The reason for the revelation was that her cousin confessed her love for the wrong person.
"Then, what exactly happened? Xiao Gu, you are the one I trust the most over the years, no one else." After revealing the truth, Qian Jianjun spoke with deep sorrow.
"Have I ever betrayed your trust?"
Gu Quyu's words brought back endless memories for Qian Jianjun. So many times, when he was overwhelmed, it was this delicate woman before him who had to sort out his work; so many times, when he was drunk, it was this frail shoulder before him who supported his loneliness. There was always someone to share your joys, someone to listen to your sorrows. There was always a cup of black tea that not only quenched your thirst but also warmed your stomach, and there was always a smile that was not only pleasing to the eyes but also heartwarming. Especially that moment of drunken intimacy, even though he couldn't think about it afterwards, or dared not, it would always linger in his dreams.
But the more he thought about it, the more hurt he felt. Qian Jianjun's voice was low and even revealed grief, "Then why did you go with her... I remember that when you came to the company, she had already left. You are not the old man she knew."
"Her? Haha." Gu Quyu sneered, and then said in a very dejected voice, "It would be so much better if she wasn't there..."
"If you had told me earlier, I wouldn't blame you!"
"Tell you? Tell you what?" Gu Quyu raised her head and looked directly at Qian Jianjun with tearful eyes. "How long has it been since you looked at her carefully? How long has it been since you called her name?"
Gu Quyu tucked her loose hair behind her ears, revealing her beautiful face. "If you look closely at her, you'll find that she and I look alike! If you still call her by her name, you should be able to guess that the "Gu" in Mei Rugu is actually the "Gu" in Gu Quyu!"
"You guys?..." Qian Jianjun was stunned!
"She's my cousin."
"You went through layers of screening, and I was the one who made the final decision to recruit you." Qian Jianjun still didn't quite believe it.
The courage she had just shown had already vanished. Gu Quyu explained in a low voice, "My father passed away early, and my mother remarried and moved to another city with me. I lost contact with my aunt's family. I only ran into my cousin by chance after returning to Xialin."
"Then she asked you to tell her my news, including my relationship with Xiaoyue?"
Gu Quyu nodded silently, as if giving up hope, and added in a low voice, "Including the agreement you and Xiaoyue signed."
"Okay, okay..." Qian Jianjun was successfully enraged. "Is our friendship not as good as your blood relationship? I trust you so much, so..."
Qian Jianjun's anger abruptly subsided. He realized then that he had become so accustomed to having such a close friend around that he had neglected her. He hadn't been particularly kind to Gu Quyu. Trust was his own concern, and Gu Quyu had repeatedly declined offers of raises and gifts. Compared to what she had given, Gu Quyu hadn't received much. Although he kept saying this, it was more polite than sincere.
"Yes, I was wrong!" Qian Jianjun did not shy away from seeking medical help. "But, if you have any needs, you can tell me. I will give you whatever I can..."
"If I ask you, will you give it to me?" Gu Quyu asked back, "Do you know what I want? I want your love. Can you give it to me?"
Gu Quyu's voice became louder and louder, and the last echo revealed the two cold ponds. Man Qing's tears broke through the defense line and rolled down.
Qian Jianjun was dumbfounded. The series of accidents made him lose the ability to think.
"It's not your fault, I don't blame you..." The courage she had just felt drained all of Gu Quyu's energy. She was distraught and muttered to herself, "She's my cousin, she's your ex-wife, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have fallen in love with you, hopelessly in love with you. It's all my fault, I'm such a jerk, I had to fall in love with a married man, my brother-in-law at that. If I had any sense left, I wouldn't even think about you. It's all taboo, it's all shameful, but I still fell in love with you."
"Xiao Gu, you..." Qian Jianjun barely regained consciousness and wanted to say something but never said it.
"No need to explain. It's not your fault, it's all my fault! It was my mistake to think that I could stop loving as long as I stopped thinking about it. It was my fault for not managing myself well. I always heard you say that love is your own business, and I thought that even if I loved, it would be my own business and would not cause you any trouble. I thought that secretly looking at you, secretly thinking about you, and secretly loving you was no big deal. I never dreamed that one day I would feel that I would be willing to die just to be in your arms."
"Xiao Gu, you are so young, so beautiful, and so outstanding, you will have many suitors. Many young people in our group are drooling over you. That day, Mr. Zhang from Dongyuan wanted to match you with his son. His son is also a young talent with excellent conditions in all aspects. My emotional life is a mess, and I have a lot of responsibilities for your sister and I to have reached this point today. Why do you have to jump into my fire pit?" Qian Jianjun tried his best to comfort Gu Quyu, suppressing the inexplicable sadness in his heart.
"I know, I know it all! It's my fault. I shouldn't have let you fill my heart, leaving me blind to anyone else. In my eyes, there are only two kinds of men in this world: you and everyone else. No matter how outstanding the others are, they're none of my business. Do you know? The happiest times of these past few years have been when you were drunk. I could support you without any burden, and only then could I be close to you, feel your warmth, your heartbeat. What I've dreaded most these past few years was opening my eyes and not seeing you today, so I tried not to schedule business trips for you alone. I told myself it was for work, to appear better in front of my boss! You know, I didn't dare to tell myself I loved you. Until that day when you hugged me and cried. You know, your tears soaked my skirt, and they also brought down the Great Wall of my heart. From that day on, I resolved to love you, even if everyone pointed at me, even if everyone spitted on me, even if there was no hope for my return! Because that day, I saw your heart, fragile, lonely, and helpless like a child. Because that day, I was truly embraced by you, so warm, so happy. For that embrace, death would be worth it!"
A long, heartfelt monologue ended in tears and silence. Unlike Mei Rugu, who always maintained clarity and independence, even considering divorce upon their marriage; unlike Xue Jiuyue, who always maintained distance and boundaries, even considering splitting up every penny, the love Gu Quyu conveyed in her words was passionate, pure, and unwavering—something Qian Jianjun had never experienced before. It was a crystal ball, transparent enough to be seen through, yet so dazzling that one dared not look directly at it; it was a swaying poppy, its most enchanting crimson igniting desires hidden beneath reason; it was even more like the apple of Eden, tempting the original sin etched in one's genes to break free from restraint.
Qian Jianjun's heartache gradually crystallized into a guilt over his own death, a sense of guilt over his unwavering love, and a sense of helplessness over the missed opportunity. He felt an urge to pull this tearful, delicate woman into his arms, hold her close to his chest, and cherish her tenderly. But in his final moments of clarity, he instinctively refuted, "I, I'm not worthy of you... I just had a failed marriage, I'm overbearing..."
"You don't have to belittle yourself. I love you, and I love everything about you. Everything about you is perfect in my eyes. Having been married before means you've loved and been hurt, so you know how to cherish. Domineering, I'm just a little girl, I need a strong arm to protect me." Having said this, Gu Quyu paused, then added: "I've secretly imagined before that even if you were kicked out of the house, even if you lost the entire Jianru Group, it would be fine. Even if you were penniless, I still have some savings to shelter you. We can start over, or move to another city, ride bicycles, eat at street stalls, live an ordinary life from nine to five, without pressure, without burden, have a baby, share each other's happiness and touching moments... But I know these can only appear in my dreams."
This sentence nearly broke down all of Qian Jianjun's mental defenses. He had made countless decisions in his life, and the bigger the event, the more decisive he became. But this time, his heart was as turbulent as a blade of grass in a gust of wind, wavering.
Qian Jianjun stood up, his hands resting on the table, staring intently at Gu Quyu. Today, he'd finally gotten a good look at her delicate features. She was a true beauty—more charming than the refined and capable Mei Rugu, more human than the ethereal Xue Jiuyue. Xue Jiuyue, Xiaoyue… The cool moonlight, as clear as water, soothed the wildness within…
If, if I act impulsively, I'll not only let down Mei Rugu, whom I dare not face, but also Xue Jiyue, whom I've always pursued, and even Gu Quyu, who's right in front of me. That beauty, which bears a resemblance to Mei Rugu, that passion that makes up for Xue Jiyue's aloofness—if I accept it, is this what I want? Is this what Gu Quyu wants? Is this love, and not just a replacement for them?
Qian Jianjun's eyes cleared up again. "Xiao Gu, this is all my fault! Even if you leaked my private affairs, it's her fault, not yours! You've given so much to the company and to me over the past few years, and I owe you. I've always been directly responsible for our company's e-commerce platform. We plan to set up a dedicated department, but we don't have anyone reliable. I plan to put you in charge of this department. You'll be treated like the group vice president and report directly to me."
Currently, with the exception of Human Resources and Finance, each department at Jianru Group is headed by the Vice President. While the other dozen or so departments and branches are considered "local lords," their salaries are slightly lower than those of the Vice President. After the previous CFO retired, Rong Xu took over the Finance department, but he still wasn't officially the CFO or Vice President. This is why Rong Xu's wife, Ai Mu, approached Xue Jiuyue. Now, Qian Jianjun has directly offered Gu Quyu the positions of Vice President and department head, effectively offering him a high position and generous salary. This is also intended to distance him from Gu Quyu; Qian Jianjun isn't sure he'll ever be sober again.
"No need." Gu Quyu's refusal was still accompanied by a hint of tears. "You promised to grant me a wish last time. Just help me fulfill one wish."
"What is this wish?"
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