Yan Zhao’s heart tightened.
This was the first time she had felt so clearly—
This wasn’t the countryside, nor was it any place she was familiar with.
This was Gu Yu’s world.
His school, his status, the place where he was admired, discussed, and coveted.
And she stood here, feeling utterly out of place.
But in the next moment, a few images suddenly flashed through her mind.
At the classroom door, he had shielded her.
In the small Western-style house, he had made someone bow and apologize.
Under the streetlight, he had reached out to block those gazes for her.
All along, it had been Gu Yu protecting her.
Again and again.
The moment this thought surfaced, Yan Zhao’s heart ached a little.
She realized she had been hiding all this time.
Hiding behind him, hiding inside the shell of “older sister,” “country bumpkin,” “immature.”
Too cowardly.
As this thought settled, her fingers slowly loosened their grip on the basket handle.
Yan Zhao took a deep breath.
Then, she raised her head.
Her gaze no longer evaded, and her voice no longer trembled.
“What do you want from me?”
The words were spoken plainly.
Neither provocative nor ingratiating.
The girls were visibly taken aback.
They probably hadn’t expected this person, who had kept her head down and seemed timid, to actually question them.
The leader frowned, as if provoked, and her tone immediately grew sharper.
“You’re quite good at pretending, aren’t you?”
“Weren’t you too scared to speak just now?”
“Can’t you just get lost from Gu Yu’s side?”
A few of them sneered, their eyes scanning her up and down.
Yan Zhao’s voice was soft but clear.
“Gu Yu and I grew up together. Why shouldn’t I stay by his side?”
As the words left her mouth, she herself was momentarily stunned.
Not because she regretted it.
But because she realized she truly believed it.
She had forced her way to find Gu Yu—that much she had always known.
She had also worried: what if he didn’t take her in?
What if he found her troublesome?
But that was between her and Gu Yu. It wasn’t for others to decide whether she should leave.
And besides, telling her to get lost?
A vague anger suddenly rose in Yan Zhao’s heart.
If she left, where could she go?
Back to the countryside?
Back to that place that drained people their entire lives?
Those images flashed through her mind.
A life of being suppressed, scolded, dismissed with a “just endure it a little longer.”
Thinking of these things, Yan Zhao felt less nervous in front of these people.
Because she had already seen uglier things.
The girls were completely stunned.
They clearly hadn’t expected this person, whom they had always regarded as a “country wife” or a “burden,” to retort so bluntly.
After a brief silence, one of them looked furious.
“Who do you think you are?”
“If it weren’t for Gu Yu, could you even stay here?”
Yan Zhao’s heart tightened again, but she didn’t lower her head this time. Instead, she said slowly,
“That’s also because Gu Yu allowed me to stay here. What right do you have to say anything?”
Meanwhile, when Gu Yu returned, he was still carrying breakfast.
Not seeing anyone in the dormitory, he frowned slightly and immediately guessed she must have gone to wash up.
Just as he turned the corner, he saw the scene.
Yan Zhao was surrounded by several girls. The spot wasn’t particularly secluded, but it was enough to leave her with nowhere to retreat.
The other party’s posture was clearly aggressive, her voice not low, and passersby couldn’t help but glance over, yet no one intervened.
In that instant, Gu Yu’s expression turned completely cold.
He paused in his steps, fingers tightening, almost instinctively about to step forward.
But at that moment, he heard Yan Zhao’s voice.
Not the panic, low tone, or apology he had expected.
But a steady, questioning retort.
Gu Yu’s steps abruptly halted.
He stood there, as if pulled back by something.
He knew all too well how Yan Zhao behaved in front of him—
Speaking softly, moving slowly, always stepping back first, even when wronged, she was used to swallowing it down herself.
She was never good at arguing, let alone confronting someone in public.
But now was different.
She stood straight, her voice not loud, yet each word came through clearly.
This was a Yan Zhao he had never seen before—not the kind who needed to be shielded behind him.
But the kind who was trying to stand her ground.
He didn’t move forward again.
He simply stood there, his gaze heavy and fixed on her, as if confirming something.
Then, he heard the words she spoke afterward.
One by one.
Gu Yu’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.
The surging anger didn’t disappear; it was just buried deeper.
But beneath it, another emotion had emerged—
Something unfamiliar and burning.
The leading girl’s expression darkened, and she suddenly moved.
Her hand shot up fast and fierce, clearly aiming for the face.
Yan Zhao’s heart tightened, and she instinctively ducked, stumbling backward as she tried to slip through the gap.
But before she could steady herself, her forehead collided with a solid chest.
A familiar scent instantly enveloped her.
The next second, she was pulled tightly into an embrace.
Gu Yu’s arm wrapped around her firmly, almost shielding her completely behind him.
He had appeared too quickly; the girls hadn’t even reacted yet.
The hand that missed its target was still hanging in the air, poised to strike again.
Gu Yu had already raised his hand, accurately seizing the other’s wrist.
With no restraint in his grip.
He twisted it outward.
“Ah—!”
A sharp scream erupted.
The girl’s face paled in pain, her body involuntarily bending forward.
Her other hand instinctively reached out, but Gu Yu had already let go, leaving her clutching her wrist, breathing ragged and trembling uncontrollably.
Only then did the surrounding people truly see clearly.
Standing in front of Yan Zhao was Gu Yu.
His expression was icy, his eyes slightly lowered, yet his gaze was terrifyingly dark, devoid of any usual gentleness.
The area around the washbasins fell silent instantly.
Those who had gathered instinctively took half a step back, not daring to speak.
Yan Zhao, shielded behind him, was still somewhat dazed, her fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of his shirt.
Gu Yu glanced down at her.
Confirming she was unharmed.
Only then did he look up again, fixing his gaze on the girls.
“Who gave you the nerve to touch her.”
His voice wasn’t loud.
But it was cold enough to send shivers down the spine.
No one dared to answer.
Gu Yu didn’t say anything more.
He simply swept a cold glance over them. “I’ll report this to the teacher. You’d better watch yourselves.”
With that, he reached out and took Yan Zhao’s hand, his movements steady as he led her away.
Upon hearing those words, the girls’ faces turned deathly pale, so much so that they could barely stand steady.
The two of them made their way back to the dormitory. As soon as the door closed, Gu Yu immediately turned around.
“Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Did they touch you?”
He lowered his head to carefully examine her arms, then tried to check her shoulders, his movements clearly filled with urgency.
Yan Zhao felt her cheeks gradually warm as he inspected her so closely.
When his fingers brushed against her arm, she instinctively flinched back, gently avoiding his touch.
“No.”
She shook her head, her voice soft. “I wasn’t bullied.”
Only then did Gu Yu visibly relax.
The tension that had been coiled within him suddenly dissipated in that moment.
Standing before her, he suddenly lowered his head, resting his forehead lightly against the back of her hand, his breathing subdued.
“I’m sorry, it’s all because of me.”
His voice was so low it almost dissolved into the air.
Yan Zhao was a bit flustered by his gesture and hurriedly tried to pull her hand back. She spoke urgently, “How can it be because of you? It’s just that they were unhappy with me being by your side.”
Gu Yu slowly lifted his head and looked at her.
His gaze was calm, yet profound.
“You being by my side is exactly where you should be.”
Hearing these words, Yan Zhao felt as if something had gently cradled her heart.
That sense of unease and instability she had carried since arriving in Beijing suddenly settled in that moment.
She had always been afraid.
Afraid that she was unsuitable standing by his side, afraid that one day someone would remind her, “You should leave,” afraid that even Gu Yu himself would see her as a burden.
But his words held not a trace of hesitation.
Yan Zhao’s eyes grew slightly warm, but she held back the tears.
She raised her head, meeting his gaze, and slowly curved the corners of her lips into a gentle, obedient smile.
Then she nodded firmly.
“Mhm.”
…
The two of them had breakfast together.
The meat buns were larger than any she had seen back in the countryside, each bite filled with savory filling.
Yan Zhao had initially planned to eat less, but Gu Yu kept pushing the buns toward her. Before she knew it, she had eaten two meat buns, one steamed bun, and finished an entire bowl of pumpkin porridge.
By the time she realized it, she was so full her vision seemed to blur slightly.
She sat there, not daring to move, gently pressing her hand against her abdomen, looking as though she could barely digest it all.
Gu Yu glanced at her but said nothing. He simply cleared the bowl from in front of her, finished his own meal, and carried on naturally.
After they finished eating, they headed out.
Gu Yu brought money with him and proactively explained the day’s plans.
“We’re going to look at houses.”
Yan Zhao was taken aback.
Gu Yu’s tone was calm. “This dormitory is assigned by the school and won’t be available for long. Even before you arrived, I had planned to go out and look.”
He glanced at her sideways and added, “Now is the perfect time.”
Yan Zhao’s heart stirred slightly.
So it wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Nor was it because she had caused trouble.
She pursed her lips and said nothing more, simply keeping close to his footsteps.
Before leaving the school, Gu Yu still went to see the teacher.
Yan Zhao did not follow.
She obediently sat on a bench in the garden, her back straight, her hands resting properly on her knees.
The garden was quiet, with only the occasional student passing by, glancing at her before quickly looking away.
Yan Zhao gazed in the direction of the distant teaching building, vaguely able to guess what Gu Yu was doing.
He probably went to talk to the teacher about those girls.
She didn’t think much about it.
Now, Yan Zhao felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
This feeling was something she had hardly experienced in her past life.
No need to explain herself, no need to lower her head to make peace, and no need to swallow all her grievances first.
Someone stood in front of her and handled things.
She was simply shielded behind.
Yan Zhao lowered her head to look at her hands, her fingertips curling slightly.
The feeling of being protected was truly quite nice.
After Gu Yu left Yan Zhao’s sight, the expression on his face changed almost instantly.
The gentleness from earlier seemed to have been stripped away.
The corners of his lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile, but it was cold and artificial, with no emotion in his eyes.
He walked to the door of the teacher’s office and knocked.
The person inside stood up immediately upon seeing him, their tone clearly carrying a hint of urgency.
“Ah, Xiao Yu,” Teacher Wang sighed, speaking quickly. “My daughter has been spoiled by her mother. She doesn’t know how to speak or act properly. I’ve already scolded her. Don’t take it to heart.”
Gu Yu stood in place, his attitude as polite as ever.
But that politeness was distant.
He shook his head gently. “Teacher, this isn’t your fault. It’s just that my wife is timid. From now on, I won’t be visiting your home.”
His words weren’t harsh.
But they had already drawn a clear line.
Teacher Wang was taken aback, opening his mouth as if to say more, but when he met Gu Yu’s emotionless eyes, the words died on his lips.
Once this child made up his mind, there was no changing it.
Teacher Wang thought of his own project—Gu Yu would surely refuse that too.
Gu Yu didn’t say anything more. He gave a slight nod, turned, and left for the admissions office.
When he went downstairs, he saw the woman still sitting on the chair.
Gu Yu let out a soft sigh, then walked over with a smile on his face.
Yan Zhao had been sitting upright, hands on her knees, counting the cracks in the floor tiles.
Hearing the call “Zhaozhao,” she immediately looked up.
The moment she saw Gu Yu, she reflexively stood up, taking two quick steps to walk right up to him.
Gu Yu’s gaze fell on her face, and the chill he had brought from the admissions office finally dissipated completely.
He reached out and took her hand, his tone gentle. “Let’s go.”
Yan Zhao looked at their intertwined hands, her heart tightening for a moment before slowly relaxing.
…
Since Yan Zhao arrived in Beijing by train that day, she had stayed within the school grounds.
Classroom, dormitory, cafeteria.
Her world was very small.
Now, stepping outside the school gate, the streets suddenly became lively.
People came and went, voices mingling in a chaotic hum.
She instinctively slowed her pace, but her eyes couldn’t help wandering around.
Rows of houses lined the street, some tall, some short, some old, some new.
Some were old-fashioned single-story homes with coal stoves placed at the door.
Others had whitewashed walls and glass windows, looking bright and clean.
Gu Yu noticed her gaze and spoke in a gentle tone.
“It’s the weekend today, so there are more people.”
Reform and opening-up had already begun, but the team was still the same as before, and state-owned enterprises remained dominant even in the provincial capital.
She hadn’t expected to see people setting up small wooden tables by the roadside, selling socks, hair clips, soap, and all sorts of things.
There was even someone pushing a bicycle selling candied hawthorns, surrounded by a circle of children.
A little farther away, someone was selling steamed buns, white steam rising into the air.
Yan Zhao stared in a daze.
She had never seen such a scene before.
Unlike the village, where doors closed as soon as it got dark.
Here, it seemed like it would never stop.
Her eyes were almost not enough, looking this way, then that way.
Gu Yu did not rush her.