Chapter 35 Even if no one in this world loves you, I will love you in the future...

Mingjing Lake Resort is located adjacent to Mingjing Lake. With its beautiful scenery and expansive terrain, it's common to see residents strolling along the lakeside. Gao Xing passes by here every evening after work, but this was the first time he stopped to admire the sunset by the lake.

She remembered that Shen Xingjian said a few days ago that if possible, he also wanted to see the world ten years later.

Gao Xing took out his phone and gently pressed the record button. The camera slowly swept across the shimmering lake and the sky dyed orange-pink by the clouds, finally stopping on a family of three walking in a stroller by the lake.

Shen Xingjian was right. Since the future is unpredictable, let's just live our present life well.

Back at the villa, Shen Xingjian asked her why she came back so late today, he was almost starving!

Gao Xing put down her bag, washed her hands, and sat down at the dining table: "Just eat yours, I didn't ask you to wait for me."

Shen Xingjian curled his lips when he heard this: “There are only two people in the family, what’s the point of me eating alone?”

Gao Xing paused while picking up the food and changed the subject, "By the way, have you finished drawing the photo?"

"Listen, if you didn't know me, you'd think you were Huang Shiren. You've been exploiting me since you came back!" He said this, but his body honestly took out a piece of drawing paper and handed it to her: "I finished it a long time ago."

Because of the limited painting tools and Shen Xingjian's limited skills, they chose sketching, an introductory form of painting.

I originally thought that a 70% to 80% portrait would be enough, since it was just an excuse to meet Xu Jiakai. But I didn't expect that when I got the drawing paper, I was so happy that I was stunned.

She raised the sketch in her hand, her delicate eyebrows furrowed and opened, raised and lowered, with eight hundred changes of expression in a minute.

"Uh... well... this..."

Gao Xing tried to remain calm, pointing at the three human-like ETs in the picture, wanting to say something but stopping himself, unable to find a word to describe Shen Xingjian's masterpiece.

I can only say that it is very abstract.

Since she herself couldn't draw, she couldn't say that others' drawings were bad, so she could only lie and say, "It's... it's okay."

"Isn't it?"

Shen Xingjian himself added fuel to the fire, saying, "I bet Xu Jiakai would be shocked when he sees this!"

Gao Xing pressed the back of her hand against her mouth, afraid that some sweet words would burst out of her mouth. She was more worried about whether Guan Ya would hunt her down for teasing Xu Jiakai than whether she would be startled.

Seeing Gao Xingjian’s face turn pale and green, and then green and purple, he finally couldn’t help laughing: “You don’t really want to take this to Xu Jiakai, do you?”

Happy: "What do you mean?"

He laughed enough, wiped the tears from his eyes, and pulled out another picture from behind: "Here!"

The new picture he handed over, although the technique is not very advanced, at least the person's spirit is captured, and the similarity with the photo reaches 90%.

Gao Xing immediately realized that he was playing a trick on her and slammed her hand on the table to teach him a lesson. However, Shen Xingjian pointed at the drawing paper and shouted, "Don't ruin it! If you ruin it, I really can't draw anymore!"

She thought that revenge is never too late for a gentleman, so she reluctantly put down her fist.

After the excitement subsided, the adults forgot the little man's fault and asked about his rehabilitation: "How was your rehabilitation at the hospital today?"

Speaking of rehabilitation, Shen Xingjian thought of something else. He took out his phone and beckoned her to move her head closer: "Look at this person."

Gao Xing leaned over and saw a photo of medical staff taken from the hospital wall on her phone screen. Among them was Zhu Daming, the director of the Rehabilitation Medicine Department, whom she hated.

"The teacher who bullied you last time, is this Zhu Daming?" Shen Xingjian pointed at Zhu Daming, who was still a resident doctor at the time.

"How did you know?" Gao Xing was a little surprised. She didn't seem to have told him Zhu Daming's name, right?

Shen Xingjian put away his phone proudly, “I know from what you said about him ordering you around, this guy has the worst attitude among this group of doctors!”

"Did he bully you too?" Gao Xing asked nervously.

“How is that possible?” Shen Xingjian would never choose such a person as his doctor. It was just his turn every now and then during rehabilitation.

"I saw him being aggressive towards those trainee nurses today, so I filmed him and filed a complaint. The hospital just called me and said they would take serious action."

"Really?" Even after ten years, Gao Xing still felt happy after hearing the news!

Zhu Daming, relying on the fact that he is a doctor, looks down on nurses, saying that their work is worthless and that anyone with a junior college degree can do it. He doesn't know what's so superior about them.

Not only that, they also exploited these interns, saying that they were just there to eat and do nothing. They clearly offended the patients, but they still asked them to apologize to them. They are so shameless!

When Gao Xing thought of this, he wanted to spit in Zhu Daming's face.

After she finished scolding, she also took out her phone and said, "Then I have something to show you too!"

Gao Xing found the video she had just recorded around Mingjing Lake in her phone album and handed it to him: "Look, this is Mingjing Lake ten years later!"

The video captures a familiar yet unfamiliar scene in crisp, clear pixels. On the lake, golden fragments float, and the grass and trees sway. Tourists stroll along the lakeshore, where benches are scattered along a colorful running track, where fitness enthusiasts jog and cycle.

In the distance, a family of three was playing. The father lifted the child high from the stroller, and the mother was teasing the child with toys in front of him. In the afterglow of the setting sun, even their silhouettes were coated with a layer of warmth.

Ten years ago, Mingjing Lake was a commercial scenic spot that required tickets to enter and closed at 5:00 PM. Unexpectedly, a decade later, it has become a part of people's daily leisure life. It seems that the future world will not only achieve technological innovation, but also a qualitative leap in humanistic care.

"very nice……"

Shen Xingjian sighed, his nose accidentally rubbing against a strand of hair. He raised his head and realized that the two of them were so close.

As far as I could see, Gao Xing was looking down with her eyes slightly lowered. Her thick eyelashes were like butterfly wings, casting fan-shaped shadows under her eyes. Her skin was not delicate white, but a light wheat color. The end of her eyebrow hid a shallow scar, showing the vicissitudes of life.

In fact, what he wanted to say that day was: Even if no one in this world loves you, I will love you in the future.

But he couldn't say this in the end. How could a dying man have the qualifications to make such a promise?

In the happy world, he has no future.

…

After getting the painting, Gao Xing took the initiative to contact Xu Jiakai, and the two made an appointment to meet at a Japanese restaurant.

To this end, Xu Jiakai specially postponed two important trips and drove more than 300 kilometers from Xianghai to Jingnan.

When Gao Xing handed him the A4-sized drawing paper, Xu Jiakai froze for a moment, even wondering if he had seen it wrong.

He remembered what was in the painting. It was indeed a still from a play they rehearsed in high school, but was it a photograph?

Xu Jiakai controlled his expression, leaned back, and said with a playful look, "Didn't you say it was a photo?"

Gao Xing felt guilty, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly. She gritted her teeth and said, "Maybe... my wording is a little off. But it's definitely you and Teacher Shi, right?"

Xu Jiakai chuckled softly, and suddenly felt a little regretful about why he had turned down two schedules and traveled more than 300 kilometers on his precious weekend to accompany her in this clumsy play.

Not to mention that this still can be found on the official website of Mingjinghu Middle School with a little effort, just take the terms "painting" and "photo", even if the expressions are wrong, they should not mean the same thing, right?

Did she do it on purpose, or was it an accident?

Gao Xing observed his expression and saw that he seemed to have accepted reality. He then said, "Mr. Xu, you are truly loyal and righteous! I heard that the previous owner passed away almost ten years ago, and you still remember him and are willing to spend money to cherish this memory!"

Hearing her mention money, Xu Jiakai put down the painting in his hand, raised his eyes, and said with understanding: "Tell me, how much do you want?"

Gao Xing quickly stretched out five fingers and put on a flattering smile on his face.

"Give me the payment code." Xu Jiakai agreed readily.

Gao Xing then respectfully presented her payment code. After a "ding" sound from the platform, she turned over to look at the amount and her eyes almost popped out.

Fifty thousand?!

God knows, what she meant by extending her hand was five hundred!

Xu Jiakai is indeed worthy of being the president of Guanya, he is really rich and powerful!

He happily accepted the transfer with a grin on his face, thinking that the first step of today's plan should be completed.

She didn't know if Xu Jiakai was Shen Xingjian's murderer. If he was, if he discovered she was investigating what happened back then, she would be putting herself in danger. However, she had previously shown excessive concern for Shen Xingjian, which was really suspicious. Moreover, Zhang Wei said that updated memories in the overlap of time and space would exist in the form of dreams. If Xu Jiakai had had a similar dream, it would be a big disaster!

So she needed to find a reasonable reason for her previous actions. Since the other party took the initiative to offer to buy the photos, Gao Xing simply took advantage of the situation and portrayed herself as a speculator who was looking for money, in order to initially dispel his suspicion.

And this second step is to solidify his identity as a good person, prove that he has nothing to do with Shen Xingjian, and patch up the dream that may appear in him.

"Mr. Xu... I have something to say but I'm not sure whether I should say it or not..." She acted as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Xu Jiakai watched her performance quietly and said, "What are you talking about?"

She opened her mouth, hesitated for a long time, then pointed at the painting in front of Xu Jiakai's desk and said, "I think... that painting is a bit weird!"

"Oh? How do you mean?"

"That's right, it can easily cause nightmares." She mentioned the keyword "dream" at the right time and observed Xu Jiakai's reaction.

Xu Jiakai's expression relaxed slightly, and he cast a probing look: "Nightmare?"

Gao Xing touched his arm, pretending to feel a chill down his spine. "Ever since I accidentally found this in the storage room, I've been having strange dreams. It seems like someone is trying to say something to me, but I can't hear or see their face clearly..."

Can't see the face clearly? This is consistent with his recent dream.

Gao Xing, unaware that his random ramblings had coincided with Xu Jiakai's information, was still trying to gauge his reaction. "I guess it's the ghost of the previous owner that's still lingering around? I even asked a guru online, and he said that old houses are most likely to attract unclean things!"

Gao Xing spoke seriously, but Xu Jiakai never believed in ghosts or gods.

If ghosts and gods really had such great powers, there wouldn’t be so much hatred and injustice in this world!

Seeing that he could not get anything out of Gao Xing, Xu Jiakai stood up and said goodbye.

As they walked out of the private room, one in front of the other, they were caught off guard by Shi Yunran and Zhou Jinkai walking out side by side at the corner of the corridor. The four of them paused in their tracks, and the air suddenly froze.

"Teacher Zhou?" He blurted out happily because he was too surprised.

Shi Yunran and Zhou Jinkai obviously didn't expect to meet Xu Jiakai and Gao Xing here. They were stunned for a moment, but they returned to normal in an instant.

Xu Jiakai and Shi Yunran tacitly agreed not to ask each other why they were here or what was going on with the opposite sex next to them.

Shi Yunran gracefully turned to Zhou Jin and extended her hand. "Then, Mr. Shixu, Xingchuan looks forward to collaborating with you!"

Zhou Jinkai understood, knowing that she was signaling him to go first. He paused, politely returned the handshake, and turned to Gao Xing: "Gao Xing, it's on our way, take my car."

Without waiting for Gao Xing to respond, he had already grabbed her arm and led her to the underground parking lot.

Gao Xing had no idea what kind of deal he and Shi Yunran had reached, and thought they were really here to discuss work. He said rather embarrassedly, "Teacher Zhou, is this too much trouble for you? I can just take the subway back by myself."

Zhou Jinkai pressed the car key, his face slightly gloomy, and said, "Get in the car."

The car was filled with oppressive silence throughout the journey, with only the subtle hum of the air conditioning system. Gao Xing quietly glanced at Zhou Jinkai through the rearview mirror. His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel, and his jawline was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, as if he was lost in thought.

She tried to speak several times, but was forced back by the low pressure emanating from him. The shadows of the trees outside the window quickly retreated, becoming green scratches, blending him into a blurred background.

The car finally stopped in front of Villa No. 1. The engine shut down and the interior suddenly fell silent. Gao Xing unbuckled his seatbelt and was about to get out when he heard him say, "Didn't I tell you to stay away from Xu Jiakai?"

Zhou Jinkai's tone was not very pleasant, and Gao Xing's first reaction was not offense, but worry. She remembered that Zhou Jinkai had reminded her of this last time at the IP Investment Conference, and she didn't understand why he cared so much about this matter.

"Teacher Zhou, what's wrong with you?" she asked carefully.

Zhou Jinkai knew that he shouldn't lose his temper with Gao Xing, because in the eyes of outsiders, Xu Jiakai had a perfect personality, and his reminder was unreasonable, unfounded, and unconvincing.

He lowered his head slightly, feeling annoyed at his own loss of composure, but Gao Xing comforted him instead: "I understand. I will try my best to stay away from him in the future and won't see him again unless necessary."

Her eyes were sincere and serious, without any perfunctoriness, and reflected his trembling expression completely like a handful of clear spring water.

She always seemed to be like this, always expressing her trust and kindness to him without reservation, and accepting his rudeness and loss of control without asking why. This feeling was like a hot brand, burning his heart.

Zhou Jinkai raised his hand, pressed his knuckles against his brow, and pressed hard. This action concealed the slight trembling of his fingertips and the hesitation that flashed through his eyes.

"Go away." He said in a hoarse voice.

Gao Xing thought he was angry, so he thanked him again, got out of the car, pushed the door open and went into the yard.

After getting out of the car happily, Zhou Jinkai started the car again, but he caught a glimpse of her left scarf on the passenger seat out of the corner of his eye.

He wanted to ignore it, but the surging waves beneath the calm sea finally defeated his reason.

"Happy..." He got out of the car, followed her into the yard and called her.

Gao Xing turned around when he heard the voice and was about to ask what was going on. At this moment, the curtains in the room were pulled open a crack by a slender hand. Shen Xingjian's gaze passed through the glass and met Zhou Jinkai's sharp eyes.

Zhou Jinkai tightened his grip on the scarf slightly, and the blood color on the joints faded a little. His lips moved slightly, but in the end he said nothing and just handed the scarf over.

Gao Xing took the scarf and said with a curled lip corner: "Thank you, Teacher Zhou."