Chapter 15: A Generation Apart

Wen Jiu couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the two standing there so seriously, as if awaiting her arrival.

Gu Zehuai was the first to react, stepping aside to invite Wen Jiu in, still holding Gu Yulin's hand as they walked toward the living room.

As they headed inside, Gu Yulin didn't forget to grab Wen Jiu's hand, bringing her along with him.

It was obvious that Gu Yulin was overjoyed to see Wen Jiu.

"Sis, I finally get to see you! I've missed you so much!"

It had already been a few weeks since Wen Jiu last saw Gu Yulin.

"Sis, today is the weekend, so Dad let me come to Uncle's place to play. Mom and Dad are so busy every day, they never have time to play with me," he said, pouting unhappily.

Gu Zehuai explained from the side, "Your mom and dad are doctors, they're very busy."

Gu Yulin nodded, trying hard to push down the sadness in his heart.

After hearing Gu Zehuai's explanation, Wen Jiu understood a little. She crouched down to look Gu Yulin in the eye, gently stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"I'm sure your mom and dad want to spend time with you, too. They're just busy because their work is really important. But how about I play with you today, would you like that?"

Children's moods change as quickly as the wind.

As soon as she said that, Gu Yulin nodded happily, instantly forgetting all his troubles.

All he could think about was Wen Jiu's promise to play with him.

"Sis, do you know how to play mobile games? Let's play together, okay?"

"I'm not really good at games, but you can help me download one on my phone, and then you can teach me, how about it?"

With that, she handed her phone to Gu Yulin.

Gu Yulin happily took the phone and began fiddling with it on his own.

Gu Zehuai, standing to the side, let out a quiet laugh, barely audible but still caught by Wen Jiu.

She cast a questioning glance at Gu Zehuai, as if puzzled by his amusement.

Gu Zehuai teased, "I'm his uncle, and Yuyu calls you 'sister.' Isn't that a generation out of order?"

Wen Jiu covered her face—so that's what he was laughing about. She hadn't even considered the issue of seniority.

"It doesn't matter. Yuyu can call me whatever he likes. Besides, being called 'sister' makes me feel young," Wen Jiu said, her tone rising playfully at the end, quite delighted.

At that moment, Gu Yulin looked up and joined their conversation.

"Sis, since you said I can call you anything, I'd rather call you 'aunt.'"

At those words, both Wen Jiu and Gu Zehuai were left speechless.

How did their conversation end up here?

Gu Zehuai deliberately put on a stern face and scolded him, "Gu Yulin, what did I tell you last time? It's rude to say things like that, have you forgotten?"

Gu Yulin was always a bit afraid of his uncle. He quickly nodded, his survival instincts kicking in, then turned and grabbed Wen Jiu's hand, shaking it as he pleaded, "Sis, I'm sorry, I know I was wrong. I won't say that again."

Wen Jiu liked how Gu Yulin would admit his mistakes and act cute, so she patted his head with a smile and told him it was all right.

But inside, her heart was already stirred by his words. She felt a little self-conscious and didn't dare look at Gu Zehuai.

Gu Zehuai was no different.

He brought his hand to his mouth and coughed twice, pretending to cover his embarrassment at his own hypocrisy in scolding Gu Yulin.

He apologized to Wen Jiu as well. "Sorry, I didn't teach him well. Please forgive us."

Wen Jiu shook her head, indicating it was nothing.

They chatted idly, and soon the game finished downloading.

Gu Yulin handed the phone back to Wen Jiu so she could log into the game. At the same time, he took Gu Zehuai's phone and opened the game there.

Since Gu Yulin was underage and didn't have his own account, he could only use Gu Zehuai's.

Wen Jiu's account was brand new, with a beginner's tutorial that would take some time to complete.

After getting through the tutorial, Wen Jiu added Gu Zehuai's account as a friend.

Upon opening his profile, it was obvious he was a high-level, heavy-spending player. His proficiency with the heroes was also impressive; he clearly played often.

Wen Jiu teased, "I didn't expect you to be so good at games."

Gu Zehuai glanced at the screen and explained, "I actually don't play much. It was Pei Yi who used my account before."

Wen Jiu nodded, understanding.

Unsurprisingly, Wen Jiu was not very skilled at the game.

Gu Yulin was clearly the better player.

Wen Jiu was almost ready to give up, frustrated by the game.

At that moment, Gu Zehuai asked, "Do you want my help?"

"If you play, can we win?"

Gu Zehuai replied modestly, "I'll give it a try."

Wen Jiu had assumed that when Gu Zehuai said he didn't play much, his skills would be mediocre.

But as soon as he took the phone, Gu Zehuai led the team to a comeback, turning the losing situation around in no time.

Wen Jiu sighed, "So this is what you call 'not playing much?' That's amazing."

If Gu Zehuai had a tail, it would probably be wagging with pride, but he still replied coolly, "It's not a big deal."

They played a few rounds, and soon it was about time for lunch. Gu Zehuai stood up and headed to the kitchen.

Soon, the sounds of chopping and running water came from the kitchen.

Wen Jiu found herself staring absentmindedly at Gu Zehuai's back as he cooked.

How could even his back as he cooked look so handsome?

Suddenly remembering there were still some ingredients left in her own fridge, Wen Jiu went home to fetch them.

She knocked on the frosted glass sliding kitchen door, brought the ingredients inside, and explained to Gu Zehuai, "These are groceries I bought a couple of days ago when I was trying to learn how to cook. I couldn't get the hang of it, so I’d rather give them to you than waste them."

Gu Zehuai nodded, thanked her, and put the ingredients away in the fridge.

"Stay for lunch," he said. "Or if you ever want to come over for a meal, you're always welcome. I usually cook for myself at home."

Wen Jiu felt too embarrassed to accept the latter offer. She couldn't just show up at his house for food every day.

But she had tasted his cooking before—it really was excellent.

Those dumplings last time had been delicious.

She thought of Aunt Liu and wondered if her business had finished.

Aunt Liu was the housekeeper Wen Zhan had hired for Wen Jiu. Aunt Liu was especially good at home-cooked meals, and Wen Jiu loved her cooking.

But a week before Wen Jiu returned to the country, Aunt Liu had taken leave to go home due to a family emergency.