Yun Su laughed helplessly and hung up the phone.
Around ten o’clock, she arrived at the Gu residence as promised.
She went inside to greet Fang Minghui and then took Gu Yan with her.
Fang Minghui had just returned to An City the day before and still had some matters to deal with, so she did not join them.
However, the Gu family arranged a car for Yun Su, with a driver following them the entire day to make things more convenient.
Yun Su took Gu Yan to an ancient town in An City.
The weather was beautiful today. Sunlight fell on the white walls and red-tiled roofs of the ancient town, and shimmered across the small bridges and flowing water below.
Everything in the ancient town moved slowly, unlike the busy, hurried pace of the city center.
Yun Su walked along the river with Gu Yan, each of them holding a cup of fruit tea.
There were different performances at different times in the town, and they happened to arrive just in time for a water performance.
The atmosphere at the venue was lively, and Gu Yan’s mood rose along with it.
He tugged at Yun Su’s hand, his bright little face lifted in excitement. “Sister, that’s amazing!”
Yun Su always responded to him with agreement and encouragement.
After the performance ended, Gu Yan was still buzzing with excitement.
It was July, and the weather was a little hot.
They sat down in the shade of a tree to rest after leaving the viewing area.
Gu Yan hugged his fruit tea, taking small sips from time to time, his bright eyes fixed on a small shop across the way.
Across from them was a quaint little store selling delicate handmade items. Wind chimes hung from wooden racks, ringing softly in the breeze. The shop owner, an elderly man with white hair, sat in a reclining chair slowly fanning himself.
“Xiao Yan, do you want to go take a look?” Yun Su asked, noticing his focused gaze.
“Okay,” Gu Yan nodded.
They walked over to the shop, and the old man straightened up from his chair.
“Little friend, what would you like to see?”
Gu Yan looked up at Yun Su. “Sister, can you lend me some money?”
Yun Su laughed. “If you want something, I’ll just buy it for you.”
Gu Yan shook his head. “It’s not for me. I want to give Sister a gift, but I don’t have money.”
Yun Su understood. “So you want me to lend you money so you can buy me a gift?”
Gu Yan nodded. “Mm, I’ll pay you back in the future.”
“Alright, I’ll lend it to you.”
Only then did Gu Yan pick up a delicate tulip hair clip from the display. It was pink and soft green, with two tiny pearls decorating the slender design.
His taste was surprisingly good. The moment Gu Yan picked it up, Yun Su was already stunned by how beautiful it was.
“Sister, I want to give you this,” Gu Yan said, handing it to her.
“It’s really pretty. Thank you, Xiao Yan,” Yun Su said, taking it. Then she looked around the display. “Sister will also give you a gift.”
She picked up a wooden pendant shaped like a little bear. The carving was vivid and exquisite.
It suited Gu Yan perfectly. That was her first thought. She always associated him with cute little things.
“Xiao Yan, how about this pendant?” she asked.
“It matches my school bag,” Gu Yan answered without hesitation.
Yun Su paid for both items and had them packed into a bag.
Even after leaving the shop, Gu Yan kept saying, “Sister, I will pay you back.”
“I know, I know,” she replied.
By then, the sun was beginning to set, and the temperature had dropped.
After resting for a while, Yun Su continued walking around with him.
When they reached a bridge, they stood by the railing and watched the boats passing below.
Suddenly, someone tapped Yun Su on the back.
She turned around. It was a young man wearing a baseball cap, a T-shirt, and jeans.
He greeted her directly, “Hi, I saw you from over there. I think you’re really beautiful. Can I get to know you?”
Yun Su felt a little awkward and gave a forced smile.
Then she rolled her eyes slightly and said, “Sorry, I already have a child.”
She subtly glanced at Gu Yan holding her hand.
The young man let out an “Ah,” looking completely disbelieving. “No way, I thought he was your younger brother.”
Yun Su smiled awkwardly. “Good skincare.”
The young man looked her over several times in disbelief before finally accepting it and walking away disappointed.
After he left, Gu Yan opened his mouth to speak.
But Yun Su cut him off first. “Sister was just joking. Forget what I said earlier, alright?”
Gu Yan looked at her suspiciously. “Why am I your son?”
This child was getting harder to handle.
Not as obedient as before…
Yun Su took a deep breath. “It was just an excuse. Don’t ask anymore, little kid.”
Gu Yan still listened. “Alright.”
When they returned from the ancient town, it was already evening.
Yun Su sent Gu Yan back to the Gu residence, and Fang Minghui once again invited her to stay for dinner.
“Gu Zhou is busy with work and will be back late. It’s more lively if you eat with us.”
Yun Su did not refuse and agreed.
After dinner, Gu Yan brought her to his room.
He took out the pendant from the bag and placed it in her hand. “Sister, help me attach it to my school bag.”
“Why don’t you do it yourself?” Yun Su asked curiously.
“Because it’s a gift from Sister, Sister should help me,” Gu Yan said seriously.
Seeing his solemn expression, Yun Su took the bag and fastened the pendant onto the zipper.
Gu Yan took the bag back and placed it away.
Then he took out the hair clip and climbed onto the sofa, standing up carefully to clip it into Yun Su’s hair.
He looked very satisfied afterward.
Watching all this, Yun Su thought he was surprisingly particular about the ceremony.
Not long after, she left the Gu residence.
After a full day out, she was already exhausted by the time she returned to the hotel.
Just as she was about to shower, her wristband lit up.
It was a video call from the team leader.
She had not contacted him since the first few days after arriving here, as she had gradually become immersed in this world and rarely used the wristband anymore.
Seeing his sudden call, she was a little surprised.
She accepted the call. The team leader’s weary face appeared on the screen.
Yun Su immediately sensed something was wrong. “Team Leader, what happened?”
Tang Zhifan rubbed his temples, his voice heavy with fatigue. “How is your mission going?”
Yun Su observed his expression and felt something was off.
Was the team too busy? There should not be any major issues.
Or was there a problem with the mission?
Still confused, she replied, “It’s going well. I still have about half a month left. I don’t think there will be any problem completing it.”
Tang Zhifan nodded after hearing her response.
Yun Su could not help but ask, “Team Leader, is there something wrong with the mission?”
“There’s no problem with the mission,” he answered immediately.
Then what was it?
He looked so serious, there had to be something important.
And there was. “Yun Su, come back now.”