Chapter 52: That’s Why They Liked Her

At five o’clock in the morning, Su Nianmei was in a daze. She reached out beside her, feeling nothing but emptiness.

A sudden tension gripped her mind, and her eyes flew open.

She had not slept well the night before; waking up now, her eyes felt dry and sore.

Outside, the rain continued to pour, making a loud pattering sound. The window was open, though she couldn’t remember when it had been left that way.

A breeze blew in, and Su Nianmei wrapped the blanket tighter around herself.

The light was dim, and Gu Xichao emerged from the bathroom, dressed only in a white tank top and oversized shorts.

His well-defined muscles were on full display, a testament to years of rigorous training in the military.

He had a robust and healthy physique, not the grotesquely oversized look typical of gym-goers.

Instead, his muscles were proportionate and appealing, complemented by his tall, striking figure. Just looking at him was a feast for the eyes.

“Do you still feel unwell?” Su Nianmei propped herself up on one arm.

She had not brought a change of clothes last night and was wearing Gu Xichao’s shirt.

As she moved, the top button popped open, and the shirt hung loosely, exposing her delicate collarbones right in front of Gu Xichao.

Su Nianmei’s fair complexion appeared even whiter in the dim room, her hair haphazardly around her shoulders and grazing her collarbone. The wind blew, causing her hair to sway gently.

Gu Xichao’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke. “After a good sleep, I feel much better now.” He cleared his throat and sat at the edge of the bed, taking a couple of sips of water.

He then draped an arm around Su Nianmei’s shoulders, his hand resting naturally in her hair. He gently pulled up her slipping shirt sleeve, saying, “It’s still raining outside, so there’s no rush to go to school. Let’s sleep a little longer.”

Su Nianmei glanced at the sky; the heavy rain weighed down the branches. She slipped her body back into the blankets, clutching Gu Xichao’s arm. “You have no idea how scared I was when you suddenly collapsed yesterday.”

Gu Xichao set down his cup and turned to lie on the bed. He intentionally lay down a bit further so their faces were nearly touching.

Every subtle expression on Su Nianmei’s face was captured in his gaze. He deliberately wanted to tease her, saying, “What are you afraid of? Look at me—I’m perfectly fine.”

Su Nianmei playfully pinched the flesh at his waist, her words laced with a hint of irritation. “What am I afraid of? I’m afraid you might suddenly disappear, leaving me all alone for other people.”

Before she could finish her sentence, Gu Xichao wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forcefully. His tongue teased inside her mouth, the kiss more intense than any before.

There was a fire in his eyes, and the kiss carried an unmistakable sense of punishment.

When they finally parted, Su Nianmei was still panting.

Gu Xichao cradled her head and playfully bit her lip, saying, “Don’t ever say things like that again. In this life, there will only ever be you, the one I cherish the most.”

Su Nianmei looked up at Gu Xichao, her almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly. His gaze held a smile, yet there was a faint trace of melancholy beneath. She closed her eyes and kissed his eyelids, unable to bear the sight of his expression.

“If I were left alone in this world, I know it would hurt you.” Su Nianmei nestled deeper into Gu Xichao’s embrace.

He gently patted her back.

“Good girl, good girl, go to sleep.” Gu Xichao’s voice was deep and magnetic, and as Su Nianmei listened, she slowly drifted off.

However, Gu Xichao felt no inclination to sleep.

He rested his chin on Su Nianmei’s head, surrounded by her sweet fragrance. Slowly, he closed his eyes, greedily inhaling the scent, a smile creeping onto his lips—indistinguishable whether it was joy or bittersweetness.

In his previous life, he had loved with fear, only able to be a passerby in Su Nianmei’s youthful days.

He had travelled for many years, moving from place to place, yet he always seemed to encounter that girl.

He watched the little girl who had once offered him candy grow up, helping her fulfil her wishes along the way.

Her youth was filled with memories of Gu Xichao.

He had once secretly taught her to paint, helped her sing, dressed her in doll costumes, and danced clumsily alongside her. He even wrote her first love letter during her youthful awakening.

He had witnessed many important moments in her life: her acceptance into college, her entry into the workforce, and as she approached the time of starting a family and having children.

Then, Gu Xichao suddenly realized that all his patience and tolerance toward Su Nianmei stemmed from love.

The gradual development of feelings was more difficult to detect than love at first sight; it was like a frog being boiled slowly in warm water.

Love and desire had seeped into his bones, spreading throughout his entire being.

By the time he became aware of it, he was already deeply ensnared, beyond redemption.

However, he could not confess his feelings to Su Nianmei.

When she was five or six years old, Gu Xichao appeared to be twenty-eight.

When Su Nianmei turned twenty-five or twenty-six, he still looked the same.

He was shackled by time; he could not and could not bear to disrupt the girl’s life.

Once he recognized his unusual feelings, Gu Xichao completely distanced himself from her.

He slowly learned to adapt to the life of an outsider—alone, restrained, and without support.

Before long, he grew tired of such a life. He yearned to return to his former self—the real Gu Xichao, who was full of life and willing to love and hate.

He started dressing like the elderly around him, wearing outfits suited for old men, dyeing his hair grey, and drawing lines on his skin that wrinkles of age would normally bring.

Eventually, he moved into a nursing home.

He told himself that he was Gu Xichao, the man who should now be fifty or sixty years old.

Perhaps one day, he would wake up to find himself lying in a coffin, accompanied by the earth. He needed to suppress his emotions; he should not love.

But Gu Xichao never expected that the very next day after moving into the nursing home, Su Nianmei would appear as a volunteer.

The girl looked more mature than before, her face adorned with delicate makeup and her hair styled in loose waves that cascaded down her back.

The wind brought with it a faint fragrance from her.

He sat in his wheelchair, his legs unable to move at all, struggling to hide the sparkle in his eyes, trying to appear worn and old.

As the girl’s hand rested on the back of the wheelchair, Gu Xichao slowly withdrew the hand he had placed on the armrest.

The girl smiled softly, her hand resting gently on his arm, her eyes warm. “You look just like someone I knew when I was little.”

Gu Xichao looked at the wrinkles on the back of his hand, his skin sagging. He forced a bitter smile. “Is that so? Then I’m truly honoured.”

The girl laughed, her laughter dancing away in the wind.

Not willing to give up, Gu Xichao feigned nonchalance and asked casually, “Was that person important to you?”

She nodded with a smile, her gaze meeting his. “He saved me; he’s my hero.”

With that one sentence, all of Gu Xichao’s defences crumbled, yet he could not pursue the girl.

His identity and the strangeness of his existence meant he could only endure, restrain himself, and let go. He could not offer her a bright future; he could only silently wish her well.

This letting go was a lifetime commitment, yet what he never expected was that it would end with the news of her death.

The more he restrained himself, the more reckless he became in the end. He kissed the girl’s forehead gently, resolving that what he had failed to hold onto in his past life would be firmly grasped in this one.

—o—o—o—

At seven o’clock, Su Nianmei left for school, feeling a sense of guilt. When she left, Gu Xichao was still asleep, his beautiful eyes closed, the corners of his lips turned up slightly, his hand still gripping Su Nianmei’s wrist.

Su Nianmei tucked the blanket around him, bending down to kiss the corners of his lips a few times. Only then did Gu Xichao reluctantly release her hand.

Back in the dormitory, everyone was tidying up.

When Qi Man saw her, she sighed in relief, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the hallway. “Where did you go last night? Instructor Jiang came looking for you just now. Luckily, I was quick-witted and told him you went to the bathroom and hadn’t returned yet.”

Su Nianmei fastened her belt. “What did Instructor Jiang want with me?”

Qi Man draped her arm over Su Nianmei’s shoulder. “I secretly overheard the counsellor talking to the instructor. It seems like your brother and uncle came to see you.”

Su Nianmei was confused. “I’m the eldest in my family. What brother are you talking about?”

Qi Man waved her hand dismissively, but Su Nianmei still went to find the counsellor in the dormitory building.

She heard a woman crying in the hallway as she approached the door.

The atmosphere inside the room felt particularly oppressive due to the weeping. Even Jiang Quan’s hand trembled slightly as he handed over a tissue. He was just a lowly soldier and had never seen such a scene. The people in the room were all affluent and influential; he felt he could not provoke any of them.

Su Nianmei stood at the door, hesitating momentarily before finally knocking.

Ji Yuan opened the door, his hand still slightly shaking.

Grandma Ji, in her eighties, moved swiftly and approached Su Nianmei, grabbing her hand. The moment she saw her, her sobbing ceased. “Xiao Yun’er, look at me. I’m your grandmother.”

As Grandma Ji spoke, tears continued to flow down her face. The disappearance of little Yun’er from their family years ago was deeply connected to her.

At that time, the Ji family had not yet become prosperous. The eldest son and his wife served in the military, and Mrs Ji accompanied them in taking care of the children. Ji Yuan was five years old and went to school during the day, so she didn’t have to worry about him. But little Yun’er was only two, needing constant supervision.

Due to her old age, Grandma Ji couldn’t resist taking a short nap during the afternoon. The two-year-old little girl wandered off to play by herself, and when Grandma Ji woke up, it was too late; the child was already gone.

They had been sceptical about Su Nianmei’s identity last night, but early this morning, Su Jianguo arrived at the Ji family and laid everything bare.

Sixteen years ago, when Su Jianguo was still serving in the northwest, he married Lin Aiqiu, but the couple had not yet had any children.

Grandma Su was superstitious, believing that adopting a girl would bring good fortune. On the day Su Jianguo returned home from military service, Grandma Su secretly brought a little girl back with her.

Grandma Su had taken an earlier train, and when Su Jianguo and the others returned home, they discovered there was an additional little girl in the family. But by then, it was too late.

At first, Su Jianguo considered that the child must belong to one of his comrades and thought he should return her.

However, when he asked the little girl, she didn’t know which family she belonged to. Grandma Su caused a huge scene, insisting the girl could not leave.

The village where the Su family lived was two days away from the military camp by train, and round-trip tickets were not cheap.

As time dragged on, Su Jianguo lost the desire to return the girl.

At just two years old, she wouldn’t know any better, and after caring for her for a while, she would simply become part of the Su family.

Interestingly, after six months of raising Su Nianmei, Lin Aiqiu became pregnant. With this news, no one mentioned returning to Su Nianmei anymore.

After all, it was believed that having one child would lead to more; raising a little girl was no different than having a cat or a dog—just feed her and make a few clothes, and she would grow up.

Hearing this, Grandma Ji nearly fainted from anger, realizing that the little princess of the Ji family, whom they cherished, was seen as no different than a cat or dog in others’ eyes.

Standing behind the Grandma Ji was a middle-aged man—Ji Guizhong. He exuded authority with every movement, his presence commanding respect.

Though in his fifties, he looked like he was in his forties, standing there with a stern face that conveyed power without the need for anger.

Su Nianmei was still trying to comprehend the situation and glanced at Ji Yuan, seeking his help.

Ji Guizhong stepped closer to Su Nianmei, forcing a kind smile onto his face, and patted her shoulder. “Yun’er, I’m Dad.”

Su Nianmei stood frozen in place, somewhat dazed.

Ji Guizhong’s smile widened even more. “Yun’er, do you remember me? I’m Dad! The one you used to ride around when you were little!”

Su Nianmei blinked a few times to process what she had just said.