Chapter 154: Lovelorn
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
When Li Jiang received the news, Gu Ci and Ziyu had already moved to their new home. Li Jiang’s scalp tingled, and he hurriedly reported to Lu Zhiyuan. Upon hearing this, Lu Zhiyuan fell into a long silence.
“Let it be.”
Li Jiang felt like crying without tears. Third Master, with Miss Gu Ci gone, no one can cure your insomnia.
As Gu Ziyu looked at the study in their new home, arranged exactly the same as their previous one, he felt restless. What was Dad up to? Why did Mom want to move?
The calmer Gu Ci’s expression, the less Gu Ziyu dared to ask.
The previous apartment was spacious, but this was a villa with a wide second floor. Gu Ci had her own walk-in closet, and Gu Ziyu’s study was also 100 square meters, quite spacious.
The first floor had guest rooms and maid’s quarters. The basement had two levels with high ceilings. Gu Ci turned the basement’s guest reception area into her own study and laboratory. The garden was even larger, featuring a private swimming pool. The neighborhood also had a hot spring pool. Gu Ci placed an order, buying rose and rose seedlings, decorating her small garden. She cleared another plot of land to grow vegetables.
With Gu Ziyu still recovering from his injuries, he continued to stay at the Jiang residence. So, for the time being, Gu Ci lived alone in their new house. She hadn’t found a suitable live-in maid yet, so she let Ziyu return to the Jiang residence temporarily. The Jiang family had heard that Gu Ci suddenly moved out of the previous apartment. They had an inkling that things weren’t well between her and Lu Zhiyuan.
The elderly members of the Jiang family felt heartache, but they didn’t dare to ask.
Gu Ci and Jiang Junlin were so alike that they both hesitated to ask her directly. They would ask Gu Ziyu in a roundabout way. At the Jiang residence, Gu Ziyu presented himself as an affable person, which made people like him.
“Cici is so pretty, but she never managed to catch Lu Zhiyuan. Could he be interested in someone else?” Jiang Junlin asked indirectly.
Gu Ziyu thought, he dares!
If Dad betrays Mom I’ll make him regret it!
“Is she upset?” Jiang Junlin inquired.
Gu Ziyu thought about Gu Ci’s calm demeanor and shook his head. “She seems pretty calm.”
It was the calm before the storm.
Mom couldn’t be indifferent, and she couldn’t just cut ties with Dad like that. Gu Ziyu remembered Gu Ci’s craziness in her past life. Maybe Mom wanted to turn the basement into a prison and lock up Dad.
Hmm, quite a dramatic thought.
But saying it out loud might damage Mom’s reputation. Better not!
“Junlin, why don’t you ask her? She must be feeling down these days. It might be better if she comes to stay at our place for a while. Being around people could lift her spirits. Otherwise, she might feel too isolated,” Jiang Minghua suggested while looking at his son, who was constantly glued to his phone. Irritated, he added, “Are you in love or something? You’re always glued to your phone.”
Jiang Junlin pressed a button, and the screen went dark. He calmly said, “You’re making a big deal out of this. Cici might not be as heartbroken as you think.
She probably wants some alone time. We should avoid bothering her, and she’ll be fine after a while.”
“How can we let her be alone when she’s going through a breakup?” the elderly patriarch sighed. “What if she can’t handle it?”
Gu Ziyu pondered in secret. As long as Dad’s alive, Mom won’t do anything drastic.
After her classes, Gu Ci would tend to her small garden. She bought blue jacaranda, climbing roses, and rose seedlings. She also planted a cherry tree, bitter gourd, watermelon, pumpkin, lettuce, and scallions, among other things. On one side, there were flowers, and on the other side, vegetables. She was having a great time tending to them. Some of the flowers and plants had medicinal uses, and she also planted mosquito-repelling herbs.
Gu Ci hired someone to manage the swimming pool and garden. With specialists looking after them, she didn’t need to worry. Wiping sweat from her brow, she admired her handiwork. When the growing season arrived, her garden and vegetable patch would look splendid.
With a large plot of land, she planned to cultivate more areas for planting.
“Cici, did you move?” Chen Rushi’s voice came from beyond the fence. Gu Ci looked up and saw Chen Rushi walking his Border Collie. She was surprised to see her there, and Chen Rushi seemed equally surprised.
In her heart, Gu Ci thought, what bad luck!
“What a coincidence! You live in this community too?”
Chen Rushi smiled lightly, holding back his enthusiastic Border Collie. “Yes, I just moved here. 1 don’t like living in apartments, but who knew we would end up in the same neighborhood?”
They had moved here around the same time.
Pointing at the small villa in front of Gu Ci, Chen Rushi said, “That’s my house.”
There were more than twenty villas in this area, similar in layout and design. The place was quite spacious, resembling a small park. Considering its proximity to the country’s top-ranked university, the land was valuable, and villas were rarely put up for sale.
Only people like Jiang Junlin and Chen Rushi could easily buy property here.
Gu Ci lowered her head and watered her vegetable garden, declining conversation.
Chen Rushi asked with a smile, “You were living at Lu Zhiyuan’s place, enjoying a comfortable life. Why did you move out?”
“I felt like a guest. It just wasn’t comfortable.”
In the evening sun, Gu Ci’s face was flushed from her labor, resembling a ripe peach. Chen Rushi’s throat seemed to tighten slightly, and she looked at Gu Ci with a smile that was not quite a smile. This girl in front of him, from her appearance to her temperament, matched his aesthetic preferences perfectly. “Mr. Chen, is there something you need?”
“Cici, about the incident with Lavis, 1 was impulsive. I apologize to you.” When Chen Rushi had kidnapped her, he hadn’t intended to harm her. He had thought that even if the girl got angry, she could be appeased with some jewelry or precious metals.
Chen Rushi had witnessed how Chen Geng would woo and deceive young girls. These naive and innocent girls were easily fooled.
Gu Ci wiped off the sweat and took a sip of water. “Chen Rushi, I don’t know you well, and the best way for you to apologize is to disappear from my sight.”
Chen Rushi chuckled lightly. “Back then, Cici, you promised that 1 could pursue you.”
“Your business shouldn’t bother me.” Gu Ci frowned. “Chen Rushi, you’ve probably pursued many women before—those bold ones who wanted to attach themselves to you, those who pestered you persistently. How did you handle those women who were clingy and desperate for your attention?”
Chen Rushi’s expression changed slightly. Gu Ci’s words were sharp and merciless, tearing apart the facade of warmth he had carefully crafted.
“I’ll take a guess. If you have a bit of compassion, you’ll advise them not to harbor unrealistic hopes and that your interest is just physical. If you get tired of them and they still don’t get the hint, you either send someone to warn them or deal with them directly. In any case, they won’t cross your path again.” Gu Ci stared at him coldly. “You’ve been pestering me, thinking I’m just a naive girl with no power or influence. You’re like a hunter, treating me as prey, toying with me in your spare time. You say you like me with your mouth, but your attitude is disdainful. If 1 were on equal footing with you and could get rid of you, Chen Rushi, would you still dare to show up at my doorstep with your dog?”
Chen Rushi’s face was as cold as the autumn wind. “Cici, you’re venting your anger on me. I’m a sincere pursuer. Just because you’re feeling aggrieved from Lu Zhiyuan doesn’t mean you can take it out on me.”
“Is it venting, or is it the truth? You know better than anyone.” Gu Ci didn’t want to talk to him anymore. She entered the house and closed the door. The security system in her home was personally designed by Gu Ziyu. While it wasn’t fully perfected, it was already functional.
Zhou Li’s confession would have made Gu Ci feel tender and kind, but Chen Rushi’s interest only caused her discomfort and antipathy. She didn’t deny that she had a biased perspective..