"So, from the very beginning, all your kindness towards me was just an act?" You Ran grasped this point on the precipice of confusion, but the sharp truth left her palms bleeding profusely, her skin torn and bone exposed.
“That’s right, from the very beginning, all I felt for you was hatred…” Gu Chengyuan’s hand moved down You Ran’s earlobe to her neck.
Gu Chengyuan had large hands, and he wrapped them around You Ran's slender neck as if he were about to strangle her to death.
Suddenly, tears welled up in You Ran's eyes, like a burst faucet, and large drops of tears fell uncontrollably, but without a sound, not a sound at all.
"Why did you do this? Wouldn't it have been more satisfying to hit me, scold me, and bully me? Why did you do this? Why did you... Why did you have to throw her down to the bottom when she was standing at the pinnacle of happiness?"
Gu Chengyuan tightened his grip: "Only by doing this can you suffer the most, can't you? Only by doing this can you understand everything I've suffered, everything that is unbearable... But You Ran, don't cry, because it's not over yet."
You Ran slowly squatted down on the ground, buried her head in her knees, and cried silently.
You Ran knew in her heart that she should run away, should escape this nightmarish environment, but she couldn't get out.
Because her tears kept flowing, as if they were about to burst out of her eyes, and she couldn't stop them at all.
Her vision was blurred, and she couldn't see anything.
"Never mind, Chengyuan, let the little girl have some peace and quiet. Let's go out and eat," the tall, thin man advised.
Then came the sound of their footsteps as they left.
Finally, a hand gently patted her shoulder: "Little sister, go home now."
Then came the sound of the door closing; everyone had left.
You Ran felt as if she had entered a dead and silent world, where nothing else existed around her, not even her heart.
In the days that followed, You Ran didn't know how she got through them. She returned home and then developed a high fever.
It burned for a long time; the fire consumed every part of her body—the fire of Gu Chengyuan's hatred.
In this confused state, he leisurely took the college entrance examination, but his results were terrible, and he didn't even get into a junior college.
You Ran understood that this was what Gu Chengyuan wanted to see, which was why he chose to confront her before the college entrance examination.
Those months were the most painful time of You Ran's life. Failing the college entrance examination and Gu Chengyuan's revenge were enough to destroy her.
During that period, You Ran even thought about death.
He thought of ending his life with a knife.
She made the decision on Friday and scheduled the implementation for Sunday evening.
But in the end, You Ran still failed because she couldn't sleep on Friday and Saturday, and she accidentally fell asleep on Sunday night.
When she woke up, she found that the knife she had used to commit suicide was gone. She looked around and finally found her father using it to cut an orange in the kitchen.
Seeing that she had gotten up, Li Mingyu handed her the plate and said, "You Ran, the fruit knife you bought is really sharp... Look how much thinner you've become. Hey, so what if you didn't get into university? At worst, your parents will support you for the rest of your life. What's the big deal? Come on, eat some oranges. Look, they'll go bad if you don't eat them soon."
Seeing this theatrical scene, You Ran suddenly felt like laughing.
Yeah, it's no big deal.
It's just a minor injury, why make such a fuss?
If you die, you won't be able to eat oranges anymore.
Leisurely picked up the plate of fruit, went straight into the room, and started reviewing her textbooks while eating.
You Ran was convinced that the ordeal she suffered at the age of eighteen was something she owed Gu Chengyuan, and that she would live her life anew afterward.
Live happily.
She wanted to eat to her heart's content, sleep to her heart's content, and look at handsome men to her heart's content.
Live life to the fullest.
A horn blare interrupted her reverie, and in the mirror, she saw herself three years in the future.
The loudspeaker was pressed by Gu Chengyuan outside the restroom; he was urging her on.
You Ran couldn't understand why he just wouldn't let her go.
You Ran, who had repeated a year of high school, was admitted to university, but Gu Chengyuan, whom she thought was long gone, reappeared.
He acted as if nothing had happened, still coming to You Ran's house as usual, still bringing You Ran the gifts the children liked, and still giving her his unique, gentle smile.
You Ran can be quite stubborn at times. When she was in elementary school, she bought a skewer of rice cakes from a barbecue stall outside the school. After eating it, she had diarrhea for three days. Since then, she has never eaten barbecue again.
Not even once.
Similarly, she said that if she wanted to forget Gu Chengyuan, she would definitely forget him.
Therefore, even though her university was very close to home, You Ran rarely went home, because that way she could avoid Gu Chengyuan.
In this way, he can no longer exist in her life.
Yes, he no longer exists.
With that thought in mind, You Ran made a decision, an impulsive one, but one that would prevent her from continuing to be depressed—she climbed out of the gas station restroom window.
Behind the window was a wall. You Ran, panting heavily, ran back from behind Gu Chengyuan's car, taking a wide detour.
You Ran's plan was to run far away, hide somewhere Gu Chengyuan couldn't see her, and wait until he was far away before taking a bus back to school.
The plan was good, but with her short, thick calves, You Ran lacked the ability to run silently, which is why she was discovered after only a few meters.
Gu Chengyuan immediately turned his car around and rushed to catch up with her.
Human legs are no match for four wheels, and You Ran was quickly overtaken. Gu Chengyuan got out of the car, grabbed her, and dragged her into the car.
But surrendering was not her style. She casually glanced around and spotted a police car nearby. In a flash of inspiration, she immediately shouted, "Help! Robbery!!!"
In broad daylight, under the clear sky, such a heinous act occurred. The two police officers in the car immediately rushed over to uphold justice.
A surge of warmth welled up inside You Ran. The police officer was truly a god incarnate; it was worth it for the children to hand over the penny they had painstakingly found.
But as they got closer, one of the uncles saw Gu Chengyuan, and his tense face immediately relaxed: "Oh, it's Chengyuan."
The burning passion that had been raging in You Ran's heart cooled down—this was bad; it seemed this person knew Gu Chengyuan.
As You Ran had predicted, the following is their conversation—
"Hey, how did you end up here?"
"Yes, it was transferred last month. By the way, Chengyuan, I really owe you a lot for that last thing. I haven't had a chance to thank you yet."
"It's nothing, just a small favor."
"You're too modest. You've helped me a lot. I'll treat you to a meal next time we go out. Don't mind."
"Since you're treating, I definitely have to come."
"What are you doing? Why are you shouting 'robbery' in broad daylight?"
"Oh, the little girl is just throwing a tantrum, it's nothing serious."
"Young lady, don't make jokes like that again. If you run into a stranger and they actually arrest Chengyuan, things will get really messed up... I have to go now, we have to be on duty. We'll talk on the phone next time."
After saying that, the two policemen drifted away.
A carefree heart suddenly plummeted from the scorching embers to the icy depths of the lake.
These two uncles are truly unable to distinguish between loyalty and treachery, right and wrong; they have really let down those countless one-cent coins.
You Ran really wanted to scream again, but Gu Chengyuan beat her to it. He put his left arm around her shoulder and his right arm around her leg, and with a little effort, he picked You Ran up, put her in the car without saying a word, and then started the car at a crazy speed and continued to move forward.
"Looks like you're really afraid I'll eat you up." Inside the car, Gu Chengyuan looked in the rearview mirror and smiled.
Suddenly, You Ran felt a surge of anger. She hated his smile, his nonchalance, and the hatred that emanated from him.
Yes, You Ran forgave Gu Chengyuan for his past revenge, treating the pain that incident caused her as a debt she was repaying to him.
She paid off her parents' debts, and she no longer owed Gu Chengyuan anything. He no longer had the right to disturb her life or hinder her happiness.
"You won't eat me, because you hate me, don't you?" You Ran's tone was calm.
When driving, Gu Chengyuan always keeps his eyes on the road ahead and looks very focused. He is very focused when doing anything.
In particular, the matter of revenge, You Ran thought.
"You still remember what I said back then, don't you?" Gu Chengyuan asked.
You Ran didn't answer; she didn't really want to bring up that matter.
“You remember so clearly, which means you still care about me.” Gu Chengyuan repeated, “Yes, Youran, perhaps you yourself don’t realize that you still care about me.”
“Of course I care about you,” You Ran said without hesitation. “Because you’ve been thinking about how to take revenge on my family. Naturally, I care about such a dangerous person.”
“You know that’s not what I meant,” Gu Chengyuan said.
"So what are you trying to say?" You Ran asked. "Are you saying that you feel sorry for what happened back then? Are you saying that you've come to your senses and are giving up on revenge?"
“Your emotions are very unstable,” Gu Chengyuan said slowly, glancing at the rearview mirror again.
You Ran realized her lapse in composure. She took a slow breath and fell silent. After a while, she suddenly pushed the seat back and climbed into the back seat using both her hands and feet.
"What are you doing?" Gu Chengyuan's eyebrows twitched slightly.
"To avoid getting agitated again, I think it's best for me to stay here." You Ran rested her elbow on the window, propped her chin up, and looked out the window.
Gu Chengyuan agreed to her request.
The journey wasn't long, and soon the peaceful school came into view.
"Let's stop here, so our classmates don't see us and start asking all sorts of questions," You Ran said, stopping the car one block away from the school gate.
Gu Chengyuan stopped the car, and You Ran, as if unwilling to stay with him for even a minute longer, slipped out like an eel, then opened the trunk, took out her luggage, and wanted to leave quickly.
However, Gu Chengyuan grabbed the handle of the suitcase first.
"Thank you, but I can go in by myself. Don't bother me." You Ran's politeness was cold and indifferent.
But Gu Chengyuan didn't let go: "Is that person your classmate?"
You Ran paused for a moment, then quickly realized what Gu Chengyuan was asking, but she didn't want to, and was unwilling to, answer the question: "What does it matter to you whether it is or isn't?"
Gu Chengyuan took a step forward, moving closer to You Ran.
You Ran felt the pressure he exerted and involuntarily backed away, but she forgot that behind her was Gu Chengyuan's car.
You Ran's thigh touched the back of the car, and her body fell backward uncontrollably.
Just then, Gu Chengyuan reached out and grabbed her waist.
A hand encircled most of her waist.