Chapter 104 Instinct [VIP]

Chapter Summary: If I don't spend New Year's Eve with you, who will I spend it with?

Gu Linzhao's family arranged for a driver to pick him up.

Fu Xianyin originally intended to take a taxi to any hotel to check in, but Gu Linzhao pulled her suitcase and put it directly into the trunk of his car.

He looked at Fu Xianyin, who was standing still, and said succinctly, "Get in the car."

Fu Xianyin hesitated for a few seconds, but still couldn't help asking, "Where to?"

In just those two seconds, Gu Linzhao had already opened the car door.

He lowered his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips, and lazily said, "I'll take you back."

Now that things have come to this point, it's not the first or second time she's troubled Gu Linzhao.

So she got into the car.

After the car door closed, Fu Xianyin picked up her phone and started searching for hotels with available rooms.

After trying several hotels, all of which were fully booked, Fu Xianyin clicked her tongue in frustration, only to suddenly realize that the car had already sped off.

She looked at Gu Linzhao with a somewhat blank expression and asked, "Where to?"

Gu Linzhao seemed amused by her and said, "I just asked that question two seconds ago. Are you a fish?"

What did he say two seconds ago?

Oh, he said he'd take her home.

The problem is, she doesn't even know where she's going. Gu Linzhao said he'd take her back, but where exactly is she going back to?

Feeling uneasy, Fu Xianyin took a deep breath and confessed to Gu Linzhao, "I didn't bring the key to the house in Emerald Bay back with me."

Before Gu Linzhao could speak, Fu Xianyin added, "Even if I bring it back, I don't know if the lock has been changed. Even if I can open the door, I don't know if I'm considered to have trespassed."

"After all, I don't know whose name that house is under now."

The air fell silent for a moment.

In Fu Xianyin's memory, Gu Linzhao knew that she had three residences in Beichuan.

Emerald Bay, the dormitory of Beichuan No.1 Middle School, and the hotel suite that Fu Dongyuan had booked for a long time.

But now that she's graduated from Beichuan No. 1 High School and can't go back, Gu Linzhao probably doesn't think she can still stay in that hotel suite now.

The address where she was taken back was most likely Emerald Bay.

A sense of tranquility permeated the car's interior.

This was the first time she had brought up things related to the past since reuniting with Gu Linzhao.

She didn't know if Gu Linzhao could piece together some past events between her and Fu Dongyuan from her words.

These were the last shred of principles she had once guarded with utmost loyalty, the very foundation she had preserved with her dignity.

In fact, he was now able to reveal that part of himself to Gu Linzhao so completely without any defenses.

Fu Xianyin seemed to hear him sigh softly.

Then he spoke, saying, "I didn't plan to send you back to Emerald Bay."

Fu Xianyin asked, "Where are we going?"

Gu Linzhao suddenly raised his arm, bent his fingers, and tapped the car window with his knuckles.

He said, "It's my car, you tell me where to go."

Fu Xianyin opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a sound for a long time.

Where else can his car go?

This clearly indicates that he wants to go back to his home.

This is worse than sending her back to Emerald Bay!

"you"

"I."

Several words swirled in Fu Xianyin's mouth, but she ultimately couldn't utter a single sentence.

After a long pause, Gu Linzhao finally seemed to have a change of heart. He sighed helplessly and said, "I've booked a hotel for you."

Fu Xianyin didn't know where her keen insight came from.

Gu Linzhao didn't say "I don't plan to take you home" but rather "I've booked a hotel for you."

In other words, the option to take her home is simply hidden, but not disappeared.

As the car drove onto the elevated highway, Fu Xianyin looked out the window and suddenly realized that she seemed to recognize nothing at all.

That's right. She only stayed in Beichuan for a total of six months, most of which was spent at school.

It snowed in Beichuan as well.

It seems like it snowed just a couple of days ago; the towering treetops are still piled with unmelted snow.

She looked at the snow outside the window, but her mind was filled with Gu Linzhao's words earlier: "I've booked a hotel for you."

He booked the hotel and bought the plane tickets.

Fu Xianyin suddenly wondered what would happen if she really made an excuse to refuse to return to Beichuan.

When he booked the plane tickets and hotel, did he really just book one for her on a whim?

Or perhaps he also hoped she could return to Beichuan with him, or even...

Fu Xianyin forced herself to stop thinking about it.

But suddenly she really wanted to ask that question.

However, Gu Linzhao spoke first.

He asked, "What are your plans for tomorrow?"

He spoke so naturally and casually, as if it were just a casual question.

But Fu Xianyin felt for no apparent reason that Gu Linzhao remembered what day it was tomorrow.

It's not just New Year's Eve, it's not just the last day of the lunar year.

It was her birthday.

With a slight stirring in her heart, Fu Xianyin said, "Let's just relax, find something good to eat, and then take a nap."

After she finished speaking, she waited for Gu Linzhao's next sentence.

Wait until he says something related to his birthday.

However, the conversation ended there.

Fu Xianyin saw Gu Linzhao nod, but then showed no intention of continuing the topic.

There seemed to be an invisible barrier in the middle of the car, neither visible nor tangible.

But Fu Xianyin dared not reach out and test the waters.

Neither of them spoke first.

The car drove off the overpass and stopped next to the hotel.

This time, Fu Xianyin spoke first.

She said, "I can check in myself."

Gu Linzhao did not insist any further.

The two didn't even say a formal goodbye. As soon as the car door closed, Fu Xianyin pulled her suitcase into the hotel, and then she heard the engine start behind her, and the car drove away.

Fu Xianyin's movements paused slightly, but she quickly returned to normal.

Gu Linzhao booked her a suite.

After putting down her luggage, Fu Xianyin lay on the bed and suddenly felt a little empty.

She opened the WeChat group chat, intending to see what Cheng Zhaozhao and Chen Nianke were talking about, but suddenly saw a message.

Cheng Zhaozhao: [Yinyin, that scoundrel Lin Anxu asked us if we wanted to go out and play on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.]

Cheng Zhaozhao: [Fu Xianyin.]

Cheng Zhaozhao: [If you go, I'll go; if you don't go, I won't go either.]

Fu Xianyin: [This isn't a question for you, it's about the "them"?]

Cheng Zhaozhao: [I don't care, if you don't go, I won't go either.]

Cheng Zhaozhao: [I don't know if Gu Linzhao is going or not; that scoundrel didn't tell me. I don't even know if he's back yet.]

Fu Xianyin: [I'm back.]

Fu Xianyin: [We took the same flight and came back from Beichuan together. I just arrived at the hotel; he should already be home.]

Cheng Zhaozhao: [Hotel address.]

Fu Xianyin sent the address, and Cheng Zhaozhao's efficiency was truly remarkable. She took a taxi directly to the hotel, even managing to drag Chen Nianke along on the way.

Having drunk quite a bit the night before, Fu Xianyin was still feeling exhausted. She slumped onto the sofa, listlessly saying, "Come on, tell me."

Cheng Zhaozhao scratched her head: "It seems like there's nothing more to say."

Since graduating from high school, Lin Anxu has always tried to get everyone together during holidays.

It's hard to find a time during summer vacation. Gu Linzhao is extremely busy and doesn't have a summer vacation, so most of the gatherings are during the winter vacation.

Fu Xianyin said lazily, "Go if you want, don't go if you don't want to. I don't really care. Anyway, I've already met Gu Linzhao, and we've been working together for over a month."

Chen Nianke, who was lying on the bed playing on her phone, suddenly looked up when she heard this: "Then when are you going back?"

Fu Xianyin said, "The progress is even faster than originally planned. We should finish in another week after the New Year holidays."

Chen Nianke said, "That was pretty fast. It feels like you just got back not long ago."

Fu Xianyin twitched her lips but didn't say anything.

Yes, it feels like she just got back not long ago.

It feels like I just saw Gu Linzhao at the airport in Beijing yesterday, and in the blink of an eye, she's already leaving again.

Fu Xianyin suddenly wondered if she would ever return to China after this trip back to the United States.

Or will he return to Beichuan, go to Beijing, and have any further contact with Gu Linzhao?

Will I ever see him again?

It seems unlikely.

They were originally two parallel lines that never intersected in the crowd. In their senior year of high school, Chen Huimei's madness caused her life path to deviate, and the two parallel lines got closer and closer until they intersected at a point.

Fu Dongyuan's pressure brought her deviated and intersecting path back to its original course.

Therefore, it seems that if things had gone according to plan, she and Gu Linzhao would never have crossed paths in their lives.

She will never experience those brief but warm six months, nor will she ever feel such care and concern in this world.

You won't feel that kind of love.

They will not be illuminated by the light of this world.

Gu Linzhao will live forever on his own bright and promising path in life.

And she might go insane along with Chen Huimei.

Or perhaps, it will be swallowed up in some dark corner.

For so many years, she has been convincing herself this way.

The attraction to light is an instinct, and in the first ten years of Fu Xianyin's life, only one light shone steadfastly upon her.

In the dead of night, or in a deserted corner, Fu Xianyin has never had the urge to embrace the light again.

But she restrained her instincts.

She used this set of reasons to convince herself countless times.

She thought she had already believed it.

However, after more than a month of seeing Gu Linzhao, she suddenly realized that all the mental preparation she had made for herself beforehand seemed to have failed.

Phototaxis is an instinct, and this instinct can only be suppressed when one is far enough away from light.

The same goes for being moved.

Only when the distance is far enough, both in time and in physical distance, can one deceive oneself and suppress it to some extent.

But the distant distance is no longer distant.

From the ends of the earth to within reach.

Fu Xianyin felt that those instincts she thought she had long since convinced herself of might never have been convinced in the first place.

From the moment she realized she couldn't deny her attraction, she noticed that the balance she had maintained was gradually shifting.

She wants to go back, she will go back, and she should go back.

Leave this place, leave everything behind. There are many sources of light; there's no need to be like a moth drawn to a flame, clinging tightly to just one.

But it seems she's becoming increasingly unable to do these things.

Cheng Zhaozhao finally agreed to go out with Lin Anxu on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.

Fu Xianyin agreed.

Her return to China seemed to be no secret at all. Lin Anxu directly asked Cheng Zhaozhao if Fu Xianyin would go with her, and received an affirmative answer.

Fu Xianyin didn't bring much with her when she came back. Just then, Cheng Zhaozhao and Chen Nianke came to the hotel to see her, so the three of them went shopping at a nearby mall. Fu Xianyin bought a larger suitcase and a few sets of clothes, which she packed and took back with her.

Before leaving, Cheng Zhaozhao and Chen Nianke both invited Fu Xianyin to spend the Chinese New Year at their homes.

Fu Xianyin politely declined with a smile.

She said, "It's okay, you guys celebrate. I really don't want to celebrate the New Year, really."

Fu Xianyin really had no plans to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

After all, this is how things have been all these years, nothing special.

She has always held this view.

It wasn't until noon the next day that I received an unread message from Gu Linzhao.

A small red dot was prominently displayed on the WeChat interface. Fu Xuanyin took a deep breath and tapped it. Before even opening the chat window, she saw the message Gu Linzhao had sent:

[Are you up yet?]

Fu Xianyin felt as if her heart had been squeezed tightly.

She replied: [Just got up.]

Almost the instant the message was sent, Gu Linzhao made a voice call.

The phone kept vibrating in her hand. Fu Xianyin hesitated for a long time in mid-air before finally pressing the answer button.

Gu Linzhao said, "Let's pack up and go downstairs."

Fu Xianyin thought she had misheard and said, "What?"

Gu Linzhao patiently repeated, "Pack your things and come downstairs. I'll be downstairs from you."

He didn't even give Fu Xianyin a chance to refuse.

Fu Xianyin quickly got up and tidied herself up. As soon as she went downstairs, she saw Gu Linzhao sitting in the hotel lobby.

The man sat on a single sofa with his long legs bent, and as if sensing something, he glanced in her direction.

Fu Xianyin saw him extend his finger and beckon to her.

She walked over, but before she could ask her question, Gu Linzhao asked, "Have you eaten?"

Fu Xianyin: "...No."

Gu Linzhao frowned and said, "Is eating breakfast illegal in America?"

Fu Xianyin: "..."

She took a breath and said, "I just woke up. It's not illegal to eat in my dreams. I'll try it next time."

Gu Linzhao chuckled briefly and asked her, "Are you hungry?"

Fu Xianyin shook her head.

Seeing a pause in Gu Linzhao's words, Fu Xianyin quickly asked, "Why are you here?"

Gu Linzhao looked at her, seemingly not understanding why she would ask such a question, and said, "Isn't today New Year's Eve?"

Fu Xianyin said, "Yes."

Gu Linzhao said, "If I don't celebrate New Year's Eve with you, who will I celebrate with?"

Fu Xianyin didn't immediately understand whether he said "If I don't spend New Year's Eve with you, who will I spend it with?" or "If I don't spend New Year's Eve with you, who will I spend it with?"

But neither of them makes any sense.

She said, "Live with your family."

Gu Linzhao gave her a strange look, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Oh, you want to come to my house."

He stood up and said, "Let's go then."

Fu Xianyin felt like he was driving her crazy.

If Fu Xianyin hadn't been certain that she had gotten out of bed, she would have even wondered if she was still dreaming.

Her tone was filled with absurd disbelief: "No way, what reading comprehension skills do you have? How did you learn Chinese?"

She regretted saying that as soon as she said it.

Regardless of whether her act of belittling Gu Linzhao was reasonable, the words she just said were definitely not meant for Gu Linzhao.

What happened?

Is it because you just woke up and your brain hasn't quite caught up yet?

Otherwise, why would she say this out of all the countless ways people criticize others?

Gu Linzhao was taken aback by the question, but then his eyebrows and eyes relaxed into a smile.

His voice was lazy and light.

His figure seemed to overlap with that of the boy from six years ago.

Fu Xianyin felt as if she had been in a daze for a moment.

She saw the person in front of her smile, their tone a mix of teasing and helplessness:

"Yes, after all, I'm not like you, who can score 139 in Chinese."

[Author's Note]

Yinyin was still struggling with her own thoughts, but President Gu was really no longer hiding it (or was he unable to hide it at all?).

However, both of them tacitly remained silent about the unseemly incident six years ago.