"Gu Yuan... Is that you?" I rushed forward, reached out and grabbed the person's shoulders, then suddenly turned him around.
The man staggered from my jerk and almost fell to the ground.
I took a closer look. This was definitely not Gu Yuan. The tiny spark of hope that had just ignited was doused by a single sentence from this man.
"Miss... Name your price..." This man was good - looking but had a sleazy air about him. He was clearly a gigolo, but his looks were passable.
It was just that lecherous look on his face that was really unpleasant to see.
I bit my lower lip. I really wanted to kick him in the crotch and make him sterile for life.
But I held back. This guy, who came out looking for women, must not be the infatuated man the old couple had mentioned.
I looked around. It was extremely deserted here. There was not a single person on the street.
But I didn't know why; I just firmly believed that the man who had been guarding his wife must be Gu Yuan, and he definitely hadn't gone far.
Was he not going to show up? Then I'd force him to.
That gigolo was still leering at me, looking as if he had never seen a woman in his life.
"Little lady, you're so beautiful. You're just my type. How about it? Come with big brother. I'll guarantee you a mind - blowing experience, happier than a fairy."
I lowered my eyes and gave him a shy smile. I gently placed a hand on his shoulder and threw him the first flirtatious glance in my life. To be honest, I almost nauseated myself.
"Is what big brother said true? I don't believe it..."
I pouted and looked at this man shyly.
"You don't believe me? How about we try it right here? There's no one around anyway."
As he said this, the man grabbed me around the waist with a big hand and pulled me in front of him. Then he lowered his head and tried to kiss me.
My heart immediately leaped to my throat. I had my knee ready. If he really dared to kiss me, I'd make sure he got what was coming to him.
"Ah..." A shrill scream rang in my ear. The man's hand loosened, and I lost my balance and fell to the ground.
"Ouch..." I grimaced in pain. My butt landed right on a stone, and it hurt like hell.
When I looked up, the man who had tried to molest me was nowhere to be seen. Standing in front of me now was none other than the man I had been waiting for for more than ten days.
I was overjoyed. This meant that while I had been waiting here for days, he had been guarding me all this time. It was him who had sent me home.
I endured the pain and got up from the ground. I tidied my hair, pulled down my sleeves and trouser legs to cover the abrasions. I didn't want him to see me in such a miserable state.
"Gu Yuan, you finally showed up. I knew you wouldn't break your promise."
"Don't use such methods to force me to show up again." Gu Yuan's tone was a bit domineering, but this was my Gu Yuan coming back.
"Okay... I won't do it again..." I nodded at him, feeling extremely happy.
Gu Yuan sized me up from head to toe, and the look of concern on his face was hard to hide.
Without saying a word, he picked me up horizontally. This sudden move startled me, and I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck, afraid of falling.
Gu Yuan placed me on the stone pier where the old lady had been sitting before. He took out a bottle of medicinal liquor from his waist and crouched down beside me.
He gently rolled up my trouser leg, exposing my knee full of wounds. By now, the wounds had scabbed slightly, and both knees were swollen like steamed buns.
He lowered his head. I couldn't see his expression, but when he was treating my wounds, I could clearly feel his concern.
Because his hand trembled when it touched the wounds.
"Does it hurt?" His voice was soft and pleasant.
"No." Indeed, at this moment with him by my side, my heart was sweeter than honey. How could I feel any pain?
After Gu Yuan finished treating the wounds on my knees, he treated the ones on my arms.
This tender scene was so beautiful. What we were doing at this moment was just like the way the old couple had supported each other.
A sweet smile spread across my face. I stared at Gu Yuan intently, not even wanting to blink.
"It's all done. Take good care of yourself from now on. Don't do such stupid things again. No one is worth it."
Gu Yuan's voice was low, a kind of low that carried disappointment.
"But you're worth anything to me." My eyes felt hot, and I had a bad premonition. It seemed that he was about to say something that would break my heart again.
"I came this time just to make things clear to you, Lan Lan..."
"Don't say it. I don't want to hear it." I quickly jumped off the stone pier.
My knees were still swollen, and I almost knelt on the ground. I covered my ears with both hands, pretending to be willful. I just didn't want to hear any more.
Gu Yuan reached out to support me. At this moment, I really wanted to rush into his arms and hug him, saying, "Please, don't break my heart again. My heart is already full of holes and can't take any more torture."
But I held back. I pushed his hand away, covered my ears, and tears welled up in my eyes.
"I'm sorry... Even if I let you down, let's just end it here."
This "end it here" made my heart sink into an ice cave. It hurt more than having my heart dug out and bones broken.
The pain almost made me faint. I swayed, not wanting to listen, but I heard it clearly.
Tears blurred my vision and streamed down my face.
Gu Yuan was standing opposite me. I didn't know what expression he had, and I didn't want to look.
I pretended that he hadn't said anything and that I hadn't heard. Anyway, Chi Yu had once told me that no matter what Gu Yuan said, I couldn't let him go. I had to listen to Chi Yu.
Just as I was lost in wild thoughts, I suddenly felt Gu Yuan taking a step back. It seemed that he was about to leave.
I turned my face to look at him.
"Are you just going to leave like this?" I wiped the tears from my face. I didn't plead with him, although in my heart, I had thought a hundred times about asking him to stay. I really couldn't live without him.
Gu Yuan stopped but didn't say a word. He just silently looked at me.
"We promised to be together for a lifetime, but in less than a year, are you going to abandon me?"
Gu Yuan's face was cold, showing no sign of reluctance: "I'm sorry."
"Just saying sorry and you can leave? I don't accept it."
I limped two steps towards him.
"From the very beginning, the decision - making power was never in my hands. The marriage wasn't my decision. Don't I even have the right to decide about the divorce? What do you take me for? A pet that you can call and dismiss at will?"
Gu Yuan remained silent and didn't answer me.
"What on earth are your difficulties that you can't tell me? We've been husband and wife. Is it really necessary to keep it such a secret?"
"If you're going to leave, shouldn't you at least give me a proper reason?" I walked towards Gu Yuan step by step with full justification until I stood opposite him, waiting for his answer.