CHAPTER 280: CHAPTER 262: THE ONE I LOVE HAS RETURNED

Gu Qili looked towards the door of the hospital room, thinking it was Mu Shuoqian who had come back, but the person who pushed the door open was someone she did not recognize. That person glanced into the room, and after seeing her, did not leave immediately.

Gu Qili was puzzled when that person took a phone call, and after hearing him say "Understood, madam" he stepped back, closed the door, and left.

Gu Qili felt baffled. Even if it had been a case of entering the wrong room, it would have been polite to at least say something. How impolite.

The incident was quickly forgotten by her as she changed her sitting position and continued to wait for Mu Shuoqian.

But as the sun set in the west, her heart couldn’t help but sink little by little with it.

She held her phone, staring at its dark screen for a long while; finally, she opened his WeChat and painstakingly typed a message: Do you regret it?

Giving up home and career isn’t as simple as abandoning a contract. It would be normal for him to hesitate, but her heart inexplicably felt blocked and uncomfortable.

After sending the message, Gu Qili stared blankly at those words, both anticipating and dreading his reply.

She was hoping he’d say he was on his way, dreading the answer she least wanted.

When the screen was about to go dark again, a message popped up. Gu Qili hastily pressed the screen to prevent it from going off, even the time it took to unlock it felt too long to wait.

To call it a message was an overstatement; accurately speaking, it was just one word.

"Yes".

He said he regretted it, he really did regret it, he actually regretted it.

Gu Qili couldn’t see the expression on her own face at this moment, but she admired herself for not immediately calling him, instead silently typing on the keyboard.

"Mu Shuoqian, what did I do wrong?"

All day long, Gu Qili had been pondering this question. Where exactly had the conflict between them begun? Everything had been fine all along, so how had it come to this because of his mother’s arrival?

If it was because his mother misunderstood her as Ruyan, he could have explained it.

Was it because of the Gu Family’s bankruptcy that her status was not good enough for him? That couldn’t be the explanation either, with Mu Shuoqian’s position, he no longer needed a business marriage.

Gu Qili thought hard, her brain almost bursting without figuring out the reason. She thought they had simply walked away and she no longer needed to know the reasons, but at the last moment, the person who promised to follow her to the ends of the earth told her, he regretted it.

Gu Qili held her phone waiting for an answer. She was calm, but as soon as she typed the last letter, a tear fell unexpectedly, scattering like crystal on the screen.

Was their relationship going to shatter just like this tear?

She sent the message, and immediately afterward, tears uncontrollably streamed down her face, quickly wetting her cheeks.

Soon, Mu Shuoqian replied: You did nothing wrong; I have always been the one at fault.

Gu Qili wiped away tears: I’m at home waiting for you, let’s talk in person.

He agreed.

Mu Shuoqian put down his phone, the pain in his eyes spreading like weeds; he had managed to protect her all along, with Ruyan taking her place as Gu Dezhong’s daughter,

For two years, he had tried not to let her see his true feelings, the things he did for her he never dared to let her know. He was cold to her, ignored her, said hurtful words to her and himself, but all he was selfishly wanting was to be with her, yet not wanting her to be bound by love like him.

But why did she become affectionate towards him? Why did he not panic but rejoice upon knowing she had feelings for him? It was clearly wrong, the outcome he least wanted to see, yet when she said she liked him, he was as happy as a child.

For two years, he had made a fortune, but why couldn’t he let her go? He couldn’t bear it; letting her go was as painful as cutting off his own flesh. She had already become an inseparable part of him; if she left him, he might as well be dead.

Is it still possible to regret it now? It was he who dragged her down with him; he truly deserved to die.

What should he do to let her go unscathed?

Mu Shuoqian took a deep breath, grabbed his coat, and left the room.

Bai Chengxi’s secretary, upon seeing him, respectfully greeted "Young Master Qian" before saying: "President Bai is busy..."

Mu Shuoqian did not care about her, forcefully pushing open the door to the CEO’s office.

Bai Chengxi and a high-level executive who was sitting across him discussing matters were both startled, and upon seeing his gloomy face, Bai Chengxi closed the document in his hand and said, "You may leave."

The executive acknowledged with a nod, and as he passed by Mu Shuoqian, he tipped his head, then left and closed the door.

Bai Chengxi leaned back in his chair and casually asked, "What’s the hurry? Have you finally agreed to invest in my new movie?"

Mu Shuoqian took a seat opposite him, ignoring his quip.

"Show me the profiles of your company’s female stars."

"No way, you’re sneaking out to have a snack while guarding Qiqi?"

"Now, all of them." Mu Shuoqian picked up the cigarette case on the table, took out a cigarette, and lit it.

Bai Chengxi couldn’t figure out what he was planning and had no choice but to have his assistant send over the latest list of actresses.

Mu Shuoqian took the list and carefully looked it over, his gaze ultimately landing on one name. He looked at her photo and pointed with his finger: "I want this one."

"Zhou Xiaoyu? Are your eyes okay? This Zhou Xiaoyu is just a third-rate actress who has never stars in any decent TV dramas. At most, she’s taken on some extra roles, and her looks are pretty average too. Are you sure you want such a small-time actress to lower your own standard?"

Mu Shuoqian didn’t even hesitate. He stood up and left, leaving behind a remark: "Have her ready, I’ll contact her tomorrow."

Bai Chengxi looked at the closing door in front of him, his handsome eyebrows raising in a curve of interest. Whatever the reason Young Master Mu had, it seemed Zhou Xiaoyu was about to become famous. Her jump to A-list star status seemed imminent.

～

Gu Qili picked up her bag that had already been packed in the hospital room and went out to hail a taxi.

By the time she got home, the sun had already set, but the sky was still golden. The evening breeze brought a hint of chill as it gently brushed by.

She removed her shoes and walked into the house. She poured herself a glass of water and drank it in one go, then found a box of ice cream from the bottom of the fridge and sat on the sofa to dig in.

After finishing a box of ice cream, she heard the sound of a car in the yard.

Gu Qili jumped off the sofa and hurried to the door. Seeing the man pushing the door open, her expression was momentarily dazed. His eyes and brows were still indifferent, but she could always see the doting for her in his eyes. Now, all she could see was an abyss of unfathomable darkness.

Gu Qili suppressed the acute pain in her heart and bent down to pick up his slippers.

How unpredictable life can be,

Mu Shuoqian stared at the top of her head for a while. As she bowed her head, a surge of intense sorrow flitted across his eyes.

"Let me get you a glass of water." Gu Qili turned to head for the kitchen.

"No need, I’m not thirsty." Mu Shuoqian went straight to the sofa and sat down, reaching for the cigarette case underneath the coffee table.

A glance caught sight of the finished box of ice cream.

And Gu Qili brought over another box, now needing something cool to wake herself up.

Mu Shuoqian really wanted to say, don’t eat so much cold stuff, she always liked to have a stomachache during her period, but he couldn’t utter this simplest word of concern.

He took a lighter to light a cigarette but after pressing it twice without igniting, he eventually threw the lighter onto the coffee table in frustration.

"Mu Shuoqian." Gu Qili suddenly broke the eerie silence, "Does your mom not like me?"

"It’s got nothing to do with her. I just didn’t want you to meet her, that’s all."

"Why?" she asked urgently, desperate for an answer she hadn’t been able to figure out for a long time.

Mu Shuoqian slightly lowered his gaze and tried lighting the cigarette again.

"Have you forgotten? Our marital contract has expired."

These words were like a thunderbolt waking someone from a dream, and Gu Qili became petrified like a statue.

How could she forget? The reason for their marriage was for that 3% shareholding and her vineyard. He had said that once the two-year marriage contract ended, the vineyard would be hers, and there would be no more ties between them.

He had been too good to her, so good that she had forgotten that their union was originally contracted.

This marriage, which started with an ulterior motive, had been embellished with love by her as time passed. She thought they were in love and that the marriage could continue happily.

Gu Qili’s throat was terribly dry, she tried to speak but couldn’t make any sound. Memories played through her mind like a slideshow - his kindness, his doting, his love...

Mu Shuoqian finally lit his cigarette and took a couple of deep puffs before saying, "I admit, I did have feelings for you over these past two years."

The hand gripping the spoon tightened around the silverware handle, nearly embedding it into her palm.

"But, Qiqi, I’m really sorry." His gaze was calm and indifferent as he looked at her, and his words pierced her heart like numerous sharp needles, "She’s back."

She’s back?

These three words exploded like a bomb in Gu Qili’s mind, leaving her momentarily blinded, feeling like she had lost all sensation, adrift in a void where the same haunting refrain echoed endlessly: She’s back, she’s back...

It took her a long time to find her voice, and when she finally spoke, it carried a raspy note. Looking at him, she tried hard not to appear too discomposed.

"Is it... Ruyan?"