letter
Zhou Bobo looked up once, then again, feeling that Zhou Lexing and Gu Jiansheng seemed quite different after not seeing each other for several days.
Even though the two of them were simply sitting together, the silent atmosphere was so sticky and uncomfortable that it was impossible for anyone to get a word in edgewise or even join in.
"despair."
Gu Jiansheng put down his soup spoon, glanced at Zhou Lexing, and Zhou Lexing took the half bowl of soup and put a few pieces of pork ribs into Gu Jiansheng's bowl.
The two did not exchange words, yet their silence spoke volumes.
Zhou Bobo felt strange. He couldn't tell if it was the sense of crisis brought about by the erosion of his position as a close subordinate, or the bitterness that welled up after the sense of superiority he had gained from being chosen by Zhou Lexing to work together outside disappeared. He tried to open his mouth several times, but couldn't say anything substantial.
Li Dagang, who was standing nearby, noticed something was wrong and nudged him with his elbow.
Zhou Bobo then spoke with difficulty: "Jian Sheng, you... you like to eat ribs?"
This question is entirely driven by emotion, lacking any finesse whatsoever.
Li Dagang was speechless, but he still got up while Zhou Bobo was trying to find a topic to divert Gu Jiansheng's attention: "I'm going to the toilet."
Not long after Li Dagang left, Zhou Lexing also got up and left.
Gu Jiansheng casually responded to Zhou Bobo's dry question, then looked up to see Zhou Lexing turn to the back of the restaurant and disappear from his sight.
"Brother Le, don't worry. Before we came, we had Xiao Xiao keep an eye on He Huaizhi. If he makes any moves, there are about ten brothers in the village who can help us. We're not afraid of him causing any trouble." Li Dagang was clear and concise, and he got straight to the point as soon as he saw Zhou Lexing.
Although Li Dagang didn't understand why Zhou Lexing had previously told him on the phone to avoid talking to Gu Jiansheng, since Zhou Lexing rarely needed their help, Li Dagang naturally complied without hesitation.
Zhou Lexing nodded calmly, asked a few more questions about his family, and finally said, "You'll come with me to the Gu family later."
He left his words at that, but Li Dagang still sensed something was amiss. However, since the two of them had left the table midway through the meal, it wasn't appropriate for them to linger outside for too long. Li Dagang didn't ask any further questions, nodded in agreement, and then returned to the table with Zhou Lexing.
The dinner table, which had been reasonably harmonious, was now in an awkward and stagnant atmosphere. Zhou Bobo struggled to find topics to talk about, his back was sweating, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief when the two of them returned.
Gu Jiansheng stared at Zhou Bobo in silence for a few seconds, then turned to look at Zhou Lexing, who had sat back down next to him: "Are you feeling unwell? Why did you take so long?"
Zhou Lexing laughed: "Give me some time to loosen my belt."
Seeing that he hadn't managed to extract any information, Gu Jiansheng simply gave up.
Zhou Bobo still had some doubts, but Li Dagang was different from them, so Gu Jiansheng wasn't on guard.
Perhaps it's Li Dagang's private matter.
Gu Jiansheng was preoccupied with other things and quickly put the incident behind him. It wasn't until Li Dagang suggested that he and Zhou Bobo stay at the Gu family's house that night that he began to realize something was amiss.
"Um, thank you for your trouble, Mr. Jane. We are both really tired. Let us rest for a bit, and we'll leave tomorrow morning."
It is known that the factory is not far from here, as evidenced by the fact that Zhou Bobo and the others were able to have lunch together. Is there anything that can only be accomplished by spending the night together?
Gu Jiansheng's gaze towards Li Dagang changed slightly.
Zhou Lexing, seemingly oblivious, helped Gu Jiansheng nod slowly and then invited the two of them to make do on the sofa for the night.
"Jiansheng, what are your plans after this?" Li Dagang asked casually, leaving Gu Jiansheng, who was about to follow Zhou Lexing upstairs, behind.
Gu Jiansheng's eyes flickered, and after thinking for a moment, he actually sat down opposite Li Dagang and patiently answered his questions.
Upstairs, Zhou Lexing pulled out the letter that Gu Jiansheng had hurriedly tucked into his book before leaving home that morning.
In accordance with Zhou Lexing's usual style, unless the other party wanted to share, he believed he had no right to investigate the secrets that those around him wanted to hide, but Gu Jiansheng's behavior was somewhat stiff.
"What do you want me to know...?" Zhou Lexing smiled as he opened the letter and read it quickly. The words that were somewhat indulgent gradually faded into the air, and his expression slowly turned cold as he read the contents of the letter.
[Jane, I know you, like me, have memories of the past.]
I understand you, just as you understand me.
[Were you disappointed when your attempt to take me down with you failed?]
Now, I'm willing to give you another chance.
On February 7th, I will wait for you at the place where I once saw your heart.
memory.
perish together.
heart.
Each of these words represents an overflowing amount of information.
Zhou Lexing suddenly couldn't be sure whether Gu Jiansheng's previous abrupt actions were a silent plea for help or a genuine attempt to conceal everything.
At this moment, Gu Jiansheng's previous abrupt and awkward words and actions had a different answer, transforming from a slightly eccentric playfulness into a resolute farewell filled with suppressed bloodshed.
What exactly did Gu Jiansheng experience during the years he was unaware of?
Memories from the past... the place where I saw the heart...
Zhou Lexing's eyes darkened.
Although Zhou Lexing recognized He Huai as one of the male protagonists of the original book after meeting him, he never truly regarded him as a serious enemy. After all, the actions described in the book did not actually happen, and the vivid stories surrounding Zhou Lexing made him subconsciously separate reality from the world in the book.
But at this moment, He Huaizhi's wickedness, which seemed thin and dim through the pages of the book, suddenly became incredibly vivid and ugly.
heart.
In the book, Gu Jiansheng was indeed kidnapped by local thugs because of He Huaizhi, but He Huaizhi chose Gu Jiansheng over a large quantity of smuggled goods.
Although He Huaizhi did appear at the last moment in the warehouse where Gu Jiansheng was being held and took him to the hospital for emergency treatment, this absurd plot full of melodrama was designed entirely to torment Gu Jiansheng's mind and body.
So where exactly is the warehouse located?
Zhou Lexing thought for a moment, then restored the letter to its original state. By the time he left the study, his expression had returned to normal.
.
"It's rare for everyone to get together, why don't we have a drink together?" Zhou Lexing said, and actually made a move to go out and buy some wine.
Gu Jiansheng's expression changed.
He had originally planned to leave at midnight tonight in order to arrive at the warehouse by February 7th, in case anything went wrong.
Zhou Lexing will see what he needs to see after he leaves.
Zhou Lexing will inevitably try his best to find He Huaizhi because he doesn't know the exact location He Huaizhi set. Although the process will be painful, only by losing him can Zhou Lexing understand his own feelings.
Once he has dealt with He Huaizhi, he will naturally return to Zhou Lexing's side as soon as possible.
This was the least likely way to prevent He Huaizhi from affecting Zhou Lexing, while also ensuring that their relationship wouldn't be damaged by revealing their love. However, today, the sudden appearance and lingering of Zhou Bobo and Li Dagang, followed by Zhou Lexing's unexpected interest, caused Gu Jiansheng's already tense nerves to pound uncontrollably. An uneasy premonition crept into his mind. What was worse, with Zhou Bobo and Li Dagang's unconditional agreement, this interest became a foregone conclusion.
Gu Jiansheng pursed his lips and looked at Zhou Lexing, who was standing in the entrance hall smiling and waiting for him. His heart, which was originally unable to have any objections to him, quickly wavered.
It doesn't matter.
Once they're drunk, my plan to leave should go more smoothly.
They went out together.
Under the watchful eyes of Zhou Bobo and Li Dagang, Zhou Lexing unabashedly took Gu Jiansheng's hand and said, "Didn't you say there were still many things we hadn't done together?"
Zhou Lexing's smile was softened by the bright moonlight, and his voice was gentle, seemingly oblivious to Zhou Bobo's distorted face and Li Dagang's hesitant words.
"I haven't had a drink with you yet, does that count as us doing something together?"
Gu Jiansheng felt a swelling in his chest, but his eyes inexplicably became hot: "Fine."
It doesn't matter.
I will definitely come back to you as soon as possible. I won't make you sad for too long; it will only take two days.
Gu Jiansheng gripped Zhou Lexing's hand tightly. Zhou Lexing looked at him for a moment, then smiled and looked away.
It was already completely dark, and not many shops were open, but they still bought some homemade bulk wine from a noodle shop that was planning to close.
Gu Jiansheng looked at the amber-colored liquor in front of him, feeling somewhat hesitant.
Despite being reborn so many times, he actually has very little experience with drinking alcohol.
Zhou Lexing, unusually, did not notice his predicament, and did not even let him pick up food to cover up his refusal of wine. Instead, he gently tapped his glass against the rim of Zhou Lexing's glass.
The two sat very close together, and Gu Jiansheng could even clearly feel the heat emanating from Zhou Lexing.
Those dark eyes were within his reach, a smile playing at the corners of their eyes, and a voice that was low and husky, yet carried a gentle, seductive quality.
"cheers?"
Looking at Zhou Lexing's appearance, Gu Jiansheng's heart started pounding uncontrollably. He felt like he was about to be drowned by those focused and gentle eyes, and before he knew it, he had downed a glass of wine.
After the first cup, the second, the third, and the fourth seemed like a matter of course.
Zhou Bobo's expression was no longer just unpleasant. Looking at the two people opposite him who were almost glued together, Zhou Bobo felt as if he had been pricked several times by thorns soaked in old vinegar. It was both painful and sour, and his expression was uncontrollably distorted. He could only lower his head and drink silently to hide his turbulent emotions.
Li Dagang watched him with concern from the side.
Over the past few years, Li Dagang has been able to sense the changes in Zhou Bobo's feelings for Zhou Lexing.
The awe that existed before Zhou Lexing's temper changed after being hit on the head has taken on a slightly different flavor through daily admiration and closeness.
An outsider's perspective is clearer.
When Li Dagang first saw Gu Jiansheng and Zhou Lexing together, he vaguely sensed something. That hazy feeling took on a more distinct shape after seeing Zhou Lexing's three-year search, constantly pulling Li Dagang to suppress the emergence of some irrational emotions.
Today, that vague outline has finally taken on a definite form.
Zhou Lexing did not notice the change in his two underlings' emotions. From the moment he realized his feelings, he never thought of hiding them from those around him.
Zhou Lexing carefully observed Gu Jiansheng, noticing that Gu Jiansheng's light eyes were covered with a thin layer of mist, and he was staring at him somewhat unfocusedly.
"Let's have another drink."
Zhou Lexing spoke softly, as if discussing something with himself, or as if coaxing the person who was almost trapped in his arms.
Gu Jiansheng tilted his head and buried his face in Zhou Lexing's neck, briefly snapping out of his reverie. However, the alcohol irrationally clouded his judgment, making him unable to devise a proper solution even though he vaguely sensed something was wrong.
Zhou Lexing seemed to sigh: "Someone like you... how could you possibly win this game..."
The indistinct words reached Gu Jiansheng's ears, setting off alarm bells in his mind. However, his alcohol-numbed brain couldn't process the words or grasp their precise meaning for a long time.
A slightly damp warmth gently touched his cheek. Gu Jiansheng forced his eyes open, but could only see several faces that captivated him overlapping and swaying, making him even more dizzy.
“I’ll go for you.” Zhou Lexing reached out and covered Gu Jiansheng’s eyes, his long eyelashes brushing against his palm, bringing a tingling sensation that quickly subsided. “Don’t worry, that warehouse… soon…”
That gentle voice was undoubtedly a seductive weapon, and Gu Jiansheng was unable to control himself from indulging in it. The moment he gave up struggling, darkness quickly invaded his world.
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