"This is not the time to talk about these things!" Looking at the drops of blood on the ground, You Ran felt her heart burning with rage.
"Promise me," Gu Chengyuan's lips grew paler and paler, "that now, you are all I have left."
More and more blood flowed from his body, Gu Chengyuan's eyes grew paler and paler, and the hand holding her grew colder and colder.
You Ran had no other choice but to grit her teeth, snatch the ring, and forcefully shove it onto her ring finger.
The icy touch felt like shackles.
Finally, Gu Chengyuan released her, and You Ran quickly called an ambulance and asked the amusement park staff to help take Gu Chengyuan upstairs.
Even while unconscious, Gu Chengyuan held You Ran's hand tightly.
After sending Gu Chengyuan into the operating room, You Ran saw her parents, who had rushed over after hearing the news, and... Qu Yun.
The parents pulled You Ran aside and carefully inquired about what had happened.
You Ran's mind was in turmoil, and she couldn't even remember what she had said.
But she saw that Qu Yun was standing not far away, his eyes fixed on her hands.
You Ran instinctively clenched her fist, feeling the hardness and coldness of the diamond in her palm, a sensation comparable to Qu Yun's gaze.
After Bai Ling and Li Mingyu finished their inquiries, they were called away by the nurse to pay the fees. Outside the operating room, only You Ran remained to face Qu Yun alone.
You Ran used her other hand to cover the diamond ring, but little did she know that this only made it more obvious.
Qu Yun walked slowly to her, looked at her hand, and said softly, "It seems you have already given me your answer."
"What?" You Ran asked.
“Between him and me, you chose him. You treated him as a man,” Qu Yun said slowly.
You Ran tried hard to organize her thoughts and words, wanting to explain what had just happened to him.
But Qu Yun didn't give her another chance to speak.
He reached out and touched You Ran's left cheek, with a sense of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted: "You Ran, I admit it, I failed. I lost you, and I couldn't win you back. I tried, but it was all in vain. Don't worry, from now on, I won't bother you anymore, I won't hinder your progress... So, goodbye."
After saying that, he turned and left.
This is the twentieth lesson Qu Yun taught You Ran—that he can ultimately be defeated.
[Lesson 21] In the end, he was the last...that person.
And just like that, Qu Yun left.
That's fine, You Ran thought. The most precious year of her university life had been spent entangled with him. It was time to let this relationship become a memory.
He voluntarily gave up, sparing her the choice, and even You Ran herself didn't know what the answer was.
However, nothing else matters anymore.
With Qu Yun's story, the chapter has been completely turned over. From now on, it's a new world. From now on, he can stop compromising himself, and she can stop being conflicted.
This outcome is good for both of them.
You Ran understood; she understood everything.
It's just in my heart... just in my heart...
During that escape, Gu Chengyuan's stitches were torn open, but fortunately he was taken to the hospital in time, so no serious accident occurred.
You Ran was still responsible for taking care of him. After this incident, Gu Chengyuan became like a child who lacked a sense of security. You Ran simply couldn't leave him for even a moment.
However, in the midst of busyness, there is little time to reminisce about certain things or people.
You Ran didn't know what to say about the ring, so she chose to remain silent.
A few weeks later, Gu Chengyuan was finally discharged from the hospital. Under You Ran's meticulous care and the effects of Bai Ling's super nutritious soup, he seemed to have gained a little weight.
However, it suits his height perfectly.
Their relationship is entirely new, a blend of kinship and a tacit understanding built up over childhood.
However, there are occasional moments of ambiguity – the one who adds these elements is often Gu Chengyuan.
They often talked about their childhood—he would ride his bicycle with her on the back seat, taking her to get milk; in March, he would make kites for her, and then the two of them would take them to a nearby hillside to fly; in the summer, he would take her to the river to catch fish and shrimp together.
Those joys seemed to be relived through the storytelling.
However, whenever Gu Chengyuan tried to talk about the two years they dated, You Ran would change the subject.
Apart from that, she avoided talking about the ring.
Her silence doesn't mean Gu Chengyuan will give up.
He proposed to her twice.
The first time was on the day he was discharged from the hospital. Looking at You Ran, who was packing his clothes, he said softly, "You Ran, let's get married."
You Ran just smiled and didn't react.
The second time was a week after he was discharged from the hospital. Gu Chengyuan went out for lunch leisurely, and afterwards, he strolled into a newly opened upscale villa community next door.
While strolling through one of the buildings, Gu Chengyuan suddenly asked, "How about this house as a bridal chamber?"
You Ran naturally understood what he meant, and said, "It doesn't snow much in winter here, and there's a fireplace in the living room. It's a bit too pretentious."
And so, the topic was diverted both times.
In fact, Gu Chengyuan is not a bad match. If they get together, Gu Chengyuan will no longer be lonely, his parents will be happy, and it seems like a happy ending for everyone.
But You Ran just felt that she couldn't do that.
As for the reason, she didn't know.
Perhaps, the one who can least see one's own thoughts is oneself.
You Ran remembered swearing to Qu Yun that she would find a man who would love her as the apple of his eye and the apple of his eye.
She experienced the pain of being loved, so she accepted Shin-chan, wanting to be loved once, but the result was still not good.
As for Gu Chengyuan, after all these things, he will treat himself very well, really very well.
But at this point, You Ran vaguely realized that what she wanted was something more.
She was too greedy—she wanted a man who loved her and whom she loved in return.
You Ran thought to herself that she would definitely be lonely for the rest of her life.
Gu Chengyuan's third marriage proposal took place in You Ran's room.
At the time, Bai Ling and Li Mingyu were cooking in the kitchen, leaving the two of them alone to talk.
You Ran recalled some fun things from her childhood and chatted happily about them.
When she was little, You Ran was eating edamame while watching TV when she bit off a piece of her tongue, causing it to bleed profusely. All the adults had left the house, so Gu Chengyuan shoved her onto his bicycle and rushed her to the hospital.
"I remember I kept crying in your arms, and your shirt was stained with blood from my mouth. When Mom rushed to the hospital, she thought you had an abdominal injury and was terrified." You Ran smiled gently.
She was terrified at the time, thinking she was going to die, but fortunately Gu Chengyuan was there to comfort her gently.
In my memory, his shirts were always clean and had a cool feel to them.
Did I start liking him from that time?
“I remember, you were very happy when you were with me.” Gu Chengyuan’s well-defined lips curved up, as if recalling those beautiful moments, but slowly, his eyelashes drooped, revealing a desolate posture: “Unfortunately, I destroyed them all.”
"Let's not talk about that anymore, isn't everything fine now?" You Ran changed the subject again: "I'm hungry, I'm going to steal something to eat."
After she finished speaking, she prepared to get up, but Gu Chengyuan stopped her.
He looked up at her, and after a long pause, he asked, "You Ran, save me."
“You…” You Ran’s eyes flickered slightly.
"I heard that Qu Yun has started dating a woman he met through a blind date. Her parents are good friends of his mother." Gu Chengyuan placed his hand on You Ran's arm, his thumb pressing on her sensitive spot. "He has started a new life."
"Is that so?" You Ran replied calmly.
“I envy him, not because he once had you, but because he can let go so easily. I can’t do that. What I want from the beginning will always be what I want. If I can’t get it, I will be doomed forever. So… You Ran, I beg you to save me.”
Gu Chengyuan's sharp features seemed to soften at this moment: "You Ran, put on the ring and stay by my side forever."
You Ran didn't know how to answer, so she used her usual method—procrastination.
She asked him for a day so she could think things through and come up with an answer.
And that answer is the final one; once it's spoken, it will never change.
The answer was given the next morning. That night, You Ran couldn't sleep and went for a stroll along Binjiang Road by herself.
On the dark, murky river, cargo ships occasionally sail by, stirring up waves that rise high into the water.
Leaning half-on on the railing, he pondered whether Qu Yun's girlfriend resembled him or Tang Yongzi.
Perhaps this woman is his soulmate; perhaps they will get married soon; perhaps his entangled and painful love affair was just a rehearsal before he met that woman.
Thinking about it carefully, to have a passionate, dramatic, and dramatic relationship with someone like Qu Yun, who frequently appears in the dreams and daydreams of all the girls in the school, and to have each other accuse each other of being cruel, heartless, and unreasonable, is enough to make this life worthwhile.
He took the diamond ring out of his pocket and examined it under the streetlight. It was nice, the size was just right, and it looked elegant and dignified.
Perhaps now is the time for her to move forward—after all, Qu Yun has also moved forward.
Perhaps, after so many separations and reunions, Gu Chengyuan is the one destined for him?
However... despite trying several times, You Ran was still unable to put the ring on.
Fingers and diamond rings are like the same poles of a magnet, repelling each other.
As darkness fell, You Ran sensed some danger—a bad guy with poor eyesight might mistake her for a beautiful woman and take advantage of her.
You Ran always remembered her elementary school teacher's teachings and always used the crosswalk when crossing the road—if she was unfortunately hit by a car, she could still extort some money from the pedestrians.
Xiao Mi, mindful of Metersbonwe's advertising slogan, never liked to use the usual zebra crossing. Instead, she would cross the road five meters away from the zebra crossing—so that if she got hit, she could easily crawl onto the zebra crossing with her bloodied hands and lie there to extort money.
At that moment, someone did the same thing as Xiaomi, walking outside about five meters away from You Ran.
A tall, straight back, long, straight legs, and fair skin—that figure was none other than Qu Yun.
You Ran didn't have time to think about why he was there, because she saw a car speeding towards her from the other side.
Qu Yun seemed to be on her phone talking to someone, completely unaware of the deadly danger.
At that moment, You Ran didn't think much, not a single thought or word. He rushed to Qu Yun's side and pushed him toward the side of the road.
The car narrowly missed You Ran's clothes, skidded a few meters, and then came to a sudden stop.