Chapter 66

Tao Yi Xi returned to the Gu’s residence and encountered Nanny Yang on her way up the stairs.

Nanny Yang glanced at her, “Miss Tao, you just came back?”

“Mhmm.”

“As a girl, Miss Tao should be more conscientious when deciding to stay out all night.”

Tao Yi Xi responded noncommittally and followed behind Nanny Yang with slowed steps.

Nanny Yang, holding a tray, knocked on Gu Jing Yuan’s door.

“Jing Yuan, I’ve made some sweet dumplings, you should have some.”

“Nanny Yang, I’ve eaten, I’m not hungry.”

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“R’zz lyv zyvla, vbydj usw, Lyddu Zydt.”

“Gzaktbv, fwpv alxlxcla vs lyv kv.”

“Zlp, ulp, ulp.”

After watching Nanny Yang head downstairs, he did not even have time to place everything down before hastily turning around and running to her door.

Coincidentally, Tao Yi Xi opened the door, and the two met at the entrance. Their gaze collided with intense longing and infatuation that neither party was able to conceal.

“You didn’t take the last train back?” He had estimated the arrival time and had planned to pick her up.

“Didn’t someone say that he wanted me to come back earlier?” She spoke softly, acting coquettish.

Unable to bear it any longer, Gu Jing Yuan pushed open the door, and Tao Yi Xi instinctively took two steps back. After he stepped in, the door closed, leaving the corridor empty.

At some point, after he stepped into the room, he put the tray down on the ground. 

He held her waist, lowered his head, and kissed her.

Words could not express his happiness anymore. He wanted to be as close to her as possible. She could feel the rise in his body temperature due to his excitement.

Her soft waist could not escape his grasp even as she leaned back.

As she softly gasped for air, he leaned against her forehead, smiling and murmuring, “I’m so happy!”

“Mmm, I know,” Emotions were transmitted through the air.

Tao Yi Xi hugged his narrow waist with both hands, letting him lean on her as the smile on her face widened.

After a moment of shared tenderness, she calmed down and asked him, “Why aren’t you eating your meals?”

“I’ve eaten.”

Tao Yi Xi saw the half-eaten toast. “That’s all you’re having?”

“I don’t have much appetite. I woke up late today and want to study more.” Only after he started studying did he realize that there was not enough time.

“Silly, learning takes time. If you don’t get enough nutrition, your brain won’t be able to work faster.”

“Okay.” He listened obediently to what she said.

“Then go eat.”

Gu Jing Yuan had no choice but to let go and pick up the warm sweet dumplings.

He fed her first, and Tao Yi Xi frowned briefly. Yet, her fleeting expression did not escape his detection.

“You don’t like it?”

“It’s fine, I don’t mind it.” She was not picky.

The sweet dumplings were filled with meat, which might not be appetizing for those used to sweet foods, especially since she had a sweet tooth.

After realizing this, Gu Jing Yuan held her hand and suggested they go down together to eat.

Tao Yi Xi pulled her hand out of his palm. “I’ll bring the tray down first, you finish your sweet dumplings first.”

Upon opening the door, Tao Yi Xi froze. She felt a chill down her spine as she broke out in a cold sweat.

“Why are you still standing here?”

Gu Jing Yuan walked over, spotted the person outside the door, and frowned.

“Why are you here?” Gu Jing Yuan asked coldly.

Gu Mu Yang stood straight in a black suit, his presence imposing.

He quietly observed the two in the room, his eyes profound and unfathomable.

“I wanted to have a chat with you. I just didn’t expect you to be here instead of in your room.”

“I have a math problem I couldn’t figure out, so I came to ask her.” Gu Jing Yuan’s attitude was casual and natural.

“I see.”

“Otherwise? How did you think my grades improved?” Gu Jing Yuan smiled coolly.

“You’ve been working hard lately.”

“En. So what do you want to talk about?”

“It’s nothing.”

He dropped by home momentarily to collect something and coincidentally encountered Nanny Yang sneakily peeking upstairs.

When he asked, Nanny Yang explained that she felt there was something off between Jing Yuan and Tao Yi Xi, hence, he came up to take a look.

Glancing at his watch, Gu Mu Yang commented, “I still have matters to handle, I’ll be leaving first.”

He came as suddenly and decisively as he left.

Gu Jing Yuan watched Tao Yi Xi, who was still standing motionlessly. When he touched her worriedly, he found that her fingers were ice cold. 

She was still terrified. If she had not wanted to get something and let go of his hand, what would have happened if the two of them had appeared in front of Gu Mu Yang holding hands?

Even now, how much of the excuse Gu Jing Yuan gave did Gu Mu Yang believe?

“Don’t worry, everything’s fine.” Gu Jing Yuan reached out wanting to comfort her but was avoided.

Tao Yi Xi forced a smile. “Let’s not be too intimate when we’re at home.”

His eyes darkened, but he acquiesced.

She headed out and at the stairs, she ran into Gu Mu Yang and Nanny Yang who were talking.

Gu Mu Yang turned around and cast a nonchalant glance at her. Tao Yi Xi stopped in her tracks, “Uncle Gu.”

“Your teacher informed me that you’ve been admitted to Tsinghua University in advance.”

“Yes.”

“Congratulations, but you’ll need to continue working hard. Don’t let a momentary mistake ruin all your hard work over the years.”

Tao Yi Xi tensed up but quickly adjusted her state of mind. She displayed a polite smile and replied with a perfectly practised smile, “I understand, thank you, Uncle Gu, for your advice.”

Stepping out of the room, Gu Jing Yuan observed the duo’s interaction. Especially Tao Yi Xi’s perfected perfunctory smile, Gu Jing Yuan felt his scalp tingle.

“What are you two talking about?”

Gu Mu Yang saw how defensive Gu Jing Yuan was, like a mother protecting its cub, and narrowed his eyes.

Tao Yi Xi explained, “Uncle Gu was discussing about my studies.”

Gu Jing Yuan glanced at Gu Mu Yang in suspicion.

A tall man in a sharp suit walked in from outside and respectfully informed Gu Mu Yang, “Sir, the driver is already here.”

Finally, Gu Mu Yang left, but her smile did not falter.

“Stop smiling,” Gu Jing Yuan pinched her cheek.

Tao Yi Xi glared at him, and he awkwardly put his hand down, unable to help himself.

“Let’s eat, I’m hungry.”

As soon as Nanny Yang heard this, she immediately went to prepare. Tao Yi Xi, riding on his coattail, got to eat as well. She absentmindedly tasted the food.

**

From then on, whenever they were at home, he would always be avoided when he tried to touch her. Furthermore, she would repeatedly and solemnly emphasize that they need to maintain boundaries at home.

After all the hard work he put in during the past year, it was rendered useless and everything reverted to what it was like at the beginning due to one fateful incident. 

The quick-witted Gu Jing Yuan thought for a moment,  ‘If it wasn’t allowed at home, then what about in school? After all, they will be far away from these people…’

During their lunch break, he took Tao Yi Xi to a part of the school compound that was covered in dense bushes. There was a bench covered with dust and fallen leaves, showing how desolate that location was.

Tao Yi Xi had to take her hat off to him. “How did you find this place?”

“My sight is good. I spotted it from our classroom.”

After a prior inspection of the place, Gu Jing Yuan brought her here excitedly, bringing along a pack of tissues, and began to clean the bench due to his hygiene-conscious cleanliness.

After the last round nearly getting caught, it made Tao Yi Xi feel less optimistic.

“Since you can discover this location, so can others,” she warned.

Gu Jing Yuan showed her the blackened tissue. “It’s so dirty, no one has discovered this spot before.”

“…” That seems somewhat logical.

Like a happy bee, Gu Jing Yuan worked hard to clean the area. When he was finally satisfied, he stood for a moment and admired his work.

“Sit.”

“Sitting idly during lunch is a waste of time.”

If it were before, Gu Jing Yuan would have felt aggrieved, thinking, ‘Why is spending time with me considered a waste of time?’ 

Now, with a grander goal in mind, Gu Jing Yuan nodded. His current level of academics required him to seize every second in order to attend the same university as her in the future.

“What books do you want? I’ll go and retrieve them.”

“Either my English or Chinese textbook, for memorizing.”

“Okay!”

As long as the two of them could be together, he could do anything.

In just a few short minutes, he returned. Panting with a thin layer of sweat dotting his forehead, as he handed her the textbook.

Different from normal guys who got sweaty and stunk, when Gu Jing Yuan perspired, not only did it not stink but he had a unique male musk that became stronger due to the heat.

Tao Yi Xi sat on one end of the bench, and Gu Jing Yuan squeezed right next to her.

“Isn’t there space on the other side?”

“I realise that that spot is not clean enough.”

“…”

As he read, he gradually leaned on her shoulder. However, because he was tall, bending his head over made his posture look awkward.

Tao Yi Xi pushed his head. “Focus on your studies.”

“I am. I’m just tired and want to lean on something.” Understanding her concern, Gu Jing Yuan added, “No one will see us here.”

He was like a secret mistress, sigh. 

Tao Yi Xi did not resist as much, allowing him to lean on her, knowing he would feel uncomfortable and move away soon enough.

Yet, he persisted in staying in that position for the whole hour of their lunch break.

By then, Gu Jing Yuan gritted his teeth and supported his waist as he stood back up. His neck was numb, tingling, and aching.

Tao Yi Xi sighed helplessly, “Sit down.”

“It’s okay.” He tried to act tough.

Tao Yi Xi stood on tiptoe and pressed down on his shoulders before he obediently sat back down.

She tentatively pressed and kneaded, “Is this the spot that is sore?”

“En.” 

Focusing on the area of tension, she massaged and his brows instantly furrowed in pain. However, after the pain subsided, he felt soothed when she stretched those tensed muscles out.

“When did you pick up such a skill?” How much more of her did he still not know of? 

“Grandma often have backaches, so I learned the massage technique in order to relieve her pain and after a while, one will get better at it.”

For the first time, Gu Jing Yuan truly understood the weight of what it meant for Tao Yi Xi and her grandmother to only have each other to rely on.

“Feeling better?”

“En, much better.”

“Don’t do it next time, you’ll be sore.”

“I like it, even if it’s uncomfortable.”

He lowered his eyes and said softly, “There are only two weeks left until the final year exams, and this semester will be over.”

This meant that she only had two more weeks in this school.

Having something to look forward to did not alleviate the sadness of parting.

Tao Yi Xi’s eyes softened. He was like a hedgehog covered in thorns. When touched, he would prick others with his sharp thorns, causing others to bleed all over, making everyone feel that he was terrible and then fearfully avoided him. Yet, when he finally showed his soft underbelly, she realized how fragile and soft he could be.

She was too caught up on what the future holds and had neglected the present.

“Alright, let’s come back tomorrow.”

She told herself countless times not to indulge him, so why could she not resist going back on her words?

**

Gu Jing Yuan voluntarily decided to stay back after school ended.

Qi Yue was flabbergasted. “Brother Yuan, are you possessed?”

Gu Jing Yuan gave him a look. “You know nothing.”

Shen Chen Chen was waiting outside for Qi Yue. They had arranged to go out with a group of friends tonight.

Since the last time Shen Chen Chen suffered from that severe blow at the KTV, the two of them unexpectedly became closer to each other.

Her gaze unconsciously fell on Gu Jing Yuan. He was still so handsome, but his aggressive and unapproachable school delinquent aura had changed drastically. Now he appeared more calm; like a wandering soul who finally found peace.

After Qi Yue came out, he shared the shocking news with her, “Do you know why Brother Yuan is staying back in school?”

“Why?”

“To do homework!” Qi Yue rubbed his chin, lost in thought. “Is studying really that interesting?”

Shen Chen Chen replied, “…You’re thinking too much.”

“Then Brother Yuan must be possessed. Even though he’s already doing well now, he’s still studying! Do you think he’s on drugs? He seemed to be getting more and more addicted.” He became more and more agitated as he spoke, feeling what he just said made sense.

Shen Chen Chen was speechless.

“What’s with that look?” Qi Yue exclaimed.

“A look of compassion for the mentally challenged.”

Shen Chen Chen dragged him back.

“Hey! Where are you taking me?”

“To investigate what drug he’s hooked on.”

---

Apologies to all my lovely readers as posting has been sporadic recently. I’m currently undertaking my thesis project this year and I have just submitted my research proposal and whatnot. I didn’t have the mental or physical bandwidth to juggle work, school, and translations. Posting should resume as per normal until July, hopefully…

I am sincerely sorry that there might be disappointed readers who were looking forward to reading more of this novel. Thank you for your understanding.

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