Chapter 15 After all, childhood friends are more important

From the moment Gu Chengze came back and was alone with her, Song Yiyi had felt something was off.

He always looked as if he had something to say, but couldn’t quite bring himself to say it.

She wondered—was it because of Cen Bowen?

“Big brother, did you deliberately have Cen Bowen come to our house?” Song Yiyi directly voiced her suspicion.

Gu Chengze’s hand, in the middle of picking up food, paused. He lifted his gaze to her and answered, “Yes.”

He didn’t elaborate further.

But Song Yiyi immediately connected the dots. Before the original “her” quarreled with Father Song, her father and stepmother had once called Gu Chengze’s unit.

“Was it Dad who asked you to help me find a partner?” Song Yiyi asked. “Big brother, do you think I shouldn’t have broken up with Cen Bowen so rashly? That marrying him would be the best future I could have? Or is it that you want me to go back?”

She fired off several questions in a row.

Gu Chengze set down his chopsticks in the middle of her barrage, his expression turning more serious, though his tone remained calm and gentle.
“Yiyi, you misunderstood.”

Her reaction was a bit beyond his expectations. After all, ever since she was fifteen, she had always spoken softly and seldom showed this much agitation in front of him.

Sometimes Gu Chengze even felt that the Song Yiyi before fifteen and the one after were like two different people.

He figured that during the days he’d been away, she must have suffered a lot of grievances in the compound.

“Yiyi, big brother just wants to know your thoughts—your true thoughts,” Gu Chengze said, lowering his head slightly to avoid her clear, bright eyes.

“I’ve already heard about you and Cen Bowen,” he continued. “It’s my fault. I didn’t know beforehand about him and Kang Ying’s entanglements. If I’d known, I never would have let him meet you.”

His expression was full of guilt.

Gu Chengze had assumed Cen Yue, knowing his nephew’s character well, hadn’t bothered to do a personal background check. Cen Bowen had a good reputation among the men—he had never acted superior because of his family background, and on the contrary, he worked harder than most and maintained good relations with his comrades.

But now, thinking about it, with Cen Yue’s cold personality, how could he care about Cen Bowen’s personal affairs? Gu Chengze knew the strained family ties there all too well.

Gu Chengze looked at her solemnly.
“Yiyi, you don’t need to deal with Cen Bowen. I’ll talk to him myself.”

Song Yiyi’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Gu Chengze smiled and nodded.

Immediately, Song Yiyi picked up her chopsticks and flatteringly placed a piece of meat in his bowl. “Big brother, eat.”

After serving him, she asked again, “Big brother, I want to stay here. Besides getting married, is there any other way?”

Her bluntness nearly made Gu Chengze choke on his food.

He turned his head and coughed lightly. “Of course. Big brother will find a way. If you want to stay, then stay—as long as you like.”

With those words, Song Yiyi felt at ease and focused on eating.

Gu Chengze just had that kind of magic—when he was there, she felt inexplicably safe, even though today was technically the first time she’d met him.

As for her change in demeanor, Gu Chengze chalked it up to a shift in environment, plus the matter with Cen Bowen weighing on her.

The two siblings ate and chatted about everyday things.

Song Yiyi told him everything that had happened in the compound over the past month—including the times Cen Bowen had left her for Kang Ying, and the nasty remarks Kang Ying had made behind his back.

“Kang Ying’s in the hospital now?” Gu Chengze asked.

Song Yiyi sipped her soup lazily and nodded. “Yeah. Things are so strained with her family, I guess it’s still Cen Bowen taking care of her.”

She hadn’t gone out of her way to find out, and the people in the compound tried not to talk about it in front of her to avoid upsetting her. But she’d seen Cen Bowen that morning—those dark circles under his eyes didn’t lie.

Gu Chengze’s voice turned uncharacteristically cold. “Don’t bother with them in the future.”

Song Yiyi grinned. “Okay. Big brother, what about Mom and Dad? You’re not married, and Mom’s already anxious. I wouldn’t be surprised if the next time they call, they start pushing you to find me another match.”

She had been expecting this. After all, in Father Song’s heart there was still a big rift. And now she had run off to stay with Gu Chengze—that alone was enough to keep him up at night.

Gu Chengze put down his chopsticks, paused, and finally said, “Yiyi, Mom and Dad are already on their way here.”

This was something he had only learned today as well—before leaving, Father Song had called the unit to have the message passed along.

Song Yiyi’s pupils contracted. “What?!”

Gu Chengze soothed her gently. “It’s fine. They probably just couldn’t stop worrying. They’ll stay for a couple of days and then go back. Don’t worry—no matter what happens, I’ll stand in front of you.”

How could Song Yiyi not worry? She had thought staying in the compound would help her avoid people familiar with the original “her.”

One Gu Chengze was already giving her a headache—add Father Song and her stepmother into the mix, and she’d be exposed in minutes.

And aside from that, she was most worried about Father Song.

After dinner, Gu Chengze washed dishes in the yard while Song Yiyi dragged over a little stool to sit beside him.

Perhaps it was her constant gaze on his side profile, but Gu Chengze’s hands felt awkward as he washed.

He coughed lightly.

No reaction.

He had to cough again, louder this time.

Only then did Song Yiyi snap out of it, her eyes gradually clearing.

Gu Chengze chuckled. “What are you thinking about? So absorbed.”

Resting her chin in her hands, Song Yiyi said, “A few days ago, Cen Bowen took me to the department store and bought me a few dresses. He paid for them.”

“It’s fine. I’ll return the money to him tomorrow,” Gu Chengze replied.

…

After returning from his mission, with their parents arriving soon and matters concerning his sister to resolve, Gu Chengze took a few days off from the unit.

Early the next morning, he went to find Cen Bowen.

He returned every cent spent on the dresses.

“Big brother, I’m Yiyi’s boyfriend—buying her a couple of dresses is only right. I can’t take this money,” Cen Bowen said. He had just finished morning training, sweat beading on his forehead. A group of people had just dispersed from the training ground, and a few comrades were still waiting nearby to eat with him.

Deputy Regiment Commander Gu was usually mild-mannered, always smiling when they met. Today, he was unusually stern.

“Deputy Battalion Commander Cen, my sister already made it clear to you yesterday—she’s not suited to you.”

Gu Chengze spoke in an even tone, loud enough to be heard but not too loud, his words piercing straight to the point.

“This money is what she asked me to return to you. She wanted to give it to you that day, but you were tied up with Comrade Kang Ying’s family matters, and she didn’t get the chance.

“These days, you’ve been running back and forth between the camp and the hospital. She doesn’t want to distract you—after all, your childhood friend is more important.

“Although you and she have no fate together, you can still greet each other in the future. But Deputy Battalion Commander Cen, you’re a man and she’s a woman—it’s better not to have private contact.

“If there’s anything you need, you can come to me, and I’ll pass it along to my sister.”