【020】 Gift
Xi Lang was startled and immediately grabbed Gu Juan's wrist, wondering what was going on.
The expressions of the other boys changed drastically. They hurriedly helped the boy on the ground up and glared at Gu Juan unkindly.
"What do you want to do?"
"Jiaqi, are you okay?"
"You're bleeding from the nose!"
“…”
Lin Xuan glanced at the enraged Gu Juan, then at An Jiaqi. It takes two to tango. Could something really be going on here? He stood still, his composure unbelievable for a teenager of only seventeen or eighteen.
An Jiaqi pushed the person who was trying to help him away, wiped the blood from his nose, and squinted at Gu Juan, anger boiling in his eyes. "Are you fucking crazy?" He had never suffered such a big loss in his life. As he spoke, he raised his fist and swung it at Gu Juan.
Xi Lang stepped in front of Gu Juan, quickly grasped An Jiaqi's fist, and said in a steady voice, "My friend, there must be some misunderstanding here."
"What misunderstanding? I—I don't even know him!" An Jiaqi knew Lin Xuan had a cousin of some importance, and guessed it was this one. He didn't dare offend him easily, so he swallowed his curse words. He tried to retract his fist, but it was gently twisted, causing a sharp pain in his wrist. He looked up at Xi Lang in surprise, cursing inwardly: Damn, what a strong grip! Lin Xuan's uncle was clearly trying to protect the boy.
Gu Juan didn't hear what they said. The tragic experience and desperate pain of his previous life hit his brain at the same time. A layer of scarlet mist covered his eyes, his head was confused, and he rushed towards An Jiaqi again.
The cruel eyes and icy murderous aura made Lin Xuan and the others shudder at the same time. They were all shocked for a moment, looking at each other, motionless.
Xi Lang let go of An Jiaqi, pinched Gu Juan's shoulders, and said in a deep voice, "Are you awake?"
The red mist in Gu Juan's eyes suddenly dissipated, and his cold gaze fell on An Jiaqi. His warmth gradually returned to normal, and he quickly calmed down, his expression returning to a calm and composed demeanor. He had acted impulsively, having not expected to see his former enemy so soon. Killing An Jiaqi now would be easy, but eliminating him once and for all would not quench his hatred. He wanted to make An Jiaqi feel the same despair and pain he had experienced in his past life.
Thinking of this, an apologetic smile slowly appeared on his face. His expression was sincere like a modest gentleman, and his tone was full of apology. He stretched out his right hand towards An Jiaqi, "Are you okay? I'm really sorry, I drank too much and recognized the wrong person."
"You recognized the wrong person? You beat me until I bled, and you just want to let it go by saying you recognized the wrong person?" An Jiaqi ignored his goodwill. His nosebleed had not stopped yet, and he wiped it again. His face was covered with blood. One could imagine how embarrassed he was now. He was even more angry with Gu Juan.
A boy felt in his pocket and found a pack of tissues he had stuffed in there while eating at the restaurant. He needed it now, so he took it out and handed it to An Jiaqi.
Gu Juan withdrew his hand and remained silent.
Xi Lang didn't want to get involved in the conflict between the children, so he signaled to Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan immediately put his arm around An Jiaqi's shoulders like a good friend, "Jiaqi, please let it go for my sake. You don't know him, right? His name is Gu Juan, and he's my schoolmate. As the saying goes, 'No fight, no acquaintance.' I'll treat you to dinner tomorrow, and let's put this matter behind us."
An Jiaqi frowned. Normally, he couldn't let this matter go. But his family was considering collaborating with the Lin family on business matters, so it wouldn't be easy to offend Lin Xuan. It would be better to let Gu Juan go for now. If he wanted to teach Gu Juan a lesson, he didn't have to do it today.
His expression softened and he nodded to Gu Juan, "Forget it, for Lin Xuan's sake, today is my bad luck."
Gu Juan nodded to Lin Xuan.
Xi Lang said, "Xiaoxuan, take your friend to see a doctor."
Gu Juan said promptly: "Sorry to bother you, I will take care of the medical expenses."
An Jiaqi looked at him deeply, turned away and left, and the others followed suit.
Lin Xuan waved at Xi Lang and chased after him.
Only Gu Juan and Xi Lang were left. Gu Juan watched them leave and smiled slightly.
Xi Lang picked up the paper bag from the ground. Gu Juan took it and took out the gift box inside, "Don't break it."
"You didn't recognize the wrong person." Xi Lang said affirmatively.
Gu Juan checked the gift box over and over again, and said thankfully, "It shouldn't be broken."
Xi Lang saw that he didn't want to say more, so he didn't ask too many questions. If he said too much, it would seem like he was being too formal.
"I'll take you back."
"good."
The car drove into the night traffic river, moved forward steadily, and stopped at the gate of Xingfu Community.
Gu Juan said politely, "Thank you for bringing me back. Would you like to go upstairs for a cup of tea?"
"good."
Gu Juan paused. He had only asked out of courtesy. He looked at Xi Lang, and Xi Lang looked at him. He had no choice but to lead Xi Lang home.
Xi Lang surveyed the living room. His first impression was its spartanness. Aside from an old color TV, a worn sofa, an old coffee table, and a dining table, there was practically no other furniture. The pity he'd felt earlier returned. The room was a mess, with magazines and newspapers scattered haphazardly, a fitting impression of a single man's abode. While messy, it wasn't dirty, suggesting the owner was a dedicated, if lazy, owner.
"Please sit down." Gu Juan went to the kitchen and poured a glass of water and placed it on the coffee table, smiling, "Please have some tea."
Xi Lang said tactfully, "It's getting late. I should be leaving."
He walked to the door, and Gu Juan called him, "Wait."
Xi Lang turned around and looked at him.
Gu Juan went into the kitchen and soon came out carrying a woven bamboo fruit basket. The bamboo strips were still emerald green, indicating that the basket was newly woven. It was filled with fruit, half apples and half grapes, bright in color and sweet and tempting.
Gu Juan said: "This is a return gift."
Xi Lang already had a certain understanding of him and did not refuse. "I will email you about the investment you asked about before. If you have any questions, you can ask me."
Gu Juan nodded, sent him out, and reminded him, "Remember to return the basket to me."
Xi Lang paused, "Hmm."
After Gu Juan closed the door, he spotted a paper bag on the coffee table. He walked over, unwrapped the gift box, and upon opening it, he discovered a beautiful fountain pen. A faint smile played on his face. "So old-fashioned! Who uses fountain pens anymore?" Even so, he couldn't ignore the tinge of unease that lingered inside him. As far as he could remember, this was the first time he'd received a gift from anyone since his parents' death.
He walked into the room, put the pen in the pen holder on the desk, took out some clothes from the closet, and slipped into the space.
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