Chapter 20: The Little White Flower
Gu Qinghuan’s dinner that night was steamed buns her dad, Wang Jia’an, had bought and marinated beef she had picked up herself.
Her mom, Gu Haiyan, had to work overtime that evening and would be back later.
Comrade Wang Jia’an’s life story was actually quite eventful. He had a large birthmark on his face from birth, was born prematurely, and—likely because he was so weak—was abandoned by his family at the gates of a local orphanage.
Still, he was resilient. Though sickly, he survived, but because of the birthmark and his poor health, no one was willing to adopt him.
The orphanage named him “Xiao Qi” (Little Seven) according to his number in their records, taking the surname Wang from the orphanage director.
Wang Xiao Qi stumbled his way through compulsory education. Because of his excellent grades, he managed to get into a private high school willing to cover his three years of tuition, and during the college entrance exams, he became the city’s top scorer.
Though not the provincial top scorer, it was still a huge draw for that private school. With local government awards and company sponsorships, Wang Xiao Qi applied for a student loan and continued on to university.
During university, he changed his name to Wang Jia’an—because, as an orphan, what he longed for most was a family. While studying, he also worked part-time, and before graduation, he used his savings to have surgery to remove the birthmark.
After graduation, he went into sales, paying off his student loans with commissions. Finally debt-free, he decided to enjoy life a little and went traveling.
It was during his travels that he met Gu Haiyan.
Gu Qinghuan hadn’t heard much about her parents’ love story. Her mom would mention a few things when she stumbled upon old photos, but her dad would always rush over, face red, and snatch the pictures away.
As for why Gu Qinghuan took her mother’s surname, the reason was simple—her dad felt “Gu” was the surname of his true family.
After all, the orphanage director hadn’t treated him particularly well and had already passed away by the time he was in college. If it weren’t for the fact that his career connections were stable by the time he got married, and that changing his surname might affect his network and communication, Wang Jia’an would have considered taking his wife’s surname.
Especially since if someone in the same industry happened to be named Gu Jia’an, the similarity in pronunciation between “Jia” (佳) and “Jia” (家) in spoken conversation could cause confusion. He worried that changing his name would make people mix them up, giving his competitors a chance to take advantage.
Wang Jia’an split open a steamed bun, placed some pickled mustard greens inside, took a bite, and then said heavily, “Huanhuan.”
“Hm?” Gu Qinghuan picked up a slice of marinated beef.
“Grandma Zhang from our neighborhood told me she saw you getting dropped off today… in a classmate’s car.” Wang Jia’an’s brows furrowed. “She said there was a boy in the car with you.”
“Oh, that’s Xia He, a senior in Grade 11…” Gu Qinghuan started, then realized something was off and blurted out, “Wait! Dad, don’t get the wrong idea! I’m not dating anyone!”
“I’m not saying you can’t… I just think it’s not the right time yet,” Wang Jia’an muttered.
“I! Am! Really! Not! Dating!” Gu Qinghuan enunciated each word.
“Really?” Wang Jia’an eyed her suspiciously.
“More real than the birthday present you gave Mom today!” Gu Qinghuan swore, raising her hand.
That present had been a solid gold bracelet.
Wang Jia’an finally relaxed. “Alright then, I was overthinking it.”
Gu Qinghuan was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Wang Jia’an continued, “Then how did you meet this senior? And why is he dropping you off? He doesn’t… like you, does he?” His frown returned, and his voice turned guarded.
“He treats me like an older sister!” Gu Qinghuan raised her voice.
Wang Jia’an froze. “Senior? Younger brother?”
Gu Qinghuan nodded firmly.
Wang Jia’an shoved the rest of the bun into his mouth, then pressed his palm to his forehead to check his temperature.
No fever… so why did that still make no sense to him?
Gu Qinghuan explained vaguely, “Maybe he’s a bit lacking in love. I took care of him once, and then he just insisted on calling me ‘sister.’”
Wang Jia’an was silent for a while. “Kids these days really are… different.”
Gu Qinghuan felt a little embarrassed, but luckily her dad decided that since it wasn’t a romance, and he now understood Xia He’s situation, he wouldn’t say more. He only reminded her to treat the senior politely, and not to really treat him like a little brother.
Gu Qinghuan nodded while complaining inwardly. She hadn’t even figured out Xia He’s family background yet—how could she dare treat him casually?
The next day was Friday, and after finishing today’s classes, she could happily welcome the weekend.
But just thinking about having to go find Lin Xiaoxue today already gave her a headache.
After getting to class, she asked Yu Xin if she would be willing to go with her. Yu Xin agreed without hesitation. “Sure, we’ll go together.”
“You can help fill in for me if needed,” Gu Qinghuan said, rubbing her temples. “I’m worried she’ll get the wrong idea again, and I still don’t really understand her way of thinking.”
The comment was a bit amusing, and Yu Xin pressed her lips together, smiling faintly. “Got it.”
The two of them were chatting at Yu Xin’s seat. Jiang Chuchu, who sat in front, hadn’t arrived yet, so there was no risk of her overhearing.
Since the plan was set, Gu Qinghuan felt more at ease. She attended the two morning classes without distraction, and when the long break came, she called Yu Xin along and headed toward Class 12.
Yu Xin seemed a little stiff as they walked, but Gu Qinghuan was much more relaxed—after all, she didn’t know anyone there.
When they arrived at the door of Class 12, Gu Qinghuan politely asked a student standing there, “Hello, may I ask if Lin Xiaoxue is in your class?”
“Lin Xiaoxue…” The other person looked Gu Qinghuan up and down, then cautiously asked, “What do you need her for?”
It seemed this was indeed the right class.
Gu Qinghuan’s smile grew even warmer. “I’m Gu Qinghuan, the class monitor of Class 3. She had a small misunderstanding with one of my classmates before, so I wanted to understand the situation. We’re all schoolmates—if the misunderstanding escalates, it’s not good for anyone.”
When she gave her class and name, and mentioned being the class monitor, the student’s attitude improved noticeably.
If she were here to pick a fight, she wouldn’t be so open about her identity. And the fact that, as a monitor, she’d take the initiative to come for a classmate’s sake earned her some goodwill—certainly more than Class 12’s own monitor ever did.
That’s right—Class 12’s monitor was Yan Zhengqing.
The student turned and called for Lin Xiaoxue, who soon came to stand before Gu Qinghuan.
Today, Lin Xiaoxue also wore her short, shoulder-length hair, making her face look smaller. She had fair skin, long, arched brows, and slightly drooping eyes. Most notably, her demeanor was just like yesterday—nervous, shrinking in on herself, timid.
“Hello, is there something you need?” Lin Xiaoxue asked softly.
“I’m the class monitor from Xie Xiangxue’s class. My name is Gu Qinghuan,” Gu Qinghuan began directly.
Lin Xiaoxue’s body gave a small jolt, and she said nervously, “I… I don’t know her…”
“Yesterday, Yan Zhengqing brought people to our class and almost started a fight with my classmates,” Gu Qinghuan cut off her attempt to dodge.
“I didn’t ask him to…” Lin Xiaoxue waved her hands quickly.
“I’m not here to assign blame,” Gu Qinghuan said. “I just want to clarify the situation.”
Lin Xiaoxue looked at her in confusion.
Gu Qinghuan patiently continued, “Who told you about Xie Xiangxue bumping into Yan Zhengqing? Was it the same person who told you that she did it on purpose and wanted to be his girlfriend, or something along those lines?”
