The sky darkened, and the orange-red glow on the city gradually faded away.
The car stopped at Fenglin Villa, and Qiao Yuxian suspiciously glanced at Shang Chen before immediately getting out and entering the villa.
She changed her shoes at the entrance and dashed into the living room.
As Gu Yanjing was coming down the stairs, he looked at her, somewhat puzzled as she ran in.
Qiao Yuxian headed straight up the stairs, ran to Gu Yanjing’s side, and said seriously, "What’s wrong with Shang Chen?"
Gu Yanjing looked at her.
Qiao Yuxian continued, "He smiled at me ..."
Qiao Yuxian mimicked Shang Chen’s smile.
She pulled a long face and suddenly broke into a peculiar toothy grin on her otherwise expressionless face.
"Like that," Qiao Yuxian said, "It’s terrifying."
Gu Yanjing observed the expression Qiao Yuxian imitated, and his eyes flickered slightly.
Seeing Shang Chen enter the living room, Qiao Yuxian lowered her voice and said, "Did something shock him?"
Gu Yanjing glanced at Shang Chen as well; Shang Chen now appeared normal. He continued down the stairs, saying calmly, "He’s fine."
Qiao Yuxian followed him, descending together.
Downstairs, Shang Chen lowered his head and called, "Mr. Gu."
Gu Yanjing responded with a nod, then Shang Chen looked at Qiao Yuxian, paused, and smiled again.
Qiao Yuxian immediately stepped aside, standing behind Gu Yanjing, and gently tugged on the side of Gu Yanjing’s shirt, whispering, "Look."
Gu Yanjing lowered his gaze to his waist, then looked at Shang Chen’s smiling face.
Earlier, he thought Qiao Yuxian’s reaction to the smile was exaggerated.
Now seeing it... Qiao Yuxian’s demonstration was actually too restrained.
Noticing Gu Yanjing’s distaste, Shang Chen cleared his throat and retracted his teeth.
After Gu Yanjing sat on the sofa, Shang Chen followed and sat on another sofa.
The single-seater sofa was left for Qiao Yuxian.
Qiao Yuxian placed the book and the gift bag she was holding on the coffee table, then noticed the Wufang Restaurant snack box on the table.
Every time she came back, the coffee table was always set with washed and cut fruits, along with various teas and snacks.
This snack box on top was indeed not very noticeable.
She glanced at the words "Wufang Restaurant" and then looked at Gu Yanjing.
Gu Yanjing had just poured a cup of tea, sensing her gaze, he looked up.
Their eyes met, and Qiao Yuxian signaled to the snack box with her eyes.
Gu Yanjing took a sip of tea and also glanced at the snack box. After a while, he said, "Go ahead and eat."
Qiao Yuxian smiled brightly, "Thank you."
She reached and took the snack box, sat on the single-seater sofa, placed the box on her lap, and opened it.
"Lotus Pastry," Qiao Yuxian said happily.
Sitting opposite her, Shang Chen bit his tongue upon hearing "Lotus Pastry," causing him to frown from the pain.
Soon, he tasted the blood in his mouth, his calm face showing traces of weightiness and disbelief.
Qiao Yuxian carefully picked one up, took a bite; the taste was wonderful, so she took another bite, saying, "It tastes just like what I had as a child."
Gu Yanjing watched her, his index finger on his leg lightly twitching before he suddenly asked, "Do you like it?"
Perhaps slightly surprised by Gu Yanjing’s question, Qiao Yuxian felt he seemed different for a moment.
She looked at him, found he was the same as usual, then nodded, "But I prefer Wufang Restaurant’s coconut pastry and osmanthus cake."
Gu Yanjing watched as she slowly ate, taking small bites.
Qiao Yuxian ate leisurely, saying, "There’s a branch in Yue City, my grandpa used to buy it for me often when I was a kid. Later, I picked out my two favorite kinds of pastries. Then... my grandparents would just buy those two for me."
Shang Chen lifted his gaze as well, looking at her.
"Elders, they always buy you what you like to eat." Qiao Yuxian inadvertently conveyed a sense of warmth and happiness when mentioning her grandparents, "So... the taste of Lotus Pastry is still from my childhood."
Gu Yanjing shifted his gaze away from her, and drank another sip of tea.
When Qiao Yuxian approached his grandfather in the hospital, he had someone investigate her.
Before college, she lived with her grandparents in Yue City.
She only moved to the Qiao family in the Capital City for college.
However, she rarely went home, spending most of her time in the dorm, only occasionally returning. During winter and summer breaks, she would go back to Yue City.
Her grandparents passed away when she was in her sophomore year.
According to the records, her grandfather passed away due to illness, and a week after, her grandmother followed, cause unknown.
After that... at the end of her sophomore year, Qiao Yuxian took a two-year hiatus for volunteer work in mountainous areas.
"Here." Qiao Yuxian finished a pastry and handed another to Gu Yanjing.
Gu Yanjing lowered his gaze.
"Try it." She moved it closer to him, "It’s delicious."
Gu Yanjing looked at the piece of Lotus Pastry, after a moment, he accepted it and tasted a bit.
"How is it? How is it? It’s good, isn’t it?" Qiao Yuxian’s eyes shone brightly.
Gu Yanjing wasn’t very fond of sweets, but seeing her expectant face, he still gave a soft "hmm."
Qiao Yuxian smiled, took another piece from the box, and said, "I’ll give one to Aunt Mei, and this one is for Mr. Shang."
The box still had one last piece, which Qiao Yuxian handed to Shang Chen along with the box.
Shang Chen, caught off guard, instinctively reached out to catch the box.
As Qiao Yuxian headed to the kitchen, he stayed there stiffly holding the snack box, habitually keeping a straight face, somewhat not knowing how to react.
Gu Yanjing put the Lotus Pastry he held on the teatime snack plate on the coffee table, looking towards the kitchen.
He could hear Qiao Yuxian chatting with Aunt Mei in the kitchen.
Adding just one person made it more lively than when he was surrounded by dozens of people.
Qiao Yuxian stayed in the kitchen until dinner was ready, planning to take the gift bag and book from the coffee table upstairs.
Gu Yanjing watched her pick up the gift bag to head upstairs.
But after a few steps, she came back.
Like a child showing off gifts, she opened the gift box and took out the earrings.
She held them up for Gu Yanjing and Shang Chen to see, "Aren’t they pretty?"
The tassel earrings were embedded with tiny diamonds, eye-catching yet not overly ostentatious.
Both Gu Yanjing and Shang Chen watched her, their cold expressions masking any confusion.
All the people around Gu Yanjing were practically all men.
No matter their personality, they were always meticulous, serious, and spoke little in front of him.
So, some of Qiao Yuxian’s actions seemed novel to him at times.
There was silence in the living room, no one speaking or responding.
But Qiao Yuxian didn’t need their response, continuing, "My dad bought them during a business trip."
Gu Yanjing showed no reaction, no expression, just watching her.
Watching her happiness.
After Qiao Yuxian finished showing them, she carefully put the earrings back into the gift box, ignoring the reactions, if any, of the two in the living room, took her things, and hummed a little tune as she headed upstairs...