Chapter 19: Unable to Resist

Peach blossoms fluttered gently in the breeze.

Gu Nanyan leaned in the man’s embrace, staring at him dazedly.

It was the first time she had seen Shen Boyan this closely. His features were truly as perfect as if drawn by an artist.

His thick, dark brows, narrow eyes, high nose, and thin lips—everything about him was flawless.

At this moment, his brow was slightly furrowed, and a layer of coldness lingered over his handsome face.

Gu Nanyan couldn’t help but swallow nervously as she gazed at him.

Suddenly, his deep, dark eyes turned to her.

Their gazes locked. Gu Nanyan blinked in surprise, momentarily forgetting how to react.

The wind blew through the peach grove, petals falling all around them. The two of them just stared at each other in the midst of the fluttering blossoms. After a long while, Gu Nanyan finally pulled away from his arms.

“Th-thank you,” she said awkwardly, glancing at Shen Xuan, who was still lying on the ground with one eye swollen into a panda shape. “He… won’t be hurt, right?”

Shen Boyan’s second uncle and his family weren’t exactly good people—she was worried they might cause trouble for him.

“He’ll be fine.”

Shen Boyan remained calm, not sparing Shen Xuan a second glance as he turned and began walking out of the peach grove.

Gu Nanyan hurried to follow him.

As they stepped out of the peach grove, both of them were covered with a few fallen petals.

Gu Nanyan shook herself off, then pointed at Shen Boyan’s head.

Seeing him look at her in confusion, she thought for a moment and then tiptoed to gently blow at his head. Two petals fluttered down.

A delicate fragrance wafted with the soft wind, and Shen Boyan froze.

His dark, ocean-like eyes quickly flashed with emotion.

“All done,” Gu Nanyan smiled sweetly after blowing the petals off him.

Shen Boyan stared at her silently for a few seconds, his throat moving slightly, but he didn’t speak. He simply turned and walked away.

Shen Xuan, the drunkard, was still in the peach grove, but Gu Nanyan didn’t want to stay there any longer. She quickly caught up to Shen Boyan. “Did you… finish your work?”

“Mm.”

Ling Hanzhi had been considerate enough to only send a few urgent documents over.

“Did you see Xiao Mumu?”

Gu Nanyan wasn’t exactly on good terms with the old lady, so she hadn’t stayed around to cause trouble and had left Xiao Mumu there with her.

“Mm, the old lady and he are having a good time.”

Shen Boyan kept walking, but Gu Nanyan noticed that they weren’t heading back to the main house.

The Shen family’s old mansion was built by the lake, and this direction seemed to lead toward the lakeside.

Gu Nanyan didn’t say anything further and quietly followed him to the lake.

The spring scenery was perfect, with willow trees lining the lake, their branches lush and green, full of vitality.

The afternoon sunlight reflected off the lake, creating gentle ripples on the surface, giving the scene an air of tranquility.

There were several benches by the lake, and Shen Boyan casually picked one and sat down.

Gu Nanyan thought for a moment but decided to sit on the same bench.

The two of them sat quietly, about half a meter apart, admiring the beauty of the afternoon light on the lake.

After a while, Gu Nanyan, having woken up early that morning, began to feel sleepy. She yawned, looked at Shen Boyan for a moment, and seeing that he had no intention of leaving, she leaned back in the chair, closed her eyes, and rested.

She had barely closed her eyes for two minutes before she fell asleep.

The sound of even breathing came from beside her, and Shen Boyan turned to look. He saw the woman resting peacefully on the bench, her head tilted, her eyes tightly closed.

Her face was small, with delicate features—her curved brows, sharp nose, and small lips. With her eyes closed, her long lashes fluttered like tiny fans.

She looked completely innocent and peaceful in her sleep, but her posture was unstable, and her head kept sliding downward. In her sleep, her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Shen Boyan paused for a few seconds, then silently shifted closer, moving half a meter towards her. When her head began to slip again, he gently supported her head, guiding it to rest on his shoulder.

Finally, the young woman slept soundly.

However, Shen Boyan’s usually cold face was tense. The faint fragrance that clung to her, so uniquely feminine, lingered in his nose, and his throat became dry. After a few attempts to clear it, he closed his eyes.

But within seconds, he opened them again, turning slightly to look at the woman resting on his shoulder. Under the afternoon sun, he gazed at her deeply.

Gu Nanyan was awoken by the sound of a phone ringing.

The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Shen Boyan hanging up the phone with a cold expression.

The caller ID displayed—Qin Yuwei.

Gu Nanyan was a little dazed from just waking up. She stared at the handsome side profile of the man for several seconds before realizing just how close they were.

Suddenly, she became aware of the wrinkled suit jacket on his shoulder.

Had she really been sleeping on his shoulder?

“Awake?” Shen Boyan looked at her as she blinked and slowly nodded her head, looking confused.

He found her dazed expression so cute.

“I still have some work to handle. Do you need me to have someone show you around the house?”

“No, I’m familiar with the layout here…”

Her voice was soft and a little sleepy, still heavy from just waking up.

“Alright, if you need anything, you can call me.”

Shen Boyan’s voice had softened unconsciously.

“Call you?”

Gu Nanyan suddenly remembered that she didn’t have his phone number.

Without saying anything, Shen Boyan took out his phone and quickly dialed a number.

Gu Nanyan’s phone immediately rang.

She picked it up and glanced at it, while Shen Boyan calmly put his phone away. “The old lady wants us to stay for dinner before heading back. If you don’t want to walk around, you can rest in your room.”

After saying that, he stood up and left without looking back.

Gu Nanyan watched him disappear into the golden afternoon light.

Then, she looked down at the number he had just saved in her phone.

Did this mean… their relationship had gotten a bit closer?

---

“You’re just a child that nobody wants!”

“Bookworm, don’t think you’re so special just because you can make Great-grandmother happy. She only feels sorry for you since you were abandoned.”

“My mom says your parents will divorce soon, and you’ll be an orphan. How sad~”

Gu Nanyan had guessed that Shen Mumu would probably be taking a nap, so she went to find Xiao Mumu. But as she was walking, she heard the voice of Little Grape from outside a small courtyard.

“What are you staring at? Your mom is a crazy woman. Your dad won’t like her. He’ll marry a new stepmom, and then you’ll be abandoned.”

“A beggar with no one to care about you. How pitiful~”

If she hadn’t heard it with her own ears, Gu Nanyan wouldn’t have believed a five-year-old could say such cruel words.

She slowly walked to the entrance of the courtyard and peeked inside, where Little Grape and Xiao Mumu were standing. There was a maid beside them, looking familiar—she was the one who had been serving with Tan Yumei earlier.

Xiao Mumu, though younger by two years, was about the same height as Little Grape. But being younger, he was more immature, and after being insulted by Little Grape, he just stared at her, his eyes red with anger.

“Go ahead, cry, little beggar. A child with no mom, how pitiful~”

“I have a mom! My mom isn’t crazy! She’s the best mom in the world!”

Finally, Xiao Mumu couldn’t hold back anymore and shouted back.