Chapter 49 Gu Chengze, it’s great to still see you…

Song Yiyi was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, big brother, someone deliberately spread those rumors, right?”

A flicker of surprise passed through Gu Chengze’s eyes. He smiled softly, “Yes.”

Song Yiyi put down her cup, rested her chin in her hands, thought for a while, then said, “It was Cen Bowen’s mother who spread them.”

Gu Chengze smiled even more warmly. “Yiyi, you’re even smarter than I thought.”

From the kitchen nearby came the sound of cooking.

“If I’m not mistaken, this isn’t just simple revenge. It has something to do with you, and even Uncle Gu, right?”

Thinking there was no one else around, Song Yiyi boldly guessed, “Attacking you is the same as attacking Uncle Gu?”

Gu Chengze’s eyes brightened. He quickly nodded and explained the whole situation to Song Yiyi.

That day, Cen Anguo mentioned twice that Song Yiyi wasn’t Gu Chengze’s biological sister. At his level, every word he spoke carried meaning. No matter how stupid Cen’s mother was, having lived with the Cen family for nearly thirty years, she naturally pondered Cen Anguo’s words carefully. Cen’s mother was a pawn of Cen Anguo, who wanted to spread this information through her.

Gu Heng and Cen Anguo were rivals. Rumor had it that Gu Heng was about to be promoted. At this critical moment, Cen Anguo had to act. Even Cen Anguo’s visit to the military district over Cen Bowen’s issue, though it appeared as doting on his grandson, was really to protect his own interests.

A damaged reputation meant others had leverage over him, naturally affecting his promotion. This was why he insisted on whipping Cen Yue — he believed Cen Yue should defend the Cen family, not an outsider, especially not at such a crucial time. He thought Cen Yue hadn’t learned anything from what he’d taught him, so he was furious.

Seeing Gu Chengze so protective of Song Yiyi gave Cen Anguo an idea.

After hearing all this, Song Yiyi asked, “Is there any way to solve this?”

Gu Chengze’s hand holding the cup paused. Actually, there was. Before he came to find his sister, Cen Yue had proposed a foolproof plan — but Gu Chengze refused.

To him, sacrificing Song Yiyi was worse than ruining his own career. Before coming, he told Cen Yue, “Old Cen, since it’s come to this, I won’t hide it anymore. I plan to be honest with Yiyi.”

Gu Chengze wanted to explain his feelings to Song Yiyi. If she agreed, he wouldn’t care even if he had to strip off this uniform. If she didn’t want to, wherever she wanted to go, he would do his best to arrange it for her.

In short, he wouldn’t let Song Yiyi be unknowingly dragged into this dispute, and he definitely wouldn’t use her to exchange for his career.

As for Gu Heng, he didn’t care about him and never intended to.

At that time, Cen Yue just glanced at him coldly and said, “As long as you don’t regret it.”

Then Gu Chengze went to find Song Yiyi, unexpectedly meeting her at the military district.

It wasn’t like he wasn’t nervous; his hand on the cup kept tightening and loosening. He opened his mouth several times but didn’t say a word.

Song Yiyi thought he wanted to send her back and smiled, “Brother, it’s okay. This was all caused by me. If I hadn’t come, you wouldn’t have to worry like this.”

If she hadn’t entered the story and changed the original plot, none of this would have happened.

But Song Yiyi didn’t regret her choices. She wouldn’t sacrifice herself for anyone.

She thought again and said, “But sending me back probably won’t stop the rumors.”

If Song Yiyi left, it would only prove that she and Gu Chengze felt guilty, making things even less clear.

Song Yiyi looked at Gu Chengze and saw his expression grow serious.

“Brother, that look on your face… why does it look like you’re going off to war?”

Song Yiyi pursed her lips and smiled, taking it as him caring too much about his reputation, comforting him, “Ah, it already happened. We just have to find a way to fix it. Don’t be too nervous. After all, we have a clear conscience. If anyone talks, just scold them back boldly.”

Gu Chengze stared at her steadily, his Adam’s apple moving up and down, and slowly said, “Yiyi, what if I’m not clear in my conscience?”

Outside, the wind blew, rustling leaves.

Song Yiyi was momentarily stunned.

Did she just… hear that?

Gu Chengze looked at her seriously, his gaze full of the utmost tenderness.

Song Yiyi quickly realized.

It turned out the original character and Gu Chengze had mutual feelings.

But why wasn’t it written in the book?

Song Yiyi quickly recalled from her memory the phone call the original character made to Gu Chengze before entering the military district.

That time, she asked Gu Chengze, “Brother, I want to date Cen Bowen. Do you think it’s okay?”

She wasn’t really asking if Cen Bowen was acceptable.

She was asking if she was allowed to date another man.

The original character was already brave enough for a woman in that era.

Unfortunately, Gu Chengze didn’t understand her hidden meaning.

Later, the original character came to the family compound, hoping to see Gu Chengze often.

In the book, the original character married Cen Bowen, perhaps because she thought there was no chance with Gu Chengze and gave up.

Seeing Song Yiyi silent for a long time, Gu Chengze’s heart felt like falling into an endless abyss, continuously sinking.

“Yiyi, are you…?”

“Brother!” Song Yiyi quickly interrupted Gu Chengze, “Don’t worry, there will definitely be another way to solve this.”

Song Yiyi knew what Gu Chengze wanted to say but couldn’t let him continue.

First, she was not the original character. Her feelings for Gu Chengze were at most brotherly affection, based on inheriting the original character’s memories.

Second, Gu Chengze’s behavior was like setting fire to himself.

In the current situation, if they were together, Gu Chengze would definitely have to take off his uniform, and it would likely affect Gu Heng.

Even Song Minghui and Cai Mengjun would be drowned in the fallout.

Song Yiyi calmly analyzed and felt Gu Chengze’s actions were as explosive as detonating the Earth.

Most importantly, she didn’t like Gu Chengze and couldn’t give him any response.

If that happened, Gu Chengze would really be finished.

If Gu Chengze was finished, then her good days would be over too.

“Brother, I’m hungry. I’ll go check if the food’s ready.”

Song Yiyi hurriedly stood up, “Right, I’ll go help with the fire!”

Gu Chengze watched Song Yiyi’s hurried retreating figure, his eyes gradually reddening.

Even though he had long known this would be the outcome, even though he had rehearsed it thousands and thousands of times in his mind, even though he had convinced himself countless times…

When this moment really came, he still felt the pain made it hard to breathe.

Gu Chengze suddenly recalled the year of the mountain flood when he found the barely breathing Song Yiyi, carrying her down the mountain.

She had held his neck, her breath weak, her cold little face against his neck, still smiling faintly, “Brother, it really is you. Gu Chengze, to see you again… is so good.”

Gu Chengze finally couldn’t hold back and raised his hand to cover his eyes.