Gong Xiaoyu called An Junxi later that night, her voice filled with exhaustion: "Jun Xi, my brother's fine now."
An Junxi didn't know what to say. After a long while, she finally replied, "That's good."
Gong Xiaoyu continued, "I really don't know when my brother's marriage will reach its end. If he had married you back then... never mind, I shouldn't say this." Gong Xiaoyu knew that An Junxi had truly loved her brother before, and mentioning this would make An Junxi feel bad.
An Junxi said some perfunctory words, "Get some rest. Don't overthink it."
Gong Xiaoyu said, "I need to visit my brother in the hospital tomorrow. You take charge of the company's matters for now."
"Alright, good night."
An Junxi hung up the phone, feeling a wave of melancholy.
She turned off the company lights and slowly walked out by herself.
It was already past ten at night, and the traffic on the road was still heavy. The city's nightlife was dazzling, making people dizzy, yet after two in the morning, the quietness was so dead it was terrifying.
Most of the late nights An Junxi saw in Yan City were after two in the morning.
She stood at the bus stop waiting for the bus, lost in her thoughts, not even noticing which bus had arrived.
The late-night city workers crowded An Junxi, making her unsteady. She didn't mind, she was pushed to the outer edge of the bus stop. Bus after bus passed by, and the crowd thinned until she was the only one left.
An Junxi finally got tired of standing, her thoughts returned to reality, and she realized it was already eleven o'clock. She could only take the night bus now.
She continued waiting.
The cars sped by her side, and An Junxi stared intently at the end of the road, waiting for the night bus with its prominent number display.
Gu Jinxiu sat beside his father, who was reading documents on his tablet. He didn't dare disturb him and could only look at the scenery outside the car window.
The car drove smoothly. It was already very late, and it was his first time returning home this late.
His grandparents had come back from the United States for their birthday and would soon fly back. His father broke his usual rules and allowed him to stay out late, but still didn't let him stay over at his grandparents' mansion.
Gu Jinxiu was very disappointed. He knew his grandparents missed him too, but he dared not disobey his father. After the party, he reluctantly said goodbye to his grandparents.
Such a large mansion with only his grandparents and the servants; they must feel very lonely.
Gu Jinxiu sat quietly in his seat, feeling a bit down.
Suddenly, he leaned his entire upper body against the window. They were at a turn, and the car slowed down, but the scenery outside still moved slowly backward.
He forgot his father was beside him, twisting his body halfway and sticking his excited face against the glass, not knowing what he was looking at.
Gu Yikun sensed something unusual about Gu Jinxiu. He glanced at him unobtrusively and said coldly, "The party just ended, and you've forgotten your manners already?"
Gu Jinxiu quickly sat properly. He mustered up the courage to say to his father, "Father, I saw Sister Jun Xi. She seemed to be waiting for a bus."
Gu Yikun couldn't recall immediately and asked, "Who?"
"The one who was kidnapped with me and saved me, Sister Jun Xi."
A vague outline gradually emerged in his mind; Gu Yikun had some impression but couldn't remember clearly.
He responded with a faint "hmm," and said nothing more.
Gu Jinxiu initially wanted to say, "Why don't we give Sister Jun Xi a ride home?" But seeing his father's cold expression, he dared not say anything.
He turned to look outside again, but saw nothing.
Gu Jinxiu didn't dare say another word for the rest of the ride. When they returned to the villa, he headed straight to his room. The maid, Sister Li, had prepared hot water for him to bathe. He quickly finished and burrowed into his bed, telling her, "I want to sleep."
Sister Li gave the young master a curious look. Seeing him obediently lying in bed, she turned off the room's main light and left, leaving only a few wall lamps on in the spacious room.
Sister Li went downstairs and said to her old partner, Sister He, "What's wrong with the young master tonight? He bathed himself and went to bed without any urging."
Sister He didn't find it strange and said, "Maybe he's tired from all the fun tonight. Think about it, the grand birthday banquet at the big house must have been lively."
Sister Li nodded, "That's true."
Sister He added, "The master isn't asleep yet. Why don't you go ask if he wants some tea?" The master's temper was very peculiar. Although they had served the Gu Family for decades and watched the master grow up, they couldn't quite understand his temperament.
Sometimes he would want tea and work on documents late into the night. Other times, he would want black coffee. Occasionally, he'd want ice crystal sugar in his tea, but if they added sugar, he might not like it. Sigh, it was really difficult!
Sister Li nudged her partner with her elbow: "You go. Didn't you see the master's expression when he came back? Who dares to ask?"
They had been with the Gu Family for decades but still didn't dare overstep before the master!
Sister He said, "It's not good for the master to be like this. Every day passes like dead water. There's still a long way to go. What's the point of having such a big family business?"
Sister Li also felt dismayed. She wiped the invisible dust off the table ornament and whispered, "I remember the master used to laugh so happily every day when he was in college. Ever since that girl died..."
Sister He pushed her, "What nonsense are you talking about? Do you still want to stay in the Gu Family if the master hears you?"
Sister Li broke out in a cold sweat, slapped her own mouth a few times, and cautiously glanced upstairs to make sure the master hadn't come down. Only then did she feel relieved, "I really can't control my mouth!"
She warned herself to be more careful with her words in the future.
After the servants left, Gu Jinxiu jumped up and locked the room door. He took out his phone and dialed a number. The phone rang for a long time before it was answered, "Hello."
Gu Jinxiu was stunned for a moment. Why did Sister Jun Xi's voice sound strange?
He said, "Sister Jun Xi, it's me."
An Junxi seriously glanced at the caller ID and asked, "Jinxiu, it's so late. What's the matter?"
Gu Jinxiu asked her, "Did you get home? I saw you waiting for a bus on the road just now."
An Junxi smiled, "Yes, I got home. Are you concerned about me? So thoughtful."
Gu Jinxiu felt a bit embarrassed by An Junxi's praise and said, "Sister Jun Xi, I'm very unhappy today."
An Junxi sat on the sofa and couldn't help but find it amusing to hear Gu Jinxiu say this: "You're a little kid with no worries about food or clothing. What's there to be unhappy about?"
Gu Jinxiu said, "Tonight, my father took me to the mansion to celebrate my grandparents' birthday. They have to go back to the United States tomorrow. I wanted to stay and accompany them for a night, but my father didn't agree." For some reason, he trusted An Junxi a lot and was willing to tell her everything.
An Junxi thought of Gu Yikun's icy face. She had thought he was only like that to outsiders. Could he really be so cold to his own family too?
An Junxi asked, "Isn't your family living in the same mansion?" This family is really strange.