“Mr. Gong, the arrangements upstairs have been taken care of. You may take Miss Cheng directly up.”
“Hmm.” Gong Ming responded indifferently, stepping out of the car with Cheng Youyi in his arms and heading straight for the elevator.
Wen Qing followed behind holding an umbrella, only retreating after the two entered the elevator, returning to wait in the car.
The dormitory building was exceptionally quiet in the morning. The students had all been arranged to attend a money-receiving event—just showing up would earn them several thousand yuan. It was like a windfall falling from the sky; who would pass that up?
Thus, the vast floors were empty and deserted, not a single person in sight.
Gong Ming carried the little one in his arms toward her dorm room. His tall, straight figure stood out strikingly in the desolate dormitory building.
Upon reaching the dorm, Gong Ming entered a pre-prepared password and smoothly unlocked the door.
He carried the sleeping girl to the bedside, gently placed her on the single bed, then stood up to remove his black suit jacket, followed by his wristwatch, tie…
Once everything was ready, he took a deep breath and went to the bathroom to fetch a basin of hot water.
This was his first time taking care of someone, and he was somewhat unskilled.
The man crouched down to help Cheng Youyi remove her damp dress, then used a clean towel to wipe her body.
“…Uncle, I… warn you not to mess around…” Cheng Youyi, in her daze, felt a slight itch on her skin and grumbled discontentedly, swatting his large hand away.
Thinking his movements had woken her, Gong Ming paused briefly, only to hear a vague, indistinct murmur by his ear: “Uncle, I don’t want to get married, I’m still young…”
“If you bully me again, I’ll bite you to death…”
In her dream, Cheng Youyi suddenly attempted a fierce threat. She thought she sounded very intimidating, but little did she know her tone and movements appeared soft and gentle, like a newborn kitten, completely lacking any deterrent effect.
Gong Ming was taken aback, then found himself both amused and exasperated.
This kid was truly something—even in her sleep, she was still thinking about biting him to death!
Gong Ming shook his head and quickened his movements.
Mainly, he was afraid she would catch a chill. Moreover, with his delicate wife in his arms, looking so alluring, how could he possibly remain unmoved?
After what felt like an eternity, this exhausting ordeal finally ended under Gong Ming’s hands.
He felt today’s challenge was even greater than the obstacles he faced in business negotiations.
Enduring his inner restlessness to wipe her body was already a trial in itself, but he also had to worry about her waking up, fear her catching a chill, and this kid was stubbornly uncooperative, forcing him to resort to coercive measures in the end.
“You You, be good. If you keep fussing, don’t blame me for not acting like a proper person.” Gong Ming’s deep, husky voice resonated beside Cheng Youyi’s ear.
These words seemed to possess a magical power, instantly calming the previously restless little creature.
Seeing her finally settle down, Gong Ming breathed a sigh of relief and proceeded to change her into clean clothes.
Once everything was tidied up, just as he was about to stand and pack her luggage and schoolbag, Cheng Youyi clung tightly to his arm like an octopus, sleeping soundly, making it impossible for him to break free.
Gong Ming shook his head with a wry smile. “Little one, weren’t you avoiding me? Why are you holding on so tightly now?”
“Mmm… stingy, what’s the big deal if I grab it?” Cheng Youyi mumbled drowsily before drifting back to sleep.
Seeing her still fast asleep with her eyes tightly shut, Gong Ming sighed and continued letting her cling to his sturdy arm. “Alright, sleep. I’m here.”
Only when the girl in bed gradually fell into deep sleep and her body relaxed did the man gently remove her small hand from his arm, then tucked her in properly.
“Goodnight, my little princess.” After speaking, he leaned down to leave a kiss on Cheng Youyi’s forehead before getting up to pack her luggage and schoolbag for her.
Having lived a privileged life for many years, it had indeed been a long time since he last did such things. The last time was back in high school, during the days when he and his mother relied on each other for survival.
Those days were tough, yet filled with happiness.
Nowadays…
The man lowered his gaze, his eyes resting on the young girl in bed.
Fortunately, his happiness and joy in the latter half of his life still included her.
At least this prevented the bleak and endless days from becoming utterly devoid of hope and expectation.
“You You, sooner or later, you will be mine. Gong Qianyu doesn’t deserve you,” he murmured softly, his thin lips parting slightly. “I’ll make you face reality and come to me willingly.”
…
Later, Cheng Youyi woke up from hunger. By the time she opened her eyes, it was already lunchtime, and the rain outside was pattering against the transparent glass window.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she sat up in bed and stared blankly at the quiet dormitory, looking somewhat dazed.
That nap had been incredibly comfortable, and she even had a wonderful dream.
In the dream, a “Snail Girl” had bathed her and packed her luggage.
But…
She remembered getting caught in the rain in the morning and getting into Gong Ming’s car. So how did she end up lying in her dormitory, clean and tidy?
Wait! How did she get back? Did she black out? Did she really black out from sleeping? No way, right?
Frustrated, she thumped her head lightly, when suddenly a thought flashed through her mind—
Could it be that the dream wasn’t just a dream, but something that actually happened?
As for the “Snail Girl,” the only person she could think of was her best friend and roommate: Yu Mengwan!
Yes, it must be her!
Gong Ming probably dropped her off at the dormitory building, and Mengmeng came down to pick her up. That must be what happened. After all, Gong Ming is a guy—how could he possibly enter the girls’ dormitory?
She tried to reassure herself anxiously, though deep down she knew that with Gong Ming’s methods, getting into the dormitory wouldn’t be difficult. Still, she preferred to believe the other possibility.
The more Cheng Youyi thought about it, the more terrified she became.
C-o-u-l-d-i-t-p-o-s-s-i-b-l-y-b-e-t-h-a-t-G-o-n-g-M-i-n-g-c-h-a-n-g-e-d-m-y-c-l-o-t-h-e-s?
She was frightened by her own bold speculation. Impossible, impossible, absolutely impossible.
Even though she denied it ten thousand times, her mind couldn’t stop conjuring up various guesses—like how he might have changed her clothes or wiped her body.
Oh my god, this is so embarrassing.
Never mind, it must have been Mengmeng who did it. Wuwuwu, it must have been.
Although she kept comforting herself that it must have been Mengmeng, in reality, she didn’t even have the courage to send a WeChat message to ask Yu Mengwan.
Because she was afraid of getting a negative answer—then she wouldn’t even have the chance to lie to herself anymore.
Lost in her wandering thoughts for a long while, she could no longer resist the growling hunger in her stomach. Without further hesitation, she decisively threw off the covers and got out of bed.