Chapter 84: Previous Version 2

After making two phone calls without anyone answering, Gu Xizhi quickly left the airport and took a taxi. After pondering for a while, she finally told the driver, "Mingnan West Road."

On this side, Lili, who has been avoiding phone calls, feels utterly rejected by Youyou. On the other side after consoling herself, Gu Xizhi paid the fare, followed her memory, and pressed the elevator floor. Within a minute, she had arrived at Lili's house.

The moment the doorbell rang, Lili scared to death, had her hands frozen on Youyou's arms. Good words were right at the tip of her tongue, but not a single one could be uttered. Upon hearing the doorbell, Youyou checked the time, glanced at Lili, and promptly went to open the door.

Upon opening the door, Gu Xizhi, seeing Youyou in good spirits, asked, "Xiao Youyou, is Lili here?"

"She seems to be here but not here." Youyou took her luggage, welcomed her inside, and turned back to Lili with a hint of resignation, saying, "You two talk, and I'll make tea."

Lili immediately picked up the pillow on the sofa and hugged it in her arms.

Observing the peculiar atmosphere between the two, Gu Xizhi set her bag down and approached Lili. "I called you, and no one answered. I came to ask you, where did you say you saw Qu Xizhi come back?"

"Lili hugged the pillow and looked up at her, her expression really not pretty.

Gu Xizhi looked at her expression for a while and said, "Xia Lili?"

"Lili grabbed the pillow and tried to cover her face, "Actually...Actually..."

Gu Xizhi's brow furrowed.

Before she could change her expression, Lili hastily continued, "Actually, it's because the CEO has been looking for you. Tian Youlan couldn't bear it anymore, so she came up with this plan. I also... I didn't want to lie to you..."

Gu Xizhi's expression no longer changed, but stayed fixed on the same look as before and kept looking at her.

Lili, unable to bear being looked at, couldn't resist tossing aside the pillow and stood up. "Do you know this is the best opportunity for your career development? Now, instead of working, you choose to travel, travel, travel! How could there be a chance for a celebrity to miss such a golden opportunity? Even if it doesn't work out, you should consider how much your agency has invested in you!"

Gu Xizhi remained silent, listening to her finish speaking, and then picked up her bag, turning to walk towards the door.

Lili immediately stopped her as she was about to leave. "I'm sorry, I don't want it to be like this either. I understand how you feel, but Qu Xizhi won't come back. Going on like this won't get you anything; it will only make everyone unhappy. The relaxation trip is ruined, the contract needs renegotiation, and you..."

Before finishing her sentence, Lili looked at Gu Xizhi's expression and suddenly couldn't say another word.

Gu Xizhi looked into her eyes and said, "She will come back."

Lili looked into her eyes and opened her lips, but couldn't say anything more.

At this moment, the urgent ringtone abruptly sounded, catching Gu Xizhi's attention. She withdrew her gaze from Lili and took out her phone, and the sight of a particular number made her expression change. She answered the call and immediately asked, "Is there any news?"

"Just received the news that Qu Xizhi and Shen Ya are holding their wedding in Australia on May 20th. However, according to Shen Ya's friends, their documents were registered in China. They especially came back from Italy a day ago. This morning, we saw Shen Ya's car heading towards the Civil Affairs Bureau."

Gu Xizhi was stunned, "Didn't I tell you to inform me promptly when they return to the country?" Without waiting for an explanation, she added, "What time did you see it?"

"8:20 AM. It's been ten minutes now. If there's no traffic, they should have already..."

Without letting the other finish speaking, Gu Xizhi hung up the phone and immediately said to Lili, "Car, car keys." 

Seeing her in a panic, Lili said without waiting for a response, "I'll drive."

On a weekday morning at 8:30, the city traffic resembled slow-moving networks, with each step forward requiring an extremely long wait.

Stuck in traffic for only five minutes, Gu Xizhi checked her watch every two seconds like a demon. When the car reached the next traffic light, she couldn't help saying, "I can't wait anymore."

Regardless of Lili's reaction, she opened the door and got off on the right side.

During peak traffic hours, all modes of transportation were helpless, except pedestrians, who were unusually free due to their flexibility. However, because Gu Xizhi was wearing high heels, after running for two entire streets, she had to take off her shoes to continue running.

Although the city roads were clean, there were some irritating pebbles. Gu Xizhi paid attention to the road surface while running, and the constant pointing and talking from passersby added to the pressure she felt.

Finally reaching the street across from the Civil Affairs Bureau, a few young girls seemed to recognize her. They called her name, took photos, and followed her. Fear of being delayed appeared to be greater than the fear of being discovered, and in the background of the shutter sounds, Gu Xizhi's pace quickened. She completely ignored the pedestrian bridge and directly crossed the barrier to cross the road.

Upon reaching the outside of the Civil Affairs Bureau, it was already 8:50 in the morning. Perhaps due to the good weather, there were several couples queued up outside the bureau. After putting on her shoes, Gu Xizhi wore a mask and entered the office. After looking around and finding no sign of Qu Xizhi, her gaze immediately shifted to the staff.

In the early morning, the staff were all busy with their work. Gu Xizhi didn't care about attracting attention, she walked directly to a couple in the process of handling their affairs and asked the staff, "Excuse me, I have an urgent matter to ask you. In the past twenty minutes, has a Mr. Zhou Shenya registered for marriage here?"

The name Qu Xizhi was too eye-catching, and Shen Ya was not a real name nor involved in the entertainment industry. It would be more convenient to use. Of course, if they had come to register, the staff would surely remember them.

As expected, the staff quickly responded, "Mr. Zhou Shenya left with his wife five minutes ago." Gu Xizhi was momentarily stunned, seeming somewhat incredulous. Quickly repeating herself, she asked, "I'm talking about Mr. Zhou Shenya." 

"That's right," the staff reiterated, "it's Mr. Zhou Shenya."

Gu Xizhi stared at her woodenly. Her expression under the mask was hard to discern, but the emotion in her eyes was blunt.

"Hey, girl, if you're not getting married, don't delay us here. Auntie, continue registering for us. We're in a hurry."

The urging of those around them prompted the staff to return to work. Gu Xizhi stood in place, watching the busy scene in front of her, until the next couple came to register, and suddenly she woke up as if from a dream.

"Here are our ID cards and household registers. Auntie, I heard that marriage registration only costs 9.9 yuan..." The happy voice was left behind as Gu Xizhi walked step by step out of the hall. It wasn't until someone hurriedly ran into her and bumped her that she remembered to look up.

Lili, who had just arrived, saw Gu Xizhi walking out with her head lowered and heavy steps, and her face suddenly darkened, "Xiao Jing..."

Gu Xizhi gazed at her for a long time. At first, she tried to force a smile, but soon the skin around her eyes gradually reddened, and her bright eyes became even more transparent due to the moisture.

Just before the tears were about to completely soak her eyes, she said, "She really doesn't want me anymore."

Losing love can make you suffer, fear, and be reluctant to accept. If you anticipate early on that someone can't bloom the same brilliant flowers in your life during your lifetime, it can also make you despair.

Before the tears were about to overflow, Gu Xizhi dispersed the emotion, forcing the tears away, and wiped her moist eyes dry. Despair is without tears.

She still had hope.

As the car moved on the road, Gu Xizhi answered the phone while instructing Lili on driving. Soon, they encountered another fork in the road. Gu Xizhi asked on the phone, "Where are you following them now?"

"I've reached the headquarters of Hailan Group. At the last intersection, they turned... turned left. Damn! Another red light!"

Gu Xizhi immediately said, "Run it. I'll take full responsibility for this."

"Miss, are you serious? Do you know how many cars are here? If you don't want to hear about me getting into a traffic accident later, please wait."

"After sixty seconds of the red light, where are you going to follow them? It's still possible if you run it now."

"Miss, I'm here for work, not risking my life."

"I'm really in a hurry. Please, make an exception this time."

"No matter how urgent it is, you can't joke about something like this. Do you know the consequences the company will give me..."

The voice abruptly stopped, and Gu Xizhi threw the phone into the car. She looked up at Lili and said, "Take me to the airport."

Lili was surprised, "Go to the airport now?"

"They'll definitely leave the country from there."

Lili checked the time and said, "There are still three days until the wedding. What if they leave on the last day? Do you want to stay there for three days?"

"I can't care about that now." Gu Xizhi simply said, "I don't want to miss this opportunity."

An hour later, at the airport, Lili followed Gu Xizhi to the airport hall while trying to persuade her. "I've checked. Several flights to Australia are in the evening. You don't need to be here right now, and you are a public figure..."

The ringing interrupted Lili's words. Gu Xizhi took out her phone, answered the call, and immediately said, "Did you follow them?"

The other person's voice was calm, "I apologize for the work mistakes earlier. But rest assured, we have other information. Just two minutes ago, Chenya's car just entered the highway. If I'm not mistaken, he is probably heading to H City to catch a flight to Sydney in an hour and a half. Our people are already on their way, and we will provide timely feedback if there's any news."

Gu Xizhi froze, stopped in her tracks, and after a moment of consideration, she said, "Can you have your car block them? I'll come over right away."

"Sorry, Miss, we only focus on obtaining information and never interfere with customers' lives. That's our principle. Please understand..."

While the other party was still talking, Gu Xizhi's hand holding the phone slowly dropped.

Upon seeing this, Lili immediately asked, "What's wrong?"

Gu Xizhi looked at her and seemed a little unsure for a while, "How long does it take to get to the expressway from here?"

Lili calculated, "It took almost an hour to get here.*

"In an hour, we'll just be able to reach the highway, and they will have already reached the airport, ready to board. Right?" Lili was puzzled, "Are you saying they are not using this airport?"

Gu Xizhi remained silent, and her eyelids slowly drooped.

People who are mature in handling emotions are often those who have experienced emotional setbacks. In a certain year, in a certain month, when you meet someone you admire and find her balanced attitude towards you delightful, perhaps that is only the answer she obtained after making a hundred mistakes with someone else. She might truly like you very, very much, but that person who allowed her to grow in love and be loved will forever hold an unforgettable symbolic meaning.

At that moment, she didn't want to only be able to remember, but she was powerless.

Three hours later, on the plane.

Gu Xizhi sat in the passenger cabin, silently watching the diamond ring in her hand radiate dazzling brilliance amid the layers of clouds. Her eyes also became bright due to the colorful sparkle. The foreign man beside her was amazed by the ring in her hand and said in astonishment, "Hello, Miss, the setting of this ring is very special. Do you have any intention to sell it?"

Gu Xizhi turned to look at him, her slightly moist eyes seemingly condensing the most beautiful scenery of spring, "I'm sorry."

The foreign man was somewhat disappointed, but quickly said, "It's okay." Tilted his head and chatted casually, "Miss, are you going to Denmark for tourism, study, or business?"

Gu Xizhi said, "I'm going back to yesterday."

The foreign man obviously didn't understand and immediately took out his pocket dictionary to look it up.

He didn't say anything more, and Gu Xizhi once again turned her gaze to the ring in a daze.

Time flew by quickly, and soon it was lunchtime. The flight attendants started serving meals, and the foreign man put down his dictionary to go to the restroom. With an enthusiastic introduction from the flight attendant, Gu Xizhi casually chose a meal and placed it on the table. Once again, she entered her own world, staring blankly at the diamond ring and the vast expanse outside the window.

Passengers who received their lunches were mostly focused on eating. The fragrance of food filled the cabin, making everyone's appetite open wide.

In the entire cabin, only Gu Xizhi sat facing the food without picking up her chopsticks.

The undulating mountains below the plane became distorted in the thin mist, and the sky became clear due to the sunlight. In the distance, the deep blue sea looked as clean as another sky.

Footsteps approached, but Gu Xizhi didn't lift her head, only saying, "The flight attendant will bring your lunch later."

Someone responded to her, their voice gentle and pleasant, "Aren't you eating?"

Without much thought, "You can take my portion too."

No one spoke again, only the scent of perfume lingered.

Gu Xizhi, through the translucent diamond, looked at the endless deep blue sea below the plane. At first, her eyes only turned slightly red, but soon her long eyelashes became wet, and tears rolled down her face in large drops.

She slowly turned her head.

(End)