Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 282: A Few Simple Words

Chapter 282: Chapter 282: A Few Simple Words

On the first day, after a long and arduous journey, everyone safely arrived at the small cabin. Since it wasn’t frequently occupied, the place was a bit messy and everyone started to clean up.

After about an hour of bustling about, everything was finally organized. People gathered around the stove, eating and chatting.

Ning Qi inquired about Gu Fan’s route for the next day, but Gu Fan looked at old man Tian instead. The old man sat silently in the corner with his eyes closed, which made everyone feel quite awkward.

That night, following their regular routine, most of them went to sleep, leaving two people on guard throughout the night.

From Gu Fan’s side, he naturally assumed the responsibility. His reason was simple: everyone was here taking risks because of him, so standing guard at night was the least he could do. Especially since he felt a strong sense of responsibility and believed it was necessary to ensure everyone’s safety.

On Ning Qi’s side, it was Hu Bo again, whose reason was also straightforward: amongst their group, others contributed the funds, whereas he contributed the efforts. Hence, the night guard duties often fell on him.

However, being on guard was quite dull, they just had to keep an eye on their surroundings and not do much of anything else. As time seemed to crawl unusually slowly, Gu Fan and Hu Bo started feeling drowsy in the middle of the night.

To stir their spirits and pass the time, they took a walk outside the cabin. The cold weather alertness, and being outside allowed them to chat without disturbing others’ rest.

Gu Fan was the first one to speak, "Ning Qi told me that you two often come here to hunt every year. Your relationship seems to be good."

Hu Bo laughed and nodded, "It’s hard to find friends, particularly ones who share a like mind."

"Indeed, like-minded friends are really rare." Gu Fan agreed, having experienced this firsthand. His journey through unknown territories and his ability to get this far was all because of friends at his side.

However, Gu Fan detected a minor issue within Ning Qi’s party, so he tested the waters by asking, "It seems that those two brothers don’t talk much with you. They’ve been flattering Ning Qi all the time. If I’m not mistaken, they’re not really here to hunt, they’re here simply because Ning Qi likes hunting."

Upon hearing this, Hu Bo responded with a cryptic smile, "Those two brothers like Ning Qi, so they are catering to her interests. They also think they come from a better background than me and believe I shouldn’t be in their circle."

Gu Fan could tell that there was a conflict between Hu Bo and the two brothers- simply put, the two brothers disliked Hu Bo and mutually kept their distance.

"Ning Qi hopes that this trip will help us patch up our differences, but there’s one thing she got wrong." Hu Bo didn’t reveal what the matter was, as he felt it was inappropriate to share too much with Gu Fan.

However, Gu Fan replied, "Ning Qi was mistaken about one thing: there’s a conflict of interest between you and those two brothers. This won’t be resolved without addressing it first. Those two brothers fancy Ning Qi, and you are quite close to her as well."

Hu Bo shook his head, "I am just close to Ning Qi, as friends, nothing more than that. I even brought my girlfriend this time. I wanted to make it clear to those two brothers that nothing is going on between Ning Qi and me."

"But, I don’t believe that, nor do the two brothers. Even your girlfriend does not believe it. Do you know why?" Gu Fan’s words pierced straight through Hu Bo’s heart. Surprised, Hu Bo looked at Gu Fan and asked, "Why then?"

"Because the tone in which you both talk to each other, and the way you look at each other are not typical of just friends. You both like each other." Gu Fan’s remark left Hu Bo momentarily stunned. Hu Bo then shook his head with a bitter smile, "What about you and that Su Hui? You both seemed to enjoy the snowball fight, right? And that Zhuo Hang is Su Hui’s boyfriend, is it not? I saw them appearing quite intimate."

Gu Fan quickly clarified, "Su Hui, or Sister Su as I call her, is a good friend of mine. I met her when she rented my family’s house. If there was anything more between Su Hui and I, we would have already been together given that familiarity breeds affection, right? I knew Su Hui even before Zhuo Hang did."

Hearing this, Hu Bo frowned as if he found it difficult to believe. Gu Fan then added, "Think about it, Ning Qi is still single, right? And those two brothers have known Ning Qi for quite a while, but until now there hasn’t been any development between them aside from friendship. What does this indicate? Ning Qi only sees them as friends, and that’s the same case with Sister Su and me. Sister Su considers me as a friend, and I feel the same way about her."

"Are you actually just friends?" Hu Bo was still half-convinced. Logically, if Gu Fan and Su Hui had been living under the same roof for a long time yet there had been no tangible development between them, they really just must be friends. But...

Hu Bo remained skeptic, "The way you played the snowball fight, the happiness in your laughter, it didn’t seem like you were just friends."

"That’s because we’re friends. Pure friendship. Everyone lets loose because there isn’t any pressure. Otherwise, wouldn’t you feel constrained in front of the person you like?" Gu Fan’s point made logical sense, but for some reason, a strange thought surfaced in his mind. Recalling the many things he experienced together with Su Hui, the joy, shared trials, comforting each other- all seemed like friendship, but there seemed to be something else.

Hu Bo asked, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Gu Fan nodded, "Yes, she just couldn’t come along this time due to her own commitments."

Hu Bo thought for a while, "Did you have a girlfriend when you met Su Hui?"

"Yes, I already had a girlfriend when I met Sister Su." Gu Fan seemed to predict what Hu Bo would say next and was spot on: "You have been on friendly terms with Su Hui for so long, but there’s been no progression between you two, possibly because you had a girlfriend back then and hence, no opportunity to advance. Now that Su Hui has a boyfriend, even if you become single again, you still don’t stand a chance. So, it is not that there is no possibility between you both, but that there was no opportunity. If you both were single at the same time, I feel that there would be a good chance of you two being together."

"Well..." Gu Fan did not know how to answer, but the strange feeling rose in his heart. To avoid the commotion in his mind, he pivoted the conversation back to Hu Bo, "What about you and Ning Qi? Are you really just friends?"

"How to put it, we are perhaps more than friends, but less than lovers." After saying this, Hu Bo stared blankly at the night sky with a melancholic look on his face.

Gu Fan knew that Hu Bo must have experienced something, to the point of having to mask his feelings for Ning Qi with the pretense of friendship. Ning Qi probably had feelings for Hu Bo as well, but was held back by various reasons to get together with him.

The matter of feelings is indeed complicated. Those who are in love are not necessarily suitable for each other. Gu Fan understood this deeply. As he looked at the starry sky, he felt an infinite melancholy. If only Lin Xi was still here, how wonderful that would be.