sjar Chapter 353 I drugged you, but you called out another woman's name.
Chapter 353 I drugged you, but you called out another woman's name.
The outskirts of Beijing are overgrown with weeds.
Two solitary graves stand side by side, one new and the other slightly older.
The cold wind swirled the ashes of the paper money, adding to the desolation.
Dressed in plain clothes, Gu Cheng'an sat dejectedly in front of Gu Chengyan's new grave, with several empty wine jars scattered around him.
The one next to it is the burial place of his father, who was equally obsessed with power.
He picked up the wine jar and took a big gulp. The spicy wine burned his throat, but it couldn't numb the excruciating pain in his heart.
"Heh..." He chuckled softly, filled with endless sorrow, and then violently poured the remaining wine from the jar in front of Gu Chengyan's tombstone.
The liquor meandered down the cold stone tablet, like tears of blood.
"Father... Chengyan..."
Gu Cheng'an's voice was hoarse, heavily tinged with the effects of alcohol.
"Tell me, what's so great about that position? Is power really that alluring?!"
He slammed his fist into the ground, his knuckles aching from the impact.
"Isn't it better to be a good subject, stay home and guard your family? Why do you have to fight? Why do you have to rob?"
"Look at us now! Look at our Gu family! Some are dead, some are scattered... only I'm left... just me..."
He muttered to himself, staring blankly at the tombstone, as if trying to see through the cold stone.
"Who said that? You're not alone."
A clear, cool, and stubborn female voice sounded from behind.
Gu Cheng'an was startled and turned around abruptly.
Du Ruoling, dressed in an elegant simple dress, stood gracefully not far away, the evening breeze ruffling her skirt as she gazed at him with a complex expression.
She walked slowly over, squatted down beside Gu Cheng'an, reached out and gently grasped his cold hand.
"Cheng'an, I will always be with you." Her voice was gentle.
Gu Cheng'an's gaze shifted downwards, landing on their clasped hands.
Once upon a time, his greatest wish was to spend his life with the woman before him, growing old together.
But then... everything changed.
He abruptly pulled his hand back, the movement stiff and resistant.
"How did you come?"
Du Ruoling's hand froze in mid-air, a hint of hurt flashing in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it.
"I came to see you." She paused, her gaze shifting to the new grave. "And... let me offer incense to Gu Chengyan!"
Gu Cheng'an remained silent for a moment, but eventually moved aside and gave up his seat.
Du Ruoling took out the incense, candles, and paper money she had brought, lit them silently, and knelt down in front of the grave to pay her respects.
The flickering firelight illuminated her beautiful face, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.
As she added paper money to the brazier, she gently comforted Gu Cheng'an, saying things like "take it easy and accept the situation, there will be plenty of time in the future."
Gu Cheng'an ignored him, drinking one glass of wine after another, his eyes becoming increasingly glazed over, and his consciousness gradually fading.
He reached out and tremblingly stroked Gu Chengyan's cold tombstone, the chill of the stone seeping through his fingertips.
“Chengyan…you and Chu Ruohan…you both told us…about the previous life…”
He mumbled incoherently, his voice low and pained, "Chu Ruohan said... I died by your hand... Chengyan... your heart... can your heart be so cruel..."
"The previous life?" Du Ruoling's hand, which was adding paper money to the brazier, suddenly stopped! A spark landed on the back of her hand, burning her, but she didn't even notice.
Her heart suddenly raced, and her mind went blank!
Their previous life?! Could it be... could it be that they... were reborn?!
She suddenly recalled Chu Ruohan's strange behavior when she first married into the Gu family, her composure beyond her years, and her all-knowing gaze...
And then there was the bizarre fire at the funeral hall that night, and Chu Ruohan's resolute decision to switch marriages...
So that's how it is! So she had already gone through this once before! That's why she was so calculating and meticulous in her planning!
Du Ruoling's gaze suddenly sharpened, landing on Gu Cheng'an, who was already completely drunk and unconscious.
She subtly beckoned to the servants who were standing guard not far away.
Several strong female servants immediately stepped forward and hurriedly helped the completely drunk Gu Cheng'an up, carefully lifting him onto the carriage parked in the distance.
County Palace.
The candlelight flickered in the bedroom, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Du Ruoling wrung out a hot towel and wiped Gu Cheng'an's cheeks as he lay on the bed.
Looking at his handsome yet haggard face, she was filled with mixed emotions.
She brought over a bowl of hangover soup and coaxed him softly, "Cheng'an, drink some water, it will make you feel better."
Gu Cheng'an opened his mouth groggily, letting her feed him the soup.
Little did he know that something else had already been secretly added to the warm soup.
As the medicine gradually took effect, Gu Cheng'an felt a surge of heat in his body, his consciousness struggling between confusion and excitement.
A hint of pleasure flashed in Du Ruoling's eyes as she leaned down.
Just as their affection was deepening and they were lost in a daze of passion, Gu Cheng'an suddenly hugged her tightly, uttering a muffled yet deeply affectionate murmur:
"Chu Ruohan..."
Du Ruoling froze instantly!
That cry, like a poisoned ice pick, pierced her heart! Blood flowed freely, and the pain was excruciating!
How could he?! How could he treat her like this?!
She went to great lengths, humbled herself, and even resorted to medication...
In return, he called out another woman's name in the heat of passion!
Chu Ruohan! Chu Ruohan! It's Chu Ruohan again!
A single, scalding tear, finally unable to be held back, slowly slid down Du Ruoling's cold cheek and landed silently on Gu Cheng'an's chest.
At that moment, her heart turned completely cold and shattered.
With a splitting headache from a hangover, Gu Cheng'an struggled to open his heavy eyelids.
Unfamiliar brocade curtains and embroidered quilts came into view, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance of women, mixed with a hint of ambiguous atmosphere.
He sat up abruptly, wearing only his undergarments, as chaotic fragments of the previous night flooded his mind.
The weeping at the grave, Du Ruoling's appearance, being helped onto the carriage, and that bowl of hangover soup with an unusual warmth...
"you're awake?"
A soft female voice sounded beside me.
Gu Cheng'an stiffly turned his head and saw Du Ruoling sitting on the edge of the bed wearing an overcoat, her hair slightly disheveled, her eyes red and swollen, staring at him intently.
He quickly looked away, his throat terribly dry.
What happened last night made him feel embarrassed and irritated.
“Cheng’an,” Du Ruoling’s voice carried a hint of cautious anticipation, “last night…”
"No need to say anything more," Gu Cheng'an interrupted her, his voice hoarse and cold.
He threw back the covers and began searching for his clothes, his movements revealing a sense of detachment.
Du Ruoling felt a sharp pain in her heart as she looked at his resistant posture.
She took a deep breath, suppressed her surging emotions, stood up and walked to him, her tone pleading.
“Cheng’an, let’s…let’s start over, okay? Just like before.”
Gu Cheng'an paused in his dressing, looked up, and his eyes revealed undisguised exhaustion...