Nian Suian saw Gu Junxing sitting motionless and went over to give him a gentle push.
"You should go get some rest. Be careful not to work yourself to death."
Gu Junxing chuckled but allowed Nian Suian to help him up as he headed to her room.
"Sleep well. I'm going to go for a walk," Nian Suian said. Having woken up early for once, and being in the mountains, she thought it would be nice to go out for some fresh air.
"Just stay close by. Don't go hiking up the mountain alone. Have breakfast first before going out."
"Alright, I know! Go to sleep already. You worry too much." Nian Suian shut the door, exasperated.
Gu Junxing stared at the closed door, wondering if he had been too talkative again.
But fatigue overcame him before he could dwell on it further. As he lay down on the bed, he noticed the lingering warmth in the sheets and a faint fragrance on the pillow, giving him an odd feeling.
After leaving, Nian Suian went straight to the restaurant where they had dinner the night before. Unlike many hotels with buffet breakfasts, this one offered à la carte options.
With her distinctly Chinese palate, Nian Suian ordered a bowl of soy milk and four pan-fried beef buns.
"Sister-in-law, why are you up so early? Didn't you sleep well?" Liu Jian approached as Nian Suian was halfway through her meal.
"Not at all. I slept so well that I woke up early," Nian Suian replied with a smile.
"Where's Old Gu?"
"He's still sleeping. He went to bed late last night," Nian Suian answered casually, unaware of any implications and missing Liu Jian's meaningful expression.
"I see. I'll tell the chef to prepare something special for Old Gu at lunch!"
Nian Suian nodded noncommittally, not quite understanding why sleeping late warranted special food.
"Would you like to look around later, sister-in-law?"
The thirty-something man calling her "sister-in-law" made Nian Suian uncomfortable.
She said to Liu Jian, "I was planning to take a walk nearby after breakfast. And please, just call me by my name instead of 'sister-in-law'."
"Alright. Sis... Suian, let me find someone to accompany you then."
"No need. I'll just walk around by myself. I won't go far, just staying in the vicinity," Nian Suian declined, preferring to stroll alone.
"Okay then. Let me know if you need anything." With that, Liu Jian hurried off, planning to ask the chef to prepare some nourishing dishes for Old Gu.
After breakfast, Nian Suian left the hotel and walked along a small river not far away.
The air was fresh, and the river gurgled peacefully.
Standing by the river, Nian Suian stretched vigorously, feeling as if all the impurities in her body were being expelled.
"That's strange, is someone crying?" Nian Suian suddenly heard what sounded like sobbing and decided to follow the sound.
"Are you alright?" A girl was sitting on the grass next to a bush, face buried in her knees, crying. Nian Suian approached and crouched down beside her, asking gently.
The girl was wearing a hotel staff uniform, likely an employee.
Hearing someone approach, the girl slowly raised her head.
In this world, Nian Suian had seen many beautiful girls, but the appearance of this young woman still took her breath away.
Her small face was streaked with tears, her nose and eyes red from crying. Her gaze was like that of a frightened rabbit, instantly arousing Nian Suian's protective instincts.
She had left empty-handed and didn't have any tissues. Seeing the girl's tear-stained face, she felt helpless.
Fortunately, upon seeing Nian Suian, the girl paused briefly before wiping her tears with her sleeve. "I'm fine, thank you."
"How old are you? Is someone bullying you here?" Though she shouldn't pry, Nian Suian felt the girl looked quite young, possibly even underage, so she couldn't help but ask out of concern.
"I... I'm eighteen," the girl suddenly seemed flustered when asked about her age.
The hotel hadn't opened for business yet, so apart from the staff, only the owner and his friends from yesterday were around. The girl feared losing her job if she revealed her true age.
Nian Suian sensed that she might be lying and guessed the girl was probably under eighteen.
But since the girl was reluctant to say, she couldn't force the issue.
"My name is Nian Suian. 'Nian' as in New Year, 'Sui' and 'An' as in 'peace year after year'. My phone number is ×××××××××××. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about today. If you ever need help, you can contact me. If you'd like, write down my number when you get back, so you don't forget it later."
Without pen and paper at hand, this was the best she could do. Fearing the girl might not remember, Nian Suian repeated it several times until the girl could recite the number fluently. Only then did she stand up.
Nian Suian wasn't sure why she was doing this, but she chalked it up to her protective instincts.
"Thank you, big sister. I've memorized it."
"No problem. I'll be going now." Nian Suian waved goodbye and retraced her steps.
The girl stared blankly as Nian Suian walked away, then snapped back to reality and ran to her dormitory. After searching for a while, she found pen and paper to write down the phone number.
"Ah, little Erya, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you."
"I'm sorry, Aunt Wang. I just stepped out for a bit."
"Quick, come with me. The kitchen is busy. The boss is entertaining guests for lunch. Go help wash the vegetables."
...
When Nian Suian returned, she ran into Qin Wei and Xu Jiasong at the entrance.
"Sister Jiasong! Qin Wei, you're here!" Nian Suian greeted them.
"Suian! It's so good to see you again!" They had hit it off at their last dinner but hadn't had a chance to meet since.
"Where's Old Gu? Just you?"
"He might still be sleeping," Nian Suian replied, unsure if Gu Junxing had woken up in the half day she'd been gone.
"Still sleeping at this hour? That's not like him..." Back in university, Old Gu was always the earliest riser.
"Why do you care when he sleeps? Can't he sleep in on a day off?" Xu Jiasong gave her husband a light smack, signaling him not to meddle.
"Come on, let's go inside." Xu Jiasong took Nian Suian's hand and went in, ignoring Qin Wei.
Gu Junxing slept until eleven, only woken by Liu Jian's call saying everyone was waiting for him for lunch.
Surprised he had slept so soundly, Gu Junxing hurriedly got up and made the bed. He rushed to open the wardrobe to change clothes before realizing this wasn't his room.
He went back to the room across the hall to freshen up and change.
When he arrived at the restaurant, he found that apart from Nian Suian and his good son, everyone else was looking at him with a peculiar expression.
...