Chapter 51 Keeping the Secret He Ming was a little nervous when he carried you on his back…

Unlike before, Zhu Liushuang keenly sensed that He Ming was intentionally avoiding her gaze.

His eyelids drooped to the ground, his chin was tucked in, and the corners of his lips were straight and taut. The moonlight cast a small shadow on his eyes, making it difficult to see the expression on his face.

Zhu Liushuang opened her mouth, as if someone had grabbed her throat, and she couldn't speak. The joy in her eyes gradually dimmed, and dejection spread throughout her.

He was still holding her cane, and he was slightly bent over, as if he wanted to help her out of the car.

But for some reason, she suddenly felt that he was very far away from her.

All the previous ambiguity and heart-fluttering feelings seemed like false illusions, which he could easily shatter with just one cold, hard look.

"Sister Xiaoshuang, let me help you out of the car." Gu Xuting ran out of the other car door and called out urgently as she walked around to Zhu Liushuang.

Zhu Liushuang deliberately ignored the bitterness in her heart and forced a smile: "Thank you for your trouble, Gu Gu." As she spoke, she took the cane from He Ming's hand and stopped looking at him.

It was my first time using crutches, so I was a bit clumsy. Luckily, with Gu Xuting's help, I managed to walk without any major mishaps, even though I stumbled along. The light in front of me grew brighter, and we were getting closer to the guesthouse.

Although Zhu Liushuang and Gu Xuting walked ahead, her thoughts kept drifting to He Ming.

Is he going back?

With the glass doors of the guesthouse lobby so close, the feeling of reluctance grew even stronger. Having endured the journey, Zhu Liushuang finally couldn't help but turn back and glance at He Ming, who was lagging behind her.

She stopped walking, and the people behind her stopped walking as well.

This time, he finally looked up at her. His face remained expressionless, but a hint of fatigue was visible.

Zhu Liushuang felt as if her heart had been gently pricked by fine needles, and she felt sorry for her actions and thoughts just now.

What's there to be angry about? In the end, they're just ordinary friends.

Besides, she's been working so hard for you and hasn't even had a chance to sleep yet, how can she ask for more?

“Senior, it’s very late. We can go in by ourselves… You should go back to the hotel and rest! I’ve really troubled you too much today…” she stammered, her words hesitant and halting.

Those dark eyes looked over her head toward the glass door further away, revealing an expression of disapproval.

"I'll walk you to your room and then go back." He seemed to have made up his mind long ago, and strode forward with his long legs.

A string of wind chimes hung at the entrance of the guesthouse, with green bamboo leaves tied to them. A large, strong hand pushed open the door, and the wind chimes jingled softly, causing the emerald bamboo leaves to tremble.

He Ming waited by the door until Zhu Liushuang and Gu Xuting entered the room before gently closing the door.

This guesthouse is a three-story villa without an elevator. Late at night, only a dim floor lamp was lit in the lobby downstairs. The young man at the front desk, responsible for check-in, was dozing on the sofa. Hearing the wind chimes tinkle, he groggily looked up, then smacked his lips and buried himself back into the sofa to continue sleeping.

"Sister Xiaoshuang, which floor is our room on?" Gu Xuting asked in a low voice.

"The second floor is right at the corner of the stairs."

"That's alright... Let's hurry upstairs, I'm so sleepy." Gu Xuting helped Zhu Liushuang up. "Sister Xiaoshuang, can you walk up the stairs?"

"I'll give it a try, it should work." Zhu Liushuang recalled the method taught by the nurse when she rented crutches at the hospital.

The instructions told her to step on her uninjured right leg first, then move the crutches and left leg. As she pondered this, she heard He Ming call out very softly, "Tingting."

Gu Xuting turned around: "Brother He Ming, what's wrong?"

He Ming pointed to Zhu Liushuang's back and said to Gu Xuting, "Get down and follow behind her. When you go up the stairs, hold her waist."

"Oh—okay." Gu Xuting realized what was happening and quickly took a step back.

There were only two flights of stairs between the first and second floors, and normally it would only take a few minutes to climb them. But the current situation made Zhu Liushuang feel that the journey was incredibly long and she felt extremely uncomfortable.

In front of her were layers of marble steps, behind her were two pairs of eyes staring intently, and she could hear Gu Xuting's overly concerned voice from time to time.

"Sister Xiaoshuang, slow down!"

"Sister Xiaoshuang, aren't you tired from walking like this?"

"Oh—I wish I was the one who fell!"

...

Zhu Liushuang wished she could throw away her crutches immediately and cover her ears. Her ears were practically calloused from climbing those long twenty-odd steps.

"Gu Gu, the access card is clipped to the back of my phone case, could you help me get it out?" Zhu Liushuang handed the phone to Gu Xuting.

With a "beep," the door lock opened. Gu Xuting pushed open the door first, then pulled Zhu Liushuang inside.

Zhu Liushuang hesitated and stopped, then turned around and smiled at He Ming: "Senior, you've worked hard. Be careful on your way back."

He Ming nodded in response. Before leaving, he closed the guest room door for her.

"Sister Xiaoshuang, I only realized tonight how thoughtful Brother He Ming is!" Gu Xuting said, walking back to the door with a pair of disposable slippers. "At first, I had no idea what to do when I called him. But he not only came over quickly, but also brought ice packs... and even thought of taking you to the hospital for an X-ray. Also, when we were going upstairs just now, if he hadn't told me to go to the back and support you, I wouldn't know how to help you..."

“My brother used to always praise He Ming as reliable in front of me, but I didn’t believe him. I always thought he looked fierce and unapproachable…” Gu Xuting kept pouring out her thoughts.

"Hmm—you can't judge a person by their appearance alone," Zhu Liushuang said with a faint smile, drawing a conclusion for her.

Gu Xuting pulled Zhu Liushuang to sit down on the shoe-changing stool and continued, "I think the rumors are probably false. He Ming's sexual orientation is probably normal."

Zhu Liushuang looked at Gu Xuting in surprise: "What have you discovered this time?"

“Hehe—” Gu Xuting laughed mysteriously, “Because I noticed that Brother He Ming was a little nervous when he carried you on his back, and his ears turned red! I was standing right next to him at the time, and I could see it clearly.”

His ears turned red?

Zhu Liushuang pursed her lips and tried to recall, but naturally couldn't remember anything.

For those few dozen meters, she clung nervously to his back, her body rising and falling with each step he took. The heat from their clothes touching was enough to make her blush, and she paid no attention to his subtle reactions.

"Is that so?" Zhu Liushuang asked hesitantly.

“Mmm,” Gu Xuting nodded affirmatively, “I bet it’s the first time He Ming has ever carried a girl on his back! He’s embarrassed.”

Seeing Zhu Liushuang with her head down and not responding, Gu Xuting bent down suspiciously: "Hey, Sister Xiaoshuang, why are you blushing? Your face is even redder now than when Brother Heming carried you on his back..."

Gu Xuting asked excitedly, "Sister Xiaoshuang, are you shy?"

"No, no, Gu Gu, stop fooling around!" Zhu Liushuang subconsciously covered her face and retorted, but in Gu Xuting's eyes, it was like "protesting too much."

"Sister Xiaoshuang, your face is even redder!" Gu Xuting looked into Zhu Liushuang's eyes, her smile widening.

Unable to resist, Zhu Liushuang had no choice but to surrender and admit, "Hmm—it's the first time a man has carried me on his back, wouldn't you feel embarrassed too?"

“That’s true!” Gu Xuting agreed. “Being carried on the back of such a handsome guy, it’s normal to blush! Sister Xiaoshuang, do you think if word gets out that He Ming carried you today, won’t all the other girls who confessed to him and got rejected be furious?”

Zhu Liushuang blinked, looking at Gu Xuting's slightly mischievous smile, and subconsciously covered her mouth: "Gu Gu, don't say it! You know about tonight's events, and I know about them!"

She spoke seriously, which startled Gu Xuting in front of her.

"Ugh—ugh—" Gu Xuting pried Zhu Liushuang's hands away. "Sister Xiaoshuang, I was just joking, don't take it seriously! Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret, I won't even tell my brother."

"Okay—it's a deal! I'll make you tiramisu when we get back."

————

The next morning, just as the sun was rising over the mountains, Gu Xufeng, still hungover from the night before, woke up groaning.

He walked out of the master bedroom and turned into the side hall, intending to check if his younger sister was properly covered with a blanket while she slept. He searched everywhere but couldn't find her.

Gu Xufeng opened WeChat and saw two missed calls. He quickly called them back, but no one answered.

Could something have happened? If anything were to happen to Tingting, he would become the most condemned sinner in the entire Gu family!

Gu Xufeng, with a long face, rang the doorbell of He Ming's room.

"Old He, Old He... open the door quickly!" When no one answered the doorbell, he made a phone call.

After some effort, the door to the next room was finally opened. But the person who opened the door exuded a menacing aura, like a cat with its fur standing on end.

"Old He, Tingting, Tingting is missing!" Gu Xufeng grabbed He Ming's arm anxiously. "Where was the last place you saw her last night?"

He Ming glanced at him with a stern face, shook off his arm that was being pulled, and said coldly, "She's been kidnapped. I don't want to talk to you right now... Whatever it is, we'll talk after I wake up!"

"Bang!" The door was slammed shut by the person inside. Gu Xufeng was left standing there, completely bewildered.

"Kidnapped? That's a huge disaster!" Gu Xufeng muttered to himself. "Hey, wait... Lao He, you better explain yourself!"

Unfortunately, the only response he received was the chirping of birds outside the window.

Gu Xufeng slumped to the ground, his dazed mind finally clearing up a bit.

Since He Ming said he would talk about it after he woke up, it means Tingting is safe!

"Well, I scared myself!" Gu Xufeng scrambled to his feet and leisurely returned to his guest room. Seeing that it was still early, he crawled back into bed for his second nap.

At that moment, Gu Xuting, whom he had been nagging about for ages, was soundly asleep on the single bed in the guesthouse. Half of the white air-conditioning blanket covered her legs, while the other half lay on the floor. Zhu Liushuang, who was sleeping in the bed next to her, slowly opened her eyes. She looked blankly at the phone screen that had flashed by on her pillow; it was a WeChat message from her mother.

It was just past seven in the morning when her mother urgently sent her a message. Was something urgent?

Zhu Liushuang yawned, swiped her phone screen, and listened to the voice message her mother had sent.

[Xiaoshuang, did you have fun yesterday? I heard it's going to rain tomorrow and the day after, so please be careful on the road. Mom just arrived at Dr. Xie's house, but unfortunately Dr. Xie has caught a cold these past two days and is coughing quite a bit. I plan to wait until Dr. Xie feels better before coming for the Du meridian moxibustion. By the way, I just heard Sister Yuan complaining that Dr. Xie wouldn't let her talk about her cold. I was thinking, since you're friends with his grandson, why don't you give him a call and let him know?]

After listening to the voice message, Zhu Liushuang had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

Given her mother's taciturn nature, she probably wouldn't have asked her to relay the message to He Ming. It's likely that Aunt Yuan was afraid of being scolded by Dr. Xie if she spoke directly, so she had her inform him indirectly!

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Author's note: [shrug][shrug] I finally finished writing it, but it's a bit short.