Chapter 123 Gu Linzhao's Side Story [VIP]

Chapter Summary: Six years later, that withered freesia blossoms anew.

After the college entrance examination, Gu Linzhao spent some time accepting the fact that he had been abandoned by Fu Xianyin.

He didn't know if this meant being abandoned or being left behind.

However, they seem to be the same.

Both sides lead to the same result and cause, which is...

Fu Xianyin doesn't want him anymore.

All contact information was deleted, and all social media accounts were blocked.

Gu Linzhao even tried to find Fu Yeyang at the affiliated high school, but still didn't get the answer he wanted.

Not only that, Fu Yeyang was also shocked by Fu Xianyin's sudden departure.

However, unlike Gu Linzhao, who needed time to accept this fact, Fu Yeyang accepted it in just a few seconds.

He even had a slight smile on his face as he looked at Gu Linzhao and said, "I guessed she might leave, but I didn't expect her to leave so decisively, so..."

He paused, then said with a strange tone, "That way, no mercy."

He seemed to be mocking, or perhaps he was being sarcastic.

His strange tone also contained some emotions that Gu Linzhao couldn't quite discern.

He no longer had the energy to argue with Fu Yeyang. He simply looked at Fu Yeyang, his tone as calm as ever.

He asked, "Do you want her to leave?"

This time, Fu Yeyang paused for an even longer time.

It lasted even longer than before.

Gu Linzhao didn't urge him, and just waited.

After a long pause, he heard an answer:

"Now that it seems so."

He shrugged, raised an eyebrow, and said, "I know what you want to ask me, and I know the answer you want to know, but Gu Linzhao, I won't tell you."

“I know it won’t be difficult for you to find the truth, and I won’t stop you.”

Gu Linzhao said bluntly, "I know you have no power to stop me."

He spoke bluntly, but his tone carried no hint of sarcasm.

It was just a straightforward, ordinary story.

Fu Yeyang shrugged and chuckled self-deprecatingly, but didn't deny it: "Yes, I can't stop you, so you can find the answer you're looking for through other means."

“But here,” he paused, his tone becoming serious, “it’s impossible.”

"Fu Xianyin is my older sister, she is my family."

"What she doesn't want you to know, you can't find out from me."

As Fu Yeyang said, it wasn't difficult for him to learn the truth.

It's actually quite simple.

Before university started, Gu Linzhao already knew all the causes and consequences.

On the day he learned the truth, Gu Linzhao told his family, "I'm going to Linlan."

His family didn't stop him; they simply asked if he wanted to go with them, and after receiving a negative answer, they let him go.

Gu Linzhao went to Lin Yujing's sanatorium.

In the past two years, with his studies becoming more demanding, Gu Linzhao hasn't been able to visit his aunt very often.

Lin Yujing was very surprised by his arrival.

She was still relatively sober at that time, and greeted Gu Linzhao with a smile. After realizing that he had come alone, she asked him, "What's wrong? Is there something you want to talk to your aunt about?"

Gu Linzhao hesitated for a long time.

Should we tell Lin Yujing about this?

Should I tell her that I've fallen for Fu Xianyin?

He should have said it.

After all, that was his purpose in coming to Linlan.

Lin Yujing doesn't dislike Fu Xianyin; in fact, she probably feels quite sorry for her.

For some reason, Gu Linzhao never revealed his purpose for coming.

He simply came to Linlan carrying this secret, and he left carrying this secret as well.

Before leaving, Gu Linzhao replaced the flowers for Lin Yujing with fresh ones, and he put away the wilted flowers in the vase.

Lin Yujing likes to turn withered flowers into dried flowers and then carefully collect them.

Looking at the pile of dried flowers neatly arranged in the vase, Gu Linzhao suddenly asked, "Auntie, can I take one of the dried flowers with me?"

Lin Yujing paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, you pick one."

Gu Linzhao didn't know much about flowers, but he still carefully selected them, his fingers running over the dry branches, feeling the rough texture under his fingers.

Gu Linzhao finally chose a small freesia.

Lin Yujing praised him, "You have a good eye! This flower is very beautiful."

She looked up at the sky and suddenly whispered, "This was given to me by Xiaonan."

The term "little girl" appeared more and more frequently over the years as Lin Yujing became increasingly confused.

Gu Linzhao never asked who this person was, but he had a vague idea of ​​who he was.

Only at this moment did he realize who this little girl was referring to.

Since Fu Xianyin transferred to Beichuan No. 1 Middle School nearly a year ago, she probably hasn't been here often.

Of all those dried flowers, only a small portion were likely given to Lin Yujing by Fu Xianyin.

And he chose it.

He chose that one.

Gu Linzhao's hands were trembling.

He wanted to hold the flower tightly, but the dry stem was thin and fragile, and he dared not use force, for fear that the dried flower would break in his hand.

He didn't even dare to touch the petals.

Just like a long time ago, before I had ever revealed my feelings.

He dared not touch Fu Xianyin's face, which was so close to his.

Then tears streamed down my face.

Gu Linzhao felt his vision gradually blurring and then clearing again.

On the petals of the dried flower, a drop of liquid dangled precariously.

Gu Linzhao brought the freesia from Linlan back to Beichuan, and then from Beichuan to Beijing.

Tsinghua University didn't start the semester early, so Gu Linzhao went to Beijing ahead of time to visit Qin Yi.

Qin Yi was stunned when she saw Gu Linzhao.

This face is familiar, yet not quite.

Qin Yi remembered seeing this face before, but couldn't quite place who it was.

So she hesitated before speaking: "You are..."

Gu Linzhao said, "Teacher Qin, I am Fu Xianyin's student."

He paused.

Gu Linzhao didn't know how to describe his relationship with Fu Xianyin.

In a broad sense, he was an ex-boyfriend who was dumped by Fu Xianyin.

But is the title "ex-boyfriend" really a reasonable way for someone to inquire about Fu Xianyin's affairs?

Fortunately, Qin Yi did not dwell on this title.

As soon as the name "Fu Xianyin" was uttered, Qin Yi understood why Gu Linzhao had come to find her.

She said, "Xianyin should be in university by now, where the semester starts earlier than in China."

Gu Linzhao nodded and asked, "Does Teacher Qin know where Fu Xianyin went?"

Qin Yi was taken aback and asked, "Didn't she tell you?"

“No,” Gu Linzhao said, “she didn’t mention it to me, so I came to ask Teacher Qin.”

Qin Yi frowned.

She said, "All I know is that Fu Xianyin received many offers, but she handled all the follow-up matters after receiving the offers herself."

As for where she went.

"I'm not quite sure either."

...

Gu Linzhao couldn't remember how he finally left that office building.

Beijing was still very hot in early September. The sun was shining down, and you would break out in a thin layer of sweat after a short time, making it hard to even open your eyes.

He suddenly realized that he seemed to have met Fu Xianyin around this time last year.

A year ago at this time, he saw Fu Xianyin smoking at the school gate.

For some inexplicable reason, even though he could have simply frowned and ignored it, he still stepped forward and said:

"Student, smoking is not allowed according to school rules."

Did he ever think that he and Fu Xianyin would have a future back then?

It seems not.

Therefore, the future is actually a very uncertain thing.

Back then, he had no idea that he and Fu Xianyin would have a future. When they confessed their feelings for each other, he also had no idea that just a few months later, she would leave without a word.

However, it doesn't seem to be entirely without clues.

Just like how he would tell Fu Xianyin not to smoke at the school gate.

Just like on the first day he became her deskmate, when he saw that she was in a low mood, he couldn't help but want to buy her a cup of mango pomelo sago to comfort her.

Just like how he would feel nervous and fluctuating because of Fu Xianyin very early on.

Just like his heart, which had started beating faster for Fu Xianyin a long time ago.

That's how Hua Qing spent his days.

Not long after the start of the semester, Gu Linzhao received a message.

It was sent to him by Fu Yeyang.

He told him about Fu Xianyin's university.

He said, "[I overheard this by accident; I didn't know where she went before. But don't tell her I told you, and don't go see her.]"

[Of course, I don't know if you still want to know the answer now. If you don't, that's best, but if you do, don't go see her.]

Gu Linzhao thanked him.

Fu Yeyang couldn't help but sneer the moment he saw the news.

In his view, Gu Linzhao's reaction meant that he had already let it go.

But it's alright, Fu Xianyin has already made her decision, and now it's just that Gu Linzhao has made a decision that's a few months late.

She had the life she wanted to live, and so did he.

fine.

For reasons he couldn't quite explain, Fu Yeyang still angrily turned off his phone.

He took a cigarette out of his pocket, but instead of smoking it, he put it in his mouth and chewed it, grinding it heavily between his teeth, the aroma of tobacco spreading in his mouth.

He suddenly felt sorry for Fu Xianyin.

But the moment this thought crossed his mind, Fu Yeyang found himself ridiculous.

What's the difference between him and Fu Xianyin?

Time continues to move forward silently.

After receiving that message, Gu Linzhao stopped searching for Fu Xianyin.

It can't be said to have stopped.

After all, he had finally obtained the information he had been searching for.

In mid-November, Beijing experienced a snowfall.

The other students in the dormitory went to the playground to play in the snow with great enthusiasm. Gu Linzhao thought about it and went with them.

Even though I shook the snow off the dormitory entrance after returning, some snow water inevitably got into the dormitory.

Gu Linzhao tapped the back of the chair and said, "Wipe away the snow water, it will be harder to wipe it away once it dries."

It was supposed to be wiping away snow water, but when several people cleaned together, it unknowingly turned into a thorough cleaning.

Gu Linzhao was wiping the snow water off the door when Cao Yang, his roommate, finished wiping his locker and said, "Brother Zhao, let me wipe it for you."

They were already familiar with each other in the dormitory. After Cao Yang finished speaking, he went to help Gu Linzhao wipe the cabinet with a smile. He was a little clumsy and accidentally touched a vinyl record that Gu Linzhao had placed in the cabinet.

"Hey me"

Before the curse could be finished, the vinyl record slammed onto the table.

Cao Yang quickly picked it up and looked at Gu Linzhao walking towards him, his face full of apology: "I'm sorry, Brother Zhao, it was my fault."

Gu Linzhao picked up the record, shook his head, and said, "It's nothing."

The impact wasn't serious; only some dried paint fragments fell off. But it wasn't necessarily because of that one bump. The paint had been applied for a long time, and the climate in Beijing is drier than in Kitagawa. Over time, the paint would peel off, and a lot would fall off with the slightest touch.

Gu Linzhao gently wiped away the slightly damaged graffiti, brushed off the paint shavings with his fingertips, and was about to put the record back on the shelf when he suddenly froze.

Beneath the peeling paint, a line of tiny characters was etched:

I like you.

He wiped it away with his hand, removing more paint fragments and revealing two more lines of writing:

I like you so much.

What should I do? I really like you.

My heart felt like it had been squeezed hard.

For a moment, Gu Linzhao couldn't even breathe.

His fingertips trembled as he traced three lines of tiny words.

I like you.

I like you so much.

What should I do? I really like you.

Gu Linzhao felt like he was going crazy.

He has not been without self-deception over the past few months.

He wondered if Fu Xianyin would come looking for him again, and he also tried to convince himself that since Fu Xianyin had made her choice, it was best to end the relationship there.

But at this moment, Gu Linzhao suddenly felt that he could no longer deceive himself.

He can't forget Fu Xianyin.

This is true now, and it will be true in the future.

It's like having your genes altered and your body reshaped.

Every cell flowing in my blood is screaming wildly.

He can't forget Fu Xianyin.

He loved Fu Xianyin.

With his heart pounding, Gu Linzhao, clutching the corner of the vinyl record, suddenly smiled.

It was an ugly smile, with tears even welling up in his eyes, yet the corners of his mouth were turned up.

This was his eighteenth birthday present.

Fu Xianyin traveled across the ocean and took a flight that lasted dozens of hours just to come back and celebrate his eighteenth birthday.

He dared not imagine what Fu Xianyin was feeling when she wrote those three lines.

He finally realized that Fu Xianyin's breakdown was not without precedent.

She fell in love with him much earlier than he realized.

This should have been something that made him happy.

But Gu Linzhao just couldn't be happy no matter what.

From the moment she realized her feelings, she was struggling in the mire.

Those were so many agonizing nights.

She made countless efforts all by herself.

She wanted to rebel, and she tried to rebel.

However, it failed.

She could not fight against those who stood in her way, nor could she fight against her own heart.

So she remained there, being pulled hard from both ends, struggling on her own.

He had the opportunity to find out.

He missed it himself.

Perhaps it is divine punishment, or perhaps it is divine blessing.

Nearly a year later, he learned that Fu Xianyin had struggled alone in the mire, yet still revealed a sincere heart that could not be saved.

That night, Gu Linzhao bought a plane ticket to the United States.

He took leave and went to the airport before dawn the next day.

He bought the plane ticket in a hurry, and there weren't any comfortable times or seats available, so he took that red-eye flight, which involved several transfers, before finally arriving in Los Angeles.

It was really just a matter of luck.

He didn't know Fu Xianyin's class schedule, which days Fu Xianyin had classes, or even which teaching building Fu Xianyin would be in.

But he went anyway.

Unlike Beijing, Los Angeles remains warm even in mid-November, compared to Beijing where it has already snowed.

Gu Linzhao wandered aimlessly around the campus.

It wasn't until evening that he saw that familiar figure in front of a library.

Fu Xianyin was wearing jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, her long hair casually clipped back, with a few shorter strands hanging down. She carried her backpack on one shoulder and wore headphones around her neck.

She pushed open the library door, a cold slice of bread still dangling from her mouth, with what looked like a smattering of jam on it. She leaned against the door with one hand, carrying a coat in the other.

The hoodie was loose and thick, but even so, Gu Linzhao could tell at a glance that she had lost weight.

I've lost a lot of weight.

Her chin was so sharpened that there wasn't a single bit of flesh left, and the small section of her wrist bone peeking out from her sleeve was frighteningly thin.

Gu Linzhao stood in the night, quietly watching her.

My heart was squeezed and released, then squeezed again.

This feeling seems to be called heartache.

She is not doing well.

That's not good.

In the warm, spring-like California, Fu Xianyin is like a traveler traversing a blizzard alone.

Two or three seconds later, a girl with curly hair walked out of the library.

The door was closed, and the two people walked forward.

The curly-haired girl looked at the bread in Fu Xianyin's hand and said, "You haven't eaten all day, and this is all you're eating?"

Fu Xianyin smiled, her voice carried away by the wind and drifted into Gu Linzhao's ears.

She said, "I ate this morning."

The curly-haired girl exclaimed, "It's just a tiny slice of pizza! Not even enough to fill my stomach!"

Fu Xianyin said, "I'm not very hungry, I'll eat tomorrow."

The curly-haired girl said, "I still have instant noodles in my dorm. Wait for me, I'll go get you two packs, or you can order takeout and have some."

Fu Xianyin shook her head and said calmly, "It's okay, I'm really not hungry. I'm a grown-up, I'll eat when I'm hungry."

The two parted ways at a fork in the road.

Before parting ways, Fu Xianyin suddenly turned around and looked back.

Zhao Weiru followed her gaze and saw only the vast darkness of the night.

She said, "What's wrong? What are you looking at?"

Fu Xianyin shook her head and said, "No, I misread it."

Zhao Wei said, "Let me take you back to your dorm."

Fu Xianyin said, "Really, it's not necessary. It's just a short walk. I can walk back myself."

Zhao Weiru said, "Then send me a message when you get to your dorm."

Fu Xianyin said, "Okay."

And so the two parted ways.

The campus was almost deserted in the middle of the night, and apart from the streetlights, it was pitch black.

Gu Linzhao couldn't say whether it was his heart or some other reason.

Was it because he wanted to see her more, or because he was worried about her safety walking this road alone?

He followed Fu Xianyin all the way to the dormitory entrance.

Downstairs at the dormitory building, Fu Xianyin stopped again and looked back.

I still didn't see anything.

She smiled slightly, then swiped her card and entered the dormitory building without looking back.

Before the heavy door closed, Gu Linzhao stepped out from the corner of the wall.

He watched as the door slowly closed in front of him.

Fu Xianyin's lips curled slightly, revealing a self-deprecating smile.

...

That was the first time Gu Linzhao went to see Fu Xianyin.

In the days that followed, he would go to Los Angeles almost whenever he had free time.

Actually, you can't see Fu Xianyin every time.

Sometimes she wasn't at school, sometimes she was in some teaching building he couldn't find, and sometimes she was on vacation, perhaps out playing with her friends.

You'll probably see it about three or four times out of ten runs.

But Gu Linzhao continued running as usual.

When he couldn't see Fu Xianyin, he would wander around the school.

He knew every building in Fu Xianyin's school, which teaching building was for which major, the opening and closing times of which library, and even the schedules of some school events. He probably knew more about them than Fu Xianyin herself.

He would walk Fu Xianyin home late at night after she left the library, watch her walk out of the school, walk to her apartment, and then turn back and leave.

During their junior year, Gu Linzhao learned that Fu Xianyin was going to apply for a doctoral program ahead of schedule.

It was at that moment that he suddenly realized an opportunity was standing in front of him.

It was an opportunity for him to see Fu Xianyin again, to see Fu Xianyin openly and honestly.

So in that year, he founded Starsail Technology.

The early days of the company were very difficult, and Gu Linzhao traveled to Los Angeles much less frequently.

But whenever he has time, he will still run over there.

Perhaps hard work pays off, or perhaps some people are just born to succeed.

The scale of Xingfan Technology far exceeded everyone's expectations.

That's how Starsail Technology was able to officially connect with MIT.

The day before the project was signed, Gu Linzhao flew to Boston.

He did not see Fu Xianyin.

But it's okay, Gu Linzhao told himself. It's okay, he'll see him in the future.

They will have a future.

On the day he finalized the project with Andrew, Gu Linzhao stood in front of the office building, looking down at the brightly lit building below, and suddenly smiled.

He knew that signing the project agreement did not mean that Fu Xianyin would be with him, or even that Fu Xianyin would be willing to meet him.

But he just couldn't help being happy.

Perhaps it was a window for releasing emotions that had been suppressed for many years, or perhaps it was a glimmer of light finally appearing on what had been a dark and hopeless road ahead.

The project lasted a long time.

Gu Linzhao personally oversaw the process from the beginning, and after who knows how long, it was finally time to wrap things up.

On the day of the meeting, Andrew said to him, "Mr. Gu, one of my students has been working on this project and has mentioned it to you a few times before."

Andrew raved about his precious student: "Her name is Yin. She is very hardworking and serious in both her studies and research. She is the best prospect I have ever seen. And because she is also Chinese, I also want her to do the finishing work on this project when I went to China on a business trip."

Gu Linzhao felt a lump in his throat.

When he spoke again, his voice trembled slightly.

He said, "I know, Fu Xianyin."

“I know her.”

The poor audio quality of the video conference masked the barely perceptible tremor in the voice.

Andrew said, "She will also participate in tomorrow's video conference."

Gu Linzhao nodded and said, "Okay."

After the meeting ended, Gu Linzhao called Lu Heyu over.

He pointed to the tea and cups on the table and said, "Put these things in the office on the sixth floor."

Lu Heyu hesitated for a moment, then quickly agreed: "Okay, Mr. Gu."

"Also," Gu Linzhao said, "I won't be attending tomorrow's video conference. Remember to record the whole thing and send me a copy."

Lu Heyu took the tea and cup to the sixth floor.

As the office door closed, Gu Linzhao's lips twitched slightly.

He didn't know if Fu Xianyin knew the details of Xingfan Technology.

He didn't know whether Fu Xianyin knew about his relationship with Xingfan Technology before she made the decision to come to Xingfan Technology on a business trip.

But he was afraid.

He knew very well what he was afraid of.

Back then, Fu Xianyin's departure wasn't just a clean break; it was a complete severing of ties with him.

He didn't know if Fu Xianyin would change her mind immediately once she found out that Xingfan Technology was his company.

Since that's the case.

Let's do it a little later then.

We've waited all these years.

It won't make a difference if we stay for a day or two.

Lu Heyu is very efficient; the recording of the meeting was sent to him quickly after it ended.

The meeting lasted for two hours, and Gu Linzhao spent those two hours in his office after get off work reviewing it bit by bit.

He saw Fu Xianyin turn on the camera and straighten her hair in front of it.

He saw Fu Xianyin resting her chin on her hand, seemingly lost in thought.

He watched as Fu Xianyin reported on her part of the work, her voice calm and clear.

He looked.

I watched it for a long time.

His gaze was fixed on Fu Xianyin, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips that he himself did not even realize.

He watched that screen recording many times afterward.

That was a vivid melody, a lively melody.

And later, it was also his Fu Xianyin.

On the day of their reunion, it wasn't just Fu Xianyin who was nervous.

He is too.

After pushing his luggage out of the airport, he saw Fu Xianyin standing by the car.

She squatted by the car, a cigarette dangling from her lips, her fingers still touching the man next to her, showing no sign of letting go for a long time.

Gu Linzhao paused in his steps.

Then, with a normal expression, he walked to the car.

The project workload was considerable, and they couldn't meet every day.

Gu Linzhao thought he could wait.

After all, he had waited and endured so many years. Whether it was yes or no, he could accept whatever the outcome was.

But the moment he saw Fu Xianyin, he realized he couldn't wait any longer.

He couldn't help but favor her, couldn't help but take care of her, and enjoyed seeing her slightly annoyed when she was teased, as well as when she coldly lectured people.

He admitted it; he still loved Fu Xianyin.

He just wanted to get close to her no matter what.

They wanted to favor her, even if it was so obvious that everyone could see it.

I want to get close to her, even if she won't say anything.

Kissing, hugging, and even going further.

Even if it's not legitimate, she's willing, and he wants it.

He was happy to do it.

On the day of the celebration banquet, she drank alcohol and kissed him fiercely on the terrace, almost biting him.

The smell of blood filled their mouths. She held him and murmured, "Gu Linzhao, I don't want to go back."

He gripped her arm tightly, so tightly that the veins on his forehead almost bulged.

He said, "Then stay."

Stay here, stay forever.

I will stay with him forever.

I will always be by his side.

We will never be apart again.

He wasn't oblivious to the implications in Fu Xianyin's words.

It's not that I don't understand her dilemma.

Her love, her desire.

He saw it all.

Since that's the case...

It's absurd if it's absurd, and out of control if it's out of control.

Love is a sword held across the neck, and also the finest thread that pulls the puppet.

It pulled the two of them to the same place, making it difficult to distinguish between love and desire.

He knew.

He could never do anything about Fu Xianyin in his entire life.

So whether to stay or leave, whether to love or desire, those things that were hard to explain were all left to Fu Xianyin to decide.

But she stayed.

She appeared in his office, holding flowers and a ring, and said in a stiff voice that she was proposing to him.

The bouquet was simple and elegant, but Gu Linzhao immediately noticed a few small freesias in full bloom among the flowers.

And so, in that instant...

On this day, the withered and weak freesia that existed six years ago bursts with life once again.

End of text

[Author's Note]

The story is now complete!

Oh my god! It was so hard!

I spent over half a year writing this story, and during those six months I spent almost every day with Fu Xianyin. I actually said a lot of things on the day the main text was finished, but now that the whole story is complete, I still can't help but want to say something.

Fu Xianyin and Gu Linzhao are two very different people, just like how they handled the six years they were separated.

Gu Linzhao went to meet her because of love; while Fu Xianyin could not meet her because of love.

Just as she herself said, meeting her would ruin everything. All her efforts would be in vain.

Fortunately, no matter what kind of love it is, it will eventually find its home.

I've been really slow to update these extra chapters... I've been quite busy with my studies lately, with exams, assignments, and all sorts of other things weighing me down. I apologize for the slow update frequency of the extra chapters.

Thank you again to everyone who clicked to read this article. It makes me happiest when my stories are seen by everyone.

I told a friend a while ago that I couldn't make money writing novels and that my writing was terrible, so I should probably give up.

But then I realized there was so much more I wanted to write that I hadn't.

I really enjoy writing.

I like the biggest one!

Even if the effort and reward are disproportionate, even if it's almost like a single-player game, as long as I enjoy it, I still want to write more.

I hope everyone is doing well, and I hope everyone has something they enjoy doing!

Best wishes to everyone, thank you all. If any of my friends would like to join me in the next game, then let's meet in the next game!

The story of President Gu and Yinyin will never end; they will continue to live happily ever after in another world.