year of high school.
He saw the girl of his heart, but this girl still had red hair and an irritable expression on her face.
Others pointed fingers at her, but she remained unbothered, doing as she pleased.
Yi Tianyu observed her for a few days and felt she was different from the Xue Jiao he knew.
He watched her for a long time, seeing this reckless girl bullied by Cheng Mingjiao and others, despised by the entire class.Lin Zhihua wasn't among them. She always liked following Cheng Mingze around, even though he clearly disliked her company.
She wasn't the bookworm he knew!
Yi Tianyu frowned, unable to shake off his confusion.
Then came the parent-teacher meeting. He witnessed Li Sitong slap Gu Xue Jiao—who had ranked last in the exams—just as he remembered.
The red-haired girl with strange makeup ran away, hiding in a corner, hugging her knees as she wailed, looking utterly heartbroken.
Unable to resist, he approached and reached out his hand, saying—
"Get up."
A different Gu Xue Jiao looked up at him, her eyes still fragile, her face streaked with tears that smeared her odd makeup, revealing features strikingly similar to the bookworm's.
She lacked the bookworm's resilience, her confidence and diligence, nor did she have that unwavering determination to push forward without looking back.
She was far from being the bookworm.
Yet Yi Tianyu still pulled her up, holding her hand as he led her back to the classroom, murmuring softly—
"Gu Xue Jiao, you could still have a different life."
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