Gu Yu suddenly stopped walking and turned his head to look at her.
His tone was calm, as if stating the most natural thing in the world.
“Can’t you read?”
The moment those words fell, Yan Zhao abruptly lifted her head.
Her eyes widened.
In that instant, her expression could almost be described as flustered.
She was genuinely stunned.
Of course, Yan Zhao could read.
And she could read quite a lot.
It was just that she had never mentioned this in the Gu household.
Back then, with her family background being unfavorable—born into a landlord’s family—being literate was not something to boast about.
Later, when she arrived at the Gu household, she pretended even more thoroughly, keeping her head down, working hard, and staying silent, afraid of standing out in any way.
She had only secretly mentioned this to Li Ling once.
No one in the Gu family knew about it.
Including Gu Yu.
Yan Zhao’s throat tightened. Instinctively, she wanted to deny it, but the words stuck in her mouth, unable to come out.
She looked at Gu Yu, her eyes filled with shock and panic she hadn’t had time to conceal.
“I…”
Gu Yu didn’t continue the topic.
He simply spoke with even more certainty than before, saying, “You just need to sit beside me. I’ll introduce you to my teacher.”
As he spoke, he had already reached out and taken her hand.
The gesture wasn’t forceful, without the slightest hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Yan Zhao was pulled forward a step by him, but her heart tightened abruptly.
She didn’t dare refuse outright now, yet her fingertips instinctively curled, trying to pull her hand back.
Yesterday, she had let him hold her hand because she had just seen him, her mind was in turmoil, and she hadn’t had time to think too much.
But now it was different.
She already knew that there was a better girl by his side.
Someone so bright, so respectable—standing beside him, that was what others would see as fitting.
She couldn’t let herself stay in this position any longer, causing misunderstandings for others and for him.
Yan Zhao’s fingertips twitched slightly as she tried to break free.
This time, Gu Yu didn’t hold on.
He glanced down at her, said nothing, and simply let go.
Gu Yu turned and first took the basket back to the dormitory. When he came out again, it was as if nothing had happened. He walked beside her, half a step away.
Not too close, not too far.
Then, he led her toward the direction of the teaching building.
On the short path to the classroom door, Yan Zhao walked especially slowly.
She had already noticed.
From the corridor to the door, almost every student they encountered knew Gu Yu.
Some greeted him actively, some just glanced at him and whispered to their companions, while others lingered a little too long, their gaze resting on Gu Yu before inevitably shifting to her.
She had seen that kind of expression several times already.
Surprise.
Curiosity.
And a hint of barely concealed intrigue.
As if asking who she was and why she was standing beside Gu Yu.
That kind of gaze made Yan Zhao’s back stiffen bit by bit.
When Gu Yu reached out to push open the classroom door, she finally couldn’t hold back. She took a step forward and lightly grabbed the hem of his shirt with her fingertips.
The fabric wrinkled slightly under her grip.
Her voice was low, tinged with obvious hesitation.
“Gu Yu… I really shouldn’t go in.”
Even she could hear the unease in her own voice.
“Someone like me, how could I enter a classroom? I…”
Before she could finish, her voice trailed off.
Gu Yu stopped.
He didn’t turn around immediately, just stood there, as if waiting for her to finish.
But Yan Zhao couldn’t go on.
The words churned inside her, yet not a single one could be spoken aloud.
Someone like her.
From the countryside.
Wearing old clothes.
Standing here, she felt inherently out of place.
The next second, Gu Yu released the doorknob.
He turned around and looked at her.
His gaze was steady, showing neither impatience nor surprise.
“What kind of person are you?”
Yan Zhao was taken aback.
His question only made it harder for her to speak.
“I…” She opened her mouth, but her throat tightened.
She suddenly realized she didn’t even know how to define herself.
Calling herself his wife—she lacked the confidence.
Calling herself his sister—but she wasn’t his real sister.
Yan Zhao fell silent.
People came and went in the hallway, footsteps echoing continuously.
Gu Yu didn’t rush her.
He simply watched her, waiting for her to figure it out.
After a while, seeing she still hadn’t spoken, Gu Yu let out a low sigh.
“If you don’t want to go in, then forget it,” he said calmly. “Let’s go back.”
Yan Zhao was stunned, her words almost spilling out instinctively: “But won’t you miss your class?”
Gu Yu didn’t stop walking, his tone casual as if discussing the most ordinary thing: “I’ve already completed most of the university courses. Now, I mainly work as a teaching assistant, helping the professor with some tasks.”
His words reached Yan Zhao’s ears, but she didn’t fully understand them.
She only knew one thing—
He was remarkable.
So remarkable that she instinctively looked up at him.
He was even helping the professor with work.
Gu Yu’s grades must be excellent too.
But she never expected someone so capable would now skip class because of her reluctance to enter the classroom.
Almost instinctively, Yan Zhao reached out and grabbed the hem of his shirt again, her voice faint and unsteady: “Then… then let’s go to class.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, before she could even regret them,
Gu Yu had already taken her hand in his.
This time, he gave her no chance to hesitate again.
He pushed open the classroom door and led her inside.
The classroom had been filled with scattered murmurs, but the moment the door opened, it noticeably quieted.
Almost simultaneously.
Rows of eyes turned in their direction.
First at Gu Yu.
Then, at Yan Zhao, who was being led by his side.
Yan Zhao’s breath caught, and she instinctively tried to pull her hand back.
But this time, Gu Yu didn’t let go.
His hand held hers firmly, and amidst countless gazes, he led her straight forward.
All the way to the first row, by the window.
Sunlight slanted in from outside, falling across the desk.
Gu Yu stopped and whispered to her, “Sit here for now. I’ll come over in a bit.”
With that, he finally released her hand.
The moment Yan Zhao sat down, she felt her heartbeat thundering in her ears.
Even without looking up, she could clearly sense—
The gazes from all directions hadn’t yet dispersed.
Curious, probing, scrutinizing.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the hem of her shirt, and she even softened her breathing.
Just then, Gu Yu’s voice came from the podium.
“The assignment from last time is due today. Please pass your papers from the back to the front. Remember to write your names, or they won’t be graded.”
As soon as he spoke, the classroom finally stirred.
Chairs and desks creaked softly, papers rustled, and the gazes that had been fixed on her scattered away.
Yan Zhao quietly let out a sigh of relief.
But the next second, someone gently tapped her shoulder.
She stiffened completely.
It took her a moment to react before she slowly turned her head.
It was the person sitting behind her.
A boy handed a stack of homework to her, his eyes subtly scanning her face.
The gaze wasn’t intrusive, but it carried clear curiosity.
Yan Zhao quickly reached out to take it, her movements a bit hurried, the edges of the paper brushing against her fingertips.
The homework was soon collected.
Gu Yu neatly arranged the stack of notebooks and placed them on one side of the podium, just as the teacher entered the classroom.
Today was an experiment class.
After a brief introduction, the teacher mentioned there was only one set of equipment and asked Gu Yu to demonstrate at the front while the other students observed and took notes.
Gu Yu acknowledged and naturally walked to the experiment table.
Only then did Yan Zhao slowly calm her breathing.
The earlier tension felt like a stone pressing against her chest, finally easing a little.
She gently lifted her head and looked toward the podium.
Gu Yu was already adjusting the instruments with his head lowered, his sleeves slightly rolled up, his expression focused and calm, as if he had shut out all the noise around him.
He didn’t speak much, but his explanations were clear and logical.
Every step of the operation was steady.
Yan Zhao didn’t really understand.
The terms and procedures were all unfamiliar to her.
Yet she couldn’t look away.
She suddenly realized something—
No matter what Gu Yu did, he always looked good.
Not in an intentional way, but with a presence that made you want to look twice.
Soon, she noticed it too.
She wasn’t the only one watching.
Many eyes in the classroom were fixed on Gu Yu, especially the girls, their gazes open and unguarded.
Yan Zhao lowered her head and glanced at her clothes.
The faded fabric, simple in style, looked particularly out of place in this bright, tidy classroom.
It didn’t quite belong here.
Gu Yu truly belonged here.
And she, it seemed, was only briefly standing in this world because he had led her here.
Just as Yan Zhao’s thoughts were still tangled in that indescribable feeling,
Gu Yu had somehow returned to the front row and sat down beside her.
The distance was close.
So close that she could smell the faint scent of soap on him, along with the lingering traces of the experiment.
He leaned slightly toward her, his gaze resting on her face, as if carefully discerning something.
His voice was low, almost only audible to her.
“What’s wrong?”
Yan Zhao blinked, taken aback, before realizing she must have shown some emotion earlier.
She quickly shook her head, wanting to say it was nothing.
Gu Yu didn’t press further. He reached under the desk and pulled out a book from a bag she hadn’t noticed before, gently placing it in front of her.
“Read this.”
Yan Zhao was stunned and instinctively looked down.
The cover was a bit worn, its edges frayed.
Before she could react, Gu Yu had already opened the book for her.
It wasn’t a textbook.
It was a novel.
The sound of the pages turning was soft.
When Yan Zhao saw the lines of text, her eyes widened slightly.
She looked up at him, clearly surprised.
Gu Yu’s expression remained calm, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
“You don’t understand the experiment,” he said directly, but without a hint of condescension. “Just read this.”
After speaking, he turned his attention back to the front.
Yan Zhao lowered her head to look at the novel, her fingertips resting on the page.
The unease and discomfort that had risen in her chest were suddenly gently soothed.
As Yan Zhao looked down at the pages, her expression slowly grew calm.
As for the things from her childhood, she had almost forgotten them entirely.
That she could still recognize characters at this point was something even she found surprising.
What was even stranger was that as Yan Zhao looked at the contents of the book, she felt an indescribable sense of familiarity.
It wasn’t the freshness of seeing it for the first time.
It was more like… she had read it a long time ago.
But that was impossible.
Neither in her previous life nor in this one had she truly read many books.
Her days were too full—where would she find the time for such things?
Yan Zhao was lost in thought when the person beside her suddenly reached over and gently turned the page for her.
She froze, instinctively turning her head.
Gu Yu’s gaze remained fixed on the podium ahead, his expression focused, as if he had merely flipped the page for her as a casual gesture.
Light streamed in through the window, falling on the contours of his profile—clean and composed lines.
Yan Zhao glanced at him, then lowered her head to look at the newly turned page.
Naturally, such a scene couldn’t have escaped the notice of only Yan Zhao.
The first row was already conspicuous.
After Gu Yu sat back down, that subtle yet unmistakable interaction quickly caught the attention of those around them.
Some continued taking notes but couldn’t help stealing glances in their direction.
Others simply stopped writing, staring blankly.
Did Gu Yu… really have a partner?
And not just any partner—one he had brought directly into the classroom.
What left them even more speechless was his attitude toward the person beside him.
It was so different.
The usual Gu Yu was quiet, aloof, standing on the podium as if separated by an invisible distance.
But now, he was whispering inquiries, turning pages for her.
None of his actions could be described as intimate, yet they carried an almost excessive patience and gentleness.
This was a side of Gu Yu they had never seen before.
A few female classmates watched, their emotions growing somewhat complicated.
The shock was real.
So was the disappointment.
But more than that, there was an indescribable feeling.
So Gu Yu could be like this too.
He wasn’t inherently cold—it was just that his gentleness was never meant for outsiders.
And what was even more impossible to ignore was—
Gu Yu really did have a partner!
When the bell rang for the end of class, Yan Zhao hadn’t yet snapped out of her thoughts.
She was just closing the book, her fingertips still resting on the page, when Gu Yu stood up, casually closing the book and putting it away for her.
She instinctively thought that was the end of it.
But the next moment, he turned his head and said to her, “Come with me.”
Yan Zhao froze, then had no choice but to stand up and follow him.
As they walked forward, she felt a vague unease. It wasn’t until she saw the male teacher standing by the podium that she realized—
Gu Yu really was taking her to meet the teacher.
The teacher wasn’t old, wearing glasses and exuding a gentle demeanor.
He first glanced at Gu Yu, then turned his gaze to Yan Zhao, pausing noticeably for a couple of seconds.
His eyes held surprise, as well as scrutiny.
Then he smiled.
“You rascal,” the teacher said with a teasing tone. “You always said you were married before. I thought you were just using it as an excuse. I didn’t expect it to be true.”
Yan Zhao tensed up immediately, instinctively wanting to take half a step back.
But Gu Yu stood beside her, not letting her move.
His attitude toward the teacher was clearly different from how he treated others—his tone was gentle and steady.
“Yes,” he said. “Teacher, we’ve been together for a long time.”
The teacher looked at Yan Zhao again, his gaze now carrying a hint of understanding. He nodded. “Good, good.”
After saying this, the teacher seemed to suddenly remember something. He raised an eyebrow and turned his gaze back to Gu Yu.
The tone was a bit more serious than before. “Now that your partner is here, you can give proper consideration to the matter I mentioned earlier.”
Gu Yu’s expression remained unchanged, only his eyelashes lowered slightly before he said, “Teacher, I will give it careful thought.”