He didn’t want to talk about this matter originally, but under the influence of alcohol, the pent-up emotions in his heart that had been suppressed for a long time were about to burst out. His tightly pursed lips finally opened a crack.

“A year ago, I initiated it.”

Wu Tian had originally thought that the other party looked down on Gu Sui for being in debt and thus broke up with him. He never expected that it was Gu Sui who took the initiative, which made him even more confused.

“Why?”

“That day… I was drunk.”

Gu Sui still didn’t want to say too much. After hearing this, Wu Tian sighed in frustration.

“An impulse? Then just coax her, women are the easiest to coax.”

Gu Sui lowered his eyes, his long lashes casting a shadow under his eyes, his voice slightly cold.

“Can’t find her anymore.”

Wu Tian paused, then spoke regretfully a few seconds later, “Women, they can be really heartless.”

“But it’s okay, there are plenty of fish in the sea, right? Now you’re debt-free and good-looking, how hard can it be to find a girlfriend?”

Wu Tian comforted him, but Gu Sui clinked his glass to interrupt him.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Besides paying you back, I also wanted to say goodbye to you today.”

“Huh?”

Wu Tian was stunned for a moment, and Gu Sui continued, “Before my grandfather passed away, he left me a courtyard in An County. I don’t plan to stay in this city anymore.”

“You’re going back to your hometown? Isn’t there nothing good about your hometown? You didn’t even grow up there, you’re a stranger there, won’t you have to start over?”

Gu Sui spoke meaningfully, “At the very least, the courtyard my grandfather left me won’t raise the rent.”

Wu Tian: “……”

This farewell drinking lasted until midnight. By the time Gu Sui got home, it was already early morning.

Wu Tian paid for the drinks. After paying off his debts, Gu Sui only had 300 yuan left on him, just enough to buy a train ticket.

In the room with only one light on, the dim yellow light shone through. Gu Sui leaned against the bed, his shadow cast on the wall.

Buzz.

His phone received a message. Gu Sui, slightly dizzy, opened it and saw that it was from Gu Shi.

“Son, Mom misses you.”

Gu Sui instantly tightened his grip on the phone, feeling much more sober.

Every time Gu Shi sent this message, something bad was bound to happen.

He frowned and replied with force, “Did you go gambling again?!”

“Don’t misunderstand, Mom didn’t. Mom just wanted to ask, with the new year coming, would you like to spend it with Mom this year?”

Only then did Gu Sui’s expression soften a little. He stared at the message, dazed, and replied again after a long while.

“I’m going back to Grandpa’s house. If you want to spend the new year together, come back. I won’t go looking for you.”

After a good while, Gu Shi finally replied, “Mom… can’t go back. Can you send Mom some money?”

Gu Sui took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

“I don’t have any money left, I used it all to pay off debts.”

The other party didn’t send any more messages for a long time. Gu Sui let out a cold laugh and completely locked his phone.

He knew it.

She had long been dazzled by the glamor, and that small place in An County, she would never want to go back.

Even if she had no money.

The things to be moved had all been packed, only the simple photo wall at the head of the bed remained.

He didn’t want his life to be too miserable, so he tried to be as refined as possible on weekdays.

Looking up, it seemed that the happiest moments of his life were all captured here.

When he was little, Gu Shi was still a gentle and dedicated mother.

She would take care of him, play with him, and the photos recorded the scene of the young mother holding the little boy sitting on a carousel.

Although old, it was very warm.

But there was only this one photo of the two of them together.

Gu Sui stared at the old photo for a long time, until his eyes felt a bit sore before shifting his gaze.

With this turn, he caught sight of the clear photo on the far right.

It was a snowy day, and at the bus stop under the streetlight stood a woman wrapped in a heavy cloak.

Her hair was in a single bun held by a long hairpin, aloof and proud.

Her brows and eyes were full of wariness, her gaze lightly sweeping across the lens, and the entire picture was filled with an oppressive feeling colder than snow.

Gu Sui reached out and took down this photo, his slender hand brushing over the woman’s face.

In an instant, it seemed as if her clear and distant voice rang in his ears again.

‘Who are you?’

‘Where is this place?’

‘Take me home? Sure, 37 Chengtian Street, which direction?’

……

“Mu Jiulu, oh Mu Jiulu.”

Gu Sui closed his eyes wearily, leaning his head back on the bed, a soft sigh escaping from his lips.

“Why did you have to probe into my past at that time…”

Gu Sui sat on the carpet, leaning against the bedside, and fell asleep.

A night of drunkenness filled his dreams with all sorts of bizarre scenes.

In front, Gu Shi left him to fend for himself without care, and behind, Mu Jiulu’s suffocating desire for control.

The faces of the two flickered alternately, and the vortex in the night owl sucked him in, drowning him and making it difficult to extricate himself.

Gradually, everything in the dream returned to darkness, until some sounds came from a distant place, awakening him.

“Young Master, Young Master, are you up? It’s late.”

Gu Sui opened his eyes with effort, his mind in a momentary confusion.

He remembered that his alarm clock didn’t have this ringtone, right?

Creak–

Sui Yu and Yun Mu pushed open the door and walked in.

When Sui Yu lightly lifted the bed curtain, Gu Sui was staring blankly at the intricately patterned ceiling.

“Am I dreaming that I moved houses?”

Clang!

The basin of water in Yun Mu’s hands crashed to the ground, startling Gu Sui awake. He sat up in a flurry.

As he looked over, he found two youths in the room wearing the same clothes, both with shocked expressions.

Gu Sui’s throat rolled, wanting to say something, but not knowing where to start.

What’s going on! Shouldn’t he be the one more surprised?

“Um, you guys…” Who are you?

“Sui Yu, did you hear that? The Young Master spoke, the Young Master spoke!”

The youth standing in a puddle of water suddenly shouted as if he had gone mad, his expression changing from surprise to joy.

And without waiting for Sui Yu to respond, he rushed out in a hurry, still shouting.

“I must inform the Master as soon as possible!”

Gu Sui: “……”

Sui Yu restrained his own equally excited mood and, after hanging up the bed curtain, spoke tentatively.

“Young Master, do you still remember who this servant is?”

Gu Sui was still dumbfounded at this point. He shook his head, but unexpectedly, the excitement on the youth’s face became even more apparent.

“Wonderful, he really has amnesia. The State Preceptor is truly a divine being!”

Gu Sui: “???”

“Um, let me ask, where is this, who am I, and what am I doing?”

“Yes, yes, yes, it’s this servant’s fault.” Sui Yu said apologetically.

“Young Master, you are Gu Suizhi, the only son of the General’s Mansion. This servant is called Sui Yu, and the one who just left is called Yun Mu. We two are your personal attendants.”

“Today is the day you are holding a bride selection event at the Jade Dew Tower. You should get up and freshen up now.”

“Tsk, the hot water was just spilled by Yun Mu. Young Master, don’t be in a hurry, this servant will fetch another basin for you.”

Before he finished speaking, Sui Yu also hurriedly walked out of the room, leaving Gu Sui alone in this spacious and exquisite room, doubting his life.

“What the hell is going on!”