Chapter 111 The Past
I stayed in this coastal city for a few more days and had a lot of fun. Even my supervisor couldn't help but send me a message to show his concern: "Chen Rui, why haven't I seen you in the lab recently? Is the project going well?" Only then did I realize that I had played a little too much. I quickly replied that everything was going well and I would go back to speed up the progress.
Especially Fang Qing, who was constantly complaining in the group chat. Sometimes she complained that Senior Brother Gu was like an emotionless supervisor, forcing her to change the code;
Then he wailed that the "Goblin" robot always got stuck in a joint and moved like it had Parkinson's disease.
Lin Yan and I looked at our phones and smiled at each other. We felt guilty (but happy) for leaving the mess to others.
Finally boarded the high-speed train home.
I was slumped in my seat, checking my phone, while Lin Yan was using his laptop next to me to process my backlog of work emails.
As I was scrolling, a particularly eye-catching circle of friends suddenly popped up!
It's Fang Qing! Officially! Announced!
What a grand occasion, so exquisite!
The nine-square grid of photos showed a silhouette of them holding hands in the sunset, exquisite food and intertwined hands on the dining table, a snapshot of Brother Gu looking at her from the side with a gentle smile, and another of them holding a giant stuffed toy (presumably a trophy)... The caption was:
"He is mine."
Plus a huge diamond ring emoji!
I sat up straight instantly and excitedly slapped Lin Yan's arm: "Look, look! Fang Qing! Senior Brother Gu! They're together! It's official!"
Lin Yan raised his head from the screen, leaned over to take a look, and a knowing smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "If they don't get together again, it would be a bit too outrageous. It would be a waste of the opportunity we created to be alone."
I looked at the meticulously arranged nine-square grid and felt a little emotional: "Look at this sense of ceremony, how formal and grand it is."
Lin Yan turned his head to look at me, his eyes a little inquiring and teasing: "Rui Rui, are you blaming me for being too direct and lacking a sense of ceremony?"
I shook my head and leaned back on his shoulder. "I'm not blaming you. I'm just a little moved... Someone like Senior Brother Gu, who's willing to put so much thought and effort into Fang Qing and make such a big fuss, must... really like her."
I can imagine how happy Fang Qing was when she saw this.
"Yeah," Lin Yan put his arm around my shoulders, "Senior Brother Gu is usually such a low-key and reserved person, his circle of friends is almost overgrown with weeds. Posting nine pictures at once is like a miracle."
I burst out laughing. "Who said he hasn't posted before! Didn't he post something sarcastic about Fang Qing's Moments before? Something like 'Finally quiet,' with a picture of a cup of coffee."
Lin Yan chuckled softly, "You don't understand this, do you? One monkey, one tie method. He deliberately posted that kind of circle of friends at that time, hoping to attract Fang Qing's attention."
"Great!" I suddenly realized, "So Senior Brother Gu is also a scheming man!"
Lin Yan raised his eyebrows and pinched my face: "'Also'? Baby, you have something else to say? Speak clearly, who is it?"
"Hahaha!" I quickly dodged. "I didn't say anything! Just figure it out for yourself!"
"Ruirui~" Lin Yan put down the computer and started tickling me. We laughed and made noises on the high-speed rail seats.
After all the hassles, I finally returned to my familiar nest. The next day, I went to the lab to report for leave.
As soon as I walked in, I saw Fang Qing sitting at her computer, a smile that couldn't be suppressed, even the sound of her typing code was brisk. I leaned over and deliberately teased, "Hey, Miss Fang, are you waiting for an official position?"
Fang Qing raised her head and tried hard to keep a straight face, but she couldn't hide the smile in her eyes. She pouted, "I guess so... Humph, I didn't expect this guy to be so good at surprise attacks and prepare such a big surprise."
Although his tone was deliberately calm, his smug expression was almost flying.
"Are you happy now? You got what you wanted." I looked at her with a smile.
"It's, it's okay..." Her eyes wandered for a moment, and she suddenly lowered her voice with a hint of suspicion, "It's just... don't you find it strange? How can he, with his wooden personality, understand all these romantic routines? Flowers, big meals, and taking pictures... He's so skilled at it that it scares me a little!"
I:"……"
I'm simply defeated by her train of thought!
"Fang Qing, you have a really weird mind!"
I couldn't help but complain, "Why do you always like to complicate simple issues? He likes you and wants to give you the best and most formal confession. What's wrong with that?"
"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Fang Qing argued. "That's the logic! Maybe he pursued his previous girlfriends the same way. Practice makes perfect!"
I held my forehead and said, "Brother Gu is already this old. It would be strange if he still acted like a young boy and didn't know how to chase girls. Isn't it normal to have had a relationship?"
"Forget it," Fang Qing waved her hands, looking like she didn't understand. "You're acting like we've never been together before! Humph!"
Before she finished speaking, a bony hand gently rested on her shoulder.
"What do you mean 'who hasn't talked about it'?"
Senior Brother Gu's cold voice sounded behind him without warning.
"Oh my god!" Fang Qing and I both shuddered in fear!
I almost jumped out of my chair! Buddy, are you a cat? You walk without making any noise!
"Gu Jizhong!" Fang Qing patted her chest, still in shock. "How come you're so elusive?"
Senior Brother Gu looked a little helpless: "...you guys were just too engrossed in your conversation."
His gaze fell on Fang Qing's face, and he looked thoughtful. "Qingqing, it seems... we haven't really talked about each other's past."
Fang Qing's face flushed instantly, and her eyes began to avoid him: "...Hey! Since it's in the past, let it go! What's there to talk about!"
She tried to muddle through.
But Senior Brother Gu clearly wasn't going to let her fool him. He said calmly but insistently, "But the tone you used just now sounded like you really cared."
I watched the tense atmosphere between the two of them grow, feeling like a ten-thousand-watt lightbulb. I quickly cleared my throat twice, "Ahem! Um... you two, this is a public lab! If you want to talk about something private... maybe we should go somewhere else?"
If I stay any longer, I can dig a three-bedroom apartment with my toes!
Fang Qing wanted to say something, but Senior Brother Gu grabbed her wrist and took her out without any explanation.
Suddenly I was the only one left in the lab.
I immediately pulled out my phone and messaged Lin Yan, "Oh my god! Lin Yan! Shocking news! Those two just made their official announcement and are already sitting down to talk about the 'past'! Aren't they just making themselves jealous?"
Lin Yan quickly replied, "That's actually quite reasonable. Being honest is a good thing. On the contrary, Ruirui, when we first got together, you didn't seem to be curious about my past at all?"
I looked at the phone screen and was stunned for a moment.
Indeed, I didn’t seem to ask much at that time?
"Fuck," I replied. "Why are you asking for those details? Are you asking for trouble? I don't want to hear about the details of your relationships with your exes! Besides, didn't I ask about them later?"
Thinking back to his frank confession later, I actually felt quite at ease.
"Yeah," Lin Yan replied, "I just feel like I didn't explain it clearly enough back then. But it would be hypocritical to say that our previous relationship was all fake. I don't want to use lies to gain your complete trust."
My heart softened at his words, and I typed back, "Lin Yan, to be honest, I really don't care about that. If I keep dwelling on your past, I'll be trapping myself. As long as you love me right now, and only have me in your heart, I'll be content and happy. Asking you to only have me in your heart from the start is too overbearing and unreasonable."
"But you've been me from the beginning."
Lin Yan replied quickly, "It's because of what we've been through that I understand more clearly how good you are and how lucky I am. Thinking of this, I actually feel a little indebted to you for not being able to give you my complete self sooner."
"Alright, Lin Yan," I said, trying to relax him. "You're a very good person, so it's normal for someone to like you, and for you to have liked someone before. As for why you broke up in the end, that's a matter between you two. As long as you deal with it now, it's fine."
"Ruirui, you..." Lin Yan paused for a moment before sending a message, "Why are you always so nice? So sensible? At this time, I should be the one to comfort you and reassure you, why did you become the one who counsels me?"
I felt a little sad and warm at the same time when I read this: "Because...actually, I feel really bad for you. From having a relationship to losing it, every time must be like peeling off a layer of skin, right? It must be very difficult. I just don't want you to feel sad or stressed because of the past."
"That's enough, Ruirui."
Lin Yan's message popped up almost instantly. "You shouldn't feel bad for me. That's the path I chose, and I should bear the consequences myself. Right now, I just want to care about you, treat you well, and cherish every day with you. That's enough."
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