Chapter 66: You Come and Pick Me Up 2

Chapter 66: You Come and Pick Me Up 2

Yun He had just settled into the car when it was still parked downstairs, unstarted, when his phone buzzed with a message. Upon opening it, he saw that it was from Cai Mingzhi: "Remember to take care of what I told you."

Yun He knew his mother was referring to inviting Gu Jiabei over for dinner, but he was unsure how to frame the invitation. What pretext could he use to ask Gu Jiabei to come to their home?

Junior high classmates?

That hardly warranted both parents extending an invitation.

A casual hookup?

Well, Gu Jiabei had made it clear that it wasn't out of affection, so there was no need for him to visit as a guest.

Frustrated, Yun He ruffled his hair and dialed Lu Angyu's number.

"Are you drunk again?" Angyu asked, sounding lethargic as the call connected.

"No, I'm sober this time," Yun He replied.

"Ah, how unusual. I can count the times you've called me while sober on three fingers," Lu Angyu chuckled on the other end.

"I ran into Yun He," said Gu Jiabei.

"Oh..." Lu Angyu drawled, "That's not surprising. He works there, so it's only natural that you'd eventually bump into each other."

"Why did he break up with his two ex-boyfriends?" Gu Jiabei inquired.

"Damn it..."

"Do you have pictures of his exes?"

"What's wrong with you? Why would I keep pictures of his ex-boyfriends?" It sounded like Lu Angyu was surrounded by people, as he irritably shushed them. "But after all these years, you've never proactively asked about Yun He in our calls. What's going on now?"

"Even if I ask you, you wouldn't tell me if he doesn't want you to, right?"

"True, that's a valid point." Lu Angyu admitted candidly.

"Then why did you feel the need to tell me that he's back this time?" Gu Jiabei asked, gazing at the streetlamps outside the car window.

"So, did Gu Jiabei consent to you telling me this, or...?" Yun He swallowed. "Did he ask you to tell me?"

Yun He had quit his job and returned to his hometown precisely because of this. Not long ago, Lu Angyu sent him a message, informing him that Gu Jiabei might be coming back soon.

"Damn... he was waiting for me to ask," Lu Angyu paused for a few seconds. "Alright, I'll just come out with it. He asked me to tell you. He said he's coming back and wants you to know the next time you call me."

Yun He gripped his phone tightly, a forbidden fantasy flashing through his mind. His breathing quickened. "Why, why is he doing this?"

"Why the hell else?! Are you really that dense? You weren't this clueless when you were chasing after Gu Jiabei back then. Why have you become more obtuse over the years?" Lu Angyu's tone was sharp. "That guy never forgot about you. Although he tried to act tough with me and even had two boyfriends to prove it, the truth remains the truth. He still has feelings for you. Even those two boyfriends he had reminded me of you in some ways."

Yun He felt like crying. The surge of emotions left him at a loss. He dared not hope that Gu Jiabei still liked him, but he did wish that Gu Jiabei still harbored feelings for him. As this possibility became more real, he was both excited and pained.

"Are you telling the truth?..."

"Is there a prize for lying to you?" Lu Angyu scoffed.

"Then send me his phone number." Yun He sniffled, struggling to keep his voice steady.

"You met him, but didn't get his number?" Lu Angyu jeered. "Can't you muster up the courage you had in school? If you like him, just go for it. What are you afraid of? Besides, so many years have passed. Even if he has resentment towards you, doesn't that mean he still likes you? That's your leverage! My years of persuasion pale in comparison to his one meeting with you..."

"What do you mean by that one meeting?" Yun He's heartbeat accelerated.

"Remember when we bumped into each other in Shanghai on his birthday... So, when people meet, see each other, kiss, and hold each other, many things don't seem as important anymore. It's like the toad longing for swan meat – just thinking about it won't do, you have to have it right in front of your mouth, smell its scent, to truly know how much you desire it."

"Would you dare say that to Gu Jiabei?" Yun He laughed through his tears.

"Isn't that obvious?" Lu Angyu chuckled. "Would you dare call him a toad to his face?"

"In fact, I'm the toad in this situation..." Yun He admitted.

"I'm at a loss for words to respond to that..."

"Yet, I'm unsure if I'll ever have that chance again..."

"Comrade Yun, don't sell yourself short. If you don't have this opportunity, Gu Jiabei might end up alone for the rest of his life. Buck up, he's been suffering on his own for so long. The one who caused the hurt should be the one to heal it. You're the one who needs to soothe his wounds," Lu Angyu's voice was unusually earnest.

"Okay..." Yun He nodded vigorously, then another question came to mind. "Then why didn't he go abroad for studies?"

"Both his parents are divorced. He wouldn't follow his father's plans. Why would he bother going overseas to study?" Lu Angyu's tone was muffled, as if he were speaking with a cigarette in his mouth.

"When did they divorce?" Yun He's heart trembled.

"It was during his first year of high school. He took two days off, lying to his mother that he was attending some math olympiad. Upon returning home, he found out that his father's mistress was pregnant with a belly as big as a watermelon. How could he endure that? Didn't they move out just a few days later?"

The car was silent, filled only with Yun He's slightly disordered breathing. A thousand thoughts swirled through his mind in an instant.

So Gu Jiabei didn't go for any competition back then. Instead, he had gone to confront a pregnant woman alone...

How must he have felt at that time... He was only seventeen, still just a child... Yun He reproached himself, recalling how he had called Gu Jiabei to break up right after the plane landed... Already wounded and hurt, Gu Jiabei might have been hoping for comfort and a listening ear from him, but instead, he received another heartache...

Yun He slammed his head against the steering wheel, hard.

Why did he stubbornly believe back then that Gu Jiabei would leave with his father?

Gu Jiabei had clearly asked him why he chose to believe Gu Wei over him...

Why did it take him so many years to ask Lu Angyu about this?

Why did he bury his head like an ostrich, thinking that if he ignored it, Gu Jiabei would carry on with life as planned...

Yun He was unaware of when he had hung up the call. After several struggles and deep breaths, he gradually lifted his head from the steering wheel.

His phone vibrated, and Lu Angyu sent him a string of phone numbers. With trembling fingers, Yun He gently tapped the screen, typing out four characters before saving the contact.

"Brother Jiabei"

Regaining his composure after a few more seconds, Yun He started the car and headed towards Lin Yong's music restaurant.