Chapter 38 38 A Familiar Feeling
He Peiru stood on the balcony looking towards the sea.
The waves kept crashing onto the beach, just like the things Gu Zhaoqian had done were knocking on her heart in turn.
She let out a heavy breath and began to consider her next step, especially since Gu Zhaoqian had always been so pervasive in her life.
And what kind of atmosphere exists between them that leads different people to judge them as having an intimate relationship?
Or is it that she simply couldn't hide the subtle expressions on her face when facing Gu Zhaoqian?
The thought of this possibility made her purse her lips in embarrassment.
Just as He Peiru's mood had calmed down a little, her phone suddenly beeped with a new message notification.
She was genuinely startled, and as she picked up her phone, she silently prayed that the person sending the new message wasn't Gu Zhaoqian.
The text displayed on the screen was as she wished, but when she clicked on it and saw the content, the thought that Ning Ke was Gu Zhaoqian came to mind.
She repeatedly opened the photos Fang Xiaoxin sent; they appeared to have been taken after the awards ceremony. There were cameras of all sizes in every direction; with so many eyes watching, it really wasn't easy to hide.
Fang Xiaoxin: [It seems like things aren't as simple as they appear between you and Young Master Gu?]
She was only gossiping and curious at the moment, but He Peiru knew that over the years, and after it happened many times, sooner or later something unusual would be discovered.
He Peiru was not unaware that once you tell one lie, you have to tell countless more to cover it up.
Her thoughts began to waver, torn between whether or not to tell Fang Xiaoxin the truth as soon as possible while there was still time.
In particular, she didn't know when the conversation where Gu Zhaoqian didn't deny that she was his fiancée would reach Fang Xiaoxin.
Anyway, she wasn't going to sit idly by and wait for her fate; the sooner she told Fang Xiaoxin, the better.
He Peiru was still pondering how to say it without scaring Fang Xiaoxin when a new message popped up as if it couldn't wait.
Fang Xiaoxin: [I've heard rumors about your relationship with Young Master Gu again! This is so exciting!!!]
Fang Xiaoxin: [What happened between you two that I don't know about!?]
The text on the screen seemed to be a reminder to He Peiru once again.
She couldn't keep hiding or trying to cover up the topic again and again; doing so would make her feel guilty when facing Fang Xiaoxin, and it wasn't the right thing to do either.
The most urgent task is to reply to these messages.
He Peiru: [...]
He Peiru: [When are you free? I'd like to talk to you in person.]
Just to be on the safe side, she also planned to invite Feng Shiqi along, so as not to miss any past events and cause Fang Xiaoxin to have incomplete knowledge.
Feng Shiqi only knew that He Peiru's heart belonged to Gu Zhaoqian, and was unaware of the series of events that followed. She could use this opportunity to tell her as well, which would also ease the awkwardness of facing Fang Xiaoxin later.
She tried to calm herself down and recall that Fang Xiaoxin and Feng Shiqi had met once before, and she didn't know where she got the confidence that they could get along well.
Fang Xiaoxin: [Right now!!!]
Fang Xiaoxin replied to her message almost instantly. Just by looking at those three exclamation marks, He Peiru could imagine the expression on Fang Xiaoxin's face on the other side of the screen.
Fearing she might appear at the Jiang family's house at any moment, He Peiru didn't dare delay and just wanted to reply as soon as possible.
He Peiru: [Right now, I'm not really able to...]
He Peiru: [Also, I'd like to invite a friend.]
The most urgent task is to contact Feng Shiqi.
Even if He Peiru has such thoughts, it is more important to respect Feng Shiqi's wishes.
He Peiru only suggested meeting her, but didn't know how to bring it up. She vaguely said that she wanted to talk about Gu Zhaoqian.
Although Feng Shiqi was completely confused, she was also curious about this relationship, so she agreed without really understanding what was going on.
Feng Shiqi: [I'm free these few days, it's up to you how you plan to spend it.]
Thinking of Fang Xiaoxin's eagerness, He Peiru just wanted to reveal the whole truth as soon as possible.
She decided to meet the following afternoon and booked a private restaurant in Central, so that they could have whatever they wanted to talk about without any worries.
the next day.
He Peiru and Fang Xiaoxin set off together from Repulse Bay, while Uncle Zhang was arranged to pick up Fang Xiaoxin in Hung Hom. This not only made it less troublesome for Feng Shiqi, but also ensured that they would arrive in Central at roughly the same time.
After they were seated, He Peiru first introduced them to each other.
Both of them felt that since she called them friends, their relationship must be quite complicated, and they both showed their most friendly attitude.
They are all here for the same reason.
He Peiru didn't dawdle any longer. After telling Feng Shiqi the reason, she recounted the whole story to Fang Xiaoxin from the very beginning.
"I first met him when I was in middle school..."
The memories she recalled during the recounting made her realize that Gu Zhaoqian's presence occupied a third of her life.
"..."
He Peiru spoke until her throat was dry, and the sparkling water she had ordered when she sat down was almost empty. She finally finished explaining and concluded, "Between him and me... that's about it."
After saying that, he touched his nose somewhat embarrassedly and continued, "Is there anything else you want to know?"
Fang Xiaoxin was increasingly surprised as she listened. Although she needed time to process what she heard, it didn't stop her from chattering away: "At first, I was a little upset that you kept this from me, Aru, but after listening to you and putting myself in your shoes, I think I can understand what you did..."
The sincerity in her words left He Peiru with mixed feelings. She pursed her lips and explained, "Because at first I really didn't know how to say it properly, and I was afraid of scaring you, so..."
“I understand!” Fang Xiaoxin interrupted her before she could finish, “Actually, I’m glad you’re willing to tell me these things, after all, it’s more important to consider your own feelings.”
He Peiru was touched by her words and instantly felt tears welling up in her eyes.
Feng Shiqi, who had been silent, spoke up at this moment: "It's because you two kept it in mind that there was a response."
However, this scene didn't last long. Fang Xiaoxin suddenly became agitated, muttering, "It's over..."
The sudden change caught He Peiru off guard, and she asked, "What's wrong?"
She covered her face in frustration, her voice barely audible: "Last time I even asked Young Master Gu if he knew who you were really thinking about."
"Huh?" He Peiru exclaimed in surprise, once again thankful that she had considered privacy when making the reservation.
If nothing unexpected happens, given Gu Zhaoqian's keen perception, he probably already realized He Peiru's special feelings for him.
She reassured herself, "It's okay, just pretend I know nothing about it."
Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoxin instantly adopted a gossipy expression and leaned closer to ask, "So, I'd like to know what your next step is?"
Feng Shiqi, equally curious, asked, "Oh right, have you considered this?"
Stumped by their questions, He Peiru said somewhat shyly, "Actually, I haven't decided yet..."
She wanted to act impulsively without thinking, but reality didn't allow it, and she couldn't act recklessly because of her current status.
Fang Xiaoxin asked with meticulous care, "Do you know what Young Master Gu is thinking?"
Then she continued to herself, "No, if you knew, you wouldn't be so distressed."
Feng Shiqi chimed in, "You're right."
This is an undeniable fact. Even if He Peiru knew, she might not have been able to make up her mind so easily.
He Peiru felt a sense of confusion and spoke her truest thoughts: "There are too many coincidences between him and me. The more I think about it, the more unreal it feels."
“I can roughly understand how you feel, but…” Fang Xiaoxin couldn’t help but urge, “But the atmosphere between you two has already reached this point, are you really not considering taking the initiative?”
He Peiru did want to do this. She originally had many concerns, but now that she had them by her side to confide in, even her anxiety was relieved a lot.
"Speaking of which, if Aru hadn't told me, I would never have guessed that person was Young Master Gu." Fang Xiaoxin sighed again. "Looking at it this way, isn't there some clue between you two?"
She had thought about this issue before—
It's acceptable to assume the lighter belongs to anyone, it doesn't necessarily have to be her.
So.
She wasn't really a special case.
Fang Xiaoxin noticed the fleeting distress on her face and knew she had guessed correctly.
“I agree!” Feng Shiqi echoed her words, “Maybe it’s actually the magnetic attraction between you two. The reason why Young Master Gu has taken such good care of you from the beginning must be because he sensed something different about you.”
Fang Xiaoxin nodded as if to press further, and continued, "Rather than a coincidence..."
"I think it's more like destiny."
Upon hearing this familiar-sounding word, He Peiru's heart skipped a beat; indeed, the dramatic twists of reality always exceed imagination.
Fang Xiaoxin didn't give her a chance to continue agonizing, as if making a final decision: "Anyway, you have so many opportunities to meet, and in my opinion, you can choose to take the initiative."
They further reassured him, "Just do what you want to do. If you're unsure, you can always talk to us."
As expected, both of them were reassuring figures for He Peiru.
After this meeting, things related to Gu Zhaoqian became easier for He Peiru than ever before.
It no longer felt like a heavy stone weighing on her heart.
However, she wanted to be with Gu Zhaoqian, but she hoped that the prerequisite was that she could be his equal in ability.
He Peiru returned to the Jiang family home with light steps, just in time to bump into Jiang Yici, who was returning from the company.
Jiang Yici would know something about He Peiru's whereabouts from Uncle Zhang, so he wasn't surprised to see her return from outside. He casually asked, "How's your graduation thesis going?"
"It went quite smoothly. By the way, Uncle..." He Peiru decided to bring up the idea that had popped into her head on the way home, "I still want to continue my studies."
“That’s a great idea. Do you have a school in mind right now?” Jiang Yici talked a bit more about this topic, as if she couldn’t wait to finalize her studies. “The mainstream is to go to the UK or the US, but there are big differences between the two countries, so it’s more important to consider your own preferences.”
He Peiru hadn't thought that far ahead at all, and replied awkwardly, "I haven't considered these things yet..."
“It’s normal that I didn’t consider that.” Jiang Yici was not surprised and continued, “I’ll have someone compile some information to see which country you prefer.”
He explained to her: "If you choose the UK, you may have to adapt to the weather there. The US is slightly better, but the winters may not be easy. The snow can be half a person high in no time."
He Peiru had heard about the weather in England before, but she didn't think it was too bad. After all, the weather in Hong Kong is often unpredictable, so she didn't think it was a problem that would be difficult to adapt to.
But having other options is a good thing.
She replied, "Then what do you think, Uncle?"
“However,” Jiang Yici paused, “most of the people around me have gone to England, so if you go there you can have someone to look after you, but the most important thing is still your own decision.”
He immediately explained the pros and cons to He Peiru, as if he had anticipated her plan.
He Peiru thought for a moment.
Perhaps the life trajectories of everyone in this circle are quite similar, so the best choices are all to enhance their resumes as much as possible.
Having grasped the general situation, she nodded gently: "I understand, then I'll trouble you, Uncle."
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