Chapter 18: A bittersweet tale, perfectly balanced. ...
The pink liquid swirled gently in the glass, like a flowing sunset. Gu Sui picked up the glass and took a sip. The sweetness of cranberries mixed with the brightness of orange liqueur softened the coldness of the vodka, while lime added a touch of refreshing coolness in the finish.
A perfect balance of sweet and sour flavors.
Gu Sui's alcohol tolerance was not good, in fact, it was quite poor. In addition, she should not drink too much after recovering from her illness. Even though she liked the wine, she did not continue to drink.
She was always restrained, but this restraint was only ineffective when it came to Shang Shu.
The alcohol content of the Metropolitan was not high, and she had only drunk a few sips, but she was already feeling slightly tipsy. Gu Sui couldn't help but find it a little funny. It seemed that someone like her should drink less in the future, lest she make mistakes when drunk and cause harm to the world.
She squinted, scanning the people around her who were laughing and chatting. After sitting for a while, she got up and went to the terrace to sober up, but the moment she stepped onto the terrace, her eyes met someone's.
Lin Lang, who was about to go back from the terrace, looked up and saw Gu Sui. She held up her skirt with one hand, unsure whether to leave or go.
To be honest, Gu Sui and Lin Lang didn't really know each other. They had only glanced at each other a few times at Lin Cui's birthday party, and hadn't even exchanged a single word. The two only knew of each other's existence because of Shang Shu back then.
When an ex runs into his childhood friend, the atmosphere starts to get awkward.
"Let's chat?" Lin Lang tossed her skirt aside and spoke with a somewhat indifferent expression.
Gu Sui raised an eyebrow, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and followed her to the railing next to the terrace.
Lin Lang was half a head shorter than Gu Sui, and seemed somewhat lacking in imposing presence, but she still straightened her back, after all, she was the one who had taken the initiative to "provoke" him.
“Miss Gu, I’m a straightforward person, and I can be blunt. I hope you don’t mind.” Lin Lang crossed his arms and continued coldly, “I don’t know what happened between you in Aicheng. If you’ve only come back to play around with her, then I’m warning you to stay away from her. Shang Shu is my best friend. I can’t stop her from repeating the same mistakes, but I will not allow you to hurt her again.”
“I never intended to toy with her feelings.” Gu Sui frowned slightly, one hand resting on the railing.
"Then why did you abandon her? What difficulties could you not explain, or were you just tired of her and thought that kicking her aside would solve everything?" Lin Lang's voice gradually rose, and the few people around glanced over and then left the terrace.
As she spoke, her eyes began to redden: "You just left, but do you know how miserable Shang Shu was when she came back? She was brought on the plane with her hands tied up, and she was so thin that she was almost unrecognizable. I just stood on the tarmac watching her. If it weren't for someone supporting her, a gust of wind could have blown her over."
“She never mentioned it to me, but I can guess with my own eyes what happened to her in Edmonton that made her father specifically bring her back.”
Lin Lang's gaze was intense: "I'm telling you this not to make you feel guilty, but if you still have a heart, I hope you can let her go."
"I..." Gu Sui's hands, which were gripping the railing, were clenched tightly, his fingertips digging into his palms, and his chest heaving violently and irregularly.
“I never thought of abandoning her, and I can’t deny that I hurt her. But whether in the past or now, my feelings for her have never changed.”
Gu Sui withdrew his hand and let it fall to his side: "Lin Lang, I hope that her happiness is no less than yours. If one day she really meets someone who loves her more than me and is more suitable for her, I will let go as long as she wants."
All she wanted was for Shang Shu to be happy, healthy, and truly joyful. Whether Shang Shu was in that bright future or not, whether she loved her or hated her, seemed to matter less.
But she won't give up until then.
"I hope you keep your word." Lin Lang's face remained stern, but his heart was slightly moved.
Gu Sui paused for a moment, then said to her earnestly, "Thank you for staying by A-Shu's side."
“That was a relationship between her and me, not for your sake.” Lin Lang bit her lower lip.
"I know, but I still want to thank you." Gu Sui smiled slightly. She was truly grateful to Lin Lang. No matter the current situation or the worst-case scenario she had imagined back then, it was fortunate that someone could stay with her and take care of her.
Lin Lang looked a little uncomfortable at what she said, and she rubbed her arm: "You went to S&S for her sake, right?"
Guangjing's timing in proposing cooperation at this crucial juncture is too coincidental for her to believe without Gu Sui's involvement; it's just that Shang Shu, being too close to the situation, is blinded by her own perspective.
"Yes," Gu Sui readily admitted.
Lin Lang nodded inwardly, thinking to herself that she at least had some sincerity, and then she continued to ask, "Why didn't you go with A-Shu on her business trip to Shanghai?"
In her opinion, if you have the will, shouldn't you seize every opportunity?
"What?" Gu Sui was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.
How come she didn't know about this?
Seeing that Gu Sui seemed completely unaware, Lin Lang twitched the corner of her mouth, thinking that she would reluctantly help her out, so she said, "It seems that A-Shu didn't plan to tell you. She left early yesterday morning and has probably been in Shanghai for two days now."
So, the reason she wasn't replying to messages was because she went to Shanghai alone?
Gu Sui's eyes darkened slightly as she made up her mind. She hurriedly bid farewell to Lin Lang, called the Gu family's driver to wait and pick up Gu Xiangyi, and then stepped on the gas of the sports car, speeding back to the waterfront.
Lin Lang stood there for a while longer, and as he walked from the terrace into the room, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure fleeing in panic.
"Gu Xiangyi?" Lin Lang called out to her with a hint of doubt.
Seeing that she couldn't escape, Gu Xiangyi obediently turned around. She had just come over and was thinking of going to the terrace for some fresh air when she saw Gu Sui and Lin Lang standing together.
It turns out that my aunt came to Scarlet today to see her; she's the ex-girlfriend my aunt can't forget...
Recalling the question Lin Lang had asked her about Gu Sui at the last banquet, Gu Xiangyi felt a pang of disappointment.
"Why did you run away as soon as you saw me?" Lin Lang was a little amused and exasperated. He wondered if the little girl was still thinking about the dress from last time, so he added, "I told you, you don't need to pay for the dress."
"I didn't..." Gu Xiangyi tried to deny it, then lowered her head to look at her toes and said softly, "I prepared the dress."
"Hmm?" Lin Lang didn't quite hear the girl's murmur, so he moved even closer.
Seeing her step forward, Gu Xiangyi bit her lip and took a step back, stubbornly raising her head: "Since my sister and my aunt are so close, I'll ask her to give you the dress."
Despite her sadness, Gu Xiangyi didn't forget to make a wedding dress for Gu Sui.
Looking at Gu Xiangyi's expression, Lin Lang wondered what was wrong with the girl and assumed it was just her personality. She chuckled and said, "Who told you we're close?"
Gu Xiangyi glanced at Lin Lang with a hint of reproach. He wouldn't admit it even if she did, and she had to be the one to break the ice herself.
She made up her mind and blurted out, "My aunt has always been hung up on you. If you don't have feelings for her, then stop stringing her along."
Lin Lang was completely confused. After thinking for a few seconds, she realized that the other person probably mistook her for Shang Shu. She chuckled and said, "Little sister, it seems that you not only like to bump into people, but also like to play matchmaker."
"Huh?" Gu Xiangyi looked at Lin Lang's smiling eyes in confusion. She had made a difficult decision to say these words. After realizing the meaning behind Lin Lang's words, she asked in a low voice, "You...aren't you my aunt's ex-girlfriend?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Lang's smile widened even more. She reached out and patted Gu Xiangyi's fluffy head, saying, "You're much cuter than your aunt."
Faced with Lin Lang's teasing words, the naive Gu Xiangyi blushed instantly. Although she could spout a lot of道理 (principles/reasoning), it was all from reading novels. When it came to putting it into practice, she was just a newbie.
Seeing the girl's shy appearance, Lin Lang found it quite amusing. She had only been called in today to keep things going, and seeing that there wasn't much fun at the party, she said to Gu Xiangyi, "What would you like to drink? It's on me."
Gu Xiangyi didn't drink much at the birthday party; she wasn't even slightly tipsy. She had just received the "good news" that she would have the opportunity to spend time alone with her sister, so of course she accepted.
The two went to the bar together. Lin Lang ordered a gin and tonic with a low alcohol content, and then turned to look at Gu Xiangyi.
"A Long Island Iced Tea," Gu Xiangyi calmly ordered.
Lin Lang looked at her with some surprise, thinking that the young girl didn't drink often and just thought the name sounded nice, so he kindly reminded her, "Change to another one, this one is too strong."
Gu Xiangyi smiled sweetly and said, "I know."
Lin Lang opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't stop her, thinking that one cup wouldn't hurt, and it would be good for the little girl to have a taste.
Gu Xiangyi secretly glanced at Lin Lang's profile. Her sister had a free and easy temperament, but her appearance was the opposite, exuding a classical beauty. In the light of the bar, Gu Xiangyi stared at her high yet soft nose in a daze until her eyes met Lin Lang's.
"You've been staring at me, do you think I'm pretty?" Lin Lang asked, lazily lifting his chin with a finger.
"Mm." Gu Xiangyi nodded honestly, her gaze lingering on him.
"It looks good, that's all that matters. It's worth the tens of thousands of yuan I spent on face masks and creams." Lin Lang chuckled, always readily accepting such praise.
Before long, the bartender had prepared two drinks and brought them to them. Lin Lang reminded the young girl, "Drink slowly."
Gu Xiangyi nodded and slowly sipped her drink through the straw.
Looking at her obedient appearance, Lin Lang resisted the urge to pat her head. The girl was sweet and delicate, looking very young. She raised her glass, took a sip of wine, and chuckled, "You're an adult now, aren't you?"
Gu Xiangyi, with a straw in her mouth, glanced at her with dissatisfaction and muttered, "I'm over eighteen."
Lin Lang pondered for a moment before speaking, "Hmm, it's time to go to university, right? What major do you want to study?"
"A harp." Gu Xiangyi lowered her head and stirred the wine in her glass with a straw.
Lin Lang was both surprised and delighted by the answer, since the harp is a relatively niche instrument, and even less so in Macau.
She smiled and said, "That's very special. It seems like you'll have to study abroad. Do you have a school in mind? Tell me about it."
This was the second time Gu Xiangyi had heard this topic today, and she couldn't help but pout. A blush appeared on her face as she said softly, "Sister, do we really have to talk about this in such a romantic place?"
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