Cheng Qicai's life was too boring. She was now considered to have achieved some success in her career and had plenty of free time. Apart from occasionally checking on the store and looking after Yun Su Ni's child, she really didn't have much to do.
Ever since she heard that Ren Baiping had confirmed that he would be going to Y country for the start of the next semester, Cheng Qicai had a feeling that everyone around her was drifting away from her.
Although she and Ren Baiping had no chance of becoming lovers, their similar interests led them to become friends.
When they have free time, the two still meet up to travel together.
However, the two of them rarely went out, mainly because Ren Baiping was busy, and Cheng Qicai was also busy during that period.
The two of them probably only went out once before, back in February.
Since both sides happened to have some time on their hands, they decided to go out and have some fun nearby.
There happened to be a waterfall in a mountain near City A, and it was currently the high-water season, so the two of them booked tickets to see the waterfall together.
The two got off at the entrance and instead of taking the scenic shuttle bus, chose to walk slowly to the destination.
There is a road leading from the scenic area to the waterfall. The surrounding mountains are dense, and the side facing the road is so flat that it looks as if a giant cleaved it in two with an axe.
This time of year is neither too hot nor too cold, making it perfect for a hike.
Breathing in the fresh air, Cheng Qicai felt as if every pore of her body was breathing. It had been a long time since she had been able to go out and play without any worries.
The two continued taking photos as they made their way to their destination.
Looking at the beautiful scenery, Cheng Qicai couldn't help but sigh, "Alas, from now on, I'll only be able to come to such beautiful scenery by myself. It's such a pity that you're going to Y country."
Ren Baiping bluntly said, "You can get together with Gu Rong then!"
Upon hearing Gu Rongqi's name, the light in Cheng Qicai's eyes disappeared, and her expression turned dejected.
She clearly seemed very concerned, but she still stubbornly insisted, "This has nothing to do with Gu Rongqi, right?"
Ren Baiping didn't answer her question, but asked in a teasing tone, "What, Gu Rongqi hasn't said when he'll be back yet?"
"No, I'll probably stay in G country," Cheng Qicai said nonchalantly.
"Didn't Gu Rongqi tell you what he was doing in G country?"
"He said his grandfather had some things in country G that needed his help with, and it would take him some time to get back. But who knows if that's true or not? Maybe he's met his true love abroad."
Cheng Qicai's words sounded slightly sour.
"Haha, the tone you're using..." Ren Baiping laughed at her words. "I don't think Gu Rongqi is that kind of person. Even if he meets his true love, he should be the kind of person who would make things clear to you."
That's true... However, since Gu Rongqi has been gone for so long, Cheng Qicai doesn't know exactly what he's been doing.
He spoke vaguely about taking care of his grandfather and handling other matters, as if he were just making up an excuse.
This made her feel like she was standing on a muddy beach, and if she stayed still or moved around too much, she would sink deeper into the mud. Her heart was filled with fear and unease.
"Speaking of which, if he comes back, are you really not going to accept his advances?" Ren Baiping's tone was casual, but he kept a close eye on Cheng Qicai's expression.
When he learned that his previous encouragement to Cheng Qicai to speak directly had resulted in Gu Rongqi tearing down the facade and relentlessly pursuing the matter, he felt a little uneasy.
Cheng Qicai pursed her lips and hesitated for a long time before saying, "You know perfectly well that my personality is simply not suited to their kind of family."
“But you also thought you weren’t suited to starting a business back then, but now your store is doing quite well, isn’t it?” Ren Baiping looked at her. “So sometimes things aren’t as bad as you think. Don’t let these things hold you back.”
Cheng Qicai thought Ren Baiping's words made sense, but she felt that this was still somewhat different from her idea of opening a shop.
Opening a shop was an unknown for her, but the path with Gu Rongqi was one where she could see the ending, so she definitely felt it was different.
Even if she and Gu Rongqi talked, they would never get to the point of getting married!
Cheng Qicai's brows were so furrowed they could trap a mosquito. Ren Baiping saw that she was once again caught in a dilemma because of his words.
He offered words of comfort: "I was just saying it casually, so just take it with a grain of salt."
Cheng Qicai didn't speak, and the two walked in silence for a while. Cheng Qicai's interest waned after those words.
Seeing that Cheng Qicai was still thinking, Ren Baiping sighed, somewhat annoyed at his own loose tongue. He should have known better than to bring up the topic earlier.
He looked at the mountain stream, which was crystal clear and contained many small fish swimming in it.
He shouted in Cheng Qicai's direction, trying to divert her attention, "Cheng Qicai, come and see, there are so many fish in this stream."
Cheng Qicai walked over and looked down. The stream water crashing against the rocks splashed up countless droplets, which fell onto the water's surface and created ripples.
If you look closely, you can still see fish that are the same grayish-brown color as the rocks at the bottom of the water.
There were many, densely packed together.
This made Cheng Qicai's heart itch, and she wanted to take a net and scoop them all up.
But she believed that as soon as she made that move, the security guards in the scenic area would probably arrive in the next second.
Finally, to suppress her urge to take pictures, she picked up her camera, adjusted the settings, and snapped a few shots of the fish.
After the two finished taking photos, they walked forward, and the quiet environment calmed her down.
As you walk further in, what was originally a wide cement road suddenly turns into a narrow stone staircase, and the moisture in the air becomes increasingly heavy.
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