Chapter 554 — Heart-to-Heart

It was only now that the two of them came fully awake, and realized they had probably been set up by Zhong Yongliang. Otherwise, why would they be the only ones here, with no sign of Zhong Yongliang or Gao Xiaofu?

"Yao Yao, it has to be that bastard Zhong Yongliang who locked us in here!" Shen Yushu was beside herself with anger. "I wondered why he lured us out here — he meant to shut us up!"

"Xiao Shu, it's all my fault. I trusted Zhong Yongliang too easily..." Gu Mengyao bit her lip. She knew she had been taken in; the situation was plain enough. Zhong Yongliang had deliberately lured her and Xiao Shu here, knocked them unconscious, and locked them away — and that whole tale about someone who looked like her had been a lie he had spun out of nothing.

"Yao Yao, how can you blame yourself for this... I know you miss your mother. At a time like that, anyone would be blinded by longing." Shen Yushu did not blame her at all; she only comforted her with a smile.

"Xiao Shu... you knew?" Gu Mengyao looked at Shen Yushu in surprise, though in the darkness she could hardly make out her expression.

"Of course I did. We're best friends! We grew up together — I know you better than Zhong Yongliang does, don't I?" Shen Yushu sighed. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have come along out of curiosity. If I'd stayed outside, I could have found a way to save you! As it is, no one even knows we came out here with Zhong Yongliang."

Gu Mengyao nodded. "As long as you don't blame me, Xiao Shu. I thought you knew nothing at all... Oh, right — you said Zhong Yongliang locked us in here. What on earth does he want?"

With Shen Yushu's understanding, Gu Mengyao grew less afraid, and her heart settled. Especially now that she knew there was no one else in the stone chamber, her nerves eased.

"I can't guess either. By rights, Zhong Yongliang wouldn't have that kind of nerve — in front of you, Yao Yao, wasn't he always so obedient?" Shen Yushu could not work it out either: how had Zhong Yongliang suddenly dared to do such a thing?

"Could it be that I kept turning him down, and in his anger he decided to kill me?" Gu Mengyao was startled. The idea was outlandish, but not impossible. Weren't there stories like that in the news all the time — some young man whose courtship failed, who in a rage killed the girl he had pursued? At the time Gu Mengyao had only laughed. Now, thinking of it, she felt a chill crawl over her skin.

"Huh? No way... then I'm doomed along with you..." Shen Yushu said in a small voice. "Yao Yao, I haven't lived long enough yet."

Shen Yushu did not look frightened in the least; her tone was almost funny, and Gu Mengyao burst out laughing. "Who has lived long enough?"

"Ah, Yao Yao, do you think we're going to die here? I've never even had a boyfriend — what a loss. My best years have only just begun!" Shen Yushu said, her face a picture of gloom.

"And in a situation like this, that's what you're thinking about? Are you in heat?" Gu Mengyao was furious. "Instead of thinking how to escape, you're thinking about all this nonsense!"

"How are we supposed to escape? It's a security door! If it opened that easily, it wouldn't be called a security door. And we have no tools and no key — how are we going to get out?" Shen Yushu said with a grin. "We're going to die anyway, Yao Yao. Let's talk a while, shall we?"

Gu Mengyao had been frantic to escape, but at Shen Yushu's words she had to admit she was right. If a security door could be opened at will, what would be the point of calling it one? Studying it would be wasted effort. She could only calm down — though she was rather annoyed at Shen Yushu's carefree air. "At a time like this, you can still laugh?"

"Should I cry instead? Even if we die, we don't have to die miserable!" Shen Yushu was utterly unconcerned. "Yao Yao, let's talk, you and me?"

Gu Mengyao was startled. After Shen Yushu said that, her heart felt much lighter. Shen Yushu was right: even if they died, they needn't die in such gloom, need they? Better to wait for death cheerfully! And besides, they might not die at all.

"All right, then. What shall we talk about?" Gu Mengyao asked.

"How about we speak our hearts?" Shen Yushu took Gu Mengyao's hand. "Yao Yao, it's been so long since we had a heart-to-heart. There used to be no secrets between us!"

"No secrets? Only because you tricked me into telling you everything!" Gu Mengyao grew annoyed the moment Shen Yushu brought it up. Her best friend looked like a fool, but was in fact clever as could be; she was forever coaxing Gu Mengyao's secrets out of her, while keeping her own to herself.

"Heh heh, we're going to die anyway, so it doesn't matter what we say now!" Shen Yushu gave a dry laugh. "Yao Yao, what do you think of Arrow Brand Bro?"

"Wei Zhao? What, do you like him?" Gu Mengyao shot back.

"Oh, Yao Yao, we're about to die and you're still like this — what's the point? I know you like Arrow Brand Bro too, don't you?" Shen Yushu blinked, then remembered that Gu Mengyao couldn't see her, and her expression was wasted.

"Too? You like him too?" Gu Mengyao seized on the word.

"If you like him, then of course I have to like him. It's my fate in this life to be the concubine!" Shen Yushu said, as though it were only natural.

"I don't even know whether I like him or not..." Gu Mengyao sighed. This was the first time she had spoken seriously with Shen Yushu about Wei Zhao. "Because I don't know what it means to like someone..."

"Oh, I don't know either. I just think Arrow Brand Bro is nice — not as dull as other boys!" Shen Yushu went on, coaxing Gu Mengyao to keep talking.

"Mm. Anyway, sometimes I find him really annoying, and other times I worry about him a little..." At this point Gu Mengyao could not tell whether she was speaking to Shen Yushu or to herself. "That man is truly hateful. He has two beauties right there in his own house, and he still goes off looking for Tang Yun!"

"Hee hee, Yao Yao, so you're jealous?" Shen Yushu asked.

"I don't know. Whenever I see him with Tang Yun, I just feel uncomfortable..." Gu Mengyao shook her head.

"Oh. So do you like him?" Shen Yushu asked.

"Whether I like him or not hardly matters now. We're going to die anyway; I'm just talking." Gu Mengyao smiled wryly. "Xiao Shu, do you think I'm really so hard to get close to?"

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