Chapter 180 Extra One (3)

Extra 1 (3) Previous Life - Gu Jiangkuo's Secret Love Story 3

Gu Jiangkuo: "Is this the water you fetched for me?"

"What else?" Jiang Nuo held up her stained hand and walked past him. "You're covered in mud and blood. You'll have to clean it even at the hospital. The hospital is packed with people, and you'll have to queue to use the restroom. It's not that convenient."

There is a Grade A hospital near the company, and Jiang Nuo only planned to help with some medical expenses and did not intend to go to the trouble of sending him to a private hospital.

As a second-generation rich man, Master Jiang has known since childhood the principle of "a little bit of rice is a favor, a big bit of rice is a grudge". Helping the poor must also be done in moderation, otherwise it is easy for people to take advantage of it.

But Gu Jiangkuo obviously didn't think so.

He was extremely grateful in his heart: it turned out that the handsome young master cared about him and did not dislike him.

.

Jiang Nuo went to the bathroom to wash her hands. When she returned, she found that Gu Jiangkuo was the only one in the room. She couldn't help but ask, "Where are they? Why didn't they help you?"

"I said there's no need to bother anyone else." Gu Jiangkuo was wiping the water stains off his arm with a towel. "It's just a minor skin injury, nothing serious."

The dirt and blood on his body had been washed clean, revealing his wheat-colored skin. His arm was thick, strong, and powerful, but the narrow wound that almost penetrated his entire forearm had turned outward. Jiang Nuo felt pain just looking at it: "Isn't this serious?"

Gu Jiangkuo hid his arm behind his back, as if embarrassed, and whispered, "Isn't it scary? I'm sorry I scared you."

Jiang Nuo: “…”

Young Master Jiang, who carries a lot of idol baggage, has always been told he looks like a little girl because of his appearance. He's often accused of being timid and delicate, and he hates hearing such talk. Upon hearing this, he immediately snapped, "Who's afraid?"

Jiang Nuo insisted on taking a closer look, grabbed his arm, and said, "It's nothing, but if you're bleeding, you need to apply medicine, otherwise it will definitely get infected."

Young Master Jiang was only a sophomore that year, and with the heart of a true child, to prove he wasn't a coward, he volunteered, "I'll help you apply the medicine."

At this time, his hand was still holding Gu Jiangkuo's arm. Gu Jiangkuo had never touched such hands in his life. Those hands had distinct joints, obviously a boy's hands, but they were delicate and slender, with excellent proportions. They must have never done rough work or lifted heavy objects since birth. They were delicate and soft, and even the nails were plump and shiny, with a healthy light pink color.

And the whole hand looks even more dazzlingly white against the backdrop of Gu Jiangkuo's rough wheat-colored arm.

"Don't move." Jiang Nuo ordered.

Gu Jiangkuo lowered his head, his ears turned red, afraid that the handsome young master would notice anything unusual, so how could he dare to move?

Jiang Nuo had never served anyone before, so how could he know how to apply medicine? After studying the instructions for a while, he just sprinkled the powder on the wound without thinking.

The powder has anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects and is extremely irritating. Sprinkling it directly on the wound has an effect comparable to that of alcohol. Jiang Nuo felt the strong muscles under his hands suddenly tighten, and the muscle fibers swelled due to the force, becoming hot to the touch.

Young Master Jiang was startled and reflexively let go of his hand, only to find that the wound was bleeding again.

"Does it hurt?" Jiang Nuo asked guiltily.

Gu Jiangkuo said nothing, gritted his teeth and shook his head silently.

"You still say it doesn't hurt?" Jiang Nuo immediately didn't dare to apply medicine to him.

Is this how this medicine is used? Look at the pain this big guy is in. The sweat on his face has washed away several thin traces of dust.

Speaking of which, this big guy hasn't washed his face yet, and Jiang Nuo still hasn't seen what he looks like clearly.

But that was not important. The most important thing now was to find someone to take him to the hospital. Jiang Nuo felt a little regretful that he should not have been so reckless as to give him medicine. If he got an infection, it could be a serious matter or a minor one. It seemed that he had to help him to the end.

"Let's go to the hospital, you..." But Jiang Nuo had just put down the medicine bottle when he saw Gu Jiangkuo picking up the medicine powder and applying the medicine on himself. His method was even more rough than Jiang Nuo's just now.

"Hey!" Jiang Nuo stopped him, "Is that how it's done?"

Gu Jiangkuo gritted his teeth and nodded: "Yes, do you have gauze?"

"Let me look." Jiang Nuo rummaged through the medicine box. "Yes!"

Yes, there were, but Young Master Jiang didn't dare to show off this time. He just followed Gu Jiangkuo's request and helped to hold one end of the gauze. Gu Jiangkuo's movements were very neat, and he wrapped it tightly in circles. His technique was surprisingly professional.

Jiang Nuo couldn't help but ask: "Are you often injured?"

Gu Jiangkuo paused in wrapping the gauze and said vaguely, "Hmm."

Jiang Nuo thought so too. Since this big guy had a grudge with Li Qing, he must be a gangster. Jiang Group was doing legitimate business and it was not good to have too much relationship with these people. Jiang Nuo did not ask any more questions and watched him quietly wrap up his strong arm. Finally, he took the gauze from Jiang Nuo's hand, bit it with his teeth, and tied a knot in one go.

Seeing that he had taken care of his injuries himself, Jiang Nuo said, "Let's go to the hospital for another checkup."

Gu Jiangkuo: “No need——”

However, Young Master Jiang did not listen to his refusal at all. He called his assistant in, arranged the people and the car directly, took out a wad of cash from his pocket, stuffed it into his subordinates, and asked them to go to the hospital to get a license.

Gu Jiangkuo continued to decline: "Really, there's no need..."

"Why are you being so polite?" Young Master Jiang interrupted him, "Since it was someone from my company who hurt you, the medical expenses should be paid by us."

"Also," Jiang Nuo winked at him, "thank you for your help just now."

Gu Jiangkuo felt as if he was electrocuted again, and his heart was moved.

But he just stood there blankly, not knowing what to say, and then he heard Jiang Nuo continue to instruct: "But next time, don't have a conflict in front of the Jiang Group, okay?"

Gu Jiangkuo: “…Okay.”

"Okay, go ahead." Young Master Jiang waved his hand, took out a USB drive, and went about his business.

The assistant beside him was still glaring at him. Gu Jiangkuo knew that this was a sign of seeing him off. He felt embarrassed to stay there any longer, so he had to walk away, looking back every step of the way.

That was the second time Gu Jiangkuo met Jiang Nuo.

.

If the first time he was just amazed by the looks of the strange pretty boy, then this time, Gu Jiangkuo knew he could never forget him. Even after several days, when he dragged his tired body back home and lay down on the bed, as soon as he closed his eyes, he would see Jiang Nuo's face.

There was the way he stood on tiptoe in the elevator and whispered tactics to himself, the way he frowned and pretended to be calm while applying medicine to him even though he was obviously afraid of blood, and those eyes that were clearly black and white, distant but sincere.

Unfortunately, they are from two different worlds after all.

Ever since he was accidentally rescued by Jiang Nuo last time, Gu Jiangkuo has never seen this young master again.

Gu Jiangkuo personally went to the Jiang Group to handle any procedures or stamps the engineering team needed, and even dressed himself up to look presentable. He simply went for a walk around the Jiang headquarters and never saw Jiang Nuo again.

Later, Gu Jiangkuo found out that this young General Manager Jiang was still studying at Yanlin University. Now that his studies were prioritized, he had handed over the management of the company to General Manager Ding.

Working on a project is not just about exerting great effort. It is physically tiring and even more mentally tiring. Being busy is no easier than when he used to move bricks. Gu Jiangkuo's nerves were always tense, but he still drove to Yanlin University on his rare day off.

Because of years of exposure to wind and sun, Gu Jiangkuo knew that he looked more mature than his peers, so he bought a baseball cap to wear. Fortunately, the security guards did not check the student cards at all, and the six or seven school gates were always open during the day.

The campus of Yanlin University covers an area of ​​nearly 90 hectares, and the total number of students in various colleges is tens of thousands. Finding one person is like looking for a needle in a haystack. However, Gu Jiangkuo did not come to disturb Jiang Nuo. He just couldn't help but want to go to where he lives and take a look, greedily and quietly breathing the same air with him.

As expected, they all returned empty-handed.

Gu Jiangkuo's abnormal behavior aroused the curiosity of his workers.

"Boss, are you leaving early again?"

Gu Jiangkuo: "What's the matter?"

"No," the worker said, "We were just curious. You were so absent-minded all day long, we thought you were dating someone."

"……No."

As he got to know this group of people better, Gu Jiangkuo came to understand more and more that middle-aged men were actually more gossipy than women.

"No?" The worker scratched his head. "Boss, you're in your twenties now. Isn't it time for you to get married? If you don't have a partner, the younger sister of my third aunt's son-in-law in our village..."

"...No need." Gu Jiangkuo interrupted quickly, "I already have someone I like."

The worker said, "Oh~," "That's right."

Gu Jiangkuo: “…”

Gu Jiangkuo felt like he was being tricked, but he didn't get angry. Instead, he took out a cigarette and handed it to the worker, "Want a smoke?"

"Hey, thank you, boss!" Two men wearing safety helmets stood in a corner outside the fence, smoking. Seeing that their boss seemed to have something to say, the worker waited quietly.

Sure enough, after finishing a cigarette, Gu Jiangkuo said, "I just like him secretly."

"What? Her family wants too much dowry?" The worker was puzzled. If even the contractor couldn't afford it, how much would they want?

Gu Jiangkuo laughed: "It's not a question of the bride price. The gap between our statuses is too big, and..." Besides, he is physically disabled now. What's the point even if he likes her?

"Is she a rich lady?" asked the worker.

"About the same."

The only heir to such a huge group, who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth and is a precious young master, shouldn't he be a 'person worth a thousand gold'?

"So there's someone you can't even get." The worker sighed, feeling a sense of sympathy. "When I was young, I loved Liu Aihua from the village, but my family was too poor, so I couldn't marry her and couldn't afford the bride price. People have to look forward to the future. For example, now, my wife is ugly and fat, but she gave birth to a son, and we're living a good life now. There are so many women out there, we can't just hang ourselves on one tree, right?"

"No," Gu Jiangkuo said quietly, "Once you've seen the ocean, other waters are just puddles."

Foreman: "Huh? What do you mean?"

Gu Jiangkuo: "That is to say, do you like your current wife?"

Worker: "Hey, what's the big deal? We're not like city people..."

Gu Jiangkuo: "But after all these years, you still remember Liu Aihua's name."

The worker took another long drag on his cigarette and said with a vicissitudes of life, "I'm a little reluctant, but, boss, you're still young. You'll learn in the future. Women are all the same when the lights are off. If you can't afford to marry one for 80,000 yuan, you can still look at one for 50,000 yuan. If that doesn't work out, there's always one for 38,000 yuan."

"……………………" Gu Jiangkuo felt like he was being completely misunderstood. He even lost interest in smoking. He threw away his cigarette butt and stomped it out, just as he was about to leave when he heard the worker say, "Boss, does the young lady you like live in the west of the city? Around Yanlin University?"

Gu Jiangkuo: “?”

Worker: "Have you seen the news? There was a murder near Yanlin University. There's a small forest behind the school. A couple was found dead. I heard the murderer hasn't been caught yet."

“!!”

"Hey, boss, what are you doing?"

Another worker came over and asked, "What's up, boss? Will he be back this afternoon?"

"What are you going to do?"

"If he doesn't come back, I'll take a leave. I'm too tired lately."

"Come on, stop being lazy! I'm warning you! You know our boss has repeatedly said that work for the Jiang Group must be done well and strictly according to the standards. There can be no slacking off, or he'll come back and deal with you!"

"Oh, I get it. I'll do my best." The worker grumbled quietly, "The boss has never been this attentive to other projects. If you didn't know, you'd think I was working for his own company."

.

Gu Jiangkuo was afraid of disturbing Jiang Nuo, so he went to Yanlin University so many times, just hoping to meet him by chance, but he never saw him once.

But this time, Gu Jiangkuo found out Jiang Nuo's college, major and class that day, and also got the compulsory course schedule for their class.

Because of the murder case, the access control has been strict these days. Gu Jiangkuo took some effort to get in. According to the class schedule, he waited at a distance at the door of the teaching building. This time he finally saw the true face of Young Master Jiang.

However, it seems that the murder case has little impact on him. Jiang Nuo still dresses neatly, wearing a low-key white T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. With this outfit, he looks like an ordinary male college student.

But Gu Jiangkuo gradually became familiar with some famous brands and realized that this outfit only looked "ordinary" and the total cost was definitely more than five figures.

What's more, Young Master Jiang's outstanding face is also very eye-catching. Whether the criminal is robbing money or raping women, he is very dangerous.

But Jiang Nuo himself was very unconscious. After the heat of the murder died down, he and his classmates climbed over the wall and went out of the school gate to surf the Internet. The dormitory had an access control, but the wall on the east side was very low and almost useless. Opposite was a row of barbecue stalls and Internet cafes.

Young Master Jiang has average athletic talent.

Gu Jiangkuo hid in the dark, watching him clumsily climb over the wall and being laughed at in a good-natured way by his classmates. He was so angry that his hair stood on end, but they caught him steadily and they went to the Internet cafe to play games together.

When the other person ran farther away, Gu Jiangkuo took a running start and flipped over easily and smoothly.

While Jiang Nuo and the others were playing games, Gu Jiangkuo went in and turned on a computer not far away. Wearing headphones, he randomly picked up a game and idled it, his eyes always fixed on Jiang Nuo.

When they came out for a midnight snack, they ordered a large portion of skewers from the stall next door and feasted on them.

After following him like this for a few days, even the owner of the barbecue stall noticed something was wrong. "Little brother, why do you eat alone every day? What's wrong with you?"

Gu Jiangkuo could sense the boss's probing tone, and he also knew that he looked too big and strong to be a good guy. The boss probably thought he was a suspect that the police hadn't caught yet.

So he said bluntly, "Hasn't the neighborhood been quite uneasy lately? I'm worried about my younger brother, so I'm keeping him under wraps."

The boss suddenly realized: "Your brother must be among the students at that table, right? Why don't you just go over there?"

"I don't want to disturb him." Gu Jiangkuo said, "He's still a child. I'm afraid he'll be frightened if I keep jumping around like this."

"Yeah, that's true," the boss rambled on. "This incident has caused a lot of panic. I heard several students have gone to psychological counseling. There was also a girl who bought the victim's IELTS vocabulary book at a second-hand flea market on campus. She was so scared that she had a fever that night. The school hospital didn't dare to see her, so they sent her to a larger hospital outside. ... These guys are really brave. They dared to climb over the wall and go online after something happened!"

"It's normal for children to like to play." Gu Jiangkuo's tone was unconsciously doting.

The boss remained noncommittal. "I heard the men's dormitory turns off the lights and closes at 11 o'clock. It's already 12 o'clock. Where do these kids stay every day? Are they hanging out in an internet cafe?"

"Some can, some can't." Gu Jiangkuo stood up, "The boss pays."

Although Young Master Jiang loves to play, he also has self-control. Gu Jiangkuo has observed that he stays in the study room until dusk every day before going out to play games with his classmates. He does not live in the dormitory, but rents a house outside. He goes home to sleep on time at 12 o'clock every day. Coincidentally, he passes by the grove.

After the accident, the road administration department quickly added street lights on this road. There were not many pedestrians in the middle of the night, but fortunately there was a 24-hour convenience store with lights on.

Overall, the security is just okay.

Gu Jiangkuo observed carefully and found that every time Jiang Nuo passed by a convenience store, he would buy a small bag of cheese-filled salty crispy rice crackers. When he ate barbecue before, he just added to the atmosphere. Apart from slowly peeling boiled peanuts, he basically didn't touch the charred and fragrant grilled skewers. Young Master Jiang seemed to have no interest in roadside stalls at all, but he also took turns paying the bill with his classmates.

Maybe he wanted to fit in with the group.

Gu Jiangkuo observed carefully, but followed cautiously, without anyone noticing.

"Maybe you will never know in your entire life that there is someone who has been silently following behind you to protect you for so long." Gu Jiangkuo murmured as he looked at Young Master Jiang's back, which was made particularly tall by the street lights.

"You don't know, and I don't feel sorry."

He will never know, which means he has never encountered any danger on this road. Gu Jiangkuo wants to be a hero and save the beauty, but he wants him to be safe even more.

What's more, Gu Jiangkuo did not gain nothing. He secretly looked at him so many times, saw him sitting in the study room biting the pen cap with a frown on his face, saw him climbing over the wall like a naughty child to surf the Internet, saw him laugh, saw him make noise, and saw every bit of his vividness.

sufficient.

Gu Jiangkuo slowly watched Jiang Nuo go upstairs, lit a cigarette downstairs, and turned and left only after seeing the safety light on.

After waiting for half a month, the public security agency finally announced that all five suspects had been arrested.

.

"Boss, are you done?"

After that day, Gu Jiangkuo resumed his habit of personally overseeing the project. During breaks, he could not help but hear the workers discussing the latest news: "The murderer has been found, and there are several of them!"

"They said they were planning to rob the boy, but when he resisted, it turned into murder. It wasn't like the rumors that they raped him first and then murdered him."

"All five are minors, except for the oldest who is only 16. That 16-year-old can go to juvenile detention, but the rest will be criticized and educated."

"Fuck, what kind of world is this? Minors killing people isn't illegal? The college student who died wasn't that old, was he? I think this Minor Protection Act is a fucking Juvenile Offender Protection Act! These days, being an honest person means you deserve it? How hard is it to raise a college student? And they killed him with those little bastards! What do you think is going on?"

“…”

Everyone was cursing indignantly, but the worker who knew something about the situation came over and quietly asked Gu Jiangkuo, "Boss, how's it going? Has the relationship warmed up?"

Gu Jiangkuo: "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

"That rich girl," the worker said. "You must have secretly gone to protect her. Did she feel touched?"

"...No, we haven't met in person," Gu Jiangkuo took out a cigarette but didn't light it. He played with it in his hand and muttered, "It's safe over there now, so there's no need to go."

"Huh? Why do you do good deeds without leaving your name? Is this the time for you to show your style?"

Gu Jiangkuo handed the cigarette to the worker, waved his hand, and stood up and left.

It wasn't that he didn't want to muster up the courage to pursue her. He looked like a disabled person, and their status was so different, so why bother? Knowing that she was not worthy of him, if he continued to pester her, wouldn't it only cause him more trouble?

Just being able to see him from a distance was enough.

Secret love is already a luxury enough.

Besides, now that the incident has passed, there is no reason for him to allow himself to follow him secretly. Otherwise, it would not be protection, but rather a pervert stalking him.

Gu Jiangkuo thought: Secret love is bitter, sweet, and restrained.

.

Life returned to normal and Gu Jiangkuo became busy again. It was hard work but fulfilling. He moved to a more spacious rental house and even paid for a part-time worker for his grandmother to cook and clean the room during the day.

Alzheimer's disease only gets worse. Grandma scolds the cook every few days, and the hourly worker is replaced every few days. The economic problems are gradually improving, but the burden of life still falls on Gu Jiangkuo, who is just in his early twenties and still a teenager.

Fortunately, his shoulders, though a little tender, were strong enough to barely support a family.

As the head of the family, Gu Jiangkuo has less and less time to go to Yanlin University, but whenever there are any procedures for the project that require going to the Jiang Group, he can't help but do it himself.

Winter vacation came in a blink of an eye, and he became more motivated.

But before he got another chance to visit Jiang Nuo, Gu Jiangkuo received a strange international long-distance call.

The person on the other end of the phone blurted out his name, and Gu Jiangkuo thought it was a scam call and hung up directly. However, the other party kept calling until Gu Jiangkuo answered.

Foreman Gu was so furious that he prepared a lot of swear words that would make the other party doubt his life, but the other party actually called him "Young Master" respectfully first.

He couldn't do it all at once.

"Young Master, as long as you are willing to return to Nanyang and be with your grandfather, I will compensate you for all the losses you have suffered during your years of wandering. As long as you cooperate in verifying your identity information, and if everything is true, we will immediately deposit a sum of cash into your account as proof—"

“Pah.”

Gu Jiangkuo hung up the phone decisively.

Haha, he is indeed a liar.

The slogan at the entrance of the police station now is "Never disclose personal information to any stranger." Gu Jiangkuo felt that his hard-earned money might be targeted by criminals, so he simply set up a one-click blocking function, and all overseas calls could not be received.