Chapter 67: Laying Cards on the Table
After finishing lunch, Gu Qinghuan temporarily said goodbye to Yu Xin and Jiang Chuchu and led Xia He toward the office.
With no one else around, Xia He relaxed considerably. It wasn’t that he disliked Jiang Chuchu or Yu Xin — in fact, he and Jiang Chuchu kept a mutually neutral distance, and he had expectations for Yu Xin, being quite satisfied with her progress.
But the social distance with anyone had to be determined by him. If someone tried to close the gap on their own, he would feel very uncomfortable.
So far, there had been very few people who could gauge the right social distance with him; Yan Hanshan barely counted as one.
However, Yan Hanshan consciously kept a distance, resolutely not getting close, only ever “far” or “farther.”
Gu Qinghuan, however, was the only person he genuinely wanted to get close to — but unfortunately, it seemed she didn’t want to get too involved with him.
Once they reached the office, Gu Qinghuan asked, “Senior Xia, what reward do you want this time?”
The word “reward” sounded a little odd when spoken aloud.
“It’s really nothing big,” Xia He said, habitually trying to lift a smile. Then he stopped and looked at Gu Qinghuan seriously. “Could you… pat my head?”
Gu Qinghuan: Huh?
She suspected she had misheard, even thought about checking her ears, but decided it would look odd and restrained herself.
“Why do you want me to pat your head?” Gu Qinghuan asked.
Xia He tilted his head. “I need courage to do something, and it feels like if you pat my head, I’ll have that courage.”
“Even if I don’t pat your head, you’d still do it, right?” Gu Qinghuan teased.
Xia He raised an eyebrow. “Why would you think that?”
Gu Qinghuan didn’t answer immediately. She pulled out a chair, gestured for him to sit, poured two glasses of water, and sat opposite him herself.
“Let me think how to put this…” She sipped her water and spoke solemnly. “Your level is different from ours.”
Xia He didn’t reply, merely smiling at her as before.
“I think you can sense that my interactions with my classmates are actually purposeful,” Gu Qinghuan said.
“Yes,” Xia He readily admitted. “But in my view, your purpose is so pure that it doesn’t even deserve the word ‘purpose.’”
In Xia He’s eyes, Gu Qinghuan’s goodwill toward everyone sought no reward; she simply hoped for others to improve.
“Although I don’t know your true intention, it doesn’t matter, and it doesn’t affect me in any way,” Xia He said.
“That’s exactly it!” Gu Qinghuan immediately said.
Xia He blinked at her, looking entirely innocent.
“Senior Xia, you have the ability to control the overall situation. No matter what happens, you respond calmly and confidently, without wavering,” Gu Qinghuan said, looking directly at him.
“Since I met you, everything you’ve shown is what you want others to see.”
“Even calling me ‘sister’ and some childish, capricious behavior — with your appearance, you can easily craft the image of a cute younger brother.”
“Even when I resisted, speaking to you through the persona you presented, you didn’t change that image, because it wasn’t made just for me.”
She didn’t intend to understand where the persona came from, nor to explore the real Xia He behind it.
That was Xia He’s private matter. Until he chose to reveal it, she wouldn’t pry.
But now, it seemed the time had come.
He hinted at “doing something” and, when she tentatively expressed her views, he chose to respond with a question rather than vague words.
So she decided to lay her cards on the table — sometimes asking back implied acknowledgment.
Of course, she wasn’t the only one making a move.
After that question, Xia He never called her “sister” again.
“So I think that this Senior Xia, regardless of whether I cooperate or not, won’t change his mind,” Gu Qinghuan concluded.
“Alright,” Xia He shrugged. “Whether or not you pat my head, I’ll still do it. But I do want my head patted.”
“That’s fine then.” Gu Qinghuan said, suddenly leaning across the table and placing her hand on Xia He’s head, ruffling it firmly.
Caught off guard, Xia He’s hair almost turned into a bird’s nest.
He looked up sharply, his gaze colliding with Gu Qinghuan’s bright eyes.
She smiled. “As a reward for your effort, patting your head is a small thing I can do anytime.”
Cards were laid, yet she never intended to refuse his request.
He had expectations and had worked for them, and for her, fulfilling this small request was effortless. Why ruin his anticipation?
Xia He moved his lips, speaking, “Then why have this conversation?”
“Although I could have just patted your head and fulfilled the reward, I didn’t want to continue that interaction pattern,” Gu Qinghuan said. “I don’t like it, so I’m laying the cards on the table.”
In a sense, Gu Qinghuan was firm.
Yu Xin could attest to this: when someone wanted to avoid an issue, Gu Qinghuan could effortlessly corner them, leaving them no choice but to face it.
Yet, she didn’t harm anyone; she used the gentlest goodwill to support them and solve the problem bit by bit.
Xia He pondered what Gu Qinghuan meant by “don’t like it.”
Disliked his hypocrisy? Fed up with the persona? Unused to his probing?
“Senior Xia, tell me, what exactly do you want?” Gu Qinghuan asked.
Inside, Xia He felt something collapse, shaking his mind dizzyingly.
Previously, Gu Qinghuan disliked his ambiguous attitude, which left her unable to respond clearly.
As she said, Xia He’s level was much higher, so she could never be sure whether his gestures of friendliness were for companionship…
No. He deliberately kept his distance but sought warmth — Xia He wasn’t the type to pretend.
Curiosity? Seeking excitement?
No. Gu Qinghuan trusted that if Xia He truly wanted to act, she would have no power to resist.
He restrained himself, was overly cautious even, actively offering help, but never demanded anything.
Gu Qinghuan was utterly puzzled, so much that she had to ask.
Xia He slowly exhaled. “I don’t know.”
“Huh?” Gu Qinghuan hadn’t expected that answer.
“Right now, my only thought is watching you,” Xia He said, raising his head slightly to meet her gaze calmly.
Gu Qinghuan pointed at herself, feeling a question mark forming over her head.
“Yes, watching you is interesting. The way you help those people makes me feel that you’re changing fate,” Xia He said.
“Or rather, creating new possibilities of fate,” Gu Qinghuan corrected.
“That’s right,” Xia He nodded. Then he added, “So for now, treat me as the audience.”
“The audience?” Gu Qinghuan chewed on the word.
“Yes, maybe after watching enough, I’ll know what I want.” Xia He smiled again, but this time the smile was shallow, not the deliberately cute expression he usually wore.
“Alright,” Gu Qinghuan thought. If even Xia He couldn’t figure it out, she shouldn’t expect herself to. “Since it’s clear, can we speak openly in the future?”
“Of course,” Xia He said generously. “But only with you. In front of others, I’m still the younger brother.”
She really got off easy! Gu Qinghuan rolled her eyes, making Xia He laugh.
He leaned on the desk and stood up. “Alright, sister, rest well. We still have classes this afternoon.”
Once he used that title, Gu Qinghuan knew he was performing again.
She didn’t care. Chatting with someone at his level was mentally exhausting. She needed a proper rest.
The office door closed, and Xia He slowly walked out of the building.
The sunlight was glaring. He raised his hand to shield his eyes, squinting through his fingers at the sun.
“How can it be this bright?” he whispered to himself.
“You’ll melt if you stay in it too long.”
