Mrs. Gu considerately decided on a meeting place close to Xie Luyu’s company. It was located in the city, so it wasn’t too far from her house either.
She made sure to get there a bit earlier, but, when she arrived, she found that Xie Luyu was already there.
Upon seeing her, Xie Luyu stood up, looking a little uneasy. He wanted to pull out a chair for Mrs. Gu, but he ended up falling one step behind. Mr. Gu, who was standing right behind Mrs. Gu, moved first, so he had no choice but to sit back down.
He put his hands on his knees. His hands were slightly clasped before he quietly opened them again. His palms were sweating.
He was nowhere near as calm as the last time they met.
During their last meeting, Xie Luyu had been more familiar with Gu Qingchi than Mrs. Gu and Mr. Gu. Mrs. Gu and Gu Qingchi approached each other cautiously, so he naturally acted as a mediator between them.
He hadn’t really felt like he was meeting Gu Qingchi’s parents. He’d even thought about what he should do to keep them away from Gu Qingchi on the off chance that Gu Qingchi didn’t want to see them.
Later, he could tell from Gu Qingchi’s words and actions that Gu Qingchi loved his family very much, so he also started thinking of Mr. and Mrs. Gu as Gu Qingchi’s parents.
However, this time, he was sitting before the victim’s parents as a perpetrator. Of course he was nervous.
The three of them sat down. There was a momentary silence.
Mrs. Gu was the first to break the silence.
“I believe you already know about Chi Chi’s situation.”
She looked up at Mr. Gu.
“We were derelict in our duty as parents … ”
She seemed to be having a hard time accepting this. She clenched her fists.
Xie Luyu spoke.
“I know.”
Mrs. Gu calmed herself down before continuing.
“Xiao Xie, you’re a very good child. I saw what you did at the hospital. You took really good care of Xiao Chi. You were more attentive than anyone, but — ”
She paused. She didn’t continue what she was going to say and instead started to talk about Gu Qingchi.
“Xiao Chi’s gotten a little bit better. He’s started to laugh again. Sometimes, he plays the piano in the living room. Sometimes, he sunbathes with his cat. He’s even started going out on walks with Woofie. Ah, Woofie is our dog. Sometimes, he’ll even go to the company building with his brother. He’s always wearing long sleeves or something to cover his wrist.”
Mrs. Gu still had a smile on her lips, but she looked as if she were about to cry.
“The wound on his hand should be better by now. This kid still thinks that I don’t know about it. I’m watching him all the time. How could I not know? He’s really … a very good boy.”
Mrs. Gu wiped away her tears and looked up at Xie Luyu.
“He’s starting to get better, so can you … can you keep your distance from him?”
“I know that I’m asking for a lot. I know that you’re also a victim. I don’t know the details of what happened between you two, and I don’t really want to bring up the past either. You might have helped Xiao Chi, and, for that, I’m very grateful.”
Once she thought about how her little boy could have been saved if the other had only paid him a little bit of attention, she had to try very, very hard not to hate Xie Luyu.
She paused for a moment before continuing.
“However, you must also know that, just as everyone has said, marriage means loneliness and despair to him.”
Mrs. Gu raised her eyes, her fine and delicate eyelashes fluttering.
Mrs. Gu looked soft and gentle. She wasn’t particularly aggressive in this conversation either. She gave off the sense that there was room for discussion. However, as a mother, she could be colder than anyone else. She had already made her decision before coming here.
She didn’t care about anything else. She only cared about building a safe haven for her child. It might be unfair towards others and she might feel sorry, but she wasn’t going to back down.
She spoke word by word.
“The same goes for you. That’s what you mean to him.”
Xie Luyu felt as if he’d been pricked by a needle. He quickly curled up his fingers.
He lowered his head, and, after a long pause, he hummed in response.
In the past, Xie Luyu could still visit Gu Qingchi under the excuse of making things up to him.
Now, he couldn’t even do that.
⁂
Once the conversation was over, Xie Luyu headed straight back home.
While he was waiting at a red light, a car rear-ended him.
The collision was probably pretty serious. Xie Luyu could feel the impact from inside the car. He cursed under his breath and started to unbuckle his seat belt. Once he had gotten out of his car, he slammed the door hard.
Normally, he wouldn’t be this impulsive.
The driver that rear-ended him had just started to get out of the car. However, Xie Luyu clearly hadn’t come in peace, so he wanted to return to his car. He had yet to shut the car door when Xie Luyu grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out.
Without saying a word, Xie Luyu went up and started swinging.
The driver was a big guy with a shaved head and a beer belly. Initially, he’d felt rather nervous because he hit a luxury car, but that nervousness had now disappeared.
“Are you fucking crazy!?”
Upon realizing that the situation wasn’t quite right, two more people got out of the car. Xie Luyu didn’t say anything. He simply pursed his lips and knocked one of them down straight away.
He had learned how to fight back when he was in school. It was rather unorthodox, but it was effective. He didn’t suffer much against three people.
The guy on the ground got back up and cursed him out.
“You crazy bastard!”
Once the police arrived, all four of them had to go to the station to make a statement.
They kneeled against a wall with their hands behind their heads.
The policeman in charge was rather young. He had a serious look on his face.
“Who made the first move?”
The corners of Xie Luyu’s mouth were slightly bruised. He looked pretty difficult to deal with when he sat there with his hands behind his head. Now that he had calmed down, he readily admitted to what he’d done.
“Me.”
The three guys next to him lowered their heads. They had originally wanted to say something, but they held back.
“Why?”
“I’m in a bad mood today. I was impulsive.”
Once he said this, he lifted his chin.
“I’m sorry for beating you guys up.”
Xie Luyu admitted his mistake far too readily, so the other three guys felt a little embarrassed now.
“It’s okay. We were the ones who rear-ended you first.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you. Are you Xie Luyu? My wife really likes you. Would you be able to give me an autograph?”
The four of them cheerfully began chatting with each other at the police station. There wasn’t a single trace of the guys that had beaten each other to a pulp just moments earlier.
The situation had already resolved itself before the young policeman even had the chance to scold them for their bad behavior.
He hit the table to get their attention.
“Quiet! Since you guys have resolved things, we’ll consider this matter settled. In the future, you should think more before acting. Impulsivity is the devil. Can fighting solve all of your problems? No, you guys need to blah, blah, blah … ”
The policeman was young, but he had quite the motor on his mouth.
The bald-headed driver shifted his legs, a bitter expression on his face.
“Sir, we know we were wrong, so can we go now?”
The police officer: …
“Yes. Just sign here and you can go. Also … ”
The four of them had just started to get up, but, upon hearing this, they kneeled back down again.
The policeman blushed a little bit. He pulled out a small booklet and checked to see if anyone was watching before whispering.
“Can you give me an autograph too? My mom really likes your movies.”
⁂
Xie Luyu’s car had been hit pretty badly. The back of the car had caved in entirely.
The car he was driving today was a Ferrari. The cost of repair alone might be enough to buy a pretty decent car. The insurance definitely wouldn’t be able to cover it. Xie Luyu decided to just waive it, and the matter was pretty much settled at that point.
The driver was incredibly grateful. Now that they had sat in a police station together, the driver felt a lot closer with Xie Luyu. He even offered Xie Luyu a ride, but Xie Luyu declined.
Pan Xiaocheng was still in the office when he received the call from Xie Luyu. Xie Luyu told him to pick him up and ended the call. Pan Xiaocheng then received an address from him.
Upon realizing that it was the police station, Pan Xiaocheng’s heart immediately started to not feel so good.
He rushed over and found that it was just a fender bender, not to mention the other driver was the one at fault, and immediately felt a sense of relief. He prattled away as he drove. However, Xie Luyu didn’t say anything, which was rather out of character for him. He lay splayed out in the back seat. His expression was obscured by the dark.
Pan Xiaocheng stopped at a red light. He subconsciously glanced at the rearview mirror, and, borrowing from the light of a passing vehicle, he could vaguely make out a tear running down Xie Luyu’s face. Once the vehicle passed, the inside of the car returned to darkness.
Xie Luyu was like a dispirited dog, completely devoid of his usual energy.
Pan Xiaocheng shut his mouth and silently sighed to himself.
Some things couldn’t be helped by outsiders. You just had to get through it by yourself.
However, this didn’t stop Pan Xiaocheng from giving himself a bonus when he woke up the next morning and saw the number one trending search on Weibo.
#XieLuyuBeatSomeoneUp
There was also a video, and it was very, very clear. The video captured everything from the slamming of the car door to the police’s arrival.
[As a public figure, you should be setting an example. This is such a bad influence. Are celebrities allowed to beat people up as they please?]
[However, it looks like the car in the back rear-ended him first. The back of the Ferrari has been totally destroyed. Of course, it’s wrong to fight. Xie Luyu’s temper is pretty annoying sometimes, but he’s still a reasonable person. He’s not someone who would hit others for no reason.]
[Gosh, this video quality is amazing. Most people are pretty good-looking, so you don’t really feel that much. However, once you put a celebrity next to your average joe, the difference is huge. I really want to see Gu Qingchi with my own eyes. I want to experience what it’s like to meet someone that attractive.]
[Ahhh, I agree! My idol once said that he had met Gu Qingchi on a variety show. He spent the entire episode praising Gu Qingchi’s beauty. Ahhh, I really want to see him with my own eyes!]
Xie Luyu was already at the center of the storm. Online public opinion had been favorable to Gu Qingchi. Still, Xie Luyu never made a statement. He had a lot of fans, but he also had a lot of anti-fans. He’d been attacked by antis several times over the past couple of days.
Xie Luyu had also been the one to make the first move in this incident, so, naturally, he was in a disadvantageous position online. Instantly, a flood of antis rained down on him.
However, Xie Luyu didn’t even flinch when he received the news from Pan Xiaocheng.
In all honesty, Pan Xiaocheng wasn’t that angry either.
They had been making their way in the entertainment circle for so many years, and they had seen a lot. This was nothing to be afraid of.
Mrs. Gu considerately decided on a meeting place close to Xie Luyu’s company. It was located in the city, so it wasn’t too far from her house either.
She made sure to get there a bit earlier, but, when she arrived, she found that Xie Luyu was already there.
Upon seeing her, Xie Luyu stood up, looking a little uneasy. He wanted to pull out a chair for Mrs. Gu, but he ended up falling one step behind. Mr. Gu, who was standing right behind Mrs. Gu, moved first, so he had no choice but to sit back down.
He put his hands on his knees. His hands were slightly clasped before he quietly opened them again. His palms were sweating.
He was nowhere near as calm as the last time they met.
During their last meeting, Xie Luyu had been more familiar with Gu Qingchi than Mrs. Gu and Mr. Gu. Mrs. Gu and Gu Qingchi approached each other cautiously, so he naturally acted as a mediator between them.
He hadn’t really felt like he was meeting Gu Qingchi’s parents. He’d even thought about what he should do to keep them away from Gu Qingchi on the off chance that Gu Qingchi didn’t want to see them.
Later, he could tell from Gu Qingchi’s words and actions that Gu Qingchi loved his family very much, so he also started thinking of Mr. and Mrs. Gu as Gu Qingchi’s parents.
However, this time, he was sitting before the victim’s parents as a perpetrator. Of course he was nervous.
The three of them sat down. There was a momentary silence.
Mrs. Gu was the first to break the silence.
“I believe you already know about Chi Chi’s situation.”
She looked up at Mr. Gu.
“We were derelict in our duty as parents … ”
She seemed to be having a hard time accepting this. She clenched her fists.
Xie Luyu spoke.
“I know.”
Mrs. Gu calmed herself down before continuing.
“Xiao Xie, you’re a very good child. I saw what you did at the hospital. You took really good care of Xiao Chi. You were more attentive than anyone, but — ”
She paused. She didn’t continue what she was going to say and instead started to talk about Gu Qingchi.
“Xiao Chi’s gotten a little bit better. He’s started to laugh again. Sometimes, he plays the piano in the living room. Sometimes, he sunbathes with his cat. He’s even started going out on walks with Woofie. Ah, Woofie is our dog. Sometimes, he’ll even go to the company building with his brother. He’s always wearing long sleeves or something to cover his wrist.”
Mrs. Gu still had a smile on her lips, but she looked as if she were about to cry.
“The wound on his hand should be better by now. This kid still thinks that I don’t know about it. I’m watching him all the time. How could I not know? He’s really … a very good boy.”
Mrs. Gu wiped away her tears and looked up at Xie Luyu.
“He’s starting to get better, so can you … can you keep your distance from him?”
“I know that I’m asking for a lot. I know that you’re also a victim. I don’t know the details of what happened between you two, and I don’t really want to bring up the past either. You might have helped Xiao Chi, and, for that, I’m very grateful.”
Once she thought about how her little boy could have been saved if the other had only paid him a little bit of attention, she had to try very, very hard not to hate Xie Luyu.
She paused for a moment before continuing.
“However, you must also know that, just as everyone has said, marriage means loneliness and despair to him.”
Mrs. Gu raised her eyes, her fine and delicate eyelashes fluttering.
Mrs. Gu looked soft and gentle. She wasn’t particularly aggressive in this conversation either. She gave off the sense that there was room for discussion. However, as a mother, she could be colder than anyone else. She had already made her decision before coming here.
She didn’t care about anything else. She only cared about building a safe haven for her child. It might be unfair towards others and she might feel sorry, but she wasn’t going to back down.
She spoke word by word.
“The same goes for you. That’s what you mean to him.”
Xie Luyu felt as if he’d been pricked by a needle. He quickly curled up his fingers.
He lowered his head, and, after a long pause, he hummed in response.
In the past, Xie Luyu could still visit Gu Qingchi under the excuse of making things up to him.
Now, he couldn’t even do that.
⁂
Once the conversation was over, Xie Luyu headed straight back home.
While he was waiting at a red light, a car rear-ended him.
The collision was probably pretty serious. Xie Luyu could feel the impact from inside the car. He cursed under his breath and started to unbuckle his seat belt. Once he had gotten out of his car, he slammed the door hard.
Normally, he wouldn’t be this impulsive.
The driver that rear-ended him had just started to get out of the car. However, Xie Luyu clearly hadn’t come in peace, so he wanted to return to his car. He had yet to shut the car door when Xie Luyu grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out.
Without saying a word, Xie Luyu went up and started swinging.
The driver was a big guy with a shaved head and a beer belly. Initially, he’d felt rather nervous because he hit a luxury car, but that nervousness had now disappeared.
“Are you fucking crazy!?”
Upon realizing that the situation wasn’t quite right, two more people got out of the car. Xie Luyu didn’t say anything. He simply pursed his lips and knocked one of them down straight away.
He had learned how to fight back when he was in school. It was rather unorthodox, but it was effective. He didn’t suffer much against three people.
The guy on the ground got back up and cursed him out.
“You crazy bastard!”
Once the police arrived, all four of them had to go to the station to make a statement.
They kneeled against a wall with their hands behind their heads.
The policeman in charge was rather young. He had a serious look on his face.
“Who made the first move?”
The corners of Xie Luyu’s mouth were slightly bruised. He looked pretty difficult to deal with when he sat there with his hands behind his head. Now that he had calmed down, he readily admitted to what he’d done.
“Me.”
The three guys next to him lowered their heads. They had originally wanted to say something, but they held back.
“Why?”
“I’m in a bad mood today. I was impulsive.”
Once he said this, he lifted his chin.
“I’m sorry for beating you guys up.”
Xie Luyu admitted his mistake far too readily, so the other three guys felt a little embarrassed now.
“It’s okay. We were the ones who rear-ended you first.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you. Are you Xie Luyu? My wife really likes you. Would you be able to give me an autograph?”
The four of them cheerfully began chatting with each other at the police station. There wasn’t a single trace of the guys that had beaten each other to a pulp just moments earlier.
The situation had already resolved itself before the young policeman even had the chance to scold them for their bad behavior.
He hit the table to get their attention.
“Quiet! Since you guys have resolved things, we’ll consider this matter settled. In the future, you should think more before acting. Impulsivity is the devil. Can fighting solve all of your problems? No, you guys need to blah, blah, blah … ”
The policeman was young, but he had quite the motor on his mouth.
The bald-headed driver shifted his legs, a bitter expression on his face.
“Sir, we know we were wrong, so can we go now?”
The police officer: …
“Yes. Just sign here and you can go. Also … ”
The four of them had just started to get up, but, upon hearing this, they kneeled back down again.
The policeman blushed a little bit. He pulled out a small booklet and checked to see if anyone was watching before whispering.
“Can you give me an autograph too? My mom really likes your movies.”
⁂
Xie Luyu’s car had been hit pretty badly. The back of the car had caved in entirely.
The car he was driving today was a Ferrari. The cost of repair alone might be enough to buy a pretty decent car. The insurance definitely wouldn’t be able to cover it. Xie Luyu decided to just waive it, and the matter was pretty much settled at that point.
The driver was incredibly grateful. Now that they had sat in a police station together, the driver felt a lot closer with Xie Luyu. He even offered Xie Luyu a ride, but Xie Luyu declined.
Pan Xiaocheng was still in the office when he received the call from Xie Luyu. Xie Luyu told him to pick him up and ended the call. Pan Xiaocheng then received an address from him.
Upon realizing that it was the police station, Pan Xiaocheng’s heart immediately started to not feel so good.
He rushed over and found that it was just a fender bender, not to mention the other driver was the one at fault, and immediately felt a sense of relief. He prattled away as he drove. However, Xie Luyu didn’t say anything, which was rather out of character for him. He lay splayed out in the back seat. His expression was obscured by the dark.
Pan Xiaocheng stopped at a red light. He subconsciously glanced at the rearview mirror, and, borrowing from the light of a passing vehicle, he could vaguely make out a tear running down Xie Luyu’s face. Once the vehicle passed, the inside of the car returned to darkness.
Xie Luyu was like a dispirited dog, completely devoid of his usual energy.
Pan Xiaocheng shut his mouth and silently sighed to himself.
Some things couldn’t be helped by outsiders. You just had to get through it by yourself.
However, this didn’t stop Pan Xiaocheng from giving himself a bonus when he woke up the next morning and saw the number one trending search on Weibo.
#XieLuyuBeatSomeoneUp
There was also a video, and it was very, very clear. The video captured everything from the slamming of the car door to the police’s arrival.
[As a public figure, you should be setting an example. This is such a bad influence. Are celebrities allowed to beat people up as they please?]
[However, it looks like the car in the back rear-ended him first. The back of the Ferrari has been totally destroyed. Of course, it’s wrong to fight. Xie Luyu’s temper is pretty annoying sometimes, but he’s still a reasonable person. He’s not someone who would hit others for no reason.]
[Gosh, this video quality is amazing. Most people are pretty good-looking, so you don’t really feel that much. However, once you put a celebrity next to your average joe, the difference is huge. I really want to see Gu Qingchi with my own eyes. I want to experience what it’s like to meet someone that attractive.]
[Ahhh, I agree! My idol once said that he had met Gu Qingchi on a variety show. He spent the entire episode praising Gu Qingchi’s beauty. Ahhh, I really want to see him with my own eyes!]
Xie Luyu was already at the center of the storm. Online public opinion had been favorable to Gu Qingchi. Still, Xie Luyu never made a statement. He had a lot of fans, but he also had a lot of anti-fans. He’d been attacked by antis several times over the past couple of days.
Xie Luyu had also been the one to make the first move in this incident, so, naturally, he was in a disadvantageous position online. Instantly, a flood of antis rained down on him.
However, Xie Luyu didn’t even flinch when he received the news from Pan Xiaocheng.
In all honesty, Pan Xiaocheng wasn’t that angry either.
They had been making their way in the entertainment circle for so many years, and they had seen a lot. This was nothing to be afraid of.
