Chapter 87 The Small Park "Let's go home." Gu Qingyan took her hand...
Gu Qingyan did not answer immediately, but buried his face deeper into her warm neck, his breath hot and rapid, the burning breath spraying on her sensitive skin, causing a slight shiver.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse, carrying a sense of relief and a near-obsessive vulnerability: "No... Weiwei, you can't think like that... and you're absolutely not allowed to do it!"
Lin Yuwei rubbed her face against his: "Okay, okay, whatever you say, just let me go first, you're hurting me."
Unexpectedly, her words made Gu Qingyan tighten his grip on her arm. His tone was forceful and unquestionable, yet it clearly revealed the immense unease and panic in his heart: "You have to promise that you won't even think about those terrible thoughts! I won't allow you to think about any possibility of leaving me! Not even for a second!"
Gu Qingyan suddenly raised his head, his hands trembling as he cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. His eyes were slightly red, and in those usually deep and calm eyes, a violent storm of emotions was surging. There was lingering fear, the ecstasy of being recognized, and an almost insane possessiveness born from extreme cherishing.
"You are my life...don't you understand?" Gu Qingyan's voice was extremely low and hoarse, each word seemingly squeezed out from the deepest part of his chest, carrying a burning temperature and absolute seriousness. "Without you, everything I have now—fame, status, wealth—is meaningless! If you hadn't been by my side this time, I wouldn't have been able to get through it at all!"
He gazed into her eyes, his gaze burning like two flames, almost melting her, and declared, word by word, an unalterable vow: "In this life, I, Gu Qingyan, cannot live without you. Do you hear me? I cannot live without you."
This was no longer the shrewd and decisive CEO Gu who strategized in the business world, nor the young talent who remained composed and articulate when facing Lin Yulan's questions in the living room. At this moment, he was a man who had completely shed his calm exterior, exposing his most primal, vulnerable, and passionate emotions to her without reservation.
All his loss of control stemmed from her earlier statement, made to appease his mother, that "you have the ability to extricate yourself in time." That statement instilled in him an unprecedented, almost overwhelming fear.
Looking at the undisguised panic and vulnerability in his eyes, and at the "fierce" and "domineering" look he had become because of his fear of losing her, Lin Yuwei felt a sharp pain in the softest part of her heart, a bittersweet ache.
She stopped struggling and pushing him away. Instead, she reached out and gently but firmly hugged his lean waist, patting his back with one hand as if comforting a frightened child.
“Silly boy,” Lin Yuwei’s voice was choked with emotion, yet filled with a reassuring and gentle strength: “Those words were for Mom, to put her mind at ease, to tell her that her daughter has grown up, is strong and clear-headed enough, and that no matter what happens in the future, she is capable of taking responsibility for her choices and controlling her own life.”
She raised her head, gazing into the depths of his still uneasy eyes, and slowly a gentle and radiant smile spread across her lips. She spoke clearly and firmly to him, and to herself, "Since I've chosen you and taken your hand, I won't let go easily, unless... you're the one who abandons me first."
The last few words were tinged with a playful, coquettish tone, yet they also revealed her truest feelings.
"Impossible!" Gu Qingyan shook his head violently, denying it decisively. He hugged her tightly again, the force so strong it seemed he wanted to confirm her existence. His voice was incredibly firm, carrying a vow from the depths of his soul, "That day will never come! Weiwei, I only want you, only you!"
The two embraced tightly in the quiet, deserted room, as if trying to make up for all the lost time and the pain of separation in this incredibly strong and precious hug. The winter sunlight outside the window shone through the glass, casting dappled shadows and enveloping the lovers who had overcome numerous obstacles and finally embraced tightly.
All obstacles, worries, and uncertainties are melted away at this moment by the love that has been lost and regained and is growing stronger and more steadfast. There may still be challenges ahead, but at this moment, they have each other and their hearts are connected, so they already have the courage to face the whole world.
****
A gentle knock came from outside the door from Aunt Wu, informing her that the guest room had been prepared. Lin Yuwei thanked her loudly, and the footsteps outside gradually faded into the distance.
Lin Yuwei and Gu Qingyan embraced quietly in the room for a while until they could faintly hear children's laughter outside the window. They smiled at each other and decided to go out for a walk.
The streets were especially lively the day before Lunar New Year's Eve. Shops along the street were decorated with red lanterns and Chinese knots, and the air was filled with the aroma of roasted nuts, pastries, and preserved meats. Everyone's face was filled with the joy of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, carrying large and small bags of New Year's goods, and exchanging greetings of "Happy New Year."
They strolled to the familiar little park nearby. It was a bit tidier than they remembered, but the old banyan trees were still there, and the benches under their shade were still there too.
"Do you remember this place?" Gu Qingyan stopped and her gaze softened. "We used to play here a lot when we were little."
Lin Yuwei nodded, pointing to a corner not far away: "I remember. I found a stray cat there once, small and dirty, but with really big eyes, and it was very cute." Her voice was filled with nostalgia, "I wanted to take it home, but my mom wouldn't let me..."
"Later you found a cardboard box, lined it with an old towel, and put it in that sheltered corner." Gu Qingyan's lips curved into a smile; that memory was still vivid.
“We even gave it a name, ‘Little Fur Ball,’” Lin Yuwei added with a smile, then a hint of embarrassment appeared on her face: “Back then… I always told you not to finish your school lunch, but to secretly save the meat so you could bring it home to feed it…” She paused, her voice lowering: “Come to think of it, I think I was always like that when I was little, unconsciously ‘bullying’ you. Were you really not angry at all back then?”
Gu Qingyan was slightly taken aback by her sudden question, then chuckled and shook her head: "No, I really wasn't angry."
"Really?" Lin Yuwei clearly didn't believe it, turning around to face him. "How could I not be angry when someone 'orders me around' like that?"
Gu Qingyan's gaze became deep and gentle: "Really, no, Weiwei. Do you remember the first day I came to your house with my mother? I was so nervous that I didn't know what to do with my hands and feet. Before I left, my mother held my hand and solemnly asked me to promise that I would always protect you and take good care of you."
He paused, his gaze fixed on her: "I've engraved those words in my heart. From then on, 'protecting Miss Lin' and 'taking good care of Miss Lin' became my code of conduct. So, whatever you ask me to do, in my heart, it's all about fulfilling my promise to my mother. That's why I never thought of being angry with you."
These words, calm yet containing immense power, were like a warm current that instantly broke down the dam of guilt in Lin Yuwei's heart. Her throat tightened, and she couldn't say anything. She simply turned abruptly, hugged Gu Qingyan tightly around the waist, and buried her face deeply in his chest: "I'm sorry... Qingyan, I'm so sorry..."
After a while, Lin Yuwei lifted her head from his embrace and asked cautiously, "Then... how is Aunt Gu now? Since we reunited, it seems like you haven't mentioned her at all."
When his mother was mentioned, Gu Qingyan's eyes dimmed. He was silent for a few seconds before saying in a calm tone, which he tried his best to control, "My mother passed away the year after I graduated from university."
Lin Yuwei's heart sank.
“She was too strong-willed and too overworked throughout her life.” Gu Qingyan’s voice was low. “She always endured her illnesses on her own and never spent money to go to the hospital for a thorough check-up… It wasn’t until she fainted at work that they found out it was already in the late stage.”
He took a deep breath: "I had just started working then, and I hadn't had a chance to do anything for her... You could say I never let her enjoy a single day of happiness... Later, when I made money and became capable, no matter how much money I had in my account, she couldn't use it anymore." The last few words were barely audible, yet they were like the sharpest needles, piercing Lin Yuwei's heart.
A cold wind blew through the bare branches, and Gu Qingyan's voice sounded exceptionally clear in the silence: "There's one more thing... After my mother passed away, I was sorting through her belongings and found a separate bank card she left behind, carefully wrapped in a note. It said, 'If you ever have the chance to see Miss Weiwei again, please return this to her.'" He lowered his head, his gaze deep as he looked at Lin Yuwei: "Weiwei, back then... before you went abroad, didn't you send some money to my mother?"
Lin Yuwei nodded gently in his arms, her voice tinged with wistful reminiscence: "Yes, back then... I felt it was all because of my stubbornness that my mother fired Aunt Gu in a fit of anger, and I've always felt really bad about it. Before I went abroad, I sent half of the pocket money I had saved in my account to Aunt Gu." As she said this, her voice choked with emotion, "That was all the compensation I could make back then... I never imagined that you were having such a hard time, and Aunt Gu... she didn't touch a single penny."
This truth, like a heavy boulder, was thrown into the deep pool of memories between the two.
Gu Qingyan tightened his grip on Lin Yuwei's arm, closed his eyes, and gently rested his chin on the top of her head. It turned out that in the years he was unaware of, while he was enduring the double pain of losing his mother and being "abandoned" by her, she was also feeling the same guilt and silently trying to make amends in her own way.
That 100,000 yuan was no small sum for any of them at the time. What she sent was not just money, but a heavy apology, an attempt to find peace of mind. Her mother, a strong-willed, kind, and stubborn woman, accepted this sentiment but did not touch a single penny. She carefully kept it safe for her until the end of her life, still thinking about "returning" it to her.
This silent yet profound kindness and principle from the elders, and this clumsy yet sincere attempt to make amends from her youth, at this moment, transcended the barriers of life and death and time, and converged deeply.
“My mother…” Gu Qingyan’s voice was a little hoarse, “She misses you a lot. Sometimes when she sees girls around your age on the street, she stops and stares at them for a long time. She often says she wonders if Miss Weiwei is doing well abroad, and if she’s getting used to the food…”
Lin Yuwei's tears finally rolled down her cheeks. She remembered Aunt Gu, who always smiled gently, the sweet and sour pork ribs she made, the way she carefully sewed the buttons on her coat, and the warm hand that secretly stuffed snacks into her schoolbag.
"I'm sorry..." Lin Yuwei cried even harder, "I should have come back to see her sooner..."
Gu Qingyan gently shook his head and wiped away her tears: "Mom won't blame you. She knows you have your own path to walk, but..." His voice was gentle: "If she knew we were together now, she would be very happy."
As the sun set, it cast long shadows of the two people. The children playing in the park had already been called home by their parents for dinner. The sound of firecrackers echoed in the distance, heralding the approach of the New Year.
"Let's go home." Gu Qingyan took her hand. "Tomorrow is New Year's Eve."
Lin Yuwei nodded and squeezed his hand.
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