Ten Years Are Not That Far Chapter 3

Gu Yan isn’t a bad character. He’s just very misguided and stubborn. Both leads have the same flaws; it’s why they clash when they try to come together, but their chemistry is undeniable. We see this story in a light that is very sympathetic to Qu Xi, but what about Gu Yan? I’ll be releasing Chapter 4 tomorrow and Chapters 5 and 6 together, the day after tomorrow.

Chapter 3

"Mr. Gu." This time, the other person at the blind date was a sweet-tempered girl.

Gu Yan nodded to her, and then he sat down. He kept intentionally glancing over at the dining hall entrance, but he still didn't see Qu Xi who usually made a noisy grand entrance. Without her to annoy them in this public place, this time his blind date  had become so boring that he was about to doze off. As he observed the other person's polite smile, and as he discussed appropriate topics with her, Gu Yan thought, Actually, Qu Xi was right. This type of girl doesn't suit me.

His life was already depressing, so his other counterpart ought to be a bit more lively- like Qu Xi.

He suddenly realized that he was now accustommed to Qu Xi both accompanying him and  pestering him. When he didn't see her occasionally, he would actually start to miss her.

Gu Yan's train of thought slowly floated faraway. What had that girl gone off to do today? Why had she missed her appointment? She… she wouldn't have met some troubles along the way, right?

When he thought thusfar, he suddenly became extremely worried.

"I am so sorry." Gu Yan suddenly got up, "I have some last minute matters to take care of, so I'll leave first." Without caring about the girl's stunned expression, Gu Yan grabbed his jacket and left anxiously.

Qu Xi was actually the last person to know about her mother's plan to remarry. The day before the marriage, Mother Qu had called her and told her about her upcoming remarriage in bits and pieces. Qu Xi had not received an invitation card. Because the bridegroom's side of the family had little money, the bridegroom's children worried that Qu Xi would think they were people who wanted their part of the profits, so they did not want to contact her at all. She understood her mother's embarra.s.sment, and took the initiative to say she would not be going to the ceremony.

On the day of her mother's remarriage, Qu Xi stood outside the hotel where it was being held, looking up at the red word '囍' that stands for marriage. In the end, she left silently.

At the formal dinner that night with her department, Qu Xi didn't pay attention and got herself drunk. Her colleagues told her that they would send her home, but Qu Xi wouldn't go home with any of them no matter what. She got a taxi and left- not to go to  the house she rented, but to return to the company instead.

When she got out of the taxi, Gu Yan also just happened to have gotten there in the midst of his search for her. He saw Qu Xi stagger into the big building, and stopped his car. Looking through the car window, he silently watched her movements.

Usually Qu Xi did not like to wear high heels, but since it was a work requirement she had no way around it. At the moment she was drunk, so now her guard was down, and anyone could see the true her. She walked three steps and then turned a corner and took two more steps. When she was going up the flight of stairs, she tripped and practically fell flat on her face.

Gu Yan felt this was hilarious. However, seeing that she hadn't gotten up after it had been a long time, he was worried that she had injured herself. He quickly opened the car door and walked  towards Qu Xi. Yet, who would have guessed that before he had gotten into the building, Qu Xi would turn over and lie on the stairs  laughing foolishly.

At first, she felt she was really very hilarious, but eventually  the corners of her mouth drew back in a sad arc. Her hoa.r.s.e laughs, accompanied by her unsightly smile made one feel indescribably sad.

In Gu Yan's eyes, Qu Xi had always been a simple, direct, and a bit unreasonable little girl. When she was face to face with him, she had always met him with a smile so wonderful that even Gu Yan could not deny its warmth. Thus, he would never have thought that this face that had smiled so purely before would be full of such a contradictory expression.

From a distance, he could smell the scent of pungent alcohol. Gu Yan frowned. He stepped forward and patted Qu Xi's cheek, "How much did you drink?"

Qu Xi showed him two fingers and her fingers shook. Gu Yan sneered, "You only drank two bottles of beer before you became this drunk. Wow."

Qu Xi knit her brows, and corrected him, unsatisfied, "It was white wine!"

In due course, Gu Yan stopped talking. He grabbed Qu Xi to help her up, and asked, "Do you still remember where you live?"

Qu Xi thought about it for a long time. "I know where I live." She spoke loudly, "My dad has a house, my mom has a house, but I can't live in any of those places…"

When he heard this, Gu Yan was silently surprised. He had always thought Qu Xi lived in a very happy household. He thought she had such fearless guts because she had the protection of her parents- even going as far as to brave any dangers to pursue her boss.

"Where would you like to live?" Gu Yan rephrased his question.

Qu Xi thought silently for a long time: "I would like to live at Uncle Yan's place."

Gu Yan immediately frowned, "I'll send you to a hotel."

Qu Xi grinned and laughed, "I knew Uncle Yan definitely wouldn't let me live in his house. He doesn't like me…" She grabbed Gu Yan's hand, as if she was telling him: You listen to me, and I'll talk properly for you. "But I really like him, very very very very very very very…"

She kept repeating the word "very", as if there weren't enough words to express her feelings.

Gu Yan watched her reddened, abnormal face caused by intoxication, and for the first time, he faced this girl's feelings that came from her mouth. He asked, "Why?"

"I don't know why either." Qu Xi said, "I've liked him for six years, so maybe it's all become a habit by now."

Gu Yan was stumped for words, his entire mind completely unable to remember when he had attracted this lady six years previously. Six years ago, she was probably only sixteen years old.

"I read all of the books he read before, I listened to all of his lectures, I did what he did in the past. I do not know whether this is respect, admiration, or love, but I know I like him. I just like him."

He found that his heart had actually been thrown into chaos by these crude words. Looking at the girl in his embrace whose eyes were already about to close, Gu Yan helplessly acknowledged, his vanity had been shamefully satisfied.

Translated by tranzgeek

Edited by Ely