A year ago, on that overcast, rainy day, Gu Qili remembered the drizzle that persisted throughout the night and showed no signs of stopping even the next day.
It was also the third day after Gu Dezhong’s death. She had completed all the procedures and laid him to rest in a cemetery he had chosen while he was still alive.
After the Gu Family went bankrupt, Gu Dezhong suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. Though resuscitated, he became a vegetative patient, bedridden in the hospital for nearly three years—that was the most torturous period for Gu Qili, attending classes by day and keeping vigil by night at the hospital, exhausted to the point of looking haggard and unrecognizable.
There were almost no outsiders at Gu Dezhong’s funeral, with only her uncle and a few of his friends who helped out. Her mother was abroad.
Gu Dezhong had countless friends during his lifetime, but after the Gu Family went bankrupt, it was as if they had evaporated from the world. Not even one was willing to show up for his death, afraid of getting involved in troubles.
At that time, Gu Qili truly experienced the fickleness of human relationships.
In the incessant dreary weather, the cemetery was sparsely populated. Her uncle and the helpers had gone, leaving Gu Qili alone. She didn’t want Gu Dezhong to feel lonely—he had always enjoyed lively surroundings, making friends over drinks, widely known to everyone. Yet due to unwise choices in friends, no one saw him off in the end.
She sat in front of the tombstone, whispering to him, talking about her future plans.
Gu Dezhong’s biggest wish during his life was to buy back his winery, the result of his lifelong painstaking efforts and deep affection.
The vast winery was of significant value. Though Gu Qili desired to fulfill his wish, her own insignificant capabilities were not enough.
She sat in front of the tombstone for a long time, without an umbrella, her clothes soaked through and her hair sticking together in clumps, haphazardly draped over her shoulders.
This was the most helpless scene in her life, and it was then that she saw Mu Shuoqian.
She didn’t know when he had stood behind her or how quietly he had been watching her for long. His presence was so commanding that when he chose to conceal it, it was virtually undetectable.
When Gu Qili noticed him, he was standing in the light rain, holding a black umbrella, his dark eyes veiled with an unreadable mist.
He looked at her as if he knew her, not with the gaze one has for a stranger.
Gu Qili wiped away the tears mixed with rain from her face and cautiously looked to him. He was indeed handsome, his remarkable appearance difficult to forget, but his expression was too indifferent, giving off an unapproachable and distant vibe.
His purpose there was as straightforward as his demeanor. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel⸺fire.net
He said, "The 3% shares of Muguang Group that Gu Dezhong once held have been transferred to your name, correct?"
Gu Qili nodded blankly, unsure of who he was or how he knew about it.
His face remained expressionless, as if conducting an ordinary negotiation.
"Let’s make a deal. Exchange that 3% stake for your family’s winery."
Those shares were the only fortune Gu Dezhong left for her. During his medical treatment, due to medical expenses, she considered selling the stake, but Gu Dezhong had made a will at the lawyer’s, stipulating that whoever wished to purchase those 3% shares, the condition was to marry her.
She knew that Gu Dezhong had left her a way out, intending to use the shares as a dowry to marry her into a powerful and influential family, believing his daughter had been accustomed to a life of luxury and should not fall into ordinary mundanity.
She pursed her dry lips, about to mention the additional condition that he was unaware of when he suddenly said, "I have my household registration book and ID with me. The Civil Affairs Bureau happens to be open today."