Who wants to be a male model after being reborn? I want to be a male god.

Chapter 438 How dare you just disappear like that?
It rarely snows in Linjiang during winter.

Gu Xingruo dragged her light carry-on suitcase and stepped out of the warm cabin jet bridge.

A gust of cold wind, carrying damp, chilly air, suddenly rushed into my neck.

She didn't even realize at first what the cold sensation hitting her body was.

Until you exit through the automatic doors of the airport terminal.

She stopped in her tracks only after seeing the gray and white world outside.

Snowing.

Small snowflakes drifted down silently in the quiet night.

Snow covered the driveway, the green belt, and the blurred city skyline in the distance.

The air was cold and clean, and breathing it into my lungs brought a strange sense of clarity.

Snow in Linjiang is as rare as some kind of urban legend.

Gu Xingruo used to say that the snow here wasn't as pretty as the snow in her hometown in Northeast China, and you couldn't build a snowman here, and it wouldn't stay overnight.

I used to dislike it, but when I see this familiar snow again, I feel a sense of warmth and affection.

She finally set foot on this land again.

Gu Xingruo stood under the eaves outside the airport arrival level.

The suitcase wheels left two clear tracks in the thin snow.

She didn't call a car; she just stood there, looking at the quiet riverside in front of her.

A profound sense of bewilderment instantly washed over me.

where to go?
The trust fund left to her by her father, Gu Hong, is enough to ensure she will live a life free from financial worries.

She also has several million in savings in her own bank account.

She was not desperate materially.

But what about home?
Hong Jing's downfall took away her brightly lit "home" in Linjiang, along with all the traces of her that belonged there.

That villa that was once her safe haven, that flamboyant red Ferrari, even the clothes in her walk-in closet that hold countless memories.
None of these belong to her anymore.

They were either auctioned off or seized, scattered in places she couldn't reach.

Gu Xingruo often complained to her friends that it wasn't home, just a house.

But when she actually lost her place to stay, she felt a little uneasy.

Having lived there for so many years, even when she was alone, she truly considered it her home, her refuge.

Gu Xingruo could choose not to come back and continue living abroad.

But she still came back.

Because Xu Wen is still here.

The man she once cherished as her life, yet who personally pushed her father into the abyss.

She knew that everything Gu Hong and Xu Wen did was to protect her.

This realization weighed heavily on her heart, filling her with gratitude, yet also suffocating her.

She had to come back; she had to face Xu Wen.

Faced with all that has been completely changed, and with the unfillable hole in my own heart.

But when she set foot on the riverside land, Gu Xingruo was afraid.

She breathed in the air, a mixture of familiar scents and the chill of snow.

The courage that had been building up over four hundred days and nights in a foreign land seemed to be frozen instantly by the snow, making it impossible to move forward.

As she approached her hometown, she felt apprehensive. She feared not only Xu Wen, but also herself, who had to shoulder the heavy responsibility of protecting him.

Finally, she raised her hand and flagged down a taxi.

The driver, speaking with a thick local accent, asked enthusiastically, "Young lady, where are you going?"

Gu Xingruo opened her mouth, about to utter a place name, but swallowed it back.

"Let's find a five-star hotel, somewhere close to the city center," she said, her voice filled with exhaustion.

The car drove into the city center of Linjiang and stopped in front of a five-star hotel.

The magnificent lobby is warmly heated, just like springtime.

The polite doorman took her suitcase.

Gu Xingruo checked in like an ordinary traveler and was led into a spacious and luxurious suite.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, there is a dazzling night view of the river.

Snowflakes danced silently under the lamplight, adding to the enchanting atmosphere.

She had seen the night view of Linjiang countless times, but she never had time to appreciate it, because her heart and eyes were on one person.

Gu Xingruo took off her snow-covered coat and put on slippers, stepping onto the soft, thick carpet.

She looked around at the unfamiliar yet comfortable space, but felt empty and adrift.

This place is nice, but it's not her place.

Just as Gu Xingruo was about to lie down on the window to rest, a thought suddenly popped into her mind.

Her bar.

She founded "Serendipity" when she was eighteen to prove to her father that she was capable of staying in the country.

That place held her initial dream, and also countless subtle memories of her and Xu Wen.

Is it still there?

What has it become?
Before leaving, Gu Xingruo made sure to leave some money for the bar.

But she hadn't been in contact with them for a long time, and the person running the bar wasn't a close confidant, so she wasn't sure what the bar would become now.

Maybe it's already gone out of business?

Or perhaps those people absconded with the money after discovering they couldn't contact the boss.

Gu Xingruo originally intended to suppress her thoughts.

But once the thought took hold, it could no longer be suppressed.

Even though the bar has disappeared, she still wants to go and see it.

She got dressed, grabbed her room key and phone, and went out.

There were taxis right outside the hotel, and when she gave them the address she had kept buried deep in her heart, her heart started beating faster for no apparent reason.

The car drove along the snow-covered streets, and the familiar street scenes outside the window appeared somewhat hazy in the heavy snow.

It rarely snows in Linjiang, but this snowfall is getting heavier and heavier.

When the familiar street corner came into view, Gu Xingruo's heart nearly jumped into her throat.

She asked the driver to stop at a slightly distant intersection, paid the fare, and got out of the car.

A cold wind carrying snowflakes rushed towards my face.

Gu Xingruo wrapped her thin clothes tighter around herself and stood on the street corner.

Her gaze pierced through the swirling snowflakes and landed on the entrance to "Serendipity".

The bar did not close down; in fact, even the sign and the decorations on the door remained unchanged.

Everything was as if she had never left.

Through the glass, you could vaguely see the figures moving inside and hear faint rock music.

Business seems to be doing pretty well?
Her gaze searched eagerly, sweeping over unfamiliar faces before finally settling on the tall, slender figure behind the bar.

It's not Xu Wen.

It's Cao Yanan.

She was wearing a black, tight-fitting turtleneck sweater with the sleeves casually rolled up to her elbows, revealing her shapely forearms.

She was slightly frowning, but her movements were exceptionally skillful and fluid as she wiped a crystal glass.

Under the lights, her neat short hair gleamed with a healthy sheen.

The signature earring on her earlobe occasionally flashed with her movements. A man, clearly drunk, staggered toward the bar, seemingly trying to strike up a conversation, his hand making an inappropriate attempt to touch Cao Yanan's wrist.

Gu Xingruo's heart tightened when she saw it.

Cao Yanan didn't even lift her eyelids, but deftly flipped her wrist.

As I dodged that hand, the cup-wiping cloth in my hand smacked with a "smack".

He slapped the drunkard's hand lightly.

Their movements were so fast that they were almost invisible.

The drunkard winced and withdrew his hand, cursing under his breath.

Cao Yanan then raised her head, her face expressionless, but her eyes coldly swept over the man, and she nodded her chin toward the door.

The warning in his eyes was so obvious that the drunkard seemed to be intimidated. He muttered a couple of things and turned away dejectedly.

However, the next second, when another middle-aged man who looked like a regular customer walked to the bar to order drinks, Cao Yanan's icy expression instantly melted away.

She even flashed a bright, slightly roguish smile and started chatting with the other person, her hands moving smoothly as she mixed drinks.

Gu Xingruo stood on the cold street corner, watching this familiar yet unfamiliar scene.

Her fingertips were numb from the cold, and her heart felt as if it were filled with snow and wind, cold and bitter.

She saw that the bar was still bustling, that Cao Yanan was protecting it like a true owner, and even that the photo of her with the band on the corner photo wall seemed to still be there.
Everything is still running, even more vibrant than when she left.

The icy snow slipped into Gu Xingruo's collar, sending a shiver down her spine.

This startled her out of her daze.

She instinctively shrank back.

Cao Yanan was busy behind the bar, chatting and laughing, even using a touch of her familiar roguishness to shoo away the drunks.

This little world, which she once regarded as a place to prove her abilities, has long since grown new strength and vitality during the long period of her absence.

It was good, even better than she remembered.

Gu Xingruo took one last look at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure inside the glass window.

Her fingertips were numb from the cold, and she finally steeled herself to return to the hotel quietly.

She felt relieved after just one look.

Gu Xingruo had only moved her feet half an inch.

"Bang!"

The heavy door of the bar behind me was violently slammed open by a burst of force.

The wind chimes on the door frame made a series of disordered sounds.

A warm breeze carrying the scent of alcohol rushed towards Gu Xingruo's back.

Her spine stiffened, and her body froze instantly.

Gu Xingruo didn't even dare to turn around, and instinctively quickened her pace.

She just wanted to disappear immediately into the snow-covered landscape illuminated by the lights.

"Stop right there! Gu Xingruo! You stop right there!"

A loud shout rang out instantly.

The sound was so loud that passersby stopped and looked over to see what had happened.

Memories flooded Gu Xingruo's mind.

She remembered that when Cao Yanan first came to Linjiang, she always reminded her best friend to speak softly.

But she never changed; she always said she was used to being at home.

Gu Xingruo felt a chill run down her spine.

Her feet were rooted to the spot, unable to move an inch.

A tremendous force came from behind, and Cao Yanan gripped her arm tightly.

Gu Xingruo was pulled off balance by the brute force.

She turned around abruptly, only to be met with a pair of angry eyes.

Cao Yanan stood right in front of her, so close that she could smell the mixture of whiskey, lemon detergent, and a faint tobacco scent on her.

She clearly rushed out from behind the bar, without even wearing a coat.

She wore only a close-fitting black turtleneck sweater, and her short hair was slightly disheveled by the night wind.

Her chest heaved violently, and her breath rose and dissipated rapidly between them.

The light streaming from the bar slanted across her face, clearly illuminating her expression.

"Gu Xingruo! You fucking know how to come back?" Cao Yanan's voice rose even higher, almost shouting, making the snowflakes seem to freeze for a moment.

Her eyes were fixed on Gu Xingruo.

It was as if I wanted to pierce through this layer of wind and snow to see through the lost and dejected person in front of me.

That gaze was scrutinizing.

My gaze swept from Gu Xingruo's deathly pale face to her cashmere sweater, then to the obviously inappropriate shoes on her feet, and finally back to her eyes, which were filled with confusion and panic.

"Speak up! Are you mute?" Cao Yanan shook her arm hard, her voice trembling slightly with excitement. "Over four hundred days! No word from you! I can't get through on the phone, you don't reply to messages, and your QQ space is overgrown with weeds! You, Miss Gu, are pretty good at disappearing into thin air, aren't you? Do you think this place is your backyard? You come and go as you please?!"

Her questions came in rapid succession, raining down on him.

This contains resentment and worry that have been building up for too long.

Curious customers peeked out from the bar entrance, only to be glared at by Cao Yanan with a fierce look.

The bar staff realized what was happening and quickly dispersed the onlookers.

Gu Xingruo's ears were ringing from her yelling.

Her lips moved a few times, but her throat felt blocked, and she couldn't squeeze out a single word.

What could she say?
She said she was plagued by nightmares every night while in a foreign land?
How suffocating was it for her to see her father's name appear in the crime section of international news?
She said she picked up her phone countless times, wanting to dial that number she knew by heart, but her fingertips couldn't press the button.

All explanations seem pale and laughable in the face of the more than four hundred days and nights of silence and Cao Yanan's anger at this moment.

Gu Xingruo simply lowered her eyelashes slightly, the tiny snowflakes clinging to them trembling gently.

She had barely uttered a syllable when she was drowned out by an angry voice.

"What do you mean, 'you'?" Cao Yanan abruptly interrupted her, her voice rising sharply, almost shrill, and tinged with tears. "Gu Xingruo! You heartless bastard! Do you know how damn worried I was about you?! I was afraid something would happen to you alone abroad! I was afraid you'd do something rash! I was afraid..."

Her voice suddenly choked up as she shouted this.

Unable to utter another word, his eyes, filled with rage, were instantly flooded with a torrent of tears.

Cao Yanan had accumulated more than 400 days of worry and fear.

Now her heart is filled with the resentment of being abandoned and the ecstasy of regaining what she once had.

These complex emotions rushed into her mind instantly.

Cao Yanan suddenly took a step forward and used all her strength to hug Gu Xingruo tightly into her arms.

The hug was so tight that it hurt Gu Xingruo a little.

"You bastard, you bastard!" Cao Yanan buried her face deeply in Gu Xingruo's body.

Scalding tears instantly soaked the thin cashmere sweater.

"How dare you, how dare you just disappear like that, you bastard, you scared me to death, you know?" Cao Yanan sobbed softly.

Gu Xingruo's stiff body softened little by little in the scalding tears and the almost suffocating embrace.

My tense nerves suddenly relaxed.

The shell that had been held together so tightly was shattered by the overwhelming emotions.

She raised her frozen arms and then hugged Cao Yanan's equally frail body tightly.

A familiar scent enveloped Cao Yanan.

A belated sense of grievance and lingering fear instantly welled up in my heart.

"Ya Nan." Gu Xingruo's voice was thick with tears, which finally broke free and rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't know, I don't know what to do, I don't know where I can go."

(End of this chapter)