I nodded emphatically. Over the past few days, Gu Yu’s words—almost like a confession—had often replayed in my mind. But those feelings were something I could never share with Qiao Luo; they were secrets I’d silently keep to myself.
The air was thick with silence, stretching out for what felt like an eternity before Auntie He Pei sighed and said, “So it’s that boy from the Gu family. Our family already owed them so much, and now we’re indebted to him even more. Qiao Luo, I don’t think we could ever repay them in this lifetime.”
Qiao Luo lowered his head without replying.
After dinner, while Auntie He Pei cleaned up the table, Qiao Luo walked me home. He remained silent the entire way. Just as I was about to get in the car, he suddenly said, “Yun Hao, could you please thank Gu Yu for me?”
I was taken aback but quickly smiled and replied, “Sure, I’ll let him know.”
Carrying a bag of fruits, I went to the hospital to visit Gu Yu’s mother. I’d visited frequently last semester, so she recognized me and greeted me with a warm smile. “It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen you.”
Compared to before, she looked much healthier, her complexion glowing with vitality. Hearing her words, I placed the fruits on a cabinet and smiled. “Things have been busy lately, so I haven’t been able to visit. But you look so much better now—your health must be improving!”
“It has. Maybe it’s the spring season,” she said, pointing to a chair nearby. “Sit for a bit. Xiao Yu went to buy something for me. He should be back soon.”
As soon as she finished speaking, there was movement at the door. I turned and saw Gu Yu standing there. He seemed surprised to see me but quickly asked, “Zhu Yun Hao, what brings you here?”
“I need to talk to you about something,” I replied with a smile. “Do you have some time?”
We sat side by side on a bench on the hospital lawn. Nearby, children were playing, and the gentle sunlight spread warmth all around.
I squinted at the light and said, “I came here to thank you on behalf of Chen Qiao Luo. He knows you don’t want to see him, so he asked me to deliver the message.”
Gu Yu chuckled lightly. “At least he’s self-aware. If he were sitting next to me right now, who knows what I might’ve done?”
At his words, we both burst into laughter.
After a while, Gu Yu suddenly asked, “Zhu Yun Hao, you’ve fallen for Chen Qiao Luo, haven’t you?”
Startled, I turned to look at him. His gaze was fixed straight ahead, as though lost in thought. “You’ve done so much for him,” he continued. “If it’s just out of friendship, it’s hard to believe.”
His words left me speechless.
The truth was, I had already suspected it myself. It wasn’t until the incident, when I was so anxious and worried for him, that I realized I truly liked him. The fear of losing him, the fear of a life without him, was something I couldn’t deny. To me, Chen Qiao Luo had become someone irreplaceable.
As a nurse led the group of children back inside, I finally opened my mouth and said, “Yes, I like Chen Qiao Luo.”
My admission left Gu Yu silent for a moment. Then he turned to me and said, half-jokingly, “But what do I do, Zhu Yun Hao? I think I might like you a little.”
His sudden confession left me stunned.
Seeing my reaction, he chuckled softly, reached out to ruffle my hair, and said, “Just kidding. Look at you—you’re completely startled.”
Was he really joking? I couldn’t help but notice a trace of bitterness in his eyes. But what did it matter? I liked Chen Qiao Luo, and Gu Yu was merely a fleeting dream from my past.
I smiled and teased, “Young Master Gu’s sudden confession has me overwhelmed!”
“Oh, cut it out,” Gu Yu said with a laugh. “Don’t think I don’t know anything. Back in school, plenty of guys in our class had a crush on you. Every time you walked past our classroom, there’d be a crowd of boys at the windows pointing at you.”
“Really? Now that you mention it, that did happen!” I laughed, feigning vanity. “After all, I’m beautiful and have a great personality—it’s only natural people like me.”
“Zhu Yun Hao, you’re shameless. Give you an inch, and you’ll take a mile,” Gu Yu said, shaking his head in amusement.
Seeing him like this, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Perhaps this was the best ending for us. Whether it was the version of me who once liked Gu Yu or the version of him who now liked me, as long as no one broke the fragile balance, nothing would change.
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