During the seven-day National Day holiday in the golden October, the leaves turned a beautiful yellow, fluttering down crisply on the ground.
In the following days, Duan Jiayang and He Xiao would come to see Gu Siyu in the hospital, accompanying her to play. They would engage in activities like script-killing games, and Huo Junxian would join them. Regardless of how much fun they had, Huo Junxian would ask Duan Jiayang and the others to leave at a certain time.
Gu Siyu felt dissatisfied, but even if she was upset, she wouldn't argue with Huo Junxian. On the sixth day, He Xiao brought some apples and had to leave as she had to go to work.
Huo Junxian politely entertained her, offering snacks to He Xiao. Gu Siyu sat on the bed, her thin lips moving, unsure of what to say.
"Ms. He, the hospital said you performed quite well. You can resume your duties now. You can also get a raise, more bonuses, and subsidies." Huo Junxian made it clear that He Xiao should stay there and not come back.
He Xiao didn't respond. The two didn't say anything, and Gu Siyu's expression darkened. She furrowed her brows, thinking of accompanying He Xiao when she left. Last time, it didn't work out, and this time Huo Junxian stopped her again.
"No need." He Xiao pursed her lips, smiled at Gu Siyu, and said, "Take care of yourself. I'll visit you when I have time."
Gu Siyu nodded and said, "By then, I won't be in the hospital. Take care as it gets colder."
He Xiao nodded, left the items, and went out. She exchanged a glance with Huo Junxian, then turned and said, "If you need anything, give me a call. I'll definitely help you."
"I know my limits," Gu Siyu said.
In her plan, Gu Siyu intended to enjoy the holiday thoroughly because the missed opportunity left her with regrets. There was an orange on the bedside table that He Xiao had peeled for her. When she went to pick it up, she couldn't find it. She assumed Huo Junxian ate it. Later, when she went to get a new orange, she found the peeled one thrown into the trash.
A fire ignited in her chest, causing her heart to ache.
After He Xiao left, Duan Jiayang also became busy. Her visits to the hospital became shorter, and seeing how hard she was working, Gu Siyu told her not to come anymore.
After staying in the hospital for nearly half a month, in mid-October, Gu Siyu was discharged. The doctor, still concerned about her, reminded her multiple times that removing the stitches didn't mean she was fully healed. She had to avoid intense physical activities in daily life, preferably rest in bed, and always sleep on her stomach.
"I understand," Gu Siyu nodded, quietly listening. For once, she refrained from sarcastic remarks and thanked the doctor sincerely.
The doctor added, "I'm fine. I've seen many patients like you. You should thank Huo Junxian for taking care of you; she hasn't had a peaceful night's sleep because of you."
Gu Siyu glanced at Huo Junxian, who was packing her things. She didn't deny it, "She has been very good to me."
During her extended hospital stay, Gu Siyu had accumulated quite a large backpack. She sat in Huo Junxian's car, and the navigation was set to Huo Junxian's villa.
Gu Siyu leaned against the window, enjoying the breeze. The autumn sun was not too harsh, and the towering buildings in the city made humanity seem insignificant. Cars and houses had become small boxes, concealing objects within.
"Don't tell anyone about that day," Gu Siyu said.
"I know."
"Can the video be removed?"
"It can. I have shares in that hospital," Huo Junxian reassured her. "Don't worry."
"Send me back later," Gu Siyu said.
"Let's go to my place first," Huo Junxian's voice was gentle. "I'll take care of you. You still need to rest well in these initial days."
"Ah, I'm fine now. Why take care of me? You take good care of yourself," Gu Siyu smiled and said, "I'm not some spoiled princess for you to serve."
"You being carefree like this worries me more than when you cried," Huo Junxian looked concerned.
Gu Siyu blinked, feeling uncomfortable. She wanted to smoke but couldn't in the car.
"Well, what should I do? I'll cry again. If I cry, will you feel at ease?" Gu Siyu said, "You know, I have no idea how to react. It's embarrassing for me to cry. I'm in good condition now. So, no more scratching my back. If I do, just tie me up, okay?"
Gu Siyu compromised.
"That's why I'm afraid," Huo Junxian said.
Gu Siyu raised an eyebrow. "Just because you're afraid, doesn't mean I'll listen to everything you say, Huo Junxian." She said firmly, "You can rest assured. It won't happen again... I'm scared of pain, too scared."
Huo Junxian remained silent for a while, then said, "Okay."
The car stopped in the community. Gu Siyu went in first, followed by Huo Junxian. The corridor was tidy; it seemed Huo Junxian had someone clean it.
Possibly due to stress, Gu Siyu felt uncomfortable everywhere. She pushed the door open, and the room was clean, without the musty smell of the changing seasons.
Gu Siyu entered the living room and saw a box beside the sofa. The box was empty, and a black bird was eating inside a cage.
She touched the bird, and it didn't resist. She stared at the bird, "Did you know I had a serious illness, so you were a bit nicer to me?"
The bird continued pecking at its food without responding.
Gu Siyu sighed.
The bird was calm and seemed tamed.
Gu Siyu stood up, hands on her waist, and took a deep breath. She calmly asked, "Did my bird fly away?"
Huo Junxian stood there for a while before answering, "Yes."
"Perhaps it was timid. I sent someone to feed it, and it immediately flew up, bumped into things, and finally flew out of your bedroom window."
"Oh," Gu Siyu calmly accepted the fact.
Huo Junxian had dinner at her place, helped her take a bath, and then left. Gu Siyu didn't go to see her off. She looked down from the balcony, and Huo Junxian, wearing a windbreaker, had a sturdy figure. In the twilight, she appeared warm. Huo Junxian turned her head, and in the moment when the wind lifted her hair, Gu Siyu felt it was a scene she could remember for a lifetime.
At night, Gu Siyu lay on the bed, hands on her face, curled up. Unable to sleep, she got up again, took a cigarette from the drawer, lit it, and smoked. She opened a crack in the window.
The cheap tobacco lingered in the room. Having not smoked for some time, the smell made Gu Siyu nauseous. The stars in the sky were scattered, and there wasn't much to see. Lost in thought, a spark from the cigarette fell on her knuckles, burning her skin. Gu Siyu pressed the cigarette on the balcony rail and gave up smoking.
The little bird had flown away.
It was obviously not the one she picked up. At first, she didn't recognize it, but after a couple of touches, she identified it—hers, with a wild demeanor.
It flew away without saying goodbye?
Gu Siyu went to the living room, picked up the birdcage, placed it on the window sill, and opened it. The bird cowered in a corner. A bird that was once good, now afraid of the dark night.
It seemed somewhat amusing.
Gu Siyu opened the window, pressed her hands on the window sill. Indeed, you shouldn't develop feelings. If she hadn't intended to keep it, it would have been better.
If she hadn't planned to keep it, when it flew away, she wouldn't feel sentimental. She would just curse it for being heartless.
In these two days, Huo Junxian helped her get the money back, transferred it to her bank account secretly, and even deleted the remittance information. She acted as if nothing had happened, and Huo Junxian followed suit.
She bit her knuckles hard, trying to cry but couldn't. Frustrated, Gu Siyu slapped herself twice, hitting until it hurt. She turned to the side, pulled the curtains, and hid inside.
It was autumn, the noisy cicadas had stopped, and everything around returned to silence.
"Woo..." Gu Siyu covered her mouth, tears flowing out, one drop, two drops, she couldn't cry at all.
Everyone said that crying solves everything, that it doesn't hurt as much after crying. So, cry, cry hard, let it out faster...
*
In the morning, Gu Siyu's eyes were swollen. Normally, she didn't wear makeup much. She rummaged through her makeup, touched up her face, and applied some foundation.
Gu Siyu didn't go to Huo Junxian's house. She looked down from upstairs, and a few bodyguards were smoking downstairs, quite diligent.
At 10:30, the bodyguards delivered the meal on time and told her that Huo Junxian should be coming around noon. Gu Siyu nodded and asked the bodyguard to buy her a cup of milk tea. The community was remote, and some shops were not within the delivery range.
The bodyguard was very responsible, drove to buy her a drink. Gu Siyu hadn't eaten breakfast. She took out her ID card and household registration page from the drawer and stuffed them in her pocket. She stood on the balcony, looked across, estimated the distance, took the bedsheet, tied it to the nearby water pipe, and grabbed the bedsheet. She stood on the balcony and took a step across.
The community was small, and the balconies were close. The one next to her was empty; someone had moved out early. Gu Siyu directly jumped over, apologizing to the doctor in her heart. She patted her pants, wiped off the dust, and quickly went downstairs before the bodyguard noticed.
Afraid of disturbing the bodyguards upstairs, she walked out of the community. It took more than ten minutes to walk, and she flagged down a taxi to leave.
Throughout the day, she went to many places—community office, police station, and finally got a name change application form.
The application she wrote stated: Because the release date of Gu Jianxiong has arrived, she is afraid of retaliation, so she applies for a name change.
The police station scrutinized it for a while and told her that she could change her name, but changing her surname didn't meet the conditions.
Gu Siyu took out the application form and continued writing: When I was thirteen, I suffered from domestic violence. I stabbed my father, and he went to prison. Now, ten years later, he is about to be released, and with his character, he will definitely not let me go. Half a month ago, I was hospitalized due to illness and needed a blood transfusion. My biological mother, knowing that she is a direct relative, secretly gave blood without informing the nurse. She even deceived me into using my property to treat her second-married daughter's illness. I suspect she is plotting murder to inherit my property. Therefore, I hereby apply for a name change, not following my mother's surname nor my father's surname.
My life is extremely tragic, and I want to distance myself from everything. If you don't allow me to change, I will die, physically disappearing from this world.
She pushed the form over, saying, "Is this okay? If the conditions are not enough, I'll continue writing."
"Did you make this up?" the police station personnel asked.
Gu Siyu looked expressionless at the person.
The police personnel flipped through the form, their gaze scanning her back and forth. Finally, they said, "Remove the last paragraph and write a new one."
Holding the form, she quickly rewrote it.
Staring at the section for the new name, Gu Siyu bit her lip and the staff asked her, "Have you decided? If not, go back, check the dictionary, or read some poems, think of a word or two."
Gu Siyu bit her finger joints, lowered her head, and wrote a few words on the application form. In the end, she handed the form to the staff.
While the staff was typing, they asked, "Have you decided?
"Yeah, go ahead with the change."
The staff moved their fingers, and the three words were quickly replaced. The staff reminded her, "Come back later to take a new ID photo and update your household registration page. Do you want it delivered, or will you pick it up yourself? The fastest will take a week, the slower option will take two months."
"Delivery," Gu Siyu said, "Urgent, I need it urgently."
The staff raised their hand, indicating that it was done, and she could leave.
The line was long, but it only took one or two minutes to settle the matter.
Without wasting time, Gu Siyu left the police station. Her chest felt tight. She covered it with her hand and rubbed it twice.
She found a place to sit down after finishing the matter. Feeling hungry, Gu Siyu took out her phone, turned it on, and immediately received more than 99 messages and 45 missed calls.
All were from one person.
Gu Siyu closed her eyes. She dared not answer the call or read the messages. She adjusted her breathing, relaxed her emotions, and then looked at the messages. Since 10:40, Huo Junxian had been asking where she was.
Gu Siyu replied: [Nowhere, just out for some fresh air.]
Huo Junxian: [Address.]
Gu Siyu walked a few steps forward, intending to send her location, but her finger accidentally pressed the edge of the phone. She retracted her hand and typed again: [No, why are you in such a hurry? I come out for some fresh air, and you want to control me. Do you want to tie me to your waist?]
Huo Junxian: [I'm angry.]
Gu Siyu: [Alright, I'll stroll around for a bit and go back. These days have been too stressful, and I need to relax.]
After sending the message, Gu Siyu put down her phone, let out a heavy breath, and thought, since tickets are available now, why not...
Gu Siyu made up her mind. She immediately stood up, hailed a taxi, and a black Cherokee stopped next to her. It stopped abruptly, making Gu Siyu subconsciously step back.
Then the car door opened, and the seat closest to her was empty.
Huo Junxian's side profile appeared in the car. She pursed her lips, indicating that she was very angry and ready to unleash her fury.
However, when she turned to look at Gu Siyu, she had a smile on her face. She looked gentle, and Teddy lying on her lap barked at Gu Siyu. Huo Junxian put her hand on Teddy's head and rubbed it. Without asking where she was going, she said, "What a coincidence, I happen to be taking you back?"
-----------------------
Translator's note: Wahahaha... She caught you~ 😸. Ara~~ you want to run away? Huo Junxian won't allow it. You just made a move, but you've been checked out.
Gu Siyu thought, since plane tickets are available now, why not...
Huo Junxian: What a coincidence, I happen to be taking you back?
Gu Siyu: "..."
Me: 😂😂😂
TO BE CONTINUE...