Chapter 24: Dessert After the Meal

Perhaps influenced by television dramas, Gu Yao had imagined Su Yu’s mother to be a glamorous, wealthy socialite, draped in exorbitantly expensive designer brands, with an arrogant demeanor, ready to toss a stack of cash at any moment and say, "Name your price, and leave my son alone."

Coming from a well-off family herself, she had accompanied her mother to various social functions since childhood. Having developed a deep aversion to the airs and affectations of that circle, she had grown up avoiding such environments as much as possible.

However, it turned out her assumptions were entirely wrong. This woman had impeccable taste, not merely chasing labels, and appeared gentle and warm rather than intimidating.

"You must be little Gu? I’ve heard Su Zhou mention you." Although she had some lingering questions about her son's claims, she nodded with a friendly, kind attitude.

"Hello, Auntie," Gu Yao greeted her hurriedly, then glanced down at her current state—drenched in sweat and with messy hair—feeling rather impolite.

Sensing her discomfort, Su Yu released her hand and naturally smoothed her hair. "Go upstairs and change."

He then explained to his mother, "She’s been learning boxing from me these past few days; we just finished working out."

"Go on, then. Look at all that sweat; be careful not to catch a cold." Seeing the interaction between the two, the smile in Mother Su’s eyes deepened.

"I apologize, Auntie, I’ll be right back," Gu Yao said before heading upstairs.

The guest bedroom she had stayed in previously remained unchanged. The sheets were freshly laundered, and all her toiletries and towels were exactly where she had left them, as if they were waiting for her return at any moment.

She brushed her hair, washed her face, and dug out the oversized T-shirt she had worn last time, tying a knot at the waist because it was too long.

Downstairs in the living room, Su Yu sat on the sofa and looked at his mother. "Mom, your information network is quite efficient."

Mother Su waved her hand with a flicker of guilt. "What are you talking about? I was just passing by after visiting your father at the hospital. How was I to know you had a guest?"

"The hospital is not on the way to my place," Su Yu pointed out the flaw in her logic.

Mother Su went silent. Just as she was about to change the subject, the housekeeper arrived to serve tea, placing four cups on the table.

Su Yu stared at the cups for a moment. Once the housekeeper had returned to the kitchen, he asked his mother, "One for the housekeeper, one for Su Zhou, right?"

Everyone around him had been bought off.

Exposed, Mother Su became emboldened. "What’s wrong with a mother caring about her son? You’re so old, yet you aren't married. It’s hard enough to find a girl around you, and you never bring her home, so I have to come see for myself."

She glanced around and smiled. "I brought some soup; it’s in the kitchen. Why don't you go heat it up and bring it out for little Gu?"

Su Yu remained seated, unmoved. "Don't try to send me away, Mom. It won't work."

Her son had been headstrong since childhood; he wasn't easily swayed. Mother Su sighed, forced to let it go, though she had hoped to fish for information while he was away.

"I’m not bullying her, why are you so tense?" she muttered.

"Enough, Mom. I’m allowing you to see her, which is generous enough. Whatever you want to say, say it quickly; we have things to do," Su Yu said, showing no special leniency toward his mother.

When Gu Yao came back downstairs, she saw the mother and son talking. Just as she considered clearing her throat to signal her presence, Mother Su turned around quickly and called out happily, "Yaoyao, come over here and sit by Auntie."

She was incredibly familiar.

Gu Yao was wary of such overly enthusiastic personalities. She was slow to warm up and didn't know how to respond.

However, since her elder had summoned her, she sat down properly beside Mother Su and greeted her again. "Hello, Auntie."

"Yes, hello, hello." Mother Su moved closer, grabbed her hand, and examined her face. "So you’re the one Su Zhou was supposed to go on a blind date with? I liked you when I saw your photo, but you’re even prettier in person! It’s fine, if you can’t be my second daughter-in-law, you can be my first. Su Zhou is still young; let him find someone else."

As she spoke, she treated Gu Yao like family. "My eldest son has always had great taste, so the girl he chooses must be excellent. I have a hundred percent confidence in him."

She sounded quite emotional, as if she had spent much time worrying about her son’s marriage.

"Mom," Su Yu said from the opposite sofa, frowning to interrupt her.

Gu Yao saw that she was the type of mother who cared deeply for her son, so she decided not to hide her true feelings. After a moment of thought, she spoke up. "Auntie, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I feel I should clarify that Su Yu and I are not the relationship you think we are."

Mother Su, who had been about to continue, froze and instinctively looked at her son.

"Let her speak," Su Yu said, his arm resting casually on the sofa as he nodded at his mother, his gaze fixed on the woman across from him.

Watching her son’s expression, Mother Su clicked her tongue inwardly and smiled without saying a word.

Gu Yao continued, "It might seem hard to understand, but his introduction was accurate; we are still at the friend stage. A large part of why I say this is due to my own issues. I am quite resistant to the idea of family; marriage and having children are highly unlikely for me. But I do have feelings for Su Yu, so I want to try getting to know him in this capacity. As for the outcome, honestly, I am not sure myself."

Gu Yao spoke calmly. She disliked lying and always spoke her mind, even if it might work against her.

Most parents hope for their children to marry as soon as possible, especially regarding the topic of children—one is never enough, and the trend of a second child is common; not having any is simply unacceptable.

She could almost guess the outcome, so she looked at Mother Su calmly, waiting for her response.

To her surprise, Mother Su was silent for a moment before smiling again. "Auntie understands what you mean. So Su Yu is pursuing you, but you haven't agreed yet? That’s fine, take your time. You’re both still young."

She deliberately avoided the other parts of her statement. Before Gu Yao could respond, she quickly changed the subject to Su Yu’s father’s health. "Yaoyao, I heard you were the one who performed the surgery on my husband. Our whole family is grateful to you. Really, three years ago, when he was first brought back, I thought he was dying. I even secretly bought medicine, thinking I would follow him..."

As she spoke, she wiped away tears. "Su Yu is a wonderful child. These past few years have been very hard on him; he works until he has no time to sleep. Meeting you is his good fortune. You must treat each other well."

She then unclasped a jade bracelet from her wrist and insisted on putting it on Gu Yao’s arm. "This is a gift for our first meeting. Your skin is fair; it looks lovely on you."

Gu Yao tried to pull her arm back, but she was pressed down. "Technically, you are our benefactor. Giving you gifts is only right. Wear it, don't refuse Auntie."

Gu Yao looked at Su Yu, who nodded nonchalantly. "Keep it. My mother is rarely this generous."

This wasn't about generosity! The item looked incredibly valuable, and she couldn't accept it.

Gu Yao felt helpless for the first time. Even after Mother Su left, the bracelet remained on her wrist.

She planned to take it off and give it to Su Yu to return. "Could you return this to your aunt for me?"

Under the lights, the emerald bracelet against her fair wrist made her skin look like snow. Seeing her frown while trying to slide the bracelet off, his gaze darkened. He reached over and pressed her hand down. "Don't take it off."

"Why?" Gu Yao looked up at him.

He raised an eyebrow and said lightly, "The bracelet suits you."

Seeing she was still reluctant, he added, "My mother doesn't like having her gifts returned. She will be upset."

"Then I’ll just give her a return gift of equal value." Gu Yao decided. She pulled her long hair into a ponytail, the jade bracelet sliding down her wrist to catch on her slender forearm.

Su Yu reached out to touch it, but she pushed his hand away. "Your mother... seems to still have a misunderstanding about our relationship."

"That doesn't matter," Su Yu smiled. "You’ve already made it very clear. Whether she understands it or not is her business. If my mother bothers you again, tell me, and I will step in."

Gu Yao said, "It’s really not a problem. Auntie is a very kind person, and I don't mind chatting with her."

Su Yu replied, "Very well. Everything depends on your comfort level. If anything comes up, just come to me; I will help communicate."

He curled his lips, his eyes full of amusement. "Now, back to our own issues."

"What issues do we have?" Gu Yao picked up her bag and prepared to head home.

He stood up, walked close to her, and lowered his head. "I believe I heard you tell my mother earlier that you have feelings for me."

"Just a little bit," Gu Yao corrected him seriously.

He reached out and pinched her cheek, his gaze piercing through to her heart. "Really?"

He squeezed harder, turning her face into a chubby, rounded ball. "You little liar."

Since she couldn't return the bracelet, Gu Yao decided to find a gift of equal value. A few days later, she found a personal shopper to buy a new designer bag from abroad. Fortunately, having worked for several years, she had plenty of savings.

However, shortly after Su Yu delivered the gift, Mother Su sent her a scarf from the same brand. Gu Yao felt that if this continued, she would go bankrupt before long, so she decided to stop.

On Tuesday, she received a WeChat message from her younger brother: "Our band is breaking up. It’s our last performance. Are you coming?"

"Of course," Gu Yao replied quickly.

Gu Shisheng was about to take the college entrance exams, and most of the band members were in their final year of high school. They had reached the critical sprint period and needed to focus on their studies, so the band had to disband.

Gu Yao arrived at the bar at eight in the evening. Yi Xun was not working that night, so she sat alone, ordered a beer, and waited quietly. Five minutes later, she saw two familiar figures walk in.

"Sister Gu!" Su Zhou greeted her enthusiastically.

Gu Yao looked up at him and Su Yu. "Shisheng invited you too?"

"Yes! A farewell performance is so meaningful; of course we had to come!" Su Zhou said excitedly.

He and Gu Shisheng had become incredibly close and kept in frequent contact.

Gu Yao moved aside to make room for them.

Just then, Gu Shisheng and the other band members walked over from the entrance. He was skipping class as usual, but thinking this was likely the last time, Gu Yao couldn't be bothered to reprimand him.