Chapter 32: In Pursuit

When Yi Xun woke up in the morning and stepped out into the living room, she saw the boy curled up on the small sofa, fast asleep.

She stood there, feeling helpless. She wanted to wake him but found herself unable to speak, so she retreated to fetch her phone, pulled up a rock song, and turned the volume to the maximum.

"What are you doing? It's so loud!" Gu Shisheng bolted upright, startled from his dream. He lost his balance and tumbled to the floor, letting out a pained cry.

Yi Xun was even more flustered. She quickly stepped back, turned off the music, and found herself caught between wanting to apologize and not knowing how. After a long silence, she finally managed to say, "Are... are you okay? I didn't mean to do that."

Because he had just woken up, the boy’s hair was a mess. His hair was on the longer side, and a cowlick stood up on the crown of his head, giving him a dull, innocent, and harmless look.

This was exactly why her heart had softened the night before.

Originally, after finishing her shift at the bar, she had intended to drive straight home. By pure chance, she had spotted Gu Shisheng sitting alone, drinking, with a look of profound loneliness on his face.

Yi Xun knew about Gu Shisheng running away from home. Having been friends with Gu Yao since childhood, she was well aware of how strict the Gu family's discipline was. Deep down, she sympathized with the boy. She had thought about it and decided not to call Gu Yao immediately, intending instead to follow him for a while to see if she could find an opportunity to talk him into going home.

As it turned out, that decision led her into a mess. Gu Shisheng actually ended up in a scuffle with several thugs armed with knives. Later, when they stood face-to-face and he revealed his identity, he had spun a pitiful tale, and she found it impossible to "snitch" on him.

She had turned to leave, but Gu Shisheng kept following her, calling her "sister" this and "sister" that, complaining about having no money and how terrible his hotel was. Her heart softened, and she ended up bringing him home.

Yi Xun rarely socialized with men and was naturally highly guarded. By all accounts, what she did was unconventional, but deep down, she treated Gu Shisheng like a younger brother.

Although they hadn't seen each other in over a decade, Yi Xun still clearly remembered what Gu Shisheng looked like as a child. Back then, she and Gu Yao were still in school and would often go to the Gu house to play. Gu Shisheng was a tiny boy, adorable as a little powder puff, with large eyes, always trailing behind them and crying if they wouldn't let him play.

Later, when the Yi family faced misfortune and their status declined, Qin Manfeng forbade Gu Yao from associating with her. Yi Xun stopped visiting the Gu home, but she and Gu Yao maintained their friendship. Over the years, despite everything they had been through, their bond had only deepened.

To Yi Xun, Gu Yao was the person she trusted most; naturally, she considered Gu Yao's younger brother as her own. Even though they hadn't met in years, she had heard plenty about him.

Especially having seen him as a toddler, she found it hard to view him as an adult male, even though he had grown to be over six feet tall.

Gu Shisheng was watching Yi Xun now as well.

Unlike the day before, when she was bundled up tightly, she looked much more natural at home. Her hat was off, her long hair draped smoothly down, and while her face was small and delicate, her skin appeared somewhat pale.

"It's alright, I was just being careless." He smiled, reaching behind his back to rub his waist, and added with a touch of grievance, "Sister, isn't your sofa a bit too small? I was cramped all night long."

Yi Xun wanted to say: *Isn't that because you insisted on coming?*

She thought better of it, looked him over, and hesitated.

"What is it, sister? Tell me," Gu Shisheng said, his tone affectionate and his eyes remarkably sincere.

"When... when are you leaving?" Yi Xun finally asked in a low voice, glancing toward the door.

Her apartment wasn't large—just one bedroom and a living room. She had bought it to live in solitude, never intending for anyone else to stay here, especially a big guy like him; it just felt awkward.

Gu Shisheng blinked, looking surprised. "Sister, are you chasing me away? I have nowhere else to go. Please, you have such a good heart. Just let me hide here for a few more days. Once my mom cools down, I'll go back. Otherwise, she'll beat me to death."

He said this with a completely straight face, looking entirely natural, yet it gave the impression that he was quite thick-skinned.

Yi Xun looked at him for a while and finally sighed in resignation. "Suit yourself, then... I don't really have anything to host you with."

She went off to wash up. When she came out, she grabbed a piece of bread from the fridge, bit into it, and retreated into her bedroom, locking the door firmly behind her.

Yi Xun sang at a bar in the evenings and usually spent her days sleeping or reading at home. She had always felt this was a wonderful life. Her income wasn't huge, but it was enough for her daily needs, and she didn't have to deal with many people—which was perfect for someone with her social anxiety.

But today, there was someone else in the house. She couldn't focus on her book, so she climbed out of bed and turned on her computer to play a TV series, hoping to drown out the slight movements from the living room.

Less than an hour later, Gu Shisheng knocked on her door. She didn't open it at first, but he was persistent. *Tap, tap, tap*—the sound wasn't loud, but it was rhythmic, and it set her nerves on edge.

Yi Xun went to open the door. He was standing there with a grin. "Sister, what should we have for lunch?"

Yi Xun paused. "I... I haven't had much of an appetite these past few days. You should just order takeout."

"Oh..." Gu Shisheng nodded, observing her expression. "But that's not good. You'll get sick if you don't eat."

Yi Xun didn't respond and simply closed the door.

She listened, and hearing his footsteps fade away, she assumed he had left and went back to her video.

Half an hour later, the security door was knocked on repeatedly for a long time. Yi Xun frowned. No one ever visited her, so it must be Gu Shisheng’s delivery. But why wasn't he opening the door?

She slipped on her slippers and went to the living room. It was empty. Not knowing where Gu Shisheng had gone, she went to open the door herself, only to find the person she had been looking for standing right there.

"Where did you go?" Yi Xun glanced at the pile of plastic bags in his hands.

Gu Shisheng seemed to have run back, breathing slightly hard. He brought the bags inside, set them down, and began putting ingredients into the fridge, explaining as he went, "Sister, I saw your place was completely empty, so I thought I'd help you stock the fridge. It'll be easier when you want to eat, right? You have to pay attention to a balanced diet and take care of your health!"

As he spoke, he wore an unexpectedly mature expression. Yi Xun was stunned. She looked closely at the items he had bought; they weren't childish snacks, but rather prepared foods and semi-finished products that were easy to cook, which actually balanced nutritional needs well.

After filling the fridge, he opened the last bag, which contained fresh meat and vegetables.

Seeing him head toward the kitchen with the produce, Yi Xun hurriedly stopped him. "What are you doing?"

"Cooking for you. You don't have an appetite, right? I'll try making something sweet and sour—that should help." Gu Shisheng smiled, revealing his canine teeth.

"Can you even cook?" Yi Xun looked him over, clearly skeptical.

Gu Shisheng looked a bit embarrassed and shook his head. "Can I learn on the spot?"

In the end, Yi Xun cooked lunch. She didn't actually lack an appetite; she was just too lazy to shop and had been planning to settle for some leftovers in the freezer. She hadn't wanted to bring those out with Gu Shisheng around.

Now that Gu Shisheng had bought ingredients, he dictated the menu: sweet and sour pork, shredded potatoes with vinegar and chili, and fish-flavored shredded pork—all sweet, sour, and appetizing dishes.

They ate with rice and both enjoyed the meal. Gu Shisheng even insisted on washing the dishes. After lunch, when Yi Xun went back to her room, he very tactfully remained quiet.

Yi Xun came out a few times, and if she hadn't seen him sitting obediently on the sofa, she would have thought he had already left.

When evening came, she got ready for work. As she headed downstairs, Gu Shisheng followed her.

When she turned back, the boy said righteously, "I'm worried about your safety at night, so I'm escorting you to the bar!"

Yi Xun was speechless. After a moment, she urged, "Shouldn't you send a text to your sister and mother? At least let them know you're safe."

"...Fine." Gu Shisheng, who had been stubborn before, actually agreed obediently this time.

Gu Yao had already returned home and was hesitating whether to call Su Yu when a WeChat message popped up from the little brat:

*Sister, Mom, I'm fine. Just out for some air. I'll be back in a few days, I promise.*

He had attached a selfie, which clearly looked like a mass message sent to everyone—completely insincere.

Her mother called shortly after. "Did you see the WeChat from Sheng-sheng? I tracked his location from that selfie. I'll find him soon."

"Yes, I know," Gu Yao replied calmly.

"What is that indifferent tone? I'm not even angry, why are you? You need to change your temper; a personality like yours won't make it in society!" Her mother’s tone grew sharp.

She had always been this way—even when she was the one at fault, she always blamed others first.

"Mom," Gu Yao pressed her temples, feeling exhausted. "I may be your daughter, but that doesn't mean I don't have my own dignity. Please, can you not always be like this?"

Knowing that continuing the conversation would only lead to an argument, she hung up and turned off her phone.

The next day, Mingxi Hospital received news: a new strain of influenza had appeared in a small town in a neighboring county. It started when a villager ate wild game caught on a mountain, resulting in an unexplained high fever the next day, which then spread to the entire family. They were all currently under treatment at the hospital.

After tests revealed it was a novel, contagious virus, the local authorities sealed off the roads to prevent further spread. A research team had already been dispatched, and it was estimated that a vaccine would be developed soon.

Everything was proceeding smoothly, but today, the county hospital had a high-risk cerebral hemorrhage patient who needed to be transferred to Y City. Because of the road closures, they couldn't get out. Since Mingxi had previously provided medical aid to that hospital, a request for help came through to them.