Chapter 87 Year After Year (End of Extra Chapter)
The old man forced a smile, a smile that was more sorrowful than tears. "If we could go back in time, our meeting would have been inevitable. I hope she never knew me."
He Sui blinked.
He said, "I shouldn't be a part of her life. If she didn't know me, she would definitely have a better and more complete life. After all... after all, she is so good, and there will definitely be someone better than me to love her."
The old man smiled slightly, "She would definitely be happier without me."
In the long story he told He Sui, he ended with just this one sentence.
As He Sui was leaving, he couldn't help but turn back and glance at the old man sitting on the bench.
His back was no longer as straight as before, and the light in his eyes had dimmed. He still smiled as he said goodbye to her, simply saying, "Thank you for your company."
They didn't say "goodbye" again.
He Sui knew that this should be their last meeting.
Sitting on the bus, He Sui leaned back in her seat, staring blankly at the passing scenery outside the window, as if time itself was slipping away unnoticed, and by the time they reached the next stop, her black hair had unknowingly turned white.
Why?
She still couldn't understand it.
"Daddy Long Legs," who gives her gifts every year, told her so many stories, but why did he choose her?
Perhaps he himself didn't know that she had long ago guessed that the person who had been paying attention to her since childhood was him.
Because when he wrote the date he received the gift on her photo, the handwriting was the same as the handwriting on the greeting cards she received every year.
He seemed to care a lot about time, recording it every moment.
"She would be happier without me."
The old man's words echoed in He Sui's ears again. When a warm drop fell on the back of her hand, she raised her hand to touch the corner of her eye and was surprised to find that she had actually cried.
Grandpa Gu returned to the Gu family's old house. Today, he did not hear the familiar, frantic shouts and curses.
The old housekeeper explained, "She tried to commit suicide with a shard of glass in her room today, but her personal caregiver stopped her. However, she has a tube inserted and her condition is not good right now. But I have contacted the doctor as you instructed to make sure she can stay alive. She will definitely live for another ten years or more without any problem."
The old man nodded without asking any further questions.
The old butler had been with him for decades and knew exactly what he wanted, so even if he were gone, the old butler could arrange everything he desired.
Grandpa Gu walked into the white studio. He placed the photos he had acquired that day on the table and carefully put them into frames one by one.
Before we knew it, the studio was filled with more and more photographs.
The quiet in the studio was broken by the arrival of another person.
Gu Chaoyang looked at the old man expressionlessly, "You went to see her again."
The old man didn't look up, but continued wiping the photo frame, casually replying, "Hmm."
"I don't understand what you're trying to do!" Gu Chaoyang was usually a person who could suppress his emotions very well. There were only two people who could make him lose control: Chen Wanrou and his mother. He took a few steps forward, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger. "You won't let me get close to her, but you keep getting closer to her yourself. What exactly are you trying to do?"
The old family photos displayed in the studio always only show the father and children, with an empty space next to the father. However, the direction the father is looking clearly indicates that there should be someone there.
This spot isn't empty; the person inside has simply disappeared.
Gu Chaoyang wasn't stupid. He still had vague memories of his childhood. He could sense that his mother's words were different from those of the people at the time. In addition, he had personally witnessed He Sui's performance. All the unbelievable things and uncertainties were answered in an instant.
After discarding the Buddhist beads and the cicada-patterned clothes, Gu Chaoyang felt less of the shackles of hypocrisy. He could now look at his father with disgust without any restraint and say cruelly and coldly, "You chose this path yourself. You are not worthy of her at all now."
As the evening sun set, its rays refracted through the glass windows and fell upon the enormous canvas in the studio.
It is a portrait of a woman wearing a long red dress, standing on the deck looking up at the sunset over the sea.
But this is just a glimpse of his back.
It's hard to say whether the person who painted this picture lacked the confidence to capture even a tenth of her features, or whether it was due to the relentless passage of time that her features had become blurred in his memory. Of all the paintings he had done, not one depicted her face directly.
The old man put down the photo, looked up at his son who was now taller than him, and said, "I'm sorry."
Gu Chaoyang was slightly taken aback; this was the first time he had heard him apologize.
The old man said slowly, "If she hadn't been with me, then you, your son, and me as I am now, wouldn't all be gone."
In that instant, Gu Chaoyang understood what the old man had done. He should have been angry, but the feeling of powerlessness overwhelmed him, preventing him from getting angry at the person in front of him.
He should also feel terrified, because if his father and mother had not met, he would have disappeared from this world.
But before that fear, his first thought was of his family.
The old man said, "Go back and keep them company."
Gu Chaoyang gave the old man a deep look before leaving the studio.
On this day, the old man sat in his studio for a very long time. He apologized to Gu Chaoyang and also sent messages to Gu Heng and Gu Jue. Unsurprisingly, his messages were all about "I'm sorry".
Upon closer reflection, he was a terribly selfish person from beginning to end.
Yes, he is indeed selfish and cowardly; there is probably no one more despicable than him in the world.
He didn't know when she would disappear from the world. The unspeakable power was strong. Even though he had arranged for many people to guard He Sui in the dark, she still disappeared one day not long after.
The person guarding He Sui said in a panic, "We really did guard Miss He Sui very well, but after she went into Mr. He's laboratory for a visit, she never came out again. We have searched for a long time but have not found any news."
The He family, the Meng family, the Chu family, and the Gu family all spent a great deal of effort searching for him, but the result was the same: He Sui seemed to have disappeared from this world without any trace.
Upon receiving this news, the elderly man closed his eyes when the moon was high in the sky. When he woke up the next day, he might have been dead, or he might have been given a different identity.
He was no longer the master of the Gu family. He never had a wife or son. He was still living in a dark room, just like the person he dreamed of when he was young. He was accompanied by darkness and dampness. He might have died at sea on a rainy day.
The next morning, he was awakened by the ringing of the telephone. When he opened his eyes, he saw the familiar ceiling of his bedroom.
He was somewhat dazed when he answered the phone. On the other end came Gu Chaoyang's suppressed voice, "I haven't disappeared. I'm still alive in this world. Do you know what that means? Do you know?!"
The old man's hand holding the phone trembled slightly; he knew, of course, what that meant.
Suddenly, a loud noise came from inside the house. The old butler hurriedly opened the door and rushed in, only to be shocked by the mess he saw.
Things were scattered all over the floor. The old man lay on the pile of debris, his hands and feet covered in scrapes. He looked as disheveled as if he had fallen into a garbage dump. His body trembled, and even breathing was a luxury.
The butler carefully approached and helped the person on the ground, "Sir?"
Upon seeing the person in front of him clearly, the butler couldn't help but be taken aback.
The once decisive and ruthless old man was pale and had empty eyes. His scarred body was still there, but it had become an empty shell without a soul.
He seemed to be alive, yet he was as if he were dead.
The last century.
The continuous rainy days have made the air feel heavy and damp, gradually squeezing out the oxygen.
This is truly one of the most frustrating and terrible times ever.
The young man stood on the deck, his cigarette half-burned. His dark eyes stared silently at the sea, wondering when he would really be swallowed by the sea as others had said.
He couldn't stand the lingering gaze on him for so long that he finally turned around, only to be suddenly struck by a bright red figure.
She was a girl in a long red dress, her long hair tied in a ponytail. Her fair and bright face showed a look of surprise. She seemed to have been quietly looking at him for a long, long time. It was hard to tell whether it was out of curiosity or some other emotion. She slowly raised the corners of her lips and revealed a smile.
The continuous rain finally stopped, and the sky began to clear.
The young man shook the cigarette in his hand. He restrained himself and looked away. He had only taken two steps to the side when she quickly walked over.
The girl extended her hand to him. "Hello, my name is He Sui."
He glanced at her fair, delicate fingers, and subconsciously threw away the cigarette in his hand. The cigarette fell to the ground and was extinguished by the water. He unconsciously wiped his hands with his clothes, then stared at the girl's hand. He slowly reached out his hand and gently took it.
He couldn't help but glance at her face again, then lowered his eyes and whispered, "Gu Zhaonian."
The rain stopped today, but who knows when the next rain will begin.
But when she saw him smile, every rainy day that followed didn't seem so unpleasant anymore.
Because she smiled and said to him, "I finally know your name, Gu Zhaonian. Your name is very nice."
Tip: Come here to find good novels to read!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com