Chapter 11 If you take it, you must keep it safe for me...

Nine years ago, that winter was extremely cold, colder than any other winter. The biting wind cut my face like a knife, causing a sharp, painful sensation.

Ruan Xingzhu shuffled along the street, her steps faltering. She hadn't eaten in a long time, and her stomach was growling with hunger. She just wanted to find something to eat to fill her already empty stomach.

Her thin body shivered in the cold wind, her tattered thin shirt offering no protection against the biting chill. Her small face was frozen stiff, and her disheveled hair flew wildly in the wind.

She walked for a very long time, each step seemingly difficult, as if she had exhausted all her strength. Finally, a kind person took pity on her and threw her half a steamed bun.

At that moment, a hint of surprise and hope flashed in Ruan Xingzhu's eyes. She quickly reached out to pick it up, but before she could even put the steamed bun in her mouth, a burly homeless man pounced on her like a hungry wolf and snatched the steamed bun from her hand.

Ruan Xingzhu was thin and small, no match for the strong man, and could only watch helplessly as the steamed bun she was about to eat was snatched away. Her eyes were red with anger, but she was powerless to do anything about it. At this moment, she was weak and frail, and slowly leaned against a pillar on the side of the street, a wave of despair rising in her heart, feeling that she might really die in this cold winter.

The snow began to fall heavily, gradually blurring her vision. Whether she was seeing things or hallucinating, the half-eaten bun that had been stolen suddenly rolled back onto the ground, slowly turning over.

Ruan Xingzhu's eyes lit up immediately. Ignoring everything else, as if grasping at the last straw, she rushed over to pick up the steamed bun and eagerly took a bite.

Just as she took a bite, before she could even taste the sweetness of the steamed bun, she felt a sudden heat on her face, as if some warm liquid had splashed onto it. She instinctively looked down and saw a pair of brocade boots.

She slowly looked up along the fine silk and saw a young man standing above. The young man had delicate features, fair skin, and exquisite face, like someone from a painting.

He stood tall and straight, dressed in a pure white robe, the swirling snowflakes seeming merely an accompaniment to his figure. This contrasted sharply with her disheveled and wretched appearance as she crawled on the ground.

The boy exuded a chilling aura of ferocity, his handsome features even colder than the winter frost. He held a dagger, the other end of which was plunged into the chest of the homeless man who had just stolen Ruan Xingzhu's steamed bun.

The homeless man's body trembled violently, and blood gushed out like a spring, splashing not only on Ruan Xingzhu's face but also staining the boy's white robe. The spreading bloodstains resembled bright blood flowers blooming in the snow.

Although young Ruan Xingzhu had seen bullying and beatings, she had never seen anyone so audacious as to kill someone in broad daylight.

Her eyes widened in terror, her mouth slightly agape, a piece of steamed bun stuck in her dry throat, and for a moment she forgot to swallow. There were very few people around, as if she were the only one who had witnessed the boy's murder. Her heart was filled with fear and helplessness, thinking that the boy would kill her to silence her.

However, the boy only glanced at her briefly before looking away, as if unwilling to spare her another glance. Watching his fine boots disappear from her sight, she didn't know where the courage came from, but small Ruan Xingzhu stretched out her dirty, stained hands and, with all her might, grabbed the hem of the boy's white robe.

Feeling the pull from the hem of her clothes, Gu Yun'an turned around slightly, frowned slightly, and looked down at the ragged and dirty girl on the ground.

Ruan Xingzhu heard her own voice trembling slightly, and she said with a hint of fear but feigned composure, "I am all alone and helpless. Give me ten copper coins as hush money, or I will take this matter to the authorities."

Hearing the girl's threat, Gu Yun'an was slightly taken aback, his tall figure seemingly paused, somewhat incredulous that she dared to threaten him. He slowly squatted down, making himself slightly level with her, before carefully examining her.

He noticed that her body was trembling uncontrollably, perhaps from fear or the cold. The girl was very thin; her gray sleeves were already tattered, revealing a section of her slender forearm. Upon closer inspection, he could see that the skin beneath the stains was fair.

A small face was covered in grime and dust, leaving only her round, bright eyes still somewhat lively. They were looking at him with wariness and fear. The girl was clearly terrified, yet her hand tugged at his clothes so stubbornly, as if grasping at her last hope.

Gu Yun'an's heart stirred. Perhaps, as she said, she was all alone and helpless, and without money, she would most likely die this winter. That was why she was so bold as to take this gamble.

He shifted his position, counted out ten copper coins from his waist, and handed them to her, his voice carrying a faint warning: "If you take them, you must keep my secret."

Ruan Xingzhu's eyes flickered. She slowly loosened her grip on Gu Yun'an's clothes, reached for the ten copper coins, and began to count them carefully. After she finished counting, she looked up and found that the boy had not left immediately.

She saw a clean, large hand slowly reaching out to her.

"You said you were all alone and had no one to rely on."

Gu Yun'an peered into her eyes, a complex expression flashing within them, and spoke softly.

"Then how about I become your support from now on?"

His voice was soft, yet it possessed a reassuring quality; it was an inquiry, devoid of any coercion.

Ruan Xingzhu was stunned. Perhaps because she had been frozen for too long, her body remained motionless for a long time. She stared blankly at the hand as snowflakes fluttered down, a few landing on his palm and melting into mist in an instant.

She couldn't help but think that the snowflakes on her body wouldn't melt but would freeze into ice, so that hand must have been very warm.

She slowly propped herself up, letting the half-eaten steamed bun she had previously treasured slip to the ground. She carefully extended her small, stained hand and gently touched Gu Yun'an's hand, which was twice her size.

The moment he touched her, her lips twitched slightly, and a warm feeling welled up inside her. It was indeed warm. She craved this warmth, and mustered her courage to place her entire hand in his palm, feeling the long-lost warmth.

A chill ran through Gu Yun'an's palm. He looked down at her hands and found them even colder than the snowflakes dancing in the air. He frowned slightly, curled his fingers around her small hand, and enveloped it in warmth without the slightest hint of disgust.

In that season of swirling snowflakes, Ruan Xingzhu slowly stood up and followed the boy in white, seeking his protection...

The blinding light slowly obscured his vision. Gu Yun'an wiped his fingers clean and calmly walked towards Ruan Xingzhu, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, seemingly lost in thought.

His eyes held a hint of something unreadable, and he asked in a calm voice, "Are you afraid?"

Ruan Xingzhu subconsciously shook her head and slowly stood up to face him.

Her eyes were full of dependence. She took his large hand and skillfully slipped it into his palm. Her lips curved into a gentle smile, revealing a sense of reassurance. His hand was still so warm.

Gu Yun'an paused slightly, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes. He gently waved his hand, holding her warm little hand even tighter.

Afterwards, Ruan Xingzhu was carried into the carriage by Gu Yun'an. Along the way, Ruan Xingzhu obediently nestled against his chest, her face showing a hint of fatigue and relief as she let him hold her.

At this moment, no one knew that someone had died in one of the cubicles of the Star Gazing Pavilion. The Star Gazing Pavilion was still brightly lit, and people were still laughing and chatting, completely unaware of what was happening in the shadows.

When Gu Qingxu learned that Ruan Xingzhu had almost been assaulted, she was extremely anxious and frantically searched for Ruan Xingzhu everywhere. However, Sheng Que stopped her and told her that Ruan Xingzhu had been taken away by Gu Yun'an.

Gu Qingxu stopped in her tracks. She frowned slightly. Gu Yun'an was much more attentive to Ruan Xingzhu than she was, and he probably comforted Ruan Xingzhu even more than she did herself.

Thinking of this, she felt a little more at ease. Then she remembered You Yemeng, the culprit, and turned to find that beast and teach him a lesson.

Seeing Gu Qingxu's flustered appearance, Yi Mingyu felt anxious and hurriedly followed behind her, but he could hardly keep up.

After searching for a while, Gu Qingxu couldn't even find a trace of the Youye Alliance, and her anger flared even more. Turning around, she bumped into Yi Mingyu, that idiot.

She was furious and snapped, her voice sharp and angry: "What are you doing following me!"

Yi Mingyu was startled by Gu Qingsu's sudden outburst of anger. His body trembled slightly, and he opened his mouth but didn't dare to speak.

At this moment, Gu Qingxu was so angry that she lost her mind. Looking at Yi Mingyu in front of her, she suddenly had a sudden thought. Her eyes widened, filled with suspicion and anger, and she questioned, "Could it be that you and that You guy conspired to deliberately bring us to this Star Gazing Pavilion?"

Yi Mingyu was so shocked that he couldn't speak, his face full of astonishment and innocence. Before he could even explain, Gu Qingsu pushed him to the ground and started hitting him.

Her movements were swift and powerful, and she kept cursing: "You scoundrel, how dare you scheme against us! Well, I'll cripple you!"

She didn't hold back at all, striking Yi Mingyu's shoulder repeatedly, causing him to groan a few times. His brows furrowed tightly, and a look of pain appeared on his face.

Seeing that Gu Qingxu was serious, he quickly spoke up to defend himself, his voice somewhat hurried: "You Yemeng and I only studied at the same academy a few years ago, that's all, there's no conspiracy between us." His eyes were full of anxiety and sincerity, hoping that Gu Qingxu would believe him.

"If you don't believe me, Miss Gu can investigate further."

Gu Qingxu didn't delve too deeply into his words, but quickly changed her tune, still angrily saying, "Then who told you to misjudge people and recognize such a person of questionable character?"

Her eyes still held a hint of doubt and dissatisfaction, as if she were venting all her anger about the day on him.