79: Chapter 79 Reunited with Qingyao, Completely Let Go
Looking at the message sent by Gu Qingyao, Zhou Bai was slightly stunned.
Right, he almost forgot that he had promised Gu Qingyao he'd go to her house for dinner this Sunday!
Seven days ago, Gu Qingyao had asked again, and Zhou Bai hadn't said much more, settling on this Sunday.
After all, Su Wanqing still held a significant place in his heart.
Zhou Bai looked at the time; it was 12:03.
"Fortunately, it's not too late yet!"
Seeing that it was still early, Zhou Bai felt relieved.
If it hadn't been for Gu Qingyao's reminder, he really would have forgotten.
After replying to Gu Qingyao's message, Zhou Bai hurriedly pulled the pure and moving Zhao Shiyu out from under the covers.
"Shiyu, get up. We're going to Aunt Qing's house for dinner tonight!"
Zhou Bai patted Zhao Shiyu and said slowly.
After agreeing to go, Zhou Bai had also told Zhao Shiyu about it and arranged to take her along.
"Junior, I'm so tired. I'm not going, you go ahead!"
Zhao Shiyu burrowed back into the covers, leaving only her head exposed, looking at Zhou Bai pitifully.
Obviously, today's "studying" had been too passionate, and Zhao Shiyu didn't have much energy left.
"It's fine, you can just rest on the plane!"
Zhou Bai pinched Zhao Shiyu's cheek and said.
"Junior, go by yourself. Please, just give my body a break!"
Zhao Shiyu pressed her hands together in prayer, pleading with Zhou Bai.
"Alright then, you have a good rest!"
Hearing this, Zhou Bai sighed and stopped pressuring Zhao Shiyu.
Then, Zhao Shiyu immediately got out of bed, found a casual yet decent outfit for Zhou Bai, and helped him change.
After he was dressed, Zhao Shiyu immediately returned to the covers.
"Bye-bye, hubby. Promise me, don't come back tonight, okay?"
From under the covers, Zhao Shiyu waved and said to Zhou Bai with a smile.
"I'm just going for a meal, it's not like..."
Zhou Bai's lip twitched slightly as he spoke helplessly.
Gu Qingyao was already a thing of the past; it was absolutely impossible for Zhou Bai to have any future with her.
As for Su Wanqing, she was his Aunt Qing, and Zhou Bai wasn't...
Then, after saying goodbye to Zhao Shiyu, Zhou Bai left Magic Martial Arts and boarded a plane to Jianglin City.
...
Two hours later, Zhou Bai got off the plane.
"Brother Zhou Bai!"
Just as he stepped off the plane, a crisp and familiar voice rang in his ears.
A young girl wearing a white JK uniform and a grey pleated skirt walked slowly up to Zhou Bai.
The girl had a well-proportioned figure and radiated a youthful aura, especially those slender, fair legs that were extremely eye-catching.
"Student Gu Qingyao!"
Zhou Bai nodded and greeted Gu Qingyao.
Hearing Zhou Bai's form of address, a pang of bitterness welled up in Gu Qingyao's heart.
In the past, Zhou Bai always called her Yao Yao.
But, thinking of the complications between them, Gu Qingyao suppressed her thoughts. She knew she had no right to be emotional; they were no longer what they used to be.
"Student Zhou Bai, thank you for coming to my house for dinner. If you hadn't come, my mom would have disowned me!"
Gu Qingyao led Zhou Bai home, speaking with some gratitude.
"It's nothing. I haven't seen Aunt Qing in a long time either, and she took such good care of me before!"
Zhou Bai said slowly.
After he finished, both of them fell silent.
Especially Gu Qingyao; the two of them had previously walked this same path to the plane before heading to the Nanyue Awakening Center.
At that time, they were still inseparable and intimate.
Now, although they were still walking side by side, an invisible abyss had formed between them, completely separating them.
Gu Qingyao's home was in the Jiangbei District of Jianglin City. The environment here was serene; although the martial arts atmosphere wasn't strong, it was extremely peaceful.
Looking at the familiar streets of Jiangbei District, scenes of their time together in the past flooded into Gu Qingyao's mind like a tide.
The nearby park, the lakeside, the small woods—there were footprints of the two of them in many places.
The closer they got to her home, the more Gu Qingyao felt a tightness in her chest.
"Qing Yao, actually, I don't blame you. Don't feel pressured."
At this moment, Zhou Bai seemed to notice that Gu Qingyao's mood was a bit off, so he continued,
"My request at that time was indeed a bit outrageous. Anyone else would have made the same rational choice!"
"You simply made the same rational choice."
Zhou Bai's gentle voice sounded in Gu Qingyao's ear.
Hearing Zhou Bai's words, Gu Qingyao's emotions finally broke down completely, and tears surged out like a river bursting its banks.
Seeing this proud girl in tears before him, Zhou Bai's heart was also filled with complexity.
No matter what, the girl in front of him had, after all, given her beautiful youth to him.
The love back then was real, the subsequent choice was real, and the tears now were also real.
There was never any right or wrong in these matters; it was just youth...
Everyone has their own path, and Qing Yao just chose hers...
Thinking of this, Zhou Bai completely let go of his lingering feelings. He gently took Gu Qingyao into his arms, comforting this familiar yet strange young girl.
Once embraced by Zhou Bai, Gu Qingyao seemed to have found an outlet for her emotions and cried even louder.
If she could, she would rather Zhou Bai scold her harshly, or even beat her.
But Zhou Bai's current attitude clearly showed that he had completely let go of the feelings between them.
She could never enter Zhou Bai's heart again, and the two of them could never return to the past.
This made Gu Qingyao's heart feel incredibly bitter and hopeless; her cold heart seemed to finally melt, revealing its true form.
Zhou Bai didn't say anything more, simply letting Gu Qingyao cry.
Half an hour later, Gu Qingyao's emotions finally calmed down a lot.
"Zhou Bai, thank you!"
Gu Qingyao wiped the tears from her face and then said to Zhou Bai while sobbing.
"It's fine. Let's go, don't keep Aunt Qing waiting!"
Zhou Bai said slowly to Gu Qingyao in front of him.
Gu Qingyao nodded, then tidied her appearance, and the two continued toward her home.
"Ding-dong!"
Arriving at her front door, Gu Qingyao rang the doorbell.
...