Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
She didnât have to do much, just hang around the office until half past three before she drove back to Gu Yushengâs house.
Qin Zhiâai walked into the house and noticed that Gu Yushengâs slippers werenât there when she bent down to change her shoes. She was a little surprised and frowned, then stood up and walked into the living room.
As she had just walked out of the foyer, she saw the housekeeper was about to walk upstairs with a cup of coffee.
The housekeeper heard Qin Zhiâai and stopped. âMiss, youâre back.â
Qin Zhiâai responded with a smile and voiced the doubts that she had when she changed her shoes. âDid Gu Yusheng leave the house today?â
âMr. Gu went out and just came back,â the housekeeper said.
Qin Zhiâai responded with âoh.â She walked up one stair and saw the coffee in the housekeeperâs hand. She stopped and asked, âIs the coffee for Gu Yusheng?â
âYes.â The housekeeper stopped. She seemed to remember something and started to nag Qin Zhiâai. âHe likes his coffee with half sugar, one cream when he works. If itâs the morning, Mr. Gu likes to have teaâPuâer, white tea, or green tea. Red tea is his favorite thoughââ
Why did the housekeeper start to talk about Gu Yushengâs preferences for coffee and tea? Does she want me to remember it to make Gu Yusheng happy? Qin Zhiâai thought to herself.
Unfortunately, it was too late. She had been in this house for a long time, and it didnât seem helpful to remember it now.
If it had happened earlier, Qin Zhiâai would have remembered it by heart and been happy to learn what he liked and didnât. However, she felt sad to hear about it now. She interrupted the housekeeper, âI can take the coffee to him for you.â
The housekeeper wanted Qin Zhiâai to be closer to Gu Yusheng. When she heard what Qin Zhiâai said, she immediately passed the tray to her with a smile.
Qin Zhiâai was worried that the coffee wouldnât taste good when it was cold. She went directly to the study without changing out of her clothes.
The door wasnât closed all the way. When she knocked on the door, it cracked open a bit.
After a while, a hoarse voice said from the study, âCome in.â
Qin Zhiâai pushed the door open and looked inside.
She didnât see Gu Yusheng at his desk.
She walked two steps forward with the tray and saw Gu Yusheng standing on the balcony.
He didnât seem to care who it was that had walked in. He had his back facing the door as he watched the sunset and smoked.
When Qin Zhiâai walked to the desk and put down the coffee, Qin Zhiâai saw Gu Yusheng had finished his cigarette and was searching for another one.
Why is he smoking so much? What happened? What put him in such a terrible mood? Qin Zhiâai thought.
Qin Zhiâai frowned and hesitated for a while, but she decided to talk to Gu Yusheng. She said to his back, âSmoking too much isnât good for you.â
Gu Yusheng paused in the middle of lighting the cigarette and grew quiet. He didnât turn around immediately. After a while, he turned around to look at Qin Zhiâai in surprise. âWhy did you come?â
âI was going upstairs and brought the coffee for the housekeeper.â After Qin Zhiâai said this, she pointed at the cigarette between his fingers and repeated in a low pitch, âDonât smoke.â
Gu Yusheng didnât say anything. He only looked at Qin Zhâai for a few seconds and put the lighter and cigarette away. He walked up to Qin Zhiâai. He remembered that she didnât like smoke, so he turned his body and opened the window.
Gu Yusheng walked to the desk and picked up the coffee to take a sip. He looked up and asked, âWhy did you come home so early?â