“Take her to the hospital first,” Gu Jingcheng said.
Meng Yao nodded. Gu Jingcheng bent down and carried the pregnant woman onto the horse cart, while Meng Yao hurried over to help support her.
“To the hospital,” Gu Jingcheng instructed Lao San, who was pulling the cart in front.
Lao San exerted a little force, and the horse cart headed toward the hospital.
After speaking, Gu Jingcheng returned to the spot from earlier, casually picked up the flowers Meng Yao had left behind, and jogged after the cart.
About ten minutes later, the cart stopped at the hospital entrance.
Gu Jingcheng carried Sister Fangxiu inside. After the examination, the doctor said there was nothing serious, but since she was far along in her pregnancy, she needed to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days.
Meng Yao finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, she was fine.
Inside the ward, Fangxiu looked to be in good spirits. Sitting on the hospital bed, she thanked the three of them.
“Comrades, what are your names? Another day, I’ll have a banner made and delivered to you. Today’s matter really troubled you all.”
“No need!”
Meng Yao and Gu Jingcheng answered in unison.
Gu Jingcheng raised his brows and glanced at the young girl before him. Her skin was fair, her eyes large, and her figure somewhat thin. He hadn’t expected her to be so brave. Not everyone on the street had the courage to step forward and help others.
Now she even refused the banner of gratitude, and he found himself liking her a little more.
Fangxiu shook her head.
“That won’t do. We have to thank you properly. Otherwise—”
“Fangxiu! Fangxiu!”
She suddenly stopped and called toward the doorway.
“Ye Lei, I’m over here!”
As soon as her voice fell, a middle-aged man wearing glasses appeared at the ward entrance. His features were refined, carrying an air of scholarly gentleness, though he looked somewhat disheveled at the moment.
So this was Fangxiu’s husband—Ye Lei.
After repeatedly confirming that she was alright, Ye Lei turned to thank them.
“I’m truly sorry. I’m a high school teacher in the county, usually very busy with students. If it weren’t for you today, my wife really would’ve been in danger.”
Like Fangxiu, Ye Lei was an honest person. By the end, his eyes had turned red.
“I’ll kneel to thank you!”
Meng Yao hurried forward to stop him.
“That’s really unnecessary.”
Seeing that everything was fine, Meng Yao and the others prepared to leave. Ye Lei repeatedly insisted that if they ever needed help in the future, they should come find him at the Second High School, where he worked as a teacher.
After saying goodbye to the couple, the three of them left together.
Once outside the hospital, Meng Yao let out another sigh of relief.
Gu Jingcheng had been observing her the whole time. Noticing her expression, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“What’s this? Doing good deeds without leaving your name behind?”
Meng Yao looked up at him and met those teasing eyes, her emotions complicated.
In her previous life, she and Gu Jingcheng hadn’t interacted much.
The only thing she knew clearly was that he didn’t particularly like her family, and naturally looked down on the two sisters as well.
The reason their families became connected was because when her grandfather had searched for the missing Meng Yu, he not only saved Gu Jingcheng’s father’s life, but also rescued the Gu family business.
After learning about their family’s situation, Old Master Gu knelt on the spot and promised to help find the younger granddaughter. As repayment, he arranged a childhood engagement between Meng Yao and Gu Jingcheng.
But later, when Meng Yu returned, she refused to marry Song Wei and follow him into military life. Instead, she wanted to marry into the wealthy Gu family and enjoy a comfortable life, so she stole Meng Yao’s marriage arrangement.
In her previous life, Gu Jingcheng didn’t like Meng Yu. In this life, he probably wouldn’t like her either. If he knew she was the person he was supposed to marry in the future, he likely wouldn’t give her any pleasant expressions.
Just now, when Ye Lei’s family had been so enthusiastic, Gu Jingcheng had cleverly hidden behind her, letting all their gratitude focus on her instead.
“Aren’t you the same?” she retorted word by word. “Doing good deeds without leaving your name behind!”
She casually tucked the hair behind her ear while her thoughts wandered, trying to remember if there was anything she had forgotten to buy.
Even after being rebutted, Gu Jingcheng wasn’t angry. Looking at her slightly unconvinced little expression, he became somewhat absent-minded.
The girl’s skin was fair, her eyes lively and clear, and her features delicate. Though she wore coarse cloth clothing, she carried herself with a natural confidence and decisiveness.
How should he put it?
She was quite adorable…
Without realizing it, a smile appeared on his lips.
Lao San, standing nearby, saw the fascinated look on his young master’s face and immediately felt alarm bells ringing in his heart.
Meng Yao didn’t want to continue talking. But when her gaze swept past the large clock hanging in the hospital, her eyes suddenly widened.
The clock clearly pointed to two-thirty.
“Oh no! Uncle Wang’s cart!”
Without caring about anything else, she immediately dashed outside while shouting as she ran,
“Please wait for me! Wuwuwu—”
From the county town back to the village, if she missed the horse cart, it would take over an hour to walk home. Thinking about it made Meng Yao run even faster.
Gu Jingcheng laughed at her flustered appearance. Suddenly, he realized they still didn’t know each other’s names.
“Hey! You still haven’t told me your name!” he shouted toward the girl’s rapidly disappearing figure.
From far away, Meng Yao panted heavily as she answered,
“My name is Lei Feng~”
The smile on the man’s lips deepened.
Lei Feng.
What a cute name.
Lao San could hardly bear to watch anymore.
“Young Master, she’s already gone. Completely out of sight. Stop looking already.”
Gu Jingcheng restrained his smile and stared at Lao San for a long while.
“What?” Lao San scratched his head in confusion.
Gu Jingcheng flicked him on the forehead.
“How many times has the family told you not to call me ‘Young Master’ or call people ‘Master’ and ‘Miss’ outside?”
“Grandfather hates all that capitalist nonsense and nags about it every day. Didn’t you remember? If he hears you again, I’ll end up kneeling in the ancestral hall because of you!”
Lao San slapped his own mouth.
“Look at this mouth and brain of mine. Won’t happen again, won’t happen again!”
“Alright, just pay attention next time.”
Gu Jingcheng strode outside. Recently, the authorities had been investigating very strictly. As one of the most prominent families in Yi City, the Gu family had no choice but to keep a low profile. Trouble often came from careless words, so even someone as carefree as him had started becoming cautious.
Lao San hurried after him.
“Yo—Big Brother, where are we going now?”
“To return the cart.”
The two arrived at the hospital entrance. On the old wooden handcart sat a bouquet of brilliantly blooming flowers. Though simple, the arrangement was pleasing to the eye and carried a faint fragrance.
Lao San glanced at it.
“Oh! The little girl left her flowers behind!”
In the end, the bouquet that had only cost a few cents was brought by Gu Jingcheng back to the Gu family’s elegant old courtyard.
Gu Jingcheng’s mother, Kang Peiyu, looked at her son—someone who usually had no interest in flowers or plants—bringing home a bouquet for the first time in his life.
She put down the magazine in her hand, suddenly interested.
Holding the flowers, Gu Jingcheng walked into the living room and spoke to the maid nearby.
“Please get me a vase.”
After thinking for a moment, he added,
“A light-colored one.”
Although Gu Jingcheng had inherited the family business after graduation, his university life had been quite colorful. Especially under Kang Peiyu’s influence, his aesthetic taste had always been excellent.
His standards were unbelievably picky. He rarely liked anything, but once he did, it was definitely something good—
And he would absolutely make it his.