Chapter 34: Whispers

The surgery went smoothly. When Gu Yao stepped out, the outside had regained its tranquility. Only the three daughters remained, sitting on the chairs, their eyes red and puffy, suggesting they had been crying again.

After she informed them of the result, all three were overjoyed—a stark contrast to the troublesome son. They were the ones who truly cared for their father; otherwise, they wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to scrape together the surgical fees.

Ironically, the elderly couple favored only their youngest son, relentlessly exploiting their daughters as if they were mere resources, as if daughters weren't human and only a son was worthy of being their child.

Was there a throne waiting to be inherited?

Gu Yao had never understood the root or the logic behind such feudal thinking. Regardless, she always steered clear of anyone with such ideas, as they were simply too foolish.

"Where is your brother?" she asked casually while removing her gloves.

"He... he couldn't handle those men, so he left an hour ago. He was very angry when he left. My mother was crying uncontrollably, so we had someone take her home first," one of the women replied.

Gu Yao nodded. While helping to transport the patient, she offered a few words of advice: "I saw the argument earlier and have gained some understanding of your family’s situation. Although it’s not my place to say anything as an outsider, I still want to remind you: think more about yourselves. Never use your own money to support your brother."

The women thanked her repeatedly, though they couldn't find any useful words to add. Gu Yao sighed; in these matters, only the individuals themselves could reach an epiphany; no matter what others said, it was of little use.

She let the matter go. Feeling truly exhausted and finding that Su Yu was nowhere to be found, she decided to head back to the dormitory to get some rest.

Upon entering, she saw Su Yu standing there, frowning at her bed, his tall frame looking somewhat comical in the cramped space.

"Is this where you slept last night?" he asked as soon as she walked in.

"Yes, it’s alright, isn't it?" Gu Yao glanced at the simple, makeshift wooden bed with a thin mattress on top. Her standards weren't high; as long as she could sleep, it was fine.

"It's too hard, and the window is drafty. You'll catch a cold." He reached out to touch the bed frame and then picked up the suitcase she had left to the side. "I’ve rented a courtyard. Come with me."

"But I have another doctor who came with me," Gu Yao hesitated. She certainly wanted a better environment, but she was worried that leaving Zhang Qingya alone would frighten her.

Su Yu walked over and led her downstairs. "I’ve already had someone arrange a separate hotel for her. Don't worry."

The two of them got into a car and drove for over twenty minutes before stopping in front of a quiet, detached courtyard. The exterior looked quite serene; the branches of trees stretched out from within, lush and green.

After getting out of the car and walking in, Gu Yao looked around. It was well-kept; the blue-brick floor was swept clean, without a speck of dust.

"Go in and get some sleep." Su Yu pushed open the door to the main room. Inside was a spacious hall with a partition wall creating a small alcove, furnished with a double bed and full bedding.

On a table in the outer room, a laptop was set up. Su Yu sat down there and gestured for her to go rest. Gu Yao was genuinely exhausted, so she nodded, wiped her face with water from a basin, and—without even taking off her outer coat—curled up and fell into a hurried sleep.

She slept soundly, making up for the fatigue of the previous day. The dormitory had indeed been drafty the night before, leaving her barely able to close her eyes, which was why she had been so lightheaded earlier.

The room was warm, and the rhythmic, soft sound of the man tapping on his keyboard was quite hypnotic. Lulled by this sound, she slept for three or four hours. When she finally woke up, it was because she was hungry; her stomach was growling in protest.

She put on her shoes and walked out, but the outer room was empty. Outside, the sky had darkened, and the electric lights cast a faint glow. She walked out and wandered around the courtyard, finally hearing noises from a side room.

Pushing the door open, she found a kitchen. Su Yu, wearing a black apron, was hunched over a cutting board, carefully slicing vegetables. His long fingers were slightly curled against the green produce, and his other hand moved the knife with a steady *tap-tap-tap* sound, cutting them into uniform pieces.

"Are you cooking?" Gu Yao, still groggy from her nap, asked a rather silly question.

He paused and glanced at her without saying a word.

Gu Yao realized she had asked something obvious and stayed silent. She walked in and looked at the potatoes, intending to peel them, but after searching around and finding no tools, she felt a bit awkward. Just as she reached for the knife, he took the potato from her.

The vegetables were already sliced and neatly arranged on a plate; they looked appetizing even before being cooked.

Seeing that he had done most of the prep work, Gu Yao decided not to get in the way and leaned against the side to chat. "When did you learn to cook? You're quite good at it."

"After going abroad, I got tired of Western food and learned from recipes online," he replied while nimbly peeling the potatoes, slicing them, stacking them, and then julienning them with ease.

Such knife skills must have taken years to master.

"Oh..." she drew out the word, swaying back and forth, feeling a bit bored.

Once Su Yu finished preparing all the ingredients, he went to the stove to start stir-frying. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her hovering by the cutting board, poking at the thin potato slivers one moment and curiously examining the brand of soy sauce the next—a complete picture of a curious child.

He walked over, placed his palms on her slender waist, easily lifted her up, kicked the kitchen door open, gently set her down outside, and then went back in and shut the door tight.

The sound of stir-frying began inside. Gu Yao stood outside, staring at the wooden door for a moment before it dawned on her: was she being shooed away?

She raised an eyebrow, walked back to the main room, and contentedly lay back on the bed to play on her phone. If he didn't appreciate her "help," then she would just wait for the finished meal.

She didn't bother to reflect on the fact that her "help" was clearly more of a nuisance.

She had only played one round of a brick-breaking game when the door opened and the aroma of food wafted in. Already hungry, she felt ravenous at the smell. She jumped up and hurried out to see that the laptop had been cleared away, replaced by several steaming hot dishes.

Stir-fried meat, green pepper and potato shreds, steamed fish, and a fish head and tofu soup. The chopsticks were already set, but Su Yu was gone, presumably fetching the rice.

His cooking had improved since the last time; she could tell just from the smell.

When Su Yu returned with the rice cooker, Gu Yao was sitting at the table, staring intensely at the dishes. Though her expression remained calm and composed, the longing was evident in her eyes.

He found it amusing. "Why aren't you eating?"

Gu Yao finally tore her gaze away from the food to look at him. "I was waiting for you."

At least she had a conscience and knew to wait for the man who had cooked so hard while she slept. Su Yu set down the rice cooker and fetched a bowl to serve the rice. He felt a pang of tenderness for her. "You start eating. I’m going to get the last dish from the stove."

"Mm," Gu Yao nodded. She then reached out with her chopsticks to the steamed fish, took a small piece, savored it carefully, and scooped a small bowl of soup, sipping it slowly. Even though she was starving, her movements remained graceful.

The steamed fish had no head; apparently, it had been used for the soup. Although it was the same fish, the two dishes had distinct flavors.

It was a deeply satisfying meal—the first hot, delicious food she’d had since yesterday.

Gu Yao accidentally ate a bit too much and had a large cup of tea afterward. She then walked slowly to the sofa and leaned back, not wanting to move. After Su Yu cleared the table, he set up his laptop and began to type; the hands that had been slicing vegetables were now flying nimbly across the keys.

After a full meal, it was easy to feel sleepy. Gu Yao dozed off while listening to the sound of the keyboard, her head bobbing like a chick pecking at rice.

Suddenly, she was lifted into the air. She was already familiar with the man's warm embrace, so she automatically wrapped her arms around his neck, rested her chin on his shoulder, and yawned with half-closed eyes.

"Brush your teeth before you sleep." After he set her down, he went to fetch water, then propped her up against the headboard and gently patted her cheek.

"Mm," Gu Yao nodded, but her eyes remained shut. She looked dazed and a little childish, which was quite cute.

Watching her unguarded, sleepy face, Su Yu’s heart softened like a marshmallow. He sighed, squeezed toothpaste onto a toothbrush, pinched her chin, and whispered in her ear, "Be good, open your mouth. Time to brush."

After repeating this two or three times, she frowned in annoyance and opened her mouth. Her teeth were white and neat, looking very healthy. Su Yu inserted the toothbrush and carefully brushed them one by one. He gave her a sip of water, and, still worried, reminded her several times, "Spit out the toothpaste foam. Spit it out, don't swallow."

She was quite cooperative this time, leaning over to spit into the basin and wiping the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.

Once the washing up was done, she finally made it back to the soft bed. She immediately pulled up the quilt, crawled inside, and buried her small face into the pillow, falling into a deep sleep.

In her haze, she heard the man go out once more. When he returned, he turned off the lights and lay down beside her. She automatically snuggled over and burrowed into his arms.

The woman’s soft hair pressed against his arm. Su Yu reached out to hold her and looked down, but he felt no sleepiness at all. He even had the impulsive thought that maybe he shouldn't sleep tonight, that he should just keep his eyes open and watch, to see if this heartless woman would wake up and try to run away again.

He brushed aside her dark hair to reveal her delicate face, leaned down, and kissed her. Suddenly, his eyes darkened. He gently shook her arm a few times. "Yaoyao, wake up."

Disturbed in her sleep, Gu Yao waved her hand around in irritation and muttered something unintelligible. But she couldn't resist his persistent shaking. Forced into a half-awake state, she opened her eyes, looked at him impatiently, and whispered, "What is it?"