Su Qi pursed her lips, "Then do you remember if a brother and sister used to play at your house when you were little, maybe during summer vacation..."
If her memory served her correctly, the family she and her parents often visited when she was young must have been the Xu family, and the boy living next door must have been Huo Tingyun!
If it really was Huo Tingyun, then it was very likely...
Su Qi dared not think further. She held Xu Linchuan's hand, "Linchuan, you must know something, right? Tingyun is blind now, I just want to know the truth, that's all!"
Waves churned in the man's eyes, and after a long while, his distinct gaze fixed on Su Qi, "Xiao Su, I know the truth about many things, but some so-called truths are not necessarily beautiful. I'd rather you never know. Sometimes, not knowing is also a kind of happiness."
"Linchuan, you know, don't you? I don't want to be treated like a fool and kept in the dark. Even if the truth isn't beautiful, I want to live my life clearly, not muddle through it!"
All she wanted to know now was if Huo Tingyun was the little boy from back then. She didn't care about anything else!
"Tingyun has hurt you for so many years. So what if he is? So what if he isn't? Xiao Su, you should think about your own happiness, think about your future, not Huo Tingyun."
"Why are you dragging this out instead of telling me the truth? Is it that difficult? You actually knew all along, didn't you? I'm only realizing now that Tingyun and I knew each other so early. He was that boy, he was..."
"He wasn't!" The usually gentle and refined man abruptly interrupted her, tightly gripping her wrist. "Xiao Su, I'm begging you, don't live in the past anymore. Tingyun became like this precisely because he lived too much in the past, too nostalgic for people and things past. You should look forward and pursue your happiness."
"My happiness? Linchuan, I am not your happiness, and you are not mine. Tang Xue is. She's a good girl, don't let her down!"
With that, even without Xu Linchuan saying it, Su Qi no longer needed to ask.
She already knew the answer clearly.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
Even the baby in her belly seemed to be beating frantically.
Su Qi pulled open the ward door and rushed out.
"Xiao Su..." At the corridor entrance, she bumped into Gu Tangxue.
Gu Tangxue looked at the rushing Su Qi in surprise.
What happened?
Unsure, she wanted to call out to Su Qi, but watched as Su Qi rushed out of the hospital without looking back.
Standing there, Gu Tangxue took a while to regain her senses. She stepped into the ward and, upon opening the door, saw Xu Linchuan slumped on the floor.
"Linchuan!" Gu Tangxue cried out, putting down the pastries and rushing to help Xu Linchuan up. She helped him back to the bed, saw that his IV had come out, and quickly pressed the call button for a nurse.
After the nurse finished and left the ward, Xu Linchuan looked at his pale wrist, "Am I very useless? I've ended up like this, the house is a mess, and I couldn't even keep the woman I love most." Hearing the words "woman I love most," Gu Tangxue's nose stung. "You still love her so much, why?"
"Love has no reason. When you fall in love, you fall in love. That feeling of seeing someone for eternity, the heart-fluttering, the 'it has to be her' feeling... Isn't it the same for you?"
Xu Linchuan gave a wry smile, but it carried a hint of helplessness and desolation. He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes obscuring all his emotions, casting a deep shadow on his pale, gaunt face.
Gu Tangxue suppressed her tears, "Linchuan, some people are destined not to be with you. I also know I can't be with you, but I'm happy just being by your side. I know you have Su Qi in your heart. I was jealous at first, but now I accept it. Aren't we the same? I'm just willing to wait until you have no one else in your heart and can accept me."
"Silly girl, don't wait for me. I'm not worth it. You should continue your career, or find a man who loves you and get married. I'm just a useless person now, not good enough for you."
"Don't say that. I don't want to hear you say that. I love everything about you, so it's all worth it. Just like how you knew you and Su Qi couldn't be together, but you still chose to save her. It's the same, isn't it?"
Gu Tangxue tightly held one of Xu Linchuan's hands, her eyes brimming with tears, gazing at the man before her.
Looking at the tears in her eyes, and how much she had thinned from taking care of him recently, Gu Tangxue's appearance wasn't exceptionally stunning, but it was very pleasing to the eye and enduring. She was well-proportioned and slender, and after losing weight, she appeared even more delicate. Even without makeup, she was captivating.
A thought flickered, and as if possessed, he lowered his chin and slowly moved towards Gu Tangxue's lips.
The distance between them grew smaller and smaller, Gu Tangxue's mind went blank, and she could only hear her own deafening heartbeat.
Just as their lips were about to meet, a knock sounded on the door behind them.
The sound of high heels stopped at the doorway.
"It seems I've come at an inopportune moment. I'll go buy dinner first, you two continue chatting!"
Xu Ruyun paused for a moment. Seeing the situation, she wanted to close the door, out of sight, out of mind.
The man and woman inside had already let go of each other, their faces flushed red.
"Auntie, Auntie! Please sit down, I'll buy dinner. I know Linchuan's tastes. You talk to Linchuan while you're here!"
Gu Tangxue coughed, her face flushed, and she walked past Xu Ruyun, then quickly jogged towards the elevator.
Xu Ruyun watched Gu Tangxue leave with a smile.
She liked this child much more than Su Qi.
With Linchuan bedridden, she had no time to care for him, and had to look after the comatose elder and visit the insane Lin Yun every day. She was swamped. If it weren't for Tang Xue staying at the hospital to care for Linchuan, she would probably be completely overwhelmed.
"Seeing you get better day by day, your marriage should also be settled. Tang Xue is a very good girl, I think."
Xu Linchuan came back to his senses and gave a bitter smile, "She is good."
"Really? You've finally come to your senses. I thought your heart only belonged to that wretched woman... Since you also think Tang Xue is good, I'll arrange your wedding once you're recovered. Get married and start a family soon, so I can rest assured."
The elder was still in a coma, Lin Yun needed care due to her mental state, and she also had company matters to manage. Although relatives had been helping with the company during this time, the company was, after all, the Xu family's. Linchuan should enter the company and inherit the Xu family's business as soon as possible.
"Since Mother thinks she's good, then I wish Mother and Tang Xue a harmonious union for a hundred years and many children."
Xu Linchuan's usual gentle smile.