Chapter 35: Not the First Time I've Held You

 Chapter 35: Not the First Time I've Held You

Fu Juncheng lowered his head, his gaze sliding over her reddened earlobe, and a faint smile curved his lips.

With a playful tone, he teased her, "What are you afraid of? It's not like it's the first time I've held you."

Gu Qingning was stunned, her thick eyelashes trembling slightly, and she asked slowly, somewhat dull-witted, "...At the villa, it was you?"

Fu Juncheng raised an eyebrow and said, "Who else could it be? Did you think it was someone else?"

"...," she thought it was one of the guards at the villa who carried her in, but she never expected it to be him.

Unbeknownst to them, the atmosphere became strangely awkward.

Gu Qingning turned her head, avoiding his gaze, and her voice sounded somewhat hoarse and melancholic as she said, "Thank you."

When she thought about it, he had helped her once again.

Fu Juncheng smiled faintly and remained silent, walking quickly and urgently.

After a brief examination, it was diagnosed as acute gastroenteritis.

When Gu Qingning learned that she needed to receive an intravenous drip, her brows furrowed, and Fu Juncheng noticed her resistance as he pressed her back onto the bench.

Thinking that she was afraid of the needle, he comforted her gently, "It won't hurt much to receive the drip. I..."

Gu Qingning interrupted his words and said, "I'm not afraid of the pain. It's just that I have to stay here for a long time while receiving the drip, and it's boring."

After all, she would still recover even without the drip, it would just take a bit longer.

Her reason was quite strange, leaving Fu Juncheng somewhat amused and exasperated.

He took a step and sat next to her on the bench, saying, "Behave and receive the drip. I'll stay here to keep you company."

His gentle voice carried a hint of coaxing, inadvertently captivating, "After you finish the drip, I'll take you to eat something delicious."

At this moment, a nurse came in holding the IV bag.

Gu Qingning turned her head and felt the concern in the man's eyes, dispelling her thoughts of refusing the drip.

She cooperatively extended her hand, and Fu Juncheng watched as the needle pierced the back of her hand, frowning involuntarily.

In a cold voice, he said, "Be gentle."

Seeing his deep, ink-like eyes by chance, the nurse trembled with fear.

She nodded repeatedly, handling the needle with great care.

"After this bag of liquid is finished, you can leave. Take care and get some rest," the nurse said, giving her instructions before quickly leaving.

No matter how handsome a guy is, it's not worth risking her life.

The corridor was quiet, and the sound of the dripping liquid filled the air.

Fu Juncheng broke the silence first, "Why were you still at school so late?"

"I live in the school dormitory," Gu Qingning leaned back, took her medicine, and her complexion gradually regained its rosy color, no longer pale like before.

"After finishing the exams, I was busy with moving into the dormitory and accidentally forgot about our dinner appointment."

Upon hearing this, Fu Juncheng furrowed his brows and asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to live in the dormitory?"

"It's convenient," she replied.

At least she wouldn't have to rush in the morning, and there were many places to eat near the school.

She didn't offer any further explanation, and Fu Juncheng naturally didn't pursue the matter. He changed the topic instead, "How did the exam go?"

"It went well, I passed smoothly," Gu Qingning tilted her head, her clear eyes flashing with a mischievous smile, "Anyway, you can't get out of treating me to a meal now."

Fu Juncheng smiled wryly and teased, "Didn't you say on the phone earlier that you'll treat me another day?"

Gu Qingning replied, "One favor deserves another."

Just as she had expected, Fu Juncheng smoothly continued the conversation, saying, "Then let me treat you this time, and you can treat me next time?"

Gu Qingning didn't think too much and readily agreed, "Sure."

"So, now that you're in your senior year of high school, do you have any plans?" Fu Juncheng's gaze deepened, and he calmly said, "The senior year is an important period. You should focus on your studies and not learn anything bad from others."

Gu Qingning was completely confused by his sudden change of topic and didn't grasp his point.

"What?" she asked.

Fu Juncheng's gaze darkened, and he said without a hint of emotion, "The senior year is a critical time. You should concentrate on your studies and not follow others in doing inappropriate things."

Gu Qingning was left perplexed, not fully understanding his main point.

She asked in a dull tone, "What is considered bad?"

"Skipping class, fighting," Fu Juncheng said, and as he continued, his tone subtly intensified, "And also, dating."

Gu Qingning blinked her eyes and casually replied, "Well, that's probably difficult."

Fu Juncheng's brows furrowed slightly, and his calm gaze rippled. He casually asked, pretending to be nonchalant, "Difficult in what way?"

"Skipping class and fighting," she said.

She didn't go looking for trouble, but trouble always found its way to her. It wasn't her style to turn the other cheek when faced with physical aggression or verbal insults.

Fu Juncheng let out a sigh of relief, his voice becoming gentle, resembling a casual inquiry. "Is dating also difficult?"

His words hung in the air, and his hand in his pocket curled slightly.

He lowered his head, and the clear pupils of the young girl happened to meet his gaze, her misty eyes filled with confusion. "I'm not dating anyone, so what's difficult about that?"

Fu Juncheng cleared his throat, suppressing a smile, and his voice lowered, "Hmm, not dating is the right thing to do. The boys at school often change their minds easily, and you can't trust their sweet words. Stay away from them and focus on your studies."

Gu Qingning looked at him with a strange expression, feeling that something was off, but she couldn't pinpoint it.

At that moment, a cell phone rang.

Fu Juncheng took out his phone from his pocket, glanced at the caller ID, and answered the call.

"Ah Cheng, where are you? It's mealtime, and Ah zhao came to our house."

After his mother finished speaking, Fu Juncheng finally spoke, "I won't be going back for dinner tonight, no need to wait for me."

"I have something to take care of here, so I'll hang up first."

With that, he hung up the phone directly.

"You haven't eaten yet?"

The soft voice of the young girl sounded in his ear. Fu Juncheng's cold gaze shifted slightly, and he lightly acknowledged with a sound.

"You should go back first, I..."

Fu Juncheng interrupted her words and said, "It's too late. It's not safe for a little girl to go back alone."

Gu Qingning raised a teasing smile and joked, "What's there to worry about? Is there a chance of getting robbed?"

Fu Juncheng looked at her deeply, and the smile on his lips took on a profound meaning. "That's not necessarily true."

A fierce-looking little lion might also attract some rare attention.

Gu Qingning curved her lips, a playful light in her eyes, and a hint of pink on her cheeks. "Then it's probably them who should be worried."

Fu Juncheng's gaze dimmed slightly, and a shallow smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

...

Tao Family.

After the call was hung up, Tao Qiuyue couldn't help but complain, "He hung up on my call again, he really has no respect."

"Auntie Tao, did Juncheng anger you again?" Gu Zhao returned from the bathroom and heard her words, smiling knowingly.

"That's right, he hung up on my call. Who knows what he's busy with," Tao Qiuyue said, "I wonder if he's out on a date with a girl."

Little did they know that his words had hit the mark.

Tao Qiuyue chuckled helplessly, "If that's the case, I would actually be glad."

With her clueless son, she had probably lost all hope of ever having a daughter-in-law.

"Ah Zhao, come over for tea," Grandfather Tao called out.

Gu Zhao agreed with a "okay" and casually took a seat.

After Grandfather Tao put down the teapot, he curiously asked, "Ah Zhao, aren't you a professor at A University? Why did you decide to come back and teach at Yizhong High School?"

"It's just temporary. A University has scholarships available every year, and I happened to have some matters to take care of here, so I took on this task," Gu Zhao explained in a warm tone.

Yi Zhong High School was the best high school in A City, and every year, a few excellent students could strive to enter A University. However, the examination system had changed this year, which was why the principal sent him to assess the situation.

"I see," Grandfather Tao nodded and then remembered something, a smile spreading across his face. "By the way, I heard that your biological sister has been found after all these years of being missing. It's truly a rare occasion."

As a resident of A City, Tao Qiuyue also knew some of the old stories about the Gu family. "Ay Zhao, congratulations! Your sister has been found, so you don't have to worry anymore."

(End of this chapter)