Seventh Year Of Separation chapter 2

Fear Attracts What You Fear

Early the next day, Gu Jiahe opened his phone to find several urgent rent reminders from the landlord. Three consecutive messages in red seemed especially glaring.

After some calculation, he realized that moving out now would likely cost him another month’s deposit. This would almost deplete the money he had left.

No choice, he had made this decision since yesterday when he let Li Zhao into his home. The longer he stayed here, the more likely he was to encounter Li Zhao again.

Fortunately, Li Zhao didn’t have his contact information. Once he moved out, he could treat it as a bizarre dream.

It was a pity about this apartment. Despite its run-down state, it was close to the company, making commuting convenient.

Just as he was about to reply to the landlord’s messages, another unread message popped up on his phone.

“Xiao Gu, are the documents ready? The lawyer from the cooperating law firm will be here tomorrow.” It was from the legal affairs manager and his immediate superior, Wu Mou.

In Gu Jiahe’s mind, this manager lived up to his name, capable only of giving orders and lacking both courage and strategy.

“Pressuring the soul, huh? Work starts at nine, yet they’re pushing for documents at eight.” Gu Jiahe cursed silently, but quickly typed a response.

“Alright, got it. Will be ready soon.”

Working means packing one’s dignity and throwing it into the sea, enduring oppression bare on the work desk.

Gu Jiahe worked in the legal department of a large company. When he interviewed for the job, it was precisely because he appreciated the meticulous division of labor here, minimal workload, and a chance to take it easy. After work, he could even find a part-time job to earn some extra money.

He wasn’t a graduate from the top five law schools but just an ordinary law graduate from a normal normal university. Finding a job on such a platform was already a stroke of good luck.

However, fate had other plans. In the first half of this year, the company suddenly decided to go public, turning the once relaxed legal department into a busy hive.

Although Gu Jiahe held a small managerial position, he had no one under him. He had to prepare all the documents by himself, pressured by the manager to meet deadlines every day. For the past half-year, he had been working overtime every day, forcing him to quit his part-time job.

Everything was going wrong.

Fortunately, the law firm they were cooperating with was finally sending someone. Gu Jiahe thought that once this on-site lawyer arrived, he could hand over all his tasks.

“Achoo!” he sneezed as soon as he entered the company and swiped his card.

Having been soaked in rain all night and without a hot shower, retribution came swiftly.

Gu Jiahe sat down at his desk, tilted his head back, and closed his eyes, attempting to clear his mind for a moment.

However, as soon as he closed his eyes, the image of Li Zhao’s face from last night flashed in his mind.

It seemed he was doing well, still looking dignified. Gu Jiahe recalled the shirt Li Zhao had when it was placed on the bedside.

He had seen that brand at the World Trade Center before. A shirt from that brand cost as much as his one month’s salary.

Details of Li Zhao’s appearance unfolded in Gu Jiahe’s mind like flipping through a comic book.

His jawline, the collar of his shirt, his arms.

The indentation on his finger joints…

Gu Jiahe suddenly felt uncomfortable in his heart. Even his heartbeat became dull.

He quickly opened his eyes and randomly picked up a contract to read.

Not long after, Wu Mou swaggered into the office and sat down, dragging a chair along the way.

“Xiao Gu, can the documents be ready by ten?”

Rolling his eyes in his mind, Gu Jiahe said, “Of course, don’t worry.”

“This time, the cooperating law firm is Tianhe from the Red Circle. Don’t embarrass our company when they arrive.” Wu Mou lifted his tea cup, stained with years of tea stains, and glanced at Gu Jiahe.

“Red Circle? It must be reliable with such high agency fees. Haha.” Gu Jiahe said on the surface.

In his mind, he thought, Damn, they have money to pay such high agency fees but not enough to raise our salaries.

Having not slept well for a night, and with a slight cold, he felt uncomfortable the entire day, suffering from headaches and backaches.

What made him more uneasy was that he hadn’t been entangled with someone like that for too long.

Gu Jiahe endured the day, going through the motions until the end of work. Just as he thought he could finally leave, Wu Mou pressured him to write a letter.

The office was deserted late at night, leaving only Gu Jiahe. By the time he dragged his tired body home, it was almost midnight.

The dilapidated wooden door emitted a harsh creak in the darkness as he rubbed his ears and entered.

Gu Jiahe had never been a good sleeper. After overtime, it was challenging for him to fall asleep once he passed the point of fatigue. His gaze lingered on the white pills at the bedside. Walking over, he tore open the packaging, glanced at them, and put them back. Instead, he grabbed a pack of cold medicine and brewed a cup of hot water.

The shower in the old attic was in poor condition, with the showerhead rusted halfway. It made a screeching noise when water flowed, making him uneasy, especially when washing his hair with eyes closed.

He kept his eyes open, letting the sparse water flow over his head. The water quality on the top floor was mediocre, and as he mixed shampoo, it flowed into his eyes, irritating them until they turned red and painful. Leaning against the wall, he crouched down and glanced at the scratch marks on his wrist.

Damn, why was this person so aggressive? He wasn’t like this before.

Before, before he…

Gu Jiahe forcibly cut off his thoughts, hurriedly dried himself with a towel, and walked out of the bathroom in a daze.

He didn’t wear shoes, and after taking a few steps, he felt he had stepped on something sharp, causing pain in the soles of his feet.

Picking it up, he found a keychain in the shape of Iron Man.

He had never bought such a thing, and only one person had been to this house this week.

He was about to throw it in the trash, but he stopped. After three seconds, he opened the drawer of the bedside table and threw it inside.

The next morning, Gu Jiahe somewhat regained his spirits and arrived at the company five minutes earlier than usual. However, as soon as he sat down, he noticed a strange laptop on the neighboring desk. Next to it was a black laptop bag with the words “Tianhe” printed in silver-gray font.

This on-site lawyer was quite dedicated, coming so early. However, Wu Mou hadn’t introduced this lawyer in advance, so Gu Jiahe didn’t know what kind of person he was.

Trying to hold back a sneeze, Gu Jiahe thought that he was as sick as a mountain now but would recover like pulling a thread. He rubbed his slightly swollen temples, expecting that his body wouldn’t be able to fully recover this week.

He opened his desk drawer, took out a pack of cold medicine, and walked to the water dispenser with a cup to get hot water.

The water dispenser hadn’t boiled yet, so he stood there waiting for a while.

When the red light on the water dispenser turned green, he quickly placed the cup under the water outlet and pressed the button to fill it.

Before the cup could be filled completely, the office door was pushed open.

Gu Jiahe turned toward the sound, and behind the door walked in a person.

Thump—

Gu Jiahe heard the sudden acceleration of his heartbeat. He vigorously rubbed his eyes, thinking he might be seeing things early in the morning.

How could it be him?!

The person stood at the doorway, coincidentally catching sight of him. His tone was calm, “Manager Gu, I am Tianhe’s on-site lawyer, Li Zhao.”

Gu Jiahe felt as if he had been struck by lightning on the top of his head.

Only two big words remained in his mind: “It’s over.”