"Mm." Gu Li responded briefly and then left, leaving Mrs. Gu still in a state of happiness.
Once outside, Gu Sheng was already standing at the door, though it was unclear when he got there.
Gu Sheng looked at him but said nothing, merely turned around and walked away.
Gu Li didn’t ask anything, following along with a mutual understanding.
He followed Gu Sheng all the way back to his place.
Gu Sheng grabbed two bottles of wine and two glasses, and then sat down on the sofa.
He opened the wine and started pouring it into the glasses.
Gu Li also sat down on the sofa, didn’t say a word, picked up a glass, clinked it with Gu Sheng’s, and started drinking.
The two of them stayed silent, drinking their wine, a gathering that began as a brotherly drink but ended with both of them guzzling the wine. Fresh chapters posted on novel[f]ire.net
Gu Sheng forcefully placed his empty glass on the table, finally speaking: "I’m taking Yaoyao back to the United Kingdom tomorrow."
Gu Li, who was chugging wine, was momentarily stunned, then looked at him, a flicker of hope rising in his eyes.
Hearing Gu Sheng say no, Gu Li’s eyes instantly dimmed, his tone returning to its usual composure: "Wasn’t it agreed you’d leave after my wedding?"
"You don’t even like her, why force yourself to marry her?"
"There’s no such thing as forcing; I’ll have to settle down sooner or later."
"What if something similar happens again? Are you going to marry someone else for me and Yaoyao’s sake?"
Initially, one might think Gu Li was genuinely intending to marry that Lin Family girl, but unexpectedly, Gu Li was merely trying to buy a few days for him and Gu Yao to reconcile.
He was somewhat puzzled by what Gu Li was thinking; was love so insignificant to him?
Marrying someone he doesn’t truly love for a lifetime would honestly be worse than staying single forever.
"Asheng, my marriage has nothing to do with you and Yaoyao; it’s something that was bound to happen, just happened to be sooner. Besides, they always say feelings can be nurtured over time. Even if I don’t like her now, maybe after a couple of years, I’ll grow to like her."
He did indeed want to give Gu Sheng and Gu Yao some time to reconcile, but that was only part of it.
Even if nothing happened between Gu Yao and Gu Sheng, he would get married within these one or two years. He constantly refused to escape, so he figured he might as well go through with it this time.
Gu Sheng watched Gu Li downing more wine after saying that, somewhat doubting whether he truly had someone he liked when he previously said he did.
"Do you really have someone you like?"
"Didn’t you ask me about it a few days ago?"
"Our parents don’t have prejudices. Since you like someone, why not pursue them? Even if she’s just a beggar, what’s the big deal? Unless the person you like is already married with children, otherwise, if you’re too scared to confess yet marry someone else, I look down on you."
Gu Li chuckled, the laughter tinged with bitterness, but mostly helplessness.
A beggar? Married with children?
If the person he liked were only that, things would be easier. But that’s not the case.
If possible, Gu Li truly wished he and Jun Wuchen were just two ordinary people, because that way, even if they ended up together, few would notice them, and they wouldn’t have to bear much pressure, nor endure as many peculiar gazes.
But unfortunately, they lived under the glare of the spotlight, with their every move watched by everyone.
Though marrying a woman with a notorious reputation wouldn’t stir much gossip, being with Wuchen would lead to a lifetime of criticism.
He himself was indifferent, but Wuchen couldn’t withstand it.
There are many ways to love someone, and protecting them is the most rational way.