The more Yun Liuli thought about it, the bleaker she felt her future was. But after much pondering, she decided to lift her spirits and give it her best shot.
One only lived once. Yun Liuli didn't want to regret having let this love slip by due to her not putting in her greatest effort.
Yun Liuli kept quiet as she leaned against her seat, wondering what method she should use…
She couldn't be the one taking the initiative every time, for this might force Gu Qingcheng further away from her. Then… she needed to think of a way to make Gu Qingcheng take the initiative.
Thankfully, Gu Qingcheng would be staying in China over this period of time. Yun Liuli felt that the statement Du Yingzi made previously, that "good guys fall for pretentious girls," had some truth to it. In that case… she'd try her hand at being pretentious!
On the way there, Yun Liuli kept thinking of ways to be pretentious, so she kept quiet and said nothing. She didn't even hear what Lin Nuan and You Nainai were saying to her.
Not long after You Nainai drove into the Fu residence, Fu Huai'an and Gu Qingcheng arrived as well.
Including You Nainai, the five of them had lunch together.
After lunch, Fu Huai'an and Gu Qingcheng discussed some matters in his study. He said that Tang Zheng would be coming over later too…
The instant You Nainai heard that Tang Zheng was coming over, she felt uneasy all over. She considered the fact that Lin Nuan wasn't planning on leaving the house in the afternoon, so after playing with the awoken Yuan Yuan for a bit, she made up an excuse and left first.
Yun Liuli accompanied Lin Nuan while she played with Yuan Yuan in the nursery upstairs.
When Fu Huai'an heard that Yuan Yuan had woken up, he couldn't hold himself back from seeing his daughter. He left Tang Zheng and Gu Qingcheng alone in his study to discuss formal matters, while he went upstairs to hug his daughter!
The minute Yuan Yuan saw her father, she widened her bright black eyes. Although she still hadn't learned to spread her arms to ask for a hug, there was a slight and distinct smile on her face. She started making little foamy mouth bubbles, looking especially happy. Her tiny hands were fidgeting by her sides as she kicked her small legs.
"Our Yuan Yuan wants a hug from Papa, huh!" Fu Huai'an coaxed the child in his magnetic and deep voice, sounding both mature and gentle, his voice incredibly pleasant to the ears.
Fu Huai'an washed his hands with some hand sanitizer by the side, then rubbed his hands until they were warm. He then skillfully propped up the baby's little bottom with one hand while supporting the back of the baby's head and neck with the other hand, lifting the baby up.
Lin Nuan then said, smiling, "Yuan Yuan hasn't been sleeping well and wakes up twice or thrice during the night. Her papa is the one playing with her when that happens. Sometimes, when Tuan Tuan hears his papa coaxing Yuan Yuan, he bounces over to coax his younger sister together! There's nothing much I need to do…"
It was said that daughters were their fathers' little lovers in a previous lifetime. Lin Nuan guessed that it might truly be the case. Although Lin Nuan breastfed her, Yuan Yuan clearly liked sticking to her papa more.
Perhaps it was because Fu Huai'an hugged her more.
When Lin Nuan spoke, there was a gentle and blissful smile on her face. She stared at Fu Huai'an, and Fu Huai'an gazed back at her. Although neither said a word, the nursery was filled with a blissful and sweet loving scent.
Yun Liuli felt envious looking at them, very blatantly envious.
"I also want a daughter in the future!" Yun Liuli declared.
"You're only how old…" Fu Huai'an couldn't resist saying with a bit of light laughter.
At Yun Liuli's age, she should be thinking of how to doll herself up and have fun, not thinking of having kids.
"Yuan Yuan resembles you a lot. It'd be wonderful if I could have a daughter who looks like Gu Qingcheng!"
Gu Qingcheng, who was about to enter the nursery, heard Yun Liuli's voice, and his large hand remained fixed on the door handle. He was unable to bring himself to open the door.
"You'd better give up on Old Gu!" Fu Huai'an said.
Yun Liuli wouldn't concede defeat. She retracted her gaze from Yuan Yuan and stared into Fu Huai'an's eyes. She saw Fu Huai'an glance towards the entrance.
It was a glass nursery, so although the person outside the door was hidden behind the frosted door, one could still see that there was someone behind the door.
Yun Liuli knew that this was Fu Huai'an hinting at her. She gazed at the door and recalled what You Nainai said in the car earlier. She pursed her lips and said, "Right, I ought to give up on this thought!"
Lin Nuan and Fu Huai'an didn't expect to hear this reply from Yun Liuli. They had originally wanted to make use of this opportunity to get Yun Liuli to declare her unwillingness to give up firmly.
Lin Nuan said nothing. She watched Yun Liuli with a smile as she recalled the conversation with You Nainai in the car.
"I think the boy you brought to the boxing school today is quite compatible with you," Lin Nuan said, recalling the boy of mixed-blood heritage with an injury on his face. "Are you planning on developing your relationship with that boy?"
"No, that Zhou Yuchen is merely a classmate…" Yun Liuli wasn't planning on dragging Zhou Yuchen into this.
Initially, she decided to help Zhou Yuchen only because she thought he was like her in the past, and that was it.
Before dinner, Yun Liuli and Gu Qingcheng left Lin Nuan and Fu Huai'an's place to return to the Cloud Top Condominium.
On the way back, Yun Liuli sat in the front passenger seat and said nothing. Perhaps because the ambiance in the car was too awkward, with one hand on the steering wheel and while staring straight ahead, Gu Qingcheng asked, "Did you take your friend there today and help him settle down?"
Just then, Yun Liuli's phone vibrated in her pocket once, indicating an incoming message.
Yun Liuli lowered her head and looked at her phone, then nodded with indifference. "Mm, Brother Liu Sheng asked him to clean up the place when he's free during the week."
And that was all she said. Gu Qingcheng couldn't help but recall what Yun Liuli said in the nursery today.
Yun Liuli had given up on him. According to logic, Gu Qingcheng should have been very happy about this. But right now, he felt kind of upset.
"Uncle Qingcheng…"
Suddenly hearing Yun Liuli address him as Uncle Qingcheng again, Gu Qingcheng couldn't react for a moment. It was only after a while that he managed to purse his lips and respond. "Mm…"
"I'm heeding everything you said to me!" Yun Liuli restrained her emotions and turned sideways to gaze at Gu Qingcheng with a smile. "I'll be good and be an ordinary girl. I won't reject all the boys who woo me at school. I will consider them carefully… then pick one and lead a good life with him. I'll strive to get married when I graduate. In the future, please help me look after my children!"
Gu Qingcheng's hands gripped the steering wheel slightly tighter.
"Moreover, I'm becoming more and more like a normal girl. I made some friends, both male and female!"
When Yun Liuli said this, she clearly knew it was to agitate Gu Qingcheng, but still, her heart ached terribly.
Gu Qingcheng pursed his thin lips tightly, his heart overwhelmed with emotion.
"If I find a suitable boy, Uncle Qingcheng… I'll definitely bring him to you to help me vet him on my father's behalf!" Yun Liuli said, feigning nonchalance.