A wave of sticky sweat woke Gu Yu up. He sat up and shook his head to disperse the lingering sleepiness.
Maybe it was because he hadn’t slept this peacefully in a long time; his afternoon nap had lasted until dusk. Half of his face was covered in the striped impressions of the cooling mat.
Gu Yu went to the bathroom to wash his face. The cool stream of water on his face woke him up quite a bit.
Returning to the living room, he sat on the sofa watching the setting sun, once again left with nothing to do.
For several years, earning money and studying had occupied nearly all of his time. Now that he finally had a decent break, he didn’t know what to do.
His busy past had left him no time to cultivate hobbies. Now that he was idle, there wasn’t much he wanted to do besides re-reading the dog-eared books on the windowsill or sleeping.
The college fees were originally a bit short, until he checked the balance on the card Yun Qianxin had given him during the New Year.
He knew Sister Qianxin was generous toward him, but the amount of money was still more than he had expected.
Returning it would only make her angry again, so he accepted it with peace of mind. As a result, his summer job plan was postponed for a few days.
The sunset’s afterglow turned the buildings and old trees outside the window golden. The clouds across the sky were burnt into a vivid red, and the heat that had lasted all day finally began to recede.
Wisps of blue smoke rose outside as families began to cook. He could vaguely hear the noisy shouts of children who had returned home after school.
The results weren’t out yet. This should be a period where countless Senior Three graduates were carefree and playing happily, but Gu Yu didn’t feel a trace of joy. Graduation meant the mountain of books and sea of problems had come to an end, but it also meant… they had to say goodbye.
He Yu, Luo Ming, Chen Yang… even Yun Qianxin. They were all going to leave him. In the future, it would ultimately be a journey for him alone.
He had experienced such a lonely period before, in the days right after his father passed away. He had lost almost everything, surrounded by endless darkness. Driven by instinct, he groped around alone, constantly falling, facing setbacks, crying, and feeling exhausted. Fortunately, he had made it through.
‘But now that I have seen the light, can I still adapt to the darkness?’
Suddenly, there was the sound of a key turning in the lock outside the door. A moment later, the door opened. A woman carried bulging plastic bags filled with various vegetables and meats.
Yun Qianxin had changed out of her work clothes at her own home. She was now wearing a white long-sleeved T-shirt and hot pants so short they reached the base of her thighs. Her fair, tender legs were straight and slender, making her look like a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl next door.
“I’m a bit late finishing work today. Is Xiao Yu hungry?”
“I’m okay, not very hungry.” Gu Yu looked at Yun Qianxin’s face, trying his best not to let those long legs enter his sight.
“What do you want to eat tonight? Sister bought a lot of food.” Yun Qianxin walked into the room, set down the bags, and took a rest.
“Cold dishes, please. It’s so hot I don’t have much of an appetite.”
“I left the keys for you. If it’s hot, why didn’t you go sleep in Sister’s room? Are you shy?”
“Not really, I just… I felt a bit embarrassed.” Gu Yu scratched his head.
“What’s there to be embarrassed about? Are you trying to help Sister save on electricity?”
Yun Qianxin tapped Gu Yu’s forehead, picked up the bags full of ingredients, and walked into the kitchen. She began washing and cutting vegetables with practiced ease.
“Sister Qianxin, are you still going to live here in the future?” Gu Yu asked the figure in the kitchen.
“The future? When do you mean? What are you trying to ask, Xiao Yu?”
“It’s just, when school starts, if I go to university, will you still stay here, Sister Qianxin?”
“Of course not. What silly things are you saying, Xiao Yu?” Yun Qianxin looked back at him, a gentle smile on her lips. “Sister came here just to accompany you. Since you’re going to college, Sister will definitely go there to take care of you, too.”
“Sister Qianxin, you’re going with me?”
Gu Yu clearly hadn’t expected Yun Qianxin to go this far for him. ‘She seems to really intend to accompany me all the way, as… a sister?’
Yun Qianxin had said she already considered him her biological younger brother, but even so, this level of care was a bit overboard.
“Xiao Yu is going to apply to Linyang University, right? Sister’s workplace is very close to there. I even have an apartment there, so I’ll just pick you up and bring you over.”
“Oh, oh, so that is how it is.”
This explanation was much more reasonable. The doubts in his mind found their answers.
“By the way, regarding what Sister said last time about granting Xiao Yu a wish—do you have any ideas? Anything is fine; Sister will satisfy you.”
“I want to eat Haagen-Dazs.”
“That’s it?” Yun Qianxin was a bit surprised.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m very easy to satisfy.”
Gu Yu nodded. His father had taken him to eat this expensive ice cream once before he passed away. Because of money, he hadn’t tasted it for many years.
“Okay, Sister will bring you a tub tomorrow, you Little Greedy Cat.”
“Hehe, thank you, Sister Qianxin.”
The afterglow in the room was soon mostly gone. Dinner was served—a variety of cold dishes like shredded chicken, dried tofu skin, and potato slices. Gu Yu’s appetite suddenly improved a lot.
After the meal, Gu Yu stood by the windowsill, watching the sunset fade as a cool evening breeze brushed his face.
Yun Qianxin finished washing the dishes and walked up behind him. She hugged him from behind without any reservation. “Has Xiao Yu decided on a major yet?”
“Computer Science, I think. Low requirements, high ceiling… Sister Qianxin, why are you…”
A plump softness pressed against Gu Yu’s back. Yun Qianxin’s beautiful, fair face was pressed against his. This embrace, redolent of soft jade and fragrant blossoms, made him quite uncomfortable.
“What’s wrong with Sister? Could it be that Xiao Yu gets shy just from a hug?”
“The neighbors will see us.”
“Then let them look. They all think we’re a couple anyway, so isn’t this perfectly reasonable?” Yun Qianxin suddenly bit Gu Yu’s earlobe, her voice suggestive. “Does Xiao Yu want to do something else that couples do with Sister?”
“We’re not a real couple. Sister Qianxin, stop trying to seduce me.”
“So Xiao Yu doesn’t want to? But your face is very red. Are you thinking about something you shouldn’t be?”
“I… I’m not.” Gu Yu turned his head slightly to put some distance between himself and Yun Qianxin.
“Is that so?”
Yun Qianxin grabbed Gu Yu’s face as he tried to turn away, pulling it back to kiss him. Her fragrant, soft tongue easily breached the boy’s teeth, swirling inside his mouth and coating his tongue with sweet saliva.
“Now, is Xiao Yu thinking about something naughty? You can still change that wish. Sister will agree to anything.”
“I…”
The kiss triggered a physical reaction, and a physiological impulse naturally arose. Gu Yu hesitated. The suggestive, beautiful smile on Yun Qianxin’s face looked like a hunter watching their prey fall into a trap.
“Xiao Yu doesn’t need to have any psychological burden,” Yun Qianxin said, “Sister will embrace everything about you, including… your physical needs.”
As she spoke, one hand reached under the hem of his shirt, moving enticingly against his skin.
“Sister Qianxin… you… don’t…”
Suddenly, an abrupt notification sound rang out, breaking the restless atmosphere. Gu Yu took out his phone and glanced at it; it was a new message from He Yu.
[A class reunion is being held in three days. Is Young Master Gu interested in gracing us with his presence?]
“Sure, sure, I’ll go.”
After Gu Yu finished typing his response, he put his phone away.
“It’s getting a bit cold. Sister Qianxin, let’s go inside,” Gu Yu said, turning to Yun Qianxin, his expression a bit more composed.
Then, he was bitten hard on the shoulder.