Chapter 300 - 130: The Four-Leaf Clover Pendant Will Never Fall (Part 2)

Chapter 300: Chapter 130: The Four-Leaf Clover Pendant Will Never Fall (Part 2)

"How did you know about that name?"

Zhang Shutong stared at Gu Qiuyan as if he were seeing a ghost.

"Your mom said it in the hospital room this afternoon."

’Mom really did let it slip,’ Zhang Shutong thought. ’But I was unconscious in bed at the time, so I wasn’t in any state to care about a nickname.’

Gu Qiuyan then asked if it was his childhood name, adding that it was quite cute. Zhang Shutong clammed up, not really wanting to talk to her.

There was no transfer, no butterfly flapping its wings—it was all just a trap dug by Gu Qiuyan. Zhang Shutong had previously thought she wasn’t dumb, but actually a little clever. Now, he saw that when she was being clever, it was downright terrifying.

"Can you please not be so childish?" Zhang Shutong said helplessly.

As soon as he said that, the princess-like Gu Qiuyan returned.

She furrowed her brow, her voice turning ice-cold.

"Childish? I was just humoring you because you’re in the hospital. Zhang Shutong, do you really think everything I said before was fake? I still have two scores to settle with you, and frankly, I’m getting tired of talking to you."

Zhang Shutong knew what she meant. She was telling him not to keep things about her from her anymore, not to play the unsung hero, not to run around risking his life. It made sense, he figured. From Gu Qiuyan’s perspective, she had gone out with him last night, only for him to ditch her in the middle of the night, run off, and nearly get himself killed. Even if it was to catch some "culprit," the whole situation still left a complicated feeling.

That was probably one of the two scores.

But Zhang Shutong couldn’t figure out where the other one came from.

"It’ll be a real loss if you don’t take over your dad’s business someday," Zhang Shutong said earnestly.

"What will be a loss?" She wrinkled her nose.

"How is it that I always owe you for two things?"

Gu Qiuyan looked like she wanted to laugh, but then she straightened her face.

"You’re still in the mood to joke!"

"I won’t do it again," Zhang Shutong could only say. "I got a good scare this time, too. Luckily, the mountains near your house are low and the snow is thin. It was a close call."

His intention was to apologize, but Gu Qiuyan was already sick of hearing "I’m sorry," so he had to talk around it. However, upon hearing him, Gu Qiuyan didn’t laugh or get angrier. Instead, she fell silent.

"Why do you always say such flippant things?"

After a long moment, she said softly,

"Do you have any idea how many people are perfectly fine one day, and then suddenly gone the next?"

’Of course I know,’ Zhang Shutong said, then added in his head, ’That’s what happened to you last time. You thought you’d made it home safely, and then disaster struck.’

But Gu Qiuyan said, "No, you clearly don’t."

"I just want you to understand that sometimes there aren’t any of the warning signs you expect. It might just be an ordinary evening. You’ve had dinner together, she comes into your room, kisses your forehead, and says goodnight. But you don’t say a real goodbye to her, because you could never imagine she’d disappear. It’s truly just an ordinary moment on an ordinary night. The wind isn’t blowing, it isn’t raining, it isn’t some special, memorable day. But that person suddenly vanishes, and it’s not until much later that you realize that was the last time you’d ever see them.

"But there were so, so many things you never got to tell her. You always dream about her. I’ve heard people talk about this feeling, you know? How when you’re dreaming, you don’t know it’s a dream. You just think someone who’s been gone for a long time has reappeared before you, and you feel so happy, so emotional you want to cry. But I know it’s fake. At least, it’s not like that for me. Because I’m too greedy. So what if I see her in a dream? When I wake up, everything will be the same. So in the dream, there’s no feeling of being touched. There’s only fear."

"Do you understand? Only fear." Gu Qiuyan looked up at him.

Zhang Shutong didn’t know how to answer. He guessed that Gu Qiuyan was talking about her and her mother. Everyone has a few secrets hidden in their heart.

The two of them sat side-by-side on the edge of the bed, their eyes lowered to the floor. Zhang Shutong occasionally glanced at the hair ornament behind Gu Qiuyan’s ear. It now hung quietly among the ends of her hair, no longer flying about like before. He gave a hesitant nod, intentionally trying to change the subject.

"What’s the word from your dad?"

"What word? He’s been on the phone all day, probably trying to find that person. It’d be stranger if he just left so easily," Gu Qiuyan mumbled. "Besides, did you not hear a single thing I just said? If not, I just won’t say anything from now on."

"I heard you."

"Don’t you ever do this again."

"Okay."

Zhang Shutong had thought Gu Qiuyan was just a phenomenal actress—that her talk about transferring schools in the hallway was an act, that her powerful aura back in the room was an act, that even the glistening in her eyes just now was an act. But it wasn’t. Now, he pulled out two tissues and handed them to the girl, not knowing how to comfort her. Some things you don’t get a second chance at.

"Actually, I’ve seen your mother," Zhang Shutong finally said.

"You..." Gu Qiuyan was taken aback.

"Remember that day we watched a movie downstairs from your place? The family portrait fell. I went upstairs to help hang it back up, but Aunt Wu didn’t let me and Teacher Song in. When she was adjusting the frame, I happened to see the photo of your mother. Most of it was blocked, but I could just see a part of her, wearing what looked like white, light gauze..." Zhang Shutong didn’t know how to describe it. Words like "young," "beautiful," or "gentle" didn’t seem quite right. He just went with what he felt in his heart. "She had a beautiful smile."

"Yes, a beautiful smile." Gu Qiuyan smiled faintly, too.

The hospital bed faced the window, so they could see the view outside as they sat. Zhang Shutong hadn’t looked at a watch and had no idea what time it was. Dusk had arrived, the sky painted with the last crimson-orange afterglow. Perhaps because they were in such a small room, the sunset seemed exceptionally large today, almost filling the entire window.