Chapter 92: Ring
Back at the Chu family mansion, everything seemed normal, yet something was different. Chu Yan, as always, handled the various relatives and old friends who came to pay their New Year's greetings with ease and grace, smiling and smiling, impeccable. Chu Yu, likewise, remained the impeccable heir to the Chu family, handling affairs in an orderly manner and treating people with appropriate discretion.
However, an invisible barrier quietly existed between the two of them. They still shared meals and discussed business matters, but the natural intimacy and tacit understanding that once flowed between them was gone, replaced by a cautious sense of distance.
Chu Yu's eyes would subconsciously follow Chu Yan's figure, but he would quickly look away before Chu Yan could look back, as if he had touched something scalding hot. He became more silent, often staring blankly at something, his whole body shrouded in an indescribable loneliness and emptiness.
Even Mr. Chu and Mrs. Chu were acutely aware that something was amiss with their son. He was still the same excellent Chu Yu, but it was as if a part of his soul had been ripped out, making him incomplete. He was like a beautiful, meticulously carved glass figure that had lost its inner strength. Beautiful as always, but with the illusion of fragility, ready to shatter at the slightest touch.
They asked privately with concern, but Chu Yu gently rejected them with the excuse that "I'm too tired at the end of the year."
Chu Yan saw all of Chu Yu's states clearly, but he did not try to comfort her or intervene. As he had said before, love is a game for the brave, a reward for those who dare to face all difficulties and obstacles and hold on tightly.
Chu Yu chose to retreat at the last moment, retreating to the boundaries he considered more "safe" and "correct." Then Chu Yan would respect his choice and not force him out of the cage he had created. Some roads must be walked alone; some knots must be untied by oneself.
After completing all the social engagements during the Spring Festival at the Chu family in an orderly manner, Chu Yan finally received an invitation from Gu Xu.
After Ruichuang Technology got back on track, business became increasingly busy, leaving Gu Xu, the helmsman, with little time to spare. On New Year's Eve, he was fully aware of Chu Yan's disappearance and knew he was most likely with Chu Yu.
It's not a pleasant feeling to know that your lover is somewhere else but you can't contact her. He can only devote all his energy to work, numb himself with endless meetings, and try to suppress the bitterness and longing to the deepest part of his heart.
It was not until the end of the Spring Festival holiday that Gu Yu vaguely heard from the Chu family that Chu Yan had returned. Only then did he extend an invitation to Chu Yan with some tentativeness and uncertainty.
After sending the message, he held the phone, feeling uneasy and even prepared to be rejected.
Fortunately, Chu Yan responded quickly with just one word: "Okay."
It was still the same familiar island from last year. The sunshine, the beach, the blue sea and sky, it seemed nothing had changed.
They walked side by side on the fine white sand, letting the cool seawater wash over their ankles again and again. The salty sea breeze blew the loose hair on their foreheads.
Gu Xu turned his head and looked at Chu Yan's profile, which was softly illuminated by the sunlight. After hesitating for a moment, he softly asked, "Are you... feeling better?"
Chu Yan was slightly startled when he heard this, and stopped, turning to look at him in surprise: "Why do you ask?"
Gu Xu shook his head, his eyes filled with pure concern and intuitive sharpness: "I don't know the specific reason, it's just a feeling... I always feel that you seem to have something in your heart and are not very happy when you come back this time." Although he was busy with work, he could always capture all the subtle emotions about Chu Yan at the first time.
Chu Yan couldn't help but marvel once again at Gu Shi's sharpness and extraordinary attention to him. He was silent for a few seconds, then, as if relieved of some invisible burden, he suddenly opened his arms and hugged Gu Shi tightly, burying his chin deep in the warm, dry crook of his neck like a large cat seeking comfort.
His voice was muffled: "Well... I'm a little unhappy. Will Brother Xu comfort me?"
This almost coquettish gesture and straightforward request instantly softened Gu Yan's heart. He nodded without hesitation, wrapped his arms around Chu Yan's waist, and hugged him tighter. His voice was steady and reliable: "Yes. How do you want me to coax you?"
Chu Yan raised his head in his arms, a sly smile in his eyes. He deliberately dragged out his tone: "Then you coax me, I'm listening."
Gu Xu: "..." He was choked for a moment. Mr. Gu, who was always eloquent in the business world, was now at a loss for words. His ears were slightly red, and he seemed to be seriously thinking about the specific operational procedures of "coaxing people".
Looking at his rare clumsy yet serious look, Chu Yan finally couldn't help laughing out loud, and the depressed mood just now seemed to be blown away by the sea breeze.
He reached out and ruffled Gu Xu's hair: "Just kidding. Actually, I wasn't unhappy, I just felt a little emotional. I feel much better now."
He paused, then turned to look at Gu Xu, his tone becoming more serious: "What about you? How do you feel about this New Year?"
Gu thought carefully. This New Year, there was no family hustle and bustle, no hypocritical socializing, only an empty apartment and endless work. He answered honestly, "A little... lonely."
This was his first Spring Festival after leaving the Gu family. Although he had gained unprecedented peace and quiet, the loneliness of having no one waiting for him and no one to share with him did indeed invade him in the dead of night.
Chu Yan tilted his head and looked at him, a clear and slightly uninhibited sneer on the corner of his mouth: "Loneliness is a very strange thing. If you mind it, then it is called loneliness, heavy enough to crush people; but if you don't mind it, or even enjoy it, then this thing has a cooler name -"
He faced the sea breeze, opened his arms, and said in a clear and powerful voice: "Call for freedom."
Gu Yan stared blankly into his clear, penetrating gaze. There was no sympathy or pity in it, only a powerful sense of freedom and encouragement. For a moment, he felt as if a certain power had been infused upon him. The faint loneliness that lingered in his heart seemed to have been redefined, transformed into the "freedom" of controlling his own life. He nodded heavily, feeling that Chu Yan was absolutely right.
In the following days, the two seemed to have returned to the relaxed time when they first met. They didn't need to do anything deliberately, just strolled aimlessly along the coast, lay on beach chairs to bask in the sun, or just watched the ebb and flow of the tide, the rising and setting of the sun and the moon side by side without saying anything.
A quiet and warm feeling flows and surges silently between the two people, healing the unknown tiny wounds deep in each other's hearts.
One night a few days later, the sea was filled with broken moonlight. The two of them walked slowly along the coastline tacitly, one in front and one behind. The atmosphere was filled with a subtle sense of quietness and anticipation.
Today was their anniversary. Neither of them brought up the topic, but they both quietly prepared gifts for each other.
As they walked, they unknowingly arrived at the familiar beach where Gu Xu had mustered the courage to confess his love last year. The sound of the waves remained the same, the moonlight remained the same, as if time had formed a gentle closed loop at this moment.
Gu Xu stopped and took a deep breath of the cool sea breeze. He turned to face Chu Yan, took out a velvet box from his pocket, opened it, and a platinum ring with a simple yet powerful design was shining with a low-key luster in the moonlight.
He knelt on one knee, a move he had practiced countless times in his mind, yet he still felt a subtle nervousness as he did it. He raised his head and was about to speak.
But he saw Chu Yan, who was standing in front of him, also took out an equally small velvet box from his pocket. He opened the lid of the box, and a unique and exquisite ring lay quietly inside.
The two of them were stunned when they looked at the rings in each other's hands.
Chu Yan couldn't help but chuckle first, his laughter filled with helplessness and a strange sense of fate: "Is this considered too much of a telepathic connection?"
Gu Xu also recovered from his shock, his tense nerves instantly relaxing, a gentle and joyful smile spreading across his eyes. He remained kneeling on one knee, solemnly picking up his ring.
Chu Yan smiled and stretched out his hand.
Gu carefully placed the Möbius ring, a symbol of infinite cycles and eternity, on Chu Yan's left middle finger. The cold metal quickly warmed to the touch with his body temperature.
Then, Chu Yan also picked up his butterfly-shaped ring. He took Gu Xu's hand and put the ring on his middle finger.
Two rings of completely different styles, both containing unique and profound meanings, shine against each other in the moonlight.
Gu stood up and stroked the cool, delicate butterfly ring on his finger. His fingertips could clearly feel the tiny lines carved into the ring's interior. Curious, he raised his hand and examined it carefully in the moonlight. It was a string of extremely small, yet incredibly clear, strange characters, like some mysterious code.
"What's engraved on it is..." Gu Xu looked at Chu Yan in confusion.
Chu Yan smiled, his tone relaxed and natural, as if he were discussing something insignificant. "It's my name. A unique way of writing it." Only the system in his mind knew that it wasn't a variation of a name at all; it was a soul code unique to Chu Yan, unchanged through countless passages of time and space. It was the most unique mark and proof of belonging he could give.
The sea breeze gently blew, weaving their hair together, making it difficult to tell them apart. The bright moonlight cast a romantic silver glow over the lovers. The sound of the waves, like the most moving concerto between heaven and earth, witnessed the tranquility and beauty of the moment.
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