Liu Yuan walked Gu’er to the stairwell.
"How about I walk you up?"
Liu Yuan asked Gu’er. He felt he could only rest easy once he saw her safely ho, but he worried it might be an inconvenience. If her parents saw her with a guy, and that she’d been drinking, they might be upset. He truly hadn’t realized Gu’er was such a lightweight; she was already a bit tipsy after just a couple of shots. In contrast, his mother and his aunt could each handle a whole pint of strong liquor without any trouble.
"Sure. You can see where I live. Next ti you’re looking for , you can just co straight to the house."
Gu’er nodded. ’When I go looking for Liu Yuan, his mother doesn’t like it,’ she thought. ’So it’s better if he cos looking for . I have to make sure nothing happens to him before this ti next year.’
"Okay. Watch your step."
Gu’er’s words put Liu Yuan more at ease. ’Her parents must treat her pretty well,’ he thought.
When they reached her apartnt, Gu’er took out her key. But before she could unlock it, the door clicked and swung open from the inside.
"Sis, you’re back! Hurry and co in, it’s cold outside."
It was Lin Zheng who had opened the door. His young face was etched with concern for his sister.
"I’m not cold."
Gu’er smiled at him. Then, Lin Zheng noticed Liu Yuan standing behind her, and his eyes went wide. ’Why did Sis bring soone ho?’ he wondered.
"Gu’er’s back! Co on in. Xiao Zhi has been waiting for you for a while."
Chen Fengjiao’s voice drifted from inside.
Gu’er froze. She glanced into the living room, and sure enough, Li Zhi was there, smiling cheerfully at her.
’Why is Li Zhi here again? Hasn’t it only been a few days since his last visit?’
"Oh, Li Zhi, you’re here. Give a minute, I’ll be right there."
Gu’er greeted Li Zhi. Lin Zheng pulled her aside and whispered, "Sis, Brother Li ca right after you left. Mom and our second sister were thrilled."
Gu’er patted Lin Zheng’s head. ’It seems this little brother of mine isn’t a big fan of Li Zhi,’ she thought.
"Brother Liu Yuan, co on in."
Gu’er said, turning back to Liu Yuan.
"Okay."
Liu Yuan, who had been hesitating, managed a reply. He had planned to just drop Gu’er off and leave. But now that he was at the door, it would be rude not to greet her elders. Plus, he’d heard soone was visiting Gu’er and had seen another man in the living room. His chest tightened, making him question whether he should enter at all. Though he followed her inside at her prompting, he couldn’t help but feel awkward and restrained.
Gu’er had Liu Yuan hang his hat and scarf on the coat rack. She hung up her own as well, then led him into the living room.
Only then did the Lin Family realize that Gu’er hadn’t co back alone; a young man had returned with her.
All eyes in the room turned to Liu Yuan.
Under the gaze of so many people, Liu Yuan felt his face flush. Even though he wasn’t as shy as he used to be, the scrutiny was embarrassing, and the alcohol he’d consud made his blush even more intense.
"Gu’er, who is this?"
Chen Fengjiao asked, her brow furrowed.
’This young man is gorgeous,’ she thought. ’He’s better looking than Sun Jiaming and even Li Zhi. But I don’t recognize him.’ A whiff of alcohol reached her. ’My daughter went drinking with a strange man?’ The thought made her deeply unhappy, and with Li Zhi right there in the room, her displeasure intensified.
A glint flashed in Li Zhi’s eyes. ’Gu’er told she had a boyfriend, but I never believed it. Besides, I’m confident in myself. Even if she does, as long as they aren’t married, I can still compete. The Lin Family would never let her marry into so average family, so my chances are still good.’ He’d won Chen Fengjiao’s favor during his last visit, so he’d used the excuse of dropping sothing off to co again today. He hadn’t expected Gu’er to be out, let alone to return with another man—and such a handso one at that. ’He’s clearly not a decent sort. He must have sweet-talked her, and she just fell for his pretty face.’
Li Zhi’s eyes narrowed. ’I like Gu’er, and she would be an asset to . I’ll make this guy back off.’
Lin Shan was also sizing up Liu Yuan, but being a more composed man, his inspection was simply one of curiosity toward a new face, with no other intention.
Lin Sui’er was staring, too. Her first glimpse of Liu Yuan took her by surprise. ’How can a man be that good-looking?’ But her shock quickly turned into a sneer. ’This must be that what’s-his-na, Sun Jiaming. Sis’s boyfriend from the village. Who cares if he’s handso? Good looks don’t pay the bills. Brother Li Zhi is much better.’
"Dad, Mom, this is Liu Yuan, my friend."
Gu’er introduced Liu Yuan to her parents.
"Brother Liu Yuan, this is my dad and my mom. That’s Sui’er, this is Lin Zheng, my little brother, and that’s Li Zhi, a classmate of mine."
Gu’er then introduced everyone in the room to Liu Yuan.
"So you’re Liu Yuan. I’ve heard Gu’er ntion you. You’ve helped her out a lot in the past. We’ve been aning to invite you over. Please, sit."
Seeing that Chen Fengjiao hadn’t moved, Lin Shan stood up and greeted Liu Yuan himself.
Liu Yuan was rather overwheld by the warm welco. Lin Shan was an elder, after all. He managed a few humble protests before taking a seat.
Lin Shan glanced at Gu’er. He’d already ford a good impression of Liu Yuan from what Gu’er had told him previously. ’And now that I’ve t him, he’s such a handso young man,’ he thought. ’Good-looking, from the city, and treats my daughter well. To think she chose Sun Jiaming over him... I have to admit, her taste is certainly unique.’
Chen Fengjiao, however, didn’t know who Liu Yuan was. ’Where did this one pop out from?’ she wondered.
"He’s not Sun Jiaming? His na is Liu Yuan? Where is he from? Seriously, Sis, do you just bring any random person ho?"
Lin Sui’er piped up mockingly from the side.
"Sui’er, a visitor is a guest. He’s your sister’s friend. Watch your mouth."
Chen Fengjiao shot Sui’er a glare, but inwardly, she agreed completely.
Gu’er frowned. She usually paid no mind to Lin Sui’er’s behavior, treating her like a child. It was one thing for her sister to target her, but she drew the line at her friends being insulted.
Seeing Liu Yuan’s flushed face and awkward expression, Gu’er’s gaze turned cold.
"Dad, Mom, Li Zhi, please stay seated. Brother Liu Yuan, let’s go. We’ll talk in my room."
Gu’er stood up. She didn’t want everyone staring at Liu Yuan as if he were an animal at the zoo, nor did she want to hear their snide remarks. She refused to let him be humiliated, knowing what a simple, genuine person he was.
When Liu Yuan saw Gu’er get up, he hurriedly stood up as well.
"Going to your room? In broad daylight? What do you think you’re doing, abandoning Brother Li Zhi to go into your room with another man? Are you planning to shut the door and whisper secrets, too? Lin Gu’er, this isn’t your village where you can do as you please! This is my ho, so don’t you do anything disgraceful here! You can let yourself be fooled by a good-for-nothing pretty boy if you want, but even if you have no sha, Mom and Dad still have their dignity to think about!"
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A note from the author: Thank you to Ning Zhihai for the like, and thanks to everyone for your support! My daughter has a guzheng performance on the 24th, so these last few days, she’s had to be at practice from 8 AM until almost noon, and I have to be there with her the whole ti. I get ho, grab a quick bite, and then I have to write. Just now my husband called over and over to mop the floor. I told him, "Wait ’til I’m done writing! Can you stop being so annoying?!" Ugh, soone save !
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