Chapter 177: Chapter 177: Apologize to My Brother
In the end, Tuanzi didn’t manage to curse.
Because a young lady ran out and gave her a bag of candies before rushing back to work.
Tuanzi held the candies, her eyes curving into smiles, already forgetting why she was upset.
Gu Chi, resigned, simply chose a nearby bubble tea shop and ordered her a cup of coconut grass jelly.
This was a rare chance to have bubble tea, and with her elder brother returning tomorrow, she’d have no other opportunity.
Tuanzi clasped her hands, making a bow to Gu Chi.
"Oh great Gu Chi brother, grant your cute sister just one wish!"
Gu Chi played along, "What wish?"
Tuanzi giggled, "Another cup of taro bubble tea and a cup of mango pomelo sago."
Gu Chi only added a cup of mango pomelo sago for her.
Tuanzi was content, hugging the two large cups as if they were pots of honey, or a little kitten that got its fish treat.
She sipped happily, while Gu Chi seemed somewhat absent-minded.
Seeing his sister was immersed in the bubble tea, he casually asked, "Do you know about my high school incident?"
"Yes, yes!"
Tuanzi nodded, completely forgetting to keep it a secret, "Miaomiao knows everything."
[Ancient Martial System: Miaomiao, you slipped up]
Tuanzi paused, then nervously clamped her mouth shut, only her big eyes peeking at her cousin across the table, seeing him still gentle, she relaxed her hand.
"Well, um," she tried to explain, "Miaomiao didn’t mean to reopen your wounds."
Her eyes whirling around, she thought frantically.
"Miaomiao wasn’t just talking without feeling; Miaomiao really tried to understand how you felt back then."
Scratching her head, Tuanzi carefully peered at Gu Chi, "Knowing that baddie could get a light sentence if forgiven, aware of that old lady scolding Miaomiao. Miaomiao was unhappy, felt awful. Because back then, Gu Chi bro faced something similar."
The person he helped ran away, not willing to call the police, later unwilling to testify.
At that time, Gu Chi bro must’ve felt terrible.
But what was that kind of terrible like?
Tuanzi had never experienced it, didn’t have the right to comfort Gu Chi.
But just now, she seemed to have felt it. It was a very painful feeling. Then, she felt sad because Gu Chi bro had also experienced this feeling.
Gu Chi lowered his eyes slightly.
He could feel a four or five-year-old child, carefully holding his heart.
Not presumptuously like an outsider, not under the banner of ’for your own good’ to peel open his wounds.
It was a kind of soft, tentative protection filled with deep cherishing.
"Thank you."
Tuanzi blinked, "Huh?"
Gu Chi looked up, his eyes curving into crescents.
"Thank you."
He wasn’t sure if he had truly let go but felt he could face that matter openly.
Like his sister said, if it happened again, he would still go save the person.
Like his sister said, even if he chooses not to help others, there’s nothing wrong with that.
However, seeing his sister work so hard to uphold justice, treading steadily on life’s path ahead of him, as a brother, he must work hard too.
To be able to help others is to help selectively; to help kind, innocent people.
After all, he was the one helping, having the right to choose, never forced by morals to do one thing, he would do what he wanted, save who he wanted.
Seeing Gu Chi’s genuine smile, Tuanzi foolishly smiled along.
The two of them sat on a bench near the sidewalk, sweetly finishing the bubble tea, ready to leave, when a young woman approached the bubble tea shop, seemingly intending to order.
Tuanzi inadvertently saw her face and immediately soured.
[Miaomiao: Is it her?]
[Ancient Martial System: Yes]
Tuanzi puffed her cheeks, angrily walking over, tapping the young woman’s small shoulder bag, "I have something to say to you. Let’s talk over there."
Her voice had a cute fierceness.
The young woman was stunned, looking down, "Uh, what did you just say?"
"Miaomiao, you..."
Gu Chi hurriedly caught up, seeing the young woman’s face, his smile faded.
Xu Ya, his high school classmate, and one of the girls he had saved back then.
Despite the meticulous makeup, her features hadn’t changed much, and being skilled at recalling people, he easily recognized her.
The young woman awkwardly lowered her head, evidently recognizing him too.
"Miaomiao, let’s go."
"No!"
Tuanzi insisted on being a stubborn Tuanzi.
Xu Ya, with her head down, could see Tuanzi’s face clearly up close.
"We’ll talk over there, don’t worry, Miaomiao won’t hit you, Miaomiao is civilized."
Xu Ya pursed her lips, thought for a moment, then followed Tuanzi to a tree.
Nearby, people still came and went.
"Do you need something?"
Tuanzi pointed at Gu Chi, "Do you know him?"
Xu Ya smiled awkwardly, "Yes."
She greeted Gu Chi, "I heard you pursued an art major later."
Gu Chi’s expression was indifferent, ignoring her.
This was impolite, but Gu Chi thought, his sister would surely accept his willfulness.
To help those he wants, to ignore those he wants, no matter what he does, his sister would find him cool.
Xu Ya seemed even more embarrassed.
She hadn’t expected to meet someone she knew in a strange city, reminding her of how she had run away back then.
"If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave."
She turned to leave, but her small shoulder bag was grabbed.
Looking down, Tuanzi bared her teeth threateningly, "Apologize to my brother."
Both Xu Ya and Gu Chi froze.
"Say it again, apologize to my brother!"
Gu Chi had wanted to say that he neither desired their apology nor gratitude. But seeing his sister’s serious demeanor, her eyes bouncing with fiery anger, he closed his mouth and just listened.
And in his heart, he was naturally delighted.
Xu Ya felt her face blazing with heat.
That incident back then, she hadn’t thanked or apologized.
If she hadn’t met Gu Chi, she would have forgotten it.
Apologizing nine years later, she found it hard to say, and seeing Gu Chi’s demeanor, it seemed he didn’t need it.
"I... I... Anyway, even if I apologize, I don’t think he’ll accept it."
She had heard from her parents that Gu Chi still often saw a psychologist afterward. They had burdened him, and if she were Gu Chi, she wouldn’t accept such an apology.
Tuanzi fumed, her chest heaving fiercely.
She scolded harshly, "Does not forgiving you mean you don’t have to apologize?"
Xu Ya was stunned.
Tuanzi continued scolding harshly, "You did wrong, so you should apologize, that is your obligation! Whether or not he forgives you is Gu Chi brother’s matter. You can’t refuse to apologize just because he doesn’t forgive you!"
In the end, Xu Ya apologized.
Gu Chi casually said, "Oh, but I don’t forgive you."
If the timing weren’t off, he’d really like to paint for his sister.
Xu Ya: "..."
Even so, Tuanzi didn’t let her off.
"Do you have the contact details of the other two people? Call them and have them apologize!"
Xu Ya indeed had them.
Feeling tormented, she had to talk to someone. Discovering the other two were as selfish as herself was strangely reassuring.
So even though they attended different colleges and joined different companies post-graduation, they still kept in touch.
Xu Ya made the call.
Tuanzi seized the phone, her little mouth blurting out, "Apologize quickly! Or I’ll go to your company and tell your colleagues about this! If you hang up, I’ll immediately go to your company!"
The person on the other end: "..."