It wasn’t Gu Huo’s imagination.
He could be certain that Qiao Sheng was acting a bit strange tonight.
She paced back and forth in the living room as if looking for something, only to put it down after picking it up. Her eyes drifted aimlessly, never settling on anything—Gu Huo felt she had something to say to him.
She seemed hesitant, as if struggling to find the words.
After 7:30 p.m., both his phone and Qiao Sheng’s kept buzzing incessantly. Without even looking, he knew they were all discussing Zhou Zixiao’s birthday party.
Zhou Zixiao was a prominent figure at school.
He was the kind of person who could rally a crowd with a single call.
Besides Class 10, many students from other classes who were close to him had also received invitations, including those from Gu Huo’s Class 7.
Many felt honored to attend his birthday party, and some even flaunted it by posting real-time updates from the party in group chats for those who couldn’t attend to discuss.
Gu Huo naturally assumed Qiao Sheng’s unease was related to her inability to attend Zhou Zixiao’s birthday party. He pretended not to notice her odd behavior and went about his business as usual.
As he entered his room and was about to close the door, Qiao Sheng finally made a move.
“Gu Huo!”
Gu Huo held onto the doorframe and looked over.
His heart skipped a beat—it seemed the truth was about to surface—
He frowned.
After that day, there was no doubt she had offended Zhou Zixiao.
And now, did she want to drag him along to apologize to Zhou Zixiao in front of everyone?!
It wasn’t surprising that Gu Huo’s imagination ran wild.
Qiao Sheng had done similar things before.
If he agreed, she would make a scene and cause trouble for everyone.
Gu Huo’s other hand, hanging by his side, slowly clenched into a fist.
He had made up his mind—this time, even if she threatened to starve herself, he would not give in!
He could be patient and tolerant with her, but he had his limits.
Gu Huo’s mood was as foul as the howling wind outside, though he showed no sign of it on the surface. His jawline tightened slightly.
“What is it?”
Qiao Sheng gave him an embarrassed smile and handed him a shopping bag she was holding in her arms with both hands. “For you!”
She felt a wave of relief wash over her. She was just giving someone a gift, not storming a fortress—why was she so nervous?
Once she opened her mouth, she realized it wasn’t such a big deal after all.
Gu Huo was taken aback, even taking an involuntary half-step back when Qiao Sheng handed it over with both hands.
His gaze fell on the shopping bag, puzzled. “This is…”
Clothes?
Why was she giving them to him?
Gu Huo looked utterly confused.
Once she got started, the rest came more easily for Qiao Sheng. “These are clothes I bought for you. Do you like them?”
Gu Huo stared at her blankly.
This top student struggled to process the simple words he had just heard.
Qiao Sheng… bought clothes for him??
Before his mind could make sense of it, his hand had already taken the shopping bag from her, following her words.
He murmured, “Thank you.”
Qiao Sheng felt ashamed—she was ashamed on behalf of the original owner. “I should be the one saying thank you. For the past few years, you’ve been the one taking care of me, while I… I wasn’t very sensible before…”
Gu Huo watched as the girl in front of him spoke, her head lowering more and more.
When she could no longer lower her head any further, she suddenly looked up, her face flushed, and said, “Thank you for always being patient with me. I’ll try my best to fix my bad habits. Of course, if you notice any flaws in me that bother you, you can tell me right away. I’ll change whatever I can!”
Her sincerity left Gu Huo speechless for a moment.
They say it’s easier to change a mountain or a river than a person’s nature.
It was hard to connect the person she was now with the person she used to be.
The contrast was too stark. If he weren’t so familiar with her and certain that the girl before him was Qiao Sheng, he might have believed she was a long-lost twin sister.
Under Qiao Sheng’s eager gaze, Gu Huo’s throat tightened, and he couldn’t help but blurt out, “No need. You’re fine just the way you are now.”
Qiao Sheng’s eyes lit up like a night sky filled with countless stars. “Really?”
She shyly rubbed her nose.
The male lead said she was fine now, hehe.
Even though Qiao Sheng had left her student days behind in her previous life and become a hardworking laborer, she was actually still two months shy of turning twenty. She still retained a bit of childishness, and after transmigrating into the original host, who was two or three years younger, she didn’t have to pretend to be immature.
Perhaps because emotions are contagious, Gu Huo also felt inexplicably embarrassed by his own impulsive words.
But upon second thought, he hadn’t said anything wrong. He thought Qiao Sheng was fine just the way she was now—if only she could turn over a new leaf and stop liking Zhou Zixiao, that would be even better…
Of course, who Qiao Sheng liked was her own freedom and right, and Gu Huo had no authority to interfere.
But anyone with eyes could see that she and Zhou Zixiao were impossible.
He simply didn’t want to see her get hurt or become the butt of others’ jokes.
In the past, he could have watched indifferently without a care, but now, as Qiao Sheng improved, he found it hard to ignore her affairs.
Gu Huo regretted saying “You’re fine just the way you are” too soon.
He had inadvertently closed off any chance of offering her advice.
Unaware of his thoughts, Qiao Sheng remained immersed in her own joy. “Um, try it on later to see if it fits. I’ve already talked to the shopkeeper. If you don’t like the style or the size doesn’t fit, you can take it back to exchange.”
Gu Huo tried his best to ignore the turmoil in his heart and replied with an “Mm.”
Qiao Sheng gave him a big smile and happily walked away.
Gu Huo carried the clothes to his room, closed the door behind him, and felt a sense of bewilderment.
This was the first time since his grandmother’s passing that he truly owned a brand-new piece of clothing, completely his own.
And it was actually… a gift from Qiao Sheng…
How unbelievable.
As if struck by a thought, the smile that had unconsciously formed on his lips suddenly froze.
A dark suspicion emerged from a hidden corner of his heart—could this jacket have been originally intended for Zhou Zixiao, but since Zhou Zixiao didn’t want it and it couldn’t be returned, she simply passed it off to him as a cheap favor?
He knew he shouldn’t think this way, but who could say it wasn’t possible?
Gu Huo felt as though something was stuck in his throat, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over his head, and he suddenly calmed down.
His lips pressed into a straight line as he pulled out a dark blue plaid casual jacket from the bag.
Qiao Sheng certainly wasn’t going to wait outside for the result. Like a cheerful little bird hopping happily among the branches, she skipped back to her room and started molding clay.
As she worked, she distractedly listened for any movement outside, imagining how Gu Huo would look wearing it.
Before long, Gu Huo came out, but he was still wearing his old clothes from before.
He smiled slightly, “It fits, I can wear it.”
Qiao Sheng felt a little disappointed.
Why didn’t he put it on and come out to show me?
So stingy.