Chapter 44 Night, Roses, and a Kiss
Chen Wanrou had no suspicions. She warmly invited Chu Xiang to eat fruit and subtly suggested several times that Gu Jue should spend more time talking to Chu Xiang. However, Gu Jue ignored her. In front of Chu Xiang, Chen Wanrou was too embarrassed to be too obvious.
Gu Heng moved the side of the fruit platter containing diced mangoes towards Chu Xiang, and said in a calm tone, "Dad and Mr. Chu probably have a lot to talk about, so let's bring up some fruit as well."
Chen Wanrou thought about it and agreed. Chu Sheng was Gu Jue's future father-in-law, so she had to treat him well. So she went into the kitchen again.
Chu Xiang used a toothpick to pick up a piece of mango and put it in her mouth. She smiled, her dark, moist eyes shining.
Gu Heng's eyes crinkled with a smile. "Want to see the dog?"
Chu Xiang asked curiously, "Do you also keep pets?"
Gu Heng said, "It was a large dog that my mother raised many years ago. It was very big, but not scary."
Gu Jue deliberately said, "That dog only eats meat. More than ten years ago, it killed one of my older brother's rabbits. Chu Xiang, if you go to see it, be careful, or it might drag you in and bite you."
Gu Jue said these words to scare Chu Xiang, but he didn't expect that Chu Xiang was concerned about something else.
She asked, "Did Brother Gu's rabbit get killed by the big dog?"
Gu Jue nodded, "That's right, they bit that rabbit down to the bones."
Chu Xiang looked at Gu Heng, unaware of how sad and heartbroken Gu Heng must have felt when his pet rabbit died as a child.
A gentle look appeared in Gu Heng's eyes as he softly said, "Animals have a wild nature. Nature is a place where the strong prey on the weak. The matter is over, and I don't feel sad."
Gu Jue retorted, "Big brother, you're really cold-blooded."
Gu Heng had raised that rabbit for a long time. Every day after school, the first thing Gu Heng did was to run to take care of the little rabbit. But one day, when Gu Heng came back from his grandfather's place, perhaps because he really liked the rabbit so much, he brought the rabbit to the Gu family home.
Not long after, the rabbit died in the doghouse.
Chen Wanrou genuinely felt guilty towards Gu Heng after her dog killed her eldest son's rabbit. She offered to buy him another rabbit, but Gu Heng refused, saying he didn't plan to keep any more pets. People simply said he was unable to move on from the loss of his little rabbit.
Gu Heng, probably worried that the guests might be bored, asked Chu Xiang again, as a gesture of hospitality, "Would you like to go take a look?"
Chu Xiang nodded, "Yes."
Gu Jue lay down on the sofa and played on his phone, making no intention of getting up to take Chu Xiang outside to see the big dog. He was currently discussing with his business partner about ordering a new batch of goods, and as one of the shareholders, his signature was required.
So, only Gu Heng led Chu Xiang out of the living room.
The moonlight is perfect tonight, and the breeze is gentle.
Gu Heng said, "Dabai is getting old and lacks strength, so it often stays in its nest and is too lazy to move. But fortunately, it is still in good health and should be fine in a few more years."
They walked along the pebbly path, with clusters of red and white roses dotting the scenery. The bright moonlight embraced everything in the night, and everything tonight was just right.
Chu Xiang was led by the man as they strolled through the moonlit night amidst flowers. She wasn't as interested in seeing the big dog anymore; she just felt that walking with him was a wonderful thing. She leaned against his arm and asked, "Is Da Bai over here?"
Gu Heng shook his head. "Da Bai isn't here."
Chu Xiang's eyes lit up. "You made up an excuse to bring me out, are you planning to do something bad to me again?"
Although she used the word "bad thing" to describe it, there was no trace of nervousness in her excited tone; instead, it revealed a hint of anticipation.
Gu Heng couldn't help but chuckle. He bent down and asked her, "Xiangxiang, did you play hide-and-seek here with Gu Jue when you were little?"
Chu Xiang then realized that they were standing on this grassy field, and could see the second-floor window with just a glance.
She didn't understand why Gu Heng brought this up, so she nodded truthfully and replied, "It's here."
Gu Heng gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and whispered, "I should have appeared in your life sooner, so that my shadow wouldn't be the only one existing in your childhood memories."
Chu Xiang realized that the man was jealous. She smiled and said, "The past can't be changed. Even if Gu Jue and I played together when we were little, it doesn't mean anything. I don't like him now."
Gu Heng smiled faintly.
The next second, Chu Xiang was picked up and carried behind the rose bushes.
In the night breeze, the occasional sound of a man and woman breathing together carried a captivating, blush-inducing magic. The air, though slightly chilly, seemed to have warmed up considerably.
After a while, a girl complained, "My newly touched-up lip makeup is all gone."
The man chuckled softly, "It's alright, I'll finish it with you later."
She added, "You're acting a little strange right now."
The man smiled and kissed her lips, swallowing all her questions.
Not long ago, when she looked at this scene, all she could think of was how she spent her childhood with Gu Jue. In that memory, he was nothing more than a silhouette.
But from now on, every time she comes here, all she can remember is the night, the roses under the moonlight, and how he whispered sweet nothings to her here.
In fact, Gu Heng has always been a very greedy person. Because the rabbit he raised from a young age did not completely favor him, he stopped keeping pets. When he realized that the girl frequently appeared in his unspeakable dreams, he realized that he had always longed for someone to focus their attention solely on him.
He wanted all her favoritism, to occupy every stage of her life. Since the past could not be changed, he would simply update her memories without him, replacing all the memories with Gu Jue.
All she needs to remember is how he clung to her and kissed her tonight.
Back in the brightly lit living room, Gu Jue looked at Gu Heng's wrinkled shirt and immediately sat up straight. Gu Heng was always meticulous and had obsessive-compulsive disorder; he would never allow his clothes to be so disheveled.
Looking at Chu Xiang, her lips, which were painted with lipstick, seemed too red under the light. Compared to Gu Heng's disheveled appearance, she seemed to be in an abnormally good state.
Gu Jue quickly understood, "I told you that Da Bai dog would bite, but you insisted on going to see. Chu Xiang, if it weren't for protecting you, my brother wouldn't have been held up by Da Bai."
Chu Xiang said in an exaggerated tone, "Yes, that big white dog that bites people is really amazing!"
Gu Heng turned his head and coughed softly.
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