Chapter 47 Turning the page: Romance is merely an advanced version of friendship. ...

Liang Yizhi nearly fell off the stool.

"Go, go, go to your house?"

She could hardly believe her ears!

He Xintu burst out laughing at her reaction.

He narrowed his eyes: "I'm not kidding, I'm serious."

He moved closer to her, reaching his hand above Liang Yizhi's bangs to gently comb them.

I like you very much.

"But like I said, too close a relationship can hurt both of us."

As the bleak wind blew, his casual tone whispered in her ear, much more passionate than the wind on the terrace.

"You don't need to be so nervous or burdened. Many people are like this nowadays. We don't even need to talk about feelings between us. You probably haven't tried a relationship like this before, have you?"

Liang Yizhi's heart was pounding.

What kind of relationship is this?

Is it a relationship where it's all about sex and no emotional connection? You meet, you drop your pants, it's over, and you're gone. There's no emotional entanglement, and you're not responsible for the other person's feelings.

Liang Yizhi looked at He Xintu's slender eyes, a pair of simple yet seemingly incredibly alluring eyes.

The sense of novelty that He Xintu had once brought her suddenly felt utterly unfamiliar on this night.

But she also seemed to feel that it was quite refreshing for him to tell her directly without hiding anything.

At least he didn't intend to sleep with her, and he kept his approach to her a secret.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Liang Yizhi did not give a reply immediately.

A decision that others could easily make based on hormones was difficult for her. It required careful consideration and a thorough analysis of the pros and cons.

It sounds absurd, but she is carefully deciding whether to act impulsively.

She had this thought even before Xie Yun hurt her. She wanted to get rid of her old, stubborn ideas, follow her instincts, let go of her emotional baggage, and maintain her future relationships.

Perhaps it would have been the right decision to make that decision back then.

She should have known long ago that the world wasn't as wonderful as she imagined, that society wasn't a fairy tale, and that she wasn't a princess who would forever stay in a castle and be protected.

She didn't want to get hurt because of this anymore.

She said to He Xintu, "Let me think about it."

-

During breaks in the orchestra's rehearsals, Liang Yizhi would stay alone in a corner of the lounge, not practicing her instrument, but staring blankly out the window.

The surroundings were bustling with activity.

Wu You walked through the crowd and a bunch of musical instruments to her side and flicked her head.

Wu You: "Yizhi, you've felt so unfamiliar to me these past two days."

Liang Yizhi lowered her hand from her chin and asked, "What's wrong?"

“I’ve never seen you like this before.” Wu You raised his hand, mimicking her gesture. “Looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle. You know what? For the first time, you’ve shown the qualities of Hanazawa Rui. If you stand upside down, the tears won’t fall, okay?”

Liang Yizhi couldn't help but laugh.

At this moment, Shi Ruocheng walked over from behind and handed Wu You a can of hot cocoa, saying, "It's cold. Hold this to warm your hands and have something hot to drink."

Wu You: "Thank you, Brother Shi."

Shi Ruocheng then noticed Liang Yizhi sitting by the window. He looked surprised and immediately said, "...I'm sorry, I only bought one bottle. I'll go downstairs now."

He was about to leave when Liang Yizhi called him back.

She waved her hand generously: "No need to be so polite, Brother Shi, I've already had a drink."

"Oh well."

Shi Ruocheng walked away, looking slightly embarrassed.

Liang Yizhi found it amusing. Although Shi Ruocheng was a bit dull, he seemed to care a lot about Wu You.

She asked, "Judging from your expression, are you planning to accept Brother Shi?"

Wu You said, "No, it's not that I'm accepting it, it's just that I've decided not to refuse anymore."

Wu You had always tried to avoid Shi Ruocheng whenever possible. But every time she encountered him, she was moved by his sincere actions.

Wu You said, "I feel this is too awkward. It's not respectful to keep avoiding him, and he hasn't done anything drastic. I'm giving him a chance, and also giving myself a chance."

Liang Yizhi probed her: "Judging from your expression, I feel that Brother Shi should have a chance."

"I'll definitely let you know as soon as I have good news."

Looking at Wu You's sweet expression, Liang Yizhi actually began to feel a little envious of her.

Shi Ruocheng's feelings for her were simple yet passionate. He liked her, so he tried his best to be good to her in every way possible, a pure and beautiful sentiment.

Wu You sat down next to her: "Tell me about yourself. What's wrong? You seem off."

Liang Yizhi wears her heart on her sleeve. Even if she doesn't show it on her face, her piano playing becomes her second voice.

The steady and melodious cello sound suddenly became dry and melancholic. As the first cellist, she was called on by the conductor several times today.

Liang Yizhi said, "It's nothing, I just had a fight with a friend."

"That must be very serious, and it must be someone you're very good to know. After all, I've never seen you like this before."

Wu You comforted her, saying, "If there's anything wrong, just talk to him. Don't keep it bottled up inside, it'll make you sick."

"Sometimes we lose our temper with others because we subjectively assume what they are thinking, which breeds more inexplicable problems. You have to talk things out to know how to solve the problem."

Liang Yizhi strongly agreed with what Wu You said.

She and Gu Yinyan had tacitly avoided contacting each other for the past two days. She remained silent, and he continued to remain silent, letting her curiosity run wild, offering no explanation for his actions.

But this can't go on.

There are other friends and parents involved between the two of them. If they continue to avoid the issue, the problem will remain and will never disappear.

Liang Yizhi just didn't expect this opportunity to come so quickly.

After rehearsals ended, she returned home.

Not far from the apartment building, she saw the car parked next to her.

Liang Yizhi silently changed her route, bypassing the obstacle and passing through from the other side.

Unfortunately, with her carrying a violin, she was too conspicuous, like a moving target.

Liang Yizhi swiped her card to enter the room, went into the elevator, and then frantically pressed the close button.

However, Gu Yinyan blocked the two doors that were slowly closing with his hand.

He slowly stepped forward and stood beside her.

Liang Yizhi kept her head down, expressionless, and didn't even glance at him.

Gu Yinyan's tone was as calm and indifferent as usual as he asked, "Just got off work?"

"Um."

Have you eaten yet?

"I don't want to eat."

"What should I buy you?"

"Need not."

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Liang Yizhi stepped out before him.

It was obvious that she was avoiding him.

But Gu Yinyan had no intention of letting the matter rest. His arrival indicated that he had already made his plans.

He took three steps at a time and caught up with Liang Yizhi, saying:

"Let's talk."

Liang Yizhi entered the password on the door lock: "I have nothing to talk about."

"Don't you have anything to ask me?"

The door lock's input tone suddenly stopped, and Liang Yizhi's hand froze.

Gu Yinyan's words struck a chord with her.

She slowly typed in the password, and finally said to him, "Come in."

Liang Yizhi entered the room, casually tossed her bag onto the sofa, put her violin down, and went to the kitchen to pour water.

She filled a glass with water from the kettle and gulped it down, showing no intention of entertaining Gu Yinyan.

Gu Yinyan changed his shoes and stood by the kitchen door, watching her.

An invisible gaze was like an arrow aimed at her, and Liang Yizhi could only keep drinking water to counteract her nervousness.

She thought to herself, "Didn't he say he was coming to talk to me? Why hasn't he said anything yet? Does he expect me to ask first?"

Gu Yinyan said quietly:

"If you drink any more, you'll get water intoxication."

"Or are you planning to pee and run away after saying only a couple of words?"

Liang Yizhi put down her cup, took a big gulp of water, turned around and glared at him angrily.

Gu Yinyan found her appearance amusing.

This is the Liang Yizhi he knows.

It's really unpleasant to ignore each other.

He didn't want to experience it a second time.

Holding her water glass, Liang Yizhi decided to strike first. She asked, "...When did it start?"

Although she already had a preliminary answer in her mind, she still wanted to hear Gu Yinyan's reply in person. It would be understandable if he hadn't harbored other feelings for her from the very beginning.

She found her own thoughts laughable. Perhaps she had always been forgiving of him.

Gu Yinyan said calmly, "Are you talking about when you started collecting those things, or when you started liking me?"

Gu Yinyan's voice is very pleasant, with a low-frequency chest resonance. He speaks with a unique temperament, unhurried, gentle, and mellow.

His tone was always slow, and although his voice was low, his pronunciation was very clear. So when those extremely sensitive words came out, Liang Yizhi felt as if she had been electrocuted, and goosebumps almost rose on her skin.

Gu Yinyan said, "I can't say for sure when it started, but it probably started very early."

Liang Yizhi gripped the glass tighter, and the delicate skin on her fingers and knuckles began to turn white.

"Why did you hide it from me?" she asked again.

Gu Yinyan did not answer immediately.

Gu Yinyan: "The result is the same, you already know that."

Liang Yizhi nodded.

She breathed a sigh of relief: "It's okay. I'll pretend this never happened. I'll continue to act like I don't know anything about it."

Her breath trembled slightly: "Between us, we've always just been friends. And I'm good to my friends, so you misunderstood."

Gu Yinyan stared at her with his cold, indifferent eyes, as if trying to embed her into his field of vision.

He said, "Liang Yizhi, are you lying to me, or are you lying to yourself?"

"If you're lying to me, there's no need for that, because I know exactly what I'm doing. If you're lying to yourself, I hope you can reconsider our relationship."

Upon hearing his words, Liang Yizhi simply raised her chin and retorted:

"What are you considering? How long have I been deceived? Are you considering whether you've genuinely wanted to be my friend after being by my side for so long, or if you have some other motive?"

So that's what she's always cared about.

Gu Yinyan did not feel guilty because of her question.

He said, "Liang Yizhi, we've known each other for so long, do you really think all my actions are purposeful?"

Seemingly unable to answer his question, Liang Yizhi fell completely silent.

Her chest rose and fell slightly: "...Anyway, I don't like you."

"I know."

"I have someone I like."

"I can wait."

"We are friends."

"You mean," Gu Yinyan asked, "that anyone but this can be chosen?"

Gu Yinyan's stance is very clear.

After these past few days of reflection, he has thought things through clearly enough. He has been running away for so long, hiding all his feelings in a dark, shadowy mirror; it's time to let them breathe.

The few worthless little objects he used to play with every day could no longer contain his current feelings.

He didn't want to stop there; he started wanting more.

Gu Yin said, "Romantic relationships are just an advanced version of friendship. I believe that having a romantic foundation will only benefit us more."

Gu Yinyan's words only made Liang Yizhi feel absurd.

She completely disagreed with his point of view. After holding it in for a long time, she finally cursed at him.

"You're really... insane."

Gu Yinyan's eyes shone brightly: "Think what you want."