The midday sun was glaring at the entrance of the dormitory building.
A tall, straight figure stood with his back to the light. Hearing footsteps, he turned around.
Lin Xiaojiao’s steps instantly froze in place.
The person who had disappeared for a week had appeared so unexpectedly, without any warning.
He wasn’t wearing his military uniform.
A simple white shirt, with the sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms, revealing a section of lean, strong wrists.
Below, he wore a pair of military-green trousers that accentuated his straight, long legs.
The sunlight cast a soft golden halo around him, making him look clean and refreshing…
Exactly like the comic character that had been etched in her mind since last summer.
He looked at her, his gaze deep, a faint trace of a smile seemingly lingering at the corner of his lips.
“What are you spacing out for?”
The low, pleasant voice instantly shattered Lin Xiaojiao’s sense of unreality.
Gu Tingzheng naturally pulled open the passenger door.
“Get in, I’ll treat you to a welcome meal.”
“Thank you, Third Uncle,” Lin Xiaojiao replied politely. “Let me say goodbye to my classmates first.”
She turned to head back to the dormitory.
Looking up, she saw Zhou Yunyun waving at her from the second-floor corridor.
“Go ahead, go ahead! Don’t worry about me~”
Only then did Lin Xiaojiao notice that many eyes were already on them.
With him around, staying low-key was impossible.
She quickly slipped into the car.
It was still the familiar Jeep 212.
The car started and slowly drove out of the school gate.
The roar of the engine remained the same, but the atmosphere inside the car was stiff and awkward.
It was quiet inside.
Actually, he had never been much of a talker before.
But she would always chatter nonstop.
From village gossip to her second brother’s embarrassing stories.
And he would always listen patiently, occasionally responding with a word or two and a slight smile.
But now, she didn’t speak.
She just turned her head to look at the scenery flying past outside the window.
She didn’t want to talk.
He hadn’t changed at all.
The car drove smoothly through the bustling streets. His eyes fixed on the road ahead, he casually broke the suffocating silence:
“Why did you come to Jiangcheng?”
Lin Xiaojiao’s heart skipped a beat.
What else could it be but a moment of madness?
Of course, it was because she had heard him mention that his unit was in the provincial capital.
But the words rolled on the tip of her tongue, and when they finally came out, they turned into a somewhat distant and perfunctory reply:
“Oh, because I followed the adjustment.”
Gu Tingzheng’s fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
The little girl had grown up and was starting to lie to him.
Over the past two days, he had inquired about her situation at the school. She had been admitted to Jiangcheng Normal University with a high score as her first choice.
He fell silent for a few seconds, and the car seemed to slow down slightly:
“Then do you know that Xu Deyou is also here?”
What the—??
Lin Xiaojiao felt as if she could hear the sound of her blood rushing to her head and instantly freezing!
He just wouldn’t go away! What grudge, what resentment?!
She turned her head abruptly, her face filled with shock and… disgust?
Gu Tingzheng caught her reaction out of the corner of his eye.
Seeing her intense, immediate response, a flicker of something dark passed through the depths of his eyes.
So, she still harbored unusual feelings for that old flame.
Her reaction was so strong just hearing his name?
The little girl… was quite loyal.
An inexplicable surge of irritation rose in Gu Tingzheng’s heart, making him feel restless and irritable.
His knuckles tapped lightly on the steering wheel twice.
Suppressing the inexplicable annoyance in his heart, his tone remained steady:
“I heard his father was transferred back to the provincial capital for work, so he came back too. He’s at the engineering college across the street.”
“Why bring him up all of a sudden?!”
Lin Xiaojiao awkwardly changed the subject, “Uncle Gu, what are we having for lunch?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you go hungry.”
Gu Tingzheng parked the car in front of Jiangcheng’s most upscale foreign-oriented hotel and led her familiarly into the Western restaurant on the top floor.
The soft lighting, pristine white tablecloths, waitstaff in crisp uniforms, and the aroma of coffee and butter lingering in the air made Lin Xiaojiao feel as if she had stepped into another world.
Lin Xiaojiao picked up the menu.
Her eyes instantly lit up!
Milk tea! Coffee!
Fried chicken! French fries!
What distance? What awkwardness!
“I want this, this, and this!”
“Uncle Gu, I want them all!”
She pointed at the menu, her voice brimming with excitement.
There was even a hint of unconscious coquettishness she herself didn’t notice.
With delicious food before her, everything else faded into insignificance!
Gu Tingzheng watched the girl’s suddenly animated little face, and a barely perceptible smile finally flickered in his eyes.
After all, she was still just a child.
A little food was all it took to cheer her up.
Lin Xiaojiao buried herself in eating, wholly absorbed and undistracted.
What did the original owner’s ex-boyfriend have to do with her?
Uncle Gu truly understood her cravings!
Junk food, here I come!
Gu Tingzheng sipped his coffee leisurely, his gaze resting on the girl across from him.
She ate with great relish, her cheeks puffing out like a little hamster storing food.
But…
This poor child probably hadn’t eaten well at home this past year.
The bit of baby fat he had finally managed to nurture in her last year—how had it all disappeared again?
His gaze unconsciously took on a scrutinizing quality.
From her slender neck to her slightly thin shoulders.
And further down…
Gracefully curvaceous.
These four words suddenly flashed into his mind.
Gu Tingzheng’s hand holding the coffee cup nearly trembled.
The girl…
had truly grown up.
His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and he somewhat unnaturally shifted his gaze away, downing the remaining coffee in his cup.
Unfortunately, that inexplicable restlessness did not subside.
Across from him, Lin Xiaojiao remained completely unaware, still a pure and happy food enthusiast.
…
After the meal, Gu Tingzheng didn’t drive her back to school. Instead, he took the car directly to Jiangcheng’s largest department store.
“Uncle Gu, why are we here?” Lin Xiaojiao asked, puzzled.
“You’re so far from home, in an unfamiliar place. You probably didn’t bring much. Let’s see what you’re missing and get everything in one go.”
He spoke as if it were the most natural thing, like the head of the family. “Why be so formal with your uncle?”
Lin Xiaojiao felt too exhausted to even complain inwardly.
How numb and oblivious would I have to be to spend your money so comfortably?!
Are you just naive and loaded??
But no matter how fiercely she protested in her heart, her actions were honest as she followed him into the department store.
After all… who could resist the temptation of shopping?
Especially when the one paying was this “uncle” who always seemed to know exactly what she wanted.
However, Lin Xiaojiao increasingly felt that “Uncle Gu” was acting strangely today.
Especially when she emerged from the fitting room wearing a fitted dress.
His fingers, helping her adjust the tag at the back, seemed to pause for a moment.
The warmth of his fingertips seeped through the thin fabric, scalding her skin and causing her to shiver slightly.
His gaze was too focused, carrying an unfamiliar intensity that made her heart inexplicably race.
“Uncle Gu… actually, I have enough clothes,” she mumbled softly.
With her second brother’s support, the family’s financial situation had improved a lot.
“It’s the change of seasons. Better to be prepared.”
Gu Tingzheng spoke concisely, then handed her a light blue wool cardigan. “Try this one too.”
His tone calm, he guided the girl back into the fitting room.
He walked outside himself, irritably pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.