Chapter 43: Tension
At the side, Pei Yi’s friend looked at him in confusion and asked what was wrong, but Pei Yi only shook his head, dragged his friend inside the clubhouse, muttering under his breath that he wouldn’t leave until he was thoroughly drunk.
No sooner had he sat down than Pei Yi sent the photo to Gu Zehuai.
[Ah Huai!!! Did Jiujiu start dating someone? I’m heartbroken, sob sob, I’ve lost her.]
[I swear I won’t leave until I’m drunk tonight!]
[Sob sob sob sob sob sob]
When Gu Zehuai finished doing the dishes and came out of the kitchen, he saw a string of messages from Pei Yi.
But all of Gu Zehuai’s attention was fixed on the photo.
Even though there was a whole street between them, Pei Yi’s phone had a good camera, and the picture was quite clear.
Gu Zehuai instantly lost his composure, not even bothering to read the following messages Pei Yi sent.
He felt he needed to calm down, so he rushed to the balcony, planning to cool off in the night air.
But when he looked downstairs, he immediately spotted the sports car from the photo.
He watched as a man got out from the driver’s seat, walked around to the passenger side, and opened the door for Wen Jiu.
Wen Jiu waved goodbye to the man.
Unable to restrain himself any longer, Gu Zehuai picked up his phone and sent Wen Jiu a message.
[I just saw you downstairs. If you have a moment, could you wait for me at the entrance? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.]
Wen Jiu was in the elevator and didn’t see the message at once.
As the elevator doors opened, her phone chimed with the notification.
After reading it, she felt both puzzled and faintly expectant, but in the end, she replied with a simple “okay.”
Less than five seconds later, Gu Zehuai’s door opened.
He stepped out of his apartment and, noticing how lightly Wen Jiu was dressed, didn’t even mention what he wanted to say.
“You’re wearing so little—aren’t you cold? The wind outside is strong.”
Wen Jiu glanced down at her clothes. Business attire, which looked thin but wasn’t actually cold.
Still, she followed Gu Zehuai into his home.
Gu Zehuai had been ready to say so much, but the moment he saw Wen Jiu, it was as though his voice deserted him. He found himself at a loss for words.
Gu Zehuai had never seemed awkward before, and in Wen Jiu’s eyes, her earlier premonition was probably correct.
But she still pretended to be clueless, asking in confusion, “You said in your message there was something you wanted to talk about—what is it?”
After pouring Wen Jiu a cup of hot water, Gu Zehuai sat down across from her.
His expression and tone seemed normal, but if one listened closely, there was a faint tremor in his voice, as though he was especially nervous.
He held a cup of water himself. After a moment of mental preparation, he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his gaze was resolute as he looked into Wen Jiu’s eyes and summoned his courage to speak.
“Wen Jiu, I know that what I’m about to say might seem strange to you, but I have to tell you—I like you. From the first moment I saw you, I was drawn to you. I’m so grateful for Yu Yu, who brought us closer. Every time I run into you at the entrance, in the corridor, or in the elevator, it makes me happy. Not seeing you these past days, and hearing that you’d moved back home, honestly made me panic, because that was nearly our only connection left. I’ve been struggling, hesitant, not knowing how to deal with these feelings, but now I realize—there’s no avoiding affection. I need to face it. Wen Jiu, I like you.”
He spilled out everything in one breath. When he finished, he was the first to look away and drained the water from his cup.
When no response came from Wen Jiu even after a while, Gu Zehuai grew uneasy, unsure of what to do with his hands.
The water in the cup had been warm just a moment ago, yet now, from nerves, his hands and feet were icy cold—a sensation he had never experienced before.
Gu Zehuai thought: Look up, look at Jiujiu. Even if she rejects me, it’s alright. At least I was brave.