Moving On from the Tsundere, I Choose the Perfect Sweetheart

As for Gu Yifan, after his mother gave him a stern warning, she left him alone.

Once his parents went back to their room to sleep, Gu Yifan snuck out onto the balcony, secretly smoked a cigarette, and then went to take a shower.

Everything seemed to be back to normal.

Things were normal on his end, but for Han Ning, it was a completely different story.

After leaving Gu Yifan’s house, Han Ning had run all the way home in tears.

When the couple, Han Jianzhang and Ye Wanqing, rushed home, they heard muffled, suppressed sobs coming from their daughter’s bedroom the moment they walked through the door.

Ye Wanqing rushed over, opened the door, and saw her daughter huddled under the covers, crying.

"Uh..."

Han Jianzhang froze for a second. He looked at his wife, completely baffled, and asked, "Honey, what... what’s going on?"

It would have been fine if he’d kept quiet, but the moment he opened his mouth, Ye Wanqing flared up.

"You have the nerve to ask?!"

"This is all your fault!"

Ye Wanqing shot him a fierce glare and snapped.

"What?"

Han Jianzhang was even more baffled.

’My fault?’

’Wait, what did I even do? Why is it my fault?’

However, Ye Wanqing paid him no mind, rushing over to comfort her daughter instead.

"Oh, Xiaoning’er, sweetie, be a good girl and don’t cry."

"It’s okay, Mommy’s here now."

She gently lifted the covers, her voice soft and comforting.

"WAAAH—"

"SOB... SOB... SOB..."

But hearing her mother’s words only made Han Ning feel more aggrieved, and she could no longer hold back, bursting into loud sobs.

Seeing her daughter’s tear-stained face, Ye Wanqing’s heart ached terribly.

"Alright, sweetie, it’s okay."

"Don’t cry, don’t cry. It breaks Mommy’s heart."

"If you keep crying, Mommy’s going to start crying with you!"

"There, there, my baby, let’s stop crying now, okay?"

The rims of Ye Wanqing’s eyes reddened as she spoke, her own voice choked with emotion.

Standing at the door and watching the scene unfold, Han Jianzhang still had absolutely no idea what was going on. He scratched his head, utterly bewildered.

...

「Twelve o’clock, midnight.」

On the living room sofa, Han Jianzhang stared at his wife, his face a mask of shock and disbelief.

"Wait!"

"Honey, let me get this straight."

"Are you saying that our Xiaoning’er likes that Gu Yifan kid, but he’s giving her the cold shoulder?"

he asked, sounding uncertain.

"Yes."

Ye Wanqing nodded.

"But that’s not right!"

"Wasn’t it that Gu Yifan kid who liked our Xiaoning’er and confessed to her? And then Xiaoning’er rejected him???"

He began to wonder if he’d misheard, looking at his wife in disbelief.

"Yes."

"That’s exactly what happened."

Ye Wanqing nodded again.

Han Jianzhang was speechless.

’Both are right?’

’Then what’s the situation now?’

His wife’s words had his head spinning.

"Sigh..."

"Han Jianzhang, honestly. You can’t just be wrapped up in your work nonsense all day. You need to spare some time to care about your own daughter!"

"Everything you just mentioned happened over a month ago!"

"Things have changed!"

"After Gu Yifan confessed to Xiaoning’er and got rejected, he started distancing himself from her."

"And what about your daughter? When she saw Gu Yifan ignoring her, she panicked. She’s been trying everything to mend their relationship, but this time, he’s really giving her the cold shoulder and won’t budge."

"I have a feeling it’s not that Xiaoning’er dislikes the Gu Yifan kid. It’s because they grew up together and are so familiar with each other that she doesn’t even realize she likes him herself!"

Ye Wanqing explained slowly.

Han Jianzhang was speechless.

After listening to his wife, Han Jianzhang felt like he’d only been away on business for a little over half a month. How had the whole world changed in that time?

He looked up at his wife in disbelief. "Honey, are you sure Xiaoning’er likes Gu Yifan?"

"Of course!"

"If she didn’t like Gu Yifan, why would she be crying her heart out like that?"

"Is she crazy or something?"

Seeing her husband doubting her, Ye Wanqing shot him an irritated glare.

"Well..."

For a moment, Han Jianzhang didn’t know what to say.

After a long silence, he looked at his wife and grumbled, "Damn it, does this mean the precious cabbage I’ve raised for eighteen years is about to be snatched up by some pig???"

He always knew this day would come, of course.

After all, Gu Yifan and his daughter had grown up together, and the two families had always been on good terms. He just hadn’t expected this day to come so soon!

When he’d heard that the Gu Yifan kid had confessed to his daughter and been rejected, he’d been secretly relieved!

But now!

It’s turned into his own daughter throwing herself at the boy, and for free?!

Damn it!

That old fox Gu Jiaguo is getting a wonderful daughter-in-law like his daughter for nothing!

Just as he was stewing in resentment, Ye Wanqing spoke again.

"Hah!"

"Snatched up?"

"Right now, your daughter is the one offering herself up, and Gu Yifan doesn’t even want her!"

Ye Wanqing snapped.

Han Jianzhang: "???"

Hearing his wife’s words, his head snapped up.

"What do you mean?"

he asked with a frown.

"Exactly what it sounds like!"

Ye Wanqing retorted, "After Xiaoning’er rejected him, Gu Yifan got close to another girl whose looks and aura are every bit as good as Xiaoning’er’s. It looks like they’re about to become a couple!"

"Why else do you think Xiaoning’er is so frantic? Why do you think I suddenly tried to play matchmaker today?!"

"And you! Not only did you not help, you actively undermined me!"

Han Jianzhang was speechless.

"Uh... so what do we do now?"

Seeing that his wife was angry, Han Jianzhang asked sheepishly.

"I don’t know!"

Ye Wanqing snapped.

"How about I go find that Gu Yifan kid tomorrow and have a good talk with him?"

Han Jianzhang suggested after a moment’s thought.

"Enough, just stop!"

"Wasn’t today embarrassing enough for you?!"

"Doing this once is more than enough. Any more, and it’ll look like our daughter is some unwanted baggage we’re desperately trying to offload!"

Ye Wanqing couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

After a moment, she added, "I refuse to believe that more than a decade of history between Xiaoning’er and Gu Yifan can’t win against some girl he just met."

"Besides, they’re just having a childish spat right now. Maybe after a little while, they’ll make up and be as close as ever."

"Well... alright."

Han Jianzhang thought about it and realized she had a point. "Mm... The kids will have to find their own way. Let’s not get involved and just let nature take its course."

...

「Four-thirty in the morning.」

Outside the window, the sky was still pitch-black, not yet touched by the dawn.

Lying in bed, Gu Yifan was jolted awake by his phone’s alarm.

He had set the alarm so early because he’d promised Su Qinghe he would go with her to her part-time job at the steamed bun shop today.

After changing his clothes and quickly freshening up, Gu Yifan left a note for his parents and headed out the door.