Gu Tingzheng nodded, gesturing with his eyes for him to leave.
His tightly furrowed brows and the icy chill emanating from his entire body screamed of his extreme displeasure at that moment.
Sun Yizhi hesitated for a moment but ultimately turned and went upstairs.
…
Gu Tingzheng stood still, watching the little girl curled up into a ball for a long time.
The fist at his side clenched and then relaxed.
It wasn’t until he had calmed his own anger that he slowly stepped forward.
However, when he was still two steps away from the little girl,
the small figure on the ground suddenly lifted her head.
“Third Uncle, you’re walking so slowly…”
The little girl’s voice was soft and gentle, and a faint smile still hung on her face.
But at this moment, under the dim, yellowish light, it seemed so desolate and fragile.
In an instant, Gu Tingzheng felt his heart clench painfully.
In almost a single stride, he stepped forward to the girl’s side.
He knelt on one knee, crouching down to bring himself level with her gaze.
His large hand covered the girl’s eyes.
“If you don’t want to smile, you don’t have to.”
He felt the eyelashes beneath his palm tremble lightly like wings, followed by a faint, warm dampness on his palm.
He was so close to her that he could hear her suppressed, faint sobs.
Gu Tingzheng could no longer hold back. Maintaining this posture, he moved his large hand to the back of the girl’s neck, gently pressing her head against his shoulder.
His other hand lifted, seeming to hesitate for a moment before finally, somewhat clumsily and restrainedly, patting her back once.
Then it stayed there, gently encircling the little girl in his arms.
He rested his head against the top of the girl’s hair and hoarsely uttered three words.
“Third Uncle is here.”
Lin Xiaojiao knew she shouldn’t be so sentimental, but this was Gu Tingzheng!
He was holding her right now, telling her he was here!
Wuwu…
How could she not be moved?
How could she not… feel her heart flutter?
It was just that her tears seemed worthless, flowing endlessly…
Tears and snot all smeared onto the man’s… military uniform.
Finally, the girl lifted her head from the man’s embrace.
Her eyes were teary, and her brows were tightly furrowed:
“Third Uncle, I… my legs are numb…”
The trace of heartache and ferocity in the man’s eyes hadn’t completely faded yet when he was rendered speechless by these words.
“So delicate.”
He raised an eyebrow, about to move, but paused for a moment before speaking somewhat solemnly:
“Still dare to let Third Uncle hold you?”
Lin Xiaojiao immediately understood the meaning behind his words.
Sniffling, she shot him a sulky glance.
And then—
She wrapped her arms around the man’s neck.
Gu Tingzheng froze instantly, his pupils involuntarily contracting.
Without another word, he slipped his arms under the girl’s knees and back, and with a slight effort, lifted the crouching little girl into a horizontal carry.
“Don’t regret it.”
As her body suddenly lifted into the air, before Lin Xiaojiao could feel shy, her first thought was—
His core strength is really good.
Leaving the cultural and sports building, the rustling autumn wind blew in, bringing a chill.
Lin Xiaojiao instinctively snuggled deeper into the man’s embrace.
The car was parked quite far away.
Along the way, they encountered a few curious glances.
But neither of them paid any attention.
The man considerately settled the girl into the passenger seat.
“What time is the dormitory curfew tonight?” He rolled down the window for her.
“10:30.”
Lin Xiaojiao hadn’t yet recovered from the series of emotional shocks earlier. Surrounded by the man’s faint scent of tobacco, she answered dazedly, responding to every question.
“Wait for me in the car.” The man prepared to close the car door.
“Where are you going?” Lin Xiaojiao instinctively grabbed the inner side of the car door.
Startled, Gu Tingzheng quickly steadied the door, nearly catching the girl’s fingers.
“How foolish?!”
Through the open car window, he gave her a light knock on the head.
“Ouch!”
Lin Xiaojiao wrinkled her nose but still pressed on, “Where are you going?”
“To ask for leave on your behalf!” The man waved his hand and strode away.
Lin Xiaojiao couldn’t help but feel as though he were heading out to fight battles for her.
Her heart itched with curiosity~
How she wanted to go and see~
Inside the university student activity center, rehearsals were still ongoing.
Sun Yizhi had already requested leave for her using the excuse, “Lin Xiaojiao isn’t feeling well temporarily,” a reason no one truly believed.
When Gu Tingzheng entered, the rehearsal came to an abrupt halt.
Several freshmen had already recognized him.
Others, seeing the man in military uniform at the door and recalling Lin Xiaojiao storming out earlier, could more or less guess his identity.
Yet the man’s imposing presence, even without anger, plunged the entire activity room into complete silence.
“May I ask who is the teacher in charge here?”
Gu Tingzheng strode inside.
The sound of his military boots colliding with the floor carried an invisible pressure, each step resonating in everyone’s hearts.
“That would be me.”
A bespectacled middle-aged male teacher approached. “Comrade, is there something you need?”
His polite inquiry masked a complete lack of confidence.
“Teacher, I am a family member of Lin Xiaojiao, one of the hosts for your event.”
Gu Tingzheng glanced at the bespectacled teacher. “My little girl doesn’t know what she did wrong. She’s blaming herself, feeling guilty, sad, and upset, and now she’s crying uncontrollably. So I’ve come to ask you, teacher, what exactly happened?”
The teacher in charge wasn’t entirely clear about what had just occurred, as he hadn’t been present earlier. However, he was aware that the provincial TV station teacher had been particularly critical of Lin Xiaojiao.
Breaking into a cold sweat, he attempted to explain:
“Um… Comrade, please don’t misunderstand. It’s just a normal rehearsal, and the standards were a bit strict—all for the sake of the evening’s effect…”
“Oh, is that so? It seems I misunderstood.”
Gu Tingzheng then swept his gaze over everyone present. “It seems my little girl is just too delicate. With so many people here enduring the ‘strict standards’ and rehearsing seriously, only my little girl couldn’t handle it and hid away crying alone. Teacher, is that the truth of the matter? Have I misunderstood?”
The bespectacled teacher was now drenched in cold sweat.
He, too, wanted to know what had happened—who could tell him?!
“Well… Comrade, I really wasn’t on-site earlier. Teacher Cui, you’re in charge of the hosting group. Perhaps you could explain the situation?”
The bespectacled teacher couldn’t bear Gu Tingzheng’s pressure any longer, not even daring to meet his eyes.
Teacher Cui was the provincial TV station instructor, now looking displeased and about to speak when someone interrupted.
“Reporting, Instructor Gu!” Sun Yizhi’s voice rang out clear and loud. “I am Lin Xiaojiao’s partner. What happened earlier was this…”
Once Sun Yizhi began speaking, he held nothing back, recounting everything in detail.
He might not have the ability to protect her himself, but the man before him did.
“Oh… So that’s how it was!”
Gu Tingzheng’s voice betrayed no emotion, each icy word like a shard of frost. “In that case, I’ll request leave for my girl. I’ll take her back now. If her abilities are insufficient, that’s our problem. As for the remaining issues, I expect the school to provide us with an explanation.”
“Schools are meant to impart knowledge, resolve doubts, and guide students. I never knew Jiangcheng Normal University harbored so many who fan flames, spread rumors, and confuse right and wrong.”
“Additionally, as a unit that has just signed a military training cooperation agreement with your institution, our department reserves the right to cancel the relevant cooperation based on factual investigation. After all, we cannot engage in military-school collaboration with a collective that lacks proper academic integrity and suffers from chaotic management.”
“Please relay a message to Principal Han on my behalf: regarding the termination of the agreement, our department will dispatch a specialist to handle the matter in the coming days.”
With that, he turned and left without a hint of hesitation.
He paid no mind to the bespectacled teacher behind him, whose expression suggested the sky had just fallen.