Chapter 313: Chapter 312: The Secret in Time (Complete) Chapter 313: Chapter 312: The Secret in Time (Complete) When Qi Yue saw that Gu Huai seemed to have been placated and wasn’t angry, she finally relaxed and said ruefully, “After you left, I was sad for a long time!

But back then, you didn’t stay long in Taoyuan Village, and I never even asked your real name; I just called you ‘little apprentice.’ Although, I did leave you my contact information, but you never got in touch with me again…”

Gu Huai gently squeezed the girl’s fingers and remained silent for a long time before he finally spoke, “The environment in Taoyuan Village is well-suited for recuperation, and training with you every day made my health much better and alleviated my allergies, so I had to leave to continue my studies.

I’m sorry… It wasn’t intentional that I didn’t contact you. Countless times, I couldn’t help but want to call you, to come back here, to see you again.

With each passing day of missing you, I gradually understood that my feelings for you were more than just liking.

The insecurity inside me, though somewhat conquered with your help, would be infinitely magnified in front of the girl I liked. I feared that one day, I might revert to the terrible state I was in before.

I didn’t dare to see you; all I could do was try a little harder, push a little further, and maybe if I shone a little brighter, you’d spot me among the myriad stars…”

Qi Yue could never have imagined that these were the reasons why Gu Huai hadn’t contacted her.

She couldn’t even fathom how such an excellent person could also have moments of fear.

She didn’t know with what feelings he was bringing up the past again, revealing his own scars once more.

Then, she heard Gu Huai slowly say, “After we met again, I was afraid you would remember, recall my most embarrassing moments, but seeing you had completely forgotten, I couldn’t help but feel lost.

I had intended, if you hadn’t recognized me, to never reveal this secret to you for as long as I lived, hoping that in your eyes, I would always appear at my best.

But then, you suddenly proposed to me. You were so passionate, so forthright, making me seem so timid, so… I still chose to tell you. I didn’t want to keep anything from you…”

Listening to Gu Huai’s words, Qi Yue felt both moved and helpless: “Everyone has something they don’t wish to speak of, and it wouldn’t have mattered if you hadn’t told me. The point is, you not only idealize me greatly, why do you belittle yourself so much?”

Qi Yue paused, then looked at Gu Huai very seriously and asked, “Do you remember the question you asked me three years ago? You asked if one day you weren’t handsome anymore, would I love you less? Do you remember my response?

Back then, I told you that’s a superficial concern. You’re not just a pretty face. You are beautiful both inside and out, intelligent and talented, possessing both beauty and brains. The only thing you slightly lacked was in shooting, but I haven’t yet found anything else you aren’t good at, so you really shouldn’t worry…”

Having said that, Qi Yue chuckled lightly, “Now, I have to retract even the part about you being slightly poor at shooting. You’re simply perfect!

Speaking of which, did you go learn to shoot later? I remember asking you once, and you said you weren’t particularly interested in shooting. And yet, you turned out to be so incredible that you almost broke the shooting record!”

Gu Huai’s expression became somewhat uneasy, his black lashes trembling lightly as he hesitated before finally saying, “I learned it later on my own. Because you like it.”

Qi Yue was stunned: “Because of me?”

Gu Huai, looking into the girl’s clear moonlight-like eyes, replied, “Although I didn’t dare to contact you, I always kept an eye on you, watched every competition of yours, and later, I also learned about your giving up shooting.

The dreams you couldn’t achieve, I wanted to help you achieve them. In the places you couldn’t shine, I wanted to shine for you…”

Qi Yue had not imagined that when she was abandoned by her closest ones, when she had hit rock bottom, there was someone in the world quietly striving alone, carrying the dreams she had buried.

Earlier than intentionally missing the target, even earlier than meeting in the Potato field, even much earlier, that person was already striving relentlessly, step by step, towards his moon…

[The End]