Chapter 84: They Fell into a Sea of Tears
Song Yinxing stood there, expressionless, silently organizing his words in his mind.
“I saw you leaving in such a hurry and was worried something might happen, so I thought I’d follow and check.”
“Oh? Then should I praise you for being considerate?”
The tone was obviously dripping with sarcasm. Song Yinxing lowered his head; his expression didn’t change, but Xia Chun, standing nearby, noticed the subtle shift in Gu Yang’s face at that moment.
It was very similar to when he had first asked whether Gu Yang liked someone.
The atmosphere was delicate and tense. Song Yinxing and Xia Chun were classmates, so they already knew each other. Since Xia Chun’s failed suicide attempt had been witnessed by a classmate, even though the mood felt wrong, he still spoke up:
“Can you keep this a secret for me?”
Song Yinxing nodded lightly but solemnly. He had witnessed Xia Chun’s tragedy with his own eyes, and now that the ending had changed, he genuinely felt relieved.
“What exactly did you mean by what you said at the Underwater World?”
The moment he saw Song Yinxing, that was the only thing on Gu Yang’s mind.
Song Yinxing’s expression finally changed. He instinctively glanced at Xia Chun.
Ah, a private topic.
Xia Chun thought silently to himself.
“Then you two talk. I’ll get going first,” he said tactfully.
But Gu Yang grabbed his clothes.
It was as if he regarded Xia Chun as a hard-won trophy he had only managed to pull back after so much persuasion—no way he was letting him go easily.
“I really don’t plan to do anything anymore,” Xia Chun said seriously. “After I go down, I still have to deal with all the missed calls on my phone.”
Thinking of that, he sighed helplessly.
“That’s probably going to be a big project.”
“Besides, I’m just giving you two some space.”
As he said this, Xia Chun lowered his head slightly, brushed his hair back, and leaned close to Gu Yang’s ear.
“About that topic earlier—the person you like… it’s him, right?”
Gu Yang reacted like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on. He leaned backward, his hand loosening at the same time, his face showing an expression that was hard to describe.
Xia Chun revealed an I knew it look.
“In that case, it’s not really appropriate for you to be pulling me around here, right? I’ll make my exit early.”
Right now, Xia Chun truly felt as if he had finally set down all the burdens on his shoulders. A lightness he had never experienced before filled him; even the wind blowing against his face felt cool and gentle.
After leaving this place, he would simply be himself again.
As he left, he even patted Song Yinxing on the shoulder.
Only after Xia Chun had completely gone did Song Yinxing look at Gu Yang thoughtfully.
“You were here from the beginning?” Gu Yang asked.
Song Yinxing nodded honestly.
“Oh? From Tianqin Harbor all the way here?” Gu Yang said quietly. “Looks like the real perverted stalker is someone else.”
As night deepened, the already biting cold became even more noticeable. Song Yinxing stepped closer.
He took off his coat and tried to drape it over Gu Yang, but Gu Yang pushed him away with one hand and even looked like he was about to throw the crumpled coat in his hand back at him.
Clearly sulking.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“Well, how could you tell me? If you told me, would it still count as stalking?”
This was the first time Song Yinxing had seen Gu Yang angry. His expression hadn’t changed much, but the pressure around him had dropped noticeably, and his words were dripping with sarcasm.
Gu Yang suddenly felt that the current situation seemed strangely familiar. Then it hit him—how was this any different from those idiots in his class secretly hearing his thoughts yet keeping it from him?
Old and new grievances piled together, and the look in his eyes toward Song Yinxing became even more unfriendly.
Song Yinxing naturally had no idea he was currently standing in such a deep pit. He only knew he couldn’t stay silent any longer, so he took the initiative to explain.
“What I said at the Underwater World… those were my true feelings.”
Bold of you to say that.
Gu Yang hadn’t expected him to bring it up voluntarily. He simply watched him coldly.
“Gu Yang, I think I’ve liked you since a long time ago—”
“Weren’t you listening from the beginning?”
Gu Yang interrupted him.
Realizing what might be said next, Gu Yang instinctively wanted to shut the topic down.
Oddly enough, he even felt a bit relieved. Since Song Yinxing had already heard everything earlier, he didn’t have to rack his brain explaining anything himself.
Thinking of that made him suddenly feel dazed.
After reviewing the chat records, the thoughts that had been overheard actually hadn’t revealed anything troubling. They were things he had read in the book—things he genuinely didn’t mind others knowing.
In some sense, it had even helped quite a bit.
“I won’t die young,” Song Yinxing said almost urgently.
He didn’t know what gave him the right to make such a promise. The moment he thought about his mother’s illness, it felt like stepping onto thin air while walking along a narrow plank over a cliff, and confusion spread across his face.
Right… what right did he have to guarantee that? Even if they walked forward hand in hand, how could he promise he wouldn’t leave Gu Yang halfway through?
He stood there blankly.
Then he heard Gu Yang say lightly in agreement, “That’s true.”
The casual tone carried absolute certainty.
That unrealistic hope surged up again from the depths of his heart.
According to the setting, Song Yinxing was supposed to be the protagonist of this book. So he should live a long life.
…At least longer than him.
It was the first time Gu Yang had thought about it from this angle. The slight annoyance from before faded, and he looked at Song Yinxing with a strange gaze, as if seeing him anew.
If that was the case, did it mean he wouldn’t be the one left behind first?
Wouldn’t be like—
Suddenly remembering something, the warmth that had just begun melting in Gu Yang’s eyes was instantly covered by coldness again.
But so what?
“Anyone can say nice things,” he said softly. “Swearing eternal love with pretty words—yet in the end they still secretly betray you.”
“Just like that man who may or may not even be related to me by blood… he actually found another woman…”
The distance between them suddenly widened.
The person in front of him had drawn an invisible line, sinking back into his own world.
Song Yinxing watched the change happen before his eyes.
But Gu Yang’s words made a vague memory in his mind suddenly become crystal clear.
He remembered who the woman in that photograph was.
Meanwhile, Xie Wu, who had been restless in the classroom, finally answered the phone call.
The call had come through Wanyin, so Song Yinxing’s name was displayed.
Before the other side even spoke, he blurted out:
“How is it? Did you get in touch with Gu Yang? You have no idea what I’ve been through these past few days—it’s been total chaos!”
The moment Gu Yang’s name was mentioned, the rest of the class stopped what they were doing and pricked up their ears.
Xie Wu had been troubled by Xia Chun’s situation yesterday. He had even stumbled upon a huge secret about the He family and ended up stuck in place, unable to act. Aside from the first call, he hadn’t done anything else.
Later Xia Chun had sent him a message saying his phone had died and that everything was fine now.
But relying on his animal instincts, Xie Wu felt that things couldn’t possibly be that simple.
Still, since the person involved was reacting that way, he didn’t have the standing to ask too much.
Most importantly, he hadn’t seen Gu Yang for several days.
This call had come at the perfect time.
But Song Yinxing clearly had a purpose, so he didn’t let himself be thrown off.
“I was hoping you could help me contact someone.”
“Contact someone?” Xie Wu raised his eyebrows. “And it’s related to Gu Yang? Honestly, even if it were just your request I’d help—Gu Yang has really taken care of us.”
After hearing the name from the other side, he subconsciously glanced at Lu Ji.
Lu Ji pointed at himself. Xie Wu shook his head and looked instead toward Qi Lecheng, who was sitting nearby with extremely low presence—clearly paying full attention yet not daring to look directly over.
“My family doesn’t have connections in the entertainment industry,” Xie Wu said, “but if the person you want to contact is a celebrity, I do have someone I could recommend.”
He slowly stood up, walked over to Qi Lecheng, and placed an elbow heavily on his shoulder.
“And I think he’d be quite willing to help. Right?”
Suddenly dragged into the spotlight, Qi Lecheng looked like a small animal cornered by a predator.
But when he heard it involved Gu Yang, he nodded timidly.
“If it’s about contacting a celebrity, the Lu family actually has deeper roots in that area,” Lu Ji said, unable to resist commenting.
But Xie Wu had his own considerations.
Lu Ji hadn’t fully established himself in the Lu family yet, and this kind of favor might cause trouble for him.
“I-it’s okay,” Qi Lecheng said.
He had already seen the name Xie Wu had scribbled on the note. The actress wasn’t very famous, but she had once worked with his father.
“I can try contacting her… but she’s already retired from the industry. She might not respond.”
He held the phone Xie Wu had handed him. From the other side came a simple mm, followed by a quiet please.
The voice sounded cold.
So this is Song Yinxing.
Qi Lecheng repeated the name silently in his mind. A strange look flashed across his face.
Xie Wu caught it immediately and shot him a warning glance.
Qi Lecheng lowered his head weakly, looking like a pitiful punching bag.
But no one present dared underestimate him.
After spending time together, everyone had realized their class was full of outstanding talents—but Qi Lecheng had already carved out his own particularly crazy lane.
“What exactly do you think about Gu Yang now?” Lu Ji asked bluntly.
Qi Lecheng’s eye twitched slightly.
“I…”
“You previously joined Ye Chen in plotting something against him. Why did you suddenly switch sides? A guilty conscience? Or were you just stepping on Ye Chen to clean your own image?”
Lu Ji had been waiting to settle that account.
His words were sharp as an unsheathed blade.
Such a person had almost been worn down and rusted away under the Lu family’s pressure.
It was Gu Yang who saved him.
So right now, Lu Ji’s goal was simple: eliminate any uncertain factors.
“…He looks really good when he smiles.”
After a long silence, Qi Lecheng finally said something completely unrelated.
“I just think… it’d be nice if he could live well and smile more, like he did that time.”
He was referring to the smile Gu Yang had when Ying Jiayi returned.
The sincerity in his voice moved everyone.
Lu Ji’s cold expression softened slightly, and the other classmates showed touched expressions.
After all, they had received compulsory education and moral values. Surely it wouldn’t go too far—
“I…”
The whole class: “……”
They really shouldn’t have expected anything.
“I won’t hand him over to you,” the voice on the phone suddenly said after a long silence. “Whether he’s alive or dead.”
Qi Lecheng sneered inwardly.
Who do you think you are? What right do you have to say that?
But outwardly he just gave a small smile, like a harmless mute firecracker.
Still, he did end up helping contact the person.
Later, Song Yinxing asked Xie Wu to help contact Gu Yang.
Their last meeting hadn’t ended well. When Gu Yang left, his face had been expressionless, cold as ice.
But Song Yinxing couldn’t let Xie Wu know that he had secretly followed Gu Yang and confessed unsuccessfully.
Xie Wu also looked troubled.
He couldn’t exactly admit that he had secretly listened to Gu Yang’s thoughts for so long and now hadn’t seen him for days after being exposed.
While they were still silently pulling against each other, He Ming’an had already made the call and arranged a meeting.
When Gu Yang entered the private room, the first person he saw was Song Yinxing.
The next second, he turned to push the door shut and leave.
Song Yinxing quickly stood up and grabbed his arm.
“Can you give me a few minutes?” he said softly. “Please. It’s something important.”
There was another person in the room. Gu Yang hadn’t noticed at first.
When his gaze finally landed on her, his eyes widened in shock.
A well-maintained woman in her forties sat there smiling at him.
“She is…?” Gu Yang turned to Song Yinxing.
Song Yinxing didn’t answer.
But he could feel Gu Yang’s struggling suddenly stop.
He pulled out a chair for him.
The woman sitting across from them was named Zhong Xiuhong, a former actress who had retired many years ago.
Song Yinxing had met her once before.
In his previous life.
She explained how she had once been arranged by her agency to meet a powerful man.
When she finally saw him, she noticed a diamond ring on his finger.
He had even enthusiastically shown her a photo of his fiancée.
“She was beautiful,” Zhong Xiuhong said with a faint dimple appearing as she smiled. “So beautiful that even I felt a little moved.”
“To make such a beauty cry… I didn’t think I had fallen that low.”
That was when she realized she wasn’t suited for the entertainment industry and eventually left it.
A paparazzi photo captured that moment, though it never caused much of a stir.
The photo eventually ended up in the Gu family’s hands.
Years later, young Gu Yang discovered it in his father’s study.
After telling the story, Zhong Xiuhong finished her coffee and left.
Song Yinxing returned to the private room.
Gu Yang was still sitting there, silent like a statue.
“She’s gone,” Song Yinxing said softly.
The figure didn’t move.
Song Yinxing reached out and turned him slightly—
And froze.
Gu Yang’s face was still expressionless.
But his eyes had turned red.
“That photo… I found it when I was little in Gu Yuhui’s study.”
Gu Yang spoke quietly.
“I didn’t recognize the woman in the photo. But… why were they standing so close?”
He had clearly seen the ring on the man’s finger.
It was specially designed—a pair of iris-shaped rings symbolizing love.
One had already gone into the coffin.
The other remained on his mother’s finger.
Even as a child, the word betrayal had already begun forming in his mind.
He had secretly taken the photo out.
But when he reached his mother’s room and heard her gentle voice calling him inside—
He hesitated.
He cherished the little time they had together.
And he feared what the photo might do.
Even a weak tear from her could cause earthquakes in his world.
He couldn’t imagine how devastating that photo would be.
So he hesitated.
For a very long time.
In the end, he became a coward.
Next time.
I’ll tell her next time.
That day, the sun was warm.
His mother’s mood was unusually good.
She even took him outside to walk on the sunny lawn, wove a grass ring for him, and pushed him on the swing.
Her pale, delicate face carried a quiet exhaustion.
Though the sun blazed overhead, it felt like sunset.
He thoughtfully told her to go rest.
She kissed his forehead lovingly.
He watched her walk slowly back into the building.
And then—
Panicked shouting suddenly filled the air.
Only then did he realize what he had done.
At the time, he couldn’t even cry.
He just stood there numbly.
The noise around him faded.
It was as if something had carved his soul out of his body, cutting him off from the world.
Until now.
Eight years later.
The pain finally reached his heart.
Along with the grief and longing he was finally allowed to feel.
His eyes gradually filled with tears.
And the tears slowly began to fall…
