Tang Ziyou slept for one night. The next morning, he ate dumplings at Gu’s house and then went out.
He went to the cemetery.
It was very cold and there was a little snow. Tang Ziyou was too lazy to hold an umbrella and stood quietly in front of the tombstone.
He put down the flower in his arms and calmly said in his heart: Grandpa, it’s a new year. This year I am very happy because I finally changed back to what I was originally. The Gu family treats me very well. Although Gu Jiuci and I broke off our engagement, they still treat me well, so don’t worry.
He looked at the cold tombstone in front of him and reached out to touch his grandfather’s picture.
Suddenly, Tang Ziyou felt that the snow seemed to stop. He turned his head and saw that Gu Jiuci somehow appeared here.
Tang Ziyou silently retracted his hand, Gu Jiuci held the umbrella, and said softly, “I come to see your grandfather.”
Tang Ziyou nodded and then wondered, “Why would you want to see him?”
“New year, a new beginning. I think you are not at home, guess you should be here.”
He said, putting the flower in his hand in front of the tombstone.
Tang Ziyou stood beside him, rarely not avoiding him.
“But I am ashamed.” Gu Jiuci whispered, “He entrusted you to me before he died, but I didn’t take care of you.”
“It’s all over.” Tang Ziyou said.
“You say, would he forgive me?” Gu Jiuci asked him.
Tang Ziyou nodded, “Yes, my grandpa has a very good temper.”
“Then will you forgive me?”
Tang Ziyou smiled, “I already forgave you.”
“Will you forgive yourself?” Gu Jiuci asked him.
Tang Ziyou was stunned for a moment, without speaking.
The snow fell heavily, fell on the black umbrella, and quickly disappeared.
“I will forgive you.” Gu Jiuci said softly, “I will also forgive myself.”
He said, “People make mistakes, but people shouldn’t trap themselves in their mistakes. After being stuck for a long time, they will forget who they are.”
Tang Ziyou raised his eyes to look at him and said nothing for a moment.
For some reason, he suddenly remembered Qu Wenyi’s remarks: Moving forward with a heavy load, it is better to go with ease.
The weight of the soul was also carrying a heavy burden.
Gu Jiuci took away the umbrella. The dense snowflakes fell on his shoulders. He put the umbrella aside and took off the chain on his neck again.
He gently unzipped the dice, poured the ring inside into the palm of his hand, and handed it to Tang Ziyou.
“Last year, in front of your grandfather, you gave me the ring and asked if I could exchange the ring with you. This year, in front of your grandfather, I gave you the ring. Would you like to exchange rings with me again.”
Tang Ziyou stared at the ring on the palm of his hand in a daze. At that moment, many memories came again like the raging sea.
He remembered that last night, Gu Jiuci handed him this necklace and said, “I have a gift for you.”
He also remembered that at the very beginning, he put the ring on Gu Jiuci’s hand and said to him, “I designed this by myself.”
He remembered how he couldn’t find the engagement ring that Gu Jiuci had dropped in the drawer and asked Gu Jiuci anxiously, “Where’s our engagement ring? Didn’t you mean to throw it in the drawer?”
Gu Jiuci said casually, “Forget, I have too many rings, probably mixed with other jewellery.”
But at that time, the necklace was already hung around his neck.
He always thought that Gu Jiuci liked this necklace very much, so he kept wearing it. He didn’t take it off or let him touch it, but it turned out to be like this.
At this moment, Tang Ziyou suddenly felt that they were constantly going around in many things.
He once thought that Gu Jiuci hated him, but Gu Jiuci loved him.
He once thought he had thrown his ring a long time ago, but Gu Jiuci always wore it.
He hid everything too deep that he couldn’t see it, so he was uneasy.
But now he saw it and he was rejecting it again.
He thought he had let go of everything, but he was trapped in his own mistakes.
He was still walking forward with a heavy load. He was still not what he was.
If it was the original him, at the very beginning, the self he knew best, what would he do when he encountered such a thing?
Tang Ziyou thought for a while. He thought he would probably take Gu Jiuci’s ring and said to him, “It doesn’t matter. Anyway, I liked you first. I have been chasing you so it’s good I’ve caught you.”
He had never been an overly fussy and hypocritical person. He knew what he wanted. He tried his best to run towards the other side. Then, the other side only needed to catch him before he was exhausted.
Even he was exhausted, as long as he hadn’t turned around and left too far, and the other party walked to his side again, he could accept it.
He was such a person, sincere, generous, and brave, regardless of gains or losses.
So he dared to take the initiative to like Gu Jiuci and dared to run towards Gu Jiuci without giving up.
This was the real him, not the one who selfishly disregarded the other party’s wishes and only hoped to tie the other party, nor the one who hesitated to make a mistake, for fear that he would repeat the same mistakes.
He should be brilliant and gentle, not embarrassing others, not embarrassing himself, and going forward courageously.
Tang Ziyou laughed slowly.
He raised his head and looked at the person in front of him. Gu Jiuci was obviously nervous. He stretched out his hands waiting for his answer. The fine snowflakes fell into his hands and turned into snow water, soaking the palms of his hands.
Tang Ziyou didn’t speak and turned to look at his grandfather.
This was really a very good year, he thought. Happy New Year, Grandpa. This year, I should also have a very happy time.
After he said this in his heart, he turned around and walked back, ignoring Gu Jiuci.
Gu Jiuci didn’t understand why he suddenly left without saying a word. He quickly took his hands away and wanted to chase him, but before leaving, he thought of something and bowed seriously to Grandpa Tang.
“I wasn’t good before, but in the future, I will try my best to take good care of him. Don’t worry.”
After he finished speaking, he turned to chase Tang Ziyou.
Tang Ziyou was standing at the gate of the cemetery, obviously waiting for the car. Gu Jiuci drove over quickly, “Get in the car. It’s snowing. It’s hard to call a car.”
Tang Ziyou glanced at him, opened the car door, and sat on the back seat.
Gu Jiuci glanced at him in the rearview mirror, and said cautiously, “You haven’t answered me yet.”
Tang Ziyou didn’t speak and looked down at his phone.
Gu Jiuci asked what this meant in his mind. Do you agree or disagree if you don’t speak?
He was depressed and ready to start the car, but suddenly realized something and turned his head to look at Tang Ziyou, “You didn’t refuse. Does it mean you agree?”
Tang Ziyou didn’t speak.
Gu Jiuci was overjoyed in an instant but didn’t dare to say anything more. He turned around and drove away from the cemetery.
Tang Ziyou glanced at him without a trace, lowered his head, and smiled.
When he got home, Gu Jiuci stopped the car. Seeing that Tang Ziyou opened the door, he stopped immediately.
He took out the ring again and handed it out.
Tang Ziyou took his own one, took a closer look, and finally put it away.
“Don’t you wear it?” Gu Jiuci said tremblingly.
“Why do I wear it?” Tang Ziyou asked him back, “Is it appropriate to wear this kind of ring in ancient costume drama?”
Tang Ziyou took it, put it in his pocket, and entered the house.
Gu Jiuci caught up with him and asked him, “So do you forgive me?”
“Am I not forgiven you long ago?”
“Then are you willing to start over with me?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“That…”
Tang Ziyou turned his head to look at him, “We just broke up for half a year and now we are reconciled. Then won’t I be very face-slapped, so wait.”
Gu Jiuci: …how come these words are so familiar.
Gu Jiuci looked at him and said anxiously, “Are you going to have more than a year?”
“I didn’t say it.”
“How long will it take?” Gu Jiuci was puzzled.
“Depends on the situation.”
Gu Jiuci: ……
Gu Jiuci wanted to go back and kill the awkward self back then.
However, he didn’t dare to say anything right now. He could only nod obediently, “Okay.”
Tang Ziyou listened to him with a weak voice and looked back at him. Inexplicably, he thought he looked pitiful.
Really, it was a bit like an unrestrained, big dog.
Tang Ziyou returned to the room and took out Gu Jiuci’s dice pendant. He only felt that this pendant was really delicate. It was really unexpected that he could hide a ring in it.
He put the ring back into the pendant and then stuffed the necklace into the bag.
This necklace was so special that Gu Jiuci’s fans were too familiar with it, so he didn’t dare to wear it.
* * *
When Gu Jiuxing came back at night, he was dragged into his bedroom by Gu Jiuci and was told mysteriously, “Brother, I’m telling you good news.”
“Xiao You forgives you?”
“How do you know!” Gu Jiuci said in surprise.
Gu Jiuxing said casually, but he didn’t expect it to be true. He immediately became interested, “What’s the matter?”
Gu Jiuci had to tell him what happened last night and today. Gu Jiuxing felt strange. He thought about it and guessed, “It seems that he should have untied the knot by himself.”
“It should be.” Gu Jiuci guessed, “Also, it might be because of his grandfather’s feelings.”
Gu Jiuxing looked down at him, “It’s rare that Xiao You doesn’t argue. This time, you must take good care of him and don’t make him sad anymore.”
“I know.” Gu Jiuci said, “I want to take good care of him now. It’s best to restore the feelings he had for me when we were first engaged.”
“Then come on.”
“En.”
* * *
Tang Ziyou stayed until the seventh day of the first lunar month. Liu Xu sent him a WeChat message to remind him that it was time to work. Then he said goodbye to the Gu family and returned to his home.
Gu Jiuci volunteered to be his driver and said cautiously, “Or going home and stay, in our home.”
Tang Ziyou glanced at him and refused, “No.”
Gu Jiuci said “Oh”, and after sending the person, he asked again, “Then is your house for rent? I can rent a house.”
Tang Ziyou: ……
Tang Ziyou refused again, “No renting.”
Gu Jiuci was pitifully lost with his naked eyes. Tang Ziyou looked at him, turned around happily, and opened the door.
He stood by the window and watched Gu Jiuci leave. He thought he’d better wait. He had chased Gu Jiuci for so long. Now Gu Jiuci had finally come back to chase him, so he must enjoy it for a day or two.
Anyway, it wouldn’t be long.
Although Gu Jiuci left, the WeChat didn’t disappear. Tang Ziyou looked at it and replied back to him.
Gu Jiuci thought he wouldn’t reply, but he didn’t expect to reply very quickly. He stopped the car in surprise and called him, “You are finally willing to reply to me on WeChat! It has been half a year and you finally replied to me!”
“It feels uncomfortable not to reply to WeChat.” Tang Ziyou said, “You deserve it.”
Gu Jiuci: …yes, he deserves it.
“I was wrong.” Gu Jiuci bowed his head to apologize.
Tang Ziyou chuckled softly, “Next time, if you don’t reply to my WeChat, I will block you.”
“Absolutely not.” Gu Jiuci promised him, “You are now my top WeChat! If WeChat can’t have an exclusive notification tone, I will change it for you!”
Tang Ziyou smiled and looked at [Mr. Gu] on his WeChat account, thinking that he could ask Gu Jiuci to read his WeChat notes when meeting next time.
Liu Xu sent a few new scripts to his mailbox, “Look, tell me if you are interested.”
“Okay.”
Unfortunately, Tang Ziyou didn’t have much interest after reading it.
《Spring Festival》 would be released this year. He, Shan Qikun, and Gu Jiuci had a lot of rival plays. They were bound to rise in popularity at that time, so the next play would become very important.
If the play was good enough, people would feel that he was rising steadily and the fans he had attracted would be stable.
If the play wasn’t good enough, people would inevitably sing him down and would also lose fans.
Therefore, Tang Ziyou was very careful in taking the play this time.
He hadn’t seen the right script, so he wasn’t in a hurry about filming. Liu Xu helped him to pick up two ad endorsements. Tang Ziyou took the ad and promotional pictures according to the advertiser’s requirements.
As a result, on the day of the official announcement, Tang Ziyou received a screenshot of Gu Jiuci, which was his purchase record.
Tang Ziyou: ……
Tang Ziyou: [Why do you buy so much?]
Gu Jiuci plausibly said: [I will give you sales volume and highlight your purchasing power!]
Tang Ziyou: [Have you run out of it?]
Gu Jiuci: [One for each person in our company.]
Tang Ziyou: ……
From that day on, Tang Ziyou’s fans discovered that there was a local tyrant fan among them. The local tyrant fan was named ‘Jiu Heart Ruan Tang’, which rushed to the first line of sales every time. (酒心软糖, literally meant Wine Heart Soft Candy or it looked like “Jiu Love Tang” in many ways even though “Tang” here had different words or kanji)
Tang Ziyou’s support club contacted him quietly and asked him: [Dear, are you a Xiao Tang pure fan?]
Jiu Heart Ruan Tang: [cp fan.]
President of the Support Club: …I’m heartbroken, I’m leaving.
But… the president of the support club curiously asked: [Dear, whose cp fan of Xiao Tang are you?]
Jiu Heart Ruan Tang: [Gu Jiuci.]
President of the Support Club: ! ! ! Extremely daring! I’m really leaving!
Gu Jiuci was still waiting for him to pull himself into the club, but in the end, there was nothing to follow.
Alas, he sighed. Sure enough, it was too difficult for CP fans these years.