Page 29

Gu Jiuque had no idea how Shen Heng's business partner's representative was secretly badmouthing their client boss, nor did he have any interest in continuing to tangle with this man.

"It's getting late. Let's head back!" Gu Jiuque turned to look at the restorers behind him.

The restorers, who had been foolishly watching the show, suddenly snapped back to their senses. Looking up at the sky, they exclaimed in surprise, "It's gotten so late already!"

"The teacher is definitely going to be angry!"

The group clustered around Gu Jiuque and hurried back in a panic. Fang Zhimiao, walking in front, accidentally bumped into someone ahead of him. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to. Are you—"

Before he could finish, the ferocious expression on the man's face frightened him silent.

Following the sound, Gu Jiuque looked over and immediately spotted Bai Yuesheng standing a few steps away. Dusk had settled in, and the streetlights had just come on. His entire body was concealed within the dim interplay of light and shadow at twilight, to the point that even the expression on his face had been twisted into something especially vicious by the heavy dusk.

Noticing Gu Jiuque's gaze, Bai Yuesheng's expression shifted slightly. The look on his face swiftly turned tearful and pitiful. With misty eyes, he looked at Gu Jiuque, seeming to want to speak but holding back. "Jiuque, my dad told me everything... Do you really hate me that much? Do you have to drive me to my death?"

Huh???!!!

The tourists, who had thought the crowd had dispersed and there would be no more excitement to watch, instantly perked up!

What kind of gossip was this? Were they really getting to hear it for free?

Shen Heng appraised Bai Yuesheng with great interest, as though he had mastered the art of Sichuan opera face-changing, then looked at the expressionless Gu Jiuque and asked curiously, "How exactly is he driving you to your death?"

Bai Yuesheng probably had something of a histrionic personality. Gu Jiuque had always felt that, compared to being a genius antique appraiser, he was clearly better suited for the entertainment industry as an actor. Who knew? He might even win Best Actor!

But Bai Yuesheng clearly did not see it that way. Seeing that Shen Heng seemed sympathetic toward his plight, Bai Yuesheng sobbed even more dramatically. Only after thoroughly whetting everyone's appetite did he finally speak through sniffles. "It's all my fault. Don't blame Jiuque. If he hadn't saved me, I'd be dead by now. It's only right that his family wants me to compensate them sixteen million. But I really don't have that much money."

Having said that, Bai Yuesheng looked at Gu Jiuque again with tear-filled eyes. "You know what my family is like. How could we possibly come up with that much money? My dad said he'd rather see me die than pay it. Jiuque, we grew up together. You wouldn't just stand by and watch me die, would you?"

Bai Yuesheng deliberately kept things vague, throwing in loaded phrases like sky-high compensation and parents forcing their child to die. The tourists' emotions were immediately stirred up!

"What exactly happened?"

"Young man, don't panic. If there's something to say, let's talk it out slowly."

"Why are you being asked to pay sixteen million? Explain it clearly!"

Gu Jiuque had not expected Bai Yuesheng to love putting on an act this much. For a moment, he found it rather amusing. He also wanted to see what Bai Yuesheng intended to say next.

Under the curious questioning of the tourists, Bai Yuesheng choked out the entire story of how his confession had been rejected and how he had accidentally burned down the Gu family's west wing. More than once, he thanked Gu Jiuque for saving his life. "I knew you had feelings for me too. Otherwise, why would you risk your life and rush into the sea of flames to save me?"

"I didn't—"

"You did!" Bai Yuesheng raised his voice and cut off Gu Jiuque's explanation. "I don't care what you say. I only care about what you did. It's a fact that you disregarded the danger to save me. Just for that, I'm willing to love you for the rest of my life."

"I—"

"I know you're still angry with my parents. My parents shouldn't have made a scene and bullied you that day. I also know your family's demand for sixteen million in compensation is well-founded. I saw the itemized list, and I have no objections. Don't worry. Even if my parents refuse to pay, I won't default on the debt. I'm willing to write an IOU. Once I'm discharged from the hospital, I'll immediately find a part-time job. I can even quit university and go straight to work. I'll definitely work hard to earn money and pay your family back. Can you please, for the sake of the more than ten years we've known each other, ask Uncle and Auntie not to send me to prison? I really don't want to go to prison."

The tourists watching nearby did not know the full story. They all felt that Bai Yuesheng was truly a child of good character, merely dragged down by his scoundrel parents. One after another, they began urging Gu Jiuque not to make things difficult for Bai Yuesheng.

"Sixteen million really isn't a small sum. An ordinary family can't come up with that kind of money overnight. Luckily, this kid is willing to take responsibility. Just let him pay it back slowly! Tell your parents to calm down. Don't send such a good kid to prison."

"You aren't really going to make him drop out and work, are you? Doesn't your family run an antique shop? It's not like you're short of money."

"Whether they have money is their own business. Does having money mean they deserve to suffer losses? Just because the debtor has no money, they don't have to pay?"

"I never said he didn't have to pay! I mean there's no need to make the kid drop out and work! How much can a high school graduate earn, no matter how hard he works? A university graduate will definitely earn more than someone who only finished high school, right? Besides, a family that runs an antique shop isn't short of money. At worst, wait a few more years. You can't drive someone into a corner over sixteen million, can you?"

As they spoke, neighbors who had finished dinner came out for an evening stroll. Seeing the commotion, they gathered around as well. After hearing the tourists, they all chimed in, "That makes sense. The Gu family really isn't short of money, and the Bai family truly went too far. Bai Yuesheng, on the other hand, is a good kid. Since he's willing to compensate them, everyone might as well sit down and discuss it properly."

"The Gu family isn't unreasonable. They definitely wouldn't truly drive someone to ruin over sixteen million."

Hearing the neighbors and tourists all speak in his favor, Bai Yuesheng could not help secretly feeling pleased. In truth, his thoughts were the same as the Bai family's parents: he had no intention of compensating them. But in front of outsiders, Bai Yuesheng was not foolish enough to show it. Not only did he not show it, he did the opposite, taking the initiative to offer to write an IOU and even to drop out and work to repay the money. His only request was that the Gu family not sue him. He did not want to go to prison.