Chapter 15: Trying to Win Back Lin Yuwei He shook his head desperately, tears streaming down his face...
As dusk settled, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the entire apartment in a crimson hue.
The sound of the door lock turning sent a shiver down Lin Yuwei's spine. Through the half-open door, she saw Gu Qingyan standing in the entryway, his face still showing signs of fatigue from the competition. In that instant, her heart almost leaped out of her chest. He was here; he still couldn't let her go after all!
She suddenly pushed open the door and rushed into his arms like a gust of wind, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and pressing her cheek against his chest, greedily breathing in that familiar scent. Gu Qingyan's body visibly stiffened, and after a moment of hesitation, he slowly raised his hand and gently hugged her back.
Gu Qingyan's gentle actions caused Lin Yuwei's tears to finally burst forth.
"I'm sorry, I know I was wrong..." Lin Yuwei cried incoherently, her tears soaking the front of Gu Qingyan's shirt. "Please don't go, okay? I want to be with you, I really do..."
When she got emotional, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips. Gu Qingyan's lips were cool and soft. At first, he did not resist, but when she deepened the kiss, he suddenly came to his senses and tried to push her away. Lin Yuwei clung to him like a drowning person grabbing a lifeline, and even accidentally bit his lip, the taste of blood spreading between their lips and teeth.
"Enough." Gu Qingyan finally pushed her away. He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his lips, his voice low and weary: "Have you thought it through? Do you really have feelings for me? Or... are you just unwilling to accept it?"
Lin Yuwei shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her face: "I've really thought it through. I have you in my heart, and I'm sincere."
"Lin Yuwei, it's too late." Gu Qingyan interrupted her, his eyes cold to the point of cruelty: "I've also figured things out during this time. For the past twelve years, my feelings for you may have just been an obsession, but now, your feelings for me... are nothing more than possessiveness, or wanting to find some warmth after a breakup."
Lin Yuwei trembled all over, as if her last shred of modesty had been ripped away. Her hands shook as she frantically unbuttoned her shirt, which slipped off her shoulders, revealing her snow-white skin under the light like a sacrifice: "Look, as long as you stay, I'll give you anything, I just beg you not to leave me..."
"Don't do this." Gu Qingyan looked away, her voice choked with emotion, but resolute: "You've taught me what love is over the past twelve years, now it's time to teach me how to leave."
After Gu Qingyan finished speaking, she turned and left, like everyone who left her, without looking back. The sound of the door closing was very soft, but it was like a heavy hammer hitting Lin Yuwei's heart, almost knocking her over, and shattering her self-esteem and pride of the past twenty years.
In the days that followed, Lin Yuwei completely broke down.
She locked herself in her apartment, refusing to answer the phone or knock on the door; alcohol became her only solace.
When she was drunk, she would suddenly stop in a corner of the apartment, either silently shedding tears or crying and shouting, because every corner of the apartment still bore traces of Gu Qingyan. The dent on the bookshelf was where he often placed his water glass, there was an anti-slip mat in the bathroom that he bought for her, and even the withered pothos on the balcony was something he bought specifically for her back then because he was worried that she would get tired of playing on her phone all day.
The terrible feeling of abandonment that Lin Yuwei felt when her father left home when she was six years old has swept over her again after many years. Looking back on her tragic life, she realizes that her parents only cared about fighting over property, and the servants in the house were just doing their jobs for money. In the end, the only people who were truly good to her were Gu Qingyan and his mother. However, she never looked at them properly and even bullied them, squandering their sincerity until she pushed them away completely.
Lin Yuwei stood on the balcony, looking at the brightly lit streets and bustling traffic below. The night wind made the wine bottles at her feet clink. She murmured to herself, "Thirty-seven stories high, jumping down should be a quick relief, right? Maybe... my disappearance would be the best compensation for them..."
Compensation? Lin Yuwei suddenly remembered what her mother had said on the phone: because of her cohabitation with Gu Qingyan, she was angry with Aunt Gu and fired her. As a widow and her child, their lives would become even more difficult. If she were to die like this, it wouldn't be compensation for them at all! Rather than being a cowardly suicide, she should think of a way to truly make up for the harm she had done to them over the years.
Lin Yuwei woke up. After living in a daze for twenty years, she regained her spirits, tidied up her haggard appearance and messy apartment, started attending classes on time, and quickly applied to schools abroad.
Before leaving the country, she transferred half of her savings to Aunt Gu's account with only three words in the note: "I'm sorry." When the bank teller asked her to confirm the amount several times because it was not small, she suddenly smiled. It turned out that Gu Qingyan was right. She never knew how to love people and only knew how to use money to fill her guilt. But at least she could use money to make amends in the end.
Lin Yuwei did not tell anyone about her trip abroad, canceled her phone number and all social media accounts, and cut off all contact with people in China.
As the plane took off, the city outside the window gradually transformed into a miniature model. She gazed at the park where she and Gu Qingyan had once strolled together, and at the direction of the apartment building filled with memories, before finally breaking down in tears.
Twelve years of love and hate entanglement finally dissipated into the air at an altitude of nine thousand meters with the roar of the airplane engine.
****
As old dreams flooded back, Lin Yuwei awoke with a start. The morning light was already filtering through the window. She stared blankly at the dappled light and shadow on the ceiling, momentarily disoriented. The image of Gu Qingyan turning away in her dream was so clear, and the lingering dull pain in her chest made her involuntarily press her hand to her heart.
She slowly sat up, only realizing her hands were trembling slightly when the cold glass touched her lips. As the icy tea went down her throat, Lin Yuwei's muddled thoughts finally cleared a bit. It turned out that those unforgettable memories had been gone for a full eight years. She was no longer the girl who didn't understand love yet longed for it.
Ironically, before reuniting with Gu Qingyan, she hadn't had any dreams related to the past for a long time. So long that she was almost certain that the walls she had built around her heart were strong enough to seal away the past forever. That's why she chose to return to China to develop her career. But after Gu Qingyan took the initiative to appear, all her defenses began to crumble. It seems she must complete the handover of the "thorn bird" as soon as possible, and then... she must avoid all occasions where she might meet him.
Because she woke up early, Lin Yuwei returned to her studio very early. The sun was shining brightly today, and the morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, filling every corner of the studio and making the whole space bright and warm.
Lin Yuwei sat at the design desk, her slender, porcelain-white fingers gently brushing over the "Thorn Bird" design drawings. The delicate patterns on the paper reflected a pale golden luster in the morning light. She was so focused on checking the design drawings that she didn't even notice her assistant, Xiao Li, pushing the door open with a cup of coffee.
"Good morning, Teacher Lin!" Assistant Xiao Li's energetic voice rang out loudly in the quiet office: "The coffee shop on the corner just opened, and they're having a buy-one-get-one-free sale today, so I brought you a cup too." With that, she placed a chilled iced Americano next to Lin Yuwei.
Lin Yuwei looked up and saw the warm smile on the young man's face, and couldn't help but smile as well: "Thank you."
Xiao Li continued, "Teacher Lin, is there any work that needs to be prioritized today?" His energetic voice reminded Lin Yuwei of a job fair a month ago. Among more than a dozen job seekers with similar majors and skills, she chose Xiao Li because of his spirited appearance, which reminded her of herself when she first entered the industry.
Lin Yuwei handed over a thick stack of documents along with Gu Qingyan's business card: "Go to the auction house this morning to complete the handover process for 'Thornbird,' and confirm the specific handover time with Qichen Technology. The sooner the better." She paused, then added, "Contact me anytime if you have any questions."
Xiao Li took the document, and when he picked up the business card on it, his eyes suddenly lit up: "Wow, this is President Gu's private phone number. Should I contact him directly?" Lin Yuwei's lips twitched: "If I were you, I would first contact his assistant. You can find his contact information on their Qichen official website."
With a look of sudden realization, Xiao Li said, "Thank you for your guidance, Teacher Lin. I'm going now." He then hurried away.
The bitterness of the iced Americano spread across Lin Yuwei's tongue. She didn't like coffee, and even after eight years abroad, she hadn't changed this preference. She frowned, took out a sugar cube from the drawer, and threw in three in a row. She then poured in double the amount of creamer, stirred it well, and picked up the coffee. Just as she was about to try the taste, her phone rang. Lin Yuwei turned her head and glanced at it. It was Zhou Xubai.
"Yuwei, is now a convenient time?" Zhou Xubai's gentle voice came through the receiver, carrying a reassuring warmth: "A friend of mine wants to talk to you about a custom piece. His fiancée is a huge fan of yours, and he wants to commission a piece for her as a birthday gift. If you're free, we can come over now."
Receiving custom orders so early in the studio's opening was truly a pleasant surprise. Lin Yuwei put down her coffee cup and said with a smile, "Of course it's convenient. We look forward to welcoming you anytime."
Lin Yuwei was making coffee herself, and the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans had just filled the air when Zhou Xubai arrived with his guests. Today, he was wearing a dark gray wool coat, and a light gray turtleneck sweater accentuated his long neck, making him look like a perfectly balanced ink painting. The Patek Philippe on the wrist of the middle-aged man beside him gleamed warmly in the sunlight, and the emerald on his cufflinks shimmered subtly with his movements.
The three exchanged pleasantries as they entered the reception room. Zhou Xubai smiled and introduced them first: "This is Mr. Wang. He's here today to commission a piece of jewelry."
“Yes, my fiancée really loves your work.” Mr. Wang’s eyes softened as he said this: “Especially the ‘Four Seasons’ series from your solo exhibition in London, that butterfly brooch made of seashells and diamonds. I often hear her talk about it. Her birthday is in two months, and I want to give her a surprise.”
Lin Yuwei handed hand-drip coffee to Mr. Wang and Zhou Xubai respectively. The dark brown liquid rippled in the bone china cups: "I understand. I will consider incorporating your fiancée's preferences into the design. The 'Four Seasons' series is currently in the exhibition hall next door. Mr. Wang, why don't you take a look at the actual pieces in the exhibition hall first, and then we can discuss the design details slowly."
A note from the author:
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Xiao Gu: We've turned the tide.
Weiwei: Go after him until he's cremated, you understand?
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