Back at Gu Chengyu's apartment, Su Qianqian plopped down on the single sofa and didn't want to move.
Gu Chengyu was sitting on the sofa in the middle of the living room, dealing with emails on his tablet. Hearing the noise, he looked up.
At the sight of her, his brows immediately knitted together.
The girl's small face was deathly pale, and her bangs, as if soaked in sweat and then dried, were messily stuck to her forehead.
Those almond - shaped eyes that always seemed to hold starlight were now clearly full of exhaustion. She was listless, like a flower bud that had been wilted after being exposed to the scorching sun.
Gu Chengyu put down his tablet and took a few long - legged steps to reach her.
His tall figure loomed over her, exuding an invisible sense of oppression, but his movements were extremely gentle.
He bent down and without hesitation cupped her slightly cool little face with his warm and dry big hands.
His fingertips gently stroked her small face, and his voice was filled with obvious annoyance and concern: "Are you this tired?"
"You're not going tomorrow."
He had said similar things countless times in the past month.
Every time he saw her come back with a pale face from exhaustion, that mix of irritation and concern welled up inside him.
Was it necessary for the woman of Gu Chengyu to work so hard?
With just a flick of his fingers, he could shower her with a wealth of resources. Why should she endure such hardships?
Su Qianqian, with her face held by him, was forced to raise her tired little head.
She was so exhausted that she hardly had the strength to argue. She just looked at him softly. Those almond - shaped eyes curved into a smile when they met his furrowed brows and the concern in his eyes.
"No, I can't," she said in a soft and hoarse voice.
Her small hand gently grasped the wrist of the hand that was holding her face, with a hint of dependence in her grip. "I have to go."
"Today, the teacher praised me again, saying that I have good comprehension ability."
"Brother Wang also gave me a new script to read. Although they are minor roles, they are all very interesting."
Her voice was soft, filled with a little bit of excitement and longing: "I feel that I'm getting a little closer to my dream."
It was always like this.
Every single time.
Gu Chengyu looked at her, who was clearly on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion but still so happy. All the tough words on the tip of his tongue seemed to get stuck in his throat.
What could he say?
Could he forcefully lock her at home and break the wings with which she wanted to fly on her own?
Could he watch the light in her eyes fade away little by little because of his obstruction?
He couldn't do it.
Gu Chengyu's Adam's apple bobbed. The mix of irritation and concern in his chest finally turned into a helpless and indulgent sigh.
"You little fool. You don't use the ready - made ladder to the sky."
He mumbled in a low voice. There was no longer any command in his tone, only helpless spoiling.
Resignedly, he let go of the hands that were holding her face. With a slight exertion of his arms, he easily picked up her tired little body horizontally.
"Ah!" Su Qianqian let out a soft cry and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Her little face buried in the crook of his neck, she inhaled the fresh and pleasant scent on his body.
Gu Chengyu carried her and strode towards the bathroom.
He carefully placed her on the wide washstand, then patiently turned on the hot water, adjusted the temperature, and poured some soothing essential oil into the bathtub.
"Take a bath to relieve your fatigue," he said as he was filling the bathtub with water, and looked back at her.
The girl was sitting on the cold washstand, her sleepy little head bobbing up and down as if she was about to fall asleep at any moment.
Looking at her tired, obedient, and heart - wrenching appearance, Gu Chengyu felt a swelling ache in his heart.
He walked over and ruffled the top of her hair with his big hand.
"Be good. Take a bath first, and then have a good sleep."
Su Qianqian murmured an agreement in a daze, and her little face rubbed against his warm palm dependently.
Her talent in acting might not be innate.
But her talent for handling Gu Chengyu seemed to be inborn.
She never needed to pretend.
And as Gu Chengyu looked at the little girl's dependent appearance in his big hand, his heart softened completely.
He remembered the message his mother had sent in the afternoon.
She asked him to find some time in the near future to meet several young ladies from well - matched families. If he found someone he liked, he could get engaged to her first.
He must choose a gentle and generous fiancée who wouldn't be jealous.
Otherwise, what if a wife with too much jealousy bullied his little girl arrogantly?
His Qianqian mustn't be wronged.
If the fiancée was not suitable, he could replace her. But there was only one Qianqian.
