Gu Zhi's coldness was unbearable for Bai Ling, and it was at this time that she met Li Mingyu.
The stark contrast between Li Mingyu's gentleness and his stubbornness allowed Bai Ling to experience true love for the first time.
Finally, she decided to divorce Gu Zhi and marry Li Mingyu.
During the argument, the young Gu Chengyuan overheard the incident.
That night, Gu Chengyuan threw himself into Bai Ling's arms, begging her not to leave.
Bai Ling had always regarded Gu Chengyuan as her own flesh and blood, and she made up her mind to take him away.
However, in court, Gu Zhi presented evidence that Bai Ling was not Gu Chengyuan's biological mother.
Naturally, Gu Chengyuan was sentenced to be assigned to Gu Zhi.
And so, Bai Ling and Gu Chengyuan parted ways.
After that, Bai Ling went to see Gu Chengyuan. Every time she saw his numerous wounds, she felt heartbroken every time.
But she was powerless to do anything about it.
Gu Zhi even believed that Bai Ling's departure was all Gu Chengyuan's fault, and he beat and scolded him every few days.
On one occasion, Gu Zhi even submerged Gu Chengyuan's head in water, only letting go when Gu was about to suffocate.
“I know he’s had a hard time, but I never imagined he would hate me so much.” Bai Ling murmured, “I never thought that would be such a cruel abandonment for him. And I never imagined that the child would direct his hatred at you.”
"It's alright, Mom, it's all in the past." You Ran said softly, "It's all in the past."
After the incident was over, You Ran and Xiao Xin returned to school.
On the bus, You Ran remained silent, as if she was thinking about many things, or perhaps she wasn't thinking about anything at all.
Once the car entered the downtown area, Xiaoxin suddenly asked the driver to stop in front of a bar, and before You Ran could react, he pulled her out of the car.
Soon, he sat down leisurely, with many bottles of wine placed in front of him.
"Drink it," Shin-chan said.
You Ran paused for a moment, then began to drink one cup after another.
Drinking alcohol can make people happy if they drink to a certain extent, but today, even though I drink alcohol like water, I can't seem to reach that level of enjoyment.
The more I drank, the more depressed I became.
In the end, it was Shin-chan who managed to hold her hand as she kept pouring alcohol down her throat.
"Why won't you let me drink anymore?" You Ran asked.
"You'll get drunk," Shin-chan said.
"If you don't want to get drunk, why drink?" You Ran found Xiao Xin's logic hilarious.
"Even if you're drunk, those unhappy memories will still be preserved until tomorrow." Shin-chan said, "It's no use unless... you tell those things out loud."
“Some things are just unspeakable.” You Ran shook her head: “Really, they are unspeakable.”
"Then, just say whatever comes to mind," Shin-chan said, lowering his expectations.
"What are you thinking about?" You Ran suddenly smiled nervously: "All I'm thinking about is... how unlucky I am."
"Seriously, I'm so unlucky. Why did they have to target me out of so many people?"
"Is it really because I seem very resilient? That I can revive them at the last minute and give them endless fun?"
"It seems I should be more submissive, at least appear more submissive, so I won't get hurt so much?"
“I hate them, I hate them one by one.”
"But do you know what's troubling me? Each of them has a story behind them, and each one is tragic."
"Yes, they all deserve to be pitied, and I deserve to be pitied too. So, who deserves to be hated?"
"What is wrong with this world?"
"Why did I fall for it twice in a row? Why was I so foolish as to invest so much?"
"It must be my fault, my own fault. I met the wrong person, but it's impossible for me to be wrong twice."
"Yes, it's my fault, it must be my fault."
"I dare not do it again, I no longer have the courage to believe in love. It's all a lie, something made up by bored people to pass the time."
"Yes, I will never believe again, never ever."
Under the heavy, rapidly shifting lights, You Ran buried her head in her arms.
Forget about lovemaking, it's all a waste of time. You'd be better off getting some sleep.
At least when you sleep, your heart won't get hurt.
Amidst the cacophony of music, Shin-chan's calm voice rang out: "There's a saying that things shouldn't happen more than three times."
Yo Ran chuckled and said, "If this happens a third time, I'm dead."
"At least, let's try one last time." Shin-chan's voice was very close to You Ran's ear.
He shook his head leisurely, slowly, with a hint of drunkenness.
“This time, just sit where you are, and wait for someone to come and love you,” Shin-chan said.
"Will anyone come when my hair turns white?" You Ran chuckled.
"Yes, I will." Shin-chan's voice was gentler than ever before, and at the same moment, he grasped Yu-ran's hand: "I'm already here."
Under the light, everything seemed to be swaying.
Looking up casually, I see this unstable world.
However, Shin-chan's eyes held the only steadfastness and determination in this shaky world.
"Li Youran, I like you," he told her.
At that moment, You Ran suddenly remembered someone's advice to not drink too much alcohol.
This is the eighteenth lesson Qu Yun taught You Ran—drinking is the easiest way to develop feelings.
[Lesson 19] When a man gets desperate, he can stop at nothing.
In the dim and chaotic light, Xiaoxin said to her, "Li Youran, I like you."
His gaze was firm, his words were firm, and his grip on her hand was firm.
You Ran stared at him for a full minute, and then... she collapsed onto the table with a thud, burying her head between her arms.
Shin-chan's eyebrows, driven by the bulging veins on his forehead, undulated in a wave-like pattern, as if the Venetian monster were lurking around.
"Li Youran, after I confessed my feelings, you actually chose the most unskilled method of pretending to be asleep!!!" Xiaoxin grabbed Youran's collar and shook her violently like a piece of paper.
"My bones are about to fall apart!!!" You Ran begged for mercy.
Shin-chan then let go of her hand, but her eyebrows were still furious.
"Who told you to suddenly say such a thing? What else could I do if I didn't pretend to be asleep?" You Ran lowered her head and straightened her clothes. Fortunately, the little bit of spring scenery that remained was not exposed.
Shin-chan looked at the table and said again, "I'm serious."
“But I can’t be serious,” You Ran said. “I don’t want to be serious anymore.”
"Because you've been hurt? So you're scared? The Li Youran I know isn't that spineless," Xiao Xin said in a low voice.
"Don't try to provoke me, I'm just that spineless." You Ran spoke the truth: "I don't want to date anymore. After graduation, when I'm old enough, I'll go on blind dates, meet someone suitable, and get married... That's it."
"Am I... not as good as those strange men?" Xiaoxin asked, his voice slightly hoarse.
"I am a menace, so I cannot harm my own people." This is how You Ran describes herself.
"I'm willing to be harmed by you, is it any of your business?" Xiaoxin frowned.
"I don't want to harm you, so what's it to you?" You Ran frowned as well.
"Li Youran, you better understand me, what exactly is it about Long Xiang that makes me unworthy of you?" Xiao Xin slammed his hand on the table.
“There are plenty of people who are good enough for me. Do you expect me to date them all?” You Ran also slammed her hand on the table.
"But I'm the only one who likes you!" Shinjo stood up and looked down at Yuzuru.
"Just because you say you like me, does that mean I have to date you?! Besides, who knows if you really like me?" You Ran also stood up, but due to the height difference, she still looked up at Xiao Xin.
Shin-chan: "What do I have to do for you to believe me?!"
You Ran: "Take off your underwear now, and I'll believe you!"
Shin-chan: "..."
You Ran stopped arguing with Xiao Xin, sat down again, ordered another drink, tilted her head back, and started chugging it down.
After finishing, he sighed and said, "Xiaoxin, liking someone is the most thankless and exhausting thing in the world. I advise you, never be so foolish..."
Just as she was patiently trying to persuade him, You Ran glanced out of the corner of her eye and found that Xiao Xin was gone.
It seems she left because she was angry with herself.
You Ran was annoyed—why didn't anyone pay for her? So ungentlemanly!
Just as she was complaining, a white object suddenly floated up to You Ran with a "whoosh".
You Ran struggled to open her slightly tipsy eyes, and after seeing clearly, she quickly jumped back three meters away.
That was—a pair of white boxer briefs.
His leisurely eyes glanced at the white underwear on the table, then at Shin-chan's serious face, and after a long while, he finally spoke.
"So... you're still using underwear with Crayon Shin-chan designs."
Shin-chan: "..."
That night, You Ran's only option was to keep drinking until she got drunk.
She got what she wanted, but all night she dreamed of the thick eyebrows on her underwear and Crayon Shin-chan singing, "Elephant, elephant, why is your nose so long?"
In addition, You Ran kept dreaming about the homework that Xiao Xin assigned before she fell asleep.
"I'll come to your dorm tomorrow. You need to give me an answer then."
reply?
Right now, Yu Ran just wants to commit seppuku.