allonlinenovel Chapter 1417 Yunrui's Sincere Dedication: Self-Indulgence
Chapter 1417 Yunrui's Sincere Dedication: Self-Indulgence
"You chose this path yourself." Yang Bin's voice was as cold as ice. "From the moment you packed your bags behind Xiao Tang's back and secretly contacted Cangying, you chose Gu Yunxi, you chose your 'chivalry,' and you abandoned your wife and daughter. Now you think you can erase everything with just a few words of 'I'm sorry'? Qi Ruixiang, what do you take our Xiao Tang for? What do you take this family for?"
A deathly silence fell over the living room, broken only by the heavy breathing of the two people in the twilight.
Qi Ruixiang lowered his head, his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white, his nails digging deep into his palms, and he was completely unaware of the blood seeping out.
He knew Yang Bin was telling the truth; every word reminded him how much of a bastard he had been. But he just didn't want to sign the papers, didn't want to lose his family completely.
As Yang Bin looked at his stubborn expression, the anger in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a weary resolve.
He shoved a pen into Qi Ruixiang's hand. The pen's metal casing was icy cold, sending a chill down Qi Ruixiang's spine. "Xiao Tang said she'll have custody of Niannian, and you'll pay child support every month until Niannian reaches adulthood. The house and savings will all go to Xiao Tang; consider it compensation for her and the child." Yang Bin's eyes were fixed on Qi Ruixiang, as if he were staring at a fugitive. "She's already compromised on these terms. If you have any conscience left, just sign it."
Xiaotang said... Did Xiaotang really say that?
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Gu family villa, casting dappled shadows on the floor. The air was filled with the refreshing aroma of lemon tea and the sweet scent of fresh fruit.
Gu Yunxi sat on the rattan sofa in the living room, holding an open scientific journal in her arms, but her fingertips lingered on a certain page without turning it—her gaze was fixed on the fish tank not far away, watching several goldfish leisurely dart among the water plants, their tails sweeping across the water and creating tiny ripples.
Gu Yunqian walked over carrying a plate of sliced fruit. The glass plate collided with the solid wood coffee table, making a crisp sound.
He deliberately walked around to the sofa opposite Gu Yunxi and sat down, pushing the fruit plate towards her, the fork clattering onto the edge of the plate.
"I just had Aunt Zhang cut these mangoes, your favorite variety. Want to try some?" he said, forking a piece and putting it in his mouth. But he was a little distracted while chewing, his eyes constantly glancing at his sister's profile.
Gu Yunxi snapped out of her daze, reached for her fork, but instead of touching the mango, she forked a piece of apple.
Her fingers were slender and fair, her nails neatly trimmed. When she forked the apple, her knuckles exerted a slight force, her movements steady and without a ripple. "It tastes good. Aunt Zhang's knife skills are getting better and better," she said softly, her gaze returning to the fish tank. A goldfish had just swum in front of her, its tail flicking and splashing a few water droplets.
Gu Yunqian cleared his throat, picked up a financial magazine from the table, and flipped through it. The sound of the pages turning was particularly noticeable in the quiet living room.
He turned to a page, paused, and casually mentioned, "By the way, I heard that Qi Ruixiang..." His voice was soft, but enough for Gu Yunxi to hear clearly. At the same time, he closely observed his sister's reaction—he saw her fork pause in mid-air for half a second, and then naturally put it in her mouth, without changing her chewing speed at all.
"Cough, what about him?" Gu Yunxi's tone was flat, as if she were asking an ordinary friend she hadn't seen in a long time, without curiosity or expectation.
She put down her fork, reached for the orange on the coffee table, and skillfully peeled it with her fingertips. The fresh scent of the orange segments instantly filled the air, mingling with the aroma of lemon tea. She peeled it carefully, without letting the pith stick to her hands or breaking the thin membranes of the segments.
Gu Yunqian sighed inwardly, but maintained a casual expression: "You don't look well. The dark circles under your eyes are so heavy they look like they've been painted with ink. You've lost a lot of weight, and your suit is wobbly on you."
He closed the book, leaning forward slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of emotion in his sister's expression. "He... and Yang Xiaotang, it seems they've broken up."
"You've broken up?" Gu Yunxi finally looked up at him, but there was no surprise in her eyes, only a faint sense of understanding.
She peeled the orange, cut it in half, handed one half to Gu Yunqian, and took the other half herself, gently breaking off a segment and putting it in her mouth.
The oranges were sweet and juicy, but she didn't show any pleasure. She just chewed them slowly, her brows slightly furrowed.
This subtle change in expression stirred something in Gu Yunqian's heart, and he quickly asked, "Aren't you surprised?" He leaned forward again, his eyes clearly probing, "Back then, he left Sister Tang, who had just finished her postpartum confinement, and her baby at home to go to the Golden Triangle to rescue you, and now he's ended up like this... Don't you have any thoughts about this?"
Gu Yunxi swallowed the orange segment in her mouth, picked up a tissue from the table, and wiped her fingers slowly and deliberately, as if she were organizing her thoughts. "What's surprising?"
She countered with a calm tone, "From the moment he made his choice, he should have expected this outcome." Her gaze returned to the fish tank, where the goldfish swam over again. This time, she extended her finger and gently touched the tank wall. Startled, the goldfish swam away, its tail sweeping across the surface, leaving ripples.
"He did that for you..." Gu Yunqian was interrupted by Gu Yunxi halfway through his sentence.
“It’s not a reason for him to hurt others, even for my sake.” Gu Yunxi’s voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable firmness. “He went to the Golden Triangle, perhaps out of concern for me, but more so because of his own ‘hero complex.’ He felt that he was saving me, that he was doing something great, but he forgot that he was first and foremost a husband and a father.”
She paused, her fingertips lightly tracing the surface of the fish tank. "This kind of self-indulgent sacrifice is never what the other person needs; on the contrary, it brings endless harm to those around them."
Gu Yunqian looked at her, momentarily speechless. He had originally thought that after going through life and death together, Gu Yunxi would have some special feelings for Qi Ruixiang, but he hadn't expected her to see things so clearly and so calmly.
“I’m not a naive young girl just experiencing first love. I won’t be swayed by someone ‘risking their life’ for me.” Gu Yunxi turned to look at Gu Yunqian, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. “I know better than anyone that the person who truly deserves our gratitude in that matter isn’t him. Cang Ying went undercover for eight years, navigating the treacherous waters step by step, almost losing his life in the process of gathering intelligence; Yang Bin, as the bureau chief, worked tirelessly for days and nights to coordinate police operations; and then there were the officers who charged ahead – they were the ones who truly sacrificed. Qi Ruixiang’s ‘sacrifice’ is utterly insignificant compared to theirs.”
Her fingers curled slightly, and a genuine worry finally appeared in her eyes: "Right now, I'm only worried about Sister Xiaotang and the baby. Sister Xiaotang just gave birth and hasn't recovered yet. After going through all this, I don't know if she can hold on. That baby is only a few months old, and now she has no complete family..." As she spoke, she sighed softly, picked up the lemon tea on the table, and took a sip. The warm tea slid down her throat, but it couldn't dispel the worry in her heart.
Seeing the worry in his sister's eyes, Gu Yunqian finally felt relieved.
He knew that Gu Yunxi hadn't been swayed by Qi Ruixiang's "efforts"; she maintained a clear understanding and adhered to her principles. "Don't worry too much, Uncle Yang is taking good care of them," he reassured her. "I've already sent some tonics and baby supplies. Uncle Yang will let us know if anything happens."