Chapter 88: Submissive
In the afternoon, the next event was the 200m final. When An Zhi crossed the finish line, she was all alone. She had won first place this time.
She looked around and saw Lu Siyuan walking towards her, holding a bottle of mineral water, just like in the morning, a gentle smile on his face. “Congratulations, An Zhi. First place this time.”
“Oh, thanks.”
An Zhi took the water and nodded in thanks, but her eyes couldn’t help but look around. The finish line was bustling with people, and everyone’s face was unfamiliar. She pouted, suddenly feeling exhausted from her run.
“An Zhi!”
A tall girl rushed out from the crowd. Ignoring the sweat on An Zhi’s body, she ran up to her and hugged the soft little white rabbit, her voice full of excitement. “That’s great, my little An Zhi. You got first place! First place!”
“Yuanyuan, let go of me.” An Zhi tried to struggle, but with her slender arms and legs, how could she escape the girl’s embrace? She blushed. “People are watching.”
“Oh, what’s there to be afraid of? I’m here to welcome our little sweetheart on behalf of our dorm.”
Although Li Yuanyuan said she was unwilling, she still let go of An Zhi. She looked at Lu Siyuan. “You’re a boy from An Zhi’s class, right? Thanks.”
“It’s nothing. You guys chat. I’ll be going now.”
Lu Siyuan smiled politely, said goodbye, and turned to leave.
After Lu Siyuan was long gone, Li Yuanyuan finally spoke. “Hmm… he seems like a nice person. But… he’s not as handsome as the other guy. But whatever you like, An Zhi, I’ll support you!”
“Huh?” The blush on An Zhi’s face, which had just faded, returned. She waved her small hands, her voice anxious. “He’s my class monitor, that’s why he came to meet me at the finish line. What are you talking about, Yuanyuan?”
“Oh? So you still like the other guy?” Li Yuanyuan tilted her head and continued to ask, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at An Zhi’s flushed face.
“Are you doing this on purpose, Yuanyuan?”
An Zhi saw the smile in Li Yuanyuan’s eyes and stomped her foot angrily. “We’re just friends. If you say that again… if you say that again, I’ll hide all your makeup when we get back.”
“Haha, okay, okay, I won’t say it.”
Li Yuanyuan burst out laughing, but she was a little anxious as she looked at the little girl who didn’t understand anything.
“You’re not allowed to say it in the future either!” An Zhi emphasized fiercely.
“In the future? Then… what if you really meet a boy you like in the future?”
“I… I.” An Zhi’s big eyes widened, and she stammered for a moment. “We’ll talk about the future in the future. It’s so annoying.”
The fiery clouds filled the sky, the sunset serving as a backdrop, the brilliant red illuminating her delicate features. She was as pure and beautiful as a fairy who lived in the heavens and didn’t eat the food of the mortal world.
An Zhi didn’t say anything more. Her eyes were clean and clear, with a gentle light, and a hint of confusion. She felt like her brain was in overdrive. But shouldn’t running be a physical activity? Why did her brain feel as tired as when she was facing a problem she couldn’t solve?
“Their events seem to be over too.” Li Yuanyuan checked the messages in the group chat on her phone and grabbed An Zhi’s wrist, raising it high. “Let’s go, the whole dorm is going out for barbecue outside the school.”
“Barbecue? I’m just hungry.”
An Zhi shook her head, her spirits instantly lifted. She eagerly pulled Li Yuanyuan and left the track.
…
After a full day of the sports meet, there weren’t many people left in the spectator stands in the afternoon. Gu Chuan leaned on the railing, a little bored. The relaxed atmosphere of the school had eased his tense nerves these past few days. But the path had been chosen, and there was no turning back.
The night Su Yu went to the Youth Association welcome party, he didn’t return. Lu Siyuan called him in the evening, but no one answered. Lu Siyuan and Chu Feng asked the people from the Youth Association, who said they had all come back. The two of them were a little anxious and even wanted to go to the restaurant to look for him.
Gu Chuan stopped them and lied, saying that his cousin had sent him a message beforehand. Su Yu was at Gu Zhi’s place, and it was inconvenient for him to come back because of the rain. Lu Siyuan and the others knew that Su Yu and Gu Zhi had known each other for a long time, so they didn’t ask any more questions that night.
That madwoman… what was she up to?
Gu Chuan’s grip on the railing tightened, the rusty stains dyeing his palm. The pouring rain… the night he didn’t return. That night, he had made an excuse to go home and had gone to a bar to drink alone. Su Yu hadn’t known him for long. His father had often said that when he went into business, it was inevitable that he would cause people to go bankrupt. Being soft-hearted was suicide.
His mother hated his father’s words. His mother was a woman who was gentle to the extreme. She had told him to learn less from his father and just be an ordinary person.
But he had no choice. His mother was still buried in the Gu family’s cemetery. How could he choose?
“You’ve done a good job with what I asked you to do. You’re quite capable. It seems Gu Lei has found a good successor.”
Gu Chuan turned around in a daze and saw the woman standing next to him. She would occasionally greet the passing classmates, her smile as warm as a spring breeze.
Gu Zhi turned her eyes and glanced at Gu Chuan, seeing through the self-blame and surprise in his eyes.
“What? Regret it?”
“Then I’ll give you another chance.” Gu Zhi still smiled. The afterglow of the setting sun made her bright features even more three-dimensional. Her long, phoenix-like eyes were filled with a cold-blooded indifference. She pursed her bright red lips and deliberately dragged out her words, saying one by one, “You can choose again. I don’t like to force people. I only give opportunities to obedient people.”
“I… don’t regret it.”
“Haha, so good.”
The curve of Gu Zhi’s lips grew wider. She squinted her eyes. The answer didn’t cause any ripples in her eyes. She extended her long, powerful hand and casually examined the flaws in the paint on her nails, her light voice falling on Gu Chuan’s ear.
“That girl named Xia Qian Ge, find out everything about her for me.”
“What do you want to do? They’re just classmates.” Gu Chuan’s heart skipped a beat, and he frowned.
“Nothing. It’s my duty as an older sister to know about my younger brother’s relationships. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything. Well… if she’s obedient enough.”
Gu Chuan replied coldly, “Someone else can do this.”
“I know, but I want you to do it. Tell me… if Su Yu finds out, the feeling of being pushed off a cliff by a trusted friend… it must not be a good feeling, right? Will he be angry? Will he cry? It would be best if he cried in my arms.”
Gu Zhi couldn’t help but laugh. Her eyes were filled with malice. Such things were a source of joy to her, like a demon flower that fed on pain.
Gu Chuan’s grip on the railing tightened even more. The old, rusty railing, which had stood in the wind and rain for years, let out a harsh groan, as if it were about to be broken in two.
He reluctantly agreed, “I understand.”
“Haha, your father has been quite successful at home these past few days. Everyone looks up to him and calls you Young Master Gu. So… you won’t be doing this for nothing.”
Gu Zhi suddenly became the gentle Teacher Gu from the podium. She took out a tissue and slowly wiped the rust stains from Gu Chuan’s palm, her voice gentle, her crinkled eyes soft. To an onlooker, she seemed extremely gentle and considerate. A few passing boys looked at them with envy.
“Gu Chuan… I believe in you. Don’t let me down.”
Gu Zhi stuffed the tissue into Gu Chuan’s hand, making him hold it tightly. She pursed her lips into a gentle smile and said softly.
“I went to visit your mother’s grave the other day. Auntie Gu’s photo from when she was alive is truly beautiful. No wonder Uncle Gu Lei was so infatuated. You are a filial son. It’s better not to let your mother worry in heaven and let her bones grow cold. What do you think?”
Gu Chuan was stunned. The wadded-up tissue in his hand was blown to the ground by the wind. He immediately bent down to pick it up. Looking at Gu Zhi’s delicate, white feet in her high heels, he suddenly felt as if his back was fixed by something, and he couldn’t straighten up no matter how hard he tried.
He opened his mouth, but remained silent.
