Da Zhuang's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but glance at He Xiu. Under the dim orange streetlights, He Xiu seemed even more handsome and approachable than usual.
He was stunned. Everyone likes beautiful things, including people, and he was no exception.
How come he never noticed before that He Xiu was so handsome?
He Xiu thoroughly enjoyed Da Zhuang's gaze and couldn't help but stop and ask a question.
"Is it pretty? Do you like it?"
His low voice carried a hint of amusement, as if he were coaxing Dazhuang to reveal his deepest thoughts.
Hearing this, Dazhuang snapped out of his daze, his face burning hot. But, always unwilling to admit defeat, he gave a soft snort when he saw the smile in He Xiu's eyes, feigning disdain as he said...
"It's alright, it's passable, but it's not particularly beautiful either, just so-so."
Da Zhuang's words startled He Xiu; even he couldn't tell whether Da Zhuang was telling the truth or not.
His expression gradually stiffened, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
He was initially quite satisfied with his face, thinking there was nothing wrong with it, but Dazhuang's words made him a little unsure. Could it really just be so-so?
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Da Zhuang gradually noticed that He Xiu's expression was a little strange.
He Xiu took a deep breath and asked with some difficulty,
"You... really think I'm just average-looking?"
This time, it was Dazhuang who was dumbfounded. He thought for a moment before he understood what He Xiu meant, and suddenly he was both amused and exasperated.
"Cough..." He couldn't help but want to laugh, but he was afraid that laughing would embarrass He Xiu, so he held it in until his face turned red.
He Xiu slowly came to his senses, couldn't help but sigh, and said,
"Is it really that fun to tease me? Does it make you that happy?"
Dazhuang shook his head, then nodded, trying to suppress his laughter the whole time.
He Xiu didn't ask any more questions and continued walking slowly forward, holding the other person's hand.
After a while, Dazhuang slowly calmed down, looked at He Xiu's profile with a smile in his eyes, and asked, "Are you that concerned about your appearance?"
“I can be indifferent to others and ignore their opinions, but… I need to be in front of you. I want to show you my best side and make you happy.”
Da Zhuang was surprised that He Xiu would say these words so bluntly, and his heart started racing again.
He desperately suppressed the excitement in his heart and pretended to be calm.
"What? You care that much about my opinion? You really want to make me happy?"
"Of course, if I don't care about your opinion, whose opinion should I care about?"
Da Zhuang's face flushed again, but he didn't answer He Xiu immediately. Instead, he walked a short distance before whispering a sentence.
"Actually, you're not just average-looking, nor are you just okay-looking; you're really, really good-looking. I... I was just stunned when I looked at you because you were so beautiful."
He spoke very softly, but He Xiu, who was almost shoulder to shoulder with him, heard him.
Before he could say anything, Dazhuang's voice rang out again.
"This is my first time dating, and there are some things I don't understand, so if there's anything I do wrong, just... just tell me, and I'll slowly correct it and get to know it better. Also... and sometimes I might not mean what I say, and I might blurt things out without thinking, so please don't get angry or upset, you can talk to me about it slowly."
He Xiu stopped again and looked at Da Zhuang, his eyes gleaming.
Da Zhuang felt uneasy looking at He Xiu and became tense.
"Wha...what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? Was there something wrong with what I just said?"
“There’s nothing wrong with it.” He Xiu smiled. “What you said just now was very good. I’m just a little surprised that you would say these things to me. After all, I thought you didn’t have that many feelings for me, but I’m really happy that you said these things to me.”
Dazhuang was stunned for a moment, then pursed his lips and said, "Since I agreed to try being with you, I was definitely mentally prepared. If I don't like you, nothing you say will matter, really."
He added the last one because he was afraid He Xiu wouldn't believe what he said.
He Xiu chuckled softly, gripped Da Zhuang's hand tightly, and said...
"Okay, I understand."
Da Zhuang's ears turned red, but he breathed a sigh of relief. He was actually quite afraid that He Xiu hadn't understood. After all, he felt a little ashamed to say that he really liked He Xiu, so he could only use such an indirect way.
Thankfully, He Xiu isn't too stupid.
The two continued walking, and He Xiu tightened his grip on Da Zhuang's hand. Da Zhuang hesitated for a moment, then grasped He Xiu's hand in return.
Although they had been holding hands, it was He Xiu who forced him to do so, and he hadn't responded. Now, however, he felt he should give He Xiu some kind of response.
His response did indeed make He Xiu's lips curl into another smile.
On their way back, they passed by the barbecue restaurant that Xia Ran often ate at, so the two of them packed some food to take back and had a late-night snack together, and of course, they also had some beer.
After the late-night snack, He Xiu went back to the next room, and Da Zhuang and the others also went back to their rooms.
Xia Ran had originally planned to put the child to bed, but he couldn't sleep, so he simply wrapped himself in a blanket, took the remaining two cans of beer, and sat on the rooftop. His grandfather used to love sitting here every day to drink tea.
Xia Ran opened a can of beer and had just taken a sip when someone sat down next to him. He turned his head to look, somewhat surprised.
"Why are you out here too? Weren't you asleep?"
"I heard you get up and I was worried about you, so I wanted to sit with you for a while."
That's right, the person who came out was Gu Zheng. Gu Zheng was also wearing a thick down jacket, and the two of them sat together, which felt quite warm.
Xia Ran was stunned for a moment after hearing Gu Zheng's words, and then her heart warmed.
Gu Zheng picked up another can of beer that hadn't been turned on yet and started drinking it.
"I'm actually fine, just a bit sentimental. Even after so many days, even knowing Grandpa's wish, I still find it hard to let go," Xia Ran said. "It's not that I find it hard to let go, it's just that I can't bear to part with Grandpa, I miss him."
“I know, I understand. I can keep you company and let the children think about Grandpa.”
Xia Ran couldn't help but glance at Gu Zheng again, before looking away a few seconds later.
He did not answer Gu Zheng's question, and Gu Zheng did not continue the topic, but instead brought up another matter.
"In the afternoon, while I was at the dessert shop, I received a letter from an unknown number. It contained only two short sentences: 'We've found him, and he's safe and sound. We won't let him appear in front of you again. Please take care of the child.' Although there was no note or signature, I knew who it was."
Not to mention Gu Zheng, even Xia Ran knew who it was after hearing it. But he didn't know what to say, because he could never let go of Gu En.
However, it seems that Gu En did not do anything wrong. Perhaps she just fell in love with someone she shouldn't have, or someone who didn't like her. Another reason is that Gu En's personality was too extreme.
After a while, Xia Ran felt that it wouldn't be good not to answer, so she gave a soft "hmm".
Gu Zheng didn't dare to say much about this matter and could only drink with Xia Ran.
"Look, the moon is so round and bright tonight. I wonder if Grandpa has such a beautiful moon on his side."
Xia Ran suddenly said something, and Gu Zheng looked up at the sky.
"Indeed, the moon is beautiful tonight; it's rare to see such a beautiful moon in winter."
Xia Ran looked up, muttering to herself.
“I learned a poem when I was in elementary school, and there are two lines that I think are particularly suitable for the scenery and mood now. I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon, and lower my head to think of my hometown. Now I have the bright moon and I have my hometown, but the person who has been with me for more than 20 years, who would wait for me in my hometown no matter where I go, is no longer here.”
Xia Ran really didn't want to be sad anymore, but as he spoke, his nose started to sting.
Gu Zheng felt a pang of heartache as he listened, and couldn't help but put his arm around Xia Ran's shoulder.
"I have the child and I."
Chapter 435 I like you simply because you are you
Xia Ran glanced at Gu Zheng and asked the question that had been on her mind for a long time.
Why did you fall in love with me later?
Gu Zheng paused slightly, not expecting Xia Ran to bring this up with him. However, since it had already been brought up, he felt that some things needed to be clarified.
"It's probably because I like you. I can't explain it precisely, but I want to say that I really like you. You might wonder if I like you because of the child, or because I'm used to having you around."
"But actually, that's not it. I like you just because you are Xia Ran. I like your smile, I like everything about you, I like the way you call me A-Zheng. I like you just because you are you. I have never liked anyone like this before. You are the first and you will be the last."
“Sometimes, liking someone is something you can’t really explain. It’s just because you like them. Like you, do you have a reason for liking me? Of course you do, but it’s also just because you like me, right? I actually thought about waiting until you’ve calmed down a bit about Grandpa’s situation before I formally told you about this, because I felt I had to give you an explanation. It’s something I’ve always owed you.”
"But now that you've brought it up, I want to tell you everything all at once. Xia Ran, I like you. Will you be with me?"
It was late at night, and the surroundings were quiet. Gu Zheng and Xia Ran just stared at each other.
Gu Zheng's eyes betrayed his nervousness, while Xia Ran looked at Gu Zheng in front of her.
After a long while, he suddenly smiled and said,
"Since you've already said so much, I think I should also say something to you."
"Hmm?" Gu Zheng hummed in confusion. He hadn't expected that Xia Ran would not only not answer his question, but would also bring up other things.
"When I first saw you, I think it could be called love at first sight, or it could be called lust at first sight. At that time, I probably didn't quite understand what liking someone meant until your appearance and your shadow always appeared in my mind and in my dreams. Even when I saw certain things or people and could think of you, I realized that I really liked you, liked a man I had only met once."
"My feelings for you later felt like dough being kneaded and fermented. I started asking about you, hoping to get a little closer to you. After graduation, the way I wanted to know about you every day made me feel like a freak. Later, I don't know if God wanted to help me, but that's how I met you."
"When you said you couldn't give me love, I really didn't care at all. I thought that as long as I had this sincerity, I could move you someday. I held onto that hope. Even the arrival of the child later didn't diminish that hope."
“I even thought it was pretty good at the time, and I was a little smug. I thought that since you married me with a purpose, you definitely wouldn’t abandon me, so I had a better reason to stay by your side. Later, I developed a deep affection for the child and thought how wonderful it would be to live like this for a lifetime.”
"I don't know where I got the courage to think that you already liked me a little bit. I was so happy when you promised Grandpa that you would take good care of me and that you would prove it to him with time. I thought I had finally found my love. But then Gu En appeared..."
Xia Ran suddenly choked up at this point and couldn't continue.
Hearing Xia Ran's words, Gu Zheng felt a pang of pain in his heart. He tightened his grip on Xia Ran's shoulders and said with difficulty,
"Do you know how I felt when you knelt down in front of Grandpa and begged him? I felt an unprecedented heartache. At that moment, I truly swore in my heart that I would treat you well and love you properly. Ran, as for the future, I still stand by what I said: I will use time to prove my love for you. So... please forgive me, okay? Let's get back together. This time, I'll be the one to say it first, let's start, okay?"
“Actually, Grandpa talked to me about it back then.” Xia Ran still didn’t answer Gu Zheng’s question. “Grandpa said that he had seen how good you were to him. Some people are truly gone once they’re missed. He also said… if I still have feelings for you, then let me leave everything to time.”
“I agreed to him back then, Gu Zheng. When I asked you to accompany me to bury Grandpa, I already had the answer in my heart. I thought that after I asked you to accompany me to say so many things at Grandpa’s grave, the answer should be very obvious.”
Gu Zheng paused for a moment, then chuckled softly and said in a low voice,
"I guessed it at the time, but I didn't dare to admit it. I was afraid that I was misunderstanding, that it was my own illusion, that I was just being delusional."
"When did you, Gu Zheng, become so insecure?" Xia Ran said, a smile in her eyes.
The weight that had been hanging over Gu Zheng's heart finally lifted.
"Because I was afraid you wouldn't accept it, I couldn't believe you really wanted to forgive me. I had imagined the moment you forgave me many times, but every time I sensed that you were forgiving me, I would get very nervous, and I would wonder if I had misunderstood."
“No, you’ve misunderstood,” Xia Ran said. “But this is my only chance. If you do anything to hurt me again, then we really won’t have a future, and there will be no possibility of anything more.”