After returning home, Nian Suian quickly forgot about the so-called uncle she had encountered at Gu Junxing's company. Whether he was a real uncle or not, she didn't know him anyway.
Life is short, so one should enjoy it while they can. Was her bed uncomfortable or was Nanny Zhang's cooking not good? Worries and troubles were just a waste of a good life.
On Tuesday, after Gu Junxing came back from the company, he asked Nian Suian to join him in the study.
Once inside, without saying anything, Gu Junxing handed two folders to Nian Suian.
"What's this?" Nian Suian opened the top one and found it was the agreement that Gu Junxing had previously asked a lawyer to show her at home.
"This is the original copy of the agreement."
"Why are you giving it to me?"
"I'm giving you the right to choose. From now on, there's no three-year limit for you. You can destroy it or keep it as a memento."
Nian Suian didn't understand his intention and looked at him suspiciously before opening the second folder.
The numerous clauses on the paper made her dizzy.
Gu Junxing spoke at the right moment: "This is a confirmation of equity shares. Besides the 10% shares your father left you, I've transferred an additional 5% to you, making it 15% in total. You can freely handle these shares. You can read it carefully later, just sign at the end."
"Why are you giving me shares?" Nian Suian thought that actions should have motives, and she couldn't figure out what Gu Junxing was up to.
"Consider it compensation for our initial agreement, which was very unfair to you. Although we may never know the circumstances and reasons behind it, I knew at the time that the agreement was in my favor, yet I still signed it."
Nian Suian remained silent for a while before saying "Okay." She didn't know how the original owner felt when signing this agreement, so she couldn't tell Gu Junxing: "It's okay, I don't mind."
They stood face to face, neither speaking. Nian Suian rubbed her fingers along the slightly sharp edges of the folder. From thumb to pinky, she stopped, looked up, and asked Gu Junxing, "Do you like me a little?"
Gu Junxing lowered his head and saw his own reflection in Nian Suian's clear eyes.
"Yes," he said. He was long past the age of being shy; she asked, he answered.
"Is it because you like me that you're giving me these? What if, and I'm just saying if, Nian Suian wasn't like this now?"
Gu Junxing frowned, as if this question was very difficult to answer.
After a while, he said, "I can't imagine you not being you."
"Then let's suppose the person who married you wasn't Nian Suian. If it was someone else, someone you didn't like, would you compensate her with shares?"
"No," This time Gu Junxing's answer was quick and certain, "I'm a businessman. If I just gave away shares to anyone, wouldn't I become a great philanthropist?"
"So is this..." Nian Suian pointed at the document, "your way of pursuing me?"
"One of them."
"What?"
"This is just one of the ways."
Nian Suian frowned, then said with a hint of distress, "So, do you want us to date? But we're already married."
"It's simple, let's consider our marriage as part of our dating. Ordinary people date first and then get married, with marriage being the endpoint. We got married first, and now we have the story that follows. Marriage is our starting point, and there's no endpoint."
Both of them looked very serious, without any ambiguous atmosphere or blushing and heart-pounding. They were as serious as if discussing an important academic issue.
"What if I say I just want to maintain the status quo for now?" To be honest, Nian Suian wasn't sure about dating Gu Junxing yet. "Would you think I'm ungrateful?"
"Development is a spiral ascent. I can also view maintaining the status quo as a form of progress."
"Gu Junxing," Nian Suian called his name.
"What is it?"
"You're quite good at this, no wonder you had a child at twenty." Nian Suian genuinely gave him a thumbs up.
Of course, Nian Suian's words were just a simple exclamation and teasing, without any emotional connotation or hint of jealousy.
However, upon hearing this, Gu Junxing, who had been very calm throughout, showed an expression resembling embarrassment for the first time.
"Uh... don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to be sarcastic." Although it did sound quite sarcastic.
Gu Junxing shook his head, indicating he didn't misunderstand, "I was dating Zhijing's mother at the time, and having Zhijing was an accident. Later, we both tried our best to take responsibility, but in the end, we found that we weren't suitable to live together." Gu Junxing slowly began to tell Nian Suian about his relationship with Gu Zhijing's mother.
He and Zhijing's mother, Lin Qingwei, were high school classmates, and their parents knew each other. It's always easy to notice the most outstanding person around you. Dating became a natural progression. During the summer vacation of their freshman year in college, they, being in a long-distance relationship, went on a trip together. For eighteen or nineteen-year-old youngsters, even a little physical contact would make them blush and lead to various fantasies. Of course, he had received education from his father about certain things being protection for both parties, which he kept firmly in mind, but he didn't expect this protection to have accidents.
Lin Qingwei had a free spirit. After their half-month trip together, she went abroad on her own, skydiving, bungee jumping, mountain climbing, only returning to the country reluctantly when school started. In a sense, Zhijing was indeed a strong child.
By the time they realized something was wrong, it was already several months later. In the eyes of others, these two mature and excellent people couldn't avoid panicking at this moment.
Fortunately, they didn't lose their heads completely and chose to return to their respective homes, confess, and apologize.
Even today, Gu Junxing still remembered the force of his father's disciplinary ruler on his back that day.
They were hasty, but also lucky. Lucky that they ultimately had good family conditions to support them.
When they came of age, they got married, taking on family responsibilities together and raising their child together. But this fast-forwarded marriage didn't last long.
"I can't erase these past events, can't selfishly ask you not to mind, can't deceive myself by saying let bygones be bygones, but I think you should know the facts of the situation."
Gu Junxing talked on and on, and Nian Suian listened quietly. She didn't have any particular thoughts in her heart. Gu Zhijing didn't appear suddenly, and she could guess some things more or less.
So, Nian Suian also gave the words she most wanted to say at the moment, "If I say I don't mind the past at all, that would be a lie, but just as you said earlier, marriage is the starting point of our love story. As for what happens next, who knows?"
The future is uncertain, isn't it?
