After finishing her bath, Yan Zhao realized—
She had forgotten to bring her clothes over.
She paused for a moment but didn’t think much of it, figuring she could just reach out and grab them from the chair outside.
So she raised her hand and pulled open the curtain.
The moment the curtain parted, her entire body froze.
Gu Yu was sitting right outside.
The lamplight fell on him, and he happened to look up at the same time.
Their gazes collided abruptly.
Yan Zhao’s mind buzzed, and she let out a short gasp, instinctively yanking the curtain back.
But the next second, she found the curtain caught on something—no matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn’t budge.
Only a narrow gap remained.
She could only huddle behind that tiny bit of fabric, her breathing ragged, too afraid to move.
Through the shadow of the cloth, the outline of her body was faintly visible.
The air suddenly grew unnervingly still.
She could feel her heart beating abnormally fast.
Outside, it was equally quiet.
Gu Yu reached out and handed her clothes over.
Yan Zhao had her eyes tightly shut.
Her whole body trembled slightly, her fingertips stiff with tension.
She hadn’t expected Gu Yu to be here.
Gu Yu hadn’t expected to frighten her like this either.
He paused for a moment, his breathing noticeably softening, yet he couldn’t help but glance—quickly, before averting his gaze, as if forcibly holding himself back.
Yan Zhao steadied her breathing with effort, her knuckles clenched, before slowly opening her eyes.
The next moment, she nearly fainted again.
Because Gu Yu was standing right in front of her, so close she could see his lowered eyelashes.
Yan Zhao let out a soft “ah” and practically fled onto the bed, wrapping herself tightly in the quilt from head to toe.
Only a few messy, slightly damp strands of hair peeked out.
Gu Yu glanced at her and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
He liked seeing her like this in front of him—flustered, shy, hiding away—not like her usual self, calling him “sister” and pushing him away.
He placed her clothes by the bedside, not touching her or saying anything more.
Then he turned and began unbuttoning his outer robe.
After that, he stepped into the bathtub.
Without the slightest hesitation or any sign of disgust at the water she had used.
The soft sound of water rose briefly before settling into quiet.
The room was filled only with the faint sound of breathing from under the quilt and the occasional ripple of water.
At that moment, Yan Zhao, curled up under the quilt, was utterly distraught.
She never imagined Gu Yu would act like this.
He must have done it on purpose.
Her face buried in the pillow, her ears burning hot with embarrassment and anger, she couldn’t help but curse him fiercely in her heart—
That bastard Gu Yu!
What difference was there between him and those village ruffians who loved to flaunt their cheap words?!
Even after venting, her heart remained in turmoil.
After a while, as Yan Zhao slowly calmed down, she couldn’t help but start making excuses for him.
It was so cold outside, and he had nowhere else to go.
Besides… it was her own fault for forgetting to bring her clothes while bathing.
And… when they were young, she had bathed him too. Back then, they were both children and didn’t think much of it. What was so different now?
Even as she comforted herself with these thoughts, she remained curled under the quilt, too afraid to move.
Because through the quilt, she could clearly hear the sound of water.
Splash after splash.
He must have been emptying the bathtub, cleaning out the water.
After her bath, she had run off, leaving all the cleanup for him to handle.
Thinking of this, the shame and indignation in Yan Zhao’s heart gradually subsided, replaced by a slowly rising sense of self-reproach.
She bit her lip, shifted slightly under the covers, then stopped.
She wanted to go out but didn’t dare.
In the end, Yan Zhao couldn’t resist and quietly turned over.
She lifted the quilt just a crack.
Her intention had only been to see if he had left.
But the moment her gaze peeked out, her entire body froze.
Gu Yu was still there.
He was soaking in the wooden tub, the water surface calm, revealing only his shoulders and collarbones. The lamplight fell upon him, casting his silhouette into sharp relief.
And his gaze was directed precisely toward the bed.
Once again, their eyes met without warning.
Yan Zhao’s heart gave a violent jolt, as if she had been caught red-handed.
She had only meant to steal a glance.
But now, it had turned into a direct, unavoidable stare.
And—
He…
He actually…
He was actually using the water she had bathed in…
To bathe himself!!
Yan Zhao’s face, ears, neck, and even her fingertips all flushed as if scalded by hot water, the heat rising steadily.
She hurriedly pulled the quilt back over herself, burying herself beneath it once more.
Even through the quilt now, Yan Zhao could clearly sense the presence of that gaze.
After finishing his bath, Gu Yu stepped out of the tub, water droplets sliding down his shoulders.
He casually dried himself with a towel, his tone casual yet tinged with obvious amusement. “Aren’t you going to wear clothes to sleep tonight? Not that I mind, of course.”
As soon as the words fell—
A hand shot out from under the quilt.
With a swift motion, it snatched all the clothes placed by the bedside and pulled them inside.
Gu Yu, of course, couldn’t see what was happening under the covers.
He only saw the quilt bulge briefly before settling, leaving behind only faint, subtle movements.
He chuckled softly and said nothing more.
Gu Yu emptied the bathwater, then readjusted the curtain he had cleverly manipulated earlier, pulling it shut to block the moonlight filtering through the window.
After turning off the light, the room plunged into darkness.
Gu Yu still reached out and gently lifted a corner of the quilt.
The person beneath was already lying on her side against the wall, her back to him, curled up tightly as if trying her hardest to hide.
He didn’t tease her further and simply lay down.
As the quilt settled back into place, a faint, delicate fragrance instantly enveloped him.
It was the scent of soap.
The bar he had bought for her.
Warm, carrying an indescribable sweetness, it seemed to permeate the entire quilt.
Gu Yu’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
He instinctively took a deep breath, then immediately softened his breathing.
His head felt slightly dizzy.
Not from drowsiness.
But because the fragrance was so intoxicating, and the thought that it came from Zhaozhao’s unclothed skin slowly pushed his rationality to a corner of his mind.
Gu Yu’s Adam’s apple moved again.
He was acutely aware of his body’s reaction.
He could only slowly turn onto his side.
Not moving closer, not reaching out.
He simply watched the woman before him in silence.
Her back was to him, the curve of her shoulders tracing a soft outline beneath the quilt. Her breathing was light and steady, as if she were truly asleep, or perhaps just forcing herself to remain still.
Gu Yu gazed at her for a long time.
Long enough for the surging heat within him to gradually recede.
He finally closed his eyes, lay back down, deliberately putting a little distance between them, his voice lowered as if speaking to himself: “Sleep.”
The room fell quiet again.
Only two breaths remained, on the same bed, alternating yet undisturbed.
…
The next day, Yan Zhao woke up from the heat.
She groggily opened her eyes, feeling a warmth against her front.
What came into view was a chest.
The collar of his shirt hung loosely open, revealing a stretch of clean skin, with well-defined lines that weren’t exaggerated.
Yan Zhao blinked.
In the next moment, her entire body froze, not daring to breathe too heavily.
Slowly, she realized she was actually being held in Gu Yu’s arms. They were pressed too close together, close enough to clearly feel the rise and fall of each other’s bodies.
Yan Zhao didn’t dare move.
She was afraid that if she moved, she’d wake him.
She slowly, very slowly, lifted her head.
What came into view was Gu Yu’s face.
He was still asleep.
His brows and eyes were relaxed, without the usual coldness or the sense of distance that made others hesitant to approach.
His eyelashes were long, his nose bridge straight, and his jawline clearly defined.
His entire face was clean and handsome.
Not the kind of slick, overly polished handsomeness, but the type that was pleasing and easy on the eyes at first glance.
Yan Zhao’s heart skipped a beat.
To be honest.
Gu Yu’s face was the most handsome she had ever seen.
Not in the village, not in the town.
Even among the people she had seen in her past life, none could compare.
She suddenly felt a bit flustered.
Flustered at how she could think such thoughts.
And flustered at how close she was to him now.
Just as Yan Zhao was panicking, Gu Yu suddenly opened his eyes.
Their gazes collided without any buffer.
Her mind went blank, and almost instinctively, she pushed him away, rolled over, and got out of bed, her movements quick and frantic.
Gu Yu was pushed to the side but wasn’t actually shoved away. In the next second, he reached out and grabbed her arm.
The warmth of his palm pressed against her, solid and real.
“Sleep a little longer,” he said, his voice still a bit hoarse from just waking up. “I’ll go buy breakfast for you.”
Yan Zhao flinched at the warmth of his grip and instinctively shook her head. “No, no need… The clothes from last night haven’t been washed yet. I’ll go wash them.”
Gu Yu didn’t let go, his tone calm. “The clothes were washed last night.”
Yan Zhao froze, her eyes widening in surprise. “…Washed?”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “I washed them when I went to pour water.”
Now she was truly shocked.
“You… how could you wash clothes?” she blurted out, her voice changing tone.
Gu Yu looked at her, seeming a bit helpless and amused by her reaction. “Why can’t I wash clothes? Are you discriminating by gender when it comes to laundry?”
Yan Zhao was momentarily speechless.
Could she say that, aside from old bachelors, it was always women who washed clothes?
Gu Yu pressed her back onto the bed.
“You fell asleep very late last night,” he said, his tone a bit softer than before. “Sleep a little longer.”
He casually pulled the blanket up to her chin, shielding her from the morning chill.
“We’re going out today,” he added. “We need to be well-rested.”
Yan Zhao had been tense from his hand on her, but hearing this, her attention was instantly diverted.
She instinctively asked, “…Where are we going?”
Gu Yu looked at her and suddenly smiled.
It wasn’t an obvious smile, just a slight upward curve of the lips—very faint, yet captivating enough to hold one’s gaze.
“I’ll tell you later.”
Just that one sentence.
Yet for some reason, Yan Zhao felt her face grow warm, and her heartbeat skipped a beat.
She averted her gaze, burying her face deeper into the blanket, and softly replied, “Okay.”
…
After washing up, Gu Yu went to the cafeteria.
Holding his meal tickets, he stood at the front of the line and collected four meat buns, two steamed buns, two eggs, and two bowls of pumpkin porridge.
Everything was steaming hot.
He carefully poured the pumpkin porridge into enamel mugs, moving cautiously to avoid spilling a drop.
Just then, a boy sidled up to him, his tone deliberately provocative.
“Gu Yu, when are you moving out?”
Gu Yu didn’t look up, not even sparing him a glance, as he continued pouring the other bowl of porridge.
Seeing he was being ignored, the boy’s expression soured, and his tone turned sarcastic.
“That dorm room is mine now. You’d better move out quickly, or I’ll call someone to haul all your stuff out.”
Gu Yu finally looked up and met his gaze.
Then, he smiled at the boy.
This smile was nothing like the one he’d shown Yan Zhao.
It held no warmth, no kindness. The curve of his lips was shallow, cold and sticky, sending chills down one’s spine.
Before the boy could react, Gu Yu pulled a small knife from his pocket.
His movements were steady.
Without a word, he raised his hand and slammed the knife down beside the boy’s hand, which was resting on the table.
Not on the back of the hand.
Nor on the fingers.
But precisely between the gaps of his fingers.
The table shook.
The boy screamed in terror, jerking backward violently.
Only after his scream subsided did he realize—
The knife had landed perfectly, not touching a single bit of skin.
Gu Yu glanced down at him, his tone almost disdainful.
“Just a joke. Was there any need to get so scared?”
The boy looked down and realized his legs were trembling uncontrollably, his pants already stained dark.
His face instantly turned pale.
Gu Yu pulled the knife out, casually closed it, and tucked it back into his pocket.
“Don’t worry,” he said calmly. “I’ll leave before the dorm’s official move-out deadline.”
With that, he picked up the breakfast and walked away.
His retreating figure was clean and decisive, as if the scene had never happened.
…
Yan Zhao got up anyway.
She tidied her bed, folding the blanket neatly.
Following her memory from the day before, she picked up her small basket and headed to the washroom.
Brushed her teeth, washed her face.
Even with Gu Yu gone, she still felt a bit nervous.
The sound of running water echoed loudly, yet she could clearly sense the eyes around her never leaving her for a moment.
Some stared openly.
Others whispered among themselves.
Yan Zhao hadn’t expected Gu Yu to be so well-known at school—almost everyone seemed to know him.
She kept her head down and quickened her pace.
Just as she was about to leave with her basket, a girl suddenly blocked her path.
“Hey.”
The tone was far from polite.
Yan Zhao paused but didn’t look up.
“You’re Gu Yu’s country wife, aren’t you?”
The voice was loud, and the surroundings fell silent for a moment.
Yan Zhao tightened her grip on the basket, not responding, and tried to slip past from the side.
But the next second, two more people stepped forward.
Three of them now, trapping her by the washbasin.
Her escape route was completely blocked.
“Playing dumb?”
“We’re talking to you.”
“You really have the nerve to come to the school, you country bumpkin.”
Yan Zhao’s heart leaped into her throat.
Her hands, clutching the basket, trembled slightly. Her throat tightened, and she wanted to speak, but for a moment, she didn’t know how to begin.
She had never encountered a situation like this before.
Back in the countryside, at most, people would gossip behind her back.
But now, they had openly surrounded her, forcing her to stand there.
Instinctively, she took several steps back, her back nearly pressing against the water trough.