Hearing those caring words, Qin Yi could hardly believe something like this was really happening to him.
It had been three years. Ever since he was brought back to the Qin family, no one had ever cared whether he might catch a cold or feel unwell. All he could do was silently watch from the shadows, envious of how the Qin family showed constant concern for that replacement every single day—he was nothing more than a forgotten ghost, a wandering soul no one noticed.
Gu Rumeng keenly noticed the tears welling up in the corners of Qin Yi’s eyes. She quickly reached out and gently wiped them away.
“Why are you suddenly crying again? You don’t want to shower? That’s fine too, I’ll get you some hot water. You still need to warm yourself up, or you really might catch a cold.”
With that, she set down the towel and pajamas and hurried to the kitchen to get a cup.
Seeing this, Qin Yi quickly followed. “Sister Rumeng, I’m fine. I’ll shower now. It’s just… it’s just…”
“Just what?”
“I… I’m afraid I’ll dirty your clothes…”
“Oh! That’s what you’re worried about?”
Gu Rumeng smiled and gently tapped Qin Yi’s nose with her finger. “Don’t worry. Those pajamas haven’t been worn yet. I just washed them once. And you’re going to shower first. How could you possibly dirty them after that?”
“I can just wear what I already have…”
“Nope, you’ll catch a cold!” Gu Rumeng slightly puffed her cheeks and put on a stern face. “Be good and go to the bathroom. When you’re done, just put your clothes in the laundry basket. I’ll wash them for you tomorrow.”
“But…”
“Oh dear, my hearing’s suddenly gotten bad. I can’t hear anything, can’t hear!”
She covered her ears and started acting all playful.
Qin Yi was dumbfounded.
In the end, he couldn’t argue with her and went to shower, carrying the towel and pajamas.
Hot water flowed from the showerhead, quickly filling the bathroom with steam. Everything in front of him turned blurry. As the warmth soaked into his skin, Qin Yi couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or awake.
A little while later, Qin Yi finished his shower and changed into the clean pajamas.
He was about to leave, but suddenly remembered something. So he grabbed his dirty clothes from the laundry basket and started washing them himself.
“Qin Yi, are you done yet?”
“All done!”
Qin Yi quickly opened the door. “Sister Rumeng, where’s the drying rack?”
“Huh?” Gu Rumeng peeked into the laundry basket in surprise. “You already washed all your clothes? No wonder you were in there so long. Didn’t I say I’d do it for you tomorrow?”
“It’s okay, Sister Rumeng. You already paid for my IV drip tonight, cooked porridge for me, and even took me in. I’m already really grateful.”
Qin Yi paused. “Something small like doing laundry, I can handle. If there are any chores in the house later, I can do those too.”
“Silly boy.”
Her gaze was soft but full of heartache.
Such a thoughtful child.
What kind of family must he have come from to make someone this sensible suffer so much?
Gu Rumeng couldn’t help but feel a deep sadness for him.
“You got caught in the rain tonight and just finished an IV. You should be resting. I already made the bed for you. From now on, you’ll sleep in the room on the left.”
She said that as she tried to take the laundry basket from Qin Yi.
“No! That’s… that’s not good!”
Qin Yi grew flustered and tried to grab it back.
He knew Gu Rumeng saw him as a kid.
But he was already seventeen—just three days away from being an adult.
If it were just regular clothes, it wouldn’t matter.
But his underwear was in there!
How awkward would it be if she helped hang that up? Get faster updates on g.com.
“Alright, alright.”
Gu Rumeng seemed to catch on, and handed the laundry basket back. “There’s a drying rack on the balcony. Go on.”
Relieved, Qin Yi quickly went to the balcony and got the clothes hung up in no time.
“It’s already midnight,” Gu Rumeng said as she glanced at the clock on the wall. “Time to sleep. Oh, and I made you a glass of milk. It’s on the nightstand. Drink it before you go to bed.”
She yawned, clearly sleepy, and headed to her own room.
“Good night, Qin Yi. Sweet dreams.”
“Good night, Sister Rumeng. You too.”
They said their goodnights, and once Gu Rumeng closed her door, only Qin Yi remained in the living room.
He stood there for a moment before turning toward his room.
When he opened the door, a faint lavender scent filled the air.
The bed was neatly made with light blue sheets.
The wardrobe doors were decorated with cartoon stickers, a little aged but still cozy.
There were a few magazines on the desk by the wall.
The room wasn’t big, but every corner held a sense of warmth.
Compared to this, the room he had at the Qin family was cold, bare, and lifeless—more like a prison than a home.
Looking at the steaming cup of milk on the nightstand, Qin Yi felt as if everything that had happened tonight was too beautiful to be real.
He sat on the edge of the bed, took a sip of the milk, then climbed under the covers and stared at the ceiling.
As drowsiness washed over him like a tide, he finally closed his eyes with reluctance.
If everything that had happened tonight was just a dream…
Then he hoped he would never wake up.