A Clear Conscience

After hearing these words, Liu Mingrui scratched the back of her head.

"I guess... that's how it is, huh."

Gu Chenan spread his hands: "Of course, I'm not saying you have to stay here, but we haven't seen each other for a long time, so we should at least catch up, right?"

[On one hand it's catching up, on the other hand it's also saying goodbye.]

[As long as Cao Mang comes to find me, I will definitely kill him. After he dies, Lin Yu will have no one to rely on. Lin Yu's destiny will be exhausted, and I will kill him directly.]

[At that time, I may be pulled back to the real world immediately...]

Gu Chenan's inner thoughts shocked Liu Mingrui.

"What?"

Her eyes widened, and she blinked in disbelief.

Since she learned this was a novel world, she knew Gu Chenan would leave sooner or later, but she didn't expect him to leave so soon.

We haven't... we haven't done anything yet...

Seeing Liu Mingrui's shocked expression, Gu Chenan was also stunned, feeling puzzled he said: "I said we should catch up, what's wrong?"

"Nothing... it's nothing." The light in Liu Mingrui's eyes dimmed, and she deflated in a daze.

Gu Chenan thought Liu Mingrui had some concerns, so he said: "Don't worry, you and I know each other inside out, we've been clean and honest for over twenty years. As long as we have clear consciences towards each other, you staying at my place for one night is no big deal."

Liu Mingrui froze, raised her sorrowful face, swallowed, and her red lips parted slightly: "But... what if I don't have a clear conscience?"

"You... you..." Gu Chenan was stunned, unable to speak.

Liu Mingrui picked up a beer and drank it in one go, then asked in return: "What about you, do you really have a clear conscience towards me?"

"I... I..." Gu Chenan became flustered.

Liu Mingrui continued in a low murmur: "We've known each other for twenty years. Before my father and I went to the battlefield, you promised to be with me when I came back."

"But what happened?"

Liu Mingrui raised her head, seemingly gathering all her courage: "But when I came back, I found out that in the years I was gone, you were frantically pursuing Su Qianmo!"

"Where did you put your promise to me? Where... did you put me?"

"Mingrui, you..."

Gu Chenan began, but Liu Mingrui didn't give him a chance to finish, cutting him off forcefully: "I know I was gone for too long, and it's understandable that you fell for someone else."

"So even though I was jealous, I didn't object to you being with Su Qianmo."

At this point, Liu Mingrui gritted her teeth, her gaze furious: "But last time you came back, you were with Hoshino Kannon, and this time it's Tang Yunjin!"

"I... I just can't understand, how am I, Liu Mingrui, inferior to Hoshino Kannon and Tang Yunjin, that you'd rather be with them than me?"

"Clear conscience, huh, you say it so easily. I admit that making you wait so long was wrong of me, but you abandoned our promise, don't you feel any guilt towards me at all?!"

"Clear conscience, clear conscience, how can you expect me to have a clear conscience!"

After this speech, Gu Chenan's eyes were wide open.

"Mingrui, you... you're drunk."

Liu Mingrui opened another bottle of beer and took a big gulp.

"I'm not drunk, I'm clearer now than I've ever been!"

"I know what I'm thinking, and I understand how I feel deep down about you, about us."

"It's you who's hesitating, not daring to face your inner feelings!"

Gu Chenan's heart clenched, these words pierced straight into the depths of his heart like a sharp sword.

"Face my inner feelings..."

Gu Chenan pursed his lips and looked at the slightly tipsy Liu Mingrui.

"Mingrui, I've wronged you... I'm sorry."

Hearing this, Liu Mingrui laughed bitterly, tears falling like broken strings of pearls.

"I've said so much and you still don't understand? I didn't ask for your apology!"

"What I want is..."

Before she could finish, Gu Chenan's lips sealed hers.

"Get off me... mmph—"

Liu Mingrui struggled, hitting Gu Chenan's back, but he held her tighter and kissed her more intensely.

Finally, Liu Mingrui stopped struggling and wrapped her arms around Gu Chenan's neck and back.

After a long while, Gu Chenan pulled away. He looked at Liu Mingrui, whose eyes were red-rimmed.

"Don't cry anymore. All this time... I'm sorry for what you've been through."

Liu Mingrui pursed her lips and shook her head stubbornly: "I'm not crying."

Gu Chenan gently wiped away her tears with his fingers, smiling: "This seems to be the first time I've seen you cry in a long time."

Liu Mingrui turned her head away, stubbornly muttering: "I told you, I'm not crying."

...

The clear moonlight shone through the window onto the bed.

"You know, the first day I arrived on the battlefield, I was scared to death. All I could hear was the rat-tat-tat of gunfire, and bombs were flying everywhere."

"At that time, I just wanted to run back to Donghai, but my dad said if I dared to run, he'd execute me on the spot. I was terrified!"

"You have no idea what kind of life I lived those years..."

On the bed, Liu Mingrui leaned on Gu Chenan's shoulder, telling him the stories she should have told long ago.

These were the stories Liu Mingrui had decided to tell Gu Chenan when she returned from the battlefield.

But she never expected...

Hearing these things he had never paid attention to before, Gu Chenan realized for the first time that Liu Mingrui, this fearless tomboy, actually had this side to her.

"Have you been to an amusement park or underwater world since you grew up?" Liu Mingrui looked up at Gu Chenan.

Gu Chenan nodded: "I have."

Liu Mingrui didn't ask who he went with. To be honest, she didn't care.

"Then... could you go with me once? I haven't been since I grew up." Liu Mingrui asked shyly.

"Of course." Gu Chenan nodded.

Liu Mingrui smiled happily and kissed Gu Chenan on the cheek.

"Ever since I became a general, I subconsciously told myself I couldn't go to places like amusement parks."

"But whenever I saw girls about my age screaming excitedly on roller coasters or smiling happily on merry-go-rounds, I imagined myself sitting there."

Gu Chenan chuckled: "Tomorrow, we'll go tomorrow."

"Just the two of us?" she confirmed.

He nodded: "Just the two of us."

Liu Mingrui smiled contentedly: "That's wonderful."

After saying this, she closed her eyes peacefully.

Listening to Liu Mingrui's gradually steadying breathing, Gu Chenan asked softly: "Going to sleep?"

"Mm-hmm." Liu Mingrui nodded.

"So early?"

"Because I want time to pass quickly to tomorrow, so I can go to the amusement park with you..."

Gu Chenan sighed softly, turning his head to look at the clear moon outside the window.

Who knows how long I can stay in this world.

No matter how long or short the time, I can't leave any regrets for myself or the female leads.

Before I leave, I should do everything I can for them...