Chapter 193 I Will Always Stand by Your Side

Before the old lady pointed out Gu Nan's age, he never thought that she would be younger than him.

From the moment they first met, Gu Nan acted like an older sister. She nonchalantly called him "little kid" and asked about his studies. She took him in in the dark of night when he had nowhere else to go, tactfully and carefully bringing him breakfast and some extra cash. She calmly memorized his shoe size, repeatedly waiting for him to come home, and opening a warm door for him.

She was not tall, her job was not respectable, and her social status was not high, but she used her not-so-strong arms to protect him from the wind and rain, supported his back, and lifted his head, preventing him from being shattered in the class divide.

She grew up to be an alien under this gray sky.

A gentle, tough, graceful and outlier.

He naturally thought that such strength belonged to an elder, and accepted the protection of the weak with peace of mind, but the old lady told him that Gu Nan was younger than him.

Not only is she younger than him, she is also less knowledgeable than him, but she is braver and more outstanding than him. As long as she wants, she can leave the slums and live the life she wants at any time.

Why did she stop here? Is this place special to her?

He was curious about Gu Nan's past, but suddenly realized that he knew very little.

"You want to know about me?" Gu Nan leaned on the armrest and said lazily, "There's actually nothing to say. It can't even compare to yours."

Qi Yan leaned forward and whispered, "I want to know."

Gu Nan reviewed the original owner’s short life.

An orphan, he failed to get into high school after nine years of compulsory education. Since he had no school to go to, he wandered around working to earn money. It was very hard and he suffered a lot of bullying. His attitude towards life was muddle-headed and he just enjoyed himself in the moment.

Later, they met the six Shamatte sisters. After the team was formed, they went to fight everywhere. After the battle, they just lay down and fished until they died of drinking on the roadside.

"It's nothing new and not special at all." Gu Nan said.

Qi Yan denied, "No, it's very powerful."

Gu Nan smiled, but his smile was empty and faint, as if it contained endless unspoken words.

The original owner's life was a pity, and her life was not great either, she was just a little luckier than the original owner.

But it can't be said that he was too lucky. After all, he had a car accident at the age of 22. The only thing that people talk about is that the way it happened was a bit tragic.

Gu Nan hugged the round plaid pillow and sighed, "Qi Yan, you have to keep working hard. I look forward to you changing the world."

Qi Yan rubbed her palm, his clear eyes becoming gentle and bright, like a spoiled kitten, "It's so hard."

"It's very difficult, but I don't want to compromise with reality, so I don't want you to compromise either." Gu Nan laughed.

She used to laugh at Cui Shao for being a middle school student, but actually she was a little bit of that too.

Who is nobler than who?

Seeing Gu Nan laughing, Qi Yan tilted his head, his eyes a little dazed, and the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously, "What are you laughing at?"

Gu Nan suddenly sat up and said to Qi Yan, "Do you blame me for hiding your background from you and contacting your family without your knowledge?"

"No." Qi Yan was still lying on her knees looking at her. His gaze on her seemed to be entangled with one silk thread after another, each one tighter and stickier than the last.

"You're doing this for my own good, I know."

He was also grateful that she hadn't told him ahead of time.

If he knew about it earlier than the people from the Pei and Cui families, then he would consciously pay attention to their news and information, especially Pei Xing, Cui Mingzhu and Pei Hong.

He would be filled with resentment when he saw Pei Xing living a life of luxury. Visiting Cui Mingzhu's exhibition on his birthday would be extremely painful. He would feel very sad when sketching Pei Hong.

He now knew that Pei Hong had given up on him once.

If he had known earlier, he would have been trapped in the pain of wanting but not being able to get it.

If he had known earlier, he would not be able to accept the old lady's favoritism and the neglect of his biological parents so calmly. He would be overwhelmed by resentment and go astray in the disgust of the whole world.

In this absurd exchange, being alone and sober is the most unfair, as it means he has to bear everyone's pain alone, which is more despairing than being confused and hesitant.

When the pain is constant, the more others have, the less he has.

Gu Nan was biased towards him from the beginning to the end, and every calculation was for him, he knew it.

Even the old lady said that it was a great fortune to meet Gu Nan.

Qi Yan raised his head and kissed Gu Nan, saying softly, "I will always stand by your side."

Gu Nan smiled lightly, "I was afraid you would blame me for making the decision without authorization. Fortunately, nothing bad happened."

Qi Yan hugged her waist and said, "I won't blame you. I will never blame you."

It's a pity that he couldn't repay her kindness in time to make the balance in this relationship more balanced.

Qi Yan took the exams in the next few days very easily. Thanks to Gu Nan for finding past exam questions for him, he even encountered an authentic additional question, which was a real gift of points.

In addition to the exams, Qi Yan chose a publishing house and signed a contract to publish comics. After discussion, both parties decided to publish one or two volumes first to see the results.

The publishing house offered a very high share of royalties, and it was obvious that the concession was to curry favor with Qi Yan and the Cui family. Everyone knew that the publishing house was trying to make friends with important people for itself.

Qi Yan didn't like this kind of interest involvement, but given his current status and situation, he should take and give this insignificant benefit.

The more he works freely, the more it proves that the Cui family values him, and the less people dare to look down on him.

No matter what he wants to do in the future, he must first gain a firm foothold before he can develop with peace of mind.

From time to time, Old Mrs. An would talk to Qi Yan about the intricacies of business and politics, mostly politics. If they broke down a small matter, a word or an action would reveal a secret, and they could draw inferences about other things, and they could talk about one topic for days.

Qi Yan absorbed this knowledge like a sponge and benefited greatly from it.

The old lady was very satisfied with Qi Yan's humble and studious attitude. As long as the student was willing to learn and learn well, the teacher would be willing to teach him everything he knew, hoping that the student would surpass him.

She valued all of her children and grandchildren very much and never showed favoritism to any of them. However, her eldest grandson joined the army, her youngest grandson went into business, and only her three granddaughters chose to go into politics.

She had also taught Pei Xing, but he didn't get the hang of it and was only focused on painting. Cui Mingzhu, who was neither good nor bad, kept praising him, which annoyed her to death.

Now, Qi Yan is back. He understands things quickly and has a strong comprehension. After his three granddaughters, there is another successor to his mantle.

In addition to teaching him about politics, she also attached great importance to his personality and moral education.

No matter how intelligent a person is, he will not go far if he has evil intentions. Moreover, if he is an official and is not honest and does not speak up for the people, it is better not to take up the position.