Zhou Xiangyu certainly remembered.
He had even teased Gu Chenshi for being old-fashioned.
But afterward, he secretly cheered him on, keeping a close eye on the progress of the scarf and, in his own wishful thinking, was moved on Gu Chenshi’s behalf, believing that Lin Xiaohua would surely be touched this time.
“On her birthday, I gave her the scarf, but not long after, I fished it out of the trash,” Gu Chenshi said with a self-deprecating smile, feeling no ripple of emotion when recounting this embarrassing incident.
“What do you mean, you fished it out of the trash?” Zhou Xiangyu didn’t understand at first, but he quickly caught on, his eyes widening in shock. “Wait, are you saying she threw the birthday gift you spent a month carefully preparing into the trash??”
Gu Chenshi nodded.
Zhou Xiangyu found it hard to believe. Throwing away a birthday gift someone gave you—what was that? It was outright humiliation!
“Old Gu, could you have been mistaken? Maybe she didn’t throw it away…”
Gu Chenshi said, “I saw her throw it into the trash with my own eyes. Do you think I could be wrong?”
“Maybe she was trying to throw away trash and accidentally tossed it?”
Zhou Xiangyu was still speaking up for Lin Ranran, because he thought that anyone with a normal mind would never do such a thing.
Even if you didn’t like the birthday gift someone gave you, you could take it home and throw it away later. There was no need to be so eager!
“It couldn’t have been an accident.”
“Did you ask her face-to-face?”
Yes, in his past life.
Of course, Gu Chenshi couldn’t say that.
“Zhou Xiangyu, she didn’t like that scarf. Her reaction when I gave it to her was enough to show everything.
Then she threw it away. It definitely wasn’t a mistake.
Do you believe my judgment or your own guess?”
Zhou Xiangyu thought for a moment. “I believe your judgment.”
Gu Chenshi smiled.
Zhou Xiangyu stood still, his face dark and frightening. “No, I have to go find her. That was a birthday gift you spent a month carefully preparing for her!
Even if it might not be worth much money, it was filled with heartfelt sincerity!
Even if she didn’t like it, she couldn’t just throw it away, could she? What she did was too much. I want to ask her face-to-face why she had to humiliate you like that!”
Gu Chenshi was startled and, with no other choice, quickly grabbed him. “I know you mean well for me, but let this go, okay? She’s already in my past. Can you understand what I mean?
Not to mention she never liked me in the first place. Even if she did, it’s impossible between us now.
Because I… don’t feel the same way about her anymore.”
“Right, there are plenty of fish in the sea! Who does she think she is? What’s so great about her? Just because she’s a little pretty?
There are plenty of beautiful women in the world!
Brother, I support you. You did the right thing!
It’s just you, with your good character, who didn’t go confront her. If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to take it!”
Gu Chenshi: “…”
Well, brother, you’re giving me too much credit…
The tragedy of his past life—he dared not forget it, nor could he forget it.
Zhou Xiangyu put his arm around Gu Chenshi’s shoulder, walking alongside him as he said sympathetically, “Brother, why didn’t you tell me about this sooner? I wouldn’t have laughed at you!
If we’re brothers, you have to tell me whenever you’re wronged from now on.”
And that Lin Ranran, even if she cries and begs for reconciliation in front of you, you must not soften.
From now on, absolutely, absolutely don’t pay any attention to her anymore. I get annoyed just seeing her now, and I won’t bother with her either. What kind of person is she?!”
Gu Chenshi laughed, “What are you thinking? She’s a queen on a pedestal. How could she possibly shed tears in front of me?”
“Pah, what a load of crap! In my eyes, she’s nothing! A girl like her—I hope she ends up with an abusive man in the future, getting beaten and scolded every day!”
Gu Chenshi glanced at him, “That’s pretty harsh, isn’t it?”
Zhou Xiangyu snorted, “I’ve got even nastier words I haven’t sent her way yet.”
When life gets busy, time flies by in the blink of an eye, and before you know it, it’s Saturday again.
At nine o’clock on Saturday, Gu Chenshi was enjoying a rare chance to sleep in. He stretched lazily under the covers and was about to get up when he heard his mother, Jing Lan, speaking.
At first, he thought she was talking to Qiao Yu next door, but after a moment, there was a knock on his door.
Jing Lan’s voice carried a hint of strangeness, “Chenshi, get up already, stop sleeping in. Your classmate is here.”
Gu Chenshi was puzzled.
Classmate?
Zhou Xiangyu?
But they had chatted on the phone just last night, and that guy hadn’t mentioned coming over. Besides, based on Gu Chenshi’s understanding of him, there was no way he’d be up and out of bed at this hour.
Confused, Gu Chenshi quickly threw on some clothes.
“Oh, you really shouldn’t have. Coming over is one thing, but why bring so many things…”
“Last time’s incident? Wasn’t that cleared up already? Once a misunderstanding is resolved, it’s over. Even the upper and lower lips sometimes clash…”
“Chenshi is getting up now. Don’t just stand there, have a seat. Come on, have some water first…”
Jing Lan’s voice drifted in intermittently.
Gu Chenshi grew even more puzzled. It sounded like more than one person had come?
Who on earth could it be?
Aside from Zhou Xiangyu, his relationships with other classmates were just average, nowhere near the level of visiting each other’s homes.
When Gu Chenshi walked out and saw the people sitting on the living room sofa, he froze in surprise.
Why were they here?
Lin Ranran and her mother…
Lin Ranran was wearing a white down jacket, which made her already fair skin glow even brighter.
In the past, seeing Lin Ranran suddenly appear in his home would have made Gu Chenshi faint with happiness.
But now, his mind was filled with only one question: What were they up to?
“Auntie, last time it was all Kong Xiao’s fault for talking nonsense and upsetting my mom, so she got anxious and… Please don’t take it to heart,” Lin Ranran said softly.
“Ah, it’s all my fault for not figuring things out beforehand,” Lin’s mother said with a look of remorse.
Their attitude made Jing Lan feel embarrassed, “Didn’t we clear up the misunderstanding that same day? Whatever went wrong, it was all that troublemaking classmate’s fault. In fact, we were all victims. Please don’t feel bad about it anymore. Let’s just let it go and never bring it up again.”
Just then, Lin Ranran noticed Gu Chenshi and gave him a gentle smile, looking exactly like the kind of well-behaved child elders adore, “Why did you just get up? Such a sleepyhead.”
Her voice was soft and sweet, carrying a hint of girlish charm, the kind of tone you’d use with someone you’re close to.
Lin’s mother glanced at her daughter without a trace of expression, then subtly shifted her gaze to Gu Chenshi, sizing him up discreetly.
Although Gu Chenshi found her annoying, he still had to maintain basic courtesy in front of the parents. He asked perfunctorily, “What brings you here?”