Chapter 22: Judge a Book by Its Cover, Huh?

They couldn’t park directly in front of Guoguo’s house, so they left the car in a nearby parking lot. On their way, they passed a few fruit shops, but Fu Huan wasn’t satisfied with the quality. Rather than settle for something half-hearted, he drove to a larger supermarket a bit further away and bought fresh, top-grade fruit.

Fu Huan did all the fruit picking. Gu Shiying couldn’t tell the good from the bad at all; he wasn’t that meticulous in daily life.

He felt like he was meeting a completely new Fu Huan. This was nothing like the Fu Huan he had in mind.

He was supposed to be aloof, like a young master above worldly concerns, clueless about basic life skills. He had common sense, yes, but fruit-picking? Many people genuinely didn’t know how.

Gu Shiying held an apple, completely unable to gauge its sweetness, and asked Fu Huan, “How do you know so much about this?”

Fu Huan: “Lived on my own for a while in high school.”

Gu Shiying: “Because your school was far from home?”

Fu Huan: “Mm. Didn’t want to live in the school dorms, so I rented a place nearby.”

Gu Shiying: “Living on your own in high school? You’re pretty independent.”

Fu Huan gave a faint smile. “You’re the first person to call me independent.”

Gu Shiying hadn’t expected that answer. “What else would people say?”

Fu Huan: “Everyone else asks why I didn’t live with my family.”

It honestly hadn’t occurred to Gu Shiying to ask that. He didn’t press further, afraid of touching on something Fu Huan didn’t want to discuss.

He said, “I just think living alone takes a lot of courage. It shows you can be independent. It’s probably a lot of guys’ dream—no parents nagging you, sleeping in as late as you want on weekends.”

Fu Huan nodded. “True, living alone is very freeing, no parental supervision.”

Gu Shiying: “Though living alone does require self-discipline.”

Fu Huan thought to himself that his self-discipline was indeed strong. Gu Shiying had been parading before his eyes for over a year, and he hadn’t made a move.

They chatted as they walked to the checkout counter.

Cashier: “Hello, your total is… “

The last time they’d come to Guoguo’s house, they’d been in a rush, and Gu Shiying had been sick. He hadn’t had a chance to observe the surroundings.

The area was filled with old, self-built houses, none exceeding three stories.

The alleyways were narrow, impossible for cars. Both sides were lined with old, dirty electric scooters. The road surface hadn’t been repaired in ages, bumpy and uneven. Gu Shiying and Fu Huan couldn’t even walk side-by-side; they had to go single file.

As they neared the house, they saw three boys ganging up on a smaller child. One of them was grabbing the little boy by the collar.

“Dummy, dummy, still pees his pants! Hahaha!”

“Dummy, go get your grandma’s money. We’ll take you to find your mom!”

The little boy staggered from the taller boy’s shove, falling to the ground. At the word “mom,” he looked up at the boy.

The tall boy laughed with his buddies. “Hahaha, he actually believes us.”

Gu Shiying saw Guoguo on the ground and surged forward. “What do you three think you’re doing!”

Seeing him charging toward them angrily, the boys immediately scrammed!

Gu Shiying helped Guoguo up. But the three boys who’d been bullying him were caught and dragged back by Fu Huan. Not one of them got away.

The boys were maybe seven or eight years old, right at that age when even dogs found them annoying.

The tall boy struggled furiously. “Let me go!”

Fu Huan stared them down coldly. They instantly deflated.

Gu Shiying dusted off Guoguo’s pants, checking him for injuries. Only after confirming he wasn’t hurt did he breathe a sigh of relief.

He looked at the three boys. “Why were you bullying Guoguo? Who’s your homeroom teacher?”

The three boys hung their heads, silent. At the mention of their homeroom teacher, their shoulders hunched

Fu Huan threatened them. “Call your parents. Make them pay ransom to get you back.”

His height was imposing. Standing before them, he was like an insurmountable mountain, terrifying the kids.

“We… we won’t do it again.”

Gu Shiying: “Then apologize to Guoguo.”

The three boys hadn’t expected anyone to stand up for Guoguo. Thoroughly intimidated, they caved instantly and apologized profusely.

Fu Huan continued playing the bad cop. “If I ever catch you bullying people again, I’ll tie you up and throw you in the pond.”

The three boys nodded frantically. “Okay, okay, okay! We really won’t do it again!”

Fu Huan only let them go after hearing a satisfactory answer.

The three boys fled faster than rabbits, terrified the big bad boss might actually tie them up.

Gu Shiying picked up Guoguo and held him, touching his hand to hear his inner voice. It was the same as before—Guoguo’s mind was still calling for his mother.

Gu Shiying: “Did you come out here because you were thinking about your mom?”

Guoguo showed a faint reaction at the word “mom.”

Fu Huan: “Let’s get him home first. Grandma Lin must be frantic by now.”

Gu Shiying: “Okay.”

He carried Guoguo toward the house. They hadn’t gone far when they saw Grandma Lin leaning on her cane at the doorway, searching anxiously.

“Guoguo!”

“Where did that child go?”

She turned and finally saw Gu Shiying approaching with Guoguo in his arms.

Grandma Lin clutched her chest. “You scared me to death! Guoguo, why did you run out? You gave Grandma such a fright. Xiao Gu and Xiao Fu are here? How… come in, come in.”

Fu Huan stepped forward to help Grandma Lin inside.

She wanted to pour them water, but Gu Shiying told her not to bother.

Gu Shiying: “Grandma, please sit. We’re not thirsty.”

Grandma Lin: “But you’re guests.”

Gu Shiying: “We just heard you hurt your foot and came to check on you.”

Grandma Lin: “It’s nothing. It’ll heal in a couple of days.”

Gu Shiying: “Please don’t be polite. If there’s anything we can help with, just tell us.”

In truth, Grandma Lin had downplayed her fall. The reason the community office had called Fu Huan was because she’d fainted after the fall.

Grandma Lin: “How can I impose on you like this?”

As it was, Gu Shiying and Fu Huan could see the house was messier than before. The lunch dishes hadn’t been cleared, and the chili sauce meant for sale hadn’t been refrigerated yet.

Gu Shiying: “It’s no trouble. I volunteer at the welfare home usually, and we have a connection with Guoguo.”

Grandma Lin: “Then could I trouble you to give Guoguo a bath? He likes being clean. With my fall yesterday, I haven’t been able to bathe him, and he didn’t sleep well last night.”

Indeed, Gu Shiying noticed the dark circles under Guoguo’s eyes. One old, one young, they were a focus of community care, and the community canteen delivered meals, but others were busy and couldn’t help much more.

Gu Shiying: “We’ll give him a bath, then.”

The small house had two rooms. Grandma Lin slept in one, Guoguo in the other. The small room held a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk with a family photo. The walls were adorned with childish drawings and several rows of little red flower stickers—cozy and warm.

Gu Shiying observed, “Guoguo must have been raised with a lot of love before. His parents must have adored him.”

Fu Huan gazed steadily at the family photo on the desk. “Mm. Get his clothes?”

Gu Shiying: “Grandma Lin said they’re all in the wardrobe. He likes light-colored tops and jeans.”

Fu Huan grabbed a few items.

Guoguo didn’t resist Gu Shiying and Fu Huan giving him a bath. However, when it came to the actual washing, involving skin contact, Gu Shiying delegated the task.

Gu Shiying: “You wash him? I’ll go help tidy up.”

Fu Huan wouldn’t let him leave. “I’ve never bathed a kid before.”

Gu Shiying: “Neither have I. It’s probably like our own showers, right?”

“Should be. Let’s do it together.” Fu Huan’s expression was full of insistence.

His dark eyes stared fixedly at Gu Shiying, reflecting his silhouette. He showed no intention of backing down. Instead, it was Gu Shiying who couldn’t meet his gaze and looked at Guoguo, who was watching them.

“Fine.” Gu Shiying feared hearing Guoguo’s heartbreaking inner voice, and also feared touching Fu Huan. This guy kept finding ways to touch him. He was starting to suspect Fu Huan was being deliberately cunning, seizing every chance to make contact. Yet his inner voice never revealed such petty schemes.

Wait. Fu Huan’s thoughts were entirely focused on him. His inner voice was like a tri-fold phone screen—no matter how you folded it, he was there.

Gu Shiying scooped up Guoguo. “Guoguo, let’s go take a bath!”

The bathroom wasn’t large but had separate wet and dry areas.

One person inside, another could stand outside. Two adults inside felt quite cramped.

Fu Huan lifted the showerhead and adjusted the water temperature. “Okay, bring him in.”

Gu Shiying undressed Guoguo and carried him in.

“Fu Huan, wash his hair first.”

“His head is so small. Like a kiwi fruit.”

Gu Shiying laughed out loud. “It really does look like one.”

Fu Huan’s palm was broad, easily covering Guoguo’s small head in one hand. He squeezed some shampoo and gently scrubbed his hair, his movements unexpectedly tender. He even carefully shielded Guoguo’s eyes with his hand to prevent soap from getting in them.

Gu Shiying realized his impression of Fu Huan was changing again. Outwardly, a big, tall guy with an expression always indifferent to everything. In reality, he was meticulous, gentle, and knew how to pick fruit.

If someone had told him Fu Huan was like this before, he’d have thought they were spouting nonsense. Now, seeing it with his own eyes, he had to admit he’d been judging a book by its cover.

Guoguo was docile and quiet. The bath went smoothly. Fu Huan finished washing him and dried him off. Gu Shiying handed the clothes to Fu Huan, who dressed him one piece at a time.

Freshly bathed, Guoguo smelled wonderful. Gu Shiying couldn’t help but smile and praise him. “So cute.”

Fu Huan, hands under Guoguo’s armpits, passed him to Gu Shiying to hold. “The floor’s all wet. Take him out. I’ll clean up the water on the floor here.”

Gu Shiying immediately took the towel-wrapped bundle. “Okay!”

During the handoff, Gu Shiying, without any surprise, touched Fu Huan’s slightly hot palm.

【I’d rather give Gu Shiying a bath.】

“…” Gu Shiying’s smile vanished instantly.

Screw it. He was going back to judging a book by its cover.