297: Chapter 297 I Don't Want to Give Up Either of Them!

Professor Gu Ming was silent for a while. He remembered Zhao Yang asking for leave a few months ago, saying he had some personal matters to handle. During that time, Zhao Yang was often absent from the lab. Professor Gu Ming had assumed he was busy with Spark Technology matters and hadn't asked much. Looking back now, he must have been checking on the construction progress of this new laboratory.

"Fine, since you have better conditions elsewhere, I won't try to keep you."

Professor Gu Ming stood up and patted Zhao Yang on the shoulder. "But don't think that leaving the lab means you're off the hook for work. After all, you came out of our research group. If there's new data in the future, I'll still come looking for you, and your name still needs to be attached to our lab for any published papers."

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"That works."

"Alright, then make your own arrangements. Once you've got the new lab set up, give me a call so I can take a look."

Zhao Yang returned to the lab bench to pack his things. He placed his sample list and several analysis scripts into a folder on the public hard drive, labeling them with the date and content so that whoever took over could find them.

He wiped down the commonly used Pipettes with alcohol swabs and placed them back on the public rack. He made a list of the several tubes of Plasmids and Competent cells he had stored in the refrigerator and handed it to Li Xin.

"God Zhao, are you really leaving?"

Li Xin took the list, his expression somewhat complicated.

"Yeah."

"Will you still come by in the future?"

"If you guys have any questions, you can find me in the group chat."

Zhao Yang didn't answer directly, but his meaning was already clear.

Li Xin wanted to say more, but seeing Zhao Yang already packing, he didn't continue. The others in the lab also gathered around. Zhou Ting told God Zhao to visit often, and two other Second-year master's students also said their goodbyes. Zhao Yang acknowledged each of them, then glanced in Gu Qing's direction.

Gu Qing was performing a Transformation at the Clean bench, the sleeves of her white lab coat rolled up to her elbows, her blue nitrile gloves stained with a bit of alcohol. She hadn't stood up or looked over since Zhao Yang started packing.

Zhao Yang stood at the lab bench and watched her for a few seconds. In the end, he didn't go over to say goodbye; he just shouldered his bag, turned, and pushed open the lab door.

Just as the door closed and he had taken only a few steps down the hallway, a rapid set of footsteps came from behind him.

It wasn't walking; it was running.

Zhao Yang stopped. Before he could turn around, a pair of hands wrapped tightly around him from behind. The grip was strong, fingers clutching the sides of his coat firmly.

Zhao Yang's body stiffened for a moment, and then he felt a face pressed against his back, followed by the sound of muffled crying. The sound wasn't loud, but it was deep and heavy, vibrating through his coat.

"Can't you just comfort me?"

Gu Qing's voice came from behind him, thick with a sob.

Zhao Yang took her hands and pulled her from behind him into a corner where passing students couldn't easily see. Gu Qing, her arm being pulled, stumbled a few steps after him. Once they stopped, she turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

Her eyes were red, her nose was red, and her makeup had long since been ruined. Zhao Yang reached out to wipe the tear tracks from her face, but she tilted her head to dodge him. Despite dodging, she didn't leave; she just stood there with her head down, her shoulders shaking.

"You haven't looked for me since that day," her voice was hoarse. "Not a single word. Not even a character. You acted as if nothing happened. Did you think giving me time would make everything okay? Is time what I want?"

"I thought you needed time."

Zhao Yang looked at Gu Qing with a helpless expression.

"And, I felt like you hadn't forgiven me. This is my fault, after all, so I felt a bit guilty..."

"I don't need time! I need you to say something to me! An explanation, an apology, even just pretending to ask if I'm okay would have worked, but you did nothing. You were face-to-face with me in the lab every day, and you didn't say a single word to me."

Zhao Yang remained silent. Gu Qing continued, her emotions completely breaking loose at this point. She wasn't someone who liked to express her feelings; since Zhao Yang had known her, the times she had actually cried could be counted on one hand.

Today she was truly crying—not the quiet shedding of tears, but a cry filled with grievance and anger. Her lips were trembling, and her fingers were clenched tight.

"Do you know how miserable I've been during this time? I saw you every day. You were right next to me doing experiments, less than three meters away. You wouldn't talk to me, and I didn't dare talk to you. I was afraid that if I spoke, you would ignore me completely. And then today, you just come in to resign! You're leaving! You weren't even going to say a word to me before you left! If I hadn't run out, would you have just gone?"

Zhao Yang was silent for a few seconds, then he reached out and pulled her close. Gu Qing's body crashed into his chest. She shuddered a couple of times, then began to pound on his chest with her fists. The force wasn't great, but she struck him repeatedly with effort. Zhao Yang pressed one hand against her back and used the other to envelop her clenched fists in his palm, speaking in a low voice.

"It was my fault."

Gu Qing struck him twice more before stopping. Her forehead rested against Zhao Yang's chest as she leaned into his embrace, her breathing gradually steadying.

After a long while, Gu Qing said muffledly, "Actually, I forgave you a long time ago."

Zhao Yang looked down at her, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

He never expected that Gu Qing would actually forgive him!

"When I got back that night, Mei Lin asked me what was wrong, but I didn't say. When I woke up the next morning, I regretted it. I felt like I shouldn't have just gotten up and left; I should have at least said something to you. But then you didn't come to find me, so I got angry. I thought that if you even just sent a message—even just a single period—I would have responded immediately. But you didn't send anything."

Zhao Yang didn't speak after hearing this; he just placed his hand on her back and patted her gently twice.

"I didn't sleep at all last night. I had a premonition that if I didn't make up with you today, I would never see you again. Not just this kind of 'not seeing,' but truly—you would leave, and then there would be nothing left between us."

"I won't," Zhao Yang said. His voice was low but very certain.

"I won't disappear. I'm just leaving the lab."

"That's not the same," Gu Qing shook her head. "When you were in the lab, I could see you every day. If you leave, I won't know where you are."

Zhao Yang fell silent.

After a moment, Gu Qing raised her head and looked at him.

"What do you plan to do about Li Yan?"

Zhao Yang didn't answer immediately. The fact that Gu Qing could ask this question showed that she had already processed her initial emotions and was starting to face reality.

She didn't say 'choose one,' nor did she say 'this is where we end.' She asked 'what do you plan to do,' which made her meaning very clear—she was prepared to accept the situation, but she wanted Zhao Yang to provide a resolution.

Zhao Yang thought for a long while before speaking.

"I don't want to give up either of them."