Chunhua didn't even glance at Liao Nanxing out of the corner of her eye, and pulled Gu Yao to the restroom.

"Su Mu splashed it at me, so what if she splashed it? Why did you try to block the drink?" She grabbed a tissue and wiped the wine stains off Gu Yao's clothes.

Gu Yao simply lowered his head, sniffing the familiar scent, his lips slowly curving upwards to their highest point, his dimples deepening.

"What are we going to do? It's all stained like this, how are you going to get back? Do you have any spare clothes in the car? I'll go get them for you." She remembered that Liao Nanxing had a habit of keeping clothes in the car.

She had asked Liao Nanxing why he kept clothes in the truck. Liao Nanxing said that people who frequently attend social events usually keep one or two sets of clothes in their truck.

Gu Yao should have had clothes in the car.

“I never sleep outside my home, so how could I possibly have clothes in the car? It’s okay if they get dirty.” Gu Yao’s voice was soft and gentle.

Zhou Chunhua paused, realizing that... Liao Nanxing had been lying to her ever since then.

It's laughable how I acted like a fool back then, constantly checking if the clothes Liao Nanxing had in the car were dirty or wrinkled, always washing them as soon as they were dirty and ironing them again if they were wrinkled.

She only understood the simple truth that you can't see into someone's heart when she was over forty.

If you had been even a little more shrewd, you wouldn't have ended up like a bonded slave, serving that heartless mother and daughter for decades for nothing.

Are you happy?

"ah?"

"I'm very happy to see how well they match now."

Before Zhou Chunhua could react, Gu Yao suddenly grabbed her hand.

"If you made the wrong choice, you made the wrong choice. Don't regret it over and over again, and don't keep thinking about how things were back then. And don't torture your past self! Back then, you were standing alone in the fog, and you were confused too."

I believe that even if you could do it all over again, you would still choose this path. Don't dwell on the past; what if you had chosen a different path?

Because your thinking is merely romanticizing the path you didn't choose.

How can you know what awaits you on a road you haven't traveled? There are no wasted journeys in life, whether right or wrong.

Just remember, the path you're on is the best path in life. Why are our eyes in front of us? It's to tell us never to look back. Because the end of life will surely hold stars, vast oceans, and blooming flowers.

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Chunhua raised her head and stared at Gu Yao with wide eyes.

This passage...this...how could he...?

She clearly remembered that when she graduated from high school, she wrote a letter to her deskmate Gu Yao with similar words.

Although the general order is different, the meaning is almost the same.

When their eyes met, Zhou Chunhua was surprised to sense a complex mix of emotions—sadness, anticipation, and excitement—in Gu Yao's eyes.

Could it be that... Gu Yao really is...

The next second, she dismissed this ridiculous idea.

How could Gu Yao, who was so insecure, depressed, and withdrawn that he never interacted with anyone, possibly be the person in front of him?

Therefore, the only explanation is that Gu Yao also read some of the books she had read.

Because those most inspiring quotes were copied from a magazine.

After calming herself down, she let out a long sigh of relief.

"It's almost dry, but the wine stains can't be removed. What should we do? Can you still attend the banquet?"

"They invited me, not this outfit. Let's go back; it should be over soon." Gu Yao turned and walked towards the banquet hall.

Zhou Chunhua, who was following behind, had her brows furrowed.

For some reason, Gu Yao's tone of voice just now sounded strange.

Feeling a little... disappointed?

She wasn't sure.

When Zhou Chunhua returned to the banquet hall, her gaze met Qin Xiuyuan, who had just stepped onto the podium.

At this moment, Qin Xiuyuan was as elegant, composed, and steady as ever.

But in her eyes, there was a hint of loneliness and resentment.

The host began to introduce Qin Xiuyuan.

One honor after another drew rounds of applause.

As the host finished speaking, the emcee carried an exquisite tray onto the stage and stood beside Qin Xiuyuan.

"It is an honor to have such an industry luminary as Mr. Qin as a columnist for the encyclopedia."

As soon as he finished speaking, the emcee bent down slightly and adjusted the height of the tray to be in front of Qin Xiuyuan's chest.

The host unveiled the red cloth on the tray, revealing a contract and a golden pen that became the focus of the entire audience.

A chorus of voices rose and fell from all around.

"We were able to invite such a heavyweight figure as Elder Qin."

"Absolutely! As long as every issue features Mr. Qin's column, it's guaranteed to be a bestseller!"

"What's so special about that? I heard they even invited Principal Shao Jiefu. I really don't know who's behind the Encyclopedia Press, they're so powerful."

"Really? Will Teacher Shao be coming later?"

"You mean call it? This is inside information."

"Then I'll have to take a lot more photos back. It'll definitely be on the front page tomorrow."

"..."

As Qin Xiuyuan picked up the contract, the applause around him gradually subsided.

Everyone held their breath, their faces filled with excitement.

However, the next second, Qin Xiuyuan suddenly tore the contract in his hand in two.

The sound of paper tearing was deafening in the silent banquet hall.

The host was dumbfounded, and the emcee was flustered and at a loss for what to do.

All around were pairs of eyes filled with question marks.

Including Zhou Chunhua.

A middle-aged man in a suit and tie walked onto the stage.

"Mr. Qin, we already had an agreement. What are you doing here...?"

Qin Xiuyuan snorted coldly: "You didn't tell me before that the editor-in-chief was that scumbag Liao Nanxing!"

"This... Elder Qin, work shouldn't involve personal likes and dislikes! Please, for my father's sake, don't embarrass me."

One sentence sparked a murmur of discussion among the people below.

"Who is that? How dare they threaten Elder Qin?"

"Doesn't this just show that the person has a strong backing?"

Wow, there really are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding.

However, the next second, Qin Xiuyuan let out a disdainful snort.

"Did you tell your father that the editor-in-chief you hired is a scumbag with questionable character? Ha! I believe that if your father knew, he would slap you across the face to wake you up."

The middle-aged man, looking embarrassed, tried to stop Qin Xiuyuan, but Qin Xiuyuan pushed him away.

He turned his head and winked at someone in the other direction, and a familiar-looking old man blocked Qin Xiuyuan's path.

Zhou Chunhua frowned... Isn't this... Gu Yao's teacher?

She remembered... that his surname was Shao.

The camera flashes kept going off.

Amid the commotion, sighs of admiration could not be ignored.

"To see two titans of art appear together in this lifetime is the greatest honor I can ever have!"

"I've lived for over thirty years, and before that I could only see them on TV. Today I can finally see them in person."

"..."