Chapter 53 Lost in Thoughts Zhu Liushuang mentally made a series of exaggerated gestures…
“Just based on the fact that Brother He Ming escorted us to our room last night before leaving, I’m sure he wouldn’t abandon us!” Gu Xuting said confidently. “Also, Brother He Ming was so attentive and considerate to you last night… Sister Xiaoshuang, could it be that he likes you?”
A joking "I like you" struck a nerve with Zhu Liushuang. She was secretly pleased, but forced herself to remain calm: "Gu Gu, don't say things like that."
"Okay, I was just talking nonsense. Our little Shuang sister is shy." Gu Xuting laughed even more heartily.
After renewing his room reservation, Gu Xufeng, with his hands behind his back, hummed a little tune as he opened the door: "What funny things are you two talking about, making you so happy?"
“We were saying that Brother He Ming…” Gu Xuting drawled, as if she was about to spread the word about their conversation, but she got stuck halfway through.
"He... Brother He Ming, you're here too?" Gu Xuting greeted him timidly.
Zhu Liushuang's shyness was replaced by panic. She forced herself to remain calm and gave him a faint smile.
With the addition of two tall, burly men, the room suddenly felt crowded.
Gu Xuting stuffed a steamed bun into her mouth, got up, pulled Gu Xufeng aside, and went to the door to whisper to him.
Zhu Liushuang's eyes lingered on He Ming for a moment, and seeing that he was standing there silently, she lowered her head to eat the breakfast she hadn't finished.
"How's your foot? Does it still hurt?" The man sat down casually as the single sofa next to him was pulled out, accompanied by the sound of it scraping against the floor.
Zhu Liushuang, who had no appetite, was surprised that he would think about her feet and was instantly flattered.
"Thankfully, the swelling has gone down. Thank you for your concern, senior."
The man turned his head and stared silently at the weathered floor.
Zhu Liushuang lowered her head, her gaze shifting to his crossed legs. Today he was wearing khaki trousers, the cuffs casually bunched up, revealing just a small section of his ankles.
She quietly moved her good foot a few steps to be next to his. As they got closer, she noticed that the skin on his leg was even whiter than hers.
Judging from his appearance alone, He Ming is indeed impeccable, perfectly matching most girls' fantasies about their dream lover.
Including herself.
"Senior, have you called Dr. Xie yet?" Zhu Liushuang asked, trying to break the silence.
He Ming rested his chin on his bent arm and answered absentmindedly, "I've already fought it."
Zhu Liushuang wanted to ask more questions, but didn't find the opportunity.
"Old He, I just reported to the station chief. We'll stay here during the day and then head over to meet up with the main force in the evening. What do you think?" The brother and sister returned after their whispered conversation, and Gu Xufeng suggested, "Want to play some board games? Or we can play mahjong."
"Brother—have you forgotten that your sister is still a minor?" Gu Xuting jumped onto Gu Xufeng's back and muttered, "Be careful when we get home, I'm telling Mom!"
"Fine—let's play Ludo!" Gu Xufeng had no other choice.
The siblings' little gestures were exceptionally affectionate, clearly showing their close relationship. Zhu Liushuang's heart stirred slightly, leaving her with a heart full of envy: "You two decide, I'm fine with anything."
"Senior, what do you think?" She turned to He Ming for his opinion.
He rested his fingers on his chin, stroking it back and forth, his eyes unfocused. It was as if all the noise and commotion around him couldn't attract his attention.
"Senior? Miss Zhu, why are you calling Lao He 'Senior'?" Gu Xufeng asked in surprise. "Lao He, don't tell me you two have known each other for a long time!"
"What did you say?" He Ming snapped out of his daze, his brows furrowing imperceptibly.
“Brother, what’s the big deal? Gucheng is so small, everyone’s related by blood or marriage.” Gu Xuting, who knew the inside story, explained for the two of them.
"So you're all from No. 1 High School, and I'm the only one who graduated from No. 2 High School!" Gu Xufeng suddenly realized. If they were alumni, then the things that happened on the way here that he felt were suspicious would make sense.
"Miss Zhu, tell me quickly, what was Old He like when he was in school? Was he as boring and unromantic as he is now?" Gu Xufeng was very curious about He Ming's past.
The topic changed abruptly, and Zhu Liushuang subconsciously glanced at He Ming. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I'm two years behind Senior He. No. 1 High School is quite big, so we rarely run into each other. However... Senior He has quite a reputation; everyone knows him."
Everyone knows him, but unfortunately, he doesn't know her. Zhu Liushuang thought silently. "I get it!" Gu Xufeng muttered, "He was already attracting attention back in school..."
“Gu Xufeng—” He Ming put on a stern face and spoke in a serious tone.
With just a glance, Gu Xufeng obediently stopped gossiping. He said stiffly, "Oh—I won't ask anymore, I don't want to be stationed at the construction site!"
Gu Xuting came to her brother's rescue: "Brother—go back to the hotel and get the board games from my suitcase." She nudged him with her elbow.
Gu Xufeng tactfully complied, but halfway there, Gu Xuting called him back: "Just bring all your suitcases over. Don't you need to check out too? Never mind, I'll go with you..."
Zhu Liushuang nestled in the single sofa, her sprained leg raised and resting on the footrest. She paid no attention to what Gu Xufeng and his sister were whispering about; her heart was drawn to the figure that passed by in front of her.
He Ming stood by the window with his arms crossed, staring coldly into the distance.
She knew he must have something on his mind.
Zhu Liushuang clenched her fist behind her back. She loosened it, clenched it again, loosened it, and clenched it again. After repeating this several times, she made up her mind and stretched out her hand.
Her slender, fair fingers timidly grasped the man's trouser leg, and a small piece of fabric was gently tugged.
"Senior—" she called out to him, looking up at him.
The thoughtful man turned his head, a hint of doubt in his cool eyes. He glanced at the wrinkled trouser leg, letting her pull it.
Zhu Liushuang awkwardly withdrew her hand, her cheeks slightly flushed: "I actually wanted to go home early... I can't play even with a twisted ankle, and staying here would just waste everyone's time."
Seeing that his expression had softened slightly, she pleaded, "It's just that this place is too remote, and I couldn't find a ride-sharing service on the ride-hailing app. If you want to go back to see Dr. Xie earlier, can I hitch a ride with you?"
Last night, he didn't show any emotion on his face, but he responded to everyone's questions. Today, however, he was clearly out of sorts, and Zhu Liushuang guessed that he was worried about Dr. Xie's health.
There were four people in the car, and someone as responsible as He Ming would never abandon them and go back alone. So, if she also wanted to go back, wouldn't that make perfect sense?
As for Gu Xuting and her brother, Zhu Liushuang couldn't manage that much. Zhonghe had brought many cars, so there were always empty seats. If they wanted to continue playing, they could simply hitch a ride with someone else.
She held her face up, waiting quietly for his response. To make her longing to go back even stronger, Zhu Liushuang deliberately opened her eyes wide, filling them with tears, so that she would appear pitiful.
He Ming was surprised by her sudden request.
But he was undoubtedly happy, because he now had a reason to turn back early.
The intense sunlight from the window shone behind him, and Zhu Liushuang saw him nod at her. His tightly pressed lips blended into the light, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards almost imperceptibly.
Zhu Liushuang mentally gave a "V" sign.
She did it right again!
————
As the car drove along the winding mountain road, Zhu Liushuang felt a little unreal as she looked at the scenery rushing past the window.
Things seemed to be going more smoothly than expected. In her plan, Gu Xuting and the others would probably stay and play until the next evening before returning to Gucheng with the main group. Unexpectedly, they went back home with the group without saying a word.
"Sister Xiaoshuang, my brother and I have discussed it. Until your foot injury heals, he will be your personal driver." Gu Xuting leaned down and whispered in her ear.
Is it really necessary to make such a fuss? Zhu Liushuang just felt it was troublesome. If Gu Xufeng really came to pick her up and drop her off from work every day, who knows what rumors would spread among the people around them.
"Gu Gu, I can take a taxi. Your brother has to go to work too!" she said softly, then added, "I'll ask you to reimburse me for the fare."
"No! No way!" Gu Xuting exclaimed, her mouth agape. "My brother told me that Donghu Residential Area was built in the 1980s and doesn't even have an elevator. It's so inconvenient to go up and down the stairs. By the way, Sister Xiaoshuang, which floor do you live on?"
"You know quite a lot!" Zhu Liushuang thought to herself. She didn't lie or try to cover it up: "Sixth floor."
“So high! I’m even more worried then…” Gu Xuting grabbed Zhu Liushuang’s hand, her eyes filled with unwavering determination. “Let’s just leave it like this. Anyway, I’m on summer vacation now. I’ll go along and run errands for you when my brother picks you up.”
Zhu Liushuang asked with a headache, "Won't your brother be late for work? Being late will result in a deduction in his salary!" She tried to dissuade Gu Xuting from the idea of a salary deduction.
"They have so much freedom at work! As long as they finish their own tasks, they don't even have to go to the company."
It seemed she couldn't refuse any longer, so Zhu Liushuang reluctantly agreed: "Well—okay. Thank you for your help."
"No trouble at all," Gu Xuting said, unable to suppress a chuckle as she looked down. She had her own little scheme in mind: if her brother and Sister Xiaoshuang spent a few days together, she wondered if any sparks might fly.
Busy checking her WeChat messages, Zhu Liushuang was unaware that the person next to her was already plotting to set her up with someone.
[Sister Zhuang: Liu Shuang, why haven't I seen you today? Did you oversleep?]
Zhu Liushuang thought for a moment and then replied to Zhuang Xiaoqian.
[I was dejected last night while watching the meteor shower with Gu Gu, and I accidentally twisted my ankle. /Sigh/ I'm going home now and need to rest for a day.]
Zhuang Xiaoqian replied to messages very quickly.
[Sister Zhuang: Poor little thing, what bad luck did you have? You finally get to go out and have to twist your ankle! Did you take a ride home?]
Zhu Liushuang looked up at He Ming, who was focused on driving, and replied to Zhuang Xiaoqian while suppressing a smile.
I couldn't get a ride. Luckily, Teacher He and the others had to go back early, so they gave me a ride.
After typing the last period, she turned off her phone and leaned against the car window, pretending to doze off.
After exiting the highway, the surrounding scenery lost its lush greenery.
The sound of car horns gradually grew louder, and Zhu Liushuang suddenly opened her eyes, only to find that the car had entered the city and would arrive at Gu Xuting's residential area in about ten minutes.
It was just past one o'clock in the afternoon, and the sun was shining brightly outside, making it difficult to see.
She heard Gu Xufeng's voice. "Old He, aren't you in a hurry to get back to the countryside? Just drop us off halfway. It'll take at least an hour or two to go back and forth."
He Ming remained silent, but pressed the accelerator harder.
The car drove past several intersections, turned onto a side street from the tree-lined avenue, and stopped in front of an upscale residential complex. Zhu Liushuang had heard of this complex; it consisted entirely of detached villas and was inhabited by the extremely wealthy and powerful.
"Thanks!" Gu Xufeng unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the car door first.
Gu Xuting followed closely behind and also thanked He Ming.
Zhu Liushuang fumbled for her crutch, which was lying diagonally in the carriage, and prepared to get off. She didn't want He Ming to waste any more time taking her home.
"It's not far from Donghu Residential Area, I'll take you there." Just as she was about to get up, the person in the driver's seat turned around and said. The tone was very sincere, without the slightest impatience.
A warm feeling welled up inside Zhu Liushuang, and she felt a sweet warmth in her heart. But as happy as she was, she didn't want to trouble He Ming any further. So, she called out to Gu Xuting, who was walking ahead, "Gu Gu, give me a hand, I want to get off the bus too."
Although Gu Xuting was young, she instantly understood the look Zhu Liushuang was giving her. She leaned over and explained to He Ming, "Brother He Ming, don't worry about leaving Sister Xiaoshuang in our care! Until her foot injury heals, my brother will be her driver... hehe, I'm her little follower! We'll take her home later."
"Old He, hurry up and go see your grandfather, I'll take care of things here!" Gu Xufeng, dragging three suitcases, walked up to He Ming and urged him to leave.
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Author's note: [Shrug] Today's writing task accomplished!
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