Chapter Thirty-Two: Quarrel

  After a long time, Gu Xixin was able to roughly understand Yin Shu's living habits. Yin Shu had mild obsessive-compulsive disorder and must shower morning and night, change clothes every day, couldn't stand the house being messy or dirty, but never did anything himself.

  In short, the quality of life is very high, but there is no self-care ability.

  If she could still accept these, what she couldn't bear most was the huge difference in their living circles.

  Gu Zhixin was born into an ordinary family, and her family's economic situation was at best considered middle-class. As a result, she had always been cautious with spending money, even after starting work and earning a good income, she never developed the habit of being extravagant.

  It's clear that Yin Shu has had a relatively affluent family background since childhood, and has always been particular about food, clothing, and spending habits. What's even more deadly is that the two people's living habits are completely incompatible.

  Yin Shu likes to go in and out of high-end places, likes to eat Western food, and likes to drink red wine. However, Gu Zixin is not interested in any of these things. In fact, she thinks it's impossible for her to have a full meal at a Western restaurant.

  At first, Gu Xixin would still accompany Yin Shuo to various high-end clubs and restaurants, spending almost half a month's salary on one meal. However, as time went by, Gu Xixin also started to feel a bit fed up.

  Later, they changed to Yin Shu accompanying Gu Zhi Xin to some ordinary small restaurants for Chinese food, occasionally having hot pot barbecue. Once or twice was okay, but after a long time, Yin Shu couldn't help feeling that these places were too noisy.

  Gradually, the two of them would also have some disputes over issues like eating out, but most of the time, Yin Shu would be the first to give in. After a while, both of them felt it was troublesome and rarely went out to eat together.

  Eating is a small problem that can be easily solved, but in life, all kinds of problems keep popping up one after another, and Gu Zixin can't help but feel a little powerless to deal with them.

  Gu Xixin, although engaged in the profession of a journalist, which involves contact with all sorts of people, is by nature introverted. Except when she's with a handful of people she gets along well with and can let her hair down, she doesn't bother to spend time responding to others.

  Yin Shuping also has a lot of work pressure, so in his free time he likes to invite Zheng Xiandong and Ji Chuanze out for drinks. The two of them are afraid that Gu Xixin will feel uncomfortable if she tags along, so they always bring their wives or girlfriends along too, hoping the three women can become good friends.

  Xu Man and Lin Pei were also girls from families equivalent to Zheng Xian Dong and Ji Chuan Ze's, the three of them sat together, mostly discussing this season's Prada bags and new EL clothes. Gu Zhi Xin could only listen on the side, after listening for a while she felt somewhat annoyed, later she simply made an excuse to leave, trying to avoid attending such gatherings as much as possible.

  Although there are many problems, they are all trivial matters that don't affect the feelings between the two people.

  The first major conflict between the two occurred two months after Gu Zixin returned from Shanghai.

  That afternoon, Gu Xixin received a call from Yin Shu, saying that there were plans for the evening and that he wanted to give her a surprise. No matter how much Gu Xixin asked him, he wouldn't say anything, so she gave up and just said they would contact each other again after work in the evening.

  Something went wrong halfway. In the afternoon, Gu Zixin received a notice from the newspaper office, requiring her and another cultural reporter to go to the countryside for an interview.

  Gu Xixin glanced at the time, and if she went down now, it would be around 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening before she could return. So she gave Yin Shu a call, but no one answered at his office. During their time together, Gu Xixin had already figured out the pattern that if Yin Shu's office phone wasn't being answered, he was either entertaining guests or attending a meeting. In such cases, Gu Xixin would usually wait and try calling again later.

  Time was tight, Gu Xixin thought it would be fine to call him back later, so she packed up her things and set off. When she arrived at the destination, the interview began immediately, and in her haste, Gu Xixin put her phone on silent mode and completely forgot about calling Yin Shu.

  It wasn't until the interview was over, and it was already 9 o'clock in the evening, that Gu Xixin suddenly remembered that she hadn't heard her phone ring all day as the car drove back to the city.

  He hastily took out his phone and saw that the silent mode had not been adjusted back yet, but Yin Shuo's text messages were already a big pile.

  Gu Xixin suddenly felt something was off and tried calling Yin Shu back, but the other end showed that he had already turned off his phone.

  Gu Xixin had no choice but to send a text message and then headed home.

  The newspaper's interview car stopped at the intersection of Gu Zixin's community, and Gu Zixin got off with a camera on her back, step by step towards home. The half-day trip made Gu Zixin feel extremely tired, and after 10 o'clock in the evening, the community had already started to quiet down.

  She stopped at the entrance of the building.

  Yin Shu stood at the entrance of the corridor, leaning against the door frame with his suit slung over his arm and his tie askew. His expression looked tired and a bit disheartened, with a hint of red in his eyes as he stared silently at Gu Xi Xin.

  Gu Xixin couldn't help but walk towards him, and only when she got close did she smell a strong alcohol scent, furrowing her brow: "How could you drink so much?"

  Yin Shuping was not particularly fond of smoking and drinking, and even in business settings, he would often find opportunities to abstain. Even when with friends, he would usually just touch his glass to his lips. So it wasn't until now that Gu Xixin realized that she had never seen him so drunk before.

  "Today is happy, drinking too much wine is natural."

  Gu Xixin heard the implication in his words and didn't argue, saying to him, "Come up with me, I'll make you some honey water to sober up."

  Yin followed Gu Zixin silently into the elevator, opened the door and entered the room.

  "Where did you go? Why didn't you answer my call?" Yin Shu Zhang's tone was interrogative. Gu Zhi Xin felt uncomfortable hearing this, but since he had drunk a bit too much, he decided not to argue with him.

  "I made a temporary trip to the countryside for an interview and I called you, but you seemed busy, then I forgot about it."

  "I've called you so many times, why didn't you return even one call? Do you know how worried I am that I couldn't get in touch with you?"

  Gu Xixin helplessly rubbed her forehead and resignedly opened her mouth to explain: "My phone was on silent mode, you know that, I'm always like this when I work. By the time I saw it, you had already turned off your phone. Yin Shuo, can't you just calm down instead of making a scene with me just because you've had a bit too much to drink?"

  "You're being unreasonable, do you think I'm your boyfriend? Do you know how I feel? You waited and couldn't get through to me. I told you long ago that I had plans today, and Heng Dong and Kawahara are also accompanying me, what's wrong with that? Can't you just take some time to return my call, is it that difficult?" He paused for a moment, then raised his slightly bloodshot eyes to look at Gu Xi: "Or are you simply not interested in attending this gathering, so you're deliberately avoiding my calls?"

  Gu Xixin looked at Yin Shu incredulously, "Do you think I have to do this? If I didn't want to go, I could just tell you straightforwardly. Anyway, without me, can't you all still have a great time?"

  "Are you telling the truth? I just don't get it, is following me really that embarrassing for you? Every time you make excuses to shirk off responsibility, one way or another. You're making me lose face like this, every time they ask me why you didn't come, I have nothing to say."

  Gu Xixin raised her hand to cover her eyes, which were moist and a little hot. "Forget it, I don't want to quarrel with you. You've had too much to drink today, go back and rest early!" Gu Xixin turned around to open the door, intending to send Yin Shu out.

  She had only taken two steps when she was pulled back by Yin Shu. Gu Zhi Xin had just turned her head around, and her lips were already covered by Yin Shu's. Yin Shu's lips and tongue, reeking of alcohol, searched for hers urgently, with a plundering momentum, his hands also restless on her body.

  Gu Xixin understood what Yin Shuo wanted to do, and a surge of anger arose. Under such circumstances, the physical contact that occurred had no emotional affection, only venting, she didn't want it.

  In a moment of desperation, Gu Xixin bit down on Yin Shu's lips, and instantly a strong bloody taste spread through her mouth. Yin Shu let out a pained cry and released his hand, taking two steps back, opening his eyes to stare at Gu Xixin.

  Gu Zixin's face was pale, her eyes calmly gazing at Yin Shuo who had somewhat come back to his senses.

  Yin Shuo's mouth corner cracked open a small opening, and the bright red blood squeezed out from that wound bit by bit, forming a small blood bead on the outside of the wound in an instant, looking so piercing.

  Yin Yu's eyes rose with a layer of mist, his gaze flickering with a hint of regret. He tentatively stretched out his hands and gently pulled Gu Zhi Xin into his arms, holding her tightly.

  "Sorry, Zixi, I'm a bit scared. I'm afraid that I won't be able to find you again. When I call you, you don't answer, and when I go to the newspaper office to look for you, your colleagues all say they don't know where you are. I know I shouldn't think wildly, but I can't control myself. I'm afraid that I'll just inexplicably lose you like this."

  Gu Xixin didn't say a word, the tears that had been accumulating in her eyes for a long time flowed silently down her cheeks. After a while, Gu Xixin, who had calmed down, said softly: "We're all a bit tired, let's get some rest early, you've been drinking, don't drive, take a taxi home." She released her hand, turned around and walked towards the bedroom, saying as she walked, "Help me close the door, I'm going to sleep."

  Gu Xixin lay on the bed, hearing the sound of the door closing in the living room, and slowly closed her eyes.