Chapter 134 The Ring
His fingers were cold as he picked up his phone and made an overseas call.
Lu Bing answered lazily, "Ask whatever you want."
Lu Jiunian remained silent for a long time, as if he was suppressing something.
Finally, he asked Lu Bing, "So, the reason Zijian had the car accident back then was simply because he wanted to get that custom-made ring before he turned 18 and propose to me."
"It seems you're not so stupid as to be beyond redemption."
"Why take such a big risk when you could have had it delivered yourself?"
Lu Bing retorted to Lu Jiunian, "Don't you know enough about what kind of person Gu Zijian is? You're asking me this?"
Lu Jiunian tightened his grip on the phone.
Yes, what kind of person is Gu Zijian? He is confident and outstanding, demanding yet unwavering in his love.
In the eyes of the young and impetuous Gu Zijian, the storm that day was nothing. He was confident enough and couldn't wait to see the wedding rings that had been painstakingly customized.
And so, filled with joy, Gu Zijian sped off on the highway.
Then he got into a car accident, was covered in blood and taken to an ambulance. After several brushes with death, he became a vegetable and slept for more than two years.
The culprit behind this accident wasn't the wedding rings, nor the torrential rain...
The culprit was Gu Zijian's feelings for him, Gu Zijian's love for him.
How could he bear to betray such deep affection...?
Lu Jiunian lowered his eyes, a hint of moisture hidden within them, before looking at the floor-to-ceiling window with a fierce expression.
Her voice was icy cold. "Since you lied to me, why did you tell me in the first place?"
"Because I just want to see you struggle and suffer, Lu Jiunian. You've driven me to this point, and you still expect things to end well? You're dreaming."
Lu Jiunian gritted his teeth, "You think I'll let you off? Have these years of peaceful life made you forget what kind of person I am?"
"I can't forget, brother. Didn't you force me to stay away from China for two years? I was so scared."
Lu Bing hung up the phone.
Lu Jiunian slammed his phone against the wall, then slammed his hand on the table and clenched it into a fist.
He felt stuffy, so he unbuttoned two more buttons with his hands.
Lu Jiunian pushed open the window, and the cold air was inhaled into his lungs, chilling him to the bone.
That made him feel a little more comfortable.
When Shi Nianzhi woke up, he came to the study to find Lu Jiunian. He hesitated whether to knock on the door.
The door opened.
Lu Jiunian's eyes held a heavy murderous intent, and before he could even conceal that coldness, Shi Nianzhi took a half-step back in fear.
Lu Jiunian lowered his eyes, his deliberately softened tone sounding somewhat stiff, "Are you awake?"
Shi Nianzhi hesitated for a moment, then opened her arms and hugged Lu Jiunian's waist.
His voice was still a little soft from just waking up, "What's wrong? Who made you angry? Why are you so cold? Did you forget to close the window?"
Lu Jiunian's heart softened for a fleeting moment, only to be subtly stung again.
He raised his hand, wanting to hug Shi Nianzhi's back.
But I couldn't put it down.
He really wanted to continue living his life with Shi Nianzhi like this, watching her be shy, angry, jealous, and silly.
He really wanted to marry Shi Nianzhi and give her a home.
But now, it's not possible.
Knowing the truth, he felt a deep sense of heartache and guilt, which he expressed to Gu Zijian.
He couldn't betray Gu Zijian's passionate and deep love, and he wouldn't allow himself to do so; it was a sense of responsibility he had as a man.
He gave Shi Nianzhi a lot: he treated her father's illness, brought him from the countryside to the capital, fulfilled many of Shi Nianzhi's small requests, and ensured that no one could bully her.
He tried his best to protect Shi Nianzhi and pull him out of the abyss.
He gave him a lot indeed.
But when he loved Gu Zijian, he always restrained himself and was more strict with Gu Zijian, demanding that Gu Zijian catch up with him before he would agree to be with him.
At that time, he always set a boundary for Gu Zijian.
This boundary is adulthood.
He planned to shower all his affection on Gu Zijian after he came of age, but Gu Zijian never got to see it.
Gu Zijian was in a car accident the day before he turned 18 and was in a coma for more than two years.
The love he gave Gu Zijian was always pitifully little, and even in the end, because he liked Shi Nianzhi and wanted to be with her, he didn't plan to give her any more.
How could he possibly do this to him?
Gu Zijian had always followed him, loved him for so many years, given him so much affection and love, and never gave up on him.
That aloof young man endured so much.
How could he bear to hurt her again?
Lu Jiunian did not hug Shi Nianzhi back, because from this moment on, he still intended to let go of Shi Nianzhi once again.
He couldn't respond anymore. The more he responded to his relationship with Shi Nianzhi, the more reluctant he would be to let go.
let it go.
The man remained silent for a long time. Shi Nianzhi seemed to sense something, and he looked up at Lu Jiunian. "What's wrong? Has something happened at the company again?"
"Skiing? I'm not going. I have something to do, I need to go out for a bit, let go of me."
Shi Nianzhi looked at Lu Jiunian for a while, then slowly loosened her grip on Lu Jiunian's waist.
Lu Jiunian walked downstairs.
Shi Nianzhi stood behind him and said, "Tomorrow is the New Year."
Lu Jiunian's steps faltered for a moment, then he walked faster.
Shi Nianzhi chased after him, asking, "You'll come back, won't you?"
Lu Jiunian remained silent.
"You won't leave me alone for my birthday like you did last time, will you?"
Shi Nianzhi sensed something and asked Lu Jiunian with a self-deprecating tone.
The feeling of not being able to grasp Lu Jiunian left Shi Nianzhi with a deep sense of powerlessness.
Seeing that Lu Jiunian still didn't speak, Shi Nianzhi didn't pursue the matter any further. He stood at the top of the stairs and called down.
"It took a lot of determination and courage for me to be with you again. Next time... I might not have another chance..."
In the end, Shi Nianzhi's voice even carried a hint of sobbing.
Lu Jiunian stopped in his tracks. He knew he couldn't turn back, but he still couldn't control himself when he heard Shi Nianzhi's voice.
He turned around and comforted Shi Nianzhi, "Don't worry, I have to go out. I'll be back tonight."
"I'm waiting for you."
"Um."
Lu Jiunian is gone.
Shi Nianzhi sat alone at the top of the stairs, staring blankly at the spot where Lu Jiunian had disappeared. "Will you come back?"
Just like that birthday, he waited alone for a long time.
Soon, Shi Nianzhi smiled again, "He said he wouldn't hurt me anymore. He just had something to do and will be back tonight."
Shi Nianzhi comforted himself, got up, and went to the study.
At first, he tried to study hard, but he couldn't learn anything at all, so Shi Nianzhi simply turned on the computer and played games.
Once you're fully engaged, you don't want to think about anything else.
Lu Jiunian sat in the car.
He calmed down for a moment, then called Gu Zijian. "Where are you?"
"company."
"I'll come find you."
"casual."
The call ended.
As Lu Jiunian exited the elevator, Gu Zijian was organizing documents beside Gu Dongxuan, who occasionally asked him a few questions.
He answered them all correctly.
Then, changing the subject, Gu Zijian asked, "Brother, it's almost Chinese New Year, where's Yuanyuan? Where did he go? I called him but he didn't answer."
Gu Dongxuan pressed his temples. "They went to the Su family."
"Su Hengyi? Does he like that child from the Su family?"
"Who knows what he's thinking... Xiao Nian, you're here?"
Gu Dongxuan glanced at Gu Zijian and said, "They're here to see you, right? Go on, have you two been arguing lately? It seems like you've been in less contact."
Gu Zijian smiled without saying a word, put down the documents in his hand, and walked towards Lu Jiunian.
"You're in such a good mood today, coming to see me? You finally have some free time, why don't you spend it with your wife at home?"
"You said last time that you were gradually able to remember things from back then. How much of it have you remembered?"
"Not many."
Gu Zijian twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "It's probably just that I've been thinking about how I've loved you for so many years, and all my deep affection has just faded away with the passage of time. Oh, by the way, come with me, I have something for you."
Gu Zijian pressed the elevator button, and Lu Jiunian followed him inside.
In the underground parking lot, Gu Zijian opened the car door, took out a ring box, and gently stroked the velvet red ring box with his fingers.
This was the ring that the original owner never got to touch before he died.
Now it has fallen into his hands and become a trump card. Thinking about it, I really feel sorry for the original owner.
Now, everything—from the name and the identity to these rings—belongs to him.
As for the real one, his remains have long since vanished.
He felt there was nothing to regret; it was something the Gu family owed him anyway.
Ultimately, the reason he has been usurped today is simply because the Gu family is ruthless and left him no way out.
Gu Zijian lowered his eyes, concealing all his emotions. He deliberately pretended to be nonchalant and opened the ring box.
"I ordered this back then, and it took me a lot of thought and effort. After thinking about it, I decided to give it to you. It represents my passion back then, so please accept it. If you're worried about your wife getting jealous, just throw it away."
Gu Zijian looked at the two rings inside, placing his fingertips on them. Since they weren't custom-made by him, he didn't actually know which one belonged to Lu Jiunian and which one belonged to 'himself'.
Looking at the exquisitely designed and thoughtfully crafted ring, Gu Zijian's eyes were filled with coldness.
So what if the original owner loved Lu Jiunian to death back then? So what if he devoted so much effort to Lu Jiunian? He still died. Now that these rings are in his hands, they are like scrap metal to him, worthless.
Gu Zijian didn't care about anything else. He casually picked one up and handed it to Lu Jiunian, saying, "I'm returning the ring to you. Let's just call it even after all these years of our relationship."
He was reciting lines he had already prepared.
Lu Jiunian reached out his hand, "Put it on for me."
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