When Su Qianqian pushed open the front door, the setting sun was streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, dyeing the living room a warm, golden hue.
Her eyes immediately found Gu Chengyu leaning against the living room sofa, his long legs casually crossed, a tablet in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed as if he were reading some document.
Hearing the door open, he looked up, the displeasure in his eyes instantly dissipating, replaced by softness.
"A-Yu?"
Su Qianqian was pleasantly surprised, her voice lifting lightly, "You're back so early today?"
She even forgot to change her shoes, directly kicking off her delicate white sandals and padding barefoot across the slightly cool floor. After a few steps, she stepped onto the carpet and threw herself straight into his open arms.
Gu Chengyu's strong arms caught her steadily, pulling her onto his lap in one smooth motion, his palm immediately finding the sole of her foot.
Feeling the chill, his brow instantly knitted together.
"No shoes again?"
His voice lowered a few notes, carrying disapproval, yet his large hand had already enveloped both of her fair, delicate feet, rubbing them carefully with his warm palm.
He didn't forget to scold her: "The floor is so cold. Have you forgotten how miserable you were last time at South Bay?"
His palm was large, almost completely covering her foot. His fingertips, bearing faint calluses, caressed the delicate skin of her instep and sole, bringing a faint tickling sensation.
Su Qianqian curled her toes, feeling ticklish and wanting to pull away, but he only held them tighter.
She simply relaxed, her slender arms looping softly around his neck as she nestled into his embrace, her cheek nuzzling against the collar of his shirt.
"I forgot..." Her voice was soft and sweet, carrying a hint of a coquettish tone. "And I was so happy to see you, A-Yu, I just didn't think about it."
Gu Chengyu gave a low hum, pinching the sole of her foot as punishment, but couldn't bring himself to use any real force.
He looked down at her face, so close to his, her eyes sparkling with obvious happiness.
"So happy?" he asked, his tone softening unconsciously.
"A-Yu, everything is going so smoothly!"
She tilted her face up, her eyes curving into crescents. "The teachers and classmates are all so nice, and the campus is especially beautiful."
"I never dared to imagine before that I could be like other girls, attending university normally..."
As she spoke, her voice gradually grew quieter, but was quickly covered again by her excitement: "I'm so happy, really."
Gu Chengyu looked at her lovely face, but his heart felt as if something had pricked it lightly.
He remembered the investigation report—the timid girl living in a shabby rented room in the old city district, wearing faded jeans, being ordered around on set by Lin Shu without daring to utter a word.
That version of her, with evasive eyes and a lowered head, was a completely different person from the lively, charming Su Qianqian before him now, who would throw herself into his arms and act spoiled.
A wave of belated heartache washed over him.
He even felt a twinge of regret—why hadn't he met her sooner? Why hadn't he taken her under his wing when she was most helpless, protected her properly, and spared her from all that suffering?
Gu Chengyu tightened his arms, drawing her even closer into his embrace. He rested his chin lightly on the top of her head, his voice solemn. "Everything you never had before, I will give you from now on."
"Before you met me, there was nothing I could do."
"But now that you are my woman..."
He drew back slightly, lifting her face to look very seriously into her eyes.
"I promise you, Qianqian, I will give you the best of everything, the most respected status, so that no one would dare to slight you in the slightest."
Su Qianqian gazed into his deep eyes; the focus she saw there made her heart feel warm.
She nodded gently. "Mmm, I know."
