Finally, Gu Fei left the company with a bitter smile.
Before leaving, she said, “Ming Li, think about it again. Do you want to keep deceiving yourself forever?”
She left an invitation on the desk.
It was for the Jing’an Grand Theater’s annual production, Thorn Crown. The lead dancer was Sun Xihan.
Sun Xihan had been Ming Li’s classmate in university; people used to compare the two of them constantly. They had completely different styles but were equally matched in skill.
Gu Fei said Ming Li’s old university counselor had asked her to deliver it, hoping Ming Li would go see the show.
Ming Li spent the entire morning staring at the invitation in a daze. When Assistant Lin knocked on the door, she frantically threw the invitation into the trash can.
But after Assistant Lin finished her report and left, Ming Li carefully fished the invitation back out of the bin.
Gu Xueqiang didn’t argue with Gu Qingshuang. She calmly asked for her thoughts.
Previously, Gu Qingshuang’s self-harm in the study had terrified her, giving her nightmares for three consecutive nights. Eventually, she had decided to use a more indirect tactic.
Regarding the events at the banquet, Gu Qingshuang remained silent. But looking at her expression, Gu Xueqiang knew her daughter realized her behavior had been inappropriate. After all, she had raised her; she knew what her daughter was thinking.
However, this was no small matter. Gu Xueqiang couldn’t just let it slide easily.
“I’ve already hired the best doctors and the best nutritionist to help her recover, but that’s where it ends,” Gu Xueqiang said. “Her injury wasn’t because of you. You don’t need to feel guilty.”
“I don’t feel guilty.” Gu Qingshuang started to say more, but after glancing at Gu Xueqiang’s face, she swallowed her words.
Facing Shen Lideng, she always felt guilt. That guilt was mixed with a fair amount of pity.
But that pity had been seen through by Shen Lideng last night. They had argued—or rather, Shen Lideng had reached out and poked at her heart, saying, “All those years, I thought your love for me was real, but it was just overflowing sympathy?”
Shen Lideng had cried very bitterly. Gu Qingshuang had handed her a tissue.
In that sorrowful atmosphere, Gu Qingshuang had only felt awkward. Watching Shen Lideng cry made her feel helpless, and more than that, frustrated. She had wanted to shout, “Stop crying!”
Yet, seeing Shen Lideng turn her head away to silently wipe her tears, Gu Qingshuang could say nothing. She could only stand there like a wooden block.
Their arguments had always been like this: Shen Lideng crying, Shen Lideng venting her grievances, Shen Lideng hurling accusations at her heart. And Gu Qingshuang was accustomed to silence.
This time, however, Gu Qingshuang didn’t lose herself in the sound of the crying. Instead, she finally said the words she had prepared for a long time. “From now on, we shouldn’t see each other again.”
“If you need anything, you can ask the Gu family for help. I’ll give you an assistant’s number,” Gu Qingshuang said. “She will help you handle it.”
This was a plan Gu Qingshuang had carefully considered. Ever since the incident with Shen Chang, she had begun to think about this.
Her past and Shen Lideng’s were too deeply entwined. From Shen Chu to Shen Chang, the Shen family always brought their troubles to her, but she was someone who fundamentally hated trouble.
Gu Xueqiang’s words had also served as a reminder: there is a limit to everything. If she didn’t cut ties now, she would not only have to manage Shen Lideng’s affairs but potentially Shen Chu’s as well.
In business with the Shen family, the Gu family only ever lost money. The Gu family had taken losses several times before. Gu Xueqiang had compiled all the records and given them to her. Gu Qingshuang had a vague feeling about it before, but only after seeing the paperwork did she realize how much the Gu family had suffered over the years.
Thus, Gu Qingshuang decided she had to make a choice in their relationship. She no longer wanted to be the person Shen Lideng could demand anything from.
Shen Lideng had demanded to know what she meant.
Gu Qingshuang had answered coldly, “Exactly what I said.”
“Have you really fallen in love with her?” Shen Lideng smiled bitterly. “Shuang-jie, I was only gone for three years. I never forgot you. Every Christmas, I stood on the streets of Paris all night, right at the intersection where we used to walk together, thinking of you.”
“It’s in the past.”
“It’s not! I’m back now.” Shen Lideng reached for her arm. “You’ll come back to me, won’t you? If I stop dancing, will you stay with me forever?”
“No.” Gu Qingshuang pulled her hand away. “We broke up. It’s over. Saying these things is meaningless.”
“It’s not. I’ll prove my resolve to you.”
…
Later, Gu Qingshuang had seen Shen Lideng dancing at Shen Chu’s wedding. Many times, Shen Lideng’s eyes had landed on her. This made her uneasy, which was why she had tried to pull Ming Li away. In the end, they hadn’t been able to leave.
If there was one thing Gu Qingshuang hated most about herself, it was her soft heart.
If she saw a stray cat, she had to save it. If she saw a stray dog, she had to save it. She empathized with her friends, she empathized with her mother, and she felt guilty toward Shen Lideng, who had nearly died because of her.
It seemed she hadn’t lived a single day for herself. Since she was thirteen, her life had veered off course.
Gu Qingshuang was used to facing the world with a cold face because whenever she smiled, people would come to her for help, and she found it incredibly difficult to say no.
Saying no is a vital life lesson. Clearly, Gu Qingshuang had failed that class.
Saying those words to Shen Lideng had exhausted all her courage. Now, she was avoiding visiting the injured Shen Lideng, fearing that Shen Lideng would appear before her in a pitiful state once more, dragging her back to square one.
Gu Qingshuang had finally managed to construct the stable life she wanted. She was unwilling to break it.
And the solution Gu Xueqiang proposed perfectly solved the problem for her. Gu Qingshuang felt grateful to her mother, but she didn’t know how to express it. The last time she and Gu Xueqiang had truly shared their hearts was in her childhood.
No matter how many words came to her lips, they were replaced by silence.
But Gu Qingshuang felt she couldn’t leave it at that. After the silence, she explained, “I told her we wouldn’t meet again. I gave her Assistant Lin’s number. If she asks for help in the future, please help her for the sake of her saving me once. Provided it doesn’t harm the Gu family’s interests.”
