Chapter 54 Misunderstandings: "Is he my boyfriend?"
Before closing the car door, Zhu Liushuang glanced back at He Ming with reluctance. The car seat blocked most of his figure; she could only see his strong, powerful arms.
"Be careful." The man moved his lips.
The sound reached Zhu Liushuang's ears precisely. Gu Xuting urged her to leave from behind, but her hand gripping the car door handle seemed rooted to the spot. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart for a moment.
"Okay, drive carefully, senior." She replied softly through the narrow crack in the door.
With a roar, the black SUV sped away down the tree-lined road.
Zhu Liushuang declined Gu Xuting's offer of help and slowly followed behind the brother and sister, leaning on her cane.
The wheels of her suitcase rolled on the concrete, the sound drowning out the pounding of her heart.
Upon reaching the entrance of the residential area, Gu Xufeng put down his luggage and turned to say, "Tingting, why don't you go with Miss Zhu to the security room and enjoy the air conditioning for a few minutes? I'll go home and get my car."
The sun was blazing outside, and the temperature was high, but Gu Xufeng had been very thoughtful. Zhu Liushuang was grateful and thanked him. Then Gu Xuting said, "Then remember to hurry up, and bring me two ice creams while you're at it. By the way, Sister Xiaoshuang, what flavor do you like?"
Suddenly called upon, Zhu Liushuang absentmindedly replied, "It's fine, it's okay if you don't bring it for me."
"Then two matcha flavors will do." Gu Xuting gave Gu Xufeng a "go for it!" gesture. "Brother, hurry up and go, run!"
“No problem, your brother is a 3000-meter long-distance running champion!” Gu Xufeng indeed listened to Gu Xuting and ran home.
The man's running figure disappeared behind the bushes. Gu Xuting familiarly took Zhu Liushuang's hand: "Sister Xiaoshuang, let's go into the security room. It's too hot outside."
Zhu Liushuang replied "okay," but still didn't let her help her up.
The security room in the upscale villa area is completely different from the ineffective security room in Donghu Community. The interior is simply and cleanly decorated, and the air conditioning is very strong. Most importantly, the security personnel are all doing their jobs and will not come up to chat with you.
Zhu Liushuang likes this sense of boundaries.
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A blue Land Rover was parked outside the security room. Through the glass door, Zhu Liushuang saw Gu Xufeng get out of the car and move three suitcases that were placed on the side of the road into the trunk.
Gu Xuting, counting the time with her watch, said with relief, "It's pretty reliable, it only took ten minutes in total!" She stood up, patted the wrinkles on her trousers, took her cane and handed it to Zhu Liushuang, "Let's go, Sister Xiaoshuang."
Gu Xuting walked ahead and opened the door for Zhu Liushuang. Gu Xufeng, who had put his luggage outside, also came to meet him.
The back door of the car had already been opened, and Zhu Liushuang was lifted and placed into the seat. After everything was arranged, Gu Xufeng, who was sitting in the driver's seat, handed two matcha-flavored ice creams to the back.
"I took it out secretly, so eat less ice. Don't blame me if you have period cramps next time!"
"It's not your fault!" Gu Xuting glared at Gu Xufeng, then casually handed one of the ice creams to Zhu Liushou. "Sister Xiaoshuang, look at my brother, he's meddling way too much!"
Although she was complaining, her eyes were full of laughter, clearly showing a tone of "being spoiled and arrogant".
Zhu Liushuang patted her hand and said sincerely, "Your brother cares about you. I'm so envious!"
"You heartless bastard, even Miss Zhu spoke up for me! And you still think I'm annoying..." Gu Xufeng typed "Donghu Community" into the car navigation system, and the navigation system's voice rang out in the car.
Gu Xuting pouted and gave Gu Xufeng a mock retort, then changed the subject: "Sister Xiaoshuang, since you're so envious, why don't you hurry up and take my brother away? He's just looking for a girlfriend..."
"Gu Gu—" Zhu Liushuang glanced at Gu Xuting and lowered her voice, "I told you before, you're not allowed to make jokes like that again."
She coughed twice, removed the lid from the ice cream, and started eating it by herself.
The atmosphere was slightly awkward. Given Gu Xufeng's personality, he should have retorted to Gu Xuting, but he was unusually quiet at the moment.
This unusual reaction, in Gu Xuting's eyes, became a prime example of "something fishy must be going on." She secretly racked her brains: Could it be that her brother really had feelings for Sister Xiaoshuang? Then she'd better work harder!
To help Gu Xufeng make a better impression on Zhu Liushuang, Gu Xuting started a conversation: "Sister Xiaoshuang, has that scoundrel who was following you last time shown up again?"
Zhu Liushuang shook her head: "I haven't been out setting up my stall for several weeks, so I don't know either."
“That night… we actually followed you secretly. It was my brother’s idea, because he was worried you’d be scared going home alone.” Gu Xuting deliberately attributed all the credit to Gu Xufeng.
"Yes, I noticed." Zhu Liu smiled. "Thank you."
"Thank goodness for Lao He, he was driving," Gu Xufeng said frankly. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to give him a ride even if we wanted to."
"Are you out of your mind?" Gu Xuting thought, exasperated. If Zhu Liushuang hadn't been there, she would have jumped up and given her brother a good scolding to wake him up.
Seeing the little girl's expression change, and her face puffing out as she blew on the ice cream in her hand, Zhu Liushuang asked in confusion, "Gu Gu, what's wrong?"
Gu Xuting felt annoyed, but forced a smile: "The ice cream is a bit cold, so I'll blow it to melt it a little, and then... it won't freeze my teeth anymore."
After saying that, she continued Gu Xufeng's words: "He Ming is great too, of course. He's thoughtful and has excellent initiative. If it weren't for him carrying Sister Xiaoshuang on his back last night..."
Oh no! She seems to have let something slip.
Realizing she had misspoke, Gu Xuting looked guiltily at Zhu Liushuang, only to find Zhu Liushuang staring at her with a serious expression. Her eyes seemed to say: What happened to keeping the secret?
Gu Xuting, with a mournful face, leaned close to Zhu Liushuang and apologized in her ear, "Sister Xiaoshuang, I really didn't mean it, I'm so sorry... But my brother is family, he would never, ever tell anyone!"
The man Gu Xuting had said she "would absolutely not spread this around" was now gaping, his face filled with disbelief. His tone was exaggerated, as if he'd heard something utterly unbelievable.
"Tingting, say it again! He Ming carried Miss Zhu on his back last night?"
"Hmm..." Gu Xuting responded weakly, then dismissed her brother, "What's the big deal? Sister Xiaoshuang's ankle is swollen, she can't walk at all. I'm too weak to support her. So Brother He Ming... isn't it all your fault for drinking yourself into a stupor? This is your job!"
The siblings had completely different focuses. Gu Xufeng almost shouted it out on the spot, but he swallowed what he wanted to say. He had worked with He Ming for several years and had never seen him get close to any woman!
Carrying a girl on his back is such an intimate thing, especially since He Ming took the initiative to do it. There's no way there's nothing fishy going on! Gu Xufeng was itching with curiosity.
Sitting in the back seat, Gu Xuting couldn't see her brother's expression, and naturally, she didn't know what he was thinking. If she could read Gu Xufeng's mind, she would definitely regret having the idea of trying to matchmake her brother and Xiaoshuang.
Zhu Liushuang sat diagonally behind Gu Xufeng, but from her angle, she could see Gu Xufeng's reaction. His square face, which seemed to want to say something, looked up several times, casting an inquiring glance at her through the rearview mirror.
She sat upright, pretending not to notice the other person's spying. But her fingers, hidden under the chair, were sweating as she gripped the ice cream wrapper.
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The Land Rover was parked downstairs at Building 10 of the Donghu residential area.
With Gu Xuting's help, Zhu Liushuang stepped out of the car. She looked around and, not seeing any familiar faces, felt relieved.
"Sister Xiaoshuang, you live on the sixth floor, how long will it take to walk up? Why don't you let my brother carry you up?" Gu Xuting suggested softly.
"No need, no need. Just like at dawn, I'll go up with my crutches. I just need you to lend me a hand from behind." Zhu Liushuang blushed and hurriedly waved her hand in refusal.
"Brother, have you got your luggage?" Gu Xuting called out to the back of the car. "Sister Xiaoshuang lives on the sixth floor. Why don't you take the luggage up first and then come back down to help?"
"Sure!" Gu Xufeng said with a grin, hoisting his suitcase onto his shoulder. He then strode up to the second floor.
The old residential area had poor sound insulation. When Gu Xufeng ran up, he exerted a lot of force, and the sound of his footsteps traveled through the cement slab to the ground floor. The dull "bang bang bang" sounds seemed to shake the floorboards.
Zhu Liushuang, leaning on her crutches, laboriously climbed the stairs step by step. The stairwell was shaded from the sun and cooler than outside. But even in the shade, her limping gait left her drenched in sweat.
Gu Xuting, who was following behind, couldn't bear to watch any longer and suggested that her brother carry her instead, as it would save him trouble and effort.
But Zhu Liushuang's silent back dispelled her thoughts, and she could only silently support her back, watching her walk with difficulty and slowness.
The loud banging stopped abruptly on the top floor and then quickly returned to the ground floor.
Gu Xufeng ran up to the two of them and complained, "It's so inconvenient not having an elevator. Miss Zhu, haven't you considered moving to a different apartment?"
Zhu Liushuang glanced at Gu Xufeng with mixed feelings. Changing houses isn't something you can just do on a whim. These days, the real estate market is sluggish, many newly developed buildings are still vacant, and there's hardly anyone buying their old, dilapidated houses.
"There's a public welfare project coming up next year, they say they'll be installing shared elevators," Zhu Liushuang said casually.
"That's pretty good." Gu Xufeng chuckled.
The stairs suddenly felt cramped with the three of them standing together. Zhu Liushuang didn't want to be carried, so Gu Xufeng was a bit redundant. But he felt awkward staying in the car, so he walked ahead aimlessly, clearing the way and chatting with the two behind him to pass the time.
As I passed the third floor, the security door of room 301 happened to open from the inside.
"Liu Shuang, why are you back today? Weren't you on vacation?" Standing by the door, concerned for her, was Aunt Fei, her mother's old friend.
Now I'm in for a tough time! Zhu Liushuang silently lit a candle for herself in her heart.
"Aunt Fei," she greeted the people she encountered politely.
"Oh dear, what happened to your foot? You're using a cane!" Aunt Fei frowned, her voice sharp, which attracted her husband inside the house.
"You're limping now? You were perfectly fine yesterday..." An old man wearing reading glasses walked out with a hunched back.
"Uncle Liu, I'm fine, I just twisted my ankle." Zhu Liushuang was on the verge of tears. "I'll be fine after a couple of days of rest."
Aunt Fei, with her keen eye, shooed her husband back inside, then began to scrutinize Gu Xufeng and his sister. Not satisfied with just that, she struck up a conversation with Gu Xufeng: "Young man, are you Liu Shuang's colleague? You specially brought her back; you seem to have a good relationship!"
Gu Xufeng scratched his head: "We're not colleagues. We're...we're friends."
"Friend? Friend is great!" Aunt Fei's eyes lit up, perhaps her next question was, "Is he your boyfriend?"
Fortunately, Zhu Liushuang cut her off in time: "Aunt Fei, weren't you going downstairs to throw out the trash? Don't delay..."
"Look at me, I was so busy talking. You guys go first..." Aunt Fei patted Zhu Liushuang's shoulder, "Be careful when you go upstairs. If you really can't, ask a boy to carry you, there's no need to be shy!"
Zhu Liushuang responded with a few dry laughs.
She had a feeling that when her mother came home from get off work in the evening, she would definitely ask her about Gu Xufeng.
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Author's note: [Shrug][Shrug] Gu Xufeng is quite fun too.
I've been updating around 11 PM lately, if I don't get writer's block.
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