Chapter 19

Weekend.

Yu An woke up early, washed up, and went downstairs. Pingping walked ahead of him and had already settled on the climbing frame that Yu Ling had bought for her.

Yu Ling was brushing her hair and looked a little surprised when she saw Yu An. “Why aren’t you sleeping in a bit more?”

“I’m used to it,” he replied.

Yu An stepped forward and took the comb from Yu Ling’s hand. “Teacher, let me brush your hair.”

“Alright,” Yu Ling smiled and stood still, letting him comb her hair.

She had expected Yu An to simply tie it up with a hairband, but to her surprise, he skillfully and quickly braided her hair into a four-strand braid, securing the ends with a trumpet vine hairpin so the braid fell elegantly down her back, giving Yu Ling a refined air.

Looking into the mirror, she sighed softly. “Yu An, where did you learn to do this?”

Yu An simply said, “Someone in the Yu family had long hair too.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Ling suddenly recalled the long-haired youth she had seen at the Yu residence that day, and she turned to look at Yu An.

The young man’s expression remained calm, seemingly no longer troubled by such things. But a wound is still a wound; even when healed, scars remain.

Yu Ling quickly changed the subject and took him to the dining table. “I’ve already had breakfast and didn’t wake you because you were still asleep. You play for a while; I’ll warm up your food.”

Yu An replied with a “Okay” and went to pour cat food for Pingping. After Pingping finished eating, he returned to the table and sat down.

Yu Ling brought over the warmed breakfast, alongside a bowl of fruit—strawberries, blueberries, and grapes—all washed and ready to eat.

“Blueberries are good for your eyes; you should eat some. These grapes I tried—they’re sweet, easy to peel, and seedless,” Yu Ling said.

Yu An nodded silently, eating his breakfast quietly.

Yu Ling sat beside him and watched him eat, saying, “You have to eat breakfast well; it’s good for your health.”

Then she added some pomegranate seeds to his fruit bowl.

Yu An paused and looked at Yu Ling.

Only then did he realize that while she had been talking to him, she had also been quietly peeling pomegranate seeds for him.

He hadn’t experienced such attentive care in a very long time and instinctively searched for some way to be useful, wanting to give something back.

Before he could speak, Yu Ling seemed to have anticipated what he was about to say.

Her gentle words whispered in his ear: “Yu An, I treat you well because you’re good. I don’t need you to do anything for me; as long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

Tears glimmered in Yu An’s eyes, and he choked out a faint “Mm.”

“I’ve always regretted not realizing sooner how much hardship you endured at the Yu family.”

Yu An shook his head and smiled with his eyes. “Teacher Yu, meeting you has already made me very lucky.”

Yu Ling stroked his head, calming her emotions before asking, “When are you going back to the Yu family?”

“Tomorrow. Once I get the acceptance letter, I’ll leave.”

Yu Ling was silent for a moment. “Your room is too small. How about I…”

Yu An shook his head. “They’ve already moved me to a new room. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

He also wouldn’t let the ending from his dreams repeat itself.

The young man’s expression was serious; in some matters, he was used to relying on himself. Yu Ling respected his decision and said no more.

After Yu An finished his breakfast, Yu Ling planned to take him out for a proper day of fun.

“It’s the weekend. Want to go watch an opera?” She showed him two tickets she had bought in advance.

Yu An nodded but hesitated before asking, “Is Mr. Gu coming too?”

“He’s a workaholic; he’s probably at the office today,” Yu Ling replied casually, then looked at him. “The cat-patterned shirt from yesterday—the nanny has already washed it. Are you going to wear it today?”

Yu An smiled slightly and said, “Okay.”

After watching the show, Yu Ling checked nearby attractions and found an amusement park.

The sunlight wasn’t harsh today, and the temperature was mild—perfect for some outdoor fun.

Yu Ling first bought milk tea and snacks for them, and they ate and drank while queuing for rides. During this time, Yu Ling took many photos of Yu An and posted them in the group chat they had created yesterday.

—

Gu Yuzhou finished his meeting and entered his office, with his assistant following behind, holding the schedule.

The phone on the desk suddenly rang several times.

He picked it up, opened the group chat, and his eyes scanned the photos Yu Ling had posted before clicking on one.

The boy wore a pink cat ear headband unique to the amusement park, a 3D cat-themed T-shirt, and light denim shorts that made his legs look long, slender, and fair. His lively smile under the sun was full of vitality.

He stared at the photo for a long while before opening the keyboard and typing.

Gu Yuzhou: “Where are you?”

After receiving a reply, he spoke aloud, “What’s the next plan?”

Assistant: “We’re heading to Qu Garden soon for a project meeting. The other party wants to see you.”

Gu Yuzhou said flatly, “Arrange it.”

The assistant nodded. “Understood.”

After leaving the office, the assistant realized that small projects like this were usually delegated to subordinates. Why was the president going this time? The other party probably hadn’t expected the president to come either.

Thinking this, the assistant quickly contacted the other party and arranged a car downstairs.

—

At the amusement park.

Yu An rode the roller coaster once, feeling thrilled, and went again.

Yu Ling sat on a nearby bench, having just replied to Gu Yuzhou, glanced at his message again.

Why would Yuzhou be interested in this? Was he coming too?

Soon, her gaze couldn’t help but linger on the photos she had just taken. In one, Yu An’s smile was almost identical to Yuzhou’s childhood expression.

—

Yu family study.

Yu You sat in a chair, holding a camera he had painstakingly found and repaired. After a long time, he powered it on and opened the first video.

The video was from ten years ago—still not very clear but recognizable.

It seemed to be winter. Little Yu An wore a thick white sweater with a hood adorned with cute pink cat ears. He was running forward, chasing bubbles blown by Yu’s mother.

When he caught up, he hesitated to pop the bubbles, waiting for them to burst naturally before turning around to smile at the camera. Then he reached out and ran toward the lens, saying, “Brother! I’m coming to get you!”

The video abruptly stopped.

Yu You paused the video in silence, suddenly unwilling to watch further.

He left the study and encountered Yu Qing standing at the door, frowning. “What are you doing here?”

Yu Qing glanced at the camera in his hand and said, “I came to the study to look for a book.”

Yu You didn’t respond but said, “Yu An is coming back tomorrow.”

He paused, then added, “Don’t bully him.”

Hearing this, Yu Qing couldn’t help but laugh. Looking at Yu You, who now looked like a good older brother, a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes but was suppressed. He nodded, “Okay.”

Yu You turned and left.

Watching his back, Yu Qing suddenly recalled the day Yu An pushed him into the pool. Underwater, he saw Yu An’s back, walking steadily without once turning to look at him.

His eyes reddened suddenly. He took out his phone and messaged Yu An.

Yu Qing: “Brother, I really hate you.”

Red exclamation mark: You are no longer his friend.

Yu Qing: “Yu An, I hate you.”

Red exclamation mark: You are no longer his friend.

Ignoring the alerts, Yu Qing went downstairs to Yu An’s old room, lay on the inner side of the bed, and closed his eyes.

There was still time. After all, Yu An was coming back.

It was still possible. Luckily, Yu An was coming back.

Yu You thought the same as he returned to his room—until he saw Yu’s mother lingering outside the vacant room and stopping.

She approached him gently. “Xiao You, is someone coming to live here?”

Looking into Yu’s mother’s eyes, Yu You thought again of the smiling little Yu An calling him brother in the video. The word “guest” stuck in his throat but never came out.

A dreadful thought gradually emerged.

The certainty he had felt earlier now seemed uncertain.

—

At the amusement park.

Yu An had ridden the roller coaster three times and finally felt satisfied.

He walked toward where Yu Ling had been sitting but found the chair empty.

He paused and looked around but saw no familiar figure.

Afraid of dropping his phone on the coaster, he had given it to Yu Ling for safekeeping early on.

Unable to contact her, he wasn’t anxious and quietly sat on a nearby bench to wait.

Gu Yuzhou approached and saw this scene.

Yu An was easily lost in thought when alone until someone poked his shoulder.

Thinking it was Yu Ling, he smiled and looked up but saw an elderly man in a suit, wearing a black hat, looking somewhat like a magician.

Sure enough, the next second, the man took off his hat and pulled out a red silk scarf.

The old man tucked the hat under his arm, lit the scarf with a lighter, and as it burned, the red scarf transformed into a rose.

Yu An’s eyes widened slightly.

The man bowed slightly and handed it to Yu An.

As Yu An reached out, the man placed the rose back into the hat and pulled out a white dove holding a rose in its beak.

The dove flapped its wings and flew toward Yu An.

Yu An took the rose from the dove’s beak, inhaled its faint fragrance, and smiled warmly, thanking the visitor.

The man shook his head and pointed to the right.

Yu An looked that way and joyfully stood up. “Mr. Gu!”

Gu Yuzhou walked over and asked, “Was it fun?”

Yu An nodded and sniffed the rose again, smiling with narrowed eyes. “Thank you, Mr. Gu.”

Yu Ling came running over with water and was genuinely surprised to see Gu Yuzhou. “Aren’t you working today?”

Gu Yuzhou: “I have some business here.”

Yu An nodded. “I just ran into Mr. Gu.”

Yu Ling glanced at Gu Yuzhou with a hint of meaning in her eyes.

With an extra person, the schedule remained unchanged.

The evening sky was beautiful, red and blue blending—a perfect backdrop for photos. Yu Ling let Yu An walk ahead, snapping pictures of him constantly.

Later, another tall figure appeared in the frame. The two walking together looked quite fitting. Yu Ling sighed softly and captured several shots of their backs.

“Yu An, turn around and look this way!” she called.

Yu An obeyed, turning around. Gu Yuzhou followed suit.

Yu Ling moved closer, holding her phone and searching for the right angle. “You two get closer.”

Yu An shifted slightly; Yu Ling repeated her request.

Gu Yuzhou also moved a bit. Seeing the space between them, Yu Ling still looked unsatisfied.

Yu An and Gu Yuzhou exchanged smiles and each stepped a bit closer.

This time, their shoulders touched, their arms brushed—close enough to feel each other’s warmth.

Gu Yuzhou paused, his eyes towards the camera now shining with a smile.

Yu An faced the camera and raised his hand, flashing a “yeah” sign.