Chapter 24: I Have Given You All That I Love
Gu Zhenzhi glanced sideways. Seeing that Gu Jiayan hadn’t moved yet, Ruan Cha frowned, her expression earnest yet unhappy, and pushed him away before gleefully opening the car door.
She climbed in, sat obediently—an entire sequence of actions carried out without sparing Gu Jiayan another glance.
Once inside, Ruan Cha settled comfortably into the seat and spoke to the driver, “Let’s go, uncle.”
Suddenly recalling something, she fished a piece of candy from her pocket. “Gu Zhenzhi, here, have a candy!”
From the moment she saw Gu Jiayan approaching Gu Zhenzhi’s car, Ruan Cha knew Gu Zhenzhi would inevitably be reminded of his childhood.
Back then, Gu Jiayan had inflicted much cruel humiliation on his elder brother—six years his senior. It was only after reading to the end that Ruan Cha realized: every time Gu Zhenzhi saw Gu Jiayan, his heart felt as if it were being slashed by a blade, reopening wounds that had barely healed.
That was the part that pained Ruan Cha most about Gu Zhenzhi.
Gu Zhenzhi lowered his gaze, his dark eyes fixed on the fruit candy resting in the girl’s pale palm, stunned.
He lifted his eyes, handsome features made more austere and indifferent by the evening sunlight streaming through the window. “I don’t want it.”
As he spoke, the girl’s eyes dropped in disappointment; the clarity and brightness that had been there faded instantly.
“Alright, if you don’t want it, then I’ll just…”
Before she could finish, the candy in her unwithdrawn hand was deftly taken by long, cool fingers.
She looked up in surprise to see Gu Zhenzhi carefully unwrapping the candy wrapper. His eyes were downcast, their corners long, lashes straight and dense, drooping slightly to shade half his gaze.
Ruan Cha’s eyes curved into a smile. “I’ve given you my favorite thing!”
She finished, tilting her head, her smile coy and adorable.
Gu Zhenzhi heard her words and glanced up, his gaze calm. “?”
Favorite thing—just candy?
Noticing his look, Ruan Cha put on a serious face, the tips of her ears flushed. “Why are you staring at me? I’m talking to the fruit candy!”
Gu Zhenzhi lowered his eyes to meet the girl’s bright, luminous gaze. For the first time, a subtle ripple stirred deep within him.
“Don’t like Gu Jiayan?”
Midway through the drive, as the fruit candy melted completely in his mouth, Gu Zhenzhi kept his expression unchanged, eyes on the computer screen in front of him, and asked Ruan Cha, as if in passing.
Ruan Cha was playing on her phone. Hearing his question, she replied without hesitation, “Why should I like him? Aside from his looks, he has nothing. Even his so-called beauty is nothing compared to yours.”
“He’s a child of the Gu family.”
“And aren’t you?” Ruan Cha put down her phone, cupping her chin in delicate hands, her eyes shining as she looked at Gu Zhenzhi. “If the Gu family represents everything, then you’re obviously more capable, more handsome, and more charming than he is!”
After she finished speaking, Ruan Cha keenly sensed that the atmosphere around Gu Zhenzhi had eased considerably. Even his usual cold gaze held a hint of warmth.
Ruan Cha: …
Childish old man.
She’d felt it when reading the book: Gu Zhenzhi had always been starved for affection. His emotional shortcomings stemmed from never having received praise or warmth. People like him tended toward extremes. Some crave love, picking up on even the smallest signs of affection. Others are so numb that they can’t perceive love at all, failing to recognize it even when it’s offered.
Clearly, Gu Zhenzhi was a blend of both extremes.
Such a stubborn person was, at times, more like a child—needing enough love to feel safe.