Chapter 49. She wanted to know.
Startled by the man's actions, Lin Lang clutched her chest, thinking she had said something offensive: "Miss, can you please stop being so dramatic?"
Under Lin Lang's glare, Shang Shu slumped back onto the bench, utterly dejected. "What am I going to do? I promised to go see Gu Xiangyi's performance in a couple of days..."
Who knew things would turn out like this? Going is not an option, and not going is also not an option.
Upon hearing this, Lin Lang also recalled the invitation Gu Xiangyi had given her a while ago, which was also in a couple of days. She figured it must be the same invitation Shang Shu had given her. Her eyes lit up: "You should have said you were going too! We could have gone together."
She knew Shang Shu was afraid of running into Gu Sui and definitely wouldn't agree immediately, so before Shang Shu could refuse, she played the emotional card: "It's something we agreed to a long time ago, it would be so inappropriate not to go, you see, if we go together we'll keep each other company, so it won't be awkward for either of us to be alone, right?"
Shang Shu bit her lip, still somewhat hesitant. The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt, but she really did miss Gu Sui.
Lin Lang exclaimed "Oh dear!" and pulled the person from the bench to the sofa to sit down: "Why do you have to act like you're never going to see each other again? Even if people really broke up, they should still see each other, right? I've never seen anyone as awkward as you."
After speaking, she paused for a few seconds, and seeing that Shang Shu seemed to be softening, she pressed her advantage: "Besides, you're just waiting for her to speak up. What if she's just waiting for that day to come? You have to give her a chance, right?"
As if given a series of steps, Shang Shu finally found a suitable one to step on.
"Alright then." She thought, at least with Lin Lang around, it's much better than going alone.
Lin Lang smiled slightly as he listened to the seemingly reluctant reply. Taking advantage of Shang Shu's inattention, he quietly took out his phone and sent a message to Gu Xiangyi.
*
The housekeeper at the waterfront was originally sent by Gu Qi to take care of Gu Sui's daily life. Although Gu Sui was not seriously ill, she was still worried every day and subtly conveyed Gu Sui's abnormality to Gu Qi.
So, under the pretext of watching Gu Xiangyi's performance, Gu Qi made a rare visit to the waterfront.
"Sister." Gu Sui called out to Gu Qi as she walked down the stairs, glancing indifferently at the housekeeper.
Gu Qi tried to appear natural, took off his coat and sat on the sofa: "Well, I just happened to be passing by. Xiangyi is performing tonight, I'll go with you."
Gu Sui frowned slightly as he listened to these illogical words.
"So, was it you who pushed for the collaboration with Jia Hua?" Gu Qi picked up the water the butler had just poured, and while drinking it, he glanced at the person beside him.
"Hmm." Gu Sui responded calmly, without offering any further explanation.
Gu Qi hadn't paid much attention to the matter, since Jia Hua needed Guang Jing's help, so she naturally didn't care. She figured Gu Sui never made decisions rashly, so there must be a reason behind it, and she didn't want to delve into it further.
"Okay, that saves me the trouble of explaining," Gu Qi said casually, then put down his cup.
She had come to see Gu Sui out of concern, and now her eyes seemed to be automatically drawn to him, unable to stop herself from scrutinizing him.
Exhausted and haggard.
Feeling the intense gaze, Gu Sui took a few breaths and said, "Sister, could you please stop looking at me? I'm fine."
Seeing that he had been found out, Gu Qi cleared his throat and stopped pretending: "Did you have a fight with the young lady?"
The only person who could cause such emotional turmoil in her younger sister is probably Shang Shu.
Gu Sui didn't speak, but stared calmly at the vase not far away, as if looking at the shadow of a bunch of lilies that had once been placed there.
"Weren't things fine a while ago? What happened?" Gu Qi knew that he would be silent again, so he grabbed a cushion from the side and expressed his confusion.
"She wants to know."
The two sisters sat side by side in silence for a long time before Gu Sui finally uttered a few words softly.
It was a jumbled mess, but Gu Qi clearly understood what Gu Sui was talking about; her worst fears had come true.
Then came another long silence.
"Ah Sui, I don't think Shang Shu might be that—"
“I told you, I won’t do that.”
Before Gu Qi could utter the word "want," Gu Sui interrupted him sharply.
silence.
Gu Qi tossed the cushion aside: "So you want things to stay like this forever?"
She knew that although Gu Sui seemed fine now, if he really broke up with Shang Shu, something terrible might happen.
"I'm alive, aren't I?" Gu Sui continued to look at the vase, his tone indifferent.
Gu Qi was speechless, choked by Gu Sui's words. When it came to life and death, she could never do anything about her younger sister. After a long while, she sighed and said, "I can't argue with you. You're always so stubborn."
Gu Sui exhaled softly and slowly stood up, saying, "I'm going to change my clothes."
*
Shang Shu still caught a cold.
She drank like crazy, stayed up all night in the cold wind, and abused her body so much recently, yet she only caught a cold now, which surprised even Shang Shu herself.
However, she actually felt that catching a cold at this time was a good thing. She could take the medicine and fall asleep immediately, which shortened the time she had to think about Gu Sui while she was awake.
The person most dissatisfied with this was Lin Lang, because this cold had disrupted her passionate plans and put her "get hyped" schedule, which was supposed to be carried out in the past two days, on hold. As a result, she could only busy serving tea and water to Shang Shu, who was sick.
After resting for two days, Shang Shu's condition wasn't as serious as it had been at the beginning. However, she suddenly felt a little apprehensive about going to Gu Xiangyi's performance tonight.
"Do you think it's appropriate for me to go to a show with this coughing fit?" Shang Shu asked, her voice thick with nasal congestion, testing Lin Lang's reaction to her wanting to back out. She added a couple more coughs at the end.
The glass collided with the coffee table with a loud crash. Lin Lang smiled slyly and said, "Even if I have to drag you there tonight, I will."
She knew that Gu Xiangyi had reserved a special spot for her, and she didn't want to sit alone with the Gu sisters under an ambiguous "friend" identity; she would be so embarrassed that she would dig her toes into the ground.
"I...I was just asking, do you really think it's that serious?" Shang Shu felt a little guilty, sniffed, grabbed a tissue from the side and blew her nose, adding in a low voice, "Aren't we childhood friends..."
Lin Lang rolled her eyes at the person, stepped into Shang Shu's dressing room, and after a rustling sound, a voice came: "Lend me the black dress to wear."
Shang Shu lay sprawled on the bed, somewhat speechless. She had so many black dresses, and she didn't know which one Lin Lang was referring to. However, she was happy to share, since the two of them had been doing this since they were little.
She threw back the covers, preparing to get out of bed and tidy herself up. She teased the direction of the walk-in closet, "Your clothes are piled up like a mountain, it's amazing you still like mine."
"Isn't it true that everything other people wear is good?" A few seconds later, Lin Lang poked her head out from the dressing room and said with a grin, "Besides, you work in the fashion industry, I admire your taste."
Shang Shu sat in front of the dressing table and shook her head. Just a few minutes ago, Lin Lang looked like he was going to kill her, but now that he had received a gift from her, he was speaking to her in a sweet and gentle manner. She admired Lin Lang's ability to change his attitude so quickly.
She glanced at her somewhat haggard reflection in the mirror, pursed her lips, and began applying makeup.
Lin Lang changed into a dress and held up another one in front of Shang Shu, waving it around: "Look, wear this, and I guarantee you'll be radiant, stand out from the crowd, and outshine all others, making Gu Sui fall in love with you and speak in a second."
Shang Shu paused, holding the powder puff. She glanced at the peacock-like long dress in the mirror, and couldn't even remember why she had bought such clothes. She pointed a finger at her head, indicating that Lin Lang was probably sick.
Lin Lang looked at the clothes from left to right, muttering as she walked towards the dressing room, "What's wrong with this? It's so beautiful. You really have no taste."
Shang Shu patted the foundation evenly onto her face, marveling at how quickly her public image had changed.
After rejecting Lin Lang's twenty-fifth recommendation, she finally picked out a low-key knit sweater and skirt to wear. Tonight, she just wanted to be a quiet ostrich and glance at Gu Sui as a side effect.
Gu Xiangyi's school auditorium was very large, almost comparable to a theater outside. There were many people coming and going, some even wearing business suits. Shang Shu guessed that most of the parents who were usually busy with work were also here today.
Along the way, Shang Shu didn't need to worry about the route. She just followed Lin Lang and found the location according to Gu Xiangyi's instructions, glancing around from time to time to search for Gu Sui's figure.
They didn't arrive early. When they got to the seats that Gu Xiangyi had specially reserved for them in the front row, they found that Gu Sui and Gu Qi were already seated.
Shang Shu stood in the aisle and unconsciously looked at Gu Sui. Gu Sui was dressed in all black today, with a long, fitted coat hanging down to his sides. He crossed his legs, revealing a section of wide-leg pants. He sat there quietly, exuding a melancholy aura.
Looking at Gu Sui's profile, half-hidden by his long hair, Shang Shu could see the weariness he was trying so hard to conceal. She then glanced at the empty seats reserved for the two of them and couldn't help but feel like running away from the aisle.
She turned around, but Lin Lang blocked her way. Lin Lang looked at her, reached out and pushed her into the inner seat.
Shang Shu bit her lip and glared at the person. She immediately realized that this must be Lin Lang's trick. However, she was already close to her seat and had no reason to leave. So she silently came to Gu Sui's side.
Gu Sui turned her head, and the moment she saw Shang Shu's figure, her pupils dilated slightly, and she unconsciously lost her breath. She hadn't expected Shang Shu to come.
Smelling the sweet fragrance left behind by the little girl as she passed by, a fragrance both familiar and strange, her heart began to ache.
The young girl had her hair pulled back in a low bun today, looking gentle and beautiful, but she didn't dare to look directly at the face she had been longing for day and night. She only gazed at the stage not far away, outlining the person's appearance with her peripheral vision.
"Sister Gu Qi." Shang Shu saw that Gu Qi, who was to Gu Sui's right, had also turned her head and was looking at her, so she politely greeted her over Gu Sui's shoulder.
Gu Qi smiled and nodded, glanced at Gu Sui, and said nothing more.
Seeing that Shang Shu was about to sit down, Gu Sui subconsciously reached out and pressed down the chair for her.
"Thank you." Shang Shu didn't make eye contact with anyone, but stared at the ground, adjusted her clothes, and finally sat down.
Hearing the little girl's nasal thanks, Gu Sui frowned, gave a soft "hmm," stiffly withdrew his hand, and turned his gaze back to the stage.
Without making a sound, Shang Shu reached out her left hand and pinched Lin Lang's arm hard. Amid Lin Lang's soft gasp, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I'll settle the score with you when we get back."
Lin Lang rubbed his arm, gave an embarrassed smile, and silently prayed a thousand times, "Please, Gu Sui, be more courageous," otherwise he would probably be torn to pieces when he got back.
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