Nian Suian watched as Gu Junxing sat motionless and asked him, "The sunrise... are we just going to watch it like this?"
"Hmm, did you have sothing else in mind?" Gu Junxing thought that sitting quietly together watching the sunrise was perfect - peaceful and blissful.
Nian Suian, never one to mince words, blurted out, "Kiss ."
This caught even Gu Junxing off guard.
Nian Suian sat up straight and declared matter-of-factly, "Isn't that what they always do on TV?"
Gu Junxing couldn't help but smile at her boldness. He gazed into her eyes and slowly leaned in.
"Wait," Nian Suian said, pressing her hand against his shoulder. "Kissing while sitting like this is awkward."
"Oh?"
"Think about it. We're sitting on these tiny stools, so we'd have to crane our necks and stick our butts out. That's such an unattractive pose. I refuse."
Gu Junxing didn't argue, but simply asked, "Then please enlighten , Miss Nian. What position would be better?"
Nian Suian blinked, then turned back to face the sun, casually pouring herself a cup of chrysanthemum tea.
"I don't feel like kissing anymore. Maybe later."
The couple sat on the mountaintop for an hour, until sunlight bathed the entire landscape. Only then did they prepare to head back.
Nian Suian stood up, watching as Gu Junxing packed up the chairs and handed her the two thermoses.
Where they had parked, there was a tall tree with many branches. In winter, all its leaves had fallen, and the sunlight filtering through the bare branches cast irregular patterns on the ground.
Nian Suian stood in the largest patch of light. "Gu Junxing, co here."
"What is it?" Gu Junxing asked, puzzled, as he closed the trunk and walked over.
"Stand in this patch of sunlight." Nian Suian stepped back, making room for him.
Though he didn't know what she had in mind, Gu Junxing obediently complied.
She stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips to his.
Yes, this was her ideal kissing scene.
Gu Junxing didn't hesitate for a mont. As soon as Nian Suian's lips touched his, he encircled her waist with his arms and deepened the kiss.
Before they set off for ho, Gu Junxing sat in the car and updated his social dia.
It was just one photo.
In the distance were mountains bathed in the rosy glow of sunrise. In the foreground, two thermoses side by side.
Gu Zhijing's comnt appeared almost instantly after the post went live.
[Gu Zhijing: Heartless parents, breaking their son's heart!]
Nian Suian saw the comnt and asked Gu Junxing, "Didn't you insist that he wouldn't even be awake by the ti we got back?"
"I made that up."
Nian Suian rolled her eyes. "But you sounded so sure!"
"Mm, you shouldn't always believe what n say."
...
That afternoon, they prepared to head ho. Nian Suian felt that these two days had been quite exciting. The incident with Yan Heyu alone would give her enough to reminisce about for a year or two.
Although she had been slightly injured in the process, it was all worth it!
Just then, Gu Junxing asked Nian Suian, "Tomorrow's the last day of the holiday. I'm planning to visit Old Mr. Yan in the hospital. Would you like to co along?"
Nian Suian didn't hesitate: "Of course!" She almost wished she could move in with the Yan family; a re hospital visit hardly seed enough to satisfy her curiosity.
"I want to go too," Gu Zhijing chid in from the back seat.
"It's the last day of your holiday. Don't you want to hang out with your friends?" Gu Junxing hadn't initially planned on bringing Gu Zhijing, since it was a hospital visit, not a social call. But if Gu Zhijing wanted to co, Nian Suian wouldn't object.
"What's there to hang out for? We see each other at school every day anyway. I want to go with you guys." He added with a huff, "Don't even think about leaving behind!"
"Suit yourself."
These days, Gu Zhijing was either at ho or on his way ho, earning him the nickna "hobody" from his friends.
The next morning at nine, the family set out for the city hospital. They left ho empty-handed but stopped near the hospital to buy the standard get-well gifts - a bouquet of flowers and a fruit basket. These were ordinary items, but today Gu Junxing simply wanted to visit his elder as a respectful junior.
Gu Junxing had gotten the room number from Yan Heguang. As the three of them arrived at Yan Zhensheng's room, they ran into Yan Hexu.
Yan Hexu greeted them with a smile and led them inside.
"Dad, guess who's here to see you?"
Hearing Yan Hexu's cheerful voice, Nian Suian recalled her previous complaints about her father. She realized her own thoughts had been far too simplistic - children from families like this rarely had uncomplicated feelings.
Yan Zhensheng looked up at the words, and the three visitors stepped forward to greet him with smiles.
"Mr. Gu! What a rare guest. Please, sit down." Yan Zhensheng was genuinely pleased to see Gu Junxing.
Nian Suian glanced at Yan Zhensheng and was shocked.
The man in the hospital bed was a far cry from the one she had t before.
Not only had he lost a lot of weight, but his once ruddy complexion had vanished. His overall appearance had darkened, and his hair seed to have turned whiter. Clearly, the incident with Yan Heyu had taken a heavy toll on him.
"I t your wife last ti, Mr. Gu. And this young man behind you... must be your son?"
Receiving an affirmative answer, Yan Zhensheng smiled at Gu Zhijing. "What a fine boy. You're blessed, Mr. Gu."
He chuckled, but then his expression changed as sothing crossed his mind.
"Ah, these useless children of mine. None of them have given a grandchild yet. I'm afraid I might die without ever seeing the third generation."
"Dad, what are you saying? Why talk about dying? You're deliberately upsetting ." Yan Hexu imdiately stepped forward, her eyes welling up with tears.
Nian Suian was impressed by the performance!
Gu Junxing also tried to console him: "Co now, Mr. Yan. You have both sons and daughters. I'm sure you'll have grandchildren soon enough. I bet you'll even see them get married!"
Yan Zhensheng waved his hand dismissively, now behaving like a typical parent complaining about their children not finding partners.
"Look at you, several years younger than Heguang, with a son this big already. He's over forty and still not married. He's set a bad example, and now his younger brother and sister aren't looking for partners either."
Nian Suian thought to herself, "But your youngest son does have a partner..."
Yan Zhensheng had a concern he hadn't voiced to anyone. After the incident with Yan Heyu, he had started to worry if there was sothing wrong with their family genes. Especially since his eldest son and daughter were getting on in years without showing any interest in marriage. He feared all three might have unconventional orientations, leaving him without descendants despite having both sons and daughters.
Yan Zhensheng couldn't bear to entertain the thought, trying to squash it as soon as it arose. Otherwise, he felt he might as well die right then and there.
Hearing her father's words, Yan Hexu said with teary eyes, "Dad, you need to get well soon so you can help find a good match for big brother." Yan Hexu privately agreed that her brother should find a partner soon, lest Yan Heyu end up giving their father a grandchild first, leaving her older brother behind.
Yan Zhensheng snorted at his daughter's words. "Don't just talk about your brother. You should be thinking about your own situation too!"
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