Chapter 97 As Long as He Stops Crying

Chapter 97: As Long As He Stops Shedding Tears

A knock sounded at the door, and Gu Zhen politely said, "Come in." A mild-mannered, distinguished middle-aged man walked in, bent down, and tousled Tingting's hair.

"Your dad's gonna be back real soon," the man said gently to Tingting.

"Really? That's wonderful! Thank you, Uncle Lin!" Tingting was so excited he looked like he was about to jump for joy.

"Mr. Gu, you're awake," the middle-aged man said politely, turning to Gu Zhen. "How are you feeling? Anywhere that hurts?"

It took Gu Zhen a beat to recognize the man—it was Lin Wenyuan, the Deputy Governor of the resistance zone, whom he had met before.

"Governor Lin." Gu Zhen nodded at him. "Everything's fine, no discomfort. Is the war... almost over?"

Gu Zhen couldn't help but feel a flicker of emotion. Here he was, brought low, with almost nothing left to offer anyone, and yet this old enemy had come to check on him the second he woke up.

But that flicker of gratitude died the moment he saw who came in behind Lin Wenyuan.

Jiang Huaiyan walked in behind him, all smiles, holding a bouquet of lifeless flowers.

"It's almost over." Lin Wenyuan, unaware of the hostility crackling between Gu Zhen and Jiang Huaiyan, smiled warmly.

He just thought Gu Zhen seemed a little too calm—he couldn't detect a single hint of regret for the empire he'd served half his life.

"Saint Gallen tipped us off that the King and the Prime Minister, along with some other nobles, have already applied for political asylum and are ready to skip the country at any moment."

Gu Zhen nodded. "Is that so."

Of all the empire's generals, Gu Zhen was one of the biggest thorns in the resistance's side. Lin Wenyuan had an eye for talent, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for Gu Zhen, who had spent his whole life fighting for the empire.

After all, Gu Zhen had fought wars for the empire his entire life, with a string of brilliant military achievements that even an enemy like him had to respect.

For a man like that to end up shot in the back by his own people, lying in the enemy's hospital, a hair's breadth from death—even Lin Wenyuan couldn't help but feel outraged for him.

"Mr. Gu, you gave everything to the empire, and the empire had no right to treat you like that," Lin Wenyuan said, naturally assuming Gu Zhen's calm demeanor was him putting up a brave front, and sincerely consoled him. "Now they're losing—that's their just deserts for how they treated you."

"We're all relieved you're doing better. After the war ends, would you be willing to join us? Our military academy is still in urgent need of development—you could be the dean of the combat school."

Jiang Huaiyan shot Lin Wenyuan a glance from the side.

Lin Wenyuan was mainly in charge of economics and cultural education. The position of a military academy dean wasn't exactly overstepping his bounds—it was just Lin Wenyuan being his usual generous, open-minded self, willing to give even a defeated general a good place to land.

But the conversation was getting a little boring, and Tingting couldn't help but yawn from the sidelines.

"Is the sweetie tired?" Lin Wenyuan smiled, stood up, and picked Tingting up. "Uncle will walk you back to your room. Mr. Gu, no rush on what I mentioned—take your time. Just come find me or Director Jiang whenever you feel like it. We'll get out of your hair now. We didn't have anything going on—we just heard you were awake and wanted to come see you."

Jiang Huaiyan, however, didn't stand up with him. He remained seated in his chair and smiled at Lin Wenyuan. "If you don't mind, Governor Lin, could you take Tingting back to his room first? I have a few things I'd like to say to Mr. Gu."

"Alright, no problem. I'll head off then," Lin Wenyuan said, figuring they were old friends with private matters to discuss. "Rest well, and I wish you a speedy recovery."

Jiang Huaiyan nodded. Lin Wenyuan led Tingting out of the room and closed the door behind them.

Neither man spoke for a moment. Only once Lin Wenyuan's footsteps had faded away did Gu Zhen give Jiang Huaiyan a cool, sidelong glance.

"Mr. Jiang sure is big-hearted. I figured that in a hospital where Mr. Jiang was around, I probably wouldn't have made it through the night."

"Too bad," Jiang Huaiyan drawled. "If you died, Zhu Shinian would never forget you."

"You're thinking pretty far ahead, aren't you." Gu Zhen paused before speaking.

"You're a little more... decent than I expected," he added after a moment's thought.

Remembering or not—what does it really matter?

No matter how much weight a dead man carries in the living's heart, can he really compete with a living man who'll walk beside him through all the long years ahead?

At most, just an occasional memory, a fleeting thought now and then.

Zhu Shinian was so soft-hearted—if Jiang Huaiyan showed him even a little kindness, he'd repay it in kind, or even double.

Give him a little love, and he'd give back ten times, a hundred times more.

If he died, Zhu Shinian would never be able to forget him, but the one who'd keep walking beside him would be Jiang Huaiyan.

The place in his heart that belonged to Gu Zhen would slowly erode, until only a tiny speck the size of a cell was left, flowing through his veins, through every limb—it couldn't get any smaller, but it could never be fully erased either.

Wouldn't that... be fine?

If Jiang Huaiyan were the type to be that petty and possessive, he wouldn't have butted in back when Zhu Shinian was still his lover.

He figured... that if he died, Zhu Shinian would be sad.

Maybe the person who understands you best in this world, besides your lover, is your mortal enemy.

Gu Zhen knew exactly what Jiang Huaiyan was thinking, just as he knew that if the tables were turned, he wouldn't let Jiang Huaiyan die either.

He didn't want Zhu Shinian to be sad—not even a little, even if time would eventually fade it.

"Too bad you're still breathing," Jiang Huaiyan said, not acknowledging his gratitude, continuing to provoke him. "As long as you're alive, you'll never take him away from me."

Gu Zhen was different from Jiang Huaiyan. He was raised to believe he was born noble, that he was entitled to anything he wanted.

Money, power, a partner.

If he was entitled to it, then it naturally didn't involve lowering himself to beg, or even...

"Then let me have a shot," Gu Zhen said.

"If you two get together, I can be the other man—see if I can get Zhu Shinian to go soft on me, just like you did before."

"A title, a place in his life—I don't want any of it," he paused, his voice growing softer. "I've had all that before. I just didn't appreciate it then. Now I don't want any of it."

Just let your eyes rest on me every once in a while.

That's all I'd need.

Jiang Huaiyan looked at Gu Zhen's pale, bloodless face.

Those eyes that had once wielded power across the empire now showed something... almost pathetic.

"You really think Zhu Shinian loves you all that much?" Jiang Huaiyan hissed through gritted teeth, with a rare, long-suppressed venom that was unlike him. "He's just a softie. You took a bullet for him, so of course he's not gonna ditch you."

"He's soft on me now too—he cares about me, just like he cared about you before. Do you really think playing the victim like this is gonna push me out?"

The monitor's beeping suddenly sounded especially grating, like some relentless, mocking taunt.

The more worked up and vicious Jiang Huaiyan got, the more it showed how scared he really was.

He knew all too well that Zhu Shinian and Gu Zhen had a past that couldn't be erased, and he knew he was the one who'd butted in, who'd forced his way in anyway.

There was nothing he could do about it.

Now Zhu Shinian loved him, but for many years before that, the one he loved was Gu Zhen.

Most people in this world have only one heart and can only love one person. Jiang Huaiyan was like this, and so was Gu Zhen.

But Zhu Shinian just had so much love to give—enough for many people.

Just like when Zhu Shinian loved Gu Zhen, he would stay even when he was hurt, letting Gu Zhen do anything to him.

"I never meant to push you away," Gu Zhen said seriously. "Leaving you would hurt him, just like you saved me because you figured if I died, he'd be sad too."

"After I sent Zhu Shinian back to the Ninth District, I found your medical records in the capital. He put his life on the line to save you."

"He... really cares about you," Gu Zhen said with some difficulty.

As long as Zhu Shinian was happy, it didn't matter if his heart belonged to someone else too.

As long as he stopped crying.

Author's note: