"Why didn't you sleep a little longer?" Gu Qingcheng asked, setting down his coffee cup, a gentle and warm smile in his eyes.
It had been many years since Yun Liuli saw Gu Qingcheng smile at her like that, since before she confessed her feelings to him…
Yun Liuli's eyes grew warm.
"Without Uncle Qingcheng by my side, I couldn't sleep…" Yun Liuli closed the bedroom door and walked to the counter, smiling cheerfully like a little girl who didn't have a worry in the world.
Seeing Gu Qingcheng holding the porcelain mug, she placed one hand on the counter and stuck out her neck to sniff the coffee in his hands. She asked, "Uncle Qingcheng, this is coffee, right? I've seen Daddy drink it at home before. But Daddy said that little kids can't drink coffee! But… I really want to try it!"
Gu Qingcheng looked at Yun Liuli, who was gazing at him eagerly…
Back then, Yun Liuli was only seven, so she couldn't drink coffee. But Yun Liuli was a grown woman now, so it was fine for her to drink a little.
"Okay, then just drink a little. I'll pour some for you…"
Yun Liuli gleefully pulled Gu Qingcheng's hand. "I'll just try a sip!"
She then drank a mouthful from Gu Qingcheng's cup. Her fair and petite face scrunched up instantly. "So bitter! Uncle Qingcheng, why do you adults like to drink something so bitter!"
Yun Liuli opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water, then twisted it open and drank several gulps. It was so bitter that the young lady was nearly in tears. "It was too bitter. Uncle Qingcheng, I think you'd better not drink it!"
The young lady spoke sincerely. She took the porcelain cup from Gu Qingcheng's hand and poured away the coffee that he had just brewed. Not using her injured arm, she washed the cup with one hand, then quickly made tea for Gu Qingcheng. "I heard from Daddy that adults drink coffee to feel more awake. Mommy also said… that tea has the same effect. She's always telling my dad to drink more tea and less coffee!"
After brewing the tea, the young lady placed it before Gu Qingcheng and said solemnly, "Uncle Qingcheng, you'd better drink tea in the future! Coffee is too bitter! It's not worth it just to feel more awake!"
Looking at the young lady's earnest expression, Gu Qingcheng couldn't resist laughing lightly and nodding. "Okay, I'll drink tea in the future instead of coffee!"
"Uncle Qingcheng, are you going to start work?" Yun Liuli asked, staring at Gu Qingcheng.
Gu Qingcheng nodded, then said, "You should sleep a little longer…"
Yun Liuli shook her head. "I've woken up too. Uncle Qingcheng, you can work, and I can stay by your side to accompany you!"
"How are you going to accompany me?" Gu Qingcheng raised his teacup. "Playing Tetris by the side?"
Yun Liuli nodded.
Gu Qingcheng couldn't conceal the smile in his eyes. "Up to you!"
He seemed to be in a conference meeting. Yun Liuli didn't disturb him, merely staying beside Gu Qingcheng with the phone, not interrupting him from working, playing with her own phone.
After playing for a bit, she felt bored and wanted to eat something, so she got up to leave.
Gu Qingcheng watched as Yun Liuli's back view disappeared from sight, then saw her return with an apple and a little fruit knife. She obediently sat beside him, then held the apple with her injured hand and the fruit knife with the other hand, wondering how she should go about peeling the apple in order not to injure her hand.
While she was thinking, Gu Qingcheng took the apple from Yun Liuli's hand, then held the fruit knife with his other hand. He looked really good while peeling the apple.
He was in a conference meeting. On the other end were the higher management executives of Gu Qingcheng's company in the open in Russia. When they saw Gu Qingcheng peeling the apple, they sighed. Especially the manager who was presenting the company's performance for the quarter, who started wondering if he had said something wrong that made Gu Qingcheng displeased with him.
It was late at night in Russia now. The reason the higher management executives were having a meeting then was because they knew Gu Qingcheng had to handle some matters at home. Because it was convenient for him, they chose to hold the meeting at this hour.
What could they do? They were employees receiving a salary. The boss had said… that after today's meeting, they could go back and rest for a day. Also, they could take turns going on leave for three days!
Hence, nobody went back last night, staying in the company and waiting to hold the meeting instead.
Gu Qingcheng noticed that the manager had stopped talking. Without looking up, he asked, "Why did you stop?"
The manager glanced at his laptop, then continued reporting on the situation…
Gu Qingcheng peeled the apple and handed one slice to Yun Liuli using the fruit knife. Yun Liuli, who was playing Tetris, didn't even look at it. She merely moved her mouth closer to take a bite, then continued with her game. She didn't even realize her head had entered the screen.
But the higher management executives all saw her. There was a girl who was as pretty as a fairy next to Gu Qingcheng!
Even though she only appeared for a moment on the screen, based on how their boss personally peeling the apple and fed her, nobody would believe the girl wasn't pretty!
Gu Qingcheng was truly indulgent towards Yun Liuli. He was afraid the young lady might cut her tongue since she wasn't paying attention, so he removed the apple slice from the fruit knife and fed her by hand.
The young lady took delicate bites. When she finished one slice of apple, Gu Qingcheng would cut another slice and feed her with it…
Yun Liuli ate as she played, so she ate slowly. Gu Qingcheng was really patient.
At the last slice, Yun Liuli was too engrossed in her game and didn't pay attention to the fact that she was sucking on Gu Qingcheng's finger. She only let go of his finger when she realized what she was doing. She took a glance at him, then ate the apple slice while continuing to play her game, completely unaware that, next to her, Gu Qingcheng's body had stiffened.
Gu Qingcheng placed his hands on his knees, the sensation of his finger inside Yun Liuli's soft and warm mouth still lingering. He tapped his index finger, feeling as if a little cat paw was gently grazing against his heart, feeling incredibly hot.
Gu Qingcheng couldn't remember what was said during the meeting subsequently. His mind was a jumbled mess, filled with the messy dreams he had when he slept on the same bed as Yun Liuli.
By the time Gu Qingcheng snapped out of his dazed state, the young lady had fallen asleep on the sofa.
It was already 9 am. Gu Qingcheng covered Yun Liuli with a blanket, then gently retracted the phone from Yun Liuli's hands. But before he could set it down, the phone started vibrating.
Gu Qingcheng frowned. It was a new phone that Gu Qingcheng asked his assistant to buy for Yun Liuli to let her play games on it…
Previously, he had planned on buying a game console for Yun Liuli, but the young lady said she simply liked playing games on Gu Qingcheng's phone, so he bought the phone for her!
The assistant was the one who inserted the sim card, and other than Gu Qingcheng and his assistant, no one knew the number…