He lowered his head, unable to see the scene before him clearly. The first thing he felt was a gentle breeze brushing against the tip of his nose. Suddenly, a window shadow appeared on the floor, and the tree branches swayed gently in the wind.
Wen Feiran stared blankly as she raised her head, her gaze slowly moving upwards Gu Suian's crisp suit trousers, finally settling on his Adam's apple. She refused to look at his face.
"You've come." Gu Suian's voice was still gentle, but it was hard to make out.
Caught off guard, Wen Feiran's mind went blank. He opened his mouth but found his throat dry. He licked his lips before managing to utter a sound, "Mmm."
He walked in almost blankly and sat down in the seat opposite him.
Gu Suian poured him tea, and Wen Feiran took off his hat and mask and put them aside.
"What kind of tea do you like, flower tea..." Gu Suian looked up at him, her gaze fixed, and her voice trailed off.
Wen Feiran blinked, puzzled.
He had long forgotten that he had slapped himself in the car, the pain bringing tears to his eyes, but he hadn't wiped them away with his hand.
The thin skin at the corners of his eyes was very delicate. After crying, it seemed as if a blush of red had spread across his face. The tear stains that hadn't dried were not obvious, but as he sat by the window, the sunlight shone softly between his eyebrows and eyes. His eyes were misty, as if they were about to overflow and slide down the beautiful corners of his eyes.
Wen Feiran thought she was being very serious and proper, but in Gu Suian's courtyard, she was just putting on a brave face after crying.
Before Gu Suian could finish speaking, he hesitated for a moment and then said, "Jasmine tea, please."
Gu Suian then withdrew his gaze, his expression unchanged, but the veins on his hand holding the teacup were faintly bulging, as if he was trying his best to endure something.
The rich fragrance of jasmine mingled with the delicate aroma of tea, enveloping the two of them and soothing Wen Feiran's tense nerves. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
Gu Suian didn't say anything either. The room was quiet, but not awkward; rather, it was overly ambiguous.
They are now legally married, a relationship even closer than lovers, but as they sit facing each other, it's as if a chasm separates them, and countless misunderstandings linger between them.
Wen Feiran came today not only wanting an answer, but also to resolve all the troubles. He mustered his courage, looked up at Gu Suian, and spoke first.
"Teacher Gu, I'm so sorry about that day. I arrived at the agreed location early and accidentally overheard you on the phone. I left without saying goodbye, and I'm sorry I made you worry."
"It doesn't matter."
Gu Suian gazed intently at him, her eyes filled with so many emotions that Wen Feiran couldn't handle it.
His hand, hidden under the table, clenched into a fist, his nails digging deep into his palm. He used the pain to force himself not to look away in fear.
Gu Suian still didn't speak, and Wen Feiran continued at her own pace, "Teacher Gu, I wasn't pretending not to know you before, but I encountered some things and lost my memories of the past three years. Although I knew I was married, I thought my partner was already..."
Wen Feiran was too embarrassed to say "I thought you were dead" in front of Gu Suian, so he coughed and skipped over that part of the sentence.
"I only found our marriage certificate last night and realized our identities... I misunderstood things that day."
Wen Feiran's voice grew increasingly dry and tense; he bit his tongue tightly to prevent it from trembling.
But his slowly reddening cheeks and his ears, which seemed to be burning, gave him away.
At the time, he didn't know that the "granddaughter-in-law" Gu Suian mentioned on the phone was him. Upon hearing this, he left without saying goodbye and fled in panic, revealing his true intentions.
Although Wen Feiran felt embarrassed, she didn't try to hide it.
He liked Gu Suian, and there was nothing shameful about that; he accepted the breakup.
Although he spoke toughly, his overbearing attitude in front of her made her shoulders tremble slightly with shame, and her expression was a complete mess, full of admiration and attachment, like a flower bud forcing itself to bloom, revealing its tender heart, waiting to be picked.
Gu Suian remained silent, holding his teacup in his hand, head bowed, seemingly lost in thought.
Without Gu Suian's gaze, Wen Feiran relaxed considerably, biting her lip as she continued, "Teacher Gu, I guess you haven't lost your memory. Can you tell me what happened in these past three years? How did we get married, and then we separated?"
Wen Feiran instinctively resisted the thought, not wanting to face it, but she still took a deep breath and said, word by word, "Why didn't you tell me the truth when we first met?"
Gu Suian finally looked up at him. Although she sat there calmly, her expression was rather disheveled. "I'm so sorry, I was too timid. I didn't know how to talk to you... I was scared too."
Gu Suian for a moment, then frowned in pain, as if trapped in a nightmare from which he could not escape.
"You haven't had a good three years. I want to help you, but you..." Gu Suian hesitated for a few seconds, her tone cautious, even pleading, "It's all in the past. Let's not dwell on it anymore, okay? I didn't tell you the truth when we first met. It was all my fault. I had my reasons, but I promise I haven't done anything to hurt you."
Wen Feiran's brows furrowed unconsciously as she looked at Gu Suian with a puzzled expression.
He was well aware of the gap between himself and Gu Suian. Gu Suian's shrewdness and experience, what exactly had happened in the past three years that made him incoherent and speechless?
But he had already gotten the answer from Gu Suian's behavior.
Something terrible may have happened in the past three years, but it was definitely not Gu Suian disliked or despised him, or that she took the initiative to break up with him. Pretending not to know him when they first met was not an attempt to sever ties.
Wen Feiran frowned, recalling scenes from the past.