The Gentle Breeze Reflects in My Eyes - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Xia Lusheng could only hear the sound of Gu Yitong busily moving back and forth, but she had no idea what she was doing. Though curious, she ultimately didn’t ask.

In the afternoon, taking advantage of a gap while Xia Lusheng was napping, Gu Yitong went to the nearest clothing store to buy her a few new outfits.

By the time everything was prepared, the wontons had grown cold. Gu Yitong was too tired to reheat them; she sat down with a sigh, but just as she picked up her chopsticks, her phone rang.

Fearing the ringtone would wake Xia Lusheng, she answered quickly and stepped out onto the balcony.

“You little brat, why aren’t you saying anything after picking up the phone?”

The moment she put the phone to her ear, her mother’s scolding voice came through.

Gu Yitong rubbed her forehead helplessly and lowered her voice. “I was just tidying up the room. What is it?”

Mother Gu got straight to the point: “Your Aunt Liang introduced a young man for you. What do you think? Do you want to meet him?”

Hearing this, Gu Yitong felt a throbbing headache. If she calculated correctly, she had only just graduated from college in this timeline!

“Mom, I’m only twenty-one. Isn’t it a bit early for matchmaking? I’m not going. Tell Aunt Liang ‘no’ for me.”

Mother Gu wasn’t surprised by the answer, but she started nagging anyway: “Twenty-one is the perfect age to find a boyfriend! There are plenty of good young men waiting for you to choose from. In two more years, you’ll be late, all the good ones will be picked over, and you’ll have to settle for the ‘crooked melons and split dates’!”

Clearly, this wasn’t the first time Gu Yitong had heard this lecture. she remained silent, letting her mother talk to herself.

“And how is twenty-one early? You have to find someone worth developing a relationship with, spend six months checking their character, and then date for at least two years, right? Then a year for the engagement… by the time you marry, won’t you be twenty-five or twenty-six?”

Based on experience, this was usually where Mother Gu finished. Gu Yitong took the opportunity to cut in: “Mom, I’ve brought Lusheng to live with me.”

Mother Gu froze. It took a moment for her to react, and when she spoke again, her tone was completely different—serious, with a hint of sternness.

“Lusheng agreed to live with you? I’m telling you, Gu Yitong, you better take good care of her. If you don’t have the capability or the time, send her back to me. I’ll look after her.”

Gu Yitong felt a sense of trance.

Back in the original 2009, when she first took Xia Lusheng in, her mother had said the exact same thing in the exact same tone. Back then, she hadn’t taken it seriously, boastfully promising she would take perfect care of her.

Later, after the tragedy, Mother Gu refused to see her or speak to her for two years. It was only after Uncle Qi went to great lengths to show her mother the state Gu Yitong was in after Lusheng’s death that her mother’s heart finally softened.

Gu Yitong snapped back to reality and replied, “I know. I will take good care of Lusheng.”

It wasn’t the arrogant confidence of her past self, but a serious, cautious promise from the bottom of her heart.

“If you get too busy to care for her, call me,” Mother Gu urged. “Call me if anything happens.”

Gu Yitong obeyed her mother’s words without a trace of annoyance. “I know.”

…

The next morning, Gu Yitong woke up early to cook and placed the new clothes at the head of Xia Lusheng’s bed.

Their appointment with Zhao Yasun was at nine. They left before 8:30 and arrived just on time.

The studio was a music room—not large, but full of character. Instruments hung on the walls, which were painted with black and white musical notes. The entire room used a black-and-white color scheme; it was dark and somewhat “wild,” not quite what she expected from Zhao Yasun’s elegant style.

Zhao Yasun was already waiting and greeted them with a smile. “I was worried you wouldn’t find it. This used to be a band’s rehearsal space, but after they disbanded, I found it quiet and rented it to teach students.”

Hearing her voice, Xia Lusheng spoke up this time without needing a reminder: “Hello, Teacher Zhao.”

“Hello, Lusheng. Please, take a seat.”

Gu Yitong led Lusheng to a chair, placed the cello on her lap, and then looked at Zhao Yasun. “Teacher, what time should I come back for her?”

Xia Lusheng stiffened, instinctively grabbing Gu Yitong’s hand, her whole body tensing up.

Zhao Yasun noticed the movement, a look of pity and affection appearing in her eyes. She felt for the girl’s sensitivity and anxiety. Just as she was about to comfort her, she saw Gu Yitong shake her head, signaling her not to say too much.

Zhao Yasun paused, then said, “Class ends at 11:30.”

Gu Yitong thanked her and then leaned down close to Xia Lusheng. “Lusheng, study hard with Teacher Zhao. I have to go to work now—I’m already late.”

Xia Lusheng kept her face cold and didn’t let go of Gu Yitong’s hand, nor did she speak.

Gu Yitong continued to whisper in her ear: “I’ll come to pick you up at noon, okay?”

After a moment, Xia Lusheng released her hand and gave a small nod.

Gu Yitong patted her head and left the room. Hearing the footsteps fade into the distance, Xia Lusheng pursed her lips, her pretty face turning cold as ice.

Zhao Yasun looked at Xia Lusheng, who radiated a “don’t come near me” aura, and then glanced at Gu Yitong, who was actually crouching by the door, peeking back inside. Zhao Yasun’s lips curled into a smile; this “sister” was certainly putting her heart into this.

“Lusheng, your foundation is good, so I’ll just do a quick review of the basics so we don’t waste time,” Zhao Yasun began.

Xia Lusheng nodded with a stiff face.

Gu Yitong watched from outside for a while. Seeing that although Lusheng didn’t look happy, she was listening intently and cooperating with the teacher, her worries finally eased.

She waited outside until 11:30 before knocking and entering.

“Thank you for your hard work, Teacher,” Gu Yitong greeted Zhao Yasun first, then turned to Xia Lusheng with a smile. “Lusheng, I’m here to take you home.”

Zhao Yasun knew Gu Yitong had been waiting outside the whole time. Seeing her act as if she had just rushed over, she smiled and played along.

Xia Lusheng instinctively stood up with her cello and took two steps toward Gu Yitong’s voice. Gu Yitong hurried forward to steady her. “Careful. Give the cello to me.”

The face that had been tense for two and a half hours softened the moment she heard Gu Yitong’s voice. She obediently handed over the instrument and took Gu Yitong’s hand.

…

After saying goodbye to Zhao Yasun, Gu Yitong dropped Xia Lusheng off at the cafe.

Lusheng played the cello in the afternoon, and in the evening, as promised, she shared what she had learned with Qi Die.

Life became peaceful and simple. Under Zhao Yasun’s guidance, Lusheng’s progress became more apparent every day. Gu Yitong and Qi Die’s company also began to take off, with their scattered orders turning into a steady stream of business.

A month passed in the blink of an eye, bringing the National Day holiday. Zhao Yasun gave Xia Lusheng a break.

Currently, Gu Yitong was packing a suitcase while Xia Lusheng sat on the edge of the bed looking nervous.

Seeing her looking like a worried “little bride,” Gu Yitong couldn’t help but laugh. “What are you afraid of? My mom doesn’t eat people.”

Xia Lusheng gripped the bedsheets and pouted pitifully. “I’m just nervous.”

Finished with her sheets, she stuck her arms out in a “hug me” gesture.

Gu Yitong’s smile deepened as she stood up and wrapped her arms around the girl. Over the past month, Xia Lusheng hadn’t become much more outgoing in public, but at home, she was opening up more and more. Her childlike side was showing—she often acted spoiled or played “shameless” to get her way.

This was a side of her Gu Yitong had never seen before, and she took great joy in pampering her.