Chapter 4: Chapter Four: Swinging on the Swing, Playing with Mud—Indeed Playing the Madman Quite Well
However, it was true that Lin Rui and Gu Chenxi had attended kindergarten and elementary school together. Chen Bo was aware of this fact. Although he found Lin Rui's words to be exaggerated, Gu Chenxi's specialist had indeed suggested using past pleasant experiences to try to awaken her. Additionally, Gu Chenxi's condition was different from that of someone with severe mental illness; most of the time, her consciousness was normal, and she only occasionally behaved strangely or said unusual things.
Seeing Chen Bo's hesitation and discomfort, Lin Rui picked up the small conch and held it to his lips. "Chen Bo, if you don't believe me, I'll play a tune on this conch for you. It's the tune that Gu Chenxi used to love listening to when she was ten years old."
But just as he was about to blow into the conch, Chen Bo quickly reached out and made a "stop" gesture. Then he sighed softly and said, "Alright, I'll take you to see Miss for a moment. But you mustn't rush up to her when you see her. You should stand back and wait for me to get her permission before you talk to her."
Lin Rui promptly agreed. Chen Bo then led him on a tour of the vast garden. There were many servants, mostly female, and the layout of the garden was quite intricate. Without Chen Bo leading the way, Lin Rui would have almost gotten lost.
After about seven or eight minutes, Chen Bo led him to a small courtyard within the garden. As they approached, they heard bursts of laughter coming from inside.
"Miss, be careful on the swing!"
"Slow down, you might fall!"
As Lin Rui stepped into the courtyard, he saw a beautiful woman swinging happily on a swing. Her smile was innocent and charming, and her beauty was beyond compare. Compared to the actress who played Gu Chenxi in the TV series Lin Rui had watched, the Gu Chenxi before him was simply incomparable.
"Kekekeke..."
"You can't catch me, you can't catch me..."
Two maidservants beneath the swing watched anxiously as it swung violently, but the lovely lady above seemed increasingly carefree. Her laughter seemed to possess a magical charm, making people feel a sense of joy just by listening to it.
However, at this moment, the lady on the swing indeed seemed a bit mad. Most girls wouldn't dare to swing so recklessly, and the things she said sounded somewhat silly.
Seeing this, Chen Bo quickly rushed over. Despite his old age, his martial arts skills were still sharp. He leaped up and grabbed the swing's reins, gradually bringing the swinging to a halt.
"Miss, please be careful," he said gently, helping Gu Chenxi down from the swing. She looked slightly displeased, rolling her eyes at Chen Bo before pouting and playfully swinging her small fist in front of him.
She seemed to want to scold Chen Bo lightly, but her peripheral vision caught sight of Lin Rui not far away. Lin Rui also noticed the gaze she shot him—a mixture of surprise and confusion. However, she quickly averted her eyes and ran briskly to a small mud pit nearby. Squatting down, she scooped up some mud with her hands and began to play happily.
As she played with the mud, she sang an unknown nursery rhyme joyfully. The two maidservants soon joined in the fun.
Lin Rui could clearly feel that Gu Chenxi's immediate change in behavior was meant for his benefit. Seeing an outsider, she wanted to make him believe that she was truly mad. If he hadn't known the plot beforehand, he might have been deceived by her excellent acting skills.
It was evident that Gu Chenxi had adapted to this life of pretending to be mad. This was evident from how quickly and reflexively she could switch to such behavior.
Watching Gu Chenxi playing in the mud, Chen Bo couldn't help but sigh softly. Then he walked over, squatted down beside her, played with her for a while, said a few words, and then pointed to Lin Rui at the courtyard gate.
His gesture seemed to say, "Miss, do you remember the person at the gate?" Gu Chenxi turned her head to glance at the gate, then vigorously shook her head before returning to her mud play.
Following that, Chen Bo patiently engaged in a conversation with Gu Chenxi, trying to introduce Lin Rui, her childhood playmate, and expressing that he wanted to chat casually with her. Although Gu Chenxi understood Chen Bo's words, when he asked if she was willing to talk to Lin Rui, she displayed extreme agitation and reluctance. She covered her ears with her muddy hands and vigorously shook her head, her emotions escalating rapidly. Soon, her face and ears were smeared with mud, and the two maidservants anxiously tried to calm her down. To any observer, Gu Chenxi's behavior would indeed seem insane, as a normal person wouldn't act in such a manner. Even Lin Rui, witnessing the scene, couldn't help but admire Gu Chenxi's convincing performance.
After a while, when Gu Chenxi calmed down slightly, Chen Bo walked over to Lin Rui with disappointment. "Young Master Lin, as you can see, Miss's attitude... I'm afraid we can't meet your request today. Miss needs rest now. I suggest you go back."
Chen Bo sighed softly. Lin Rui furrowed his brows slightly, then suddenly had an idea. He said to Chen Bo, "Not necessarily!"
As Chen Bo wondered what Lin Rui meant, Lin Rui loudly called out to Gu Chenxi, who was playing in the mud not far away, "Gu Chenxi, do you remember the East Wind Break Department Store?"
Gu Chenxi, squatting on the ground playing with mud, suddenly shuddered. Then she turned around, her eyes burning as she looked at Lin Rui by the courtyard gate. Knowing the plot was indeed satisfying.
Lin Rui didn't call out to Gu Chenxi for no reason. In the novel's plot, the East Wind Break Department Store was an important clue for Gu Chenxi to investigate her father's murderer. After her parents died in a car accident in California, USA, leaving behind no complete bodies, Gu Chenxi refused to believe it was just an ordinary accident. She remembered overhearing her father arguing on the phone with her uncles, mentioning the East Wind Break Department Store several times. Despite investigating for a long time, Gu Chenxi couldn't find a store by that name in California or anywhere else.
However, she believed there was a big secret behind this clue, a secret that only her enemies knew about. When Lin Rui asked about it, Gu Chenxi first appeared surprised, then began to tremble all over. Lin Rui could guess that Gu Chenxi probably saw him as part of her enemies.
"Gu Chenxi, shall we have a chat?" Lin Rui shouted again.
This time, although Gu Chenxi didn't respond, she stood up straight away. Then, in a frenzied manner, she danced over to Lin Rui and grabbed his wrist with her dirty hands, shouting, "Let's play with mud together!" She pulled him towards the nearby mud pit.
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