Seventh Year Of Separation chapter 65
Going to the Pacific to Watch the Sunset
Gu Jiahe quite liked being called “husband”. Unfortunately, Li Zhao only called him that once, and never again.
He had tried to coax and cajole Li Zhao several times, but he stubbornly refused. Gu Jiahe couldn’t be bothered with him anymore.
The summer passed quickly, with temperatures rising and falling rapidly. This year, there was a bit of drought in North City, and the asphalt on the roads was almost melting due to the scorching sun.
It wasn’t until late summer that there were a few refreshing downpours.
After Li Zhao went to the new company’s site, he was busy for more than two months. There were many lingering issues in the internet company, and without professional legal support, Li Zhao had to put in a lot of effort. He had to redo the due diligence materials several times, which was quite a headache.
After Gu Jiahe hired some subordinates, his work became more regular, but he unexpectedly learned that Wu Mou had resigned.
Wu Mou didn’t tell him the specific reasons and didn’t even say a proper goodbye. One afternoon in summer, he suddenly packed up his things in his office and left, leaving only a resignation letter.
It wasn’t until some time later that Gu Jiahe learned from the HR manager that Wu Mou had actually been persuaded to leave by the company. The reason was that he was involved in a case of fraudulent contracts with a procurement department employee. The company showed leniency due to his long years of service and didn’t pursue legal liability. However, he lost his job.
Gu Jiahe suddenly realized why Wu Mou had frequently disappeared since the day of the review.
Thinking back, Gu Jiahe felt a little scared. His colleagues from the procurement department had also contacted him, but luckily he had refused and even kept chat records. Otherwise, he might have been implicated as well.
Soon, it was late September. The graduate recommended by Sammy indeed had good capabilities, and over the past few months, he had helped Gu Jiahe deal with many complex tasks.
Gu Jiahe finally managed to free himself from the exhausted state of work.
He had already flipped through most of the calendar the company had given him. He turned to the page of September and glanced ahead.
He marked a small red circle on the third box of October.
During lunch break, Gu Jiahe opened a social networking site, and a reminder popped up. It said his birthday was approaching and he could unlock membership benefits.
Gu Jiahe sighed. His 29th birthday was coming soon.
As usual, he drove the gray car to the suburbs to pick up Li Zhao from work.
Li Zhao’s project was finally approaching its final stage, so he finished work earlier than usual.
Gu Jiahe parked the car downstairs at the office building. When he saw Li Zhao walk out of the glass revolving door, he unlocked the car.
Li Zhao opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat, casually turning on the radio.
The warmth of the summer day hadn’t completely dissipated yet when the car drove out, and the sky was still slightly bright.
Soft orange sunlight streamed into the car from the west. Gu Jiahe stepped on the accelerator and drove onto the elevated bridge.
The radio in the car switched to the evening news, and the gentle voice of the female anchor came through: “The National Day holiday is coming soon. According to the latest broadcast from the Meteorological Bureau, this year’s long holiday should be a rare clear weather. Citizens can start planning outings.”
Gu Jiahe seemed to think of something and cleared his throat, casually asking, “Any plans for the National Day holiday?”
Li Zhao, who was busy replying to work messages on his phone, replied, “Haven’t thought about it yet. Isn’t there still a week left?”
Gu Jiahe’s throat rolled, and he finally just said, “Oh.”
Li Zhao turned to look at him. “What’s wrong?”
Gu Jiahe turned the steering wheel. “Nothing.”
Li Zhao asked again, “Really nothing?”
Gu Jiahe stepped on the accelerator suddenly, and the car accelerated. “What could be wrong?”
Li Zhao raised his head from his phone. “Is there any food left in the fridge?”
Gu Jiahe replied irritably, “How would I know?”
Li Zhao chuckled and glanced at him.
A week passed, and Gu Jiahe’s mood wasn’t particularly good. When he finished work on the evening of September 30th, there were only three days left until his birthday. Li Zhao still hadn’t mentioned any plans or sent any messages.
Gu Jiahe hadn’t been to the boxing club for a while. After some thought, he called the coach and booked a session for the evening.
The coach was quite happy to see him. “Why did you suddenly decide to come today? You haven’t been here for two or three weeks. I thought you weren’t continuing the lessons.”
Gu Jiahe shook his head. “Just been a bit busy. I’ll take another 20 sessions.”
The coach nodded with a smile and handed him the QR code for payment.
After paying, Gu Jiahe still felt uneasy. He tilted his head at the coach and asked, “Want to spar?”
The coach naturally agreed, put on his gloves, and got on the training platform. “Come on, I’ll spar with you.”
But before the coach could steady himself, Gu Jiahe quickly threw a punch, startling the coach.
After three kicks in a row, Gu Jiahe followed up with four or five fast and accurate punches.
Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound echoed in the gym.
It seemed that Gu Jiahe wasn’t just here for practice today.
After half an hour of sparring, Gu Jiahe was drenched in sweat, and even the coach found it a bit challenging, which he hadn’t expected.
“Hey, what’s gotten into you? Are you in a bad mood today?” The coach took off his gloves and handed Gu Jiahe a bottle of water.
Usually, Gu Jiahe only came to the club after a tough day at work to let off steam. But today, he seemed even more aggressive than usual.
“Nothing, just had a little trouble at home.” Gu Jiahe made up an excuse and went to take a shower.
After coming out of the shower, he dried himself off and changed into a new T-shirt.
He took out his phone from his jacket pocket, unlocked it, and checked it. There were still no messages from Li Zhao. Gu Jiahe felt even more frustrated and immediately turned off his phone.
He didn’t drive that day. After the training session, he took the subway home. Perhaps because it was nearing the long holiday, even the subway at around eight o’clock in the evening was crowded.
Gu Jiahe was squeezed into a cramped corner of the carriage, feeling like he was suffocating.
When he finally arrived home and pushed open the door with a bang, there was no one in the empty living room.
Li Zhao still hadn’t come back.
Previously, Gu Jiahe would have cooked two dishes for Li Zhao when he got home first and waited for him to return.
But today, he suddenly didn’t feel like it. The kitchen was cold, and he couldn’t bring himself to cook.
He walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator with a bang, and only found a frozen tomato. He took out the tomato, rinsed it with cold water, and took a bite.
The tomato was still half raw and extremely sour, causing his teeth to ache.
He scratched his head irritably and threw the remaining half of the tomato into the trash can.
Half an hour later, Li Zhao finally came home.
When Li Zhao pushed open the door, the living room was pitch black. He peeked inside and saw only a faint light coming from the bedroom door.
He took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack in the entrance. Then he walked to the bedroom door and gently pushed it open.
The bedroom was very quiet, with only a small bedside lamp lit. Gu Jiahe was wrapped in a blanket, only showing the back of his head. His phone was quietly placed on the bedside table.
“Sleeping?” Li Zhao asked softly.
“Sleeping,” Gu Jiahe replied angrily.
“Then who was talking in their sleep just now?” Li Zhao’s tone relaxed, almost laughing.
Gu Jiahe didn’t turn around or respond.
“Tsk, who made you angry?” Li Zhao sat down on the bed, causing the mattress to sink slightly.
“No one,” Gu Jiahe’s voice was muffled.
“Is work too tiring?” Li Zhao smoothed his hair.
“Not really.”
Li Zhao thought for a moment, then asked softly, “Where do you want to go for the holiday?”
Gu Jiahe hesitated for a dozen seconds before replying, “Do you have to ask me?”
Li Zhao cleared his throat, “If you don’t tell me, how would I know?”
Gu Jiahe snorted and pulled the blanket tighter around himself. “There’s nothing I want to say.”
Li Zhao leaned against the headboard and reached out to ruffle his hair. Gu Jiahe shrunk away from his hand.
Li Zhao asked, “Why are you acting like a child?”
Gu Jiahe didn’t respond, only the rise and fall of his breathing could be heard.
After half a minute, Gu Jiahe suddenly felt something hard pressed against his back.
He couldn’t help but turn his head, only to see Li Zhao’s fingertips holding two cards.
He sat up, facing Li Zhao. “What’s this?”
Li Zhao’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he replied, “Tickets.”
Gu Jiahe’s pupils widened. “Tickets for what?”
Li Zhao handed him the cards.
After examining them carefully, Gu Jiahe looked up in surprise. “A cruise?!”
Li Zhao nodded.
Gu Jiahe hurriedly asked, “Where is the cruise going? Are we going to the port?”
Li Zhao shook his head. “Not to the port.”
Gu Jiahe asked, “Then where?”
Li Zhao replied, “Okinawa.”
Gu Jiahe was stunned, and after a moment, he looked into Li Zhao’s eyes.
The dim light from the bedside lamp reflected in Li Zhao’s pupils, like the evening sea, filled with gentle warmth.
Then, he heard Li Zhao whisper softly, “Baby, let’s go watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.”