Irresistibly Drawn (Love After Marriage)

“Do I really have to go to Jing City?”

Jiang Hua was packing things, speaking as she went, “You must go. The medical facilities there are better.”

“I heard there are many people in the Gu Family.”

“Did Yunyi tell you that?”

“Yes.”

“The Gu Family is indeed large, but they’re all quite nice. Grandpa Gu is very strict, and his two sons and daughter are wonderful.”

Jiang Qingyu didn’t feel much relieved; staying at someone else’s house is never as comfortable as being at home.

“So, when can I come back?”

Jiang Hua paused slightly.

“About half a year.”

She made up a timeframe; young people’s matters should be left for them to discuss. She didn’t want to speak on Gu Yunyi’s behalf.

“Qingyu.”

Her mom suddenly became mysterious. While packing, she had thought through all possibilities.

Her daughter’s desk mate from middle school, the boy who occasionally walked home with her from high school. Even the delivery guy who came the other day when Jiang Qingyu ordered takeout, standing at the door talking-everything seemed suspicious.

“Tell me, do you have someone you like? A guy, or a girl?”

Jiang Qingyu was slightly startled, not knowing why she suddenly asked this.

Her preference was for guys, and she wasn’t against relationships. She just hadn’t had the time; after the age of playing in the mud, she started drawing, now secretly serializing a comic, leaving no time for such thoughts.

“No, neither guys nor girls.”

That’s good, then you’re definitely going to Jing City.

For some reason, Jiang Qingyu thought this as she was ushered out by Jiang Hua.

The man was standing at the door smoking, the light smoke drifting into the distance.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jiang Qingyu come out, a subtle curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

“Gu…”

The girl blinked, “Gu-Ge¹.”

Gu Yunyi had been at the house for a day, and she hadn’t called his name yet.

Calling him by his full name felt too formal, but not calling him by his full name felt overly familiar. After all, he was just there to pick her up, a son of family friends, not someone she could easily get close to.

“Yes, Qingyu, do you have anything planned for the next few days?”

Well, Gu Yunyi didn’t mind, but Jiang Qingyu thought it over and realized that, being older, it was appropriate for him to call her by her nickname.

But she did have plans.

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“What do you mean?”

“The day after tomorrow there’s a Comic Exhibition. If I can get tickets, I’ll go.”

The girl’s eyes sparkled, and Gu Yunyi, recalling the scene in the car yesterday, listened attentively. He also remembered Jiang Hua mentioning that Jiang Qingyu studied art and had loved attending exhibitions since she was young.

“Where is it?”

“At the Art Center, Building C, on the first and second floors.”

“Are you interested too?”

Jiang Qingyu didn’t have many friends; after Ou Ning went abroad, there was no one to accompany her. Gu Yunyi asked a few more questions, leading her to think he was interested too.

“Hmm? Yes.”

The man’s gentle smile was his response. Jiang Qingyu’s room was next to his, and after speaking, she returned to her room.

He recalled the day before leaving Jing City, when he gathered with friends, and dialed Shen Fang’s number.

In the evening, the aroma of food filled the Jiangnan Courtyard.

Gu Yunyi was a guest, and given his elegant and gentle demeanor, unlike the spoiled rich kids seen online, Jiang Qingyu had quite a favorable impression of him.

Jiang Hua finished cooking and went to call him, but there was no response.

The old wooden door, with its worn hinges, opened by itself after just one knock. She peeked inside; the guest room’s bed was neatly made, the chair pushed back in place, the power button on the laptop blinking, but the owner was absent.

The Jiangnan sunset was beautiful, with no rain tonight. The red sky arrived as expected, and the steady black sedan returned to the narrow alley, Gu Yunyi stepping out, the familiar scent wafting in the cool air.

“Gu-Ge?”

The girl wore a white dress, like a flower that blooms only at night, quietly showcasing its beauty.

The man’s gaze deepened slightly.

“You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

After dinner, Gu Yunyi stood in the courtyard, appreciating the night, accompanied by the cheerful sound of water flowing beyond the wall.

Half an hour later, he knocked on Jiang Qingyu’s door, the girl having dried her hair, the tungsten lamp casting a soft glow, her big eyes blinking.

“What is this?”

“Tickets?!”

Jiang Qingyu’s eyes lit up as she took them from the man’s smiling face.

Two tickets to the Comic Exhibition; Shen Fang was the investor for the event, and a phone call secured the tickets.

There were quite a few, but he only took two.

“Get some rest; I’ll take you tomorrow morning.”

Jiang Qingyu, full of joy, took the tickets and happily rolled around on her bed.

Before leaving Nan City, this was the thing she wanted to do most.

“Gu Yunyi…” Jiang Qingyu waved the tickets a few times, the ink on the two pieces of paper overlapping under the light. She repeated the name several times, “Gu Yunyi, quite a nice guy.”

Then she placed the tickets on the bedside table and sank into the fluffy duvet.

Under the window, the man stood with the already asleep morning glory, the purple-red flower drooping like a little face that had been wronged.

He wondered if Jiang Qingyu’s sleeping face was like the flower’s, easily looking aggrieved.

Footnote:

Ge(哥):In Chinese culture, it is quite common to address someone as “xx 哥” (pronounced as “xx ge”). The term “Ge” means “older brother” and, when used in this context, typically carries a sense of affection and friendliness. It indicates respect and amiability towards the person, similar to calling someone “bro” or “big brother” in English.