A Cold and Aloof Top Student Is Relied Upon - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Love

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Gu Zhu slightly gasped, a bit nervous, looking at the girl in front of her. The other person’s face was expressionless, lacking the usual smile, and she seemed a little startled to see her.

Just as she was wondering if Bai Tan was truly angry about what Gu Baozhi had said, she was embraced by her.

“Bamboo!” The expressionless young lady instantly turned into a sad face, like a stray cat finding a safe house, revealing her soft belly. “I ran away from home.”

Gu Zhu was completely taken aback by the hug, partly because it seemed Bai Tan had no intention of staying away from her, and partly because the young lady was capable of running away from home.

Her hands were full of things, so she couldn’t hug back. She could only gently rest her cheek against her. “I’m sorry. Don’t be sad.”

Bai Tan felt it and immediately hugged her tighter, her cheek pressed tightly against her neck. “I’m not sad when I see you. So, can you take me with you?”

There were a lot of people on the street, and they couldn’t stay there for too long. Gu Zhu gently struggled free. Once Bai Tan let go, she led her to the bus stop.

She had some cash in her pocket, some from Gu Baozhi and some she had saved. Probably for a sense of security, she would subconsciously carry more cash if she was going to be out for a long time.

Before the bus arrived, she took out her phone and handed it to Bai Tan. “You can come with me, but you have to tell your family.”

Bai Tan looked at the determination in her eyes. She really wanted to say, What kind of running away from home is it if you have to let them know you’re safe? But the young lady was broke and didn’t have any relatives or friends here. She really had no one to turn to.

The only person she could follow was Gu Zhu. She couldn’t act spoiled in front of her; it would only make her look more arrogant. Gu Zhu’s mom already didn’t like her, so a little more willfulness and she would be kicked out of the friend zone and banished to the Arctic Circle.

Bai Tan didn’t dare, nor did she want to. Compared to being separated from Gu Zhu, her own pride was worthless. She obediently made a call, but she could at least choose who to call. “Auntie, I’m staying at a friend’s house for two days. Tell the old man to go back to wherever he came from. I’ll go back once he’s gone.” Without waiting for a response, she hung up and handed the phone back to Gu Zhu, blinking her eyes.

Gu Zhu understood that her dad had probably come here and they had an argument, so she ran out in a fit of anger. She took her phone back, put her things aside, and asked Bai Tan to watch them for her. Then she walked toward the commercial street behind the bus stop.

She ordered two fruit teas. After paying, she came back and handed the one with extra ice to Bai Tan. “It’s 50% sugar. Wait a moment before you drink it.”

Just then, the bus arrived. Gu Zhu gestured for her to get on, and she followed her to pay. The bus was almost full, but there were two seats left at the very back. They walked to the back and sat down just as the bus started moving.

Bai Tan was still a bit dazed. She just followed her, her hands getting wet from the condensation on the cup. Then she gently pressed the cold drink against her face, which was flushed and showed a few faint fingerprints.

She leaned back in her seat and looked at Gu Zhu through the bus window. The person sitting on the outside was quietly holding on to the seat in front of her, with one earbud in. Her face was beautiful, her personality was reserved, but she was always thoughtful at just the right moments.

She looked at her quiet profile in the window for a long, long time. The sadness and anger from her argument with her family gradually faded. She slightly turned her head and leaned toward Gu Zhu. When Gu Zhu looked at her, she quietly asked, “Can I borrow one, too?”

Gu Zhu nodded, and the empty earbud found a home.

The music was light metal rock and slow-paced hip-hop. It wasn’t too loud but had just the right amount of passion. So this was the style Gu Zhu liked.

The journey to their destination would take about an hour. The bus swayed, and the ice in the cup had mostly melted. Bai Tan inserted the straw and took a sip. The grapefruit was a little tart, but the 50% sugar balanced it out perfectly, just the way she liked it.

She thought, Who wouldn’t like Gu Zhu? After only ordering milk tea once, the other person remembered her preference.

She was thoughtful and cute, beautiful and kind. It felt like she could go anywhere as long as she was with Gu Zhu, without having to ask or be afraid.

The bus finally reached the stop. Gu Zhu stood up and gestured for her to get off. Bai Tan was very perceptive and helped her carry her things. She suddenly felt a little nervous about her appearance, like a “son-in-law” visiting for the first time. “Is it really appropriate for me to visit with you like this? I didn’t bring anything, and I’m dressed so sloppily. Will your aunt think I’m a bad girl?”

Gu Zhu stopped, turned around, and said seriously, “No, she won’t. Don’t worry about what happened last night. My mom didn’t mean any harm, and my aunt is a very nice person. She’ll like you.”

Bai Tan looked at her serious expression, and her heart felt warm. She lowered her eyes and suddenly said, “You look so beautiful without your glasses today.”

Gu Zhu subconsciously touched her eyes. Last night, she had worn the black-framed glasses home. This morning, she had initially put them on, but then, on a whim, she put them back.

Throughout the journey, her attention was on Bai Tan, and she didn’t feel overly anxious about not wearing her glasses. The past resistance and aversions seemed to gradually fade. She tucked the hair that had been ruffled by the wind behind her ears. Her clear eyes were more transparent than the blue sky. “Thank you.”

Bai Tan stared at her retreating back, and gently touched her heart. The sudden skipped beat hit her chest hard, like a disordered melody. She was mesmerized by the girl’s sudden smile.

“Hmm?” Noticing that she had stopped, Gu Zhu, who had walked a few steps ahead, stopped as well. “It’s getting late. Let’s go.”

“Oh, oh, oh, I’m coming!” Bai Tan hurried to catch up, following her winding path until they entered a residential area. Rows of distinctive houses were lined up, with many creepers climbing the gray walls. The air was humid, and occasionally, a salty sea breeze blew by. They were probably not far from the sea.

Gu Zhu led her into a long, narrow alley. Each alley had about four or five households. Some houses were empty and long abandoned, while others were half-old with moss-covered walls. The house Gu Zhu walked into had probably been renovated; it was much cleaner overall. The front door had a sliding screen door and an iron gate behind it.

They knocked on the door, and soon someone came running to open it. A little girl popped out, hugged Gu Zhu’s waist, and happily shouted, “Sister Bamboo, you’re finally here to see me!”

A woman behind her heard the commotion and called out, “You’re finally here, Lingling. Tell your sister to come in.”

“Mom, sister brought a beautiful sister with her.”

Chang Xiling held Gu Zhu’s hand and led them inside. Bai Tan was a step behind them and met Chang Yuehua in the courtyard. Gu Zhu spoke first, “Auntie, I brought a friend. I hope you don’t mind us staying for two days.”

“What’s with the formalities? I’m happy you’re here, and I’m even happier that you brought a friend.” Chang Yuehua took Gu Zhu’s hand and put her arm around her shoulder, looking at Bai Tan. “What’s your name, little one?”

“Hello, Auntie. My name is Bai Tan. You can call me Xiaobai or Xiaotan. I’m Gu Zhu’s classmate and good friend. I’m sorry for showing up unannounced. I hope we’re not too much of a bother.”

She was poised and articulate, and her smiling face was very charming, making it easy for people to like her. Chang Yuehua waved her hand. “As I said, just have fun while you’re here. The weather’s nice these few days. The investors are holding a beach festival, so you can go have some fun.”

This place was by the sea, and the villagers made a living from it. The port had many fishing boats used for their livelihood. A few years ago, a businessman from Hong Kong suddenly visited and fell in love with the natural, pollution-free scenery of the seaside. He found a piece of coastline and built a seaside resort, as well as some sea-view houses for tourism. The villagers here could also get some dividends.

Initially, there weren’t many people. But after the rise of new media platforms, marketing campaigns touted the place as a “Little Bali,” and it slowly became popular.

The slow pace of life in a small town and the cheap, abundant seafood also attracted a certain number of repeat customers.

Chang Yuehua was smart and quickly saw a business opportunity. Her husband was an excellent sailor. Using the opportunity to not take dividends, he partnered with the investor to start a boat tour business. She, herself, opened a creative arts shop in the resort, selling handmade crafts.

In recent years, they had gradually broken even, and their income was quite good.

After lunch, they were taken to the beach by Chang Yuehua. There were many sand sculptures on the beach and a dragon boat, probably to celebrate the occasion. Since it was a holiday, there were many people. Tourists in all kinds of swimsuits were running freely on the beach. There were also many seaside activities, like a music festival, beach volleyball, and parasailing.

The music festival hadn’t started yet during the day, and only speakers were playing music. The bands and bonfire show would start in the evening.

Chang Yuehua took them to find her husband and, during a break, asked him to arrange for a sailor to take them out on a boat. They were well taken care of. A tour boat with eight seats only had the three of them—Gu Zhu, Bai Tan, and Chang Xiling—and they set off.

The weather was truly beautiful. The sun was shining brightly, and the water was a glacial blue, reflecting a shimmering golden light. The boat’s speed went from slow to fast, kicking up wave after wave. Sometimes, the seawater would suddenly splash onto them, feeling cool and refreshing.

They arrived at the snorkeling area. Some tourists were already wearing safety gear and looking at the sea life. Gu Zhu didn’t get in the water. She just dipped her feet in. Bai Tan, on the other hand, immediately dove in, seemingly an excellent swimmer.

A little later, she resurfaced, grabbed Gu Zhu’s feet, and gave a sly smile. “I’m going to pull you in!”

Gu Zhu gently kicked her but didn’t say anything. She simply jumped in herself. The safety gear would lift them up when they relaxed, but for Gu Zhu, who had grown up by the sea, this buoyancy was nothing.

This area of the sea wasn’t deep, and Gu Zhu was quite familiar with it. She pointed in a direction at the bottom of the sea, gesturing for Bai Tan to follow her. They went to a nearby coral reef. The reef was huge, with a large part of it exposed above the water and extending all the way to the seafloor.

Gu Zhu didn’t lead her very deep, only to a relatively flat area. She brought a flashlight with her and tapped on a spot. When she shone the flashlight on it, a purple crystal stone shimmered with a flowing light.

She tapped a few more spots, revealing red, purple, and white crystal stones, as well as some beautiful gemstones. In Bai Tan’s surprised eyes, she pointed upward, and the two of them floated to the surface together, climbed onto the reef, and sat there.

Bai Tan took off her oxygen mask and couldn’t help but exclaim, “You’re so amazing! You can find so many beautiful stones.” The stones, washed by the water, looked even more transparent.

“What color do you like?” Gu Zhu asked her.

“Green,” Bai Tan said, picking up an emerald-green gemstone and turning it gently toward the sun. Although the gemstone wasn’t as transparent as the crystal, the sea-polished sea gem was still very luminous. She had played with many antiques, but never had she been happier than at that moment, seeing a stone dug out from the sea with her own eyes. “What about you? What color do you like?”

Gu Zhu couldn’t answer. She didn’t have a favorite color. She usually just liked colors on a whim. But looking at Bai Tan, she suddenly said, “No color.” She picked up the clear crystal stone that was drying on the reef. “Something like this.”

Bai Tan put away the gemstone in her hand and looked back, staring at the girl sitting relaxed on the stone. Gu Zhu was wearing a white quick-drying top and shorts, revealing a rare pair of slender, fair legs. Her ankles were sharp and defined, and her moon-white feet were dangling over the stone. Occasionally, a wave would splash them, covering them in a layer of glistening, smooth film. After a while, she quietly asked, “Does white belong in that series?”

“Hmm?” The sea breeze had picked up, and Gu Zhu hadn’t heard her clearly. She turned her head to look at her.

“I said, do you like white?” Or, do you like Bai Tan?

A sudden wave crashed against the rock wall. Gu Zhu pulled her legs up and was silent for a moment.

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