This Mind-Reading Technique Is Useless. - Chapter 22
Chapter 22: Judge a Book by its Cover. I’d rather give Gu Shiying a bath. …
There was no parking available in front of Guoguo’s house, so they parked in a nearby parking lot. On the way there, they saw several fruit shops, but Fu Huan wasn’t quite satisfied with the quality of the fruit. Instead of just going through the motions, he drove to a larger supermarket nearby and bought some fresh fruit, which was several notches better.
Fu Huan had been the one selecting the fruit the entire time. He had no idea whether it was good or not, and wasn’t usually that meticulous in his daily life.
He seemed to have met a completely new Fu Huan, completely different from the one he’d always remembered.
He was supposed to be aloof, like a young master who didn’t care about the world and didn’t understand the world. He had common sense, but choosing fruit was something many people couldn’t do.
Holding an apple that looked completely unsweet, Gu Shiying asked Fu Huan, “How do you know so much?”
Fu Huan: “I lived alone for a while in high school.”
Gu Shiying: “Is it because my home is far from school?”
Fu Huan: “Well, if I didn’t want to live in the dorms, I’d rent a place outside.”
Gu Shiying: “You lived alone in high school. You’re quite independent.”
Fu Huan smiled faintly: “You’re the first person to praise my independence.”
Gu Shiying couldn’t think of any other answer: “What else?”
Fu Huan: “People always ask why you don’t live with your family.”
Gu Shiying hadn’t considered that point, but he didn’t press the issue, fearing it would touch on something Fu Huan didn’t want to discuss.
He said, “I think living alone takes a lot of courage. It proves you’re independent, which is the dream of many boys. Parents won’t interfere too much, and you can sleep in as late as you want on weekends.”
Fu Huan nodded. “Indeed, living alone is very freeing, without parental control.”
Gu Shiying: “But living on your own still requires self-control.”
Fu Huan realized that his self-control was indeed good. Gu Shiying had been hanging around him for over a year, and he hadn’t made a move.
The two chatted as they walked to the cashier area.
Cashier: “Hello, the total is…”
The last time they visited Guoguo’s house, they were rushed, and Gu Shiying was sick, so they didn’t have time to take in the surroundings.
The old houses were mostly self-built, none of them higher than three stories.
The alley was too narrow for cars to drive in. Old, dirty electric bikes were parked on both sides, and the ground hadn’t been repaired for a long time, making it uneven. Gu Shiying and Fu Huan couldn’t walk side by side, so they had to walk one in front of the other.
As he was almost at the front, he saw three little boys surrounding another child, one of them grabbing the boy’s clothes.
“Silly, silly, you even wet your pants, hahaha!”
“Silly, go get your grandma’s money, we’ll take you to your mother.”
The child stumbled and fell to the ground after being dragged along by the taller boy. He heard the word “Mom” and looked up at the boy.
The tall boy said to his companions, “Hahaha, he seems to actually believe it.”
Gu Shiying saw Guoguo lying on the ground and strode forward, “What are you guys doing!”
The children ran away immediately after seeing him approaching angrily!
Gu Shiying helped Guoguo up, and the three children he had just bullied were brought back by Fu Huan, who didn’t let any of them go.
The three children were about seven or eight years old, just the right age for a dog to hate.
The tall boy struggled hard, “Let me go!”
Fu Huan stared at them coldly and immediately stopped.
Gu Shiying brushed the dust off Guoguo’s pants and checked him for injuries. He breathed a sigh of relief after confirming he was unharmed.
He looked at the three boys: “Why are you bullying Guoguo? Who’s your homeroom teacher?”
The three boys hung their heads in silence, their shoulders hunched at the word ‘homeroom teacher.’
Fu Huan threatened: “Call the parents and have them pay a ransom.”
He was tall, and standing before them like an insurmountable mountain, frightening the children.
“I, we won’t do it again next time.”
Gu Shiying: “Then apologize to Guoguo.”
The three boys hadn’t expected anyone to stand up for Guoguo. Terrified, they cowered and quickly apologized.
Fu Huan continued his stern face: “If I see you bullying anyone again, I’ll tie you up and throw you in the pond.”
The three boys nodded in fear: “Yes, yes, yes! We won’t do it again!”
Fu Huan only let them go after receiving a satisfactory response.
The three boys scurried away as fast as rabbits, fearing the burly older brother would actually tie them up.
Gu Shiying picked up Guoguo, touched his hand, and listened to his inner voice. Just like last time, he was still calling for his mother.
Gu Shiying: “Are you out because you miss your mother?”
Guguo actually reacted slightly to the word “mother.”
Fu Huan: “Let’s take him back first. I’m sure Grandma Lin will be worried if she can’t see him.”
Gu Shiying: “Okay.”
He carried Guoguo toward his home. Before he had gone far, he saw Grandma Lin standing at the door with her cane, looking for someone.
“Guoguo!”
“Where’s this kid?”
She turned around and saw Gu Shiying approaching, holding Guoguo.
Grandma Lin patted her chest: “I was so scared, Guoguo! Why did you run away? You scared me. Why are Little Gu and Little Fu here? Come in.”
Fu Huan stepped forward to help Grandma Lin into the house.
Grandma Lin wanted to pour them some water, but Gu Shiying told her not to bother.
Gu Shiying: “Grandma, please sit down. We’re not thirsty.”
Grandma Lin: “Guests are welcome.”
Gu Shiying: “We just heard you fell and came to see.”
Grandma Lin: “It’s okay. It’ll be fine in two days.”
Gu Shiying: “You’re welcome. If there’s anything we can help you with, just let us know.”
In fact, Grandma Lin downplayed her fall. The community was able to call Fu Huan’s phone only because she fainted after the fall.
Grandma Lin: “How can I bother you?”
In fact, when Gu Shiying and Fu Huan entered, they saw that Grandma Lin’s house was much messier than before. The dishes from lunch had still been cleared away, and the chili sauce she was going to sell hadn’t been put in the refrigerator yet.
Gu Shiying: “It’s okay. I also volunteer at the welfare home, and Guoguo and I have a connection.”
Grandma Lin: “Then please give Guoguo a bath. He loves cleanliness. I didn’t give him a bath yesterday after he fell, and he didn’t sleep well last night.”
The elderly and the young are the focus of community care. There’s a cafeteria there, and they bring meals to the grandparents, but everyone else is busy, so no amount of help can do much.
Gu Shiying noticed that Guoguo did have dark circles under his eyes.
“Then let’s give him a bath.”
The bungalow had two rooms: Grandma Lin slept in one, and Guoguo slept in the other. The smaller room had a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk with a family photo. The walls were covered in childish drawings and rows of small red flowers, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Gu Shiying said, “Guoguo must have grown up surrounded by love. His parents must have loved him dearly.”
Fu Huan glanced intently at the family photo on the table. “Well, get him some clothes?”
Gu Shiying: “Grandma Lin said they’re all in the closet. He likes light-colored tops and jeans.”
Fu Huan casually grabbed a few items.
Guoguo didn’t mind Gu Shiying and Fu Huan bathing him, but bathing inevitably involved contact with his skin, so Gu Shiying delegated that task to Fu Huan.
Gu Shiying: “You bathe him? I’ll help clean up.”
Fu Huan refused to let him go: “I’ve never bathed a child before.”
Gu Shiying: “Neither have I. It’s similar to our usual baths, right?”
“Sure, together,” Fu Huan insisted.
His dark eyes stared at Gu Shiying, his reflection in them, without flinching. Instead, Gu Shiying didn’t dare meet his gaze, instead looking at Guoguo, who was following them.
“Okay.” Gu Shiying dreaded not only hearing Guoguo’s heartbroken thoughts but also running into Fu Huan. He kept running into him, and he suspected Fu Huan was scheming, trying to find a way to touch him. But his thoughts didn’t mention his hidden agenda.
No, Fu Huan’s thoughts were entirely focused on him. His thoughts were like a triple-folding phone; he was there no matter how you folded it.
Gu Shiying picked up Guoguo: “Guoguo, let’s go take a shower!”
The bathroom wasn’t big, but it had dry and wet areas.
One person could stand inside, and two could stand outside. Two adults would have been a bit crowded.
Fu Huan lifted the shower head and adjusted the water temperature. “Alright, bring him in.”
Gu Shiying undressed Guoguo and carried him in.
“Fu Huan, wash his hair first.”
“His head is so small, it looks like a kiwi.”
Gu Shiying laughed. “Indeed, it does.”
Fu Huan’s palms were so broad that he could wrap them around Guoguo’s tiny head. He squeezed his hair gently, carefully shielding the foam from Guoguo’s eyes.
He found that his opinion of Fu Huan had changed again. He looked tall and indifferent, but in reality, he was attentive, gentle, and even knew how to choose fruit.
If someone had told him Fu Huan was like this before, he would have thought they were talking nonsense. But now that he saw it with his own eyes, he was judging people by appearances.
Guoguo was well-behaved and quiet, and giving him a bath went smoothly. After Fu Huan washed and dried him, Gu Shiying handed him clothes, which he put on one by one.
Guoguo smelled delicious after his bath, and Gu Shiying couldn’t help but smile and praise him, “So cute.”
Fu Huan cupped Guoguo’s arms with both hands and handed him to Gu Shiying. “There’s water all over the floor. Take him out while I clean it up.”
Gu Shiying took Guoguo, wrapped in a towel, and said, “Okay!”
During the handover, Gu Shiying unsurprisingly touched Fu Huan’s slightly hot palm.
[I’d rather give Gu Shiying a bath.]
“…” Gu Shiying’s laughter immediately died down.
Damn, he still judges people by appearances.
Author’s Note:
———————-
Fu Huan: [Dog holding a rose]
Gu Shiying: [Angry]
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The next chapter will be V-ed, and will be updated at midnight on the 3rd. I hope everyone will continue to support these two babies~