When Gu Zhe helped Lin Nuo’er out of the school infirmary, the sky had already darkened. Although her wound had been treated and she could walk on her own, the moment Gu Zhe naturally bent over in front of her, Lin Nuo’er, tempted by that broad back, impulsively threw herself onto him.
“Whoa, hey, take it easy, my dear lady!”
“Little Zhe, can you even handle this? Do you believe that if I weren’t injured, carrying you would be easier than you carrying me?”
Gu Zhe gave her thigh a light slap and said irritably, “I’m just worried you’ll stretch your wound again!”
When a guy carries a girl on his back, his hands naturally brush against the back of her thighs. Especially since Gu Zhe deliberately gave Lin Nuo’er a pat.
Her face flushed red, yet she still pretended to be bold, “Hey, Little Zhe, are you trying to take advantage of me? Usually you don’t dare, so now you’re using this chance to feel me up? That’s not very gentlemanly of you!”
Gu Zhe remained expressionless and walked at a steady pace as he said, “Yeah! You’re the campus belle as soon as you entered university! I’m a healthy adult man, having thoughts about you—doesn’t that sound perfectly normal?”
While speaking, Gu Zhe smacked her tight, slender thighs a few more times.
“I’m a man, you’re a woman.”
“I’m the butcher, you’re the fish. Shouldn’t you be more cautious?”
“You… Gu Zhe, how come I never realized you were this shameless before!”
Lin Nuo’er felt both embarrassed and annoyed. The Gu Zhe in her memory had never acted like this.
They had known each other for seven or eight years. They were classmates since middle school and had always gotten along well, often hanging out together. Lin Nuo’er had always been athletic, and since girls mature earlier than boys, she was naturally good at all sorts of sports. This common interest had kept them close even after entering high school, though they ended up in different classes. They still played ball and went out together from time to time.
Maybe it was during middle school that Lin Nuo’er developed her big-sister persona—she loved protecting others. Delicate and pretty Gu Zhe naturally became someone she wanted to “tame.”
As Lin Nuo’er used to say, having such a cute boy follow her around was such a flex!
It was like those childhood games of catching rare pets—once caught, you had to set them to follow you so everyone could be envious.
As they reminisced about the past, what felt like a long walk suddenly became much shorter.
Lying on Gu Zhe’s broad back, the warm glow of the streetlights made Lin Nuo’er’s gaze appear dreamy and unfocused.
That clingy little tail who used to follow her around had now grown into a man capable of carrying her on his back.
Sometimes it felt like Gu Zhe had suddenly transformed. The boy from the past had turned into a tall, handsome guy who made girls swoon.
So annoying.
Back then, when Gu Zhe hadn’t fully grown, she had been the only girl around him.
She was clearly the one who came first.
“Hey, Nuo’er, let me tell you, when I saw you during college registration, I was actually really surprised. I thought you’d go to a university in the capital or in Shanghai, but I didn’t expect you to end up at Jiang University too.”
On the first day of school, when Gu Zhe saw Lin Nuo’er in a white dress, he almost didn’t recognize her.
The Lin Nuo’er in his memory always had her hair in a practical ponytail, with a shiny forehead, wearing loose sportswear or school uniforms. To be honest, during their school years, she wasn’t particularly eye-catching.
You know how middle school kids barely have any sense of aesthetics. A girl could be naturally pretty, but if she was too carefree and had strong athletic abilities, she might be popular to hang out with, but people often overlooked her looks.
Now, fitted clothing outlined her perfect figure. Her glowing fair legs proudly declared her flawless proportions. With a bit of makeup and a few strands of hair framing her face, her stunning features stood out even more.
If Song Yihan was like a delicate lily, then with her rosy lips and bright smile, Lin Nuo’er was a blooming red rose.
No wonder she instantly became the recognized campus belle as soon as school started.
“A girl changes a lot when she grows up—more and more beautiful!”
“Nuo’er, you really are gorgeous now.”
No girl would dislike such a sincere compliment, no matter how tough she usually acted.
Lin Nuo’er was beaming inside but pretended to be indifferent, “Hmph, at least you’ve got some taste. With a beauty like me watching your back, you better count your blessings!”
In those early days of college, Gu Zhe and Lin Nuo’er often had meals together and explored the campus and nearby areas.
Back then, Zhao Si and the others all assumed Lin Nuo’er was Gu Zhe’s high school-assigned girlfriend.
That was until Song Yihan barged into Gu Zhe’s world.
From that moment, Gu Zhe’s eyes seemed to have only Song Yihan, and his time with Lin Nuo’er gradually lessened.
Later, after an argument between Gu Zhe and Song Yihan—because of Duan Mingdong—Song Yihan brought up Lin Nuo’er during their fight, accusing Gu Zhe of having other girls around too.
From that point on, Gu Zhe practically cut ties with Lin Nuo’er.
He didn’t want to do anything that would make Song Yihan uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, not all sincerity is reciprocated.
Some people’s conscience is fed to the dogs.
At the end of the road, the brightly lit dorm building had come into view.
As they reached the end of their conversation, Lin Nuo’er felt a sudden wave of melancholy.
Without realizing it, she had gripped the collar of Gu Zhe’s shirt tightly.
“Little Zhe, were all the things you said today… true?”
Many seemingly casual words actually hid layers of anxiety and uncertainty.
“Which one?”
“…”
“All of them.”
After a moment of silence, Lin Nuo’er gave a cheeky response, trying to play smart.
She had already thought through her little plan.
The words she cared about were just a few.
One was when Gu Zhe said he’d break up with Song Yihan.
Another was him saying he’d take care of her from now on.
Oh, and probably also the part where Gu Zhe said he had feelings for her.
Lin Nuo’er had already planned it out—no matter which line Gu Zhe responded to, she’d say she was actually asking about the other one.
That way, she could get confirmation on both things, without seeming too eager.
She was so clever.
Just as this clever Lin Nuo’er was feeling smug, Gu Zhe suddenly gave her a completely unexpected answer.
“It’s true.”
Lin Nuo’er was stunned.
Wait, that wasn’t how it was supposed to go…