Chapter 19 You're Crazy! Fly Back

"I..." Yu Yue panicked slightly, but forced herself to remain calm and said, "Should I know?"

She genuinely had no idea that the falling out between the two was related to her; she never dreamed of this answer.

Gu Yunze quickly looked away, sighed, and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "I knew it... It's really pathetic that guy likes you."

If he weren't driving, he really wanted to open her little head and see how she could be so slow-witted.

"Who likes whom?" Just then, a car horn sounded outside the window, and Yu Yue didn't hear his final, lowered sigh.

"Never mind, it's nothing anyway." The other person seemed unwilling to say more, but Yu Yue felt a sense of frustration, like she had been piqued but then told to quit halfway through.

"No, why did you two fight because of me? I'm not taking the blame for this," Yu Yue guessed, dissatisfied. "Is it because you felt he went too far with me, so you're standing up for me?"

This really made Gu Yunze laugh, but it was a bitter laugh, a bitter yet funny kind of laugh.

Perhaps, perhaps it's precisely because she's so unique that she's so interesting, isn't it?

Gu Yunze's choice of words was already quite subtle; in internet slang, this person's thought process was truly unique, successfully capturing his attention.

"Yes, that's a good way to understand it too," he said with a smile. Anyway, he always stood on her side as the glorious, great, and correct one, unlike someone else who never suffered a loss.

"Tch, that's obviously not the reason." Yu Yue might be a little slow on the uptake when it comes to love, but she's not stupid. How could she not see that the other person was laughing at her?

Yu Yue tried hard to recall what had happened in the second semester of her second year of junior high school, but to no avail.

The two of them suddenly fell silent, and even she could feel the stiff, tense atmosphere.

As for her, let alone the second semester of her second year of junior high, she would have a conflict with the other party almost every few days, big or small, and she couldn't even remember them all.

The reason I can't recall anything special is because they were all trivial matters, which seem childish and ridiculous now.

What impressed her most was that during the final period, he surprisingly stopped teasing and provoking her. At that time, she even felt relieved, thinking that the boy had matured and started to take his studies seriously. But unexpectedly, what she received in the end was news that he had transferred schools.

Yu Yue still remembers the emptiness and anger she felt at the time. After being classmates for two years, even if they were mortal enemies, they should have said goodbye when they left. After all, they spent every day together.

The girl in the passenger seat had her brows furrowed, her delicate and clean face almost scrunched up in a frown.

Gu Yunze found it somewhat amusing, so he gave her a hint.

Remember that Polaroid camera?

"Ah..." Yu Yue paused for a moment, then finally remembered. "You mean the Polaroid camera he gave me for my birthday?"

Over a decade ago, when instant cameras first came out, they were incredibly popular among students. However, they were also very expensive; unlike today's ubiquitous smartphones, such cameras are practically toys.

She remembered that she didn't want to accept such an expensive gift, even though she knew it was just a drop in the ocean for that person.

What did Xinqi say at the time? He told her in his arrogant, rich young master tone that it was worthless, with a cool and smug expression on his face as if he was giving it to her as a favor.

This made Yu Yue immediately lose her temper. She pushed the carefully packaged Polaroid camera back, saying that she didn't deserve to use such an expensive item and that the young master should keep it himself.

Then the other person got angry and said that if she didn't accept it, she could just throw it in the trash. Anyway, he couldn't take back what he had given away, and he wasn't that petty.

Yu Yue was amused by this petty remark, but ultimately accepted it under pressure, thinking she would return it later, otherwise she knew that the person would really throw it in the trash.

But later, there was never another chance. She thought back carefully and realized that she should still have the Polaroid camera safely kept in her old house.

“Yes, a friend of mine at school heard me mention that Xiaoqi gave you a Polaroid camera, so he secretly gave me one for my birthday. I put it in my desk, and he probably saw it and got angry with me on the spot.” Gu Yunze chuckled. “He probably thought you gave me the one he gave you, which is why he was angry with me.”

"Oh, you didn't explain?" Yu Yue asked in surprise. She didn't know there was such a story behind it, so she quickly asked, "You two didn't really break up over this?"

"Well, I was probably immature back then. I thought he was being unreasonable, so I didn't want to explain." Gu Yunze chuckled and shook his head, glancing at her as he said, "Besides, he didn't even ask me. I couldn't very well explain myself, could I? What if I guessed wrong?"

"And then?" Yu Yue asked nervously.

"Then he asked me with a dark face where I got this Polaroid camera," Gu Yunze recalled. "I remember I said it was a gift from a friend, and then that was the end of it. After that, as you can see, he gave me the cold shoulder."

“I thought I could talk things out later, so I didn’t want to talk to him for the time being. Who knew that he would transfer schools without saying a word? I still haven’t had a chance to explain to him.”

"That's it??" Yu Yue couldn't believe it. She thought there was some unresolved grudge between them, but it turned out to be just a small misunderstanding?

“Yes, that’s it.” Gu Yunze shrugged helplessly. “But it seems he doesn’t need my explanation.”

As the car passed a bus stop, there happened to be an advertisement for potato chips endorsed by Xin Qi on the advertising board on the platform.

The two of them turned their heads at the same time and saw someone's handsome face.

"See? We're from two different worlds now." Gu Yunze sighed for a moment.

"Mmm," Yu Yue responded softly.

Silence fell over the car for a moment. Then, the sound of 'werwerwer' came from behind. Yu Yue then realized that Meili and Kaixin must be very bored.

So she quickly took out some snacks from her bag and fed them. She didn't dare to feed them too much, for fear that the two dogs would relieve themselves on the way and leave an unpleasant smell in the car.

Fortunately, their hometown is not far from S City. After the interchange highway is built, the journey will only take four or five hours. They can just bear with it.

The two set off early in the morning and arrived in Z City just in time for lunch.

Gu Yunze's house was another half hour away, so he took Yu Yue home first.

The car slowly stopped in front of a self-built house, and a crowd of onlookers instantly gathered on both sides of the narrow road.

It's Chinese New Year, and people who went out to work or study have all returned home. This is the time when there are the most people from our hometown.

A BMW parked here will naturally attract a lot of attention.

The dust swirling around, the low-rise buildings, the simple, honest people—this long-lost sense of familiarity made her feel momentarily disoriented, and also created a strong sense of disconnect.

"We're here, get out of the car." Gu Yunze stopped the car, and before he could even open the door, he heard a loud shout from outside, full of energy.

"Old Yu's family, your daughter brought her boyfriend home!!!"

In an instant, Yu Yue and Gu Yunze in the car both froze.

Then came a mature and charming chuckle from the man, "The familiarity is back."

Yu Yue rolled her eyes at him, rolled down the car window, and shouted at the man, "Sir, that's not my boyfriend!"

The old man called upstairs again, "Old Yu, your daughter's shy! And the young man is quite handsome!"

Yu Yue: ……

"I'm sorry, that's just how the elderly are..."

She felt so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole.

Gu Yunze chuckled, "Then I, as your 'partner,' have to do something to save face for you."

He got out of the car and went around to the passenger side to open the car door for her.

"Please," Gu Yunze said politely, extending a hand. This caused another commotion among the surrounding people, who rushed over to look him over and whisper among themselves.

"Tsk tsk, the Yu family's daughter is quite something, finding such a handsome boyfriend who drives a BMW."

"That's right, he's handsome and rich, he looks just like one of those domineering CEOs in TV dramas."

"Her mother was arranging a matchmaker just two weeks ago, saying there was a nice guy. But now it seems the girl already has a boyfriend. I've met him, and he's not even close to being a good match."

Yu Yue felt awkward, but she still reached out and grasped the other person's broad hand, and was led out of the car.

Then he went to the trunk to get her luggage, while Yu Yue herself took the two dogs, who were a bit listless after the long journey, out of the back seat.

As soon as they got out of the car, Meili and Kaixin instantly perked up and rushed out to have some fun.

Yu Yue was almost pulled down, but luckily Gu Yunze caught her in time.

"Are you alright?" he asked with concern.

Just then, Ms. Liu Yu came downstairs with her husband, and their eyes lit up when they saw this scene.

They could hear the neighbors talking from afar that their daughter had really brought home a tall, handsome, and rich man, and their eyes were practically squinting with smiles.

"You're back! Why didn't you let us know sooner? We could have come out to pick you up earlier." Liu Yu smiled at the man next to her daughter.

Wow, he's really handsome and has a great appearance. This car must be expensive too, a BMW, it must cost several hundred thousand.

"Hello, Auntie and Uncle." Gu Yunze greeted them politely, appearing completely at ease and not at all nervous.

Yu Yue couldn't help but sigh, no wonder he was the top student in her junior high school.

"Hey, come in and have a seat." Liu Yu was overjoyed to see the young man and quickly took his hand, saying, "Yueyue is so inconsiderate, she doesn't even know how to entertain us. Old Yu, go home and kill that fish, and add another dish."

"No need, no need to trouble yourself." Gu Yunze quickly waved his hand, but in the end he couldn't persuade the two old people, and was pulled into their home for a simple meal before driving away.

Of course, there were bound to be various probing questions at the dinner table, inquiring about the family situation. Yu Yue was really embarrassed to explain, but once the elderly have made up their minds, it is often difficult to change them. In the end, she gave up and let Gu Yunze deal with his parents.

After the long meal was over, Gu Yunze said goodbye and left, and Yu Yue finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I thought you were just kidding me." After the person left, Ms. Liu Yu excitedly patted her shoulder, "I didn't expect you to actually bring a boyfriend back. Mom is so happy for you."

"No, we're just ordinary friends," Yu Yue explained.

"As an experienced woman, how could I not see it?" Ms. Liu snorted twice. "If he didn't have feelings for you, would he have brought you back or come to our house for dinner?"

During the meal, he answered whatever she and Lao Yu asked. How could he be uninterested in his own daughter? "Ordinary friends"? If this is just ordinary friends, then there are no extraordinary friends.

Yu Yue was too lazy to explain; she just wanted her mother to stop arranging blind dates for her.

Unexpectedly, after all the twists and turns, Gu Yunze, whom she hadn't seen for ten years, ended up being her so-called 'boyfriend,' leaving Yu Yue both amused and exasperated.

The concern was that her parents would be too disheartened to accept the truth, but by then she would have already returned to S City.

With the matter resolved, Yu Yue felt a weight lifted from her shoulders. After settling both dogs in, she returned to her room.

It should contain all her belongings from childhood to adulthood, including your Polaroid camera.

Yu Yue's room window was next to a large tree; it was winter, and the bare branches made the room look somewhat desolate. As soon as the door opened, a dusty smell, as if no one had lived there for a long time, filled the air.

Following her memory, she crouched down and pulled a brown leather suitcase from under the bed. It was covered in a thick layer of dust. Not daring to disturb it, Yu Yue gently unlocked the suitcase and carefully opened it.

Sure enough, in the corner of the box, she saw the gift box that was carefully wrapped in beautiful purple holographic paper.

Memories flooded back instantly, as if I had returned to those days, to the noisy and bustling classroom.

The boy sitting behind her took out a gift from his bag and mischievously placed it on her head.

Yu Yue impatiently reached back to grab the annoying paw, but was forced to press down on something above her head halfway. When she took it down, she realized it was a beautifully wrapped gift, in her favorite purple color.

"What is this?" she asked, knowing the answer already.

"Can't you see for yourself?" Xin Xiaoqi said impatiently. "Of course it's a birthday present."

"You actually gave me a birthday present? Has the sun risen in the west?"

"Take it or leave it, if you don't want it, fine."

"Tell me what this is first, then I'll consider whether to accept it or not."

"Then guess."

"An English dictionary?"

"No, guess again."

Yu Yue only remembered that she didn't guess any of them correctly in the end, because she never expected that the other party would give her such an expensive gift.

The rest of the story is predictable: the two parted on bad terms because of this and didn't speak to each other for several days.

With that, Yu Yue sighed, picked up the Polaroid camera, and thought she would find an opportunity to return it to the other person later.

If Xin Qi saw that his gift was still in her hands, she would know that she had not given the gift he gave her to anyone else back then, and perhaps that would clear up the misunderstanding between Gu Yunze and him that lasted for ten years.

She's such a good person.

Thinking it over, Yu Yue put the Polaroid camera on the writing desk, then closed the box again and put it back under the bed.

My phone kept buzzing with messages. My class group and my best friends group were exchanging New Year's greetings, asking how I was spending the year and where I was planning to go during the holidays.

Yu Yue replied to her friends' group chat first. Lin Shiya's family was still on vacation abroad. Lazy Fish and the others had made plans to meet up for a meal during the Chinese New Year, but Yu Yue probably couldn't go because she had two dogs to take care of and it was inconvenient for her to go out without a car.

Then she opened the class group chat. The class monitor had already set the time and place for the meal. Yu Yue said she would go then, and then she turned off her phone and started editing a new video.

Even during the Chinese New Year, she can't stop updating. In fact, precisely because everyone is at home during the holiday, she needs to update her videos even more to capitalize on this surge in viewership.

She knew that no one's success comes without effort.

That evening, when she opened the video website to upload a video, she received another message on her phone.

[Big Star: Happy New Year in advance]

Yu Yue slightly curled the corners of her lips.

[Joy: To share happiness.]

...

Xin Qi spent the Spring Festival on set. On New Year's Eve, all the actors, directors, and staff cooked a big pot of dumplings and shared them. That was how they celebrated the New Year, and then they continued filming.

The filming location was quite remote, and the work was arduous, but no one in the crew complained. Participating in a film with such a stellar cast was a rare and invaluable experience. No matter how tough or tiring it was, they all persevered.

"The production team said to hang in there a little longer. The first phase of filming will wrap up on Friday, and we can have a day or two off." Li Youliang plopped down and let out a long sigh of relief.

There was no other way; he had to keep an eye on his own artists while they were on set.

As for the assistant, given his temperament, it wouldn't be easy to find a satisfactory one, so he has to fill in for the time being.

Xin Qi's filming was tough, so he could only suffer along with him.

"What are your plans?" Li Youliang asked. "I found a hot spring nearby. Why don't we go there to relax?"

"Let's go back." Xin Qi took out her phone and opened her photo album, which was full of various photos and videos of Xin Kaixin.

"Huh? Where to?" Li Youliang didn't quite understand.

"City Z".

"No, didn't you say you didn't want to go home?" Li Youliang was surprised because he knew his artist was from Z City.

"Go back and see how happy you are."

The production crew yelled "Action!" and Xin Qi put down his phone and stood up. He was wearing general's armor, tall and upright, with his long black hair tied up high with a red ribbon, swaying from side to side with his steps.

From behind, he looks like a dashing young man.

Li Youliang clicked his tongue, wondering what had gotten into that kid. He only had a day and a half of vacation, yet he flew all the way back to see his parents, just to see a dog.

The dog and I are doing well, and I haven't missed him at all.

In the video the girl posted, the two dogs were having so much fun frolicking in the field that they seemed to have no idea about their owner.

Li Youliang grumbled inwardly, but still silently picked up his phone and booked a plane ticket for him.

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Author's Note: This book will be available for purchase starting tomorrow morning. The first four chapters will be available for purchase starting from chapter 16. The story is currently nearing its middle, and I expect the main text to be completed in approximately 130,000 words. Thank you for reading! [heart emoji]