1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 188 This sweet smell, he had been desperately missing for five years

"Bang bang bang."

As the clock struck midnight, dazzling fireworks soared into the sky, illuminating the entire night with vibrant colors.

Deafening cheers erupted along both banks of the river, with people screaming and shouting excitedly, as if the terrible accident had never happened.

"Xi Yu, Happy New Year."

Gu Bin was also caught up in the cheers. He gently lowered his head and kissed her hair lightly: "I am so glad that the person beside you right now is me."

Lin Xiyu raised her head with red eyes, and a crystal-clear tear rolled down her eyelid.

"Xi Yu, I was wrong."

Gu Bin's heart clenched painfully, overwhelmed with remorse: "I saw you with that person just now, discussing marriage. I admit, I was jealous. I was too impulsive and shouldn't have done that. Can you forgive me? Give me another chance to pursue you?"

"Don't you already have someone?"

Lin Xiyu thought of what she had seen in the elevator, and a wave of indescribable bitterness welled up inside her. She subconsciously turned her head away, avoiding the question.

"who?"

Gu Bin was taken aback. Just as he was about to ask more questions, his shirt pocket vibrated and his cell phone rang.

"Wait a moment, I need to take this call."

He took out his phone somewhat apologetically and pressed the answer button.

"Gu Bin, where are you?"

A woman's gentle, sweet voice came through the receiver: "The welcome banquet is about to end. Are you coming back?"

"I'm outside, I'm not going back."

Gu Bin's cool voice carried a hint of aloofness.

"All right."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, and after a while, the woman's slightly disappointed voice came through: "You're busy, so I won't bother you anymore. Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year."

Gu Bin exchanged a polite greeting and ended the call.

"who is she?"

Lin Xiyu, relying on her woman's sixth sense, intuitively felt that this woman was the one she had met at the elevator entrance.

"She is my senior from the US, Liu Rushi."

Gu Bin didn't want her to misunderstand, so he explained with a smile, "She is also one of the partners of Huanyu Law Firm. I returned to China to develop my career at her invitation."

"She told you to come back, so you just come back?"

Lin Xiyu felt very uncomfortable thinking about how that woman had intimately linked arms with him.

"Actually, it was my own choice to come back."

Seeing her cold gaze, Gu Bin decisively distanced himself: "I'll take advantage of the olive branch she's offered and resign legitimately to leave the United States."

Where is Zhao Yuncheng?

Lin Xiyu didn't want to hear his explanation, so she deliberately provoked him by mentioning her best friend's younger brother: "What did you two talk about after I left?"

Gu Bin stopped smiling, his eyes darkening: "I told him to come to the law firm with his business card in three days."

Lin Xiyu looked shocked: "You really want him to work at the firm?"

"why not?"

Gu Bin gave her a deep look and smiled meaningfully: "Keeping a rival in love by your side, with someone watching over you at all times, is the safest thing to do."

Lin Xiyu: "."

That was a really cool move!
Fortunately, Zhao Yuncheng and she only had an exchange of interests and there was no emotional involvement.

Otherwise, a naive and ignorant young man would be thoroughly tortured by a shrewd and calculating workplace elite.

"What are you thinking?"

Gu Bin seemed to have seen through her thoughts, his eyes narrowing dangerously: "Could it be that you feel sorry for him and are dissatisfied with my arrangements?"

"Have it?"

Lin Xiyu didn't want to lose face, and was about to retort, "Which eye did you see that with?" when the piercing sound of the horn interrupted her thoughts.

Someone was injured in the accident and called the police.

Police arrived and cordoned off the scene; the seriously injured and unconscious person was taken to an ambulance.

Does your foot hurt a lot?

Seeing the police officer breathe a sigh of relief, Gu Bin didn't bother to ask any more questions and looked down at her right foot.

"pain."

Lin Xiyu moved her ankle slightly and felt a piercing pain.

"Go to the hospital."

Gu Bin's expression changed. Without thinking, he scooped the person up in his arms and carried him to the ambulance.

-

The emergency room was overcrowded, as many people injured in the accident came to the hospital one after another for treatment.

Lin Xiyu injured her ankle, which swelled up like a bun. Fortunately, an X-ray showed that there was nothing wrong with the bone, which gave her some psychological comfort.

The doctor prescribed painkillers, both oral and topical. Gu Bin helped her queue, register, pay, and pick up the medicine, doing everything for her.

Lin Xiyu looked at him silently, her eyes momentarily dazed, as if she had returned to the days before he went abroad, when the two were inseparable.

Back then, he was just as considerate and gentle, taking care of her and protecting her in every little way.

She once thought that they would continue like that, hand in hand, and walk down the aisle together.

Unexpectedly, in the end, it still succumbed to the cruel reality.

-

I stayed at the hospital for more than an hour, and when I left, the clock was already pointing to 2 a.m.

The bustling city quieted down, and the occasional sound of firecrackers could still be heard near the hospital.

Gu Bin flagged down a taxi at the hospital entrance, opened the door, and planned to take her home.

"No need, I can go back by myself."

Lin Xiyu thought of the cramped rented room and instinctively wanted to refuse.

"It's too late, it's not safe for you to go back by yourself."

Gu Bin was very firm and wouldn't listen to reason. He carried the person into the taxi and then got in himself.

"I'm used to it."

Lin Xiyu wanted to struggle a little longer, not wanting him to see her predicament.

"Driver, please go to No. 1 Longhua West Road, XH District."

Gu Bin didn't give her a chance and gave the driver the address.

Lin Xiyu's heart skipped a beat: "How did you know I lived there?"

"Have you forgotten?"

Gu Bin's handsome brows furrowed with a hint of mockery: "Wu Meng is not only your best friend, but also my classmate."

Lin Xiyu: "."

Heartbroken!
Suddenly, I had a feeling of being betrayed by my best friend, that I had made a bad choice in making friends.

-

Since the abolition of welfare housing allocation in 98, housing prices in Shanghai have skyrocketed, making them unaffordable for most people.

Lin Xiyu graduated with a master's degree from East China Normal University and, through her supervisor's recommendation, stayed in Shanghai to work as a teacher at a public vocational school.

A new employee who has just joined the company earns only 3,000 yuan a month.

The school didn't have single dormitories, so she had to rent a room. Her meager salary left her with very little after deducting daily expenses and other necessities.

Housing prices are high, and so is rent.

The cheapest rental near the school costs over a thousand yuan a month.

Fortunately, she was used to being frugal since childhood. During her school years, she worked with her aunt to sell clothes and saved up some money, which enabled her to find a suitable house and sign a one-year contract.

She rented a two-bedroom apartment, totaling 35 square meters. The landlord was stationed in Singapore and had locked one room, leaving her with only a small, sunny room.

The small room is only 8 square meters, and besides the wardrobe and desk, there is only enough space to fit a bed.

-

The taxi drove through the brightly lit streets and alleys under the night sky, and entered No. 1 Longhua West Road.

No. 1 Longhua West Road is the former site of Shanghai Longhua Airport.

In 1985, it was reorganized into the Shanghai Civil Aviation Vocational School, under the jurisdiction of the East China Regional Administration of Civil Aviation.

After graduating with a master's degree, Lin Xiyu was assigned to work at the East China Bureau. Because she was a teacher trainee, she was assigned to a secondary vocational school as a teacher after her internship.

Longhua Airport is very large, with its main gate facing west. A small, not-so-clear ditch runs through the entrance, which locals call the Yin-Yang River. Walking across the bridge and entering the gate, you'll find a school and the apron to the left, and the Shanghai Aircraft Repair Factory No. 2 to the right.

Continue west along the path in front of the repair shop, passing the civil aviation staff dormitory area, and the westernmost end is the vocational school student dormitory.

-

Lin Xiyu rented a house in the civil aviation staff dormitory, and the taxi stopped downstairs in one of the buildings.

Gu Bin paid the fare and carried her out of the car.

"Which floor?"

He glanced at the building entrance, clearly not intending to put her down.

"I can walk on my own."

Lin Xiyu struggled to get down.

"It was the dead of night, and all the neighbors were asleep."

Gu Bin pointed out the truth: "Are you sure you want to argue with me over such a small matter, make a scene that everyone will know about, and wake everyone up?"

"5nd Floor."

Lin Xiyu's weakness was hit, and her momentum clearly weakened.

She is a teacher, responsible for educating and nurturing students; her reputation is very important, and she cannot allow people to gossip about her.

Gu Bin smiled slightly, carried the person into the building, and went up to the fifth floor.

-

"Thank you for today. It's late, you should go home and get some rest."

Arriving at her doorstep, Lin Xiyu felt more confident and resolved not to let him in.

"Aren't you going to invite me in for a drink of water?"

Gu Bin carried a person up five floors, and even though he was strong and healthy, he was still covered in a light sweat.

"My temple is too small to accommodate such a great Buddha as you."

Lin Xiyu stood still, showing no intention of giving in.

"Trying to abandon me again after I've served my purpose?"

Gu Bin's demeanor suddenly changed, and his cold and imposing aura instantly closed in, pinning her firmly against the wall.

Lin Xiyu paused, then looked up into his eyes.

His jaw was clenched, his brows were furrowed, and the darkness in his eyes was so intense it seemed impossible to dispel.

Lin Xiyu felt a pang of sadness and an overwhelming sense of grievance.

He went to America without a word and disappeared for five years. Why should she forgive him as soon as he comes back?

"I've thought it over. We're not a good match, so let's not."

She spoke in a huff, but before she could finish, her soft lips were sealed with a kiss.

Gu Bin pinned her against the wall, greedily sucking on her sweet scent.

No one knew that he had been desperately craving this sweet taste for five years.

-

A familiar feeling washes over you, easily overwhelming your senses and creating the illusion that the two are still deeply in love and have never been apart.

Lin Xiyu was overwhelmed by the intense offensive and her breathing became increasingly labored.

"pant."

Gu Bin noticed her unusual behavior and loosened his grip slightly.

Lin Xiyu's chest trembled slightly as she took a few breaths, but before she could complain, she was silenced again.

Gu Bin kissed her very gently this time, guiding her breathing with his own rhythm.

Lin Xiyu hadn't been in such close contact with a man for a long time. Unable to resist his teasing, her legs went weak in no time, and she collapsed into his arms.

"You're not allowed to say it's inappropriate anymore."

Gu Bin half-lifted and half-hugged her, holding her tightly around the waist: "If you dare to deliberately anger me again, this won't be the punishment you receive."

You're bullying me.

Lin Xiyu was both ashamed and angry, and pounded her fist on his chest.

"Stop messing around, open the door now."

Gu Bin's hoarse voice was filled with suppressed emotion: "I don't mind if the neighbors can hear, or maybe you just want to do something exciting and continue here?"

Lin Xiyu was hit where it hurt again, and completely gave up struggling.

-

The door opened, and Gu Bin scooped the person up with both hands and carried them into the room. The small space seemed even more crowded because of his presence.

"You live here?"

The moment the wall lamp turned on, even though he was mentally prepared, he was still taken aback by the shabby surroundings.

"I already told you not to come in."

Lin Xiyu felt as if her fig leaf had been torn off and she had been made to run naked in public, a feeling of extreme shame.

"This bed is too small; it's a bit cramped for two people."

Gu Bin was shocked for only a second, but quickly calmed down, bent down, and placed the person on the bed.

"What business is it of yours whether it's crowded or not?"

Lin Xiyu was furious and pushed him away forcefully: "Go away, I'm sleepy, I want to go to sleep."

"Where do you expect me to go so late?"

Gu Bin loosened his tie, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

"Go wherever you want."

Lin Xiyu was in a bad mood, so she took off her coat and threw it on the desk.

"If I leave, who will take care of you?"

Ignoring his provocation, Gu Bin squatted down and took off her shoes.

"None of your business."

Lin Xiyu kicked her legs in frustration, touching her injured ankle, and the intense pain made her shudder all over.

"Does it hurt?"

Gu Bin's expression changed. He took off his boots, carefully lifted her right foot, and placed it on his lap.

"Of course it hurts."

Lin Xiyu's emotions completely erupted at this moment, and tears fell uncontrollably.

"Be good, stop crying."

Gu Bin panicked and was filled with remorse: "It's my fault, I shouldn't have provoked you."

"Of course it's your fault, it's you, it's you! You disappeared for so many years, and the first thing you do when you come back is bully me."

Lin Xiyu used both hands and feet, kicking and hitting, to vent the grievances that had been suppressed in her heart for many years.

"hiss."

Gu Bin was kicked in the lower abdomen, and his brows furrowed in pain.

Lin Xiyu realized something was wrong and abruptly lifted his shirt.

The scarlet scar came into view, startling her so much that her pupils contracted and her heart almost stopped.

Why does he have such a large scar on his body?!

What has he experienced in the United States all these years?
An indescribable heartache instantly overwhelmed her, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, even more profusely than before.

"It's alright now, it's all over?"

Gu Bin didn't defend himself; instead, he gently pulled her into his arms.

Lin Xiyu wiped away her tears haphazardly, a strange sense of irritation welling up inside her.

How could she not guess his hardships, having to drop out of school to accompany his mother to the United States for medical treatment under such circumstances?

She knew he had his reasons and didn't blame him for leaving without saying goodbye.

The hurdle she couldn't get over was his unilateral announcement of the breakup, citing the reason that he didn't want to drag her down with him.

-

"Xi Yu, let's talk."

Seeing her lowered eyes and depressed mood, Gu Bin felt a little flustered.

He feared that she might impulsively reject him again, causing an irreparable regret.

He took a bank card from the inside pocket of his jacket and placed it in her palm as proof of his feelings.

"What I said at the restaurant about the contract marriage was true. I think I'm more suitable than that person."