Chapter 33 33 Ubiquitous

After the guests left, the hotel rooms returned to tranquility.

Although Gu Zhaoqian remained composed during the conversation, Jiang Yici clearly sensed that he became distracted after He Peiru returned.

Jiang Yici poured some more red wine into his wine glass, clinked it against Gu Zhaoqian's glass, and said, "Are you testing Aru tonight?"

Seeing his indecisive look, she continued, "I find you so funny."

Gu Zhaoqian pictured He Peiru's resolute figure in his mind. She seemed to have been reborn, and it didn't seem like it would be long before she could stand on her own.

"That's what I said, but I didn't expect it to cause Aru any trouble."

He smiled, and after speaking, he looked at Jiang Yici.

Jiang Yici didn't show the playful smile Gu Zhaoqian had expected. Instead, he became much more serious and said, "Don't you think you're in a dilemma? But..."

"But what?"

He took a sip of red wine and waited for Jiang Yici to continue.

Jiang Yici replied calmly, "Based on my understanding of Aru, your choice of such a radical approach will likely require her time to process."

He did not deny it: "I know."

Jiang Yici then asked, "Or are you confident in your approach?"

This time, she neither nodded nor shook her head, but simply replied, "Maybe."

The atmosphere grew increasingly heavy, but Jiang Yici still managed to joke, "I don't know exactly what happened between you two, but the atmosphere between you and Aru is different from before."

Gu Zhaoqian curled his lips slightly, but did not reply.

However, they all knew perfectly well that they were all considering Pei-ru without exception.

-

The road back to Repulse Bay winds its way uphill.

Looking out the car window, you can see the city's night view. The towering buildings that seemed so imposing just moments ago suddenly look like building blocks from this angle.

No longer out of reach due to too many uncertainties, He Peiru seems to be able to integrate into it effortlessly.

She didn't know who to talk to about her current situation.

If you choose to ask Fang Xiaoxin, even if she wants to hide it, it will be difficult for her to explain herself.

Moreover, Fang Xiaoxin was present at the time, so exposure would have been a matter of minutes.

He Peiru leaned back in her seat and couldn't help but sigh.

Uncle Zhang, who had remained silent the whole way, finally spoke up and asked, "Miss, has something happened?"

She hadn't expected Uncle Zhang to notice the commotion in the back row. After a brief hesitation, she replied reservedly, "It's nothing, I just can't figure some things out."

Uncle Zhang didn't ask about the specifics, and calmly said, "If you just can't figure it out, then you might as well just follow your own ideas."

Uncle Zhang pointed out in a few words that she was actually getting stuck on a rut, which led to this awkward situation.

He Peiru couldn't see Uncle Zhang's expression in the darkness, but she still smiled sincerely and replied, "You're right."

As expected, simply running away is not the solution.

Through the glass, Ho Pui-yu noticed that the car had already entered Repulse Bay. She didn't want to go back to the Chiang family's ancestral home so soon. Even in a spacious room, she couldn't help but feel cramped because of the ups and downs of her thoughts.

So she said, "Uncle Zhang, let's drive down to the beach."

Uncle Zhang didn't turn around and simply replied, "Okay."

It was getting late, and only a few streetlights remained on the beach, but that did not stop He Peiru from walking forward.

She gripped her phone tightly, thought for a moment, then unlocked the screen and quickly typed in a line of text.

He Peiru: [You did this on purpose, didn't you?]

Uncle Zhang's words prompted her to get straight to the point.

Gu Zhaoqian: [You've come to confront me?]

He Peiru had just taken a deep breath when a new message notification immediately brought her back to her senses.

Alone on the empty beach, the sea breeze blowing in her face dispelled the gloom in her heart.

She saw a notification at the top of the screen that Gu Zhaoqian was still typing, forcing herself to calm down and wait for the man's reply.

Gu Zhaoqian: [That's right, I did it on purpose.]

He Peiru did not believe what he said at all.

It could be said that he had absolutely no need to do this, so he confirmed it again.

He Peiru: [Why did you do this?]

This was the only question she wanted to know the answer to.

He seemed to have the answer already, and replied very quickly.

Gu Zhaoqian: [I'll just consider this my second choice.]

He Peiru wasn't incapable of understanding the meaning behind the words; she simply didn't think his approach was appropriate.

The bright text on the screen seemed to be afraid she wouldn't understand, but she deliberately chose to ask a question she already knew the answer to, as if that would give her a definite answer.

He Peiru: [With your abilities, finding even better jewelry shouldn't be a piece of cake, right?]

Gu Zhaoqian: [Then can you tell me why you hid from me all night because of the jewelry?]

Perhaps it was the resolute tone in her voice that made it clear that Gu Zhaoqian was choosing to avoid the question, so she decided not to dwell on it any further and also chose not to answer.

He Peiru turned off the screen and was about to put her phone away when Gu Zhaoqian's name appeared in the darkness.

She stopped in her tracks, already having come up with a reason for him: he must have taken this completely different approach because she hadn't replied.

He Peiru didn't immediately press the answer button. The phone's ringtone still echoed on the beach. Without further hesitation, she pressed the answer button.

"……Hello?"

Then Gu Zhaoqian's voice came through the receiver, accompanied by a light laugh: "I thought you wouldn't dare to answer my call."

Although his tone was joking, He Peiru felt that Gu Zhaoqian was looking down on her, and replied, "Not at all."

He then asked, "And why wouldn't I dare to accept it?"

“I don’t think there’s any need to look for more expensive jewelry.” He paused, and He Peiru didn’t rush to speak, but patiently waited for him to continue. “Besides, this is the first birthday you and your grandmother have celebrated together. No gift can be more precious than the one you gave her.”

Gu Zhaoqian's words were entirely out of consideration for her, putting himself in her shoes.

He Peiru's heart trembled.

Not knowing how to respond, she could only mutter, "Actually, there's no point in you doing this..."

"Who said that?" Gu Zhaoqian immediately retorted, "Isn't what I just said the point?"

Even though she knew Gu Zhaoqian couldn't see her, He Peiru still habitually pursed her lips. It seemed that no matter what angle she brought up, he could always think of a response.

This time, in particular, his attitude was practically a direct declaration.

He Peiru completely forgot her desire to stop avoiding the issue and just wanted to end the call as soon as possible, wishing she could finish what she was saying in one breath: "If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now."

She looked ahead; the once turbulent waves had now calmed down and were slowly lapping at the beach.

It was as if it eased the restlessness in her heart.

If she hurriedly hung up the phone after speaking, it would inevitably reveal her lack of composure.

He decided to remain silent and wait for Gu Zhaoqian to speak, hoping to see what else he wanted to say.

Gu Zhaoqian did not grant her wish, but instead asked, "Where are you now? You don't sound like you're at the Jiang family's."

He Peiru couldn't help but marvel at his incredible insight; even through a phone screen, he could make a judgment with ease.

She naturally didn't choose to hide it and told the truth: "Yes... I'm on this side of the beach."

Gu Zhaoqian asked again, "Are you all alone?"

He Peiru didn't quite understand why he asked such detailed questions, but after a pause, she still answered, "Yes."

When do you plan to go home?

He asked again, unhurriedly.

He Peiru was afraid that Gu Zhaoqian would ask her why she was doing this at this moment.

Fortunately, no.

She replied slowly, "In a little while."

Gu Zhaoqian responded, "Mm."

Then silence fell between the two of them.

He Peiru felt completely embarrassed. She gazed at the distant sea and asked awkwardly, as if asking, "Should I hang up the phone?"

Gu Zhaoqian did not answer immediately. Just as she was about to hang up the phone, Gu Zhaoqian's voice came through the receiver again: "Wait."

He Peiru had no choice but to pick up her phone again and ask, "What's wrong?"

"Don't hang it up yet." Unexpectedly, Gu Zhaoqian was rejecting her suggestion, and continued, "At least wait until you get in the car."

Being in Repulse Bay, Ho Pui-yu knew perfectly well that there was no need to worry about safety issues.

She blurted out her refusal: "Uncle Zhang is waiting for me in the parking lot, there's no need to go to so much trouble."

He Peiru felt that Gu Zhaoqian would not insist any further after she had said so much. She waited patiently for a moment and finally heard his reply: "Okay, good night."

She whispered, "Goodnight."

However, when the sound from the phone faded away completely, He Peiru felt an emptiness in her heart. She didn't quite understand where this feeling came from, only that the silence amplified the loneliness in her heart, and naturally, she had no desire to continue strolling on the beach.

She simply turned back and walked towards the parking lot.

The faint sound of the wind made He Peiru unconsciously lighten her steps. She had finally relaxed after being on tenterhooks, and her whole body was completely calm.

As they got closer to the parking lot, He Peiru vaguely heard Uncle Zhang's voice and curiously pricked up her ears, trying to hear what he was saying.

Uncle Zhang seemed to be on the phone—

"Don't worry, Young Master Gu, I'll tell you as soon as we get back to the Jiang family."

"The young lady seems to be the same as usual, but it's not appropriate for me to inquire about the specifics."

"Understood, I'll stop here for now. The young lady could be back at any moment..."

All I heard was Uncle Zhang lower his voice and say a few more words to the other end of the phone, until he fell silent.

She didn't need to think too much; the conversation directly revealed that the person on the other end was Gu Zhaoqian.

He Peiru was filled with mixed feelings, but she didn't forget to take another step out of her daze, pretending to know nothing about what had just happened, and said to Uncle Zhang standing by the car, "Uncle Zhang, let's go back."

"OK!"

She could almost see the complex emotions on Uncle Zhang's face, a mixture of relief and relief at his foresight.

Gu Zhaoqian's actions once again surprised her.

After finally getting him to hang up, he turned around and called Uncle Zhang, seemingly still worried about her.

Despite this pervasive approach, He Peiru couldn't get angry at all.

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Author's note: Trying my best to resume updating TvT