NOVPUB
Chapter 228: Chapter 114 Damn, Calling You Out for Your Debt
Gu Jiuyue was a person who could take in reason.
Beneath her cool and aloof exterior, she possessed an intelligence that was extraordinary.
Not every second-generation rich kid had the capability to take over their parents’ business empire, let alone surpass it. The Meibang Princess’s 7-year loss of 3.2 billion was actually not a unique case.
On the contrary, Gu Jiuyue was part of the minority, and her various qualities were already becoming apparent.
"Your opinion makes sense,"
She furrowed her brows, clearly not having fully understood, yet she was willing to admit that Su Huai was more mature than herself.
"I might indeed be too idealistic... Su Huai, you haven’t been in a relationship either, so why do you think about relationships so maturely?"
"Because I’ve never been in one, but I have had a crush."
Su Huai had intended to brush off the topic with a joke, but as the words came to his lips and he saw her serious expression, he suddenly changed his mind.
Without a second thought, he laid his cards on the table.
Perhaps it was Destiny’s Intuition guiding him, he felt this approach would be better.
As expected, Gu Jiuyue was taken aback, a bit curious and also somewhat glum.
"Is it Chen Nuanhan?"
"Yes."
Su Huai candidly admitted, calmly recounting, "Daqing is a small city. Chen Nuanhan was the most outstanding girl I had ever seen, and at that time, I was particularly inconspicuous. You can imagine..."
"What?"
Su Huai had only paused for a moment when she eagerly pressed for an answer, revealing her impatience.
Gou Huai pulled in some strength and began to share his feelings.
"In high school, you were the princess, the one who shone with light. Probably 90% of the boys in the class had a crush on you, but can you now recall the most nondescript person? Their name, appearance, special talent... anything at all, do you have even the slightest memory?"
Gu Jiuyue truly furrowed her brow in recollection, then honestly shook her head.
"I can’t remember... Actually, I have a pretty good memory, but at that time, I really wasn’t paying attention."
"So this is what a crush is."
Gou Huai concluded, hiding the routine deep and heavy.
"A crush often occurs in the shadows; it’s someone unworthy yearning for the light, bearing a feeling of indescribable lowliness, as if to open your mouth and tell the other person would break something fragile."
He turned his head, staring deeply into the eyes of the little fairy, and asked in self-mockery, "As someone who radiates light, can you imagine—what if you stopped shining and became like me, illuminated by the light, liking someone but unable to speak up, until you lost the capacity to like? What would you do?"
"I don’t know... I guess liking someone might not be that important, right?"
She shook her head a little guiltily, her voice very soft.
Because she had tried to imagine it, and when she genuinely could not, she felt a bit sorry for Su Huai—had she prompted him to ask a question that led him to recall his painful memories?
How presumptuous!
Gu Jiuyue racked her brain, trying hard to divert the topic: "But why would you lose the capacity to like?"
"Because before going to university, she never looked at me straight on, and doesn’t remember me,"
Su Huai looked at her wistfully, delivering a pointed remark, "Just like you with those nobodies."
"Uh..."
Gu Jiuyue suddenly got stuck.
She had never imagined the past Su Huai to be so pitiful; she felt a bit heartbroken for him;
and she hadn’t thought the fire would eventually burn her, feeling a bit unlucky.
Finally, she offered a dry word of comfort, "Isn’t it all right now... So, do you really not like Chen Nuanhan anymore?"
"I’ve just outgrown the age of fanciful love,"
Su Huai sighed with a hint of regret, his low voice carrying an indescribable struggle and pain.
"All I want now is to work hard on my career, make money, become better. A man’s self-esteem can’t come from the outside; it must be internally derived... Forget it, you wouldn’t understand."
"I do understand!"
Gu Jiuyue just felt that Su Huai was terribly pitiful, pitiful enough to be heartbreaking.
Therefore, she put all her heart into the reassurance and comfort that followed, speaking at length.
"You’re a piece of jade. When you were still raw stone, you looked dull, so those without vision couldn’t see you, but now, through your own efforts, you’ve polished the stone and created a window! You’ve started to shine. Why doubt yourself over some unpleasant past?"
"I didn’t doubt myself. I’m just..."
Su Huai tilted his head, paused for a few seconds as if choosing his words carefully, or maybe just zoning out.
In the end, he offered a conclusion that wasn’t quite one. 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝑝𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"Forget it, I’m not into all this lovey-dovey stuff anyway, I’ve got too much to do..."
Gu Jiuyue nodded and then sighed.
"So that’s what you’re thinking... But you... uh..."
"Hm? Why the hesitation?"
"Do you really have no feelings or thoughts about Chen Nuanhan anymore?"
She still asked again, but unlike before, she wasn’t emotional, just merely curious.
"What feelings can I have? She’s just a somewhat special friend, not even as close as you."
Gou Huai calmly narrated the "facts" like an enlightened sage during his moment of wisdom.
"Oh!"
Gu Jiuyue’s eyes narrowed, finally satisfied.
She glanced at the hand still held by Su Huai, then suddenly pulled one away and lifted it to touch the back of his head.
"Love really isn’t all that interesting; it’s good friends who last a lifetime..."
Gou Huai almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.
Exactly, don’t give me that crap about dating; when asked, we’re just good friends!
In order to balance their Favorability Rating, Gou Huai racked his brain, but the effort paid off. Little Gold Mine had finally accepted the fact that he and Chen Nuanhan had a story.
If he played with Chen Nuanhan again and she caught them, he could argue with full assurance: we’re just friends...
Gou Huai was feeling smug when Gu Jiuyue suddenly narrowed her eyes, speaking cold words, "I must ask her when I have the chance, why the arrogance then and the deference now?"
Ah?!
Su Huai was stunned.
After a whole setup, Little Gold Mine had been played, but why wasn’t she playing by the rules?!
Su Huai looked at her blankly: "Why?"
Gu Jiuyue spoke with conviction: "Before, when you were laying low, she wouldn’t give you the time of day, but now that you’re shining, she’s all over you, pretending to like you. Isn’t that detestable?"
"Err..."
Su Huai was at a loss for words.
Although that made sense, this level of aggression... wasn’t like her, was it?!
Gu Jiuyue laughed sheepishly, a bit embarrassed but also somewhat proud and gleeful, confessing her true feelings: "From now on, just focus on being my good friend; stop hanging out with her... She’s not a good person."
Damn!
Su Huai’s eyes widened, and he felt completely numb.
What kind of twist is this?
Gu Jiuyue, are you even normal?!
Gou Huai never expected that after all the scheming, she would hit the nail on the head, smashing all his calculations to pieces.
I’m so screwed...
Gou Huai was wracking his brains, trying to think of how to argue his way out of this, when the car suddenly slowed down and gently came to a stop by the roadside.
We’ve arrived at the restaurant.
Gu Jiuyue pulled her hand away and gave him a sweet smile.
"Let’s go, it’s settled then. From now on, you’re my good friend and mine alone!"
Su Huai vigorously rubbed his face, suddenly feeling like slapping himself.
God damn it, serves me right!
*********
The next Chapter will be late at night, I accidentally fell asleep after the IV drip, just woke up
