Then her body would produce a whole chain of reactions, such as ears heating, scalp tingling, heartbeat racing, disordered thoughts, and so on and so forth.

At lunch, when Gu Ci spoke to her.

Yan Luqing did her utmost not to look directly at him, even trying her best not to let her peripheral vision sweep across him. But after finishing the meal, Gu Ci came over and asked: “I’m going to the attic to take a nap, do you mind?”

Yan Luqing instantly fell into a syndrome again.

She said she didn’t mind, but after Gu Ci left, she sat on the sofa staring dazedly at the television screen.

He went up to take a nap?

Wouldn’t that mean he was going to sleep on that lazy sofa?

That was the place she had lain on many times before, ah ah ah ah ah!

She didn’t know how long she stayed in such a daze until Gu Ci, who had taken his nap, came downstairs, walked straight to the sofa, and sat down beside Yan Luqing.

Yan Luqing instantly went on full alert, like entering first-level guard mode, as if infrared sensors had detected a dangerous person, every part of her bristling up.

She originally wanted to naturally greet with a “Did you sleep well?” but the phone placed to the side suddenly buzzed.

She picked it up and unlocked it.

【Little Mahua】: Almost forgot to ask! Wasn’t it your household beauty’s birthday yesterday? How did it go? What gift did you give in the end? /sly smile

“……”

This truly was timely rain!

A plan immediately sprouted in Yan Luqing’s mind; she hurriedly typed back.

【Runaway Saintess】: Call me and tell me.

【Little Mahua】: ?

【Little Mahua】: Sure, darling, taking the initiative to ask for a call—looks like big progress!

Little Mahua immediately dialed a voice call over.

“Hey, babe, you’ve got some big matter to tell me, right?”

But Yan Luqing, afraid Gu Ci would hear the voice from the receiver, stood up from the sofa within the third second after the call connected.

Little Mahua’s voice was cheerful: “Ay yo, hurry up and tell me, I can’t wait!”

“What?!” Yan Luqing covered her mouth with one hand, drawing in a sharp breath of cold air, shocked almost to the point of breaking her voice, “You got into a car accident???”

“……”

Little Mahua: “……Huh??”

She was completely baffled: “What are you saying? I asked you how your weekend went, wasn’t it your man’s birthday?”

“Was it that serious?” Yan Luqing didn’t even glance at Gu Ci, very swiftly escaped from the sofa, and strode up the stairs: “I’ll change clothes right away, be there at once!”

Little Mahua: “……???”

Yan Luqing went upstairs, changed clothes, and went out the door. Before leaving she briefly explained two sentences to Gu Ci.

He did not raise questions, only looked at her calmly, and in the end said in a gentle tone: “Help me wish her a speedy recovery.”

Yan Luqing had arranged to meet Little Mahua outside the dormitory, at a beverage shop not far from the school.

She had already explained the cause and effect once in the car; after meeting she spoke of some details even more thoroughly. After Little Mahua finished listening, she almost could not believe her ears.

Yan Luqing looked at her big surprised eyes, feeling a headache: “……You swear you won’t tell anyone.”

“This I definitely won’t!” Little Mahua raised her hand above her head. “Unless it’s something that happened in public. As for what hasn’t, even if I know a little, I haven’t told anyone at all!”

Yan Luqing thought about it—indeed, it seemed so. That first day of school, she had told Little Mahua about some matters between Gu Ci and herself, and Little Mahua had never mentioned it to others.

So she felt relieved, and straightforwardly complained: “After I woke up, it was truly awkward to the point of my head falling off… Why would I do such a thing? Huh?”

Mahfei had been marveling the whole time, “so sweet, so sweet,” and when she finally finished marveling, she began to evaluate Yan Luqing’s behavior.

“Actually I always felt, in a certain sense, you after drinking is quite good.” Little Mahua said tactfully. “When sober in reality, you… really are a bit straight.”

“……?”

Yan Luqing was puzzled. “Straight? You mean the straight of straight man?”

“Mm.” Little Mahua nodded. Seeing her look unconvinced, she gave an example: “For instance, you know the term sending autumn waves, right? A straight man wouldn’t know you were secretly sending autumn waves—he’d even think your eyes were broken.”

Yan Luqing: “That has nothing to do with me. I’m still very sensitive in this area.”

Little Mahua: “In what area?”

Yan Luqing: “Of course, in matters of feelings.”

Little Mahua was left speechless.

Sensitive in feelings means first being able to realize when someone likes you… but what you lack precisely is this!

“I’ll put it this way.” Little Mahua said, “Babe, do you think Senior Little Tiger Tooth likes you?”

“???”

Yan Luqing’s head was full of question marks. “Of course he doesn’t like me. Why wrongly accuse him? Don’t talk nonsense, delaying him in finding a girlfriend.”

“……”

So obvious, and yet she had not the slightest perception.

As expected, sensitive as you are.

Little Mahua asked again: “Then how do you usually know that other boys like you?”

Yan Luqing felt she had asked a stupid question, still full of question marks: “Of course because they confessed to me, right?”

Little Mahua: “……”

Good heavens! You’re straighter than the Prime Meridian!

She drank a sip of milk tea, shaking her head with a sigh.

Ai, pity the great beauty. Keep working harder, then.

……

After spending time with Little Mahua until dusk fell, Yan Luqing’s mood had calmed much. She felt she had returned to the stage where she could interact with Gu Ci normally, and so she sat in the car for the return trip.

When she arrived home, the living room light was not turned on, the surroundings somewhat dim.

As she was changing her shoes, there was no one in front of her. But when she lowered her head, finished changing shoes, and just lifted her head, she saw Gu Ci, who at some unknown time had appeared there.

The great beauty she had spent an entire afternoon discussing with Little Mahua was at this moment half leaning against the wall, looking at her with a gaze that seemed smiling yet not smiling.

She had thought that after an afternoon of relaxation she could truly treat him with a normal heart.

Yan Luqing discovered she still could not.

……Was it really just because of embarrassment?

But if not embarrassment, then what else could it be?

“Ah……” Yan Luqing suddenly raised her hand, letting out what she thought was a rather realistic yawn, patting her lips as she rambled, “My classmate may have had a car accident, but she was pretty lucky, didn’t hit any critical parts. But taking care of people is really tiring, I’m so sleepy, so sleepy……”

If she couldn’t untangle it, then she didn’t want to untangle it. Time-consuming, brain-consuming. Anyway, time would heal everything—better to avoid for now.

Thinking so, Yan Luqing spoke as she walked inside.

Just as she was about to pass by Gu Ci, relief flooding her chest, suddenly her wrist tightened—

Gu Ci’s lowered hand, through the fabric, closed around her wrist. His voice fell by her ear: “Come here.”

Then Yan Luqing was pulled by him to the side, both of them returning to the spot where she had just been standing.

Distance abruptly shrank. For an instant, their breaths mingled. Gu Ci lifted his brows ever so slightly.

His tone held a trace of absurdity: “You went to the hospital… and still drank alcohol?”

“……Ah?” Yan Luqing froze for a moment. “No, no, I just… drank a can of beverage, maybe had a little alcohol in it.”

Gu Ci gave a low laugh. “Oh. Said you were so tired from taking care of someone, yet there you were drinking an alcoholic drink.”

“……”

This dialogue was so much like she was a head of household who lied and went out every day, only to come home and get interrogated by her wife.

And because they were so close, these words practically brushed against the ear of the family head.

At once Yan Luqing felt heat surge up from her ears, her head like a pot of porridge boiling in chaos. Suddenly she recalled last night’s half-dream, half-wake kiss.

Damn it.

She really kissed him—actually kissed the great beauty’s face!!

This social death was not worth it at all; it would’ve been better to kiss some other place. In her turmoil she thought: next time, remember, if you’re going to do it, then do it big.

Before any further thoughts could form, Gu Ci’s next movement left her mind nearly blank.

Behind Yan Luqing was the entryway cabinet.

He released her wrist, but raised both arms, one on either side propped against the cabinet edge—framing her body.

As if encircling her, enclosing her in this little corner of space.

There was no physical contact.

Yet the posture was even more heart-shaking than an embrace.

As he leaned in slightly over her, Yan Luqing instinctively pressed back against the cabinet, eyes widening, head tilting up slightly, staring at the face so close at hand.

Gu Ci’s usual expression and bearing were for the most part indifferent—sometimes gently detached, sometimes coldly distant. Yet in his features was also a strong, beyond-gender kind of beauty. Combined, the two did not conflict, but instead made his every movement deeply alluring.

“I have a question I want to ask you.” After a pause, his voice carried a smile, and suddenly he called her: “Family Head.”

This “Family Head” was not enunciated completely clearly, slightly blurred, but just enough to add countless threads of suggestive, captivating meaning.

Family Head Yan forced her mouth open with difficulty.

“W-what… question?”

“You tell me.” Gu Ci tilted his head slightly, smile playful, and asked softly, “What does ‘wife’ mean?”