Stars In His Eyes
Chapter 1078: Worth 8

Chapter 1078: Chapter 1078: Worth 8

He Zhilan came out of the bathroom, tilting her head as she dried her hair with a towel, glancing at He Teng who was sitting on the bed. She asked, "Did you go out just now? I think I heard the door open and close."

"Yeah, I stepped out to make a call to Lin Chan. We didn’t finish talking earlier this morning," He Teng nodded and frowned, asking, "The humidity here is heavy. Why did you wash your hair at night?"

"I was sweaty after playing all day. It felt uncomfortable not to wash it," He Zhilan, sensing the hint of displeasure on He Teng’s face, quickly added, "I promise I’ll dry my hair thoroughly before going to sleep."

"When are you going to change this cleanliness obsession of yours? Even if you could just tone it down a bit... If you wash it after ten in the morning tomorrow, I won’t say anything," He Teng remarked. But truthfully, he never expected He Zhilan to break her habit of being overly meticulous. So instead, he motioned for her to sit down beside him, took the towel from her, and began drying her hair himself.

"Zhilan, there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you," He Teng began. "It’s about Lan Li."

"What could he possibly have to do with me?" He Zhilan pouted, "I mean, his matters have nothing to do with me."

"They do involve you," He Teng corrected her. "Do you remember when Lan Li probed about your identity and even asked me to inquire on his behalf? At that time, even I didn’t know about your background."

He Zhilan nodded. "What’s the matter?"

"Back then, Lan Li told me some things about himself, and I think you need to know," He Teng patted the spot beside him, signaling for her to sit properly. Only then did he say, "Lan Li told me himself. Many years ago, he watched you leave home and disappear into the crowd until he couldn’t see you anymore. At that moment, he didn’t think that your departure would turn into something irreversible—that you’d never come back. All these years, he’s been filled with regret, blaming himself for being the one responsible for your disappearance. He’s always felt that he was the culprit."

"I was only six years old at the time, wasn’t I? If he saw me running out of the house alone, why didn’t he bring me back? Instead, he just let me go?" He Zhilan was shocked. "I’d always thought no one knew when I sneaked out of the house."

"Lan Li told me that, as a child, you were particularly clingy. Whenever you saw someone, you would stick to them and not budge an inch. He was annoyed with you back then, so when he saw you run off, he didn’t think to bring you back. Maybe he was afraid that if he brought you home, you’d latch onto him again," He Teng explained. "But after you disappeared, he might have been the most miserable person in the world. As a young boy, he paid the price for his immaturity. He lost his aunt’s only daughter—his one and only cousin. That’s why he treats Gu En so well, even breaking up with Ding Jinshi because of Gu En. He did it because he wanted to atone for his sins by being good to Gu En."

If, at that time, Lan Li had taken his six-year-old cousin back home the moment he saw her leaving, then Gu En would never have entered the Gu Family, and Gu Zhilan would never have left it.

If Gu Zhilan had continued to be the cherished daughter of the Gu Family, growing up loved by everyone, she wouldn’t have had to endure the pain and hardships that followed.

And as for Lan Li?

If Gu En hadn’t existed, then Lan Li would undoubtedly be married to Ding Jinshi right now. Just like Ding Jinshi had once believed—she would graduate, return to the country, and become Lan Li’s wife.

Perhaps the greatest cost Lan Li paid wasn’t just the lingering self-condemnation in his heart, but also his love.

The mistake of the past sowed the seeds for everything that followed, like a fuse, linking together an unforeseeable future.