Chapter 97: Past
“This pet hospital is privately owned by Auntie Jing. She’s a very skilled veterinarian, but now she seems to be more interested in receiving guests at the front desk and rarely participates in the hospital’s affairs herself.”
The pet hospital wasn’t far from Qingchuan University. After they left, Gu Zhi suggested going to the shopping center near the commercial street to buy some things. So they didn’t drive but walked along the bustling street. Along the way, Gu Zhi explained Auntie Jing’s identity to Su Yu and also talked about their experiences during the time they hadn’t seen each other.
This was actually a very taboo topic for the two who had just been reunited. If one hadn’t had a good life in the days without the other’s company, the speaker would naturally be unwilling to bring up this painful memory. But after the other person left, to talk at length about how happy one’s life was might make the other person feel that they could live well without them.
Su Yu had always been careful to avoid such sensitive topics, because he had learned from Gu Chuan that during the time without him, Gu Zhi had not had a good life and had always been alone.
But he, on the other hand, had grown up with Gu Zhi’s company, which had compensated for his lack of love, and he had had a relatively good primary and high school life. This gave him the feeling that he had become a traitor in this relationship.
This was also why Su Yu became flustered when he faced Gu Zhi’s fragile state. He had actually always felt very guilty about the fact that Gu Zhi had been lonely for six years without his company, and he even had the idea of wanting to compensate her more.
Su Yu’s connection with his relatives, who were related to him in name only, was very weak. After graduation, because of Xia Qian Ge’s wishes, the two of them moved to a strange city where neither of them had any relatives. This caused a big fight between Su Yu and his father, so much so that they cut off most of their contact, except for the money Su Yu would remit every month to repay the debt of raising him.
Even in the year after he had just started working, on that festive night of the new year, only he and Xia Qian Ge were sitting in the empty living room, watching the Spring Festival program on TV, and spent a particularly lonely New Year.
Su Yu had a particularly deep impression of that night. He remembered that Xia Qian Ge was very happy with the skits on TV that day, and her pleasant laughter filled the whole room. She was even much happier than ever before. Later, when the girl noticed his gloom, she even obediently and actively snuggled into his arms, gently whispering in his ear that as long as they had each other, it was enough, and that she would be with him forever.
So that became the sweetest night in Su Yu’s heart, so much so that he forgot the cruelty of reality and really believed in the beautiful illusion that they would never be separated.
Even though the illusion was now shattered, he still stubbornly believed that nominal kinship was not necessarily stronger than other bonds, just like he and Gu Zhi… even though they were almost strangers when they first met, they later had a period of companionship that was unforgettable to both of them. But the time he had spent with his father was numbered and meaningless.
…
The commercial street on a weekday was obviously not as lively as on a weekend. Occasionally, a few young students who had no classes in the afternoon could be seen walking together. There were also a few sanitation workers on the roadside, sweeping the fallen leaves on the sidewalk with bamboo brooms. The desolation of late autumn made people unwilling to go out. Even if they did, they would only spend the afternoon in entertainment venues with heating.
Gu Zhi put her arm around Su Yu’s shoulder, her whole body leaning towards him. This intimate gesture made Su Yu a little uncomfortable. After accidentally revealing his fragile side, Gu Zhi seemed to have become more dependent on this long-lost younger brother, not even caring if it would seriously affect her image as an older sister.
“Aren’t we a little too close, sister? Does it matter if the students from school see us?”
Su Yu was particularly uncomfortable with the soft and plump feeling of Gu Zhi’s arm on his. His ears were as red as the frosty leaves hanging on the trees. He carefully reminded Gu Zhi, but he was also worried that he would hurt Gu Zhi, who had just experienced the death of a relative.
“But it’s not working hours now. Is there a problem with me walking with my younger brother?”
“No… no. I was just worried about you, sister…”
Su Yu couldn’t find the right words and could only nod in acceptance. Actually, he wanted to say that their intimate contact at this moment didn’t look like that of a brother and sister at all. If it wasn’t for Gu Zhi’s OL attire, which showed off her mature and intellectual beauty, and the stark contrast with Su Yu’s dress, most people would have mistaken them for a couple.
“That’s a good boy. Let me rely on the younger brother I’ve taken care of for so long today. Just consider it… collecting interest.”
Gu Zhi smiled to show her satisfaction, her arm around Su Yu’s shoulder tightening, pressing against him with almost no gap. An invisible force seemed to imprison Su Yu, giving him the illusion that he couldn’t break free without using all his strength.
His body was a little stiff, the rich neroli perfume lingering at the tip of his nose. Gu Zhi had a young and beautiful appearance, her tight and sexy OL attire accentuating her graceful figure. With every step, she attracted a lot of attention, which made Su Yu even more embarrassed.
But Gu Zhi didn’t care about those ambiguous gazes at all. Her long, phoenix-like eyes seemed to only hold the image of the boy in front of her. She was genuinely happy because she could satisfy the strong possessiveness in her heart at this moment.
But desire, once satisfied, becomes empty, leading to a craving for more. The monster in her bones seemed to only know how to demand. She was like a restless bird without feet, unable to find a branch to rest on.
She was torn between possessing Su Yu completely to satisfy her violent, burgeoning desires, and the anticipation of cultivating his habits like rearing a pet, using pain as a shackle to slowly control his thoughts, possess his gaze, and make him an obedient pet who groveled at her feet, only craving her affection.
This choice made her struggle. Each option thrilled her. But first… she needed to eliminate some potential obstacles, to crush them, in order to avoid… unforeseen complications.
Gu Zhi gently brushed aside the hair from her lips and whispered gently in Su Yu’s ear.
“Hey, Xiao Yu, is there a girl you like now?” She asked, pretending to be casual, like an older sister who was very gossipy about her brother’s love life and was teasingly asking.
“Tell me, okay? Hmm?”
