Chapter 8: I Like Long Legs

Guan Shanyan looked down at his palm, the candy reflected colorful light under the lamp.

“Very pretty candy. Where did you buy it?”

Shen Youwei said, “Today I helped take pictures for a mother and daughter, and that little girl gave it to me.”

Guan Shanyan looked up at her. “So you’re borrowing flowers to present Buddha?”

Shen Youwei said, “The candy is so pretty, I didn’t even dare to eat it.” She reached out, wanting to take the candy back. “If you don’t want it, give it back to me.”

Guan Shanyan closed his palm and pulled his hand back. “If it’s in my hand, it’s mine.”

Shen Youwei: “…”

She suddenly felt her godmom was right — the two of them really were quite childish.

“Well, I’m going back to sleep now.” Shen Youwei turned and walked to her room. After sitting on the bed, she suddenly remembered that she had originally gone out to warm up a cup of milk.

…Forget it, just sleep like this.

She patted the grumpy little cat lying next to her pillow and lay down.

Maybe because of the day’s stress, she dreamed again that she was falling down Mount Qingjing. In the dream, she fell again and again, and Guan Shanyan pulled her up every time, exhausting them both.

After waking up in the morning and lingering in bed for a while, Shen Youwei finally got up to wash. When she reached the dining room, Guan Shanyan was already sitting with Xie Mingqiu at the table.

Guan Shanyan was wearing a new set of home clothes, looking much more energetic, as if fully recovered.

Shen Youwei lightly raised an eyebrow. When Guan Shanyan had a fever as a child, it hadn’t been so easy to get better—especially that time on Mount Qingjing when he was almost dying from the fever.

“Youwei, why didn’t you sleep a bit longer?” Xie Mingqiu asked, adding another pair of bowls and chopsticks when Shen Youwei came over. Shen Youwei sat down at the table and spooned some porridge for herself, sounding a little weak: “No, I had all kinds of messy dreams last night.”

“Definitely from being scared yesterday.” Xie Mingqiu kept putting food on Shen Youwei’s plate. “Eat more to calm your nerves.”

“Thank you, godmom.” Shen Youwei looked at the pile of food on her plate and thought to herself that her godmom was treating her like a pig.

“By the way, it’s about Xiao Guo from the property management. She took a lot of event photos at the park yesterday, including some of you two.” After helping Shen Youwei, Xie Mingqiu also picked up her bowl and took a sip of porridge. “She said you two look great on camera and wants to post your photos on the official account for publicity. But since you both have fans, she asked me to check if you’re okay with it.”

Shen Youwei swallowed a fried dumpling and said to Xie Mingqiu, “Better not. I don’t want my living here to be exposed again.”

She really didn’t want to move again.

Xie Mingqiu nodded, thinking she had a point. “I’ll just refuse Xiao Guo then.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Suddenly Guan Shanyan spoke up: “Does property management have those photos? Send me a copy.”

Xie Mingqiu said, “If you want, I’ll ask Xiao Guo to send me a copy.”

Xiao Guo quickly sent the photos to her, and she forwarded them to Guan Shanyan. “Sent to your WeChat.”

Guan Shanyan looked down at his phone. Shen Youwei beside him said, “godmom, send me a copy too.”

Guan Shanyan’s brow twitched slightly. He spoke first, “I’ll send it to you.”

Before Shen Youwei could react, Guan Shanyan had already sent the photos to her WeChat, then received several familiar red exclamation marks: “Done, sent to you.”

Shen Youwei: “…”

What is he doing?

After two seconds, Guan Shanyan looked at her phone, which showed no movement. “What, didn’t you get it?”

Shen Youwei: “…………”

Xie Mingqiu next to them said, “Is your phone’s network bad? Want him to send it again?”

“Mm.” Guan Shanyan held the phone and started sending the photos to Shen Youwei again.

“…” Shen Youwei quickly grabbed her phone and swiftly removed Guan Shanyan from her blacklist.

Finally, her phone vibrated once and she received a photo from Guan Shanyan.

“Got it, got it. Maybe the network was really bad just now, haha.” Shen Youwei nervously laughed twice and put her phone back on the table.

Guan Shanyan responded with a casual sound, expression unchanged, and continued eating breakfast.

Seeing him like this made Shen Youwei inexplicably angry. She grabbed her phone and quickly sent him a message: “I’m going to block you again later!”

Guan Shanyan: Oh, just don’t let my mom find out.

Younger sister: 【smile】

“You two, stop playing with your phones at the table.” Xie Mingqiu glanced at both of them, then fixed her gaze on Shen Youwei.

Shen Youwei felt a chill down her back from the look. “What is it, godmom?”

Xie Mingqiu smiled ambiguously at her. “Yesterday at the Peach Blossom Festival, some aunties in the neighborhood saw you with Shanyan and came to ask me about you.”

“…Huh?” Shen Youwei was holding chopsticks with a xiaolongbao and looked confused. “Ask about me for what?”

“To introduce someone to you.”

Shen Youwei: “…”

Those aunties really have a big heart.

“How old is she? Why would she need someone?” Before Shen Youwei could say anything, Guan Shanyan objected first.

Xie Mingqiu looked at him and chuckled softly. “Youwei is already twenty-five. Why wouldn’t she need someone? You think everyone’s like you?”

“…” Guan Shanyan fell silent for a moment, then continued to object, “You said yesterday we’re just kids.”

Xie Mingqiu almost wanted to roll her eyes at him. “Don’t think I don’t know you. Since you were little, Youwei played with you, and no other boys dared to come near her. You say you’ve been weak and sickly since childhood, but you hit pretty hard.”

“…The people I hit weren’t exactly good people.”

“Right, right, only you are the good one.” Xie Mingqiu smiled at him. “Don’t worry, the boys I introduce to Youwei will definitely be good kids.”

Guan Shanyan wanted to say something, but Xie Mingqiu turned her head and asked Shen Youwei, “Youwei, what kind of boys do you like?”

“Uh,” Shen Youwei answered honestly, “good-looking ones.”

“…” Xie Mingqiu kept her smile but changed her approach. “What about personality? Or any special talents?”

Shen Youwei thought for a moment. “I like boys with long legs.”

Xie Mingqiu: “…”

She sized Shen Youwei up and said suspiciously, “You don’t already like someone, do you?”

“Cough cough”. Guan Shanyan next to them choked on his porridge.

Xie Mingqiu glanced at him. “If she likes someone, why are you so worked up? I warn you, Guan Shanyan, if you’re not dating anyone yourself, don’t interfere with your sister’s love life.”

Guan Shanyan scoffed but continued drinking his porridge without another word.

Seeing him settle down, Xie Mingqiu turned back and smiled at Shen Youwei. “How about this? I’ll have the aunties prepare some photos, and if you like anyone, I’ll introduce them to you.”

Shen Youwei blinked and nodded, “Okay.”

Guan Shanyan glanced over. Shen Youwei met his eyes and gave him a smile.

After breakfast, Shen Youwei returned to her room to prepare for the video shoot, while Guan Shanyan stayed behind to clean up the dishes.

Xie Mingqiu looked at Guan Shanyan standing in the kitchen. He was good-looking and had long legs.

But what good does that do?

Guan Shanyan heard her click her tongue outside, shaking his head with a baffled expression.

After cleaning the kitchen, Guan Shanyan washed his hands and picked up the phone on the table. There was a message from Shen Youwei asking him to send her all the photos taken by the property management.

Guan Shanyan opened the album and sent her two more photos.

The property management took three photos of them. In two, Shen Youwei was wearing a mask, and in the remaining one, she was walking beside Guan Shanyan with her mouth open, eating something.

Guan Shanyan casually set that photo as his phone’s lock screen.

Because of an unexpected event yesterday, Shen Youwei couldn’t take photos, but the property management still gave her three.

Not bad, actually, the photos were pretty good. No wonder they wanted to post them on the public account for promotion.

While she was admiring the photos, she received a period sent by Guan Shanyan.

She replied with a question mark.

Guan Shanyan: Try blocking me and see if it works.

Sister: 【smile】

Guan Shanyan: Are you really planning to get a boyfriend?

Sister: Yeah, I can’t hang myself on just one tree forever 【cute】

Guan Shanyan frowned slightly, locked his phone, and went back to his room.

Sitting in front of the computer, he still couldn’t calm down, even though there were many things waiting for him to do to prepare for the brand.

Guan Shanyan pressed his lips, logged into Weibo, and found He Zhou.

He Zhou was an online friend he met three years ago. At first, this account left comments on his Weibo with obvious hostility. Guan Shanyan didn’t like arguing online, so he ignored him. Later, He Zhou once commented on his design. Although not very nice, the critique was sharp and on point.

Guan Shanyan was already unhappy with his design. After several revisions, it still wasn’t what he wanted. After reading He Zhou’s comment, he suddenly found the key problem.

After that, he reached out to He Zhou, and gradually they became familiar with each other. Now, besides design issues, he occasionally chatted with He Zhou about personal matters.

Shen Youwei saw Guan Shanyan’s message half an hour later. She tapped on the keyboard and replied: “What’s up? Did your sister get into trouble again?”

After a while, Guan Shanyan sent a message: “My sister wants to start dating.”

He Zhou: How old is your sister?

Guan Shanyan: 25

He Zhou: ? Isn’t that normal then?

Guan Shanyan said nothing. Shen Youwei thought for a moment and asked, “Do you like your sister?”

Guan Shanyan: Not my biological sister, just my mom’s goddaughter.

He Zhou: I don’t think that’s what I asked.

Guan Shanyan: I’m just worried she’ll meet the wrong person.

That Chen Qing wasn’t a good one, right? Xu Kaicai also knows him. If that were his sister, he’d be furious.

He Zhou: So what kind of person do you consider ‘good’?

Guan Shanyan: At least better than me.

He Zhou: …

He Zhou: I think you actually like your sister.

Guan Shanyan: My sister grew up with me since childhood. If the other person isn’t better than me, why would she like him?

He Zhou: Maybe she just likes him because he’s not her brother.

There was silence from Guan Shanyan for a while before he sent another message: “Why do you sound more and more like my sister?”

Shen Youwei: “…”

He Zhou: I’m just answering from your sister’s perspective, helping you analyze the problem.

Guan Shanyan didn’t say anything more. Shen Youwei exhaled and casually picked up a flyer lying on the table.