After Her Death, They Begged for Forgiveness - Chapter 62

Xu Bingqi accompanied Song Guanjin to the airport.

“Sister, can we video call every day?”

Song Guanjin leaned entirely into Xu Bingqi’s embrace, her emerald-green eyes glistening as if veiled with a layer of crystalline moisture, staring unblinkingly at Xu Bingqi.

She felt as though she had gone from being a pampered house cat to a stray released into the wild.

“Mm.”

Xu Bingqi lowered her gaze, her fingertips gently smoothing the disheveled strands of hair from Song Guanjin’s forehead. Her eyes paused briefly as they brushed past Song Guanjin’s flushed earlobes, hesitating for a moment before she pinched the rosy tips.

Looking at the ear lobes blushing with a peach-like radiance, she felt an urge to take them between her lips and savor them slowly.

“Sister, can I wear the clothes from my suitcase during our video calls?”

Song Guanjin tilted her face upward, her eyes like honey-soaked green amber. She extended her slender fingers, slowly winding them around Xu Bingqi’s neck. “Only for you to see.”

The cat was far too alluring. Xu Bingqi could barely restrain herself from leaning in to kiss her, to taste the glistening corners of the cat’s lips.

But just then, the announcement echoed through the terminal. In the end, Xu Bingqi only reached out to straighten the slightly wrinkled collar of Song Guanjin’s clothes. “It’s time to board. You should go.”

Song Guanjin rose reluctantly to her feet. Just as she steadied herself, she suddenly felt her sister closing the distance between them. Xu Bingqi’s palm cupped the flushed skin behind Song Guanjin’s ear, her thumb brushing against the heated curve, before finally pressing her warm lips gently against the cat spirit’s pale forehead.

It was a fleeting, hurried kiss.

“Hurry and board,” Xu Bingqi said, her eyes shimmering with starlight. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

Song Guanjin’s emerald eyes shimmered with rippling light, like raindrop-strewn glass. She nodded in a daze, the blush spreading from her neck to her cheeks, dyeing her fair skin the ripe hue of a peach.

Xu Bingqi shook her head with a soft laugh. How did this cat manage to be both seductive and innocent at once?

A mere kiss on the forehead had made her blush so deeply.

Could the cat really bring herself to wear such revealing clothes during their video calls?

Xu Bingqi found herself growing somewhat expectant.

She stood in place, watching as Song Guanjin glanced back with every few steps toward the gate. Her green eyes, like emeralds veiled in morning mist, glimmered amidst the bustling crowd, until she gradually merged into the stream of boarding passengers, her receding figure blurring in Xu Bingqi’s vision.

Xu Bingqi slowly closed her hand, as if trying to preserve the lingering warmth from Song Guanjin’s ear at her fingertips.

But as soon as she stepped out of the airport, a biting wind swept past. Xu Bingqi shivered abruptly, the residual warmth at her fingertips slowly dissipating, leaving only cold in its wake.

She shook her head gently, as if trying to cast off the inexplicable sadness rising in her heart.

It was only a temporary separation. In the past, Xu Bingqi had never felt such inexplicable melancholy over being apart from someone for a while. Yet, after leaving the airport, her mood sank gradually.

Xu Bingqi had to admit that the cat had long become the most special presence in her life. And, without her realizing when it had started, she had begun to feel desire for Song Guanjin’s body.

When Song Guanjin lifted her head, exposing her slender neck, those lurking, unspeakable desires would break through the surface, clamoring to burn reason and restraint to ashes, leaving only inexpressible greed rampaging wildly in her chest.

In the end, she still couldn’t restrain herself and finally pressed a kiss to Song Guanjin’s forehead.

Perhaps, if they hadn’t been at the airport, that kiss would have landed on the corner of Song Guanjin’s lips or even more than just a press, but a lingering brush against her delicate mouth, entwining with her lips and tongue.

Xu Bingqi struggled to suppress her slightly hurried breaths. She hadn’t yet prepared the surprise for her kitten; she couldn’t reveal her feelings to her now.

She loved Song Guanjin and was determined to do everything in her power to prepare for their future life together.

But first, she had to deal with some unresolved matters and people from before her rebirth, such as Jiang Ruo and Xiao Hua.

Only by sending both of them to prison could she feel completely at ease and be with her kitten.

Otherwise, given Jiang Ruo’s nature, she would never let things go and would surely carry out many terrifying acts of revenge.

Xu Bingqi pressed her temples. Jiang Ruo’s personality was too obsessive and insane. Even though Jiang Ruo hadn’t harassed her or targeted Song Guanjin recently, she still had to remain cautious.

But what Xu Bingqi didn’t expect was that the next person to go mad wasn’t Jiang Ruo, but Gu Xiaozhou.

When Xu Bingqi first saw the news, she couldn’t believe it. The last time she’d seen Gu Xiaozhou, the other woman had enthusiastically invited her to walk their dogs together, how could she suddenly go mad?

Yet soon, all the posts about Gu Xiaozhou’s madness were deleted.

Xu Bingqi refreshed the page and stared blankly for a moment at the posts that could no longer be displayed.

Could someone like Gu Xiaozhou really go mad so suddenly? Was it because of the beagle she’d raised, named Douhua?

Xu Bingqi sighed and closed the notification that read, “This post has been deleted.”

She had already shown mercy by not actively seeking revenge against Gu Xiaozhou. As for Gu Xiaozhou’s sudden madness, it had nothing to do with her.

Whether in her past life or this one, she had never owed Gu Xiaozhou anything.

But while Xu Bingqi had no intention of getting involved in Gu Xiaozhou’s affairs, Gu Nan proactively reached out to her.

【Bingqi, please, save Xiaozhou. Even though she’s made mistakes, you’ve been friends for so many years. Can you really stand by and watch her like this?】

Compared to Xu Qingci’s earlier direct confrontation, Gu Nan was much more restrained, merely sending her a text message.

Xu Bingqi had deactivated her old phone number, but her newly registered number hadn’t blocked the contacts from her previous address book.

Given her increased fame now, it wasn’t surprising that Gu Nan had managed to find her new number.

Xu Bingqi stared at the message for a moment but didn’t reply.

She didn’t see any reason to save Gu Xiaozhou. Even if she visited her out of past camaraderie, it would only allow her to witness Gu Xiaozhou’s miserable state up close not cure her madness.

Gu Nan must be desperate, Xu Bingqi thought, to even send a message to someone like her, who had no connection to Gu Xiaozhou now.

She closed her phone and continued compiling evidence of tax issues in Xiao Hua’s company, organizing detailed materials for the report.

Xiao Hua was the weakest link that could break Jiang Ruo. As long as the police investigated Xiao Hua, they would inevitably uncover the information and financial transactions between Xiao Hua and Jiang Ruo.

Just then, the phone rang again.

Xu Bingqi frowned impatiently.

Song Guanjin was still on the plane, so this call definitely wasn’t from her. It was most likely Gu Nan, who had just sent a text message.

Xu Bingqi hesitated for a few seconds but still answered the call. Gu Nan’s daughter had just experienced such a major incident even if she didn’t pick up, Gu Nan would surely find another way to reach her. Moreover, she felt that Gu Xiaozhou’s sudden madness was rather strange. Although Gu Xiaozhou was arrogant and condescending, she didn’t seem like someone with a mental illness. It seemed more like she had suffered some kind of psychological shock.

People don’t suffer psychological shocks for no reason it seemed more like someone had deliberately provoked it.

“Bingqi, can you come see Xiaozhou? She keeps calling your name. Maybe if you come, she’ll snap out of it.”

Gu Nan’s voice was mixed with chaotic noises in the background. Xu Bingqi had to listen carefully to make out what she was saying.

Xu Bingqi didn’t agree immediately and instead asked, “Did this happen suddenly?”

“I’m not sure either. By the time I found out, the news had already broken. I just managed to suppress it.” Gu Nan sounded anxious. “Bingqi, could you come see Xiaozhou? No matter what, the two of you have been friends for so many years.”

Xu Bingqi had been listening quietly, but at this point, she suddenly let out a cold laugh. “So, because of years of friendship, she thought it was okay to frame her friend? And now you’re bringing up years of friendship again is that to make it easier to guilt-trip me?”

The slight trace of sympathy she had felt instantly vanished.

Xu Bingqi didn’t want to discuss meaningless things like past friendship with Gu Nan any further. “I won’t go see her. If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up now.”

“I’m sorry, Bingqi. I didn’t express myself well.” Gu Nan looked at her daughter, who was still muttering deliriously, and her voice softened. “I know everything that happened back then was Xiaozhou’s fault, but right now, I’m at my wit’s end. I can’t just stand by and watch her stay like this. After all, she’s my only daughter.”

By the end, Gu Nan couldn’t hold back her tears. She covered her face, and faint sobs escaped through her fingers.

Xu Bingqi paused, reminded of her own relationship with Xu Qingci by Gu Nan’s crying.

In her previous life, when she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, Xu Qingci hadn’t shown the slightest concern, let alone shed any tears.

If it weren’t for the influence of the novel’s world setting, would Xu Qingci have been as anxious and tearful as Gu Nan if she had fallen ill?

“Give me the address.”

Xu Bingqi neither agreed nor refused outright. She coldly asked Gu Nan for the address and then hung up.

After setting down her phone, Xu Bingqi remained silent for a long time. In the end, she decided to go see Gu Xiaozhou.

Perhaps by visiting Gu Xiaozhou, she could uncover the reason behind her sudden madness.

Xu Bingqi had a vague feeling that Gu Xiaozhou’s breakdown was man-made.

But even with some mental preparation, Xu Bingqi was still taken aback when she saw Gu Xiaozhou.

The way Gu Xiaozhou looked at her was as if she were seeing some unimaginable monster.

“You actually came. You really came back!” Gu Xiaozhou shrank toward the other side of the bed, then slowly reached out a hand toward Xu Bingqi. “Did you come specifically to take revenge on me? To take me away with you?”

Xu Bingqi hadn’t expected Gu Xiaozhou to be this far gone into madness, silently taking a step back.

“I’m not afraid!” Gu Xiaozhou urgently reached out toward Xu Bingqi, leaning forward so much she nearly fell off the bed. “This is all my fault! Even if you kill me, I won’t blame you!”

Xu Bingqi glanced at Gu Nan. “Has seeing me made her madness worse?”

She had originally wanted to ask Gu Xiaozhou why she had suddenly become so deranged, but seeing this situation made Xu Bingqi realize that Gu Xiaozhou could no longer distinguish reality from delusion.

Even if Gu Xiaozhou revealed what had triggered her breakdown, Xu Bingqi wouldn’t believe it was fact rather than fantasy.

Gu Nan’s eyelids were swollen from crying. She pulled out another tissue, shaking her head tremulously. “I’ll have to find another way.”

“Bingqi, I really was wrong!” Seeing Xu Bingqi turn to leave, Gu Xiaozhou struggled frantically to get up. “Take me with you! I won’t resist!”

Gu Nan wept both for her daughter’s mental state and from humiliation. “Xiaozhou, Xiaozhou, snap out of it!”

But Gu Xiaozhou grabbed her mother’s arm. “Mom, you said long ago you and Aunt Xu agreed to an arranged marriage before we were born! Bingqi came to see me now – I want to marry her in a ghost marriage!”

Xu Bingqi paused where she stood, looking back at Gu Xiaozhou. “Are you saying the person standing before you now is a ghost?”

She was beginning to vaguely understand what was happening.

Gu Xiaozhou trembled but straightened her back and nodded. “You must be a vengeful spirit, right? Able to appear even with the lights on. This is all my fault.”

She had ruined Xu Bingqi’s reputation, made her lose everyone, die alone in some forgotten corner. Now Xu Bingqi had come to claim her soul.

Gu Xiaozhou stretched a trembling hand toward Xu Bingqi. “Bingqi, I only realized after you died that I love you. We can marry in the afterlife.”

Xu Bingqi took another step back. “Gu Xiaozhou, I’m still alive. And I already have someone I love.”

And I already have someone I love.

The words exploded in Gu Xiaozhou’s mind. Seeing the calm in Xu Bingqi’s eyes, she felt her heart which had been lifted to great heights suddenly plummet and shatter into countless pieces.

She rubbed her eyes, feeling the world suddenly come into focus.

“Who is it?” she asked softly. “Is it Jiang Ruo?”

But as she asked, another figure surfaced in her mind, an actor with emerald green eyes holding a bouquet of sunflowers.

“I remember now.” Gu Xiaozhou looked at Xu Bingqi. “I remember everything. You love that pretty face, don’t you?”

The memories of a past life she had suddenly received from Jiang Ruo finally sorted themselves out clearly in Gu Xiaozhou’s mind. She closed her eyes in pain, tears slowly tracing down from the corners. “None of that matters now. You’re not dead that’s what really matters.”

Support