Chapter 23: Do You Hate Me?

Gu Nan was momentarily stunned.

In this household, no one understood his mother’s illness better than he did.

In the past, when his mother had a cough, Gu Nan had bought medicine for her and even taken her to the county hospital.

However, the county’s medical facilities were limited. The doctors only mentioned that there might be an issue with her lungs and recommended visiting a major hospital in the city, where imaging equipment was available to examine the condition of her lungs.

His mother refused to go. Instead, she took medicine at home for a while and supplemented it with traditional Chinese remedies, but there was no noticeable improvement.

Later, Gu Nan reached out to a friend with connections at the city hospital. He also obtained a referral letter from the commune and took his relative to the major hospital for an examination.

The diagnosis was lung cancer… in the middle to late stages.

There was no longer any chance for effective treatment.

That day, Gu Nan walked out of the hospital with red-rimmed eyes.

He didn’t dare tell his family, let alone his mother.

Despite taking medicine and eating nutritious foods, the doctor’s words—”less than a year”—remained a constant thorn in his heart.

His mother had less than a year to live. Gu Nan knew there was nothing he could do to change that.

Now, hearing his sister’s words… Could she really cure their relative?

Better than the doctors in the city’s major hospital?

Gu Nan couldn’t believe it. He was afraid of holding onto hope, only to be met with disappointment again.

All he could do was ensure that his mother spent her remaining time happily.

But as he looked at the young girl sitting across from him—her bright smile, her unwavering confidence—Gu Nan’s heart wavered.

What if… just maybe?

What if it was really possible?

Su Niannian noticed Gu Nan’s gaze on her. The moment their eyes met, she knew—he must have understood just how serious their mother’s illness was.

She responded with a sincere smile.

“It will be cured.”

She said it, and somehow… he believed her.

It was a strange feeling.

For once, Gu Nan pushed aside his usual thoughts and simply smiled, nodding in agreement.

In the depths of his eyes, a hint of anticipation emerged.

During the meal, everyone ate heartily—especially Gu Nan, who rarely ate this much.

After they finished, Su Niannian wanted to help wash the dishes, but Gu Nan immediately took over.

He didn’t say anything, just started washing them without hesitation.

“Let him do it; don’t be polite with him,” their mother Gu Zhi said, taking Su Niannian’s hand and leading her into the courtyard.

She wanted Su Niannian to sit down and rest for a while.

“No, I have to go find Comrade Song. We made plans to order a cabinet from the carpenter.”

“Besides, she’s still hungry. We’re cooking meals together now.”

Su Niannian patted their mother’s hand gently and spoke softly.

“Ordering a cabinet? My Gu Nan knows carpentry! Let him do it!”

“That way, you’ll save a good amount of money. Plus, there are a few good planks behind the woodshed in our backyard—completely dried and seasoned. They’ll make a much better cabinet than fresh-cut wood.”

Gu Zhi said to Su Niannian that she truly liked this little girl in front of her.

“And besides, you probably won’t have time to cook when you get back, right? Why don’t you take two wowo buns and some chicken soup with you for Comrade Song? There’s still plenty left.”

As she spoke, afraid that Su Niannian might refuse, Gu Zhi went straight to the back, grabbed an aluminum lunchbox, and began filling it with chicken soup and potatoes. There wasn’t much chicken left, but she still packed more than half a box.

Then, she took a piece of oil paper, wrapped up two wowo buns, and added a third—just in case. She didn’t know whether Comrade Song was a man or a woman, and she was worried they wouldn’t have enough to eat.

Gu Nan glanced at his mother’s movements, feeling a little uneasy. Could this Comrade Song… be a man?

Thinking about it, Gu Nan felt a little uncomfortable.

Or rather, not just a little—he felt very uncomfortable.

Gu Zhi finished packing the food and handed it to Su Niannian.

“What size do you need for the cabinet? What style? Tell Gu Nan later—he can make it. He’s very skilled!”

Seeing Gu Zhi’s enthusiasm, Su Niannian didn’t refuse.

She accepted the lunchbox openly.

“Thank you, Auntie. You’re really kind,” Su Niannian said with a smile.

Her gentle voice melted Gu Zhi’s heart.

The more she looked at this girl, the more she liked her. She truly cherished her.

At that moment, Gu Nan had finished washing the dishes. He wiped his hands and stepped out.

“I’ll walk you back,” he said indifferently, though in reality, he just wanted to see who exactly this “Song Zhaodi” was.

He had completely forgotten the worries that had been troubling him during dinner.

“Sure!” Su Niannian agreed without hesitation.

A chance to be alone together like this? Only a fool would refuse.

Gu Zhi noticed that Su Niannian didn’t act coy or decline out of politeness, saying things like “No need” or “Don’t trouble yourself.” Instead, she accepted naturally.

This made Gu Zhi grin from ear to ear.

It seemed that this little girl didn’t dislike Gu Nan at all.

Even though Gu Nan knew he wasn’t worthy of such a good girl right now, people naturally yearned for beautiful things.

After offering to walk her back, he had expected her to decline. But to his surprise, she agreed so readily.

Taking the lunchbox from Su Niannian’s hands, he picked up his own bamboo backpack and headed outside.

Su Niannian saw Gu Nan walk ahead first. After greeting Gu Zhi and Gu Ningning, she quickly followed.

“I’ll come again tomorrow!”

Gu Nan’s long strides suddenly paused for a moment, but then he continued walking.

Su Niannian trailed behind him.

But… Gu Nan was so tall; his legs were ridiculously long—he walked incredibly fast.

She had to jog to catch up.

“You’re really amazing,” Su Niannian said as she walked beside Gu Nan, unable to hold back her admiration.

Gu Nan was stunned. What exactly did she mean by “amazing”?

Seeing his puzzled expression as he turned to look at her, Su Niannian smiled and explained further.

“Mm.” Gu Nan still only gave a short response, his tone steady.

Su Niannian didn’t mind his terseness and continued, “I want a bigger cabinet, the kind with drawers. Can you make that?”

Gu Nan turned his head slightly to glance at her, seemingly contemplating her request, then nodded. “Yes.”

“Mm.”

Seeing how indifferent his response was, Su Niannian couldn’t help but slow her pace even more.

With her hands behind her back and her lips pouted, she looked like she was upset.

She lagged far behind.

Gu Nan noticed that the figure beside him had disappeared. He thought to himself—he wasn’t even walking that fast, so where did she go?

After taking a few more steps, he felt like that figure had fallen even farther behind…

In the end, he couldn’t help himself and turned around to look back.

He saw Su Niannian looking a little aggrieved, her small face carrying a hint of grievance.

His heart tightened involuntarily.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Nan stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and watched as the petite figure continued walking toward him before speaking up.

“Do you… dislike me?”