When Su Qianqian opened the door, the setting sun was casting a warm golden glow on the living room through the French windows. She immediately saw Gu Chengyu leaning back on the sofa, his long legs casually crossed, a tablet in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed, as if he were looking at some documents. Hearing the door open, he looked up, his displeasure instantly vanishing, replaced by gentleness. "Ayu?" Su Qianqian asked, a hint of surprise in her voice, "Why are you home so early today?" She hadn't even changed her shoes, kicking off her delicate white sandals and stepping barefoot across the cool floor, then onto the carpet, throwing herself into his open arms. Gu Chengyu's strong arms caught her steadily, pulling her onto his lap, his palm directly touching the soles of her feet. Sensing the coolness, his brows immediately furrowed. "Not wearing shoes again?" His voice deepened, tinged with disapproval, but his large hands had already enveloped her two delicate, white feet, gently massaging them with his warm palms. He didn't forget to scold her at the same time, "The floor is so cold, have you forgotten how uncomfortable you were in South Bay last time?" His hands were large, almost completely enveloping her feet, his fingertips calloused, gently caressing her tender insteps and soles, bringing a slight tickle. Su Qianqian curled her toes, a little ticklish, wanting to pull away, but he held them even tighter. She simply relaxed, her slender arms softly encircling his neck, snuggling into his arms, her face rubbing against his shirt collar. "Forgot…" her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of coquettishness, "And I was so happy to see A-Yu that I forgot." Gu Chengyu gave a low hum, pinching the soles of her feet as punishment, but not too hard. He looked down at her small face so close to his, her eyes sparkling with obvious joy. "So happy?" he asked, his tone softening unconsciously. "Ayu, everything went so well!" She tilted her head back, her eyes curving into crescents. "The teachers and classmates are all so nice, and the campus is so beautiful." "I never dared to imagine before that I could go to university like other girls, a normal university life..." As she spoke, her voice gradually lowered, but was quickly replaced by joy: "I'm so happy, really." Gu Chengyu looked at her pretty face, but his heart felt as if it had been gently pierced by something. He remembered the girl in the investigation materials, living in a dilapidated rented room in the old city, wearing faded jeans, timidly ordered around by Lin Shu on the film set without daring to utter a sound. Back then, her eyes darted away, her head bowed, completely different from the lively and charming Su Qianqian before him, who would run into his arms and act coquettishly. A belated pang of heartache welled up inside him. He even felt a pang of regret—why hadn't he met her sooner? Why hadn't he sheltered her when she was most helpless, protecting her from all that suffering? Gu Chengyu tightened his arms around her, his chin gently brushing against the top of her head, his voice solemn: "What no one gave you before, I will give you from now on." "Before you met me, I had no choice." "But now that you are my woman..." He pulled back slightly, lifting her face and looking intently into her eyes: "I promise, Qianqian, I will give you the best of everything, the most prestigious status, so that no one will dare to slight you in the slightest." Su Qianqian gazed into his deep eyes, the focus within them making her heart flutter. She nodded gently: "Yes, I know."
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