The two had parted on bad terms last night, with Gu Yunche’s words cutting deep. Mu Guiying refused to believe that his gesture of bringing her food wasn’t meant as an apology.
Gu Yunche wore a white shirt with gray stripes, charcoal-gray trousers, and polished leather shoes. His deep, peach-blossom eyes carried a man’s steadiness and sharpness.
Yet, his gaze toward her seemed unnatural. He raised a hand to touch the tip of his nose. “Eat it while it’s hot. I’ll wait for you outside.”
Mu Guiying’s delicate face instantly showed a flicker of discomfort as she stared unwaveringly at Gu Yunche.
Gu Yunche, feeling uneasy under her gaze, cleared his throat softly.
“I bought it because I thought you’d like it. Nothing more.”
Oh? So Gu Yunche was still a stubborn tsundere?
Mu Guiying watched as the usually aloof Gu Yunche strode away briskly, as if chased by a dog—clear proof of his guilt.
She took out the fried pastry and took a bite. The rich aroma of oil and the sweet, clean taste of brown sugar made her forget about the stubborn Gu Yunche, focusing instead on savoring this rare “treat.”
After breakfast, Gu Yunche carried the suitcase and took Mu Guiying to the train station.
Leaving aside everything else, Gu Yunche’s suitcase was quite eye-catching!
While others carried bundled-up luggage rolls, he stood out like a sore thumb. Yet, with his clean, scholarly attire and cold, refined demeanor, he single-handedly elevated the atmosphere of the old green train carriage.
The men and women in the carriage turned their eyes toward the two as they boarded and searched for seats. Both were strikingly good-looking, like movie stars stepping off the screen.
A young man who had just boarded, noticing Mu Guiying’s beauty, deliberately pushed his way toward her.
Mu Guiying was jostled so hard she could barely keep her balance.
Stumbling, she fell against Gu Yunche’s back. He stiffened, grabbed her wrist, and pushed her away.
Mu Guiying’s back collided with someone’s raised water bottle. She let out a soft cry, tears welling up from the pain.
Seeing this, Gu Yunche reached out and pulled her back.
A nearby auntie watching the scene chuckled and teased Gu Yunche.
“Oh, you newlyweds, huh? How come you, a grown man, are acting so shy? Hurry up and let your wife sit on the inside.”
The aisle was packed with standing passengers, making it extremely crowded.
Gu Yunche helped Mu Guiying into the inner seat before sitting down himself. He propped his left arm on the table, blocking others from squeezing in.
Mu Guiying had ridden high-speed trains before, but never with this many people.
Once the train started moving, aside from the noisy chatter, the carriage became slightly less crowded.
The auntie sitting across from them smiled and asked Gu Yunche if he was accompanying his wife to visit relatives.
Gu Yunche’s face was as dark as still water. Mu Guiying almost laughed at his visibly strained expression.
She cleared her throat. “Auntie, we’re not a couple. He’s my brother.”
Hearing they were siblings, the auntie couldn’t hold back her curiosity.
She laughed heartily. “No wonder you’re both so good-looking! Your brother and you must have plenty of admirers.”
The auntie’s smiling eyes shifted, eager to learn more about Gu Yunche.
“Where does this young man work? Let me tell you…”
“Auntie, my brother already has a girlfriend.”
Seeing the auntie’s excited expression, Mu Guiying was instantly reminded of her own experiences during New Year visits, besieged by relatives urging her to marry and have children. Thankfully, she’d never resorted to renting a boyfriend for the holidays.
Empathizing with his situation, she decided to help Gu Yunche out of this awkward conversation.
But then, Gu Yunche’s cold, emotionless voice cut through.
“Mu Guiying, since when do I have…”
Mu Guiying quickly covered Gu Yunche's mouth and explained to the auntie with a cheerful laugh, "Auntie, my brother is shy. His girlfriend is in the provincial capital—we're actually going to see her."
The auntie's face fell with disappointment. She hadn't even had the chance to introduce the daughter of her elder sister's husband's younger sister from the provincial capital to the handsome young man before her, only to find out he was already taken.
Mu Guiying then leaned slightly closer to Gu Yunche and whispered, "If you don't want to be dragged into small talk and matchmaking by the auntie, you'd better keep quiet."
Gu Yunche paused, lifting his eyes to see the auntie's indeed awkward expression.
He glanced uncomfortably at Mu Guiying. "You seem to know a lot about this."
After speaking, Gu Yunche frowned and fell silent.
He was thinking that Mu Guiying, despite her young age, must have been pressured into blind dates before. That fool of a son from the Liu family was nothing more than the future Liu E had arranged for her. But before she married that fool, her looks had made her a rare commodity. It was precisely because of a relative like Liu E that Mu Guiying had grown up calculating and opportunistic, willing to do anything for her own future—even going so far as to conspire with Liu E to drug him.
At this thought, Gu Yunche lost all interest in chatting with Mu Guiying. He closed his eyes to rest and said no more.
Mu Guiying watched as Gu Yunche's expression shifted repeatedly.
She pressed her fingers to her temples, wondering what nonsense he was imagining this time.
The green-skinned train chugged slowly toward the provincial capital. The air in the carriage was stale, and the constant swaying made Mu Guiying dizzy and lightheaded. Drenched in sweat, she slumped weakly against her seat and fell asleep.
She felt unwell, especially nauseous, as if carsick.
When Gu Yunche opened his eyes, he saw Mu Guiying asleep with her head down. Her brows were furrowed, and beads of sweat dotted her nose and forehead, making her complexion appear even paler.
He lowered his gaze and stopped looking at her.
It was the elderly woman across from them who reminded Gu Yunche, "Your little sister seems to be feeling quite unwell—probably motion sickness. Has she ever taken a train before?"
Gu Yunche shook his head.
He stood up and retrieved a jar of hawthorn preserves and a spoon from the luggage rack. Tapping the bottom of the jar, he twisted the lid open with some effort.
Gu Yunche gently woke Mu Guiying. "Xiao Mu, have something to eat. You'll feel better."
Mu Guiying was the daughter of his mother's close friend—he ought to take care of her. Besides, hadn't he misunderstood her kindness just yesterday?
Mu Guiying took the jar, scooped out a hawthorn berry, and ate it. It did make her feel a bit better.
People in the carriage unconsciously swallowed as they watched her eat the preserves.
Gu Yunche was usually serious and seldom smiled.
But Mu Guiying, cheeks puffed out like a greedy squirrel munching on hawthorn berries, squinted at the others staring enviously at her snack. Her smug, almost punchable little expression unexpectedly made Gu Yunche laugh.
Mu Guiying glanced at the jar. "Eldest Brother Gu, how many jars did you buy?"
"Not enough?" Gu Yunche asked with a smile.
"It's enough. I won't offer you any from this one—it's touched by my saliva, and I'm afraid you'd find it unhygienic. If you want some, open another jar."
Mu Guiying had only asked because she felt awkward eating alone.
Gu Yunche, "…"
Two hours later, they arrived in the provincial capital.
As Gu Yunche and Mu Guiying stepped out of the station, they saw a girl in a red plaid dress waving at Gu Yunche.
"Yunche Ge!"
The girl revealed a row of beautiful, pearly white teeth. Gripping her backpack straps, she bounded toward Gu Yunche like an exuberant little rabbit.
"Yunche Ge, I'm Bai Lin! Don't tell me you don't recognize me?"
Bai Lin spun gracefully before Gu Yunche, her red-checkered dress blooming like a morning glory, while her chunky-heeled lace-up shoes tapped out a cheerful rhythm.
Gu Yunche stared for a few seconds before giving a slight nod.
"You've grown up. Last time I saw you, you weren't this tall."
Mu Guiying observed the female protagonist from the original novel, suddenly understanding why Bai Lin was the heroine—because she possessed the protagonist's aura and brimmed with confidence.
Mu Guiying glanced at Gu Yunche and noticed that even he, usually cold and unapproachable, was smiling.
When Bai Lin spotted Mu Guiying standing beside Gu Yunche, her smile faded slightly as she sized her up.
"Brother Yunche, who is this young lady?"
Gu Yunche turned his gaze to Mu Guiying, his expression unreadable…