Ever since Shen Jiayu moved in, Gu Yan’s life had become much more disciplined and regular.
In the morning, she would go to the Dessert Shop and work, following the Teacher as they guided her in learning how to make desserts, and in the afternoon she would head over to the local market to bargain over the prices of vegetables. And then, upon coming back she would make food for Shen Jiayu to eat.
At the start, Shen Jiayu seldomly spoke to her. It was usually just the two of them sitting in the same room and Gu Yan talking to herself.
For example, whenever Gu Yan came back from buying vegetables, she would look for Shen Jiayu, placing her hands behind her back and saying with a mysterious look, “Come and guess how many lollipops I have on my hands. If you guess it right, you’ll get two pieces instead of one.”
Shen Jiayu was very indifferent at first, paying no mind to Gu Yan. After a while, he would also take special care and entertain Gu Yan.
And thus, Gu Yan firmly believed that this was one of the first steps to shape him into a much more lively and cheerful person.
Gu Yan would take him out every week. Since she didn’t have money to spare, she would often take him to the nearby park that was free for all. Fortunately, the scenery was very good, and so was the air around their surroundings.
In the evening, according to their daily routine, Gu Yan would take Shen Jiayu out for a walk after dinner.
There were many stalls in this small town at night. In addition to very cheap street food, the road also sold a variety of little new gadgets here and there for customers to take an interest in and buy.
Today was the day that Gu Yan would collect her salary. She counted the estimated living expenses for this month with her fingers and sorted out the surplus money.
When they crossed the road, Gu Yan unconsciously held Shen Jiayu's hand as she was worried about his safety.
But when Gu Yan remembered that Shen Jiayu didn’t like skinship, she let go of his hand.
However, before she could let go of his hand completely, Shen Jiayu hooked his index finger around her little thumb.
The boy with a delicate face looked at her in the dim light that shone upon them. The look in that pair of beautiful eyes was somewhat unfathomable. For a moment, Gu Yan was confused.
Strange.
Obviously, Shen Jiayu was still a little boy now, so why did she only think of other people's cruel evaluation of him?
He could just be a simple child who lacks love.
What am I worried about?
Shen Jiayu looked at Gu Yan in a daze and asked in a low voice, "What's the matter, sister?"
Sis-sister?
Gu Yan's heart jumped all of a sudden. Unexpectedly, he had taken her words seriously.
Just yesterday, Gu Yan half-jokingly said, "Could you refer to me as a sister?"
At that time, Shen Jiayu was quietly eating from his bowl with his head lowered. He was too lazy to answer her.
Unexpectedly, he had remembered it.
Gu Yan shook her head and said with a smile, "It's nothing. Let's go and see what delicious things there are for us to eat.."
Gu Yan bought two strings of sugar gourd, one for Shen Jiayu and one for herself. She ate it as she strolled through the night market.
Gu Yan liked to eat sweet things and so she finished eating it soon, but Shen Jiayu didn’t seem to like it very much.
While walking, Gu Yan suddenly stopped in front of a small shop.
She kept her eyes on the Fortune Cat in the shop.
She was a superstitious person and loved things that brought good luck.
Shen Jiayu glanced at the ornaments in the small shop and knew what Gu Yan was looking at.
She seems to like cats very much.
Every time she went out for a walk, she would bring food to the stray cats downstairs.
At that time, Shen Jiayu stood by in silence, watching her with a soft smile, giving food to the stray cats.
Cats of different species and breeds gathered around her, fawning and clinging onto her.
She also liked to laugh. At the children passing by after they just finished school, those old people who were buying vegetables at the local street market, and even towards strangers. She would show such a warm and dazzling smile.
It was exactly like when he first met her. She had smiled at his cold and hungry self.
There was no expression on his face, but something inside his heart was spreading quietly.
As time passed by this kind of emotion did not fade, rather it became more and more intense, like a wildfire spreading throughout his heart.
It was depriving him of the air in his chest, making him feel very stuffy.
He had not known until much later of that dirty emotion called jealousy and the dark desire and hope that was called possession.
"Look."
Gu Yan's voice pulled Shen Jiayu out of his thoughts. He raised his eyes and looked at Gu Yan as per usual.
Gu Yan twisted two red rope pendants between his forefinger and thumb. It was made of two cute, light-weight fortune cats.
The two pendants clashed together with a crisp clink.
Gu Yan asked, "Do you like it?"
Shen Jiayu subconsciously wanted to refuse, but seeing Gu Yan's expectant eyes, he pursed his lips, "En."
So Gu Yan paid for the item and placed one of the pendants on Shen Jiayu's hand, and the other was pinned on his bag.
When Shen Jiayu looked at the pendant in his palm, he saw the Fortune Cat looking back at him with its eyes squinting into a smile. He closed his palm slowly.
Then, his gaze fell on Gu Yan's body again, and his eyes gradually deepened.
He said in a clear voice, “Sister, will you eventually leave me?"
Hearing Shen Jiayu's question, Gu Yan had a moment of hesitation.
Shen Jiayu looked at her quietly, holding a bunch of sugar gourd in his hand. A very clever and quiet look appeared on his face.
While Gu Yan was hesitating to answer, Shen Jiayu blocked her slightly open mouth with the sugar gourd string on his hand.
He looked up and said, "You eat mine too. I can't eat anymore."
Gu Yan held the sugar gourd in her mouth and looked down at Shen Jiayu.
Then, she took out the sugar gourd with one hand, put the other hand on his head. She rubbed the top of his soft hair and said, "Is this enough for you?"
"Take a walk and see what you want to eat. We’ll buy it and then keep it at home."
Shen Jiayu followed after her in silence.
The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward, Gu Yan tried to find a topic, "Do you have any toys that you want?"
"Something like Ultraman? Transformers? Cars?"
Shen Jiayu did not answer. Instead, he stood there blankly.
Gu Yan suddenly felt frustrated. She thought that Shen Jiayu was not easy to coax.
He was unlike her former self. As long as there was something sugary, the tail behind her could be turned into a propeller.
As she pondered, she suddenly felt her sleeve being pulled gently.
Gu Yan turned back to look at Shen Jiayu, who was pulling her sleeve.
His face looked as soft as jade, contrasting with the black scarf. He looked very delicate and lovely.
He said, "No, let’s go home."
Back home, when Gu Yan was about to sleep, Shen Jiayu, wearing the pajamas with cat print ears that Gu Yan bought for him, slowly opened Gu Yan's door.
At this time, Gu Yan was calculating the cost of living. She turned around when she heard the door open.
After seeing Shen Jiayu, she was slightly stunned.
Gu Yan was not the kind of person who liked children very much, but she had to admit that Shen Jiayu was very mature for his age.
Super. duper. cute!!
Especially when he looked at her with those big eyes, blinking while wearing those cute pajamas with furry ears.
Her heart was going to melt.
Gu Yan resisted the impulse to hug him tight in her embrace and said with a smile, "Jiayu, what's the matter?"
Indeed. She was his sensible older sister, so she had to hold back.
Shen Jiayu approached Gu Yan, “Can we sleep together?"
Gu Yan immediately refused, "No way."
"Then..."
Shen Jiayu sounded a little disappointed, but the calm expression on his face showed that he had already expected it.
Shen Jiayu pursed his lips and said, "Can I have a good night kiss?"
Gu Yan had some doubts: "Good night kiss?"
Shen Jiayu nodded and whispered, “En, a good night kiss."
As soon as he said those words, he placed his hands on Gu Yan's knee and kissed her on her forehead while standing on the tip of his toes.
Gu Yan did not respond to what happened, looking very flustered. Then, Shen Jiayu said as usual, "Good night, sister."
The remaining words lingered in Gu Yan’s ears as she remained stupefied, blinking slowly.
Eh?
Why???
She looked at the closed door in shock and reached for her forehead.
When did their relationship become so good?
The villain turned into such a cute little angel?
Did this mean that she was on the verge of success?
Could she go back soon?
Gu Yan couldn't help but smile. But as she smiled, Shen Jiayu's words appeared in her ear.
——"Sister, will you leave me?"
Gu Yan was stunned.
In her mind, she recalled the scene of Shen Jiayu sitting alone in the corridor when she first met him and the shadowy image of blood flowing through half of his face as he leaned against the wall.
No way.
This was not enough.
She also had to teach him how to get along with his peers and see to it that he had friends. Only then could she rest assured.