The Reluctant Bride Book I Chapter 55.56

The Echo Wall.

In Gu Jiao Wen’s car, Tan Pan Ting looked out the window at the polluted night sky.

‘Where do you want to go?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked.

‘I don’t know,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘You’re the tour guide.’

‘What about the Forbidden City, the Great Wall or Sanlitun Village?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked.

‘Stop the car,’ Tan Pan Ting said.

Gu Jiao Wen stopped on the side of the road.

‘If you feel forced to be a tour guide then I can go sightseeing on my own,’ Tan Pan Ting said.

Gu Jiao Wen held Tan Pan Ting’s wrist, and he locked the doors.

‘Where do you want to go?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked.

‘Anywhere as long as I’m not in the same place as you,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Gu Jiao Wen, let go of me and open the doors. I want to get out.’

‘Where do you want to go?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked.

‘I want to get out,’ Tan Pan Ting said.

‘You have two choices,’ Gu Jiao Wen said. ‘I can take you where you want to go or you can follow me.’

‘I want to get out and you can go wherever you want to go,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘You’ve been everywhere in the city, but I haven’t. I can go sightseeing on my own.’

‘Where do you want to go?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked.

Tan Pan Ting thought talking to Gu Jiao Wen was like talking to a wall, it made her remember about the Echo Wall.

‘Is the Temple of Heaven opened at this time?’ Tan Pan Ting asked.

‘Temple of Heaven?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked.

‘Yes, I want to see the Echo Wall,’ Tan Pan Ting said.

Gu Jiao Wen drove to the Echo Wall.

Tan Pan Ting didn’t understand why someone as rich as Gu Jiao Wen would choose to be a cop in a small town. She shook her head. She didn’t need to understand Gu Jiao Wen, because she didn’t want to marry him.

Tan Pan Ting received a text message. She looked at her phone, it was a text message from Zheng Jia Ju. Since it was a long drive, she logged onto a chatroom.

Angel Jia Ju: I forgot to tell you last night. You better bring back a gift for me.

Summer Night Sky: What for? Anything here, you can buy at home or online.

Angel Jia Ju: Buying something for myself, and you giving me a gift are two different things. I don’t care what you get me. You can get me a roast duck, and I’ll still be happy.

Summer Night Sky: What are you? An eagle?

Angel Jia Ju: Yes. If you don’t bring back a gift for me, I’ll eat you.

Summer Night Sky: OK. I don’t want to get married. We can live together.

Angel Jia Ju: I didn’t say I want to be a lesbian.

Summer Night Sky: Lesbians live good lives. They don’t need to have children.

Angel Jia Ju: Have you won over his family yet?

Summer Night Sky: Why do I need to win over his family?

Angel Jia Ju: Everyone knows we’re like sisters. If he breaks it off with you, it’ll lower your little sister’s worth on the market.

Tan Pan Ting laughed loudly. She was grateful to have a good friend like Zheng Jia Ju. She logged off the chatroom, and she noticed Gu Jiao Wen parked the car.

‘Are we here?’ Tan Pan Ting asked.

Tan Pan Ting tried opening her door, it was still locked.

‘Aren’t you getting out of the car?’ Tan Pan Ting asked.

‘Who were you talking to before?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked.

‘None of your business,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘I want to get out.’

Tan Pan Ting couldn’t stand the tension in the car.

‘Before I was talking to my childhood friend, Zheng Jia Ju,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Satisfied?’

Gu Jiao Wen unlocked the doors.

‘Let’s go,’ Gu Jiao Wen said.

Tan Pan Ting got out of the car, and she looked suspiciously at the temple.

‘Is this really where the Echo Wall is?’ Tan Pan Ting asked.

Gu Jiao Wen bought two tickets to see the Echo Wall.

‘Yes, it’s the Echo Wall,’ Gu Jiao Wen said.

At the Echo Wall, Tan Pan Ting wanted to hear if the wall actually echoed.

‘Gu Jiao Wen, run over there and I’ll stay here,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘I want to hear the Echo Wall.’

Gu Jiao Wen didn’t move.

‘If you don’t want to help me then I’ll ask someone else,’ Tan Pan Ting said.

Gu Jiao Wen held onto Tan Pan Ting’s arm to stop her from leaving.

‘Stay here,’ Gu Jiao Wen said. ‘I’ll go over there.’

Tan Pan Ting didn’t need to wait long for Gu Jiao Wen to stand on the other end of the Echo Wall.

‘Say something,’ Tan Pan Ting said.

‘Tan Pan Ting,’ Gu Jiao Wen said.

Tan Pan Ting heard her name clearly. But Gu Jiao Wen acted like it would kill him to say more than three words when they were at the Echo Wall.

Tan Pan Ting waited for Gu Jiao Wen to say something else. When she gave up, he was standing in front of her.

‘Let’s go inside the temple,’ Gu Jiao Wen said.

‘Isn’t the temple closed?’ Tan Pan Ting asked.

Gu Jiao Wen held Tan Pan Ting’s hand, and they walked inside the Temple of Heaven. She was surprised it was still opened late at night for tourists.

Tan Pan Ting was focused on taking photos that she didn’t notice Gu Jiao Wen was watching her taking the photos.

Gu Jiao Wen didn’t understand why Tan Pan Ting looked so focused while she took photos of ordinary objects.

‘If Jia Ju’s here, she can help take photos,’ Tan Pan Ting mumbled.

Gu Jiao Wen took Tan Pan Ting’s phone out of her hands.

‘Hey!’ Tan Pan Ting said.

‘Go stand over there,’ Gu Jiao Wen said. ‘I’ll help you take photos.’

‘Gu Jiao Wen, give back my phone,’ Tan Pan Ting said.

‘You don’t want photos of yourself here?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked.

Tan Pan Ting stood in front of a statue. She looked at her phone in Gu Jiao Wen’s hand, but she couldn’t smile. Gu Jiao Wen taking photos of her was different to Zheng Jia Ju taking photos of her.

End of Chapters Fifty-Five to Fifty-Seven