Chapter 21: Nightmare (Part 1)

  "Huāng lǐ." Outside the airport, the man with the warm eyes that she thought were one of a kind in the world called out her name softly.

  Gu Huanli slowly walked forward, gazing at the clarity and silence in his eyes, as well as a hint of inexplicable estrangement. She asked softly, "Yi Chen, how did you come here?"

  Yi Chen, Luo Yi Chen, isn't he currently having a torrid affair with that model mistress of his? How did he suddenly remember her again? Has he gotten bored? Yeah, anyway, he looks good and has a rich family background, so women are always throwing themselves at him. He likes to keep them as mistresses, and when he gets tired of them, he just plays the field with one-night stands. She's already used to it, nothing surprises her anymore.

  She just didn't have the mood to quarrel with him now, because she had come specifically to pick him up today. Chu Lian Yu had been studying abroad alone for many years and finally achieved academic success, returning home with honor. Thinking of this, she retreated a few steps, standing far away, her line of sight passing over Luo Yi Chen's shoulder, gazing at the azure sky.

  "Did the servant say you're not feeling well today?" Ruo Yu Chen walked up to her with a slight smile, his handsome face filled with sunshine at that moment. However, it was only for an instant, his expression turned gloomy, and he suddenly turned around, facing the driver who was standing behind him with his hands hanging down, and said in a cold voice, "Who allowed you to send the madam to the airport?"

  The driver only felt a chill run up his head, and he explained pitifully, "Madam said she wanted to come pick up Miss Biao, so..." After one sentence, facing the cold gaze of Rong Yuemeng, his voice involuntarily dropped.

  "Does the Chu family have no cars?" Ruo Yi Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, and his words were even colder by three degrees. "Now, send the lady back immediately."

  He's always been like that, as if he were her controller, deciding her life and future. Gu Huanli slightly furrowed his brow, and for some reason, it felt like a dull knife had been inserted into his heart, pulling back and forth with each beat, bringing flesh and blood to the surface. He covered his chest and said coldly, "I'm just here to pick you up, once Lian You comes out I'll head home."

  "Is it pitiful? Is Chu Lianyou pitiful?" Rong Yichen looked at the pale and colorless face in front of him, yet couldn't hide the beauty that seemed to have walked out of a painting. His heart suddenly rose with anxiety, as if he was about to lose something.

  "Xiao Li!" A short-haired woman wearing the latest autumn outfit from Burberry, dragging a suitcase, ran over with a smile and circled around Gu Huanli and Luo Yichen once, chirping happily like a little bird, "Ah, it's great to get married, having a brother-in-law who dotes on you is true happiness!"

  "What's wrong?" Gu Huanli came back to her senses, stretched out her hand and rubbed her messy short hair, smiling shallowly, "You should also find someone to marry soon, isn't that good?"

  "Not at all! I'm not like you, with only one thought in mind, to be a good wife and mother. I am a modern woman, as long as I have a job, I have everything. Moreover, for me, freedom is the most important thing!" Suddenly, Chu Lian clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and prayed silently with all her heart and might, "I only ask heaven to bless our little Li and brother-in-law to be together for a hundred years, and to give birth to a noble child."

  Then she pulled Gu Huanli's hand and sighed, "If heaven is willing to give me a third of your happiness, Mom won't have to worry so much. My ears will also be at peace."

  Gu Huanli smiled, her eyes gleaming like dark stars on a clear night. "Don't worry, all the eligible young bachelors in the city are waiting for your return! By then, I'm afraid you won't even have time to go out for a cup of tea with anyone on weekends."

  "Why?" Chu Lian's thoughts turned and she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, her hair standing on end. She couldn't help but let out a mournful cry, "Could it be that mom has already arranged a blind date for me?!"

  "Hmm, it seems so." Gu Huanli supported her chin and said with a pretentious air of profundity, "I heard the queue goes all the way to the end of the year. And, Auntie and I were saying..."

  "What's going on? What's happening?"

  "Tell your sister that if you don't go, then just forget it, and directly send her to the home of a certain man who is ranked first...” Gu Huanli said in a low voice while letting the driver put Chu Liangyou's luggage into the trunk, "It's said that Auntie has even found a bakery for the wedding cake, and is just waiting for you to come back and then firmly refuse the blind date dinner."

  "A conspiracy, this is a conspiracy!" Chu Lian's scalp was about to explode, she grasped the top cover of the car trunk with one hand and pulled the handle of the luggage case with the other, saying firmly, "Xiao Li, I'm leaving. Remember to tell my mom that blind dates can go die!"

  "I was just teasing you." Gu Huanli pulled her hand, smiling lightly. "Besides, if such a small thing can scare you so much that you'd run away in a hurry, wouldn't Auntie have to fly over to chase and kill you?"

  "It's obvious that you've been spoiled by your brother-in-law." Chu Lianyu reached out and pinched Gu Huanli's cheek, winking her eyes and saying with a smile, "You're happy on your own, but instead of hiding away to enjoy it, you come here to scare me. Ah, having someone to back you up is great, isn't it? Right, brother-in-law?"

  Luo Yi Chen listened on the side, his expression somewhat surprised, as if he had seen such a lively and straightforward woman for the first time. He glanced at Gu Huan Li and said lightly, "Huan Li isn't feeling well today. If possible, why don't you all catch up in the car to avoid affecting traffic here."

  "Huh? Xiao Li, are you sick?" Chu Lian You carefully examined Gu Huan Li's complexion, worriedly saying, "Is your finger hurting again? Have you gone to the hospital for a check-up?"

  Gu Huanli pinched Chu Liuyou's hand and slightly shook her head, then gestured for her to get in the car.

  "Hey, brother-in-law, you'd better treat Xiaoli well. If I find out you're bullying her or playing with two women at the same time, I'll make sure you regret it!" Chu Liangyu rolled up his sleeves, looking like he was ready to fight.

  That sounds really good!

  Gu Huanli stood at the edge of her dream, saying coldly. She knew it was a dream, and she even knew that if it weren't for the splashing water incident during the day, and those words spoken by that girl named Qi Weiyi, she would never have remembered that Chu Liuyou had once said such "warm" words to her.

  So, she simply didn't want to sleep. As long as she slept, she would have dreams, dreams about the past. Although she had already been reborn, in the world of dreams, time seemed to stand still, and all she was doing was repeating sorrow and loss.

  Struggling to wake up from the dream, Gu Huanli moved her body with difficulty and sat down by the window. The dream had disappeared, but the memories remained.

  ……

  "Xiao Li, Xiao Li, save me quickly!" Chu Liu's mournful pleading voice came through the phone.

  It's raining today, Gu Huanli's fingers hurt extremely, she slightly frowned and asked in a low voice, "Lian You, what's wrong? Where are you?"

  "My mom, who is also your aunt, is talking about my half-sister again. She says that just because she got into graduate school and married a rich and powerful man, what does it have to do with me? My mom is always comparing me to her, ahhhhh, I'm so fed up!"

  Gu Huanli had to move the microphone away from her ear, because she knew that once this topic was brought up, Chu Liuyou would go on and on with his complaints.

  "I really don't understand, after all I'm a returnee from overseas, a graduate of a prestigious university, how did I become a useless person in my mom's eyes?! Today, my mom said on the phone that back when she was young, many people pursued her, and she received countless jewels, accessories, and gifts. But what I don't understand is, if there were really so many people chasing after her, why did she have to choose a man who can't even provide for her?"

  Uh...

  As a junior, she really didn't know what to say about this kind of thing.

  "I retorted a couple of sentences, and my mom flew into a rage, saying something like 'even if you're someone's junior, it's fine!' Women, why bother struggling with men for a meager salary and exhausting themselves to death. And she said that she herself was too stupid, still clinging to my dad. In the end, wasn't she still cheated by my dad..."

  Yes, there are many fools in this world, for example, my aunt, and her too.

  Gu Huanli let out a soft sigh, burying her face in her hands, feeling extremely tired. After a while, she asked softly, "Lian You, what exactly happened?"

  "Anyway, change your clothes and dress up nicely. I'll come pick you up at your place in an hour."

  "The sky will soon be dark..."

  "Come on, Xiao Li! You're already over 20 years old and married, are you still afraid of the dark?"

  "But..."

  "Remember, I'm only giving you one hour for makeup!"

  Zack is a well-known nightclub located in the east of the city, especially on Friday nights, it's packed with fashionably dressed men and women. Gu Huanli had never been to such a place before, the energetic music was too noisy for her, and the people dancing wildly seemed like they were going crazy in her eyes.

  Although her fingers were injured, from the past to now, there is only classical music in her life. Moreover, she is too calm and too lonely, and cannot integrate into this joyful atmosphere at all.

  Gu Huanli gazed at Chu Lianyou, who was dancing enthusiastically in the dance pool. She thought to herself that she would tell her later that she was heading home first. At the same time, she thought that no matter where Chu Lianyou went, Luo Yichen wouldn't care, so she could take a stroll on the street, wait for the annoyance in her mind to dissipate, and then head back home to take a hot bath and listen to some of her favorite Tchaikovsky's nocturnes.

  "Miss, may I sit here and chat with you?"

  A man in his twenties walked up to Gu Huanli. To be honest, he didn't look bad and was dressed with good taste, but she still habitually put up her guard.

  "Sorry, my friend will be right back." Gu Huanli's body leaned slightly back, with a wary expression, pursed lips and an attitude of refusal that was quite obvious.

  The man first looked at him with slight surprise, and then seemed to find her attitude interesting. No! Maybe I should say... very challenging, on a dizzying night, the hunt has just begun.

  "I didn't mean any harm, I just wanted to make some friends." The man spread his hands. "My name is Xu Zhongkai, and I work in a law firm..." He decided to introduce himself first.

  For the next half hour, the man kept boasting about his education and work, occasionally trying to get Gu Huanlin to open up about herself, but she remained aloof.

  What's annoying is that the more indifferent she is, the more enthusiastic he becomes in talking to her.

  Just as his hand was about to cover Gu Huan's hand, a sudden hand stretched out and tightly grasped the man's wrist, directly pulling him away from his seat.

  "Hey, you little brat, don't you know the rules?! This chick was mine first!" The man said loudly, taking advantage of his intoxication.

  Luo Yi Chen gazed at Gu Huan Li's slightly furrowed eyebrows, his heart once again filled with annoyance. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, saying in a cold tone, "She is my woman. Whether you want to fight or file a lawsuit, I'm happy to accompany you."

  "My dad is a lawyer, what about you? Hmph, I can totally bankrupt you!" The man shook his finger at Ruo Di Chen, just as his friend arrived beside him and whispered something in his ear. The man's three-tenths drunkenness suddenly cleared up, "Ruo General, sorry, I didn't know she was..."

  "Idiot, he's my brother-in-law, and she!" Chu Lian returned from the dance floor with a sly smile, patted Gu Huanli's shoulder loudly, and said, "Is my cousin! So, stinky brat, get out of here!"

  Gu Huanli rubbed her slightly swollen temples and said to Chu Liuyao, "Why don't you go home early? Otherwise, Auntie will worry about you. You wouldn't want her to lose sleep over it, would you?"

  "Xiao Li, the night has just begun!" Chu Lianyou stepped forward to Ruo Yichen's face and said fearlessly, "Brother-in-law, how can you be so narrow-minded when other men show affection for Xiao Li? You should know that although that brat is nothing, at least it proves that Xiao Li still has charm."

  "She's my wife, so she just needs to stay at home and be obedient." Luo Yichen said, then put his arm around Gu Huanlin and quickly walked away.

  As he walked out of the nightclub, Luo Yi Chen furrowed his brow and gazed at Gu Huan Li with a cold expression. He sneered, "What's wrong? Still resenting me for making you miss an opportunity to show off your charm?"

  "If you want to go on the entertainment edition, you can continue saying these boring words here." Gu Huanli turned around and got into the car, her face expressionless.

  "Send the lady home." Luo Yi Chen said, and heavily closed the car door.

  That night was the first time he didn't come home all night.