A Cold and Aloof Top Student Is Relied Upon - Chapter 70

Chapter 70: The End

◎A New Beginning◎

The day of Gu Baozhi’s funeral was a rainy one. Spring showers fell softly, but the branches were already vibrant with red blossoms and green willows, as if celebrating spring’s bounty.

The private doctor had left earlier. As he was going, he said to Gu Zhu, “She was at least not in so much pain when she left. My condolences.”

His words might have been meant as comfort, but they made Gu Zhu recall Gu Baozhi’s initial radiation therapy. In pain, she was often unable to sleep and had to endure it. During that time, Gu Baozhi had become terribly thin and would sometimes say with a sigh, “It would be good to just fall into a long sleep and never wake up.”

This time, she truly had fallen into a long sleep from which she would not wake.

Gu Zhu felt like crying again. Since that day, her tears had not stopped, as if she were shedding all the tears she had held back in her life in one go.

Bai Tan wiped away her tears. She had rushed over on the night Gu Baozhi passed away. The funeral customs here were intricate. They held a seven-day wake with endless food and visitors. In the end, the coffin was sealed and taken to the crematorium, and when they returned, all that was left was an urn.

The burial plot was in the same cemetery as Gu Baozhi’s parents and husband. The headstones were close together. Gu Zhu hoped that Gu Baozhi would no longer be so lonely and that she would live a lively and wonderful life in a beautiful paradise.

Just as she hoped for herself, she also had to find happiness again.

After wiping the tombstone, she rested her forehead against it, as if her mother were embracing her from afar. As she left, she said, “Mom, we will come to see you again next time. I will love you forever.”

But that night, she came down with a high fever. Lying in bed in a daze, when Bai Tan woke her up, she couldn’t tell day from night and had forgotten where she was.

She curled up and just cried, clutching Bai Tan’s hand and pressing it to her face, unable to stop the tears from flowing.

Bai Tan’s heart was shattered by her tears. She felt that her little one had lived too difficult a life, that life had been too cruel to her, tearing away the family she loved far too early.

For a long time, Gu Zhu seemed absent-minded and depressed. She wanted to move on, but it was the rainy season. The damp weather seemed to make her blood thick, the air thin, and her mood heavy. She couldn’t find the energy to do anything.

One day, Gu Zhu got up to get some water and suddenly tripped over the corner of a table. The glass cup shattered on the floor, and she fell awkwardly. Bai Tan rushed in, lifted her onto the sofa, and realized the seriousness of the situation.

Gu Zhu couldn’t see again.

When the psychologist mentioned her past medical history, Bai Tan felt like she had been struck by lightning out of a clear sky. Her eyes immediately turned red. Seeing Gu Zhu’s face, which was so calm it seemed numb, made her feel even more heartbroken. She took several deep breaths before she finally calmed down.

This temporary blindness lasted for three days. On the fourth day, when Gu Zhu could see again, it was a bright morning. Birds were chirping outside the window, and a sliver of sunlight streamed in through the half-closed curtains.

She was held in Bai Tan’s arms. She looked up and saw dark circles under her sleeping face, which were especially noticeable against her fair skin.

Bai Tan must have been very tired during this time, having to manage the company and take care of her. She felt a pang of guilt. She gently touched the dark circles and, unable to resist, kissed them.

The person in her arms woke up with a start. When she saw Gu Zhu resting safely in her arms, she let out a sigh of relief. Bai Tan was still a bit groggy with sleep, but when she saw Gu Zhu’s bright eyes staring at her, she realized what had happened. “You can see again?”

Gu Zhu nodded and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry for making you worry.” She knew Bai Tan must have found out about her psychological illness. After they reunited, she had consciously gone for follow-up appointments and had improved significantly. But Gu Baozhi’s passing had been too great a blow, and she had been unable to cope, causing a relapse.

Bai Tan gently stroked her head, kissed her forehead, and comforted her. “Don’t say that. Our Zhu-zi was just a little tired and wanted to rest. It’s not a big deal.”

She got up and pulled back the curtains, letting the sunlight flood the room. Looking at the beautiful weather outside, Bai Tan watched Gu Zhu obediently wash up and get ready to eat, and an idea suddenly popped into her head.

“Zhu-zi.”

Hearing her name, Gu Zhu looked up. In March, the sunlight was clear and warm, bright and dazzling on her body. Gu Zhu was momentarily lost in thought when she heard Bai Tan say:

“Let’s travel! Let’s go see the world!”

Gu Zhu was instantly reminded of the graduation trip they had talked about in high school. Her heart fluttered. Just as she was about to nod, she hesitated and asked, “What about your work…?”

“It’s fine, I’ll find someone to take over!” she said. She had already been thinking about it, and now she was just putting the plan into action. “We can take a road trip. We can go wherever we want and stop wherever we want. Do you want to go?”

This time, Gu Zhu nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”

They were both people of action. Gu Zhu submitted her resignation to her supervisor. Since she didn’t know when she would be back, she thought resigning would be more convenient. Her supervisor tried to persuade her a few times, but seeing that her mind was made up, he stopped trying and only wished her a smooth journey and welcomed her back if she ever had the desire to return.

After thanking him, Gu Zhu went to the capital two days later to clean out her dorm and the rented apartment. She had the remaining important things shipped back. Before she left, she invited Meng Yuanyi out for dinner.

Meng Yuanyi was a little sad when she learned Gu Zhu had resigned, but after hearing about what had happened recently, she happily ate dinner with her. As she was leaving, she gave Gu Zhu a big hug and wished her all the best, telling her to stay in touch and to come see her when she had time.

Gu Zhu said okay, then said goodbye to her friend and returned to Yue City. A week later, they were all packed and ready. On a certain morning, they set off, driving towards the rising sun.

Their first stop was a neighboring province. They went to Zhangjiajie, where the clouds were deep and the mountains stood tall, bringing peace and joy to their hearts. They took a long cable car ride to their heart’s content. Then they drove along the G60 Shanghai–Kunming Expressway, passing through Guiyang and Kunming, and entered the Yunnan region. They stayed at the foot of Cangshan Mountain, renting a private villa. On the first day, they went up the mountain and had a vegetarian meal at a temple. The second day was a little overcast, so they drove to an ancient town and ate some local delicacies. The third day was sunny, and they woke up early to watch the sunrise from the rooftop.

The first rays of dawn lit up the sky. Gu Zhu and Bai Tan were wrapped together in a thin blanket. As the sun rose, they turned their heads and shared a kiss filled with the taste of a new day.

They stayed in Yunnan for a long time, visiting Lijiang, Shuhe, and Lugu Lake. Lugu Lake, like the Blue Danube, was as calm as a mirror and so beautiful it was intoxicating.

Later, they went to Shangri-La, and then from Shangri-La, they drove along the Yunnan-Tibet Highway, passing through Meili Snow Mountain, Yanjing, Mangkang, Basu, and other places, finally arriving in Lhasa.

Namtso Lake and the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains shone against each other. Mani stones and prayer flags fluttered in the wind on the lakeside. The unique karstic caves on Tashi Island were a spectacular sight. The mysterious Tibetan civilization felt both ancient and distinct.

They also went to the Nagqu Plateau. On the vast and expansive plains, green grass swayed in the wind like waves. The yurts of nomadic peoples stood in clusters, and herds of yaks and sheep roamed freely. A gust of wind would reveal their silhouettes.

It happened to be the Nagqu Horse Racing Festival. They found a local guide, a hospitable woman who invited them to join in. Gu Zhu tried riding a horse, while Bai Tan excitedly joined in the horse racing games. Compared to the people who were born on horseback, her riding skills were just above average, but the joy of galloping freely made her laugh nonstop on the horse’s back.

At the finish line, she got off the horse and happily hugged Gu Zhu, spinning her around.

In the evening, there was a bonfire dance. There was butter tea and highland barley wine on the table. They danced together to the deep and sonorous Tibetan songs.

In a yurt dedicated to musical instruments, there was a pipa.

It had been a long time since Gu Zhu had played the pipa. Amidst the cheers of the tourists and herders, she blushed slightly, then plucked the strings and performed “Moon on High” for everyone there. The night was enchanting and a full moon hung in the sky, making the majestic and lyrical piece perfectly fitting.

When she finished, everyone applauded, and others followed with their own performances. Gu Zhu walked back to Bai Tan’s side. Bai Tan pulled her down to sit, and their fingers intertwined, a gesture that seemed to convey the passionate heartbeat and emotions of a summer night.

Gu Zhu leaned on Bai Tan’s shoulder, looking at the low and vast sky. It was as if she saw the young Bai Tan, alone on this prairie. There were no shooting stars tonight, but there was a bright, full moon.

When they left Tibet, they didn’t stop there but continued forward. Later, they passed through Beijing again, briefly gave up their car, and boarded a train from Beijing to Moscow.

The train crossed the Eurasian continent, passing through the Yan Mountains, the grasslands of Mongolia, Genghis Khan Square in Ulaanbaatar, Lake Baikal—known as the “Blue Eye of Siberia”—the small town of Slyudyanka, the tall and golden Siberian birch forests, and finally, their destination, Moscow.

The beautiful scenery along the way was intoxicating and healed their hearts. By the time they finally turned back and were ready to go home, it was the end of the year.

It was almost another New Year.

This New Year, they didn’t go anywhere. On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, Gu Zhu went with Bai Tan to her parents’ house for a meal. The atmosphere was not overly warm, but it wasn’t awkward either. Chen Xuelian took good care of her, and although Bai Yingting didn’t say much, he at least didn’t have a sour expression.

On New Year’s Eve, they woke up early, went to the supermarket to shop, and then tidied up the house a bit. Afterward, they put up the spring couplets and paper-cuttings together.

Bai Yibai was wearing a festive scarf. Though her movements were slow, she was still enthusiastic about running around after her two owners. Gu Zhu opened a can of cat food for her. After Bai Yibai finished eating and drinking water, she returned to her bed to sleep. Gu Zhu touched her little head and gave her a kiss.

Bai Tan immediately moved closer and pointed to her own lips. Gu Zhu smiled helplessly and also gave her a kiss on the lips.

They made the New Year’s Eve dinner together. Neither of them was a great cook, but they were smart enough to follow the recipes in a video and managed to create a table full of delicious and colorful dishes.

They opened a bottle of low-alcohol wine and had a few sips. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the bustling city erupted in a grand display of fireworks at midnight.

Leaning by the window, they shared a deep and tender kiss under the gentle gaze of Bai Yibai.

On the third day of the New Year, they returned to Little Shali Town.

A year had passed, and the shadow that had emerged last year was slowly being smoothed over by time, although there were still occasional pangs of pain.

The photo on the tombstone was from a time when Gu Baozhi was in good spirits. Gu Zhu pressed her forehead against the tombstone. Her heart was much more at peace. The year-long journey had slowly healed her wounds. Perhaps at some point in the future, she would become the healthy, successful, and happy Gu Zhu that Gu Baozhi had hoped to see.

“Mom, Happy New Year. We are doing very well.”

The second year, Gu Zhu and Bai Tan came to pay their respects again:

“Mom, Happy New Year. We are doing very well this year too.”

The third year, the fourth year…

Dear Mom, every year we live our lives well, and we hope you are happy in heaven.

Perhaps there will always be regrets in our lives, but we must walk forward with determination. One day, we will be blessed by the beauty of the world again.

Before the dawn arrives, please continue to sleep.

When the morning breaks, please open your eyes and greet the new day with the person you love.

In the late spring and early summer, the weather is sunny, and that beautiful migratory bird has returned to the branches to sing its song.

<The End>

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