CHAPTER 223: CHAPTER 209 UNDOUBTEDLY

Mu Shuoqian’s kindness towards her is beyond doubt, but at this moment her heart is filled with unease. She fears that so many "unknowns" could affect their relationship; she doesn’t want to be suspicious or live in secrets.

Gu Qili came out of the restroom and fixed her hair at the mirror. The washbasin was set in a public area, accessible to both genders. Gu Qili, head lowered, did not notice someone who had passed behind her went into the men’s restroom but then stepped back out, his intense gaze landed on the mirror ahead where she was washing her hands earnestly. Though she couldn’t see her face in the mirror, he recognized her at a glance.

Yes, at a glance.

This might be no big deal for others, but for him, it was a pleasant surprise.

Once, his ailment had plagued him relentlessly, and she was his cure, at least shedding a ray of light for him.

"Qili."

Gu Qili was rinsing the foam off her hands when she heard someone call ’Qili’, and subconsciously looked up; in the mirror, Tang Tianyou’s graceful gaze met hers.

He was dressed in a casual black suit, no tie, with the top of a white shirt showing. Two buttons of the shirt were undone, making the neckline casually open.

Gu Qili hurriedly rinsed her hands and turned around, "What a coincidence."

"Indeed, very coincidental. Are you here for dinner?"

Gu Qili nodded, "Is Brago behaving? Did he misbehave after I left?"

Tang Tianyou rubbed his chin, his expression somewhat gloomy. Gu Qili, seeing his reaction, immediately asked worriedly, "Did he get lost again?"

"Not really, but...," his gasping made Gu Qili anxious, "just that he has caught lovesickness, a bit dispirited and indifferent to tea and food."

"Ah?" Gu Qili burst into laughter, "Can dogs even get lovesickness?"

"Of course, dogs are just like humans, very emotional," he said, his gaze drifting as he looked at her with a smiling face brimming with laughter, evident that not only Brago, but he himself seemed more severely afflicted by this ’lovesickness’.

Every time he closed his eyes, her face appeared before him; his prosopagnosia seemed to be getting worse, except her face became clearer and clearer, often making him feel that he was not a patient.

"Then it needs to see a psychologist," Gu Qili said, pulling a paper towel for drying her hands, "By the way, did you used to stay there, or did you study there?"

She remembered the first time she saw him, he spoke French to her, with genuine accentuation and precise pronunciation.

"I have lived there."

At this moment, a male patron came out of the restroom, seeming a bit drunk. After washing his hands and walking out, he seemed to think it odd that these two were standing chatting and giving off a strange vibe; he looked at them a bit more, then slipped and plunged towards Gu Qili.

Just as he was about to crash into Gu Qili, Tang Tianyou swiftly moved to shield her in his arms while reaching out to hold the man’s head, stopping his downward slide. It took a while for him to straighten up, and by then he was fully sober.

"Oh my goodness, I almost fell, I’m so sorry, miss; I frightened you." The man apologized repeatedly, and mumbled "Oh my goodness" again as he walked towards the exit.

Gu Qili indeed was startled, but feeling herself held by Tang Tianyou, she immediately awkwardly stepped back, leaning against the wash counter, "Thanks."

"It’s nothing." The warmth of his hand still lingered, making him involuntarily look down at his palm, feeling reluctant to wash his hands.

Tang Tianyou looked up, as if recalling something, his clear eyes looking at her, "Many years ago, did you participate in a speaking contest in that auditorium?"

Gu Qili frowned slightly; she had started learning English at three and had participated in numerous speaking contests since then, including several times in that large auditorium.

"How many years ago was that?"

"Seven years ago." Tang Tianyou clearly remembered that day; he was just passing by the auditorium, where a speaking contest appeared to be taking place. He was about to leave but stopped in his tracks, captivated by a voice like an angel’s call, even though he couldn’t see her face from afar. He only remembered the magnificent hall where she stood on the high stage, dressed in a white blouse and black skirt...

Although he had not seen her face, he remembered her voice, which was extremely pleasant and familiar when he heard her again at the Xiangshan Club.

Was it her?

Gu Qili thought hard; seven years ago, when she was fifteen, she indeed participated in a speaking contest in that large auditorium and even won first place.

"It should be..." Her words trailed off as the phone in her jeans pocket suddenly rang. After apologizing, Gu Qili quickly glanced at the caller ID; it was Mu Shuoqian, probably growing impatient.

"Excuse me, I need to go back," Gu Qili said, not answering but hanging up instead, and then looked up with an apologetic smile.

"It’s okay." He took two steps back, a hand naturally blocking the edge of the door, "Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

After Gu Qili left, Tang Tianyou stood in place for a while before remembering he came to use the restroom. Just as he was about to turn and enter, he realized he had changed his mind before even taking a step. He clenched the lipstick in his palm and put it into his suit pocket.

When Gu Qili returned to the private room, the dishes on the table had already been removed, and she hadn’t eaten enough yet.

"Why did it take so long?" Mu Shuoqian put down his phone.

"Ran into a friend and chatted for a bit, have you finished eating?" Gu Qili sat back down, noticing new dishes in front of him.

"Which friend?" His expression immediately became alert.

"You know them," Gu Qili thought, wondering if she should tell him it was Tang Tianyou. But he had just had an unpleasant argument with her because of Tang Tianyou, and mentioning him now would probably upset him.

But she didn’t want to hide anything either; it was all clear and straightforward, and sometimes not clarifying things could lead to more issues.

Just as she hesitated how to start, a waiter knocked on the door and came in, rearranging the reheated dishes on the table.

Mu Shuoqian handed her chopsticks and personally gave her a clean plate: "I knew you hadn’t eaten enough, but the dishes were a bit cold so I had the kitchen reheat them. Eat up."

Gu Qili felt a bit lost. She initially thought he had ordered the dishes to be cleared away, but actually, he was worried about her catching a cold from the food and had it specially reheated.

His care for her was always meticulous, and she should feel lucky, but thinking about today’s event, she couldn’t cheer up. This probably was an issue hard to easily overcome in her heart.

Gu Qili silently ate her meal without babbling about work as usual. Her silence made him uncomfortable. Several times, he tried to initiate conversation, but she seemed distracted, and after opening his mouth a few times, he gave up.

He knew she was angry, but he couldn’t find a way to explain.

"Just now, Nan Zhan called. They are singing on the third floor and asked if you want to go?" Finally, he found a topic to break the eerie silence.

In fact, Nan Zhan and the others weren’t singing at all. They had just arrived and were still eating.

Gu Qili raised her head, her mouth still holding a piece of green vegetable: "Do you want to go?"

"If you’re tired, let’s go home."

Gu Qili thought for a moment: "Let’s go home then."

Mu Shuoqian didn’t expect her, who usually enjoyed socializing, to choose not to go, but he didn’t insist and nodded: "Then let’s go home."

Throughout the ride, Gu Qili didn’t say a word. Since Mu Shuoqian wasn’t much of a talker either, he could only turn on the car’s sound system.

The song ’Just Once’ repeated over and over again. Listening to it, Gu Qili suddenly felt melancholic. Lately, her emotions had been easy to sway, and each time it was because of him.

After they returned home, Gu Qili went to take a shower, while Mu Shuoqian went to the bar and picked a bottle of red wine, slowly drinking it there.

By the time Gu Qili came out, he had already returned to his study, leaving behind half a glass of unfinished wine on the bar.

Gu Qili picked up the glass and observed the color against the white wall. The color was close to brown, indicating that the wine was at least five years old. She gently swirled the liquid in the glass. The scent spread outward with her motion, not fruity, but more like a hint of eucalyptus, probably a Cabernet Sauvignon.

After reaching these two conclusions, Gu Qili immediately picked up the empty bottle to check, but the result frustrated her. She guessed the age correctly but not the grape variety. Indeed, Av was right; someone who doesn’t know how to taste wine can never truly understand it.

Gu Qili stared at the glass of wine that Mu Shuoqian had left unfinished, her emotions shifting in her eyes.

Ever since her alcohol allergy incident in her childhood, she never touched a drop of alcohol again, but it couldn’t continue this way. Music needs ears, painting needs eyes, and wine tasting needs the mouth. Not every deaf person can be Beethoven.

To understand and even master it, she must taste it.

Glancing at the tightly closed door, Mu Shuoqian was probably working. He knew what she was upset about, but still, he didn’t want to say more to explain. This suffocating mood also fueled her courage and impulsiveness.

Gu Qili brought the glass of wine to her lips and took a light sip.