Gu Chengyuan.
In the blink of an eye, Youran figured everything out.
He did not let his parents off the hook.
Under the scorching sun, his leisurely gaze reveals the coldness of another world.
“Your parents are in the hospital, I’ll give you a ride,” he said.
You Ran said nothing, but walked past him toward the swimming pool in the center of the community.
Under the scorching midday sun, the swimming pool was deserted, with only the calm, rippling blue water remaining.
"Did you hear what I said?" Gu Chengyuan asked.
You Ran stopped by the pool, her back to Gu Chengyuan.
"What, don't you want to go see them?" Gu Chengyuan asked.
“What I want to do most right now,” said the leisurely voice, as calm as the water in the pool, “is to drive you out of our lives forever.”
After saying that, You Ran suddenly turned around and used all her strength to push Gu Chengyuan down.
This memory is blurry for You Ran. She only remembers the warm, scorching sunlight, the water surface that stirred up countless waves, and Gu Chengyuan's body slowly sinking.
He didn't struggle, or even make a sound, but simply let the water soak over his head.
It's like a lifeless object.
The water surface quickly returned to calm, as if nothing had happened, with shards of sunlight still dancing on it.
After an unknown amount of time, You Ran recovered from her rage and, looking at Gu Chengyuan's flowing hair in the pool, suddenly realized what she had done.
She cried for help as she jumped into the water and desperately pulled Gu Chengyuan toward the shore.
Gu Chengyuan's face was quiet, as pale as paper.
It was bystanders who helped rescue Gu Chengyuan and take him to the hospital.
When You Ran rescued Gu Chengyuan and brought him ashore, she could vaguely see the scars through the water-soaked fabric on his body.
Some old, yet gruesome scars that chill the heart.
One after another, the lines crisscrossed along his back.
She began to regret her impulsiveness.
But as if to intensify her remorse, at this moment, the police called and told You Ran that the person who deliberately injured her parents was a young employee of her father's company who had been reported by Li Mingyu for embezzling public funds, and thus harbored resentment and committed such an act.
It turns out that this matter had nothing to do with Gu Chengyuan.
Looking at Gu Chengyuan, who was still unconscious on the hospital bed, You Ran felt a mix of emotions, unable to express them clearly.
Bai Ling and Li Mingyu both suffered only superficial injuries and were discharged from the hospital after a few days of rest. You Ran never dared to tell them about Gu Chengyuan, but instead made excuses to go out every day to secretly visit him at the hospital.
The doctor said that after a thorough examination, Gu Chengyuan's body was not seriously injured, and his coma may have stemmed from childhood fears.
Yes, he was afraid of water, and You Ran knew that, which is why she took him to the edge of the swimming pool and... pushed him in.
At that moment, she probably wanted him to die.
Recalling that thought she had back then, You Ran felt a chill run down her spine.
What You Ran fears most is the moment when the nurse wipes his body every day, because the scars on his back will flood her eyes like a tide.
“These are all injuries from his childhood,” sighed Gu Chengyuan’s attending physician. “At least four bones were broken. Even after so long, the scars are still so frightening. I don’t know how shocking they were back then. What exactly did he go through?”
What exactly did Gu Chengyuan encounter?
You Ran shook her head; she didn't know either.
Aside from Gu Chengyuan, nobody else knows, right?
The only thing that's certain is that it must have been some terrible things.
Looking at that face, which was always rugged and handsome but now looked a little pale, You Ran felt a pang of sadness.
While he grew up in an environment filled with sweets and parental love, Gu Chengyuan quietly endured the whipping in a dark corner.
Yes, he must have felt it was unfair.
During the days she stayed at the hospital, You Ran saw clearly Gu Chengyuan's loneliness.
Many people came to see him, but they were all business associates. They brought expensive tonics and exquisite gifts, but You Ran could sense that they were all indifferent.
They don't care about Gu Chengyuan.
As for his relatives... none of Gu Chengyuan's relatives came.
Besides these, there is another special person.
Tang Yongzi.
Her face was still as radiant as ever, but with an added touch of disappointment.
“I really never imagined that Gu Chengyuan would one day be lying in bed,” Tang Yongzi said.
There was no hint of sarcasm or kicking someone when they're down.
"Who do you really like?" You Ran asked curiously. "Qu Yun, or him?"
"Who I like has nothing to do with you," Tang Yongzi said.
Fine, consider it her own humiliation. You Ran stopped talking and munched on the bright red apple that Tang Yongzi had brought.
After a long while, Tang Yongzi walked to the window. Her already slender legs looked even more sexy and alluring with the support of her high heels.
Looking at its own short legs with a calm and unperturbed expression, it continued to munch on its apple.
"In your opinion, who do I actually like?" Tang Yongzi suddenly asked.
The only response she received was the crunching sound of someone biting into an apple.
"I'm asking you a question," Tang Yongzi said.
"Who you like has nothing to do with me," You Ran retorted, using her previous words as a retort.
"She has a sharp tongue," Tang Yongzi commented.
The only response she received was the crunching sound of someone munching on an apple.
"Eating so loudly is rude." Tang Yongzi walked over, snatched the apple from You Ran's hand, and threw it into the trash.
"Where's Youlin?" You Ran asked. "Isn't he always sticking to you?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Yongzi's disappointment became even more apparent. While waiting for her to gather her emotions, she leisurely picked up another apple, peeled it, and began to eat it again.
“He’s gone,” Tang Yongzi said.
"Where to?" You Ran asked.
"I don't know," Tang Yongzi said, feigning nonchalance. "I don't know either."
"He's gone. You must be feeling a bit lost," You Ran said, adopting the air of someone who'd been there before.
Tang Yongzi fell silent.
"Tell me, who do you really like?" You Ran asked. "Qu Yun, Gu Chengyuan, or You Lin?"
Tang Yongzi picked up an apple, gripped it tightly, and slowly dug his fingernails into the flesh.
"When Qu Yun and I met, we were both outstanding people in school. People around us saw us and said we were a good match. There were no twists and turns, and we got together."
"But Qu Yun has a cold personality. He likes to stay at home and do his own thing. I never feel that he cares about me. He never goes shopping, to the movies, or to bars with me."
"Later, I gradually realized that Qu Yun was a proud person, and he always used the best things. In other words, he didn't love me that much. He only chose me because I was one of the best women he knew, and that was all."
“From childhood to adulthood, wherever I went, I was always the center of attention. I have never received such treatment before, so I hate Qu Yun more and more.”
"It was at this time that I met Gu Chengyuan, who was Qu Yun's classmate. Not long after we met, he began to pursue me secretly. I have to admit, his methods were brilliant; he could sway any woman's heart."
"Perhaps it was for revenge, or perhaps I couldn't resist the temptation. In any case, I slept with Gu Chengyuan on Qu Yun's birthday."
"Qu Yun witnessed all of this, and his cold exterior finally cracked a little. The next day, he beat Gu Chengyuan in public."
“I was very happy to hear this news. I thought it at least proved that Qu Yun cared about me.”
“But I was wrong. The biggest reason for Qu Yun’s abnormal behavior at that time was Gu Chengyuan’s deception and betrayal…not because of me, never.”
"After that incident, Qu Yun dropped out of school and left the military academy, while I continued my relationship with Gu Chengyuan."
"But after we started dating, I realized that Gu Chengyuan wasn't the person I wanted either. Qu Yun, at least, was genuine. Whether he loved or not, he wouldn't hide it; he would make you feel it clearly. But Gu Chengyuan would hug you passionately, making you have the illusion that he loved you very much. But if you really opened his heart, it was a frozen wasteland."
"Later, I went back to see Qu Yun two or three more times, but he rejected me very firmly. I found out that she was with you, and I was furious because being defeated by you was unacceptable to me. So I tried every means to find out the truth. I wanted everyone to know that Qu Yun was with you for a purpose, and that you did not win against me."
So that's how it is. It seems none of us are willing to admit defeat.
"Youlin, he truly loves you, doesn't he?" You Ran asked.
“You Lin…” Tang Yongzi recalled slowly, “He was always by my side. He would support me when I was drunk, comfort me when I was heartbroken, and cheer me up when I was unhappy. I knew his feelings for me, but I always felt that he wasn’t good enough for me. So I always maintained a friendship with him. I thought he would always be by my side like this, but… suddenly one day, he just disappeared without leaving me a single word, just vanished.”
“If you focus on finding him, it won’t be difficult,” You Ran said. “The key question is, do you want to be with him?”
"I...don't know." Tang Yongzi slowly shook his head.
You Ran smiled darkly to herself, thinking, "Finally, someone else has become a fool for love."
"You need to think this through quickly. Men like You Lin, who are economically practical, are very popular in the market. He might send you an invitation to his son's one-month celebration in a few days. Or, he might be turned gay by some gay man and come out of the closet. Even if you take off all your clothes in front of him, he won't react at all."
Presumably startled by You Ran's conjecture, Tang Yongzi stood up, pursed her red lips, and her delicate features gradually changed from hesitation to determination.
You Ran understood that the mature woman had been resurrected. Tang Yongzi's subtext was: My man, no matter what kind of demons or monsters you are, whether you're the Jade Emperor or the Queen Mother of the West, no one can touch him.
Tang Yongzi picked up his briefcase and looked down at You Ran, saying, "Just a friendly reminder, Qu Yun isn't a good person either. A while ago, he deliberately asked me to meet him at your school to provoke you and test whether you still had feelings for him."
He casually clenched his fist; he knew this guy had ill intentions.
"Since he actually made me cannon fodder, I won't let him off easily," Tang Yongzi vowed.
He nodded leisurely, like pounding garlic. "Unleash your inner power! Go all out and destroy them! Don't hold back!"
Picking up her small handbag and moving her nine-inch high heels, Tang Yongzi walked gracefully out of the ward.
She didn't turn around, as if talking to herself, but her voice was clear enough for You Ran to hear: "Being liked by two people like this, I was jealous of you a while ago, but now... I pity you."
Well, at least she's being envied. You Ran tried her best to treat that as a compliment.
Tang Yongzi was definitely not someone to be trifled with, and her so-called revenge made You Ran's mind wander.