In morning, Wen Ke’an went to school for morning reading. With exams approaching, many of her classmates arrived early.
Jin Ming used to come early every day, but today it was almost 6:30 and she was not there yet.
Wen Ke’an couldn’t focus, so she occasionally looked out the window. At 6:35, Wen Ke’an finally saw Jin Ming outside the window.
From Wen Ke’an’s angle, she could see a small path outside the campus. Jin Ming had told her before that if she was ever late, she’d take this path and ask for help.
Jin Ming saw her looking down and frantically waved.
Wen Ke’an could read her lips: “An’an! I’m late! Help!!!”
The class teacher hadn’t arrived yet, so Wen Ke’an told the class monitor she had a stomachache and needed to go to the bathroom, then left the classroom.
There were many student council members checking at the school gate, luckily, Gu Ting was also there.
With so many people around, Wen Ke’an didn’t dare approach directly and started thinking about how to get Gu Ting’s attention. As if telepathically, Gu Ting turned around and noticed her.
“Here,” Wen Ke’an waved subtly.
Gu Ting saw her and quickly came over. Wen Ke’an grabbed his hand and led him to a secluded corridor.
Confirming it was safe, Wen Ke’an looked up at Gu Ting and whispered, “Jin Ming is late today, don’t deduct points.”
“Got it.”
Wen Ke’an tugged his hand, smiling, “Alright, I’ll head back now!”
Returning to the classroom, Wen Ke’an gave Jin Ming an OK hand sign.
Soon, Jin Ming safely returned to the classroom.
“An’an,” Jin Ming sighed as she sat down, “Your boyfriend is really useful!”
“…”
Jin Ming knew that although Gu Ting was in the same class, as the student council president, he was known for his strictness and impartiality. Usually, no one could persuade him to avoid point deductions, except Wen Ke’an.
“Why were you late today?” Wen Ke’an asked.
Jin Ming got angry recounting it, “I forgot to hide my phone last night after playing it, got caught by my mom this morning, and had an argument.”
“…”
“I even forgot to feed my little pets this morning, worried they’d be hungry, turned back halfway to check on them,” Jin Ming sighed again but smiled, “Thankfully, I have a good desk mate, haha!”
Final exams took a day and a half; by the afternoon of the second day, most of the classmates knew their scores but not their ranks.
Wen Ke’an, having nothing to do, took Gu Ting’s exam papers and started reviewing answers.
This time, Gu Ting was obviously more serious. He scored well, and Wen Ke’an thought he might rank in the top five in the class.
On the third day, the score slips were finally distributed.
Wen Ke’an walked to Gu Ting’s desk and looked down at him, asking, “What rank did you get?”
Gu Ting handed her a slip of paper.
Wen Ke’an examined it carefully. Gu Ting’s ranking this time was indeed impressive—9th in the entire grade and 3rd in their class.
“How is it?” Gu Ting asked, looking up at her.
“Great!”
“If I remember correctly, someone promised me…”
“Oh, it seems like someone is calling me outside.”
Wen Ke’an said this and turned to run.
But the next second, she felt someone grab her wrist, and she stopped silently.
“I didn’t hear anyone calling you,” came Gu Ting’s voice from behind, word by word.
“………”
Wen Ke’an was quiet for a few minutes, then turned back to him and asked in a small, slow voice, “Can I change my mind?”
Gu Ting: “No.”
“……….”
Summer vacation finally arrived. Wen Ke’an moved all her books from school back home. After this vacation, they would be seniors, so the vacation homework was plentiful. It wasn’t a relaxing break.
Wen Ke’an recalled her previous life when she chose an art exam over cultural subjects in her second year of high school.
Her art exam scores were good, but her cultural subjects’ scores weren’t, as she hadn’t studied well in her first two years. In the end, she only got into an ordinary art school.
This summer was crucial, and Wen Ke’an had already prepared a study plan.
Lately, Gu Ting was busy with his family’s affairs. Some issues had arisen at his home, and he couldn’t always respond to her messages promptly.
One evening, after Wen Ke’an finished a set of practice papers, she looked down from the balcony.
After more than ten days, the lights on the second floor were finally on.
Wen Ke’an, not bothering to change her clothes, took the keys to Gu Ting’s house and ran down in her pajamas.
She planned to surprise him but was instead given a shock.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Gu Ting sitting on the sofa, shirtless, applying medicine to his body, which was covered in bruises and wounds.
Gu Ting hadn’t expected her to come over either, and he visibly tensed.
Realizing he had no need to cover up, he released the shirt he was holding.
Wen Ke’an walked over to Gu Ting, looking down for a long moment. “What happened?”
Gu Ting rarely saw Wen Ke’an so expressionless. He could hear the catch in her voice and knew she was concerned. He squeezed her small hand, “It’s nothing, I just had a fight.”
“Why did you fight?” Wen Ke’an’s voice trembled.
Thinking about Gu Ting’s recent days at the company, Wen Ke’an thought of someone. “Was it Gu Yu?”
In her previous life, Gu Yu had been ruthless, and all of Gu Ting’s misfortunes were because of him.
Gu Ting smiled and said, “No, it was my old man.”
Perhaps thinking of something, Gu Ting let out a cold laugh. “Gu Yu still doesn’t have the right to hit me now.”
Wen Ke’an was silent for a moment before she walked to the table in front of her, picked up the disinfectant medicine Gu Ting needed, and said, “I’ll apply the medicine for you.”
In their previous life, Gu Ting often got injured due to work. Wen Ke’an had become very experienced in treating his wounds.
Everything was fine until Gu Ting felt a scorching tear drop on his back.
Gu Ting immediately turned around and saw Wen Ke’an with a red nose, her eyes lowered, not wanting him to see the tears in her eyes.
“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Gu Ting immediately stood up, gently holding her face with both hands.
Wen Ke’an said nothing.
Gu Ting wiped her tears with his thumb and softly comforted her, “It’s just a small wound. It doesn’t hurt at all.”
Instead of making her feel better, his words made Wen Ke’an feel even worse.
Crystal teardrops hung from her eyelashes, trembling, making Gu Ting’s heart ache.
“Don’t cry,” Gu Ting coaxed softly. “If you keep crying and my uncle sees, he’ll think I bullied you and made you cry.”
“Why did your dad hit you? Does he often hit you?” Wen Ke’an calmed her emotions, trying to look more composed.
Gu Ting pinched her earlobe and explained with a smile, “These are just baits. I agreed to it willingly.”
“What?”
“Just putting on an act for certain people in the company.”
“…..”
After finishing applying the medicine for Gu Ting, Wen Ke’an lowered her head and set the medicine bottle down. Unexpectedly, Gu Ting suddenly walked behind her. Wen Ke’an turned around, her head bumping into his chest.
Realizing what had happened, Wen Ke’an looked up at him.
Gu Ting reached out and gently rubbed her head, smiling as he asked, “Do you have time tomorrow?”
“Mm?”
“I want to claim my reward.”
“What reward do you want?” Having just cried, her voice carried a slight nasal tone.
“Can you come with me to my grandma’s house tomorrow?”
Wen Ke’an was stunned upon hearing Gu Ting’s words. “Grandma’s house?”
“Yes,” Gu Ting said. “You know, my grandma raised me when I was young.”
Wen Ke’an knew that Gu Ting’s mother had passed away when he was very young. His father later remarried, and Gu Ting’s relationship with his father had never been good.
During the years Gu Ting was in prison, his grandmother had also passed away.
Whenever Wen Ke’an heard Gu Ting talk about these things, she couldn’t help but feel heartache.
Instinctively, she reached out to hold his hand, as if silently comforting him.
“I had a wish in my past life,” Gu Ting looked down at her, holding her hand.
“What wish do you have?”
In her gaze, Gu Ting’s eyes softened, and he said gently, word by word, “I wish to take my beloved to meet my family.”
—
Gu Ting’s grandmother lived in a villa community on the west side of the city.
Meeting Gu Ting’s family for the first time made Wen Ke’an quite nervous.
Gu Ting naturally noticed Wen Ke’an’s discomfort; her actions were stiff. He smiled and gently squeezed her hand to comfort her, “It’s okay, my grandma loves kids.”
After ringing the doorbell, it was answered by a woman in her forties. She was Aunt Wu, the caretaker looking after his grandmother.
Aunt Wu was slightly startled to see Gu Ting, then smiled with pleasant surprise, “Young Master, you’re back.”
“Yes,” Gu Ting responded, “Is Grandma home?”
“Yes, she’s in the living room watching TV!” Aunt Wu replied, turning to look at the girl beside Gu Ting.
The girl was very pretty, and it was the first time Aunt Wu had seen such a sweet and beautiful girl.
“And who is this?” Aunt Wu asked softly, looking at Gu Ting.
“My girlfriend,” Gu Ting said.
Perhaps not expecting Gu Ting to be so direct, Aunt Wu was taken aback.
Realizing what he said, Aunt Wu smiled and said, “Come in, come in, Young Master. The old lady will be especially happy to see you!”
In the living room, Grandma was indeed watching TV. She was watching one of those overly dramatic soap operas.
“Old lady, look who’s here!”
Grandma turned around and saw a beautiful girl in the living room.
Wen Ke’an was wearing a pink and white dress today, with her long black hair flowing down to her waist, and a light pink pearl hair clip on her head, looking very sweet.
“Who is this beautiful young lady?” Grandma watched for a moment and then added, “But she doesn’t look familiar.”
Feeling ignored, Gu Ting laughed upon hearing Grandma’s words, “Do you still recognize me?”
Once Gu Ting spoke, Grandma’s gaze finally shifted from Wen Ke’an. She widened her eyes slightly, “Oh my, isn’t this my grandson!”
“Oh, so you do recognize your grandson after all!” Gu Ting said.
Grandma is an especially adorable old lady; she’s over eighty years old now. She’s dressed in a luxurious-looking little black dress, her hair in short, curly white locks, and she’s wearing a pair of gold-rimmed reading glasses.
“Gu Ting, how come you have time to visit today?” Grandma walked over from the sofa, though she was speaking to Gu Ting, her eyes were fixed on Wen Ke’an.
She didn’t care about Gu Ting’s response and asked immediately, “Who’s this pretty young lady?”
Gu Ting replied, “She’s my future wife.”
Hearing Gu Ting’s words, Grandma was overjoyed, her eyes crinkling into a smile. “Is she my granddaughter-in-law to be?”
As she spoke, she held Wen Ke’an’s hand, “Oh my, Gu Ting is really blessed to find such a wonderful girl!”
Wen Ke’an felt shy from all the praise and looked up at Gu Ting for help.
Gu Ting earnestly agreed, “I think I’m blessed too.”
Grandma chatted with Wen Ke’an for a while. Since there were always more boys in the family, Grandma adored girls, especially such a beautiful one.
“Come, have some fruit!” Grandma ignored her beloved grandson and handed the plate of cut fruits to Wen Ke’an.
Wen Ke’an took it, “Thank you, Grandma.”
No sooner had she taken a bite, Grandma asked, “You’ve been together for a while now. When are you planning to have a baby?”
“Grandma.” Wen Ke’an was flustered and looked helplessly at Gu Ting.
Gu Ting explained, “Grandma, she’s still young.”
Grandma shook her head, “In our days, at your age, we’d already have two kids.”
“That’s not possible now,” Gu Ting said with a sterner tone, “It’s against the law.”
Giving her grandson a sideways glance, Grandma said seriously, “What’s not possible? I think it’s you who’s not capable.”
When Wen Ke’an and Gu Ting arrived, it was already afternoon. After spending some time and having dinner, it was dark. Gu Ting rarely visited, and Grandma was reluctant to see him leave so soon.
Wanting Gu Ting to spend more time with Grandma, and under their combined persuasion, Wen Ke’an decided to stay the night.
Wen Ke’an had told Liu Qing she was visiting Chu Han earlier, and staying over at Chu Han’s place wasn’t unusual, so Liu Qing didn’t question her decision not to return home.
It’s almost bedtime, and the room needs to be prepared in advance. At 7:30 PM, while Wen Ke’an was watching a show on the sofa with Grandma and Gu Ting, Aunt Wu walked over to Gu Ting and asked softly, “Do I need to prepare two rooms, Young Master?”
Before Gu Ting could answer, Wen Ke’an looked up at Aunt Wu and softly said, “No need.”
Gu Ting’s injuries hadn’t healed yet, and Wen Ke’an still needed to change his dressings. Having one room would be more convenient.
Her intentions were straightforward, but Aunt Wu seemed to overthink it.
Aunt Wu glanced at Gu Ting, and seeing that he didn’t object, she smiled and said, “Alright.”
Wen Ke’an felt a bit embarrassed after realizing the implication. She silently turned back to watch TV, but her ears betrayed her by turning red.
At 9:00 PM, Wen Ke’an and Gu Ting returned to their room together. Aunt Wu had already tidied it up and provided everything they needed.
After closing the door, Gu Ting turned around to find Wen Ke’an staring at him. He was taken aback and asked with a smile, “What’s wrong?”
“Take off your clothes,” Wen Ke’an whispered, worried that the people outside might hear.
“Hmm?”
Wen Ke’an turned to find the first aid kit. “To apply medicine.”
Gu Ting’s wounds had improved, but they still looked quite alarming.
Whenever Wen Ke’an applied medicine, she had a very serious and focused expression.
“Ow.”
“Ah.”
“…”
The more she applied, the stranger things got. Wen Ke’an finally couldn’t help it and stopped, looking down at him. “Why are you making so much noise today?”
Yesterday he wasn’t like this, but today in Grandma’s house, he kept making noises. Anyone who didn’t know would think they were up to something suspicious in the room.
Hearing Wen Ke’an’s words, Gu Ting looked at her innocently and said, “It hurts.”
“…”
As Wen Ke’an finished applying the medicine and was putting away the first aid kit, someone suddenly knocked on the door.
Gu Ting stood up and went to open the door.
Seeing Gu Ting without a shirt, Aunt Wu paused for a moment before saying, “Ah, Master Ting, I came to bring you a towel.”
Gu Ting took it and said, “Okay, thank you, Aunt Wu.”
“”
As soon as the door closed, Aunt Wu turned and waved to the old lady hiding in the next room.
At this moment, the old lady was sneakily peeking at the door, craning her neck to look outside. Seeing Aunt Wu waving, the old lady tiptoed to the door, her face full of curiosity as she asked softly, “How did it go?”
Aunt Wu nodded, “The young master is working hard. You might have a granddaughter soon.”
“Hahaha, that’s great.”
The grandmother was ecstatic, feeling like dancing on the spot.
Aunt Wu was also happy, but she still had some sense. Hesitantly, she said, “But Madam, the girl is only sixteen or seventeen.”
The grandmother was still in a good mood. She reached out and patted Aunt Wu’s shoulder, saying, “Our Aoting is a good kid. Trust that he knows what he’s doing.”
As Wen Ke’an finished packing, she saw Gu Ting standing at the door with his upper body exposed, holding a towel, motionless.
Wen Ke’an quietly asked, puzzled, “What are you doing standing at the door?”
Gu Ting walked over, wrapped his arm around her slender waist, and pulled her into his arms.
Wen Ke’an didn’t know what was going on with him, so she quietly let him hold her for a while. Before she could speak, she heard Gu Ting sigh.
“Why are you sighing when everything’s fine?” Wen Ke’an looked up at him and asked with a smile.
Gu Ting looked down at her for a while before speaking with a tone of melancholy, “When will you ever grow up?”
“”
Author’s note:
Gu Ting: I’m being doubted again [Feeling wronged]
I’m not laughing… it’s just a cough