When Qin Zhiyi greeted him, Gu Qiu only gave her a cold look in return.
Grandma Chen, however, lit up. She looked back and forth between the two of them with a smile and asked,
“A-Qiu, you two know each other?”
Gu Qiu felt there was no need to keep pretending they did not, and besides, he did not want to lie to Grandma. He gave a slight nod.
“Colleagues.”
Grandma Chen looked enlightened and clapped her hands.
“That young lady just said she was a teacher. I was thinking how coincidental that was, and it turns out you two work at the same school!”
Then Qin Zhiyi put down her chopsticks, stood up, smoothed her black flared pants, and smiled softly.
“I did not get a chance to introduce myself just now.”
“Grandma, my name is Qin Zhiyi!”
“Qin Zhiyi… Zhiyi… Hmm, that is a lovely name!”
Grandma Chen carefully remembered her name while showering her with praise.
Although Qin Zhiyi had already felt this old woman’s kindness and warmth in her previous life, facing her again still made Qin Zhiyi feel warm inside. It also strengthened her resolve to stay in Yuncheng.
After giving Grandma Chen a gentle smile, Qin Zhiyi glanced at Gu Qiu before saying,
“Grandma, A-Qiu, I heard you say you have not seen each other for over a month, so I will not interrupt your catch-up session!”
With that, she picked up her bag from the side and smiled at Gu Qiu.
“A-Qiu, let us have dinner together again when you have time!”
Grandma Chen had always been sharp. From the way Qin Zhiyi looked at Gu Qiu, the way she addressed him, and her tone, she could tell their relationship was definitely not ordinary. She also immediately caught the key information in Qin Zhiyi’s words.
Before Qin Zhiyi could even take a step, Grandma Chen hurriedly asked,
“So you two had already planned to eat together?”
Suddenly, Gu Qiu and Qin Zhiyi answered in unison:
“No!”
Qin Zhiyi was startled by how in sync she was with Gu Qiu, but quickly added,
“Grandma, we said we would make plans again in a few days!”
Grandma Chen did not pay attention to that. She looked at Gu Qiu with a somewhat exasperated expression.
“Goodness, A-Qiu!”
“I can come over any time. You and Teacher Qin are colleagues, so you should spend more time together.”
Gu Qiu’s mouth twitched.
Who was the one who had just been complaining a few minutes ago that he did not come by often enough?
Grandma Chen’s little eyes darted around before she looked at Qin Zhiyi.
“Teacher Qin, are you busy?”
Qin Zhiyi gently shook her head.
“Grandma, you can just call me Little Qin or Zhiyi.”
“I’m not busy.”
“Good. Zhiyi, if you are not busy, then stay here at Grandma’s for dinner!”
Qin Zhiyi had only intended to show up and make an appearance. She truly had not planned to stay for a meal, so her expression showed a hint of surprise.
“This… would that be inappropriate?”
As she spoke, she glanced at Gu Qiu again, seemingly asking for his opinion.
For a moment, Gu Qiu could not tell whether she was doing it on purpose. He quickly glared back at her, only to find Grandma’s gaze had already followed.
With no other choice, he could only speak up.
“It’s just one extra pair of chopsticks. If Teacher Qin does not mind, then stay.”
Qin Zhiyi felt that being polite any longer would start to seem a little fake, so she nodded right away.
“Alright, then I will be troubling you!”
Grandma Chen looked overjoyed and even grabbed her hand directly.
“What trouble? They are both busy, and it is rare for them to get together today. With you here too, young lady, it is even livelier!”
“Did you get full from that small bowl of wontons earlier? If not, Grandma will make you another bowl.”
“Come on, come on, let us go sit inside. Grandma will show you a trick or two in a bit!”
“…”
Watching Qin Zhiyi being led into the inner room by Grandma, Gu Qiu could not help feeling a headache coming on.
The thing he had been most worried about had still happened!
At the same time, Zhao Yulong, who had not spoken the whole time, sidled up beside Gu Qiu.
“This is bad. Grandma seems to have mistaken her for your granddaughter-in-law!”
Then he lowered his voice.
“Why not just go along with it?”
“I think this girl is pretty good. Better than that online one of yours, the one you can never meet, and never even sleep with… cough cough, she is a little better, right?”
Gu Qiu shot him a glare and said irritably,
“You are talking too much. Hurry up and carry the stuff inside.”
…
That evening.
In the fairly small living room, the large square table was packed with more than ten dishes. It was practically the highest level of hospitality an ordinary household could offer a guest!
The food was certainly delicious, but the atmosphere at the table was split into two extremes.
On one side, Grandma Chen kept putting food on Qin Zhiyi’s plate while asking about her family and experiences. Qin Zhiyi answered every question without reservation, making the scene feel very warm and cozy. Anyone who did not know better would probably think they were the real grandmother and granddaughter.
The other side was much colder.
Zhao Yulong had wanted to join their chat, but after getting a glare from Grandma, he could only keep his head down and eat.
As for Gu Qiu, he was still stuck on the fact that he had originally been supposed to cook, but Grandma insisted on showing off her skills in front of Qin Zhiyi. Qin Zhiyi had eagerly helped too, and in the end they had simply kicked him out of the kitchen.
He absentmindedly toyed with his chopsticks, glancing at Qin Zhiyi from time to time.
Before he knew it, nearly ten minutes had passed.
Just as Gu Qiu was still spacing out, a pair of chopsticks placed a piece of pork rib into the bowl in front of him.
He looked up and realized Qin Zhiyi had served him the food. He could not help coughing.
“A-Qiu, you have not touched your rice at all. Do you not have an appetite?”
Qin Zhiyi withdrew her chopsticks and asked with concern.
Then Grandma Chen also asked,
“A-Qiu, you used to eat quite a lot. What is going on now?”
“Do you want to go to the hospital and get checked?”
Zhao Yulong picked up the last grain of rice stuck to the edge of his bowl and popped it into his mouth.
After letting out a burp, he looked at Gu Qiu and joked,
“He is full from staring at a beauty!”
Gu Qiu glared at A-Long, signaling him not to talk nonsense, then smiled and said,
“No, I was just thinking about work.”
With that, he lifted his bowl and started eating heartily.
Grandma Chen shook her head helplessly, then reminded Qin Zhiyi,
“Zhiyi, A-Qiu has always been like this. Once he gets busy, he always forgets to eat. Help me keep an eye on him at school when you can!”
“Do not worry, Grandma. I will remind him to eat properly!”
Qin Zhiyi blinked her beautiful eyes and gave a slight nod.
She had not forgotten that Gu Qiu died of stomach cancer in her previous life, and in this life she absolutely could not let that tragedy happen again…
A little while later, the dinner finally came to an end.
Gu Qiu and Zhao Yulong rushed to wash the dishes, then returned to the living room to chat with Grandma for a short while before discussing who would stay and who would leave.
Grandma Chen was the first to ask about Qin Zhiyi.
“Zhiyi, where are you living now?”
“Grandma, I am staying at the school.”
“I see. Then let A-Long drive you and A-Qiu back. My A-Qiu still cannot drive yet for some reason.”
“No need, Grandma. I have my own car.”
“Oh, I see. Then take A-Qiu with you!”
Hearing the two of them talk, Gu Qiu quickly cut in.
“Grandma, tomorrow is Sunday. I can spend a little more time with you. How about I stay the night?”
To his surprise, Grandma, who in the past would have been delighted to have him stay over, waved him off without hesitation.
“The room upstairs has not been cleaned. No one can stay in it!”
“Grandma, I can drive A-Qiu back too.”
Zhao Yulong wanted to help his good brother out.
But Grandma Chen still would not give him the chance.
“They are going the same way anyway. Why are you joining in? Besides, I still have something to say to you!”
And so, under Grandma Chen’s arrangement, Gu Qiu finally left together with Qin Zhiyi.
Grandma Chen stood at the shop entrance, watching the two figures disappear into the distance, the wrinkles on her face pushed wide by her smile.
“What a perfect match!”
Standing beside her, Zhao Yulong pursed his lips.
“Grandma, you did not even ask whether A-Qiu likes Teacher Qin. Is that not just blind matchmaking?”
Hearing that, Grandma Chen gave a soft snort.
“Could Grandma’s eye for people be bad?”
“That little girl is practically looking at A-Qiu with sparks in her eyes… And do not be fooled by A-Qiu pretending not to care. If he really did not care, he would not have kept sneaking looks at Zhiyi and spacing out during dinner!”
“You are still too inexperienced…”
“By the way, now that A-Qiu has finally come around, what about you? You are not exactly young anymore. When do you plan to find someone?”
Zhao Yulong’s mouth twitched violently.
“No way. Being urged three times a day? You people are really too much!”
“Too much? You are already twenty-three. In two more years you will be twenty-five, and before long you will be approaching thirty. If you still do not look for someone, how are you supposed to find a good girl?”
“Fine, fine, keep talking and I will be in the grave already!”
…
The Mercedes drove through several streets and entered Yunmeng Middle School.
Qin Zhiyi had originally planned to send Gu Qiu back to the dormitory building first, but Gu Qiu refused, saying, “It is getting late. Do not disturb the other teachers’ rest.”
Just like that, the two of them finally came out of the parking lot and walked one after the other along the campus path.
The weather was decent today. A bright half-moon hung in the sky, and the moonlight stretched the two shadows long, interweaving them together.
Gu Qiu walked ahead of Qin Zhiyi and wanted to turn back to ask her why she had said those things to A-Long at the bar, so he could finally confirm whether she was a reincarnator. But several times the words reached his lips, and he still did not know how to begin.
Just as he was tangled up inside, he suddenly felt a touch on his sleeve.
Turning his head slightly, he discovered that Qin Zhiyi had somehow already walked up beside him.
Gu Qiu was a beat slow to react, and instinctively moved half a step to the side.
Qin Zhiyi did not react much. Puffing out her cheeks, she said softly,
“Sorry.”
Gu Qiu had not expected her to apologize the moment she opened her mouth. He was momentarily stunned and asked,
“What are you apologizing for?”
Qin Zhiyi looked up at the night sky, her hands clasped behind her back, and explained calmly,
“Just for sticking to you all day today. First at the dormitory building, then at the bar, then at Grandma Chen’s noodle shop… Did I make you feel annoyed?”
“No.”
“Then why are you always so cold to me?”
“I…”
Gu Qiu was momentarily at a loss for words.
If Qin Zhiyi were not a reincarnator, he would probably feel that treating someone who had never hurt him with such a cold attitude was indeed not very nice.
But now that he was facing Qin Zhiyi, who carried memories of her previous life, was he really being too much?
Gu Qiu raised his brows slightly, thinking about how to explain it.
But just then, Qin Zhiyi suddenly stepped in front of him and blocked his way.
“A-Qiu, I understand now!”
“I will not push you too hard, but please do not push me away on your own. Just let your heart decide whether it can accept me, okay?”
Hearing that, Gu Qiu’s heart trembled.
For the better part of the day, he had desperately wanted to know whether Qin Zhiyi was a reincarnator, but he had never thought about how he should face things if it turned out that she was one too.
Now, after hearing her words, he actually felt a sense of peace and even a hint of interest.
Before he knew it, he nodded.
Seeing that, Qin Zhiyi’s lips curled slightly, and she smiled as she suggested,
“Then let us start as friends first, okay?”
Gu Qiu raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment.
“Okay.”
Being friends should let her become more rational in the days ahead.
But if he refused, who knew what this woman might do?
At once, Qin Zhiyi stretched out her hand again.
“Since we are friends, a handshake should not be too much, right?”
Gu Qiu took a deep breath.
He lifted his head, looked around, and after confirming no one was nearby, reached out and lightly shook her hand.
Little did they know, the whole scene was captured by a surveillance camera not far away, and it would cause quite a blunder in the days to come!
…
(The end of this volume)