Chapter 1069 - Lin Nuan Held Back That Thought
Chapter 1069: Lin Nuan Held Back That Thought
Hearing “son-in-law,” Gu Qingcheng’s brows furrowed slightly, and he felt something prick at his heart.
There was some frustration in his eyes, which was pretty rare for him. He unbuttoned a shirt button and pushed the tiles into the automatic mahjong machine, still biting the cigarette.
Tang Zheng looked up and winked at Lu Jinnan. He had said Gu Qingcheng couldn’t possibly feel nothing for Yun Liuli…
All these years, Yun Liuli was the only woman by Gu Qingcheng’s side. Although she was his adopted daughter, she was already sixteen when she was brought to Gu Qingcheng’s side. At most, he could have been said to have provided her with a place to live and food to eat. He wasn’t at all attentive towards her.
The child had been brought to Gu Qingcheng’s side for a year, and Gu Qingcheng didn’t even think to give her some allowance. It was only when Tang Zheng reminded him that the child needed some freedom in choosing how to use money that Gu Qingcheng thought to call the housekeeper to give Yun Liuli some allowance each month.
Gu Qingcheng wasn’t the one who brought Yun Liuli up. Although there was a difference in their ages, he wasn’t quite old enough to be her father. Under such circumstances, it was easy for the two to unconsciously develop feelings for each other.
After arranging his tiles, Gu Qingcheng bit his cigarette, discarded a tile, and got up and went out to make a phone call.
After Gu Qingcheng exited the room, he called to get someone to check up on that classmate of Yun Liuli’s called Zhong Qingfei. He told the person on the other side to send him the information right after he was done.
There was accumulated anger in Gu Qingcheng when he spoke on the phone, and Fu Huai’an happened to hear it when he came by.
There was a smile in Fu Huai’an’s eyes. He watched as Gu Qingcheng hung up the phone and inhaled on his cigarette. He walked over and stood beside Gu Qingcheng, accompanying him as he stared at Nanshan, which wasn’t far away. “I’ve seen that child Xiao Liuli brought. They’re probably just ordinary classmates, don’t overthink it.”
Gu Qingcheng frowned even harder now. He replied slowly, “It’s her freedom to make friends as she pleases, I won’t interfere with that. But that child Liuli doesn’t have much experience in life and is innocent and gets hurt easily. My heart will only be put at ease after I check up on the people around her.”
Fu Huai’an said nothing else. He raised a hand to pat Gu Qingcheng’s shoulder, then pushed the door open and went into the mahjong room.
Over here, Fu Huai’an’s friends had set up a table to play mahjong.
Over there, the Lins had set up a table. Even Uncle Blessing was pulled to the mahjong table to join in the game. In the yard downstairs, Cen Mo and Lin Ran played with Tuan Tuan, while Aunt Blessing went into the kitchen to prepare good food for Lin Nuan and Tuan Tuan. The atmosphere was lively and fun.
The sound asleep Yuan Yuan was placed into the cradle. Yun Liuli’s arms were pressed on the edge of the crib as she gazed at Yuan Yuan’s sparkly eyes. Yun Liuli’s eyes were out of focus, and no one knew what she was thinking.
“Is the guy you brought today your boyfriend?” Lin Nuan asked as she covered Yuan Yuan with a little blanket.
Yun Liuli’s face rested on her arms that were pressed on the edge of the cradle. She gazed at Lin Nuan and revealed a smile that looked uglier than if she were crying. “Not quite. But… I want to see what it feels like to date someone my age, so I’m prepared to say yes.”
It was clearly something to be happy about, but Lin Nuan saw a glisten in Yun Liuli’s reddened eyes.
She turned her head and rubbed her eyes against the back of her hand, then stood up and gazed with a smile at Yuan Yuan, who was lying in the cradle. “I used to be too sealed up in my own world and only had Gu Qingcheng. I always knew living like that wasn’t normal, but I stubbornly thought that was a life that belonged to us. Only now do I realize… all along, I was the only person in that world!”
Yuan Yuan stirred a little in the cradle. Yun Liuli shook the cradle, and in no time, Yuan Yuan fell asleep again.
She let out a long exhale, then said, “Sister Xiao Nuan, actually… I also want to live like an ordinary girl. In our hostel… the girls either have a senior they have a crush on or a boyfriend. I also want to try it!”
Sitting beside Yun Liuli, Lin Nuan raised a hand and gently stroked Yun Liuli’s long hair.
Lin Nuan had no idea what happened between Yun Liuli and Gu Qingcheng, but she could see… that the girl knew that she had been living her life stubbornly, perhaps even abnormally or in a twisted manner!
Hence, the girl wanted to try her best to correct her feelings, to fix her life!
She had lost her parents at a young age and devoted all her feelings to Gu Qingcheng. Be it kinship, friendship, or love, she had given it all to that man without reservation!
But it was destined for her not to receive a response.
During the time Yun Liuli stayed at the Fu residence, Lin Nuan could clearly see how Yun Liuli lived every day missing Gu Qingcheng. She repeatedly thought about the pathetically few memories of herself with Gu Qingcheng, then waited for Gu Qingcheng to come back.
As if that was the entire meaning of her life…
Such a Yun Liuli lived a sealed up and lowly existence. Lin Nuan had always felt that a person of Yun Liuli’s age should be bubbly and youthful, just like Fu Tianci. No matter how insolent and scoundrel-like Fu Tianci was, he exuded a youthful vitality.
Lin Nuan leaned her head against Yun Liuli’s and said softly to her, “This is your youth, you can live more recklessly, more willfully. Whatever you want to try, just go ahead and try! Our Xiao Liuli can lead a life like that too!”
Previously, Lin Nuan actually meant to let Yun Liuli and Fu Tianci spend more time together. She wasn’t counting on the two developing a relationship. It was just that Fu Tianci could take Yun Liuli to play the sort of stuff that kids that age ought to be playing.
Now, since Yun Liuli brought a boy over, Lin Nuan held back that thought.
Lin Nuan had seen Zhong Qingfei. His eyes were clean and clear, and they were doting and full of heartache as he gazed at Yun Liuli. He seemed like a good kid.
“Sister Xiao Nuan, I’m leaving now…” Yun Liuli said to Lin Nuan.
Gu Qingcheng said he wanted her to lead the sort of life girls her age ought to lead. He wanted her to date boys her age. Today, she brought that boy there and let Gu Qingcheng take a look at him.
She thought that Gu Qingcheng’s heart should be put at ease now.
But Yun Liuli was, after all, a child. She couldn’t restrain her emotions and didn’t even dare go and see Gu Qingcheng today. She could only leave early to avoid breaking into tears before Gu Qingcheng and letting her previous efforts go to waste.
Lin Nuan nodded. “Aunt Blessing is busy in the kitchen. She prepared some snacks you and Tuan Tuan both liked previously. When Aunt Blessing is done making them, you can take some back to school to eat and share with your roommates. Later, I’ll get the chauffeur to send you…”
Yun Liuli shook her head. “Forget it, Sister Xiao Nuan. I’m not going back to the hostel today. I’ve got to go back to the condominium to retrieve some stuff. Moreover, I don’t have an appetite. Leave the snacks for Tuan Tuan! Don’t waste them!”
Lin Nuan didn’t force her. After sending Yun Liuli to the door, she watched as she and Zhong Qingfei left.
…
The instant Bai Xiaonian got off the plane, she called her father.
Bai Xiaonian’s father knew that Lin Nuan’s child was celebrating her first month birthday today. He had always been fond of Lin Nuan. He said he had a present for her and asked Bai Xiaonian to help him take it over.