Chapter 34: Alone with Gu Tingxiao
Gu Tingxiao waited until he saw she was securely seated, then pushed off with his foot. The bicycle began to roll forward.
Gu Tong watched the handsome man and beautiful woman head off together before turning her own bike toward home.
Gu Tingxiao rode with impressive stability, but even so, the road was bumpy. Sitting on the back rack, Sheng Wanyan couldn’t help but feel a bit unstable; her bottom was already starting to ache from the jolts.
Gu Tingxiao stopped the bike and glanced back at her. “The road ahead is a bit shaky. You’d better grab hold of my clothes.”
Sheng Wanyan pulled her hands away from the base of the bicycle seat. She had been gripping the metal so hard that her fingertips were slightly red. When Gu Tingxiao caught sight of this, his eyes darkened. Are her hands… really that tender?
“No, I’m fine…”
“You’ll fall if you don’t.”
Before Sheng Wanyan could protest further, Gu Tingxiao shut the conversation down.
“Alright then.”
Sheng Wanyan didn’t bother with false modesty. She reached out and grabbed the fabric on either side of his waist. As her fingers brushed against him, Gu Tingxiao’s entire body stiffened. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the tips of his ears were turning a soft shade of pink, which surprised her. People of this generation were remarkably innocent, especially a sheltered, high-ranking bachelor like him.
Gu Tingxiao forced himself to steady his breathing, then continued pedaling forward.
When they arrived at the apartment building, Sheng Wanyan climbed off the bike and immediately let go of his jacket. Gu Tingxiao let out a sigh of relief.
She began unloading the groceries, but Gu Tingxiao reached out and took the heavy bags from her hands.
“I’ll carry them.”
“I’m strong enough to lift them myself,” she insisted.
Seeing the determined set of his jaw, Sheng Wanyan had no choice but to retreat. They headed upstairs one after the other, and the moment they walked through the front door, the entire Sheng family looked up. The intensity of their stares was comical, especially Mother Sheng, whose eyes seemed to be glued to them; if the situation had been any different, she would have sprinted forward to interrogate them.
“Why did you two come back together?”
Sheng Wanze looked Gu Tingxiao up and down, suspicious. There is something definitely wrong with this guy!
“We ran into each other at the supply and marketing cooperative. He happened to be heading to our house, so we just rode together.”
Mother Sheng bustled over to welcome him warmly, pouring Gu Tingxiao a cup of sweetened water.
“You’re here, why go through the trouble of bringing so many gifts?” Mother Sheng murmured, though Gu Tingxiao was already working on softening his usually stoic expression.
“I wanted to bring something for you, Uncle, and the two elders.”
Mother Sheng understood the unspoken sentiment. The boy felt guilty about how much he had eaten during his last visit and was trying to make up for it.
“It’s the thought that counts. Your presence is enough to make us happy.”
“Stay for dinner tonight, Auntie is making braised pork.”
Gu Tingxiao respectfully declined. Sheng Wanze was heading back to the army tomorrow, and the Sheng family undoubtedly needed a private farewell dinner. His staying would only intrude on their family time.
“Auntie, my aunt has already prepared dinner. I’ll definitely come by again when I have the chance.”
“Why are you being so polite with your aunt, child?”
Gu Tingxiao refused a few more times, and Mother Sheng finally stopped pressing. She felt even more satisfied with him; what a thoughtful and considerate young man! It was a shame her daughter was currently only interested in the plate of pastries in front of her.
Sheng Wanyan felt her mother’s gaze and looked up, only to be met with a sharp glare. Mother Sheng was furious. Watching her daughter mindlessly snacking while a high-quality man sat across from her made Mother Sheng feel like she was watching a slow-motion tragedy.
“Yan’er, go get a bucket of water from your brother and clean the bicycles,” Mother Sheng ordered, her voice laced with uncharacteristic irritation.
Sheng Wanyan, sensing her mother’s mood, didn’t dare delay and hurried to fetch the water. Sheng Wanze handed her the bucket and told her to find two rags downstairs.
Meanwhile, Grandma Sheng pulled Gu Tingxiao aside. She had lived long enough to see exactly what he was thinking. Seeing his interest, she decided to nudge him toward Sheng Wanyan. Gu Tingxiao was mature, steady, and possessed a deeply considerate personality; he was a rare catch that could be trusted.
“Xiao Gu, don’t just sit here with us old folks. Why don’t you go downstairs and chat with the young people?”
“Alright.”
Gu Tingxiao followed Sheng Wanyan outside. Grandma Sheng smiled and shook her head, watching them go.
“Mom, why does Gu Tingxiao seem so much more enthusiastic than the last time he visited?” Father Sheng asked, genuinely confused. Last time, he had only spoken when spoken to, but today he was taking the initiative to find topics of conversation. “It’s really strange.”
Grandma Sheng didn’t bother explaining. Do you really want me to tell you that someone has set their sights on your daughter? If she told him that, Father Sheng would likely run downstairs and act as a human lightbulb for the rest of the evening.
“It’s no use explaining it to you,” Grandma Sheng said.
Father Sheng lowered his head, feeling slighted. “How can it be useless? I’m at least the primary labor force of this family!”
“What are you mumbling about? Hand me my cup.”
Grandpa Sheng didn’t even bother looking at his foolish son, prompting Father Sheng to quickly scramble to pour him tea.
“Comrade Sheng Wanyan.”
A deep male voice called out from behind her. Sheng Wanyan turned around to see Gu Tingxiao walking down the stairs toward her. He kept his hands in his pockets, clutching a small box of vanishing cream, his grip tightening unconsciously.
“Comrade Sheng Wanyan, this is for you.”
Sheng Wanyan blinked, looking from his large hand to the box of cream resting in his palm.
“The fish you cooked the other day was delicious,” he said, sweat beading on his forehead. “This is a thank you gift.”
He didn’t really know what was wrong with himself. Initially, he had only known that he didn’t have any objection to her. Though he had never been in love, he wasn’t a teenager—he understood his own mind soon enough. From the moment he first dined with the Sheng family, he had been drawn to this vibrant, generous girl. Later, whenever he was alone, her face would unconsciously surface in his thoughts. Over the last few days, he couldn’t stop thinking about her; only a fool would fail to realize what that meant.
He had hoped to find an excuse to see her today, never expecting to run into her at the supply and marketing cooperative. Seeing her act so distant made him realize she didn’t seem familiar with him at all. He feared he had been too abrupt, yet he couldn’t bear the thought of missing his chance with such a remarkable girl.
At the very least, she didn’t have a partner yet. If there was no partner, there was an opportunity. Retreating was never his style.
“It’s too expensive,” Sheng Wanyan murmured.
She knew how precious vanishing cream was—a true luxury item for women in this era. There were cheaper alternatives, like clam oil in shells, which she often saw on Grandma Sheng’s desk, but snow cream was in a different league. In the cooperatives, a box cost 1.5 yuan—a staggering amount of money for most people.
