Rebirth: He refused to Divorce Again-Chapter 1562: The Wooden Bead Bracelet Appears Again (Part 3)
Gu Qiaoqiao wanted to ask him if he was short of money, but considering Chang Qing’s salary was quite high and he didn’t have much to spend on, even if he got married, housing would be allocated by the state. So she swallowed her words and changed the topic, "Chang Qing, you’re graduating officially next year, right?"
"Yes, Sister Qiaoqiao."
"After you graduate, you’ll stay at the National Security Research Institute, won’t you?"
"As long as they need me here, I’ll stay."
Gu Qiaoqiao paused in thought. She remembered that in the future, the National Security Research Institute people were going to head to the desert for a series of experiments.
Of course, their main battleground would still be here, shuttling between the Imperial Capital and the desert.
It’s quite tiring when you think about it, losing out on entertainment time compared to others of the same age.
But whether in past or present lives, this was the path Chang Qing chose, and Gu Qiaoqiao had no right to interfere.
Still, she felt some pity in her heart, "Chang Qing, you’re still young. Don’t overwork yourself. Go out, see the world, relax a bit. Look at you now, sometimes you’re unconsciously frowning like a little old man..."
Chang Qing smiled apologetically, "Don’t worry, Sister Qiaoqiao. I will. I know how to live."
Hearing Chang Qing’s words, Gu Qiaoqiao felt somewhat reassured. Then she looked at Chang Qing, "Would you like me to walk with you for a bit?"
"No need, Sister Qiaoqiao. You should go rest..." Chang Qing quickly declined.
Sister Qiaoqiao worked hard to organize his birthday celebration, and besides, he had come to Gu Garden many times and was familiar with it. He needed some time alone to clear his mind.
"Alright then, I’ll head back to the yard. Feel free to roam around," Gu Qiaoqiao said with a bright smile, waving goodbye to Chang Qing.
At that moment, Chang Qing instinctively waved back to Gu Qiaoqiao.
But he had forgotten that he was still holding onto the wooden bead bracelet. As he waved, the bracelet dropped to the ground with a clang.
Gu Qiaoqiao found it amusing and glanced around casually to see what Chang Qing had in his pocket...
But when Gu Qiaoqiao saw the wooden bead bracelet lying on the path, her smile froze, and she felt as though the blood in her veins had stopped flowing.
This wooden bead bracelet was all too familiar to Gu Qiaoqiao; she’d seen it at Cloud Mist Mountain this life, even though it was part of Dongfang Yu’s illusion, it made her memory clearer.
This was a bracelet Chang Qing had carved for her during idle time in the last life, under her guidance.
Over ten beads, all evenly sized and nearly identical.
The wood was also precious, being red sandalwood, given to Chang Qing by his teacher.
Gu Qiaoqiao’s face turned pale. She moved faster than Chang Qing, bending down swiftly to pick up the bracelet from the ground and examined it carefully—it was identical, with a slightly larger bead at the knot.
On it was a barely perceptible bump, and inside the bead, Gu Qiaoqiao saw three clear characters—Gu Qiaoqiao.
She recalled how in her previous life, Chang Qing joked that the wooden bead bracelet was unique in the world, just like his Sister Qiaoqiao, who was irreplaceable and unmistakable wherever it might appear.
Just like now.
This bracelet she wore for four years in her past life and then buried with her.
At this moment, Gu Qiaoqiao was utterly shocked, standing there, holding the bracelet, momentarily stunned.
Chang Qing realized something was amiss; his outstanding intellect immediately detected that Sister Qiaoqiao seemed to recognize the bracelet.
But how could that be?
His heart began to race, and his lips trembled slightly, "Sister Qiaoqiao..."
Suddenly, he didn’t know what to say.
The atmosphere here became eerily frightening, almost as if they could hear the thumping sound of their hearts.
Then, a sudden wind blew through, chirping birds streaked overhead, and the leaves of the roadside winter jasmine rustled. With the wind, the early blooming jasmine petals were blown off, wafted through the air, and gently fell onto the path, some landing in Gu Qiaoqiao’s hands.
Seeing the delicate yellow petals, Gu Qiaoqiao finally snapped out of it, raising her head abruptly to gaze at the anxious and worried Chang Qing, her expression sharp, speaking word by word, "Chang Qing, be honest with me, what’s going on with this wooden bead bracelet?"
The surroundings suddenly fell dead silent. Chang Qing nervously swallowed hard. It was the first time he’d seen Sister Qiaoqiao so stern.
In his mind, Sister Qiaoqiao was always gentle and beautiful, as warm as the sun, but now she carried an air of hostility.
He swallowed hard again, facing Sister Qiaoqiao’s blazing eyes, he withheld nothing as he spoke, "Three days ago I received a box with a letter and this wooden bead bracelet in it."
"Where’s the letter?" Gu Qiaoqiao asked urgently.
"The letter was folded, and when I opened it, it turned into ashes and disappeared. Really, Sister Qiaoqiao, I’m not lying to you, it’s true, it vanished right before my eyes..."
Chang Qing’s face flushed as he hurriedly explained, still tense but eager.
He instinctively felt something was wrong with the situation.
Seeing Chang Qing like this, Gu Qiaoqiao finally realized her expression had been too severe, scaring Chang Qing in front of her. She took a deep breath and softened her voice, asking, "Did you see the contents of the letter?"
Chang Qing nodded quickly, "Sister Qiaoqiao, I saw most of it, but there was a part at the end I couldn’t make out."
"What did the beginning say?" Gu Qiaoqiao asked patiently.
Chang Qing hesitated, looking at Gu Qiaoqiao in front of him, then at the quiet wooden bead bracelet in her hand, finally detailing the letter’s contents to Gu Qiaoqiao.
Then, perplexed, he said, "...Sister Qiaoqiao, there was a long passage at the end that disappeared too quickly, I really couldn’t see it. I’ve been confused for days, some things just don’t add up. You say it’s really future me, warning present me not to let these tragedies happen, but why did it say all Gu Family members except you are far away in Stone Town? Does that mean in August you’ll go back and live in your hometown of Stone Town?"
