Chapter 6#

Chapter 6 Three Years

October 18, 1995.

January 1, 1997.

August 28, 2009.

February 13, 2010.

These dates were as vivid and distinct as brands in Gu Chenzhou’s twenty-three years of life.

The first date was the day his biological mother passed away.

The second date was the day he welcomed his stepmother.

The third date was the day he fell out with the Gu family because of Zhou Xing and was sent abroad.

The fourth date was the first Spring Festival he spent alone abroad, and also the time he started dreaming.

—He still prefers to call it a dream.

A nightmare.

There weren’t too many accidents in Gu Chenzhou’s life.

His mother’s death when he was five was one, and meeting Zhou Xing when he was twenty was another.

The first accident caused the relationship between Young Master Gu and his father to plummet all the way until they were disgusted with each other. The second accident caused this relationship, which had already frozen into ice, to explode, and all the turbulence hidden under the calm surface surged out, injuring countless people.

It was difficult for Gu Chenzhou to express his feelings about Zhou Xing.

Maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was trying something new, maybe it was a choice under boredom, maybe it was as casual as supporting a star or keeping a lover.

Or maybe, more or less, there were always some feelings.

He didn’t intend to bring this relationship to the surface at first. As the eldest son of the Gu family, even if his relationship with his family was indifferent, he always carried the expectations of the Shen family and the Gu family, as well as the earnest teachings of the old man.

But due to a man-made accident, this relationship was exposed to the public.

In this circle, they—the so-called second-generation princelings—were not as unscrupulous as outsiders imagined: they could indeed access more, but all their codes of conduct were restricted within an invisible range. Especially for families of old revolutionaries, even if they couldn’t control them usually, they would absolutely not acquiesce to their children causing trouble or living a dissolute life outside.

After the matter with Zhou Xing was exposed, Gu Chenzhou was immediately called back to the Gu family. After several conversations that could be called battles, just as he told Wei Xiangjin, his leg was broken and he was sent abroad overnight.

Next, he recuperated in a foreign hospital and didn’t deliberately inquire about things, but news always reached his ears intermittently.

For example, Wei Xiangjin ran to see him but was blocked by people outside. After returning to China, he found that rumors were spreading like wildfire. He was so angry that he threatened to fix Zhou Xing, but before he could do anything, Zhou Xing turned around and got into Sun Peiming’s bed. Wei Xiangjin himself was specially called by Old Master Wei to be scolded once, and couldn’t lift his head for several days.

For another example, after the incident, some of his friends remained silent, while others refuted with righteous indignation on the surface, but in fact, their attitudes were ambiguous and they added fuel to the fire.

For another example, after Sun Peiming slept with Zhou Xing, he publicly said in the circle that ‘he wasn’t that great either’.

For another example, Zhou Xing became his own boss with money a month after being with Sun Peiming…

Things happened one after another. The Gu family, who was in the whirlpool, only pushed gently: sending Gu Chenzhou abroad, tracing the source of the rumors but not immediately using power to block the rumors. They easily cut off this relationship from Zhou Xing and achieved their true purpose. As for the rumors that had been spreading for nearly a month, it was a lesson for Gu Chenzhou, and the real impact on the Gu family was minimal: in the final analysis, Gu Chenzhou was the designated successor of the third generation of the Gu family and also a student. Although personal issues were valued by people, they would not cause any irreversible results.

A game, no one was right or wrong, only whose wrist was more clever and whose confidence was more sufficient.

Gu Chenzhou threw Zhou Xing away after hearing that he climbed into Sun Peiming’s bed abroad. The fuse for his falling out with his family was Zhou Xing, but Zhou Xing couldn’t even be considered a reason, at most a touch-activated landmine.

The real reasons were only those from beginning to end: his deceased mother, his stepmother and younger brother, and the indifferent relationship with his father for fifteen years.

His passport was detained, he was not allowed to return to China, and he was followed and monitored when he went out… Gu Chenzhou simply acted as a hedonistic second generation abroad, hanging out in bars and drinking, drag racing and fighting, and even skipping classes and failing subjects. Such a life was not very good, but not very bad either. Gu Chenzhou stayed abroad peacefully until the Spring Festival of 2010.

Then all the whitewashed peace was broken.

From the second half of 2009 to February 2010, in half a year, the rumors in the capital had just subsided. He was not notified to return to China, but the two special forces soldiers who came out with him took annual leave and went home for the New Year.

On New Year’s Eve, he stayed alone in the apartment watching the gala. After a few programs, he was called out by others to drink. He had a conflict with another group of people in the bar. During the fight, his forehead was cut by fragments of a wine bottle. Because it was not serious, he didn’t go to the hospital for bandaging, but went directly back to the apartment to rest.

That night, he had a dream.

Blood and fire dyed the dim sky, trees were mottled, and tall buildings collapsed. He saw many faces, others’, his own, family’s, friends’, familiar, strange…

He saw a seemingly very real nightmare.

Wei Xiangjin died in a car accident during the few years he was abroad. Old Master Wei couldn’t stand the blow. Upon hearing the news, he suffered a myocardial infarction on the spot and was admitted to the hospital. He died a few hours later. The Wei family began to go downhill from then on.

He returned to China immediately, but did not truly return to the core of the family. Later, the Gu family made a mistake in political stance. Although they passed safely under the escort of the old man, the old man, who had retired long ago and was in poor health, was much less energetic than before because of this worry and effort, and soon fell ill in bed.

At that time, he didn’t know why he was entangled with a Zhou Xing.

His father had already let out word that he would be expelled from the family.

Before the old man died, he met him alone. The first sentence was ‘come back’, and the second sentence was ’take the Gu family and serve the motherland’.

He didn’t go back…

The Gu family stood in the wrong position again.

The Chen, Wen, and He families joined forces to reshuffle the forces. The Sun family rose, and the He family reached the top. The glory of the Wei and Gu families became history…

This intermittent and fragmented nightmare haunted him for a whole month.

Without family, friends, or even people monitoring him, he woke up startled all night long. Every time he was tired to death but couldn’t sleep. Finally, he was so mentally weak that he even contacted several doctors and took a pile of medicine, but it was of little use.

Until a month later, the nightmare disappeared without warning, just as unexpectedly as it came.

His life seemed to return to the past, only seemed.

This nightmare that lasted for a month was like a poisonous thorn, fiercely piercing his heart.

He didn’t want to admit it, but compared with the scenes in the nightmare, the tit-for-tat with his father in the past fifteen years seemed to be less and less significant as time went by.

Just one week after the nightmare, Gu Chenzhou set a study plan for the future and cut off contact with his previous playmates: when he was a hedonist, he never brought people back to his apartment, and even their contact was through a newly applied number. As long as he cancelled it, he could solve most of the troubles—this was even simpler than hanging out in bars, drinking, and fighting.

Two years, one master’s degree, three bachelor’s degrees.

Two years later, he returned to China and used a few small “magic tricks” to regain the face that was stepped on by Sun Peiming back then.

But if the future is really like the nightmare he experienced, what is the meaning of such useless confrontation to him?

The sky was still dark.

Gu Chenzhou, who struggled to wake up from the chaotic dream, pressed his forehead. Since he was smashed in the head two years ago and had nightmares for a month, he had this problem: as long as he drank, he wouldn’t sleep very peacefully at night.

4:35 AM.

He simply sat up and opened the window, letting the cool breeze pour into the stuffy room, picked up his mobile phone and made a long-distance call to the investment consultant abroad who was at work.

The Gu family and the Shen family back then were a typical combination of officials and merchants. After he turned eighteen, the inheritance left by his mother was officially transferred to his name, but it was managed by the original people in the previous years. It was not until the last two years that he officially intervened in the decision-making investment.

The long-distance call lasted for more than an hour. The first ray of soft white morning light on the horizon had broken through the clouds and sprinkled down from afar.

Gu Chenzhou washed his face, drank a glass of milk to pad his stomach, walked out of the room, came to the simple field separated in the back garden, and started two hours of training every day.

Punch, snap kick, horizontal strike, uppercut.

Side kick, arm lock, rib chop, elbow strike.

He learned the beginning of this set of military boxing with Wei Xiangjin. The family friendship allowed the two to share resources to a large extent. Later, he found several coaches abroad for training and adjusted it according to his habits and physical condition, focusing on practicality.

Practicing until almost the usual time, Gu Chenzhou was just about to stop when a deep shout came from the side:

“Watch out!”

The voice came from the side and rear. Gu Chenzhou didn’t look back, stepped sideways, and swung his arm like a whip!

The muffled sound of impact followed. The person stepped back to stabilize his body, shook his sore and numb hands, and said in surprise: “I really believe now that you dealt with those two special forces soldiers.”

Wei Xiangjin didn’t intend to continue, so Gu Chenzhou stopped, picked up the towel hanging aside to wipe his sweat, and asked: “Why did you come so early?”

“Nothing to do at home, so I came to find you early.” Wei Xiangjin replied, walked around the yard a few times, found two palm-sized squirrels kissing on the branches, and saw frogs jumping on the back of a turtle in the pond. He clicked his tongue and said, “This place is nice, just a bit remote. How much did you get it for?”

“No money needed. Have you had breakfast?”

“Not yet, planning to eat with you.”

“That’s perfect, I made porridge.” Gu Chenzhou said, walked into the kitchen to tidy up, and really brought out a pot of porridge and a few side dishes.

Wei Xiangjin, who was looking up and down at the house, looked back and was instantly amused: “Hey, you’ve been away for three years and you’ve really learned everything. Isn’t Young Master Gu born not to approach the kitchen?”

Gu Chenzhou glanced at Wei Xiangjin, thinking what’s the big deal about cooking? In those nightmares he had, he was even entangled with a broken shoe: “So much talk even when eating?”

“Young Master Gu cooks personally, must give face!” Wei Xiangjin joked a few words, and wasn’t polite. He buried his head in eating with Gu Chenzhou, chatting while eating, “You didn’t care much when learning these things back then, why did you suddenly pick them up?”

“Relaxation.” Gu Chenzhou said casually.

“This reason…” Wei Xiangjin looked at Gu Chenzhou silently, “People who don’t know would think you are very interested in martial arts!”

Gu Chenzhou smiled, ate two spoonfuls of porridge, and suddenly asked: “How is Zhou Xing?”

Wei Xiangjin frowned: “Why do you ask about him?”

“A bit curious,” but didn’t want to inquire. Gu Chenzhou was actually not sure if Wei Xiangjin still paid attention to this person, “Is there any news about him?”

“There really is.” Wei Xiangjin said, his face looking a bit unpleasant, “I met him at a charity auction last time. He’s quite successful now, people call him President Zhou when he goes in and out.”

Gu Chenzhou raised his eyebrows.

“Sun Peiming’s money, heh.” Wei Xiangjin sneered twice and said sarcastically.

Being able to participate in a charity auction that Wei Xiangjin attended, he must be worth at least ten million. Gu Chenzhou smiled: “He really spares no effort in supporting people.”

“Zhou Xing has a good brain too. In two years, he tripled or quadrupled the money Sun Peiming gave him, although Sun Peiming also gave him a lot of green lights.” In the final analysis, he wasn’t much of anything. Listening to Gu Chenzhou, Wei Xiangjin gave a fair evaluation, and added at the end, “If I knew he was so easy to get, why did you bother back then? Wouldn’t it be fine to just throw some money? Save worry and effort.”

Gu Chenzhou knocked on the table: “If I knew he was so easy to deal with, why did someone say those words back then? Wouldn’t it be fine to throw some money and let him stand up to clarify the rumors? And got called by Grandpa Wei to be scolded, really not worth the loss.”

Speaking of this… Wei Xiangjin said: “Capsized in the gutter.”

Gu Chenzhou felt that this saying was really suitable for himself…

Next, neither of them mentioned things that made people feel bad. They chatted casually, and the topic went back and forth, circling back to this yard. Speaking of this again, Gu Chenzhou remembered:

“This yard doesn’t cost money. If you want, just mark a piece of land next to it and build a small building like this. I bought this land two years ago.”

“Bought it? Including the entire hill behind?” Wei Xiangjin was a bit surprised, “Such a big place and there was no movement at all.”

“How could there be no movement.” Gu Chenzhou smiled, “Those who should know definitely know. It’s just that you didn’t pay attention to this place, otherwise you would definitely know too.” He paused and explained, “When I bought it, I didn’t use the connections here, I went through my grandfather’s side.”

“Why did you suddenly want to do this?” Wei Xiangjin asked.

“So everyone has a quiet place to gather in the future.” Gu Chenzhou said casually. Before his voice fell, Gu Zhengjia’s shouting came from outside:

“Big Brother, are you inside?”

The two people talking looked at the time together, 8:24. Wei Xiangjin chuckled and smiled at Gu Chenzhou: “This is checking the post!”