"Satisfied now?" Gu Heping glanced at the man on the sofa. "Do you even have a heart? Listen to Xiaoxi's voice just now, it was almost crying. I even helped you lie to her, I want to slap myself."
Zhou Qishen was taciturn, and the lines of his jawbone were taut.
Gu Heping was furious. "Can't we just talk things out, no matter how big the misunderstanding is?"
Zhou Qishen was devastated. He hadn't slept for several nights, and his eyes were bloodshot. He said in a hoarse voice, "Heping, I thought I could give her happiness. But actually, I'm the worst one. All the suffering and hurt she endured was ultimately because of me. Tell me, someone like me doesn't deserve a girl's true love at all. I've let her down, even though she and Meng Weixi are together..."
"What the hell are you spouting nonsense about!" Gu Heping roared. "What's wrong with you! After all these years of fighting, is this how you demoralize people? Even if you and Xiao Xi don't end up together, you absolutely cannot let Meng Weixi be with you!"
Zhou Qishen slowly shook his head, his smile full of self-mockery. "I owe Zhao Xiyin too much, really, I can never repay her in this lifetime."
His condition frightened Gu Heping. It was only when Dr. Lin Yi called him personally that he learned Zhou Qishen had fallen into another low point. Lin Yi advised him to spend more time with those close to him and offer words of comfort. She was actually worried that something might happen to Zhou Qishen.
What does it mean to be close to someone?
Parents, wife and children.
He and Zhou Qishen didn't have any.
Gu Heping felt sorry for his brother after thinking about it.
After discussing it with Lao Cheng, they agreed that each of them would spend a day with him first, and if nothing else was going to happen, they would bring Zhao Zhao along to join in the fun. Gu Heping slept in the same bed with him that night, but even someone as territorial as Zhou Qishen remained indifferent and didn't say a word.
Gu Heping felt uneasy. The night before last, he had turned over in his sleep and found the space beside him empty, which startled him so much that he sat up abruptly. Zhou Qishen hadn't gone anywhere; he was in the bedroom, sitting on the bay window with his legs propped up. As dawn approached, the hazy, gray light outside blurred his figure into a sharp silhouette.
That was a scene that Gu Heping could never forget, even long afterward.
His features, expression, and eyes were all obscured. But the despair emanating from the man, surging like a tide, could be felt even from a distance.
Gu Heping owns a listed company, but it doesn't do much real work. His family is both politically and professionally minded, making their identities sensitive and special. Even his trips abroad require several layers of approval. Although Gu Heping served in the military, he didn't really want to follow that path. His family imposed many restrictions, and he was too lazy to fight back. Anyway, he had plenty of cronies who would throw money at projects. Real estate, catering, beauty, foreign trade—there wasn't a single industry that Uncle Gu hadn't been involved in.
Although it cannot compare to businessmen like Zhou Qishen who are determined to develop a family business, the annual dividends are still quite considerable.
Gu Heping has turned down most of his work these past few days, focusing entirely on being a caregiver. Since he can't cook, he orders takeout for every meal, and he's about to throw up from it all. Zhou Qishen, on the other hand, seems unaffected, eating whatever he orders, like a walking corpse.
Gu Heping said, "I'll stay with you for two more days. There are only two days left until New Year's Day. The old man gave me a strict order that I spend New Year's Eve with him every year. Why don't you come home with me?"
Zhou Qishen's smoking habit has been getting worse these past few days. He's emptied the ashtray again and again, but he says, "No, I don't like crowds."
Gu Heping understood that he simply didn't like this kind of lively, family-like atmosphere.
Rubbing salt into a wound only makes things worse.
It's because I'm afraid of getting hurt.
"Fine, fine, you can stay here alone. Let me tell you, I'm installing five cameras in this house tomorrow, one in each room. I'll be watching you all the time even when I go home for New Year's. Don't you dare do anything like self-harm or suicide, that's bad luck! I'll have to come back and collect your corpse."
Zhou Qishen's lips curled into a faint smile.
Gu Heping felt a little relieved, then clicked his tongue, and started to worry again. "What if Xiao Xi keeps calling me these days? I can't stand seeing women cry. Don't blame me if I accidentally let it slip."
Zhou Qishen suddenly raised his head, his gaze dejected, "Peace, I'm begging you."
...
"Let me think about it for a couple of days."
"Damn it, don't look at me like that. I've already said yes, okay?!" Gu Heping couldn't stand seeing a woman cry, nor could he stand seeing a man heartbroken. He touched his face, "Truly the most handsome man in the world."
Alright, alright, let's not cause any more trouble as we say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new.
They thought they could have a peaceful New Year, but little did they expect that their lie would be exposed the very next day.
Chapter 58 Youthful Glory Wasted (4)
Given Zhou Qishen's condition, Gu Heping didn't dare let him drive.
I had an appointment with Dr. Lin Yi for her psychology clinic at nine in the morning, and she only saw one patient all morning. Gu Heping joked, "You're a top VIP, aren't you? How many years has Lin Yi been your therapist? Five or six years, at least?"
Zhou Qishen pinched his brow and remained silent.
Is she married?
"I don't know." Zhou Qishen paused, "Don't get any ideas about her."
"Why are you so quick to defend your own shortcomings?" Gu Heping scoffed.
Zhou Qishen was too weak to explain, and only said, "Dr. Lin is a good person."
"You also said that Xiaoxi is a good woman."
Zhou Qi took a deep breath, controlling his expression, and after a long while turned his head, saying sincerely and earnestly, "Heping, can we not mention her?"
Gu Heping abandoned his playful attitude and dared not say another word.
Halfway through the journey, he still hadn't figured out whether "she" referred to Dr. Lin or Zhao Xiyin.
Zhou Qishen stayed at the manor until evening. Midway through, Lin Yi came out of the treatment room, and Gu Heping asked, "Are you feeling better?"
Lin Yi shook her head, pursed her lips, and said the situation was not optimistic.
“He used to be more willing to confide in me, but this time, my attempts to guide him have failed. Qi Shen is talking less and less, and all I can do is create a relaxed atmosphere for him. By the way, has he been having trouble sleeping at night lately?”
“Not often,” Gu Heping said. “I’ve never slept with him. I’m with him every day. He’s like a lost ghost around dawn. See? I got these dark circles under my eyes from him scaring me.”
Lin Yi smiled, her dimples appearing at the corners of her mouth, and said helplessly, "When he comes to my place, he can finally get a good night's sleep."
That's all we can do. Gu Heping thanked him, "Thank you for your help, angel."