He didn’t wait long for Huo Xiu’s reply. Just as Xu Qingfeng thought the other man was busy and began to feel a hint of disappointment…
The ringtone of a call from Huo Xiu rang out; he had taken the initiative to call back.
Xu Qingfeng raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, but he quickly composed himself and answered with his usual calm.
The baritone voice coming through the phone was even more magnetic than usual the kind of voice that would make most people weak at the knees and Xu Qingfeng, too, found it exceptionally pleasant to listen to.
“Are you certain your friend’s personality is truly unchangeable?”
Presumably, few people ever sought Huo Xiu out for relationship counseling; Xu Qingfeng was the sole exception.
But his intuition had been correct: Huo Xiu was indeed a man of profound insight and precocious wisdom. His first sentence cut straight to the heart of the matter.
Xu Qingfeng couldn’t give a definitive answer. After a long hesitation, he said slowly, “He is an adult, after all, and old habits die hard. Perhaps he can change, but the chances are likely slim.”
In Xu Qingfeng’s view, Gu Tianze’s fundamental nature wasn’t actually bad; he just had a terrible temper and didn’t know how to treat An Yan properly. What needed to change perhaps wasn’t his core personality, but rather his way of interacting with others.
The person on the other end of the line gave a cool “Mm” and offered a balanced opinion: “There is no need to force a change. You can also look at it as a matter of screening; perhaps he simply hasn’t met someone compatible yet.”
These words were deeply meaningful, and Xu Qingfeng understood the implication immediately.
Under his restrictions during this period, Gu Tianze had indeed kicked many bad habits, but his foul temper hadn’t softened much.
If there were someone compatible with Gu Tianze, it would likely be difficult to find a second person in this world aside from An Yan.
An Yan was soft, good at being patient and forgiving, and…
Gu Tianze’s love for An Yan had already reached a point of obsession. Aside from An Yan, it was hard for him to care about anyone else. This was the very obsession that, in the original story, would lead him to his own doom.
It was precisely because he couldn’t let go of An Yan that he would continue to harass him even after they broke up, blaming everything on Huo Xiu believing it was the other man’s interference that caused An Yan to lose interest without ever considering his own faults.
That obsession didn’t win back An Yan; instead, it deeply offended Huo Xiu and led him straight to a bowl of “Meng Po’s soup” (oblivion/death).
Xu Qingfeng let out a soft sigh. “For my friend, that person is already the most compatible one he’ll find.”
Just as a person realizes the true answer in their heart the moment they flip a coin, the moment Huo Xiu hinted at a “breakup,” Xu Qingfeng’s own true thoughts became clear, and his confusion vanished.
His answer also let Huo Xiu know his true intentions. After a long silence, the magnetic voice spoke again, offering a second solution…
“Try giving them one last chance.”
Although Huo Xiu didn’t explicitly state what that “chance” was, Xu Qingfeng felt a telepathic connection; he knew the so-called chance referred to a brief period of togetherness before deciding whether to stay together or part ways.
Yes, he had to seize the time. If he let An Yan make the decision now, the result would be obvious. But during this interval where An Yan hadn’t fully thought things through, if he gave the two of them a chance, the outcome might be different.
Looking back at this recent period, Gu Tianze hadn’t completely disappointed him. If Gu Tianze missed this opportunity himself, he couldn’t blame Xu Qingfeng for switching sides to support An Yan.
Even now, he was still wondering whether Gu Tianze’s happiness and An Yan’s happiness could be considered equal, or if they were on opposite ends of a scale, depending on who he leaned toward.
Because the great puzzle in his heart had found a solution, Xu Qingfeng’s eyes cleared, though his voice still carried a trace of bitterness. “Xiu, thanks. I’ll go find a chance for them. If you hadn’t told me this, I really wouldn’t have known what to do…”
“I don’t know the full story; I can only give you a reference point.” What Huo Xiu didn’t say aloud, what remained pressed in his heart, was this from the moment Xu Qingfeng had unhesitatingly grabbed that dagger with his bare hand, helping with this small favor was negligible.
Even if Xu Qingfeng asked him to solve a far more difficult problem, as long as it was within his power, Huo Xiu would not hesitate for a second.
Xu Qingfeng, of course, knew none of this. He was never the type of person to use a past favor for leverage; he considered the previous incident a closed chapter.
But since Huo Xiu mentioned the “full story,” Xu Qingfeng could only laugh it off. Naturally, he couldn’t dutifully tell Huo Xiu everything.
He still hoped that Gu Tianze could get along well with Huo Xiu. It was better for Huo Xiu not to know about these messy, questionable matters regarding Gu Tianze.
The two chatted about other things for a while. After hanging up, Xu Qingfeng didn’t even realize how brilliant the smile on his lips was.
His mood had instantly taken flight, and the negative influence Gu Tianze had caused earlier had vanished without a trace.
He focused his attention on the “opportunity”…
This wasn’t just the final chance for Gu Tianze and An Yan; it was also the final chance for Xu Qingfeng himself. If it didn’t work out, he would have to make other plans.
He went to the study to check his recent schedule on his laptop and forcibly carved out three days of time.
After thinking it over and checking the almanac, he decided it was a good time to go to a temple to pray for blessings.
As a businessman, Xu Qingfeng himself had certain beliefs and trusted somewhat in metaphysics. Perhaps this trip wouldn’t just turn around Gu Tianze’s marriage prospects, but also make his own life go more smoothly.
The highly proactive Xu Qingfeng arranged the dates for the prayer. The first person he notified was Gu Tianze. Upon hearing it, the kid rolled his eyes and said:
“Don’t pull that superstitious nonsense with me. I’m busy writing my thesis. No time, not going.” The rejection was thorough.
Xu Qingfeng wasn’t annoyed; he smiled until his eyes were just thin slits. “An Yan is going.”
Few words were needed when they hit the mark.
Gu Tianze, instantly slapping his own face, coughed awkwardly twice and said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve traveled. I guess I’ll force myself to go for a few days.”
By this time, Gu Tianze had completely emerged from his “frenzied” state and returned to normal, except that An Yan was still avoiding him, acting as if they were total strangers.
This cold treatment made Gu Tianze feel terrible. He also knew that his previous actions might have hurt An Yan, so out of a sense of guilt, he didn’t try to harass him too forcefully.
If there were a chance for the two of them to be alone, Gu Tianze would certainly take it.
“You apologize properly. Whether he accepts it or not depends on An Yan. If you still love him, show some real sincerity.”
“I didn’t even do anything wrong.” Hearing the sound of Xu Qingfeng cracking his knuckles, Gu Tianze rubbed his head which had only recently returned to its normal shape and changed his tune: “Fine.”
Since he had settled things with Gu Tianze, it was time to talk to An Yan.
Xu Qingfeng considered himself to have some understanding of An Yan. He anticipated that the obedient An Yan would agree to his persuasion before long.
But in reality, the seemingly weak rabbit proved surprisingly persistent in his sadness. Even the persuasion of the respected Uncle Xu failed to sway him.
He simply stuck to his original thought and replied to Xu Qingfeng: “I’m sorry… I don’t want to see him right now. But I will contact him very soon. Very soon, I will have an answer.”
An Yan, who already had a vague idea in his mind, spoke this way.
Xu Qingfeng felt an ominous premonition. Matters were already developing in a bad direction. If he didn’t find a way to stop it now, An Yan, who had already used the words “very soon,” might ask Gu Tianze for a breakup tomorrow.
Who was he?
In a brief instant, he had already activated an emergency backup plan.