Chapter 205: Chapter 183: The Chubby Little Fox
Gu Mansion.
After lunch, Old Sir Lu and Lu Mengyi didn’t leave right away.
Old Sir Gu went upstairs to take medicine, calling Qiao Yuxian upstairs.
Once in the upstairs study, the old gentleman first gave her a big red envelope and then casually explained the visit of Lu Mengyi and company while chatting.
Afraid she might be upset, he said a few things on Gu Yanjing’s behalf.
Qiao Yuxian responded with a smile, "Grandpa, don’t worry, I’ll speak on your behalf too."
Old Sir Gu chuckled, saying, "I’ll rely on you today then."
Qiao Yuxian responded, "No problem."
Then, Old Sir Gu praised Qiao Yuxian’s diamond ring.
The two chatted about the ring upstairs.
Snow began to fall outside.
Starting with tiny snowflakes, it soon became much heavier.
Gu Yanjing stood in the corridor taking a phone call, watching the snow outside grow heavier.
While speaking with the person on the phone, he thought about staying overnight.
Lost in thought, he heard approaching footsteps. Turning around, he saw it was Lu Mengyi.
Usually calm and steady as a mountain, Mr. Gu almost couldn’t resist stepping back.
Lu Mengyi gave a faint smile.
Gu Yanjing hung up the call and looked at her, "Anything you need?"
Lu Mengyi stood in the corridor, with a person’s distance between them, looking at the snow outside, "Can’t we say something after all these years of friendship?"
Gu Yanjing didn’t say anything.
Lu Mengyi continued, "Strict family control?"
Gu Yanjing still didn’t respond.
He was naturally not talkative, just like before. She’d say ten sentences, and he might not speak a single word.
Lu Mengyi didn’t mind much and continued, "Yanjing, you seem changed. Not quite like before."
Gu Yanjing rubbed his fingertips slightly.
Lu Mengyi said, "Seems like it’s because of Qiao Yuxian. I used to think that you’d never feel affection for anyone, resigned to fate, your match broken by the old man under the moon. But to my surprise, you’re the first among us to get married."
Gu Yanjing murmured, "You’ll meet someone suitable for you too."
Lu Mengyi tilted her head to look at him, her lighter-colored eyes flickered, paused, "Will I?"
"Wow—it’s snowing!" A sound of the door opening, and Qiao Yuxian’s voice suddenly came from above them.
Above them was a terrace. Hearing the voice, they both looked up at the top of the corridor.
Then Gu Yanjing called upwards, "Qiao Yuxian, wearing your coat?"
He turned to walk toward the room after speaking.
Lu Mengyi watched his back, a moment later, she lowered her gaze to hide the stiffness in her eyes.
Admiring the snowflakes from above, Qiao Yuxian trembled abruptly hearing the voice, looked at her thin sweater, and ran to her room.
She wanted to find her coat, but instead collided directly with Gu Yanjing who was carrying a coat upstairs.
Qiao Yuxian halted her steps, obediently looking at him.
Gu Yanjing looked at her seriously for a moment, then approached to wrap the coat around her.
Qiao Yuxian snuggled into the coat, laughing, "Can I go outside to see the snow?"
"Can you promise not to catch a cold?" Gu Yanjing touched her cold little face.
"I can!" Qiao Yuxian declared confidently.
Gu Yanjing disbelievingly said, "No."
The smile disappeared from Qiao Yuxian’s eyes at once, pulling a sullen face as she looked at him.
Gu Yanjing stared back at her.
After a while, Qiao Yuxian grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously, "It didn’t snow last year, and it just started this year. I have to go out and play. Have to go out and play! Have to go out and play!!"
Gu Yanjing stumbled a step from the shaking, held her little head to stop her, "Okay."
"Really?" Qiao Yuxian stopped, her eyes shining as she looked at him.
Gu Yanjing bent down to kiss her lips, "Hmm."
Qiao Yuxian immediately pulled him outside, "Let’s go, let’s go, build a snowman."
Gu Yanjing was dragged outside by her. Once on the ground floor, Qiao Yuxian was about to jump into the snow when Gu Yanjing pulled her back with a tug.
Qiao Yuxian’s failed jump made her crash back into Gu Yanjing’s arms, raising her brows as she looked up at him, "Hmm?"
Gu Yanjing didn’t say anything, directly led her towards the East Courtyard.
And then... Qiao Yuxian emerged from the East Courtyard bundled up like a dumpling.
Wearing two down jackets, half her face covered by a scarf, and a furry hat hiding the upper half of her face.
With two pairs of gloves on her hands, only her eyes were exposed.
Even her socks were double-layered, with special snow boots replaced for her.
Qiao Yuxian’s eyes were full of resentment as she looked at Gu Yanjing, from dressing her to holding her hand, leading her outside, her gaze never left his face.
She desperately wanted to stare a hole into his face.
Gu Yanjing ignored her gaze, as they reached outside he said, "Go ahead."
Qiao Yuxian shook her almost restricted arms, "How can I play like this?"
Gu Yanjing looked at her without saying a word, then turned to look outside.
The snow was heavier outside, dense and difficult to see anything clearly.
A layer thickly covered the ground.
Following his gaze, Qiao Yuxian looked over and her tiny resentful eyes instantly lit up.
Her semi-restricted body immediately ran out. Running, jumping, she reached out to catch the snowflakes.
The clothes at the Gu Mansion were all delivered by people Gu Yanjing arranged.
Each month someone would send some clothes. According to the seasons, matching Qiao Yuxian’s size.
This was for when they stayed at Gu Mansion, they’d have clothes to change.
Gu Yanjing was in the dressing room, picking and choosing. He dressed her in two down jackets, the inner one was white, the outer one pink.
The scarf, hat, and gloves were red.
Gu Yanjing watched her in the snow running around, jumping up and down.
She seemed like a natural snow-loving little fox, getting all excited upon seeing the snow.
However, this little fox was somewhat clumsy, appearing both awkward and nimble.
Qiao Yuxian ran back and forth for a while, then squatted on the ground rolling snowballs.
Gu Yanjing went over to help.
Seeing such heavy snow, the staff at Gu Mansion didn’t expect Mr. Gu, without a hat, took an umbrella over to cover him.
At first, they thought Qiao Yuxian was rolling snowballs to make a snowman.
Until Gu Yanjing watched her roll five similarly sized snowballs, he realized something was off.
Right then, after rolling the sixth, Shang Chen, Su Qi, and Meng Yan arrived at the East Courtyard.
Su Qi came to report some matters to Gu Yanjing.
Shang Chen and Meng Yan stood aside, watching his wife squatting on the ground rolling snowballs.
The two didn’t know how to describe their feelings.
At that moment, both felt that Mr. Gu hadn’t simply married a wife but had skipped steps and directly raised a daughter instead.
While they all acted as uncles...
Qiao Yuxian rolled a seventh, slightly smaller snowball, then suddenly stood and threw it at Shang Chen’s leg.
Shang Chen suddenly looked at her.
Qiao Yuxian only showed her eyes, the two still separated by the dense falling snow, but the defiant and disdainful gaze from those eyes directly penetrated into Shang Chen’s heart.
Shang Chen couldn’t stand provocations; compared to challenges, disdain felt like having his face ground into the earth.
He promptly stepped forward with one foot, but Meng Yan quickly stopped him.
Shang Chen glanced towards Meng Yan, slightly regaining some composure.
This was Mr. Gu’s wife, he couldn’t act rashly.
But before his sensibility solidified, Qiao Yuxian grabbed a bigger snowball and threw it at his leg again, "What? Scared? Not brave enough? Is this how the top man under Mr. Gu acts?"