"What?"
Some of Wan Qiu's chaotic thoughts came to an abrupt halt with Chu Yigui's answer, and he unconsciously asked a question in return.
"I don't date."
Wanqiu felt as if he had suddenly fallen into a world of fog, so dark that he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face, and he couldn't even tell whether his eyes were open or not.
"Isn't it liking? The liking of being in love?" Wan Qiu was completely bewildered.
"Yes," Chu Yigui replied.
Wan Qiu carefully recalled their conversation and asked hesitantly, "Is it the kind of liking that involves wanting to kiss my lips?"
"Yes," Chu Yigui replied.
"Isn't that just being in love?" Wan Qiu was even wondering if people who aren't in love actually kiss.
But Chu Yigui did not answer.
Wan Qiu looked up at Chu Yigui, but didn't know what else to ask.
Chu Yigui has always been like this; it seems that no one can fathom his thoughts.
He felt as if he were facing an unfamiliar wall. He didn't know what was behind the wall, nor did he know why he wanted to know what was behind the wall. The mere existence of the wall was enough to make him uneasy.
Wanqiu wanted to ask for more details.
Why do you like someone so much, but don't want to date them?
Why was it a refusal?
Why... when expressing affection, does one's eyes reveal such a complex, joyless expression?
Although Wanqiu had never been in a real relationship, he had seen people in love.
Their gazes were gentle, tender, and detached from others.
No matter how Wan Qiu thought, Chu Yigui looked at him differently than at anyone else.
If the gaze of a lover is that of a passionate, fiery red rose, then Chu Yigui is perhaps like someone who can smell the clear, pleasant fragrance of flowers everywhere, yet can find no trace of the flower itself.
Wanqiu did not ask any further questions.
When he looked directly at Chu Yigui, a strange, lingering intuition told him not to ask any more questions.
Wan Qiu suddenly felt that knowing Chu Yigui's romantic feelings for him was better than not knowing.
——
During Wanqiu's dance class, Zhou Peiyu suddenly asked Wanqiu about Chu Yigui.
"Their class has arranged a reunion, why doesn't Yi Gui want to go? Her classmates have all come to me to ask, saying that Chu Yi Gui disappeared right after graduation and doesn't reply to anyone's messages."
Wan Qiu knew nothing about these things.
“Yi Gui is now interning at her father’s company, and she spends most of her daytime working.”
"My God..." Zhou Peiyu was utterly shocked. "Is he allergic to rest?"
Wan Qiu also felt that Chu Yigui seemed to have no intention of resting at all.
"Is the class reunion over yet?" Wan Qiu asked.
"Not yet. They haven't done it yet. Apparently, it's because they can't contact Chu Yigui, so they keep delaying it," Zhou Peiyu said.
Wan Qiu was surprised: "So we're not holding it because of Yi Gui?"
"Chu Yigui is very popular, and he has always been leading his classmates in their studies. His predictions for the college entrance examination this time were also excellent. He predicted most of the question types correctly, except for some more unusual ones."
Zhou Peiyu himself also received Chu Yigui's exam prediction materials, and he was truly grateful at this moment.
"Honestly, I could have gotten into my dream university even without the extra points from the art exam. I really have to thank Chu Yigui. My mom keeps asking me to invite you guys to dinner."
Wan Qiu stammered in agreement. Even though he was amazed by Chu Yigui's abilities every day, Chu Yigui's excellence seemed to exceed his imagination.
“When his classmates couldn’t find Chu Yigui, they came to ask me. I originally called Chu Yigui directly, but he didn’t answer my calls.”
Wan Qiu nodded.
But Chu Yigui has just started working and is really busy.
Now, Chu Yigui talks about work with her father and older brother at the dinner table.
Wan Qiu hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Why a class reunion?"
"This is like a farewell dinner. You've been together day and night for three years of high school, so you're bound to have some relationship. You could also call it a college entrance celebration, since everyone got into college. Anyway, it's basically a celebration."
"Then I guess I should still go..." Wan Qiu thought. Chu Yigui got along well with everyone, so he should go.
"Right? I told you we should go! Everyone pay 300 yuan, have dinner and go out to play at night, let Chu Yigui have some fun too!" Zhou Peiyu was obviously already having a great time.
"Mm." Wan Qiu nodded.
"And I guarantee there will definitely be a confession segment. After graduating from high school, this is the last chance to confess. With Chu Yigui's popularity, she will definitely receive a lot of confessions."
Zhou Peiyu couldn't help but feel filled with anticipation.
"It's a pity that Chu Yigui and I aren't in the same class, otherwise I really want to witness the amazing scene of Chu Yigui being confessed to by a line of people!"
Wan Qiu looked at Zhou Peiyu.
Zhou Peiyu became increasingly embarrassed when Wan Qiu saw her, and scratched her head in confusion: "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Will Yi Gui receive many confessions of love?" Wan Qiu asked.
"Absolutely, I guarantee it."
Will Yi Gui fall in love?
Zhou Peiyu was taken aback, then stroked his chin and thought for a moment: "It doesn't seem like it's that easy. It seems like his life revolves around you and studying."
"Then what can be done to get Yi Gui into a relationship?" Wan Qiu asked.
"Huh?" Zhou Peiyu hesitated. "This depends on the individual's mindset. It's not like you can just force someone to date and expect them to actually be in a relationship."
"No, I don't mean to force Yi Gui to be in a relationship. If it's Yi Gui, why doesn't he want to be in a relationship?"
Wan Qiu didn't know what his mindset was when he asked such a question.
He inexplicably couldn't forget everything that happened on the day Chu Yigui rejected his advances.
"I don't know, it's a personal choice, right?" Zhou Peiyu, who knew Wanqiu's family well, thought for a moment, "Maybe it's because he hasn't established himself yet, so he's choosing not to get married?"
Wan Qiu was taken aback: "What does this mean?"
"Isn't he an orphan? So he's basically staying at your house now, isn't he?"
Wan Qiu nodded.
Zhou Peiyu said, "If I like someone, I will definitely want to give her better things. Right now I have nothing, so I'm not considering it."
"Could that be?" Wan Qiu thought that perhaps it wasn't impossible.
"Or maybe he thinks others aren't good enough for him?" Zhou Peiyu suggested another possibility.
"That's unlikely, isn't it?" Wan Qiu felt that this wasn't the kind of idea Chu Yigui would have.
“Indeed, Chu Yigui doesn’t seem like a very arrogant person.” Zhou Peiyu then suggested another possibility, “So, he has someone he likes?”
“Yi Gui likes me,” Wan Qiu said.
Zhou Peiyu nodded as if it were commonplace: "But it's different, he wouldn't date you, would he?"
Wan Qiu's heart tightened at that moment: "Why doesn't Yi Gui want to date me?"
Zhou Peiyu: "..."
Wan Qiu: "?"
Zhou Peiyu: "Why are you asking this question? Do you want to date Chu Yigui? Do you like Chu Yigui?"
Wan Qiu said with certainty, "I really like Yi Gui."
"So you want to date him?" Zhou Peiyu asked.
Wan Qiu hesitated, like a deflated balloon: "I don't know what dating is."
“There are different kinds of liking.” Zhou Peiyu patted Wan Qiu on the shoulder, but as he thought about it, his expression gradually became serious.
She was already quite used to seeing Wan Qiu and Chu Yigui confess their feelings for each other.
But if you think about it carefully, the interactions between Wan Qiu and Chu Yigui are even more romantic than dating.
Zhou Peiyu watched as Wan Qiu fell into a state of confusion and dejection.
A strange feeling welled up inside me.
"You..." Zhou Peiyu, with some strange thoughts in his mind, suddenly said, "Why don't you also go to Yi Gui's class reunion?"
"Why?" Wan Qiu asked, since he wasn't Chu Yigui's classmate.
Zhou Peiyu's idea was just a sudden whim.
For some reason, she couldn't help but feel that Chu Yigui and Wan Qiu's way of getting along was like a romantic relationship.
Wan Qiu felt somewhat disappointed after hearing that Chu Yigui was in a relationship.
Could it be what she's thinking?
Zhou Peiyu wanted to verify it.
"In short, you should ask Chu Yigui if he's willing to go!" Zhou Peiyu urged.
“Okay.” Wan Qiu nodded.
"Ask quickly." Zhou Peiyu even took Wan Qiu's phone from the coat that Wan Qiu had placed aside and handed it over, somewhat anxiously.
Wan Qiu obediently dialed the number, and the phone was answered on the second ring.
"Wanqiu?" Chu Yigui's voice came from the other end of the phone, and Zhou Peiyu, who was eavesdropping, was taken aback.
She felt that Chu Yigui's voice sounded gentler on the phone than usual. Was it just her imagination?
"Yi Gui, would you like to attend the class reunion?" Wan Qiu asked.
Chu Yigui asked, "Did they come looking for you?"
"It was Zhou Peiyu who told me that everyone is waiting for you to attend the class reunion together."
Chu Yigui replied, "I'm currently focusing on my internship and don't have much time to attend parties."
"I see." Wan Qiu looked at Zhou Peiyu.
Zhou Peiyu snatched Wan Qiu's phone away: "Chu Yigui, why did you disappear right after graduation? Don't you have any classmate loyalty? Were those three years together just a lie? Don't you want to say goodbye to everyone? We'll all be going our separate ways from now on?"
Chu Yigui listened quietly to Zhou Peiyu's words before saying, "I'm very busy."
This clear, cold sound, like ice falling into a mountain spring, adds to the chill.
The difference between his voice and the one he used to speak to Wan Qiu was like night and day.
Zhou Peiyu couldn't help but ask, "Even if you're busy, you should at least decline other people's requests. Why aren't you replying to their calls?"
Chu Yigui simply replied, "It's nothing."
"Wanqiu said she wants to go to the class reunion with you," Zhou Peiyu said suddenly, her face expressionless.
This time, Chu Yigui wasn't as cold as before: "Did you instigate Wanqiu?"
Zhou Peiyu gasped.
Does this person have mind-reading abilities? How could they know something like that?
Suddenly, Zhou Peiyu heard a silent sigh coming from the other end of the phone.
"Give the phone to Wanqiu."
Zhou Peiyu reflexively handed the phone to Wan Qiu, even holding it with both hands.
Wan Qiu, holding her phone, heard Chu Yigui's voice: "Do you want to go?"
Wan Qiu had neither thought nor didn't want to.
He simply said, "I just feel that it's actually quite nice to be able to say goodbye properly."
Chu Yigui fell silent for a moment.
Holding his phone, Wan Qiu couldn't see Chu Yigui's face or judge her mood.
“Okay,” Chu Yigui replied to Wan Qiu. “I will contact them.”
"Are you very tired?" Wan Qiu asked, almost as if possessed.
"No." Chu Yigui's voice, perhaps coming through the phone, sounded slightly tender. "Aren't you going with me? Being with you means I'll be resting."
Wan Qiu remained somewhat dazed until she hung up the phone.
"You agreed?" Zhou Peiyu asked, tilting his head.
Wan Qiu nodded.
"As expected of you, you're the only one who can make Chu Yigui listen to you. If Chu Yigui dates anyone in the future, that person will be jealous of you."
As Zhou Peiyu spoke, he inexplicably observed Wan Qiu's expression.
Wan Qiu said, "I didn't make Yi Gui obey; I was the one who listened to Yi Gui."
"It's because Chu Yigui has always listened to you. Don't you realize that yourself?" Zhou Peiyu asked.
Wan Qiu's eyes widened.
"Although it seems like you're the one who's always listening to Chu Yigui, it's obvious that Chu Yigui does whatever you want, right? He spoils you a lot."
Zhou Peiyu's words made Wan Qiu think for a long time.
It seems like that, but it also seems like that's not the case.
Wanqiu couldn't refute it, yet she didn't know why it was like this.
——
Chu Yigui's classmate reunion was scheduled for the evening, and Chu Yigui would go directly to the restaurant after get off work.
Zhou Peiyu also jokingly remarked that Chu Yigui, at such a young age, was already working during the day and socializing at night.
With the help of Butler Bai, Wan Qiu was getting ready at home. The place Wan Qiu was going to was Chu Jianshu's company.
This was the first time Wan Qiu had actually seen where Chu Jianshu and Yang Ze worked, and now it was also where Chu Yigui worked.
Wanqiu never knew what his actual workplace was like.
Wan Qiu was suddenly shocked when the driver said that all the buildings here belonged to Chu Jianshu's group.
"Is this all of it?" Wan Qiu asked, peering through the car window.
"We just entered through a gate, and from that gate all the way up to now, it's all company land," the driver told Wan Qiu.
Wan Qiu vaguely realized that her father might be exceptionally capable.
Wan Qiu sat in the back seat, peering out the window: "This place is so big, can't we just move in?"
“Of course,” the driver told Wan Qiu. “There are many employee dormitories here.”
Wan Qiu asked, "Wouldn't it be more convenient to go to work if we could just rest here instead of going home every day?"
"That's right, but only by going home can I see the young masters better."
Although it is said to be several young masters, it actually refers to Wan Qiu.
The driver didn't say it explicitly, but Wan Qiu understood.
"You can just go in. Secretary Song should already be waiting at the front desk." The driver parked the car downstairs at the foot of a building.
As soon as Wan Qiu got out of the car, the automatic door opened immediately.
The vast, brightly lit hall, and the many glamorous people inside, were all reflected in Wanqiu's view.
"Wanqiu." Song Wenqiu suddenly called out to Wanqiu from the side, and Wanqiu finally snapped out of his daze. "Are you stunned? Is this your first time seeing this place? What do you think? Don't you suddenly realize how amazing our Wanqiu's father is?"
"Mmm." Wan Qiu couldn't hide her amazement. "That's really amazing."
"There's still more than an hour before we get off work. Let me show you what Dad and my second brother are like at work."
Wan Qiu followed behind Song Wenqiu, curious about everything, and was overwhelmed by the sights around him.
Summer days always seem to darken slowly, yet the enormous building appears to be bathed in sunlight from every angle, its brightness astonishing.
Song Wenqiu walked very slowly, with Wan Qiu following behind, also looking at the other people around them.
Every person shines with a beautiful brilliance because of their diligence and intelligence.
For a moment, Wanqiu couldn't tell whether the space was brighter because everyone was so beautiful, or the opposite.
Almost everyone who passes by greets Song Wenqiu, and Song Wenqiu responds in return.
These people would fix their gaze on Wan Qiu, hold it for a few seconds, and smile at him.
Wanqiu wanted to respond, but he had already passed by before he could.
"It's okay, you don't have to say hello. We're all colleagues, and we're all very busy. It would be tiring to say hello to everyone one by one," Song Wenqiu said with a smile when she saw Wan Qiu's awkward expression.
Wan Qiu nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
Wan Qiu thought of the places where he had seen the most people: the morning market near Ning Qiaozhen's rented apartment, and the restaurants with long queues in shopping malls on holidays.
This is the first time Wanqiu has seen so many people working together in one building.
"Wanqiu's father works very hard leading everyone, so it is very tiring."
Song Wenqiu told Wan Qiu.
"Therefore, we need a lot of people to help and assist us, and that's what Chu Yigui is doing now."
Wan Qiu nodded.
His family and Chu Yigui are definitely doing something remarkable.
So Yi Gui's choice was actually a remarkable and difficult one.
The place Song Wenqiu took Wanqiu to was a conference room.
This meeting should not be disturbed at this time, but today is Wanqiu's first time here.
Song Wenqiu wanted Wanqiu to see how Chu Jianshu planned and strategized.
Even a middle-aged man over fifty would want to show off in front of his youngest son, Song Wenqiu thought with ill intent.
So Song Wenqiu even boldly led Wan Qiu directly into the conference room by pushing open the door.
The people in the conference room turned to look at them.
Wan Qiu's gaze first fell upon Chu Yigui, who was using a computer at a table next to the conference room.
Chu Yigui met Wan Qiu's gaze.
Wan Qiu didn't dare to speak.
Only the standing people were talking in the entire meeting room; everyone else was unusually quiet.
Song Wenqiu naturally led Wan Qiu to a chair to sit down. Of course, he didn't miss the way the group of people at the table were secretly observing Wan Qiu.
These senior executives are all incredibly astute; how could they not recognize Wan Qiu?
Upon seeing Chu Jianshu, Song Wenqiu gestured for the meeting to continue, seemingly showing little reaction to their arrival.
However, Song Wenqiu clearly noticed that although Chu Jianshu asked more detailed questions today, he was actually much more gentle in his attitude towards the people around him.
It's a pity that today's meeting was just a simple briefing; otherwise, we would have been able to hear Chu Jianshu's more insightful observations.
Song Wenqiu chuckled to herself and glanced at Wan Qiu.
Sure enough, Wan Qiu was staring intently at Chu Jianshu.
He must be fascinated. How could Song Wenqiu not know that Chu Jianshu was actually a little nervous in front of Wan Qiu? Sometimes he felt that they were a strange father and son.
Wan Qiu felt that Chu Jianshu was probably the center of everyone's attention.
This reminded Wan Qiu of the jewelry exhibition that Yang Xiaoyu had taken him to, where the brightest jewels, displayed in the very center, shone brilliantly and captivated the eye.
He'll probably be just like Chu Jianshu now.
Wan Qiu, as if possessed, turned his gaze to Chu Yigui.
Chu Yigui was still not the center of attention here, but the way he was focused on what he was doing, the calm look in his eyes, and his handsome appearance that was no less than that of his older brother, all blended in strangely with the formal atmosphere of the office.
Chu Yigui is trying to fully integrate into this place, and is working hard to do so.
After the meeting, Wan Qiu told Chu Jianshu that he thought his father looked very handsome during the meeting.
Chu Jianshu remained expressionless, but Wan Qiu could sense that Chu Jianshu was happy.
Although Song Wenqiu's smile was strange, Wan Qiu felt that he should say those words.
People who are praised are always happy, and Dad is no exception.
Knowing Wan Qiu and Chu Yigui's arrangements, Chu Jianshu didn't let Yang Zesong take them; instead, he drove them to the class reunion.
Chu Jianshu said that Chu Yigui is currently taking driving lessons, and once he gets his license, he will arrange a car for him to make it easier for him to get around and pick up Wanqiu.
Chu Jianshu said that Chu Yigui adapted to the company very quickly and has been able to do a good job with the tasks assigned to her.
Chu Jianshu said he could let Wan Qiu live the comfortable life she wanted.
Wan Qiu then thought of Chu Yigui.
Is what Chu Yigui is doing now also in order to obtain a comfortable life?
Chu Yigui will continue to become more outstanding in the future, and will once again stand out among a large group of excellent people.
As Wanqiu passed by the busy crowd, he suddenly felt a slight sense of bewilderment about what he could achieve in the future.
"Go have fun." Chu Jianshu stood outside the car and reached out to ruffle Wan Qiu's hair inside. "Have fun."
When they arrived at the class reunion, almost everyone was already there.
It seems that only Chu Yi has gone back to her internship, while most others are happily enjoying their relaxing holiday after the college entrance examination.
Although Wan Qiu wasn't in the class, he was somewhat familiar with Chu Yigui because he often went to see her.
Everyone happily took photos with Chu Yigui, but Chu Yigui never left Wan Qiu's side.
He would serve food to Wanqiu after each dish was served.
Wanqiu's chopsticks almost never extended beyond the edge.
Others joked that Chu Yigui was treating Wan Qiu like a child.
Chu Yigui, however, said that it was Wan Qiu who was taking care of him.
Others said it was unfair of Chu Yigui to be unreachable right after graduation, and they all wanted to express their gratitude for Chu Yigui's help over the past three years.
But Chu Yigui said he was just busy, and helping others was also helping himself.
Wan Qiu watched from the sidelines the whole time.
Unlike the stylishly dressed people at Chu Jianshu's company, the recent high school graduates were more energetic.
It's like the difference between carefully cultivated tulips and carnations blooming in profusion by the roadside.
Somewhat out of place.
Wan Qiu seemed to see a thin line separating Chu Yigui from the other classmates.
Wan Qiu was the only one who was categorized as part of the circle.
Because he wasn't very familiar with the people around him, Wan Qiu would always look down and text Zhou Peiyu.
Zhou Peiyu seemed to be paying extra attention to the situation here, so much so that Wan Qiu was somewhat puzzled.
Zhou Peiyu: So far, haven't any female classmates confessed their feelings to Chu Yigui?
Wanqiu: No.
Zhou Peiyu: Impossible, absolutely impossible!
Wan Qiu couldn't understand what Zhou Peiyu was waiting for.
If someone confesses their feelings to Chu Yigui, will something strange happen?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
