Light Fortress-Chapter 79 - 77 River Bank
79: Chapter 77 River Bank
79 -77 River Bank
This day…
finally ended.
Gu Shen left the Truth Ruler, stood on the street corner, and took a deep breath of the cold air, bracing himself.
The side effects of the Truth Ruler were almost entirely digested by him, but he still felt a bit lightheaded and unsteady as he walked.
In Jiangnan Da Du, November brought a chill after sunset.
He gathered his coat around him, too much had happened that day, the group insomnia, the Changjiu Foundation attack, the pocket watch dream…
A series of events followed one after another, leaving little room to catch one’s breath.
Fortunately, all of that was over now.
The evening breeze blew, music from a nearby coffee shop drifted over, passersby walked along Lipu Street, couples laughed hand in hand, children chased and played, and the white noise of the bustling crowd relaxed Gu Shen’s spirit, no longer so tense.
“Dr.
Xiao Gu.”
Under another streetlamp, a petite and adorable girl was waving.
Qu Shui wore a fluffy knitted hat, a cartoon character camel-colored knitted sweater on her upper body, paired with a pleated skirt and knee-high pink scrunch socks, looking youthful and exuberant.
“Sorry for the wait,” Gu Shen felt somewhat apologetic for making her wait so long.
Moving closer, Gu Shen noticed that Qu Shui had put on makeup, her cheeks were rosy, no longer showing the paleness and haggardness from before, her face was full of vitality, smiling brightly under the streetlamp.
“Not at all, I’ve just arrived.”
The girl cupped her hands and breathed warmth into them, saying, “Dr.
Xiao Gu, work must be tough, right?
It’s getting late, let me treat you to dinner!”
Gu Shen hesitated for a moment.
He was here to investigate a case.
But since she had waited for so long, and had invited him repeatedly…
it would be quite impolite to refuse.
“How about I treat you instead?”
Gu Shen thought it over and said, “Let’s just grab something to eat nearby, and then we can head to the river bank afterward.”
…
…
For Gu Shen, eating was something that could be disregarded when not necessary.
In fact, children like him who came from remote villages were all like that, to them missing a meal here or there was nothing; what was scarier than missing a couple of meals was not being able to see a future where they could have enough to eat.
In the first couple of years after Gu Shen had become independent from the orphanage, eating steamed buns with pickles was routine, and occasionally he would “whistle down the wind” to improve the flavor.
Da Du was a building even more glamorous than Qing River, with infinitely dazzling views from the top, but it was also a pyramid more merciless than Qing River, lifted layer by layer by nameless people with their bodies, with countless “ordinary people” lying unseen at the base of Da Du.
Even though his card now had a balance sufficient for extravagance, Gu Shen still lived according to his original habits.
In the neon-lit nights of Da Du, one would always see a young man running alone through alleyways, braving the cool evening breeze, munching on hot sweet potatoes or steaming pancakes from a street vendor.
For such a young man, the past seventeen years of life had taught him perseverance, frugality, self-discipline…
and many other virtues like these.
But correspondingly, life had not yet taught him “romance.”
“Here…
freshly baked, for you.”
Qu Shui looked at Gu Shen with a strange expression as they just walked out of a secluded alley on Lipu Street.
Gu Shen held two bags of sweet potatoes, offering one to her, but Qu Shui didn’t accept it.
His face showed some confusion, “Don’t you eat it?
It’s really tasty.”
“I’d like…
something more formal, can we?” Qu Shui thought for a moment and said tactfully, “There’s a decent restaurant near the river bank, and if you don’t have the money, I can pick up the tab.”
“Formal…”
Gu Shen realized belatedly.
He suddenly became aware that serving sweet potatoes to his friends might be classified as “stingy” in the science of social interaction…
although that certainly wasn’t his intention.
After spending two years in Qing River and consuming a large number of sweet potatoes, Gu Shen was deeply impressed by the grilled sweet potatoes at a stand on Lipu Street in Da Du; it might have been the first time Da Du truly shined in his heart.
The first time Gu Shen tasted the sweet potatoes from this stand, he even thought to himself, “It’s really something, Da Du.
Even their sweet potatoes taste better than those in other cities.”
…
…
20 minutes later.
Gu Shen arrived at a revolving restaurant, a private booth with soft lighting, soothing music, and a tranquil atmosphere.
He adjusted his sitting position, but it felt awkward no matter how he sat.
This restaurant was located along the river bank, occupying the entire twenty-ninth floor, where diners could overlook the nighttime scenery of the river bank, with cruise ships and lights, and on holidays or with good luck, they could even witness a grand and magnificent fireworks show.
“Dr.
Xiao Gu, is this your first time at this kind of restaurant?”
After taking her seat at the dining table, Qu Shui relaxed, not at all like a sixteen-year-old girl, and showed none of the shyness she had before.
Gu Shen thought for a moment.
By “this kind of restaurant,” Qu Shui probably referred to the price of dining…
He had glanced at the menu earlier, and eating here would cost about two thousand per person?
The day before the audit started, that old fellow took him for a wild ride in his luxury car, dining at the top restaurants of Da Teng City, and Gu Shen, who tagged along for free meals and drinks, didn’t forget to sneak a peek at the menu each time, with prices similar to this place.
Thank you, Mr.
Shu.
For taking him out “to see the world” in advance, so he wasn’t overly shocked now, and could even muster the confidence to reply.
“I’ve been here before, but I don’t dine out often.” freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Qu Shui smiled secretly.
“I’ve cut the steak for you…
Here, for you.”
Watching her skillful use of the knife, Gu Shen was now certain that Qu Shui, the young lady, came from a wealthy family, which made sense…
Seeing a psychologist at Dream wasn’t cheap, eight hundred an hour, and a sixteen-year-old girl who could come several times a week must have quite an allowance.
“Thank you.”
Gu Shen asked curiously, “You must still be in school, right…
Aren’t your parents worried about you being out so late?”
Qu Shui lowered her head slightly, her eyes flickering before she laughed softly, “Dr.
Xiao Gu should know…
I’ve been receiving treatment recently…
so I’ve taken leave from school.”
Gu Shen noticed that Qu Shui subconsciously tucked her hand back into her sleeve while speaking.
He had seen it before…
the girl’s wrist bore more than one scar.
Self-harm due to a breakup.
It was hard to imagine that this seemingly delicate and frail girl would do something so extreme.
“Don’t harm your body anymore,” Gu Shen said softly.
“Your parents would be saddened.”
“Thank you for your kindness…” Qu Shui whispered, “I live alone now, my parents…
are no longer with us.”
Parents…
gone?
Gu Shen was taken aback at first, then he understood what ‘gone’ meant…
He fell silent.
Upon hearing this, Gu Shen felt as if a chord in his heart had been struck, but since he was never good at comforting others, all he could say gently was, “Then you have to take care of yourself even more.
I’ll go pay the bill…
let’s head back early after we’re done by the river bank, and I’ll see you to your doorstep.”
