Chapter 51: Just Thinking About Her Makes Her Feel Extremely Strong Inside
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
2023 Ver.
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Three months passed in the blink of an eye. It was freezing cold in January, and the streets after the first snowfall were sparsely populated. The tall buildings in the distance looked like a makeup palette, and the trees nearby were covered with snow and silver flowers.
The New Year is approaching, and the filming of the movie has also entered the final stage, and the air seems to be filled with joy.
Gu Xizhi had just finished a scene and was sitting on the side sending text messages. Lili saw her undisguised smile on her phone and couldn't help but walk aside and said, "Research has found that in a relationship, the one who likes the other person more will be affected. The chance of abandonment will be greater because the one who likes the other more will often give in without a bottom line. When there is no way to retreat, the conqueror will return satisfied and lose interest in this goal."
As soon as Gu Xizhi finished sending the text message, she heard Lili's alarmist remarks and turned to look at her, "Are you talking about me?"
"Who else?" Lili glanced at her, "I think you have changed a lot recently. Be careful of investing too much and it will be difficult to extricate yourself."
"I don't think so." Gu Xizhi replied nonchalantly, "I'm the same as before."
"Really?" Lili looked at her with a smile, "Then tell me, if Miss Qu wants to separate from you now, what would you do?”
"Accept it calmly." Gu Xizhi said lightly, "What era is this? Do you think there will still be such a thing as crying, making trouble, and suicide attempts for such things?"
"Okay, you said so." Lili walked away.
Gu Xizhi watched her walk away, thought for a moment, and pulled out the text messages between her and Qu Xizhi from her phone.
In the past three months, there have been almost 2,000 text messages between them. Although most of the text messages start with her and the number is about the same, she usually replies as soon as she receives the message, while Qu Xizhi's responses often come much later, and she usually ends the messages.
After some reflection, Gu Xizhi felt she might have been too proactive. She looked at the message she had just started to reply to, then deleted it, placing her phone aside.
The post-production filming of "Love At Mount Wu" was much smoother than the early stage. On the day of the wrap-up party, everyone wished director He Xue to win the Best Director award as soon as possible. He Xue appeared confident and encouraged Gu Xizhi to do the same.
In January, various celebrities, big and small, were busy recording various evening programs. Gu Xizhi, who had just finished shooting the movie, was constantly occupied with various endorsement deals and program appearances. Her days were filled, and she spent them mostly on airplanes.
At eleven o'clock in the evening, Gu Xizhi had just got off the plane and returned to the city where she lived. Because Qu Xizhi would return to China tomorrow, Gu Xizhi had already rejected several schedules and was preparing to pick her up at the airport tomorrow.
Eleven o'clock is not too early. There are only speeding vehicles and dim lights on the asphalt road in winter. Occasionally, a few pedestrians on the roadside can be seen, all of them shivering and looking like they are about to be swallowed by the cold.
Youyou was driving, and Lili was sitting in the passenger seat teasing her. Gu Xizhi, who was overwhelmed by sleepiness and exhaustion, leaned on the back seat of the car and refused to move. At this time, the phone rang. Gu Xizhi took a long time to get it out of her bag. She took out her phone and answered the call without looking at it, "Hello?"
The phone was quiet, but no one spoke for a long time. Gu Xizhi quickly noticed the special nature of this call and said to the other end of the phone, "Hello, how are you?"
At this moment, there was finally a voice on the other side of the phone, but it was a low voice, with a voice trying to control emotions, "Sister Xiao Jing…"
Gu Xizhi frowned and sat up straight, "Yiqing?"
"Sister Xiao Jing," her voice sounded off, but she tried to conceal the strangeness, "Can you come and see me? I... I'm really scared."
Gu Xizhi thought for a moment and immediately said, "Where are you?"
In a private clinic.
The remote location made it challenging for Youyou to find her way, and it took her a while to reach the destination. After parking, Gu Xizhi knocked on the door and entered the clinic. Lisa, Bo Yiqing's manager, opened the door. Inside, Gu Xizhi immediately spotted Bo Yiqing sitting on a white sofa. She was leaning against it, appearing extremely nervous. Her hands were supporting her forehead, her eyes closed, avoiding the light, and she hadn't even noticed someone approaching.
Just looking at this environment, Gu Xizhi had an ominous premonition. Seeing the people in the room looking so bad, Gu Xizhi's mood dropped even lower.
"Yiqing?" Gu Xizhi tried to call her.
Bo Yiqing, who was sitting on the sofa without a soul, seemed to finally notice someone. When she looked up and saw Gu Xizhi, her expression suddenly became very complicated, "Sister Xiao Jing."
Gu Xizhi stepped forward and held her hand subconsciously, "Yiqing, what's going on?"
Bo Yiqing opened her mouth as if she wanted to speak but lost the courage when she tried to make a sound, only reddening her eyes as she looked at her.
The manager Lisa who was standing aside said, "Yiqing, she…is pregnant."
Gu Xizhi was stunned, and when she turned to look at Bo Yiqing, her eyes were filled with astonishment and disbelief. Lisa's expression wasn't any better, and after speaking, she seemed somewhat agitated. "Yiqing's career is at its peak right now. If this news gets exposed by the media, it'll be disastrous. This is the busiest time for artists, and just breaking contracts has already cost the company a lot of money for her. Of course, it's not just about the money; what's more important is that her image can't be ruined because of this. This can't continue like this; she must get rid of this child immediately."
T/N: Abortion is legal in China, don't be surprised if it gets mentioned casually in some novels and how normal the characters react to it.
Gu Xizhi stared at her blankly for a while, then turned to Bo Yiqing. It took her a long time to say, "Yiqing. Is this true?"
Bo Yiqing closed her eyes, and two lines of tears slid down her cheeks, she grabbed her hand, seemed to be trying to find strength, and finally nodded lightly.
Lisa added, "The fetus is already three months old. The doctor said she must be induced as soon as possible, but she is afraid. Miss Gu, please advise her. We really can't delay it any longer."
Without her mentioning the three-month timeframe, Gu Xizhi wasn't entirely sure whose child it could be. However, upon hearing this timeframe, Gu Xizhi didn't need to think much to understand what was going on.
"Yiqing," quickly organizing her thoughts, Gu Xizhi tried to remain rational, "Listen to me, this is something that can't be postponed. The longer you wait, the more it will hurt you. I'll be here with you. You go through with the abortion, and soon all of this will be behind us. Then we can forget about this and start anew, okay?"
Bo Yiqing seemed to be in a lot of pain, just holding Gu Xizhi's hand without speaking. When Gu Xizhi saw her reddened eyes, she felt like something was tugging at her heart with great force, and her own eyes couldn't help but become slightly red. "Listen to me, okay?" It took Bo Yiqing a long time to calm down enough for her body not to tremble, and finally, she nodded gently.
The medical staff at the clinic were already ready and were waiting for her to nod. After sending Bo Yiqing into the operating room, Gu Xizhi waited anxiously on the sofa. Seeing her concern, Lisa reassured her, "Don't worry. These doctors were brought in from abroad. Their skills are impeccable. After the surgery, they'll take the money and leave, and they won't disclose anything."
Gu Xizhi nodded, but her emotions were still far from calm.
The operation went smoothly. The doctor left the operating room half an hour later. Lisa was responsible for negotiating with the doctor, and Gu Xizhi came to the ward.
Bo Yiqing, who had just undergone the surgery, appeared very dazed. It seemed that everything she had just experienced made it difficult for her to stabilize her emotions. When Gu Xizhi approached her bedside, her eyes lacked any expression. Gu Xizhi didn't want to force her to speak at this moment; she simply sat beside her, holding her hand and silently accompanying her.
Winter nights are particularly long, and heavy snow falls outside the window. Although the indoor heater is turned on, it does not make people feel the slightest warmth.
Gu Xizhi stayed by her bedside all night.
The next day, when Bo Yiqing woke up, the view outside the window was a vast expanse of snow. She opened her eyes to find Gu Xizhi leaning by her bedside, asleep. However, one of Gu Xizhi's hands was still holding onto hers. Gu Xizhi was a light sleeper, and as soon as she woke up, she noticed Bo Yiqing gazing at her with wide eyes. She instinctively tightened her grip on Bo Yiqing's hand. "Yiqing, are you feeling better?"
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Bo Yiqing managed a faint smile. "Sister Xiao Jing, you stayed with me all night."
"Mm, I was worried about you," Gu Xizhi said. "Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"
Bo Yiqing shook her head, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. It's so cold. How could you not go back?"
"Yiqing, I feel like I've let you down," Gu Xizhi said, her eyes welling up with tears. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have any connection with Sun Tingyou, and you wouldn't...” She found it difficult to continue. “What can I do to make you feel better?"
"I told you that what happened to me didn't happen because of you. You don't need to blame yourself at all." Bo Yiqing comforted her, "Besides, isn't it already in the past? You also said that we should forget about this and start over. Isn't that okay?"
"Okay," Gu Xizhi said with difficulty, then added, "But Yiqing, why did you get pregnant?"
Bo Yiqing was stunned as if she didn't understand what she was asking.
Gu Xizhi added, "That night, didn't you ever think that this kind of thing could happen?"
Bo Yiqing remained silent.
This was also the most terrifying thing in the whole thing. After that night, Sun Tingyou gave her some pills and she took them, but it still happened. It was completely inexplicable and caught her off guard.
"I... I don't know, maybe it was just a coincidence," Bo Yiqing said, not wanting to dwell on it any longer.
Gu Xizhi was about to say more when her phone rang, and she answered it. It was Youyou's voice on the other end.
"Sister Xiao Jing, we agreed to pick up Miss Qu to return to China this morning. Where are you?"
Gu Xizhi looked at the time on her watch and then remembered that she was going to pick up Qu Xizhi this morning, However, in the current situation, she could only say, "I'm not going anymore, and you shouldn't go out either."
"Ha?" Youyou was obviously confused.
Gu Xizhi repeated, "I'm not going."
Then she hung up the phone.
Bo Yiqing saw Gu Xizhi hanging up the phone and asked, "Sister Xiao Jing, is there something wrong?"
Gu Xizhi shook her head, "It's not necessary for me to go, besides, you need me more."
Bo Yiqing immediately said, "Go and do your work if you have anything to do. Lisa will take me back. I happen to be very tired and want to rest for a while. There is no point in staying with me."
"No," Gu Xizhi insisted, 'I can't leave you like this. Even if you want to rest, I want to make sure you rest properly."
"Sister Xiao Jing," Bo Yiqing said seriously, "I'm really fine now. Having you here actually hinders me from resting well. Please, just listen to me this once, okay?"
Gu Xizhi struggled for a while and finally relented, "I really don't understand why you want me to leave."
"I just want some time alone."
Gu Xizhi nodded, finally letting go, "Okay... I'll contact you in the afternoon."
Bo Yiqing nodded too.
The snow was still falling in the early morning, and through the large floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the scenery outside the window could be fully taken in. Bo Yiqing stood by the window and watched Gu Xizhi's back disappear into the snow. He seemed particularly silent.
Qu Xizhi will return to China today. Even if one doesn't want to pay attention to her, it is difficult not to ignore this news due to the large amount of media reports. When she saw Gu Xizhi answering the phone, she knew what she was supposed to do, but she really didn't want her to be conflicted because of her, and she didn't want her to stay with her because of sympathy and guilt.
Qu Xizhi had found her four months ago. On that day, Bo Yiqing had just finished shooting a commercial, and Qu Xizhi had stopped her at the television station to discuss something with her.
Before Qu Xizhi found her, she had never even considered that Gu Xizhi would be harassed by Sun Tingyou. Qu Xizhi's purpose was very clear - she had simply invited her to dinner to help Gu Xizhi deal with Sun Tingyou.
In fact, from the moment she explained her intentions, she had already made up her mind to help Gu Xizhi get rid of this trouble. No matter what it took, she was determined to assist Gu Xizhi.
So when those things happened later, although she was afraid, she still did it.
She had remembered Gu Xizhi since she first met her four years ago. Even though Gu Xizhi might never remember her, she would never forget her.
That year, her father's business failed and her parents divorced. Her life fell from the clouds to the ground. She was heavily in debt and could no longer afford the cost of studying at an art school. She tried several entertainment companies, hoping to work early to ease her financial burden, but she was ruthlessly rejected.
That day, she went to the record company to look for opportunities as usual. She remembered that the person she was looking for was Hu Lang, the music producer of Huaxing Company, but Hu Lang didn't seem interested in her. Even though she tried repeatedly, he showed no sign of changing his mind.
But God was kind, and there was a girl beside Hu Lang that day, and she was Gu Xizhi.
Probably seeing how pitiful she was looking for a job all over the world while carrying a musical instrument, Gu Xizhi asked her some questions and then persuaded Hu Lang to give her a chance and listen to her sing before making a decision.
At that time, Hu Lang was indeed very determined, and both of them felt that it was unnecessary to waste any more time. However, it was because of a remark from Gu Xizhi that Hu Lang agreed to listen to one song first. She gave it her all in that performance to showcase herself.
As expected, although she still believes that her performance that day was quite good, and Hu Lang did show some recognition, Hu Lang refused her back then, citing the lack of plans to develop new artists.
She remembers that the day she left Huaxing Company, the weather was scorching hot. Carrying her heavy instrument, as she walked out of Huaxing, she was almost overwhelmed by the oncoming heatwave, feeling suffocated. At that moment, she felt like her life had nearly come to an end, and there would be no more hope.
But right at that moment, Gu Xizhi's assistant at the time chased after her.
The assistant gave her some money and conveyed Gu Xizhi's message.
She said that she was still very young at her current age and should prioritize her studies. The money provided was enough to support her until graduation. There was plenty of time ahead, and she could slowly look for opportunities. Everything would come in due time.
She said don't be discouraged, she is very talented and there will definitely be a better turn.
Her words were few, but every word struck a chord deep within her, and they stayed with her to this day.
Gu Xizhi seemed to understand that she didn't want to leave school, and in just a few minutes, she could see through all her thoughts.
She had envisioned everything for her.
Bo Yiqing felt that on that day, she might have met an angel.
After that day, Bo Yiqing didn't search for opportunities all over the place anymore. She returned to school, picked up her sheet music and instruments again, and it seemed like she was no different from her fellow students, as if she had returned to her previous life.
Throughout her college years, she no longer lived in anxiety, panic, or fear. She no longer abandoned her dignity and bottom line just to find a job opportunity, nor did she waste a single word on anyone who didn't appreciate her. She became relaxed and calm, neither humble nor overbearing. She just quietly did her own thing and waited for the breeze to come.
And such an opportunity was given to her again by Gu Xizhi.
She has always been more than simply grateful to her. If possible, she would do anything to repay this kindness.
Actually, that night, she felt so nauseous that she almost cried her eyes out. But when she thought that her efforts could bring Gu Xizhi a peaceful life, she would feel that everything was worth it.
Just thinking about her makes her feel extremely strong inside. This strength is enough for her to resist all fears and make her invincible.
