Chapter 68 Part 1

That afternoon, Chi Nuan left school early since there were no classes left. She followed the address He Zhen had given her and headed to He Nan Shan.

He Nan Shan boasted a forest park in Yuncheng that rivaled international standards, and transportation in that area was very convenient. Chi Nuan found the entrance to the villa district, reported the house number and Gu Ningzi’s name, and the front desk, which had been notified in advance by He Zhen, quickly instructed the gatehouse to let her through. A security guard drove up in a sightseeing vehicle and courteously took her all the way to the courtyard outside Gu Ningzi’s home.

The lighting here was excellent, with warm sunlight streaming through the transparent glass and casting golden glows throughout the room. Chi Nuan didn’t have time to look around; she headed straight to the kitchen.

The kitchen showed almost no traces of ever having been used for cooking, but fortunately, all the utensils were complete.

Darkness fell quickly; it was just past five o’clock, and the outside was already pitch black. The duck soup simmered in the clay pot, its aroma wafting everywhere. Chi Nuan served the tomato and egg stir-fry first.

That year, on the day Gu Ningzi left, she had eyed Chi Nuan’s tomato and egg fried rice with envy.

Returning to the kitchen, Chi Nuan began rinsing the vegetables for the stew. As she did so, a cautious sense of happiness lingered in her heart.

She was waiting for her to come back, as if this were the promised “tomorrow.”

The vegetables couldn’t go into the pot too early, so Chi Nuan drained them in a basket, wiped her hands, and walked outside.

Her slippers made no sound on the thick carpet, but the person sitting at the dining table seemed to sense something and looked up.

…

Gu Ningzi had swept her slightly curved long hair entirely over her left shoulder, her collarbone faintly visible at the neckline of her sweater. The gaze behind her glasses held no particular emotion, but upon catching sight of Chi Nuan, it shifted back to the tomato and egg stir-fry.

She ate slowly and methodically, one bite at a time. Chi Nuan stood there stunned for a moment. “…I didn’t know you were back. Wait a second.”

She turned up the heat under the clay pot, added the greens, and opened the rice cooker to fill a heaping bowl of rice for Gu Ningzi.

She must have been hungry; with such picky tastes, airline food probably didn’t suit her nine times out of ten.

Once the soup was ready, Gu Ningzi pointed to the empty seat at the table, indicating that Chi Nuan should eat with her.

They sat facing each other, eating quietly. Midway through, Gu Ningzi set down her chopsticks and furrowed her brows. Chi Nuan, who had been watching her closely, couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong? Is it not tasty?”

Seeing her expression, Chi Nuan wondered if years abroad had changed her palate. But Gu Ningzi said, “…It hurts.”

Chi Nuan quickly asked, “Hurts? Where does it hurt?”

Gu Ningzi: “My tooth hurts.”

Chi Nuan: “Assistant He said you were overheated. Is that causing the toothache?”

Her concerned gaze was deep and intense. Gu Ningzi’s eyelashes trembled lightly for no apparent reason. “Wisdom tooth.”

At that, Chi Nuan walked over. “Let me see.”

She didn’t think much of it and didn’t consider if Gu Ningzi would refuse. Under the light, she gently lifted Gu Ningzi’s chin.

A half-second later, Gu Ningzi inexplicably opened her mouth.

Chi Nuan glimpsed a white tooth that had only partially erupted at the very back of her gumline and frowned. “Is it growing in crooked? The gums around it are all red and swollen… It must hurt a lot.”

Gu Ningzi turned her head away.

Chi Nuan’s fingers missed. “…Should you see a dentist?”

“I’ve taken medicine.” Gu Ningzi covered the painful side of her face and continued eating slowly, chewing with the other side.

Gu Ningzi’s oral health was excellent; she must have had regular care. That wisdom tooth couldn’t have gone unnoticed since it started emerging, so why hadn’t it been dealt with?

Chi Nuan could only think of one possibility: Gu Ningzi was afraid of having it pulled.

It was somewhat amusing. Chi Nuan sat back down in her seat.

After the meal, Chi Nuan restored the kitchen to its original state and walked into the living room. Gu Ningzi lounged on the sofa reading a financial report. Catching sight of Chi Nuan from the corner of her eye, she nodded toward the coffee table.

Chi Nuan knew it was the contract He Zhen had mentioned.

“I’ve submitted my resignation to the school, but I can’t officially leave until the end of this semester, so there’s about a month left…”

Gu Ningzi looked at the financial report in her hand, her expression unchanging. “That’s fine. You don’t need to report to me every day during this time. I’ll let you know in advance if there’s anything.”

Chi Nuan: “And the child… I hope you can understand. I promise to coordinate with your schedule as much as possible.”

Gu Ningzi nodded.

Chi Nuan smiled. She flipped the contract to the last page, uncapped the pen, and signed her name next to Gu Ningzi’s pre-signed one.

Gu Ningzi: “You don’t want to read the details first?”

Chi Nuan opened the second contract and signed it as well. “No need.”

Gu Ningzi had left plenty of blank lines, probably intending for Chi Nuan to fill them in herself. Even so, she had already signed, showing that no matter what changes were made, she wouldn’t object—it was a clear sign of sincerity.

Not to mention, Chi Nuan’s reason for becoming her assistant was simply to be closer to her.

Looking at their two names side by side, Chi Nuan’s eyes brimmed with smiles. Gu Ningzi propped her temple with her hand and said casually, “Have He Zhen give you my schedule. Book a dentist according to my availability.”

…Had she changed her mind? Chi Nuan cooperatively said, “Oh.”

Gu Ningzi paused. “Have her give you Guan Luo’s contact info too. Book directly with Guan Luo.”

Chi Nuan: “Okay.”

Gu Ningzi: “Do you have time now?”

Little Wutong could be picked up a bit later, so Chi Nuan said, “Yes.”

Gu Ningzi handed her the financial report. “Read the red parts to me. My eyes are tired.”

Chi Nuan took it and sat on the single sofa next to Gu Ningzi. She was about to start reading when she saw that it was densely packed with English. The content had color-coded highlights—He Zhen must have marked the key points in advance.