Wan Qiu, carrying pillows and blankets, went to Chu Yigui's room again.
Chu Yigui merely glanced up, then casually took his pillow and blankets and spread them on his bed.
"Let's have a late-night talk by candlelight tonight." Wan Qiu crawled into his blanket and turned over to look at the other side.
Chu Yigui didn't say anything, but lay down next to Wan Qiu.
Wan Qiu looked at Chu Yigui's profile, his mind a jumble of all sorts of chaotic thoughts.
How should I question Chu Yigui? How should I make Chu Yigui admit his mistake? How should I get Chu Yigui to reveal what he is really thinking?
As the bedding gradually warmed, Wanqiu's chaotic thoughts began to become muddled.
A healthy biological clock brought Wanqiu to sleep in the soft bedding.
Chu Yigui turned her head and looked at Wan Qiu's sleeping face.
It seems that because I thought too much before falling asleep, my brows were furrowed even after I fell asleep.
Chu Yigui reached out and gently rubbed Wanqiu's brow.
Finally, he turned off the light and lay down next to Wanqiu.
Throughout the pitch-black night, Chu Yigui listened to the breathing of the person beside her.
A faint, rhythmic warmth seemed to still emanate from the enormous bed.
The next morning, Wan Qiu followed behind Chu Yigui.
He washed up with Chu Yigui and watched Chu Yigui change into her sportswear and go for a morning run. He couldn't keep up with Chu Yigui's speed, so he followed her on a tricycle.
Chu Yi returned to take a shower, and Wan Qiu was waiting at the bathroom door.
They ate breakfast together.
Chu Yi returned to work and study, while Wan Qiu did her homework.
After Wan Qiu finished her homework, Chu Yigui opened Wan Qiu's Chinese textbook again and found the love letter reply that Wan Qiu had only written halfway through.
Wan Qiu looked at the letter, which Wang Yue had given him.
The pink stationery is decorated with cute little balloons.
But perhaps because of the argument caused by this letter, Wanqiu no longer found it so beautiful.
"The content of your reply doesn't actually require any special skills, nor does it need to be lengthy," Chu Yigui whispered in Wan Qiu's ear. "The real significance lies in what kind of content you choose to write."
Wan Qiu, holding a pen, looked up and asked, "Aren't you unhappy that I replied to someone else's letter?"
Wan Qiu looked at Chu Yigui's profile, while Chu Yigui looked at the letter.
When Chu Yigui didn't want to answer, she would always choose to remain silent. Wan Qiu thought that Chu Yigui would remain silent this time as before.
For some reason, anger was stirring and preparing to resurface, but Chu Yigui spoke first.
"She didn't leave her name, which means she didn't want a reply from you. If it were a confession, she might just want you to know how she feels. You said it was a letter from a girl in your first year of high school, so it's very likely just a thank-you note."
Wan Qiu thought that Chu Yigui didn't seem to care when discussing the contents of the letter with Chu Zhang, but he didn't expect that Chu Yigui actually remembered everything very clearly.
“But…” Chu Yigui’s voice trailed off, “You will reply, because that’s your personality.”
"If, if you say you don't like it..." Wan Qiu still knew how to distinguish between close and distant relationships.
"I don't like it."
Suddenly, Chu Yigui expressed himself very clearly.
Wan Qiu slowly widened his eyes.
He looked up at Chu Yigui, his eyes filled with astonishment.
"Then...then...then..." Wan Qiu stammered, finally finding her voice after a long pause, "Then I won't go back, no..."
Chu Yigui's gaze fell on the letter: "I would rather you force yourself to do something you don't like than do something I don't like myself."
Wanqiuga choked on what he was about to say.
Chu Yigui looked at him: "So, we've chosen a compromise. I'll teach you how to reply and politely refuse any further communication. This reply will be your last communication with her, okay?"
"Ah... um..." Wan Qiu lowered his head.
Chu Yigui read his letter.
I asked him about the contents of the original letter.
The questions were asked very clearly, from beginning to end.
Under Chu Yigui's guidance, Wan Qiu rewrote a letter.
The letter paper has also been changed to plain white paper, which is solemn and dignified, losing its beauty and vitality.
The neat handwriting and the words written down, as Wan Qiu read them, seemed to reveal the coldness that belonged to Chu Yigui.
Wan Qiu went to see Chu Yigui as he put the letter into the envelope.
He still looked very calm.
But Wanqiu felt that something seemed different.
It's like a stream that had been blocked for a long time, with the annoying boulder removed, allowing the water to flow freely again.
Wan Qiu glanced at the envelope on the table.
Then he looked up at Chu Yigui.
"Do you still think I can date anyone and you can just stand by and watch?" Wan Qiu asked.
"meeting."
Chu Yigui's answer left Wan Qiu completely bewildered.
"The premise is that you know how to date other people," Chu Yigui continued.
"What?"
Chu Yigui said, "Love cannot be forced. If you no longer like me and instead like someone else, I cannot force you to still like me."
Wanqiu stammered, but this time he couldn't find a reason to get angry.
Chu Yigui is right.
"I like you." This time, Chu Yigui spoke calmly once again, "So I won't sit idly by anymore. I will do everything I can to maintain your feelings for me."
Wanqiu stared longingly, feeling that what he said sounded a bit strange.
but……
That seems to make sense.
Wan Qiu couldn't understand. Did he think that if he got angry with Chu Yigui just once, he would do what he thought was right?
Wan Qiu asked in confusion, "Has your state of mind changed?"
Chu Yigui sat in front of Wan Qiu.
His back was ramrod straight, always calm and undisturbed. In a daze, Wan Qiu seemed to see a huge pine tree that had grown up unnoticed, standing proudly.
"What I want to do has never changed from the very beginning: to assist you, to make you happy and content."
Wan Qiu vaguely felt that this was what the job duties of a secretary and assistant were like.
Just like Song Wenqiu and Zhao Jingyue.
So Chu Yigui's statement is correct?
"If indulging my whims makes you happy, then I will do as I please."
Chu Yigui reached out and grasped Wan Qiu's hand, gently pressing it against her cheek.
"I will not restrain myself until you reject me."
Wan Qiu unconsciously stroked Chu Yigui's cheek.
Chu Yigui closed her eyes and rested her head on Wan Qiu's palm.
Wanqiu's fingertips brushed against Chu Yigui's eyelashes.
She pressed her lips slightly together.
Chu Yigui was as obedient as a tamed dog, letting Wan Qiu rub her.
"Then why did it happen like that before?" Wan Qiu asked, puzzled.
Chu Yigui opened her eyes.
Wanqiu saw once again the steadfast and stable person he longed for.
"Because of low self-esteem."
"Inferiority complex?" Wan Qiu was stunned, completely unable to associate this word with the exceptionally outstanding Chu Yigui.
"I feel very inferior to you," Chu Yigui said.
"Why? Is there anything about me that would make you feel inferior?" Wan Qiu was incredulous.
There are many, too many to count.
Because Chu Yigui loosened his grip on Wan Qiu's hand, Wan Qiu's hand, which had been slightly withdrawn, hovered in mid-air, revealing Wan Qiu's current confusion.
"Huh?" Wan Qiu asked.
Chu Yigui did not answer, but he smiled.
Wan Qiu looked at the smile, which seemed a bit strange at this moment, with a puzzled expression.
"These reasons for my inferiority complex are also the reasons why I like you. Even I would feel a little embarrassed to say them out loud."
Excuse me?
Wanqiu suddenly realized what this "sorry" meant.
Chu Yigui was probably referring to shyness.
"If you absolutely must hear this..."
"No, it's not necessary." Wan Qiu knew that it would be very difficult to talk about something embarrassing.
Even though he didn't say it out loud, Wan Qiu inexplicably thought about a lot of things.
Then, for no apparent reason, I became shy.
Just like shyness, this feeling is contagious.
Wan Qiu patted her slightly burning cheeks: "Yi Gui, I didn't mean to be angry with you yesterday."
"It's my fault." Chu Yigui leaned on Wan Qiu's shoulder, pressing down on the teeth marks left from yesterday. "I'll change."
“I’ll try to think of a solution with you,” Wan Qiu said.
Chu Yigui braced herself against Wan Qiu's side with one hand and wrapped her other arm around Wan Qiu's neck.
It enveloped Wanqiu's body, allowing him to get even closer to Wanqiu's side.
The familiar temperature, the familiar scent.
Chu Yigui always believed that only she could feel the reassuring aura emanating from Wan Qiu.
"good."
——
Chu Yigui found Chu Jianshu.
They said they needed help.
Chu Jianshu was somewhat surprised. He had initially told Wan Qiu that he could come to him if needed, but he didn't expect that the first person to find him would not be Wan Qiu, but Chu Yigui.
"I hope to become someone who is good enough in your eyes," Chu Yigui said.
Chu Jianshu frowned: "In my opinion, you are already an excellent child."
Chu Yigui's abilities are evident to all.
He was familiar with the company's operations and got up to speed much faster than Yang.
Many times, Chu Jianshu lamented that he and Chu Yigui were not destined to be father and son.
"If you're talking about your future career development, you don't need to rush. Work skills take time to accumulate, and haste makes waste. I'm willing to train you, but you need to calm down and take it one step at a time."
However, Chu Yigui did not seem to be very satisfied with this answer.
Chu Jianshu frowned. He didn't think Chu Yigui was a clueless person. He wondered what was the reason behind his current insatiable greed.
“I want to become someone whom Uncle Chu approves of, someone worthy of Wanqiu,” Chu Yigui said directly. “What I need is the highest goal you set.”
Even Chu Jianshu was stunned at this moment.
"What did you say?" It was unusual for Chu Jianshu to doubt his own understanding.
“I’ve already reached a plateau based solely on my own thinking. For Wanqiu, family is the most important person.” Chu Yigui said seriously, without a hint of joking. “I need to gain your approval and become someone worthy of Wanqiu.”
Chu Jianshu's expression gradually darkened: "Is what you mean by 'worthy' the same as what I think it is?"
Chu Yigui probed his expression.
Chu Jianshu heard Chu Yigui say, "Yes."
Chu Jianshu sat in his seat, unable to speak for a long time.
Even the work on my desk isn't as interesting as it used to be.
Chu Jianshu rubbed his brow; his head was beginning to throb.
Chu Yigui stood before him, tall, handsome, outstanding, and highly anticipated.
This is a child you can always show off.
This child is now preparing for something utterly absurd.
"You know what you're saying, right?" Chu Jianshu asked.
"yes."
"You've come all this way to talk to me about this, have you considered the consequences?" Chu Jianshu asked.
"yes."
"Then how can you stand in front of me so confidently?"
Chu Jianshu could vaguely feel that he was having difficulty breathing.
"I'm just following your advice and doing things according to my own temperament."
Chu Jianshu felt an excruciating headache at that moment.
His face turned cold, and a low-pressure atmosphere enveloped him.
He never imagined that one day he would hear such a thing at home.
“Even though you are no longer my child, I will always raise you as my child,” Chu Jianshu said.
"I am very grateful to Uncle Chu for your guidance and support," Chu Yigui said.
"And now, you're coveting..." Chu Jianshu could barely finish his sentence, "Is this your way of repaying me?"
Chu Jianshu was already restraining his temper.
He was almost furious when he was exposed to this information.
"Wanqiu said he likes me."
This sentence almost directly added fuel to the fire of Chu Jianshu's temper.
"How dare you say that! Don't you know Wan Qiu's personality better than we do? What does he know?!" Chu Jianshu gripped the folder beside him, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, his knuckles taut and white.
“I don’t think his liking for me is romantic liking, or maybe he’s not even sure right now,” Chu Yigui said.
"What did you say?" The sudden turn of events left Chu Jianshu somewhat bewildered.
“I will not ask Wanqiu to be my partner, but I will agree to Wanqiu’s request.”
Chu Jianshu frowned: "Are you trying to shift the blame to Wan Qiu?"
"My affection for Wanqiu is one-sided. No matter who Wanqiu chooses in the future, I will not stand in her way."
At this moment, Chu Jianshu calmed down a bit.
He stared at Chu Yigui and began to think.
"Out of gratitude, I will treat Wanqiu better than anyone else, and I will unconditionally obey all of Wanqiu's requests."
Chu Yigui seemed to be certain of Chu Jianshu's calmness before she began to narrate.
"He needs me, and I will do anything he needs me to do."
He doesn't need me, and I would never betray him.
Liking and being in love are merely byproducts of my feelings for Wanqiu.
Chu Jianshu asked in a deep voice, "Then why did you have to bring up romance?"
"It's better to be prepared." Chu Yigui said confidently, "If Wanqiu only likes me in the future and is only willing to date me, then I will definitely reciprocate. Before that, I need to make all the necessary preparations."
That's why they demand that someone be worthy of Wan Qiu?
For the first time, Chu Jianshu realized that there could be such a troublesome matter in the world.
It's simply...
Incomprehensible.
“You’ve always wanted to grow up to be the way others see you, and I thought you’d gotten rid of that bad habit.”
"I know very well that this is a bad habit." Chu Yigui lowered her eyes.
"Since you know it's a bad habit, you should know how to change it." Chu Jianshu had tried his best to calm himself down.
Chu Yigui said, "But this is the only way I know how to live."
Chu Jianshu suddenly fell silent.
"Even now, I don't know what I really want to do. The only thing I care about is Wanqiu."
Chu Yigui's words did not stop, but continued unabated, like exploding fireworks, constantly illuminating the night sky.
"I can't think like a normal person, and I may never be able to."
"Fulfilling Wanqiu's goals is the only thing I want to do; that's just my nature."
"In that case, I intend to comply with it."
Chu Jianshu was even deprived of the strength to sigh. He slowly said, "Perhaps you should leave Wanqiu for a while. If you continue like this, you will lose yourself sooner or later."
Chu Yigui retorted, "Isn't a highly competent, subservient employee controlled by emotions, loyal to the company and never betraying it, exactly what you, as the company leader, want most?"
Chu Jianshu was speechless.
"You are not old enough to make decisions that will determine your future."
"If you think I will change my mind in the future, then your current worries about me are even less necessary."
Chu Jianshu felt a splitting headache.
He always felt that Chu Yigui was hiding something beneath her perfection, but this was no longer the way a normal person should think.
“You have placed all your hopes on Wanqiu. If you regret it in the future, you will hate Wanqiu and it will be detrimental to Wanqiu.”
“Uncle Chu must have such concerns.” This time, Chu Yigui did not refute.
Chu Yigui's silence only made Chu Jianshu's headache worse.
If Chu Jianshu insists on his own opinion, Chu Yigui can be said to be hot-blooded.
But if he could still think, Chu Jianshu wouldn't even have anything to blame him for.
“Then let’s take a more realistic approach,” Chu Yigui said calmly. “For example, a contract. I must repay all the money you’ve invested in training me over the years.”
I can sign hefty penalty clauses, as well as confidentiality agreements and agreements not to work in the same industry, etc.
If I back out, with Uncle Chu's abilities, I believe I'll never be able to recover.
Chu Jianshu was shocked by Chu Yigui's decision, which was tantamount to cutting off his own escape route.
Why do you have to go to such lengths?
"I know my limits. I can't decide my own future; I can only follow the goals set by others."
Therefore, I really need Uncle Chu's help. You can definitely train me to be the most suitable person for Wanqiu.
Chu Jianshu understood.
After saying all that, Chu Yigui actually only has one requirement.
Chu Yigui needed his affirmation.
They were even demanding the right to associate with Wanqiu.
As a father, especially with a child like Wanqiu, how could he possibly agree to such an absurd request?
But Chu Yigui was not some wild boy who appeared out of nowhere.
She was so organized that he couldn't find a reason to refuse.
In reality, if Wan Qiu simply said, "I like Chu Yigui and want to date him," there would be absolutely nothing he, as her father, could do.
What Chu Yigui was doing was simply trying to eliminate all of Wanqiu's worries.
Even worse, Chu Yigui was actually using this method to eliminate his unease.
Chu Jianshu suddenly felt extremely troubled.
"Do you think Wan Qiu would like someone who has no independent thought?" Chu Jianshu asked.
"Wanqiu got angry with me this time for the same reason; he thought I lacked independent thought."
Chu Yigui's words made Chu Jianshu realize for the first time the reason why Chu Yigui and Wan Qiu had quarreled.
"I used to be watching everyone's expressions, Uncle Chu's, Aunt Yang's, everyone's, not out of my own free will, but out of survival."
Chu Yigui's expression, however, subtly revealed a hint of tenderness.
"Right now I want to only look at Wanqiu, and I think that's my own opinion."
Chu Jianshu had no way to refute it.
This is indeed a very big step forward for Chu Yigui himself.
At least now, his assertive demeanor is completely different from before.
This is Chu Yigui's own firm belief.
"Have you considered what if Wanqiu changes in the future, becoming someone you no longer like, and you regret your decision now?" Chu Jianshu asked.
"Although I don't think that will happen, we can't be too certain. If it does happen, I can only say that..."
Chu Yigui laughed, not with gentleness, but more like a desperate, obsessive gamble.
"He reaps what he sows."
Chu Jianshu sat quietly in his chair, showing no interest in doing his work.
Chu Yigui was sent back to work by him, who only said he needed to think about it.
Chu Yigui left without any objection.
After Chu Yigui left, Song Wenqiu peeked in and secretly glanced at Chu Yigui's expression.
Only then did he feel at ease and enter the room, his expression quite subtle.
Looking at Chu Jianshu's profile, which could almost be described as melancholy, Song Wenqiu asked hesitantly, "Should we get Chu Yigui a psychologist?"
"Given his stubbornness, he probably won't listen even if we beg him." Chu Jianshu pressed his brow, feeling a sharp pain.
"That's true, kids his age are just not very receptive to advice."
Because the door wasn't closed properly, Song Wenqiu heard almost the entire story.
What kind of bizarre personality is this?
“I think I can understand why Chu Yigui was repeatedly adopted and returned to the orphanage,” Song Wenqiu said.
"Wenqiu," Chu Jianshu said seriously.
“I know I’m not being mean to him,” Song Wenqiu said, raising her hands to show her innocence. “I just think he really needs treatment.”
Song Wenqiu has already tacitly acknowledged that Chu Yigui is ill.
"Compared to before, he's doing better now; at least he knows to expose the problem," Chu Jianshu sighed.
"You're starting to find joy even in hardship?" Song Wenqiu couldn't help but laugh again.
Chu Jianshu glanced at Song Wenqiu, but Song Wenqiu didn't hold back either.
"At least for now, Chu Yigui is indeed very good to Wan Qiu. Although his thinking is a bit strange, the things he does are impeccable." Song Wenqiu has always been confident in Chu Yigui's abilities. "Or should I have the company's lawyer draft a contract for Chu Yigui? The one he just mentioned?"
"Don't cause me any more trouble," Chu Jianshu said coldly.
“I’m serious. Wan Qiu’s situation is special. She’s very dependent on Chu Yigui. If Chu Yigui is a greedy and ungrateful person, like Wan Qiu’s former adoptive parents in prison, then mental illness would be easier to accept, wouldn’t it?”
Song Wenqiu shrugged. Since they were already trying to find joy in hardship, why bother making a fuss about it?
Chu Jianshu stared at Song Wenqiu with a sinister look. Song Wenqiu gradually calmed down, backed out of the door, and obediently closed it.
Chu Jianshu turned his swivel chair around and looked up at the sky outside the window.
His fingers tapped silently on the handrail, one tap at a time.
Inside the huge office.
Everything was eerily quiet.
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