The original host never shortchanged herself. By living off Gu Huo, she couldn’t afford big-name brands, but she could just barely manage small, affordable luxuries.
Qiao Sheng’s clothing, style, and demeanor were somewhat deceptive, unconsciously masking her own shabbiness and making her look like someone from a comfortably well-off family who could afford the goods sold here.
It was a laughable misunderstanding.
What horrified Qiao Sheng, however, was that the salesperson, eager to make a sale, earnestly advised her: “Little sister, this is our store’s new spring collection. Based on the height and build you provided, I guarantee that handsome guy will look dashing and elegant in it. I promise you, when he receives your gift, he’ll definitely feel your deep affection.”
She also mentioned they offered gift-box packaging services.
As she spoke, she gave Qiao Sheng a meaningful wink, a look that said, “You know what I mean.”
Qiao Sheng was bewildered.
Clearly, she and the beautiful salesperson she’d just met had not developed any rapport, and she had no idea what the salesperson’s suggestive winks and glances meant.
She thought inexplicably, why bother with such elaborate packaging? Something simple would do; she didn’t need all that flashy stuff.
It wasn’t until she went to another store, picked out a jacket she thought was decent in every way according to her own taste, paid, and left that she belatedly realized something—the beautiful salesperson had thought she was buying clothes for her sweetheart?!
Qiao Sheng was stunned, shaking her head in disbelief. Seeing that it was almost seven o’clock, she hurried home.
Truth be told, she felt a bit nervous, wondering how Gu Huo would react when he received this jacket.
Qiao Sheng hurried toward the roadside, not noticing the two girls who passed by her—her classmates.
“Isn’t that Qiao Sheng? Why is she in such a hurry?”
“What do you think she’s doing? Of course, she’s going to Young Master Zhou’s birthday party! Look, she’s even prepared a birthday gift for him.”
“Tsk, I don’t know why she’s so eager. The party doesn’t start until seven-thirty, and it takes less than ten minutes to get from here to the hotel. Is she afraid people won’t know how desperately she fawns over Young Master Zhou?”
“What do you think she got him as a gift?”
“Whatever gift she prepared is useless. No matter what she gives, Young Master Zhou will toss it into the trash without hesitation.”
The two meticulously dressed girls exchanged a smile, not bothering to hide their contempt and disdain for Qiao Sheng.
A simp, especially one as shameless as her, fawning over the male god in many girls’ hearts, was universally despised.
Gu Huo had just finished tidying up the New Year’s goods he’d bought that afternoon—there weren’t many, so it was easy. After dawdling, he had just made himself a bowl of noodles when he heard footsteps outside the door.
He expressionlessly served the noodles into a bowl—it couldn’t possibly be Qiao Sheng, no matter who it was.
The footsteps stopped right outside the door.
Gu Huo was slightly taken aback.
Just then, he heard the jangling sound of keys being pulled from a bag, followed by the sound of a key being inserted into the lock, and finally, a click—the door opened…
Only the two of them lived here, and he was behaving himself inside. So, who else could be opening the door right now but Qiao Sheng?
But wasn’t she supposed to be attending Zhou Zixiao’s birthday party?
Gu Huo stood at the kitchen doorway, looking toward the entrance. The door was pushed open from the outside, and a foot stepped in first—a delicate, small white sneaker.
Soon, Qiao Sheng’s figure emerged from behind the half-open door. As she pulled out the key, her other foot followed across the threshold, and she smoothly pushed the door shut—the entire motion seamless and fluid.
Why was she back at this hour?
Gu Huo concealed his surprise, pursed his lips, and almost as soon as the question arose, he recalled the unpleasant incident at the school gate the other day.
Because of what happened that day, Zhou Zixiao probably hadn’t welcomed her to his birthday party. Had she tried to warm up to him only to be coldly rejected, slinking back home in disappointment?
Otherwise, he couldn’t think of any other reason for her early return.
His gaze discreetly swept over Qiao Sheng’s face.
He noticed her expression was relatively calm, without any trace of anger or sadness that might suggest she had been turned away.
Instead, when her eyes met his in the air, a flicker of nervousness flashed in their depths.
Gu Huo was puzzled, but years of experience living together had taught him not to pry unnecessarily. He asked in a measured tone, “Have you eaten?”
Qiao Sheng placed a shopping bag on the shoe cabinet, leaning against it with one hand as she bent down to change her shoes.
Her ponytail slid from her back to her shoulder with the movement, the ends curling against the pale hollow of her neck. Perhaps feeling ticklish, she casually brushed it back, taming the unruly strands behind her.
She slipped her white-socked feet into fluffy slippers. “Not yet.”
Only then did Gu Huo realize something was off.
Qiao Sheng’s text to him had said, “I’ll be back a bit later,” not “I won’t be back for dinner tonight…”
But in the past, she had always been vague, never bothering to clarify her meaning—leaving him to guess the real intent. Having lived with her for so long, Gu Huo believed he could effortlessly decode all her cryptic messages.
Coupled with Zhou Zixiao’s birthday, he had naturally assumed she wouldn’t be back for dinner.
But how could he have forgotten? The Qiao Sheng now was different from before…
Gu Huo opened his mouth. “I just made some simple noodles for dinner.”
Qiao Sheng, who had eaten noodles for lunch three days in a row, smiled. “That’s fine. On a cold day like this, something warm like noodles is comforting.”
Gu Huo carried the empty bowl into the kitchen and returned with two bowls. One was filled to the brim with noodles and broth, while the other appeared just as full at first glance. Upon closer inspection, however, it contained only a few strands of noodles, mostly broth holding up the illusion.
Gu Huo handed the bowl with the actual noodles to Qiao Sheng, who was pleasantly surprised. “Thank you. From now on, I’ll serve my own meals.”
She quickly glanced at Gu Huo’s reaction and added, as if to cover up her true feelings, “I’m afraid Grandma might scold me in my dreams again for being lazy and gluttonous.”
A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Gu Huo’s lips, but he said nothing.
Qiao Sheng was hungry and focused on eating her noodles.
Not long after arriving here, she had discovered that Gu Huo was quite skilled in the kitchen.
This “skilled” didn’t mean his cooking could rival that of a restaurant chef, but rather that with limited ingredients and seasonings, he could prepare meals that felt particularly comforting to eat.
Though simple and humble, they carried the warmth of home.
Preoccupied with thinking about how to naturally give him the newly bought clothes, she didn’t notice that Gu Huo across from her was eating slowly, trying to conceal the fact that his bowl held hardly any noodles.
It was only when her bowl was nearly empty that Gu Huo asked, “Do you want more?”
Qiao Sheng shook her head. “No need, I’m full.”
Gu Huo was accustomed to prioritizing her in everything. As long as she had enough to eat, he didn’t mind going without.
When one person’s portion of noodles was split between two, naturally, one of them would end up hungry.
It’s fine, once you get past that initial hunger pang, you stop feeling hungry.
He was already quite experienced with hunger and had grown accustomed to it.
“Let me do it.”
After the meal, Qiao Sheng quickly snatched the bowls away, ducked into the kitchen to wash them, and even polished the stove until it gleamed.