Zhang Qingqing angrily shoved Mu Guiying aside and stormed toward the door.
“If you won’t give it to me, then forget it! But what’s with exchanging it for a Shenzhen household registration? That’s a newly developed coastal city! How could our family possibly have connections there?”
Bai Lin quietly clenched her fists.
She realized Mu Guiying was completely different from what she had imagined.
Originally, she had intended to use Mu Guiying to crush Zhang Qingqing’s desire to go to the capital.
Given Zhang Qingqing’s personality, she would definitely target Mu Guiying. And Mu Guiying, rough and uncultured as she supposedly was, certainly was not easy to bully either.
The two of them would inevitably fight over the household registration quota.
That way, Gu Yunche would end up disliking Zhang Qingqing while becoming even more disgusted with Mu Guiying.
One would fail to obtain the registration, and the other, even if she succeeded, would never be able to remain in the Gu family.
And Bai Lin herself would no longer need to deal with either of those annoying women.
But unexpectedly, Mu Guiying had proposed going to Shenzhen instead and even requested a Shenzhen household registration.
With only a few words, she had effortlessly dragged Bai Lin into the situation.
Bai Lin could clearly feel that Gu Yunche’s gaze toward her had grown noticeably colder.
He was far too intelligent.
Surely he had already realized she had secretly encouraged Zhang Qingqing behind the scenes.
Bai Lin walked toward the doorway to wait for Gu Yunche, intending to explain everything clearly to him.
But Gu Yunche merely said calmly,
“Bai Lin, wait downstairs for me.”
Panic flashed through Bai Lin’s eyes as she looked at Mu Guiying.
Yet Mu Guiying did not even spare her a glance.
Bai Lin nodded obediently.
“Alright, Brother Yunche. I also have something I want to tell you.”
Gu Yunche gave a slight nod before Bai Lin reluctantly closed the door.
She pressed herself against the entrance, trying to eavesdrop on the two of them, but all she could hear was the sound of running water.
Mu Guiying was washing the lunchbox.
After cleaning it, she packed it away neatly and placed it in front of Gu Yunche. Then she picked up a towel, wiping her hands as she looked toward him.
“Brother Gu, did you want to talk to me about something?”
Leaning casually against the table, Gu Yunche stared at her without blinking.
His gaze carried scrutiny, curiosity, and an emotion so faint it was almost impossible to detect.
When Mu Guiying turned around, he lowered his eyes slightly.
The fingers resting on the tabletop tapped lightly against it, producing soft rhythmic sounds.
“Have you decided what name you want to change to?”
What?
Mu Guiying felt that Gu Yunche’s train of thought was truly extraordinary.
At this moment, even if he spoke up for Bai Lin, she could still understand that.
But why did he suddenly ask about changing her name?
Clearing her throat, Mu Guiying nodded.
“I’ve decided. I want to be called Mu Cheng.”
A faint light flickered within Gu Yunche’s deep eyes as his brows furrowed slightly.
“Which ‘Cheng’ character?”
Before transmigrating, Mu Guiying herself had originally been named Mu Cheng.
Her grandfather had chosen the name for her.
The character “澄” came from Huainanzi, symbolizing tranquility and still water.
The Mu family had hoped she would live peacefully throughout her life.
The word also carried meanings of clarity, brightness, and thoughtful wisdom—representing purity of heart, calm ambition, and eventual success.
Thinking of the origin of her old name, Mu Guiying tightened her jaw before forcing out an answer.
“The ‘cheng’ from orange fruit. I’ve never eaten one before, but I heard they’re sweet and sour and taste really good.”
Gu Yunche fell silent.
After a brief pause, he shook his head.
“The ‘orange’ character doesn’t sound nice. Use the ‘cheng’ from clarity instead—clear, pure, and serene.”
The moment she heard that, Mu Guiying quickly nodded.
“Okay. I’ll listen to Brother Gu.”
Gu Yunche noticed the scattered points of light shining in her eyes, as though she genuinely cherished the character he had chosen for her.
The corners of his lips unconsciously lifted slightly.
“Do you know how to write that character?”
Mu Guiying thought silently:
I could recognize over a thousand characters when I was five years old. By second grade, I could practically read and write everything.
But of course, she could not say that aloud.
She shook her head innocently.
“No. Is it hard to write?”
Had he overthought things?
Gu Yunche sighed softly.
“It’s difficult. Once we get to the capital, I’ll teach you.”
He then placed the sunflower seeds he had bought onto a newspaper spread across the table.
“The sunflower seeds you wanted. I bought them.”
Mu Guiying had only casually mentioned sunflower seeds earlier to brush him off.
She had never expected him to actually buy them for her.
Walking over, she grabbed a small handful and cracked one open with her fingers before tossing it into her mouth.
“They’re pretty fragrant.”
Gu Yunche lightly patted the neatly flattened newspaper beside him, his expression thoughtful.
“Why did you smooth the newspaper out so carefully?”
Alarm bells instantly rang in Mu Guiying’s head.
So Gu Yunche had become suspicious and was testing her.
Suddenly, she remembered the newspapers pasted along the walls at the village chief’s house.
Smiling brightly, she replied,
“I thought using newspaper just to hold sunflower seed shells would be wasteful. Better to bring it to the capital and use it to paste walls.”
Keep the newspaper to paste walls in his house?
Gu Yunche was speechless.
A laugh escaped him as he leaned slightly closer teasingly.
“Paste it in your room?”
Given the Gu family’s financial conditions, they were considered extremely wealthy for the times.
Even if they did not use wallpaper or modern decorative materials, the house would certainly at least have painted white walls.
Mu Guiying could only force herself to smile awkwardly at him.
“Sure. If you like it, we can paste your room first too.”
One leaned forward while the other looked up.
The distance between them instantly shortened.
Gu Yunche’s sharp eyesight even allowed him to notice the fine soft hairs on her pale cheeks.
Her skin was truly delicate.
Startled by the sudden closeness, he instinctively leaned back to widen the distance between them.
Mu Guiying immediately noticed his discomfort.
His shy expression was unexpectedly charming.
She could not help thinking that if this had been in her original era, she definitely would have pounced on Gu Yunche and kissed him first.
Unfortunately, such thoughts would forever remain only fantasies.
“You… don’t take Zhang Qingqing’s and Bai Lin’s words to heart. The matter of registering your household under the name Mu Cheng is settled.”
After saying that, Gu Yunche quickly strode out of the room.
What kind of fate was this?
She could be called Mu Cheng once again.
Just like before.
Did this mean she was no longer Mu Guiying?
Did it mean she would no longer follow Mu Guiying’s tragic destiny?
And all of it had begun from the moment Gu Yunche gave her the name Mu Cheng.
Before closing the door, Gu Yunche spoke in a deep voice.
“Rest early, Mu Cheng.”
Mu Cheng stared blankly at him before the corners of her lips slowly curved upward into a beautiful smile.
“Okay!”
Gu Yunche hurried downstairs two steps at a time, only to see Bai Lin standing beneath the moonlight with tears glistening on her face, waiting for him.
Almost crying, Bai Lin explained herself to Gu Yunche the entire way.
She carefully described her dependent life while living at her aunt’s house, exaggerating parts of it along the way.
Sniffling softly, she asked,
“Brother Yunche… have I become a shallow and calculating person in your eyes?”
Gu Yunche’s expression remained calm and indifferent, without much emotional fluctuation.
Still, he remained tolerant toward Bai Lin.
“This matter hurt Mu Cheng. You should apologize to her.”
Mu Cheng?
Who was Mu Cheng?
Gu Yunche was not only intelligent and perceptive, but also fair and principled.
Since Bai Lin had deliberately spoken ill of Mu Guiying in front of the Zhang family and encouraged Zhang Qingqing to cause trouble for her, then it was only fair that Bai Lin personally tell them about Mu Guiying changing her name to Mu Cheng and obtaining household registration in the capital.
Only then would things be balanced.
His tone remained calm yet firm.
“Mu Guiying’s new name is Mu Cheng. She’ll use that name for her household registration. So tell your cousin to give up as soon as possible.”
Gu Yunche’s cool and emotionless voice made Bai Lin’s heart tremble.
She reached out and grabbed his sleeve.
“I will… Brother Yunche, don’t blame me, okay?”