Cinderella Innocent and Boss Charming - Chapter 99

Chapter 99 Gu Nianbin, Come Back Early

“What’s wrong?” Gu Nianbin asked.

“I sprained my ankle.” Xia Xiaowan pointed at her foot and said, “I thought it’s almost time for lunch, so I went down the slope in a bit of a hurry and accidentally…”

Gu Nianbin said with a smile, “What’s the hurry? We have to wait for you before having lunch.”

Seeing that he was joking, Xia Xiaowan was slightly stunned. She also smiled and said, “Please help me up. I can’t even stand up.”

Gu Nianbin squatted down in front of her and said, “Come on up, I’ll carry you on my back.”

“That’s so embarrassing. I can still walk with one foot.” Xia Xiaowan seemed to feel embarrassed.

Gu Nianbin turned to look at her. “When did you become so coy?”

Hearing this, Xia Xiaowan leaned on his back and said, “Thank you then.”

Gu Nianbin said, “If I had known that you would hurt yourself, I should have come with you.”

“It’s not your fault. I didn’t watch out,” Xia Xiaowan said, “and I made you have to carry me.”

Gu Nianbin did not say anything else. He silently carried her on his back and slowly went down the mountain along the stone steps. Neither of them spoke. On the quiet mountain path, only the rustling sound of Gu Nianbin stepping on the fallen leaves could be heard. Although it was late autumn, there were many camphor trees on the roadside. They were still lush and verdant at this time of the year. The unfolding crown of the trees blocked out the scorching sun at noon, casting shades on the road and made it cool. Xia Xiaowan’s long hair flew in the wind, and a strand hung in front of Gu Nianbin’s face. She hurriedly brushed it away with her hand. Her fingers slid across his smooth forehead. Xia Xiaowan’s heart suddenly skipped a beat and then instantly throbbed again. She struggled in her heart and said, “Forget it, I’d better get down and walk by myself in case we both fell. The road is a little steep.”

It was a straight path down the mountain with slightly high steps. As soon as she asked, Gu Nianbin put her down. At this moment, a few people came down from the mountain. They were the servants that Gu Nianbin had brought up the mountain to look for her. The moment they saw Xia Xiaowan like this, they knew that she had sprained her ankle. Without waiting for Gu Nianbin to say it, they hurriedly came up to support her.

It took them more than half an hour before they returned to the living hall. Seeing that Xia Xiaowan had sprained her ankle, Fang Yaru couldn’t help but blame Gu Nianbin, “Well, I told you that there could be danger, and something bad really happened. You should have stayed with her! Xiaowan is our guest, but she sprained her ankle the first time she came to our house… this is…”

“Auntie, don’t blame Nianbin. It was my fault for being careless.” Xia Xiaowan saw a maid squatting on the ground who was about to rub her foot with medicinal oil. The maid put her hand on Xia Xiaowan’s ankle and the moment she did that, Xia Xiaowan inhaled in pain.

Fang Yaru said, “Ah Ling, be gentle.”

Ah Ling said, “Madame, the medicine can’t be absorbed by the skin if I don’t rub it with some strength. It’ll be useless.”

Xia Xiaowan said, “Rub it hard. I can bear it.”

Ah Ling took a look at her and applied some strength slowly. Xia Xiaowan bit her lips hard and did not say a word. Fang Yaru looked at her worriedly. “Xiaowan, if it hurts a lot, shout out and it won’t hurt anymore.”

Xia Xiaowan bore the pain and smiled at Fang Yaru. “It’s fine, I can still bear it.”

Fang Yaru looked at her for a while, then walked over to Gu Guangxian and sat down. She whispered, “Look how sensible Xiaowan is. She is not delicate at all. If our Shanshan hurt herself, she would definitely scream like a dying pig.”

Gu Guangxian laughed. “How could you say that about your own daughter?”

“I’m telling the truth.” Fang Yaru turned her head and saw Gu Nianbin sitting on the sofa in a daze. She waved her hand and called him over. “Don’t go anywhere this afternoon. Stay here with Xiaowan. She gets her ankle sprained and can’t move now. You drink tea and chat with her. Do your best to be a host.”

Gu Nianbin said, “Mom, don’t you have a lot to talk about with her? Why don’t you stay with her?”

“You young people have a common language. Besides, I have to accompany your father to rest. Be obedient. I invited her over, just do your mother a favor.”

Gu Nianbin had planned to leave after lunch. His little girl was still alone at home. But now that Xia Xiaowan had sprained her ankle, and as the host, it was really improper for him to leave. He couldn’t leave a girl with a sprained ankle to his parents.

Therefore, in the afternoon, after Fang Yaru and Gu Guangxian returned to their room to rest, Gu Nianbin chatted with Xia Xiaowan in the living hall. Xia Xiaowan was good at chatting. No matter whom she chatted with, she could always manage to make the conversation go well. While Gu Nianbin was modest and gentlemanly as always. He was not overly enthusiastic nor so indifferent. The two of them seemed to have a friendly and harmonious chat.

At this time, Xia Xiaowan saw a black glass jar and a white glass jar on the wooden showcase beside the wall. They had a unique shape, looking warm and smooth, and glowed in faint light. She asked curiously, “What is that?”

Gu Nianbin glanced over and said tonelessly, “The go chess pieces. Do you know how to play the game of go?”

“I can’t say I’m proficient, but I do know a thing or two about it.” She sounded like she clearly had the intention of playing it.

Gu Nianbin said, “Since that’s the case, why don’t we play a game of it and kill some time?”

Xia Xiaowan said, “Alright! You must be an expert. Let me move 5 steps before you.”

“Only five steps?” Gu Nianbin raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Looks like you are good at this!”

Xia Xiaowan smiled. “Looks like I’ve overestimated myself. How about ten steps?”

Gu Nianbin had someone put the chess table in front of Xia Xiaowan. He sat down and asked her to pick a side first. Xia Xiaowan held the black jar in her hand and said, “I like black pieces. They are as beautiful as dark jades.”

“Not because the black side can start first?” Gu Nianbin asked.

“That is also one reason,” Xia Xiaowan said, “I like to take the initiative to attack. I don’t like to be passive.”

“On the contrary, I like the white side because I can defend first and then lure my enemy to go deeper to be attacked.”

Xia Xiaowan smiled. She picked up a black piece and lightly put it on the chessboard, making an extremely pleasant sound. Gu Nianbin followed her to pick a white piece to occupy the other side’s corner. They took the moves extremely quickly, as if they didn’t need to think about it. However, as time passed by, their moves became slower and slower. Gu Nianbin had won less than ten black pieces, while Xia Xiaowan had already won three to five white pieces in front of her. The current winner was clear to see.

Gu Nianbin rubbed his chin and glanced at Xia Xiaowan. “You didn’t overestimate yourself, it’s I underestimated you.”

Xia Xiaowan laughed heartily and tilted her head. “A proud soldier is doomed for defeat. You were the one who said you would allow me to start 5 steps before you.”

Her playful smile and coquettish tone somehow made Gu Nianbin feel familiar. Looking at her, Gu Nianbin was absent-minded for two seconds. Then he smiled and said, “It’s still too early to call you the winner. I’ll allow you to be a little proud first.”

Xia Xiaowan laughed again. It seemed that her watery eyes were glowing, making her smile even gentler.

At first, Gu Nianbin didn’t put into much effort in the game, thinking that a girl wouldn’t be so good at Go, so he just played with her casually. Turned out Xia Xiaowan’s level was much higher than he had imagined. Not including the ten steps he allowed her to go first, he was actually at a disadvantage now. It was at this moment when he started to concentrate on the game.

Sunlight slanted through the windows, casting the shadow of the carved window on the ground. Countless tiny specks of dust rose and rolled in the light beam, which were dyed golden by the sunlight. In an autumn afternoon, it was already a pleasure to rest in such a hundred-year-old house. The man sitting opposite her had sharp eyebrows and clear eyes. His lower eyes were as deep as a bottomless pond. His cold face and deeply contoured features were so charming even though he was just being casual. Time seemed to have stopped at the moment. Xia Xiaowan felt so close to happiness at this moment.

In the end, Gu Nianbin still won Xia Xiaowan, but his victory was not easy. Xia Xiaowan finally put the chess pieces away and admitted her defeat. Gu Nianbin said, “You are a worthy opponent.”

Xia Xiaowan cupped her fists at him and smiled. “You are flattering me.”

The two of them smiled at each other and then started the second round.

Fang Yaru came out of the room and looked at them from afar for a while. Then she turned around, entered the room happily and said to her husband, “Looks like I’m right for not giving up hope. It’s hard to say whether they will be together or not.”

Gu Guangxian disagreed, “Didn’t Nianbin tell you that nothing would happen between him and Xiaowan?”

“Go out and take a look yourself. Does it look like nothing will happen between them?” Fang Yaru smiled and pointed at the door with her mouth.

“I’m not going,” Gu Guangxian said, “call someone to make tea. Remember to use the spring water from the back mountain.”

Fang Yaru answered okay and walked to the back along the corridor.

The sunlight moved inch by inch and finally shone on Gu Nianbin, covering him with a layer of faint golden light. His cold face seemed to become gentle in the light. He put his last chess piece and stretched out as he looked at the big cloisonne clock beside the wall. He said in surprise, “It’s already so late.”

Xia Xiaowan smiled. “Of course. Playing Go is the easiest way to kill time. We are kind of fast players. For truly matched rivals, it will take them very long to finish one game.”

Gu Nianbin said, “You must be tired. Take a rest. I’ll go out for a cigarette.”

“Go ahead. Don’t worry about me. I happen to be in the mood for a nap right now.”

Gu Nianbin asked Ah Ling to bring a blanket for her. He walked out of the hall himself and entered a wing room on the south side. It was his room in the house. The furnishings inside weren’t as old-fashioned as in the living hall. They were all pure French-style furnishings. The milky-white furnishings were all painted with thin gold edges, giving off a gentle glow in the dark room.

Gu Nianbin sat down on the leather sofa. He took out his phone, checked the messages but failed to find any. He threw his phone onto the sofa beside him and lay down. He hadn’t taken a rest after the lunch and was a little tired, but he couldn’t fall sleep.

He had decided to let go of the matter last time and move on. But Xia Xiaowan’s words made him suspicious again. He knew that he should trust Du Xiaoxian. His little girl was too innocent and kind to lie to him, but…

Du Xiaoxian had mentioned Cheng Mingchi to him and even told him about the handkerchief. When she said that, he could tell that she was very frank and her eyes were honest. His little girl did not know how to lie, but why did Xia Xiaowan say that? Was it true that everyone knew about that? Or was there any misunderstanding about this?

Just as he was looking at the ceiling in a daze, his phone rang. He sat up lazily and reached out to pick up the phone. It was Du Xiaoxian. She asked when he would return.

The little girl’s voice sounded a little listless. Gu Nianbin suppressed the unhappiness in his heart for the time being and asked her gently, “What’s wrong?”

Du Xiaoxian sighed softly and said it was probably because she was tired. She also said that Shao Boqing would take her and Zhou Ting to have steak later. She thought that he could manage to come back.

Gu Nianbin could tell from her words that she was a little disappointed, so he was a little happy and said that he would return as soon as possible after dinner.

Du Xiaoxian said okay. After a moment of silence, she called him again. Gu Nianbin asked what else she wanted to say. She paused for a moment and asked suddenly, “Can I call you by your name?”

Gu Nianbin was stunned for a moment before smiling and answering, “Yes!”

Thus, Du Xiaoxian called him loudly on the phone, “Gu Nianbin, come back early!”