On weekends, Gu Chengyu had long since refused all those messy social gatherings he used to attend.
His only hobby now was to raise his little girl to be fair and soft, and then, gobble her up in one bite.
[An Impromptu Breakfast]
In the morning, when he woke up, the little girl in the crook of his arm was still sleeping soundly. Her long hair was spread across the pillow, her face buried against his chest, her breathing light and even.
He carefully extracted his arm, looked down at her for a moment, then got out of bed quietly.
By the time Su Qianqian finished washing up and left the bedroom, she caught a faint, toasty aroma.
Gu Chengyu, wearing a simple black T-shirt and casual trousers, was standing by the open kitchen island, fiddling with something.
There weren't many utensils there, just a coffee machine and a breakfast sandwich maker he had just ordered someone to bring up from the kitchen.
The toast that popped out of the machine was black, emitting that charred scent.
Su Qianqian stared at the scene, a bit dumbfounded.
"Awake?" He looked up at her.
Su Qianqian walked over, wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, and nuzzled her cheek against his broad back. "Morning, A-Yu."
"Morning."
Ignoring his own burnt creation, he picked up a slice of toast prepared by Auntie Zhang from the side, spread on a bit of her favorite blueberry jam, and brought it to her lips.
"Have a little something first."
Taking a small bite from his hand, Su Qianqian asked, her words slightly muffled, "Not going out today?"
"Nope," Gu Chengyu answered bluntly, using his finger to wipe away a dab of jam from the corner of her mouth. "Staying home with you."
After the simple breakfast, he led her to sit on the sofa in the living room.
The TV screen was playing a currently popular urban soap opera.
Gu Chengyu used to scoff at such things, but now he could patiently sit through an episode or two with her.
Watching the male lead misunderstand the female lead in the show, Su Qianqian puffed up her cheeks in anger. "Why won't he even listen to her explanation!"
Gu Chengyu raised an eyebrow, pinched her cheek. "Idiot."
It was unclear whether he was referring to the male lead in the drama or simply mocking the plot.
Su Qianqian protested, "But he loves her so much!"
"Love?"
Gu Chengyu gave a derisive laugh, pulling her closer by the shoulder. "Love isn't seen with the eyes. It's felt here." His fingertip tapped lightly on her chest.
Then he added, "And it requires having a brain, too."
[The Music Room]
In the afternoon, the sunlight was just right.
On a whim, Gu Chengyu took her to the music room he had barely ever used.
It housed various musical instruments. He wasn't a master of any, but he could play them all.
He sat on the piano bench and patted the spot beside him.
"Want to try?" He casually pressed a few keys, producing a smooth flow of notes.
Su Qianqian sat down curiously, mimicking him and extending her fingers, but the sounds she produced were scattered and disjointed.
Gu Chengyu wrapped his arms around her from behind, his large hand covering the back of hers, guiding her to press the keys one by one.
"Silly," he murmured near her ear, his breath brushing her earlobe, tinged with amusement.
The little girl in his arms wasn't pleased. She pulled her hand free from his and jabbed her fingers randomly across the keyboard, creating a string of noise, then started giggling at her own mischief.
Gu Chengyu didn't get annoyed, letting her have her fun.
Then he continued teaching her, telling her about various instruments, musical scores, and the stories of famous composers behind them.
Although Su Qianqian sometimes teased him a little, most of the time she listened attentively, asking questions about everything like an inquisitive child.
[Finance and the Stock Market]
Occasionally, he would also sit her on his lap, open the stock market app, and, while looking at the complex charts and financial news, explain a bit about the capital operations and situational influences behind them.
However, the little girl in his arms usually couldn't last more than ten minutes.
Those curves and numbers acted like the best lullaby. Her little head would soon start nodding, before finally tilting and resting against his chest.
Gu Chengyu stopped speaking and looked down at Su Qianqian, sleeping sweetly and softly in his embrace.
He watched her for a good while before letting out a low chuckle, a mix of helplessness and indulgence. He carefully adjusted his position to let her sleep more comfortably.
Hmm, he was almost certain now. His little girl was definitely an arts student.
