novelraw Chapter 181 You're Just a Substitute
Chapter 181 You're Just a Substitute
"It's nothing." She lowered her head, a slight smile curving her lips, as if she had finally found an answer she had kept hidden for a long time. "Just asking."
Xin Mubai looked at her, a little puzzled, but didn't ask any further questions.
He skillfully flipped through the menu, muttering things like, "You'll definitely like this one," and "This flavor is mild and suits you."
When the dishes were served, Xin Mubai picked up a piece of fish and put it in her bowl. "Try it, it's not spicy."
She picked it up and put it in her mouth. It was very fresh.
"Is it tasty?"
"Um."
"Then another piece." He picked up another piece and then started eating. Halfway through, he suddenly remembered something, took something out of his pocket and put it on the table.
It's a candy. Strawberry flavored.
"You didn't take that box with you last time, so I put it in my pocket," he said casually, as if it were something very ordinary. "Eat it on the way."
Lu Xiran looked at the candy. The pink wrapper glittered in the sunlight.
Xin Mubai.
"Um?"
Why didn't you tell me?
He looked up, his chopsticks hovering in mid-air. "Tell you what?"
She looked into his eyes. There was confusion, bewilderment, and a clean, undisguised honesty within them. Suddenly, she felt uncertain.
"It's nothing." She lowered her head, picked up the candy, and put it in her bag. "Thank you."
Xin Mubai looked at her but didn't press the matter. He simply smiled and said, "You're welcome. Eat quickly, it won't taste good when it gets cold."
After the meal, he walked her to the restaurant entrance. It was very windy, so he turned to shield her from the wind.
"Lu Xiran".
"Um?"
"Remember to send a message when you arrive in Switzerland."
She nodded.
"Don't send it to the wrong person."
She paused, then looked up. He had already turned and was walking towards the parking lot. His back swayed slightly in the wind, but his steps were steady, just like him—always appearing indifferent to everything. She stood there, watching him walk away.
Her phone vibrated. She took it out.
It's a message from my senior.
【Bon Voyage.】
She looked at those two words, then at Xin Mubai's retreating figure. He put his phone in his pocket.
She put her phone away and walked in the opposite direction. After a few steps, she stopped and looked back. His car had already driven away. She stood there, suddenly feeling that something seemed to fit together. Or perhaps, she was just imagining things.
She didn't think about it anymore.
She got into the car, started the engine, and drove into the night. While waiting at a red light, she took out her phone again and stared at the message "Have a safe trip" for a long time. Then she typed a message, hesitated for a few seconds, and pressed send.
[Senior, have we met today?]
She regretted sending the message as soon as she did. She stared at the screen, her heart suddenly racing. If he said he'd seen him before, then it really was him. If he said no, then she was just imagining things.
The car drove into the underground parking garage.
Lu Xiran's phone vibrated as she entered her password.
The door opened, the entryway light was on, and he was there. Gu Yanshen sat at the island counter, holding a water glass in his hand, the computer screen in front of him lit up.
Lu Xiran sat on the shoe-changing stool and took out her phone to look at it.
I've met them.
Lu Xiran's heart skipped a beat.
It really is Xin Mubai!
It was Xin Mubai, the one who said "light is alive" in the restaurant. She lowered her head, a slight smile playing on her lips, her fingers flying across the keyboard. Why wouldn't he admit it? But that was definitely Xin Mubai's style. That's just the kind of person he was, always unpredictable.
Why didn't you tell me you were the senior?
Gu Yanshen's heart skipped a beat. Just now?
Who did she think he was?
After sending the message, she put her phone in her pocket and changed her shoes.
Lu Xiran never looked at Gu Yanshen from beginning to end.
Lu Xiran stood up and walked into the living room.
"Who are you going to see today?" Gu Yanshen finally couldn't help but ask first.
She still didn't look at him, and went straight to the cabinet, taking out the milk pot.
"Senior."
Gu Yanshen's fingers paused on the rim of the cup. He watched her open the refrigerator, take out the milk, pour it into the saucepan, and turn on the heat. The movements were fluid and seamless.
"I don't know if you remember," she said with a hint of a laugh, "that senior I was talking about before. I found him."
Gu Yanshen's heart skipped a beat.
She turned around, holding the milk pot, leaning against the counter, looking at him. There was something in her gaze that he had never seen before—not love, not hate, but defiance.
"And he's still pursuing me." She tilted her head, as if admiring his expression. "Gu Yanshen, you're not the only one treating me as a substitute; maybe you are too."
Gu Yanshen opened his mouth.
He looked at the smile on her lips, at the light in her eyes, and he confirmed his guess. She had misunderstood. She mistakenly thought the person she had met today was her senior.
He lowered his eyes, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
"who is he?"
"You know him too?" She looked down and stirred the milk in the pot. "Xin Mubai."
Gu Yanshen suddenly raised his eyes.
"It's Xin Mubai, the one who set off fireworks for me and is still pursuing me." She looked up and met his gaze, a light he hadn't seen in a long time—triumph, competitiveness, and the exhilaration of finally winning back a point.
"You've always treated me like I was at your beck and call," her voice softened, but every word was like a nail. "Now that I think about it, maybe, why do I even need you?"
She took the milk pot off the stove and turned to get a cup. He watched her slender back, watched her pour the milk into the cup, watched the steam blur her face.
"Then what are you doing?" His voice was hoarse.
She brushed his outstretched hand away. "I'll do what I said I would. Once you're well, I'll go back to Switzerland and start a new life." She looked up at him, her eyes devoid of any lingering affection. "A life without you."
Gu Yanshen looked at her. He saw the thin, bright layer under her eyes, and the smile that had finally faded from her lips.
"Are you really going to accept Xin Mubai?"
"This is none of your business," she said, handing him the milk. "Ex-husband."
The two words she uttered were light and airy, like a feather. But he caught them, and they felt as heavy as a stone.
He didn't take the glass of milk.
"Just because Xin Mubai is that senior?"
"Yes!" She looked at him, her gaze unwavering. "Gu Yanshen, perhaps you're just a substitute for that senior. The real one has appeared, what's the point of having a substitute? Just like you said to me three years ago—since that senior treats me better than you and goes to great lengths to pursue me, why should I choose you, who has been hurting me all along?"