Chapter 58, Stagnation Here
Gu Zhaoqian seemed to have anticipated He Peiru's question, and after a moment's thought, he replied, "Our relationship is not much different from before."
“Then… what about that day?” she blurted out. “So you think our relationship ends here, right?”
“No.” Gu Zhaoqian immediately denied it, then paused before continuing, “I just think that only after you have seen a wider world can you truly understand your inner feelings.”
His statement sounds reasonable.
Based on He Peiru's understanding of men, it's safe to say he was thinking of her.
But she couldn't convince herself, especially when they were already in a state of mutual understanding.
Gu Zhaoqian even thought of pushing her out and encouraging her to meet other people.
"Do you think I'll definitely meet someone else I like? Or do you think my feelings for you aren't love?" He Peiru looked up at him, not caring that her emotions were completely exposed in front of him. "Although it seems like a very reasonable idea, the way you're acting gives me the feeling that you don't want to take responsibility."
“That’s not what I meant.” He denied it again, and continued to explain to her, “I don’t want my existence to limit you, so that whatever you do will be restricted.”
He added, "You just graduated from university."
Gu Zhaoqian spoke with righteous indignation, but from He Peiru's perspective, he could not agree with him at all.
She asked bluntly, "So, do you care about what I think?"
He took a deep breath and replied, "Of course I care."
“But all you’re thinking about is pushing me away.” He Peiru said softly. She really couldn’t understand Gu Zhaoqian’s thoughts, so she could only continue, “Go away, I don’t want to see you right now.”
She knew that her anger was swelling inside her, but she also knew that arguing with him was pointless, so she decisively told him to leave.
Gu Zhaoqian's idea was not wrong in principle, but the situation in front of her made He Peiru wonder how much the man really felt for her.
Since she couldn't get the desired result, she might as well put a temporary end to the matter.
However, Gu Zhaoqian remained standing in the same spot, seemingly with no intention of leaving.
He Peiru was about to repeat what she had just said when her phone rang again in the room.
The familiar music only made her more irritable.
Before she could speak, Gu Zhaoqian took out his phone and hung up, finally saying, "Then I'll be going now."
He took a step, then stopped: "You'll meet even more people once you get to England."
He Peiru did not respond.
I watched him walk towards the entrance, until I saw the front door open and then close.
Gu Zhaoqian did not eliminate all possibilities directly, nor did he let her calm down and think it over. He simply repeatedly explained his thoughts from his own perspective.
The fact that she ended the meeting on her own initiative seemed to suggest that the relationship would fizzle out.
While feeling lost, she suddenly felt a pang of regret.
I regret that I brought this up so bluntly with Gu Zhaoqian just three days before I was supposed to leave for England.
But doing this actually caused my mind to become unsettled and even anxious.
I received neither a clear answer nor a firm rejection.
But it means that no matter where she is, she will still keep this matter in mind.
Or is it...?
Is Gu Zhaoqian trying to use this method to make her give up?
He Peiru's gaze fell on the insulated bag on the coffee table, but she couldn't figure it out at all—
Gu Zhaoqian's kindness to her was beyond reproach, yet their relationship remained stagnant.
Gu Zhaoqian's words were clear enough, but after she went to England...
Just as he said, they will come to understand their own feelings and then meet other people they can call liking.
What He Peiru knows best is that during her four years at the University of Hong Kong, she has met many impressive people, but she has never met the one who makes her heart flutter.
Therefore, she could not accept Gu Zhaoqian's assumption.
She knew she couldn't dwell on this anymore, so she simply told her two girlfriends as well.
This time they responded very quickly.
Feng Shiqi: [Rather than saying he doesn't like you enough, it's more accurate to say his feelings for you have transcended mere liking; he simply hopes you can have the best life possible.]
Feng Shiqi: [So it's not entirely incomprehensible.]
Fang Xiaoxin: [It's undeniable that he's genuinely thinking of you; after all, not everyone from a family like ours has the chance to find someone they truly love. It's just that his approach...]
Fang Xiaoxin: [I don't think this is appropriate.]
The two people's different reactions reflect their perspectives on the matter from their respective circumstances.
She had considered all of these things, but she just couldn't get over that hurdle in her heart.
I simply cannot accept this approach.
He Peiru took out a lunchbox from the insulated bag, and the logo printed on it indirectly indicated that it was dinner that he had specially prepared.
It was still filled with her favorite dishes, but when she put them in her mouth, she found them tasteless.
The things Gu Zhaoqian did for her now seem to have become sharp blades piercing her.
The dense, needle-like sensation actually made her more alert.
He Peiru suddenly realized that perhaps she should put her relationship aside for now and calm down to prepare for a new life.
-
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
He Peiru couldn't act as if nothing had happened and contact Gu Zhaoqian as before.
Gu Zhaoqian seemed to share the same thought, and he didn't send her any more messages in the past few days.
The distance between them seemed to be slowly growing.
The morning after meeting him at the Mountain Mansion, Ho Pui-yu simply went back to live in Repulse Bay.
I'll take advantage of the free time I have to spend some time with the two elderly people in the Jiang family.
Because most of the arrangements for her trip to England were made by Jiang Yici's side, He Peiru only learned after returning that Jiang Yici's plan was for her to go directly there on the Jiang family's private plane.
In that case, she wouldn't have a problem bringing whatever she wanted to England.
Moreover, Jiang Yici had arranged Sophia's visa in advance and told her, "I have discussed it with your parents-in-law and we have decided to let Sophia go to the UK with you."
“Otherwise, we’ll have to find a new maid when we get to England. Even if she’s trustworthy and reliable, there will still be a period of adjustment. So we think it’s better to let Sophia go there so she can take better care of you.”
He Peiru knew that she could simply agree to these arrangements, since she believed that Gu Zhaoqian must have consulted Sophia before making the decision.
That way, she wouldn't be so lonely when she first arrived in England.
It takes about an hour to get from Repulse Bay to Chek Lap Kok Airport. One car carried Sophia and their luggage, while the other car carried the four members of the Chiang family.
Although everyone said that traveling back and forth from Hong Kong to the UK would be easy, when the day actually arrived, the fact that Zheng Wanqiao held her hand tightly and kept talking after sitting down was enough to show how reluctant they were to part.
Perhaps because she didn't want to see Gu Zhaoqian, He Peiru subconsciously believed that he definitely didn't know when she would be leaving.
Besides, they've lost contact, so even if he knew, he couldn't just show up unexpectedly.
Although she still remembered what Gu Zhaoqian said at the Mountain Mansion, the thought that suddenly popped into her mind still made her feel a little hopeful.
Conflicting feelings swirled within her, but she finally took a deep breath and suppressed the thought.
She came to her senses and listened attentively as Zheng Wanqiao gently instructed her to take good care of herself.
At this moment, Jiang Yici, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and said to them, "Qian said he has arrived at the airport. We will be there in about twenty minutes."
Upon hearing Gu Zhaoqian's name, He Peiru's heart skipped a beat. After realizing what had happened, she could only hope that Zheng Wanqiao, who was holding her hand, hadn't noticed anything amiss.
The latter replied, "Ah Qian is so thoughtful, coming all the way to see Ah Ru off despite being so busy."
Gu Zhaoqian didn't mention a word, yet he appeared at the airport quietly.
He Peiru had no idea how to face him.
She began to regret not having Fang Xiaoxin and Feng Shiqi come to see her off at the airport, otherwise they could have distracted her.
Now that it was a fact, she continued to listen attentively to Zheng Wanqiao for the rest of the drive.
Then Zheng Wanqiao said, "Perfect timing. Ah Qian is familiar with the world of you young people. If Ah Ru doesn't understand anything in England, she can ask him."
"I know."
He Peiru tried her best to put on a natural smile, at least to make it look flawless.
She was already on edge, and then she heard Jiang Yici's laughter coming from the front row.
Feeling a little guilty, she looked up, but her uncle's perfectly normal expression made her think it was just a misperception caused by being too nervous.
Private jets have designated areas.
He Peiru and her group did not need to go to the main terminal of the airport, which saved them a lot of tedious steps.
After the driver brought the car to a stop, before everyone could get off, someone came up to them and explained the situation in detail: "Hello everyone, Ms. He's luggage and other items have passed through security and have been sent to the plane."
"There's still some time before the plane takes off. If you need anything, please feel free to contact me."
Jiang Yici replied, "Okay, you can go ahead and get busy."
On their walk from the parking lot to the terminal, He Peiru's gaze kept drifting around.
She couldn't help but look for Gu Zhaoqian, but she didn't know what to say when she saw him.
Once she reached the terminal, she finally saw Gu Zhaoqian standing not far away, talking on the phone.
The man hung up the phone and walked over the moment he saw them appear.
He Peiru paused, quickly composed herself, and then spoke as if nothing had happened: "Brother Qian."
He nodded and said, "How's the preparation going to see you off at the airport?"
"Everything is... fine."
She tried to face Gu Zhaoqian with a normal attitude, but found that even the simplest response became difficult.
He seemed to sense the difference, but with the Chiang family present, he couldn't force He Peiru to do anything. He simply said, "I have many friends in England. If you need any help, just ask me."
This thoughtful gesture left He Peiru at a loss once again, but she still replied, "Thank you, Brother Qian."
Even if she had already decided not to ask Gu Zhaoqian for help, she couldn't say it outright under these circumstances.
Perhaps because the atmosphere between the two was too strange, Jiang Yici was the first to notice something was wrong and said, "Let's go to the security checkpoint, it's almost time."
He Peiru's mind was exceptionally clear at that moment.
She knew that once she boarded the plane, passed through the thick clouds, and arrived in England, the events that had happened in Hong Kong might become blurred with the passage of time.
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