Chapter 25 A button—this was much more difficult for him.

He stared into her eyes, then his gaze slowly moved downwards, past the corners of her eyes and the tip of her nose, finally settling on her lips.

Bright red and shiny, like plump cherries.

She must have worn some lip gloss today, as a fine strand of hair was subtly stuck to her lower lip.

Gu Yinyan didn't move, but simply leaned closer to look.

He wasn't going to remove the hair; leaving it hanging like that was fine.

His gaze lowered and lingered there, his eyes scanning from top to bottom as if scrutinizing or admiring.

Liang Yizhi froze. Even though she wasn't making eye contact with him, she could feel his gaze roaming over her face, making her very uncomfortable.

If being with He Xintu only felt like a tingling electric current running through her body, then being watched by Gu Yinyan made her feel like a complete puppet on a string.

The other end of the thread was in his hand, his gaze almost tangible, looming between them. The taut thread held her still, preventing her from moving.

Gu Yinyan spoke in a low voice: "You told He Man before that you wanted to find someone like me or Jiang Huai. Does that still count?"

The face was familiar, but the breath was strange. The man's face and lips were so close, yet she dared not listen or look.

"Let me go first..." Liang Yizhi turned her head away, her heart racing. She was so embarrassed that she didn't know which way to turn her head.

As he turned his head, the movement was too fast, and Liang Yizhi's hair floated up with inertia, gently brushing past his nose and carrying a faint fragrance.

As the distance shortened, Liang Yizhi leaned back repeatedly. Although the distance between their faces increased, their bodies drew closer together. She dared not breathe heavily, afraid that the fluctuations in her breath would make the closeness seem even more intimate and awkward.

The standoff lasted for a good ten seconds before Gu Yinyan finally let go.

"Did you see that?" he asked casually.

Liang Yizhi was taken aback: "...What?"

“Filters, timing, atmosphere… everything that moves you.” Gu Yinyan took a step back, giving her more space. “That’s how it came about.”

Liang Yizhi remained standing in the same spot, her posture unchanged.

So, was he doing this just now to set an example for her?

It nearly scared her to death.

She thought, she still thought...

No, that's impossible, Liang Yizhi told herself.

It's all just a temporary filter; the atmosphere created this illusion.

She tugged at her clothes, stole a glance at Gu Yinyan, straightened herself up, composed herself, and spoke frankly and seriously:

“…Being nervous and being excited are two different things. I was nervous just now.”

"Most nervousness stems from fear. What are you afraid of?"

Liang Yizhi stammered for a long time before finally managing to say, "Of course... I'm afraid you might suddenly have a relapse."

After saying that, she regretted it, feeling that her words were too weak.

Gu Yinyan acted as if nothing had happened, returning to his seat and setting aside the vegetables he had just washed.

After the live demonstration, Liang Yizhi began to reflect on what he had just said, as well as the advice Gu Yinyan had given her in the past.

Upon closer inspection, Liang Yizhi noticed something odd about the pair of eyes.

She looked at the broad back of the man in front of her and said, "To be honest, I always feel that you have a kind of hostility towards the people around me."

When interacting with everyone around her, Liang Yizhi mentioned them to Gu Yinyan more or less, but he never gave her any positive feedback. He was dissatisfied with every single one of them.

Although she is someone who enjoys listening to her friends' opinions, she is also curious about why.

Gu Yinyan said in a light voice, "That's because you have poor judgment."

Liang Yizhi scoffed. She thought for a moment, then suddenly had a brilliant idea:

"I understand," she said suddenly, her words carrying a deeper meaning.

Gu Yinyan had his back to her, but his expression remained unchanged upon hearing this.

Only his Adam's apple subtly moved up and down.

Liang Yizhi said, "You don't like them, is it because..."

"When you see me with other people, do you feel the same way you would when your daughter is getting married?"

Gu Yinyan was cutting meat on the cutting board when he heard this and his hand trembled. The knife, being indiscriminate, almost sliced ​​through his knuckles.

His temples twitched slightly: "...Are you sick?"

He never expected things to turn out this way, no matter how much he planned.

Liang Yizhi retorted, "Just tell me, isn't that right?"

"...I'll take it as you acknowledging me as your father in advance."

"Hey!" she shouted angrily after being rebuffed by his words.

Making this noodle dish truly took a lot of effort. Once the water boiled, Gu Yinyan scooped the noodles out of the pot and put them into the seasoned noodle soup. A golden fried egg was placed on top, and chopped green onions were added as a garnish. The dish looked delicious.

When Liang Yizhi saw him take out another small bowl, she immediately said, "I don't want to eat, you don't need to serve me any more."

Gu Yinyan's expression remained unchanged: "I'll feed it to the dogs downstairs."

After losing two games in a row, Liang Yizhi was so angry that she gritted her teeth.

He brought the noodles to the living room, and the small bowl of noodles was placed on the dining table.

Liang Yizhi talked too much tonight, and digested a lot while strolling through the night market with Gary. Looking at the bowl of noodles, she couldn't bear to waste the food, so she finally sat down next to him and silently picked up the bowl.

Just as Liang Yizhi picked up her chopsticks, Gu Yinyan's gaze flew towards her. She thought he was going to argue with her again, but to her surprise, Gu Yinyan said:

“I contacted a doctor in City A who is a neurosurgeon.”

"The neurosurgery department of that hospital is among the top three. They have treated many cases, have extensive surgical experience, and are very advanced in all aspects."

He remained calm and said, "Ask Lin You if the current treatment is not effective enough, and whether you should consider transferring her to a hospital in City A."

Liang Yizhi kept her head down, and after hearing these words, she looked up at him hesitantly.

Gu Yinyan moved with refined manners, eating his noodles without making a sound. After speaking, he waited quietly for her reply.

Liang Yizhi asked blankly, "You don't object to me helping her?"

"What's the use of objecting?" Gu Yinyan said.

"Besides, someone said I'm aloof and lack empathy. So I'm using my money to help some poor ordinary people."

Gu Yinyan deliberately imitated her tone when she was arguing, but Liang Yizhi didn't mind at all this time.

She's been worried about this lately. Most of the people she knows are young doctors, and she doesn't have enough connections to help Lin You solve the root of the problem.

Gu Yinyan's actions were a timely and much-needed help.

Liang Yizhi knew that Gu Yinyan rarely got involved in anything, especially since he had just had a fight with her. Besides, Lin You wasn't anyone to him; the fact that he went to so much trouble to contact the hospital could only be because of her.

Liang Yizhi was deeply moved, and coupled with a lingering sense of guilt towards him, she opened her arms and rushed forward, offering her gratitude for Gu Yinyan's righteousness—

A big hug.

This hug wasn't as romantic as the one before. Elbows on shoulders, hands patting backs—it lacked a certain atmosphere, but it was still a truly sincere embrace.

Liang Yizhi pressed her chin against his ear and whispered, "Thank you, Gu Yinyan."

She let go, her eyes becoming watery, her gaze brightening again: "Lin You will definitely be very happy to know, I will tell her the news as soon as possible."

Gu Yinyan stood still, regaining his composure. When their eyes met, he saw her reaction and chuckled softly.

"Is it really that big of a deal? Are you that happy?"

“Of course!” Liang Yizhi affirmed, raising her head. “When she dropped out of school before, I didn’t pay much attention to her situation, so this is a way of making up for that regret.”

"What if the final result is still not ideal?"

“We’ve done our best,” Liang Yizhi said solemnly. “Like you said, we can’t shoulder every responsibility.”

She leaned slightly forward and nudged him with her shoulder: "Besides, we're closer after all, and I can't trouble you any more because of her."

Her movement was merely a playful gesture, lacking any real force, yet Gu Yinyan remained unmoved.

"You'd better be."

After finishing their noodles, they chatted for a while. Liang Yizhi was surprisingly relaxed and reclined on the sofa. She had been running around all day and was exhausted by this point. She fell asleep without realizing it.

Gu Yinyan turned around and saw Liang Yizhi resting peacefully on her forearm.

He looked at her for a few seconds, then walked over, squatted down, gently put his arm behind her neck, and picked her up horizontally.

Holding it in his hand, Gu Yinyan's first reaction was:

It seems to be much lighter than before.

He easily carried the person into the room and turned on a small nightlight by the bedside.

Liang Yizhi dislikes sleeping in the dark. When she lives alone, she feels inexplicably uneasy if she wakes up in the middle of the night to find herself in complete darkness. Therefore, she always likes to sleep with a small light on, so that she can at least see her surroundings.

A soft clattering sound broke the silence; something had fallen to the ground.

Gu Yinyan lowered his eyes and saw a button on Liang Yizhi's knitted sweater. When he passed by, the hem of the sweater had gotten caught on something, and the button fell down and rolled a small circle on the ground.

After gently placing the person on the bed, Gu Yinyan bent down, picked up the button, and twirled it between his fingertips.

He sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to tidy Liang Yizhi's hair to prevent it from being pressed down by his body.

The bedside lamp was right beside him, illuminating Liang Yizhi's face clearly. He had no chance during the day, but now he could easily use this light to carefully gaze at her face, looking at every detail of her face.

Gu Yinyan realized that he had been acting very strangely lately.

His actions often spiraled out of control, and he became increasingly prone to jealousy. He would rush to verify even the slightest rumor, which made him feel like a petty and narrow-minded man.

His large hand couldn't resist moving forward, getting close to her cheek, almost touching her.

Like a soft feather, or a mischievous foxtail grass.

Liang Yizhi felt disturbed and frowned in her sleep.

However, Gu Yinyan did not restrain himself because of this.

He wasn't worried that she would wake up at this moment. On the contrary, it would be better if she did. Being caught red-handed would save him the trouble of explaining to her.

After all, confessing to her that he had ulterior motives was much harder than suppressing his desires.

So, let's wait a little longer.

but.

Could you... refrain from liking someone else for now?

-

Liang Yizhi woke up in the middle of the night.

Finding herself in bed, but without removing her makeup and covered with a thick quilt, she instantly understood what was going on.

Liang Yizhi called out twice to confirm that Gu Yinyan had already left.

She instinctively reached out to turn on the bedside lamp, only to find that someone had already turned it on for her.

She got up, her throat was very thirsty, and the kettle on the table was empty, so she picked it up and went outside to get some water.

When Liang Yizhi went outside, she found that the takeout boxes that had been on the table for a long time had been cleared away, the bowls for eating noodles had been washed, the kitchen was spotless, and even the trash cans had been emptied.

I knew he had good habits, but I didn't expect him to be so diligent.

A fairy godmother has come to our house.

Liang Yizhi chuckled softly to herself.

After washing up in the bathroom, Liang Yizhi comfortably lay back on the bed, opened her phone, and routinely checked her messages.

As soon as she entered WeChat, He Xintu's message appeared at the top of the list with a little red dot. Liang Yizhi glanced at the time; she had been engrossed in chatting with Gu Yinyan when the message came and forgot to check it.

Liang Yizhi clicked on it, and He Xintu on the other end asked:

【have a good weekend. 】

If you have time, would you like to go check out this art exhibition together?

[Including that meal from last time.]

He sent her a link to an art exhibition, which Liang Yizhi clicked on and found to be an exhibition on a theme that she was quite interested in.

She already owed him a meal, so she didn't think twice and agreed immediately. She then explained to him that she hadn't checked her phone and replied late.

The two agreed to meet on Sunday afternoon.

That day.

When Liang Yizhi arrived at the door, she found that He Xintu had already arrived. She quickly went up to him and said, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Although she wasn't late, she didn't expect He Xintu to arrive so early.

He wore a loose leather jacket and jeans today, looking very casual, and his hippie-style curly hair made him even more radiant.

“I haven’t been here long either,” He Xintu teased her, “but why do I always feel like you’re not very enthusiastic?”

"We agreed to have dinner, and I was the one who invited them in advance. I'm very sad."

He Xintu looked at her with a slight smile, waiting for her to explain the matter to him.

Liang Yizhi responded, "I've been a bit busy these days, but I've kept this matter in mind and was thinking of contacting you again when I was done with my work."

These words sound like an excuse, yet they are hard to refuse.

They stood at the entrance of the art museum, bathed in the soft sunlight that gently illuminated Liang Yizhi's hair, giving it a golden-brown glow.

He Xintu didn't say anything, seemingly not caring much about what she was busy with, or perhaps not dwelling on the matter, he just kept staring at her.

"I was just kidding." He smiled, raised his hand to touch the patch of her head bathed in sunlight, cupped the back of her head, and leaned down slightly to look her in the eye, his long, narrow eyes forming crescent moons.

"This is a one-time exception."