What did he mean by that?
Upon seeing her reaction, Gu Chen hurried over, took another candied haw from the bag, and offered it to Ji Pianran.
"Let me do this. You and the child go enjoy the candied haw."
Ji Pianran was startled.
This man before her, showing such kindness.
Was this really the same Gu Chen?
Why was he suddenly being so nice to her?
Could a person truly change for the better so unexpectedly?
Gu Chen saw her standing still, transfixed.
He reached out, pulled her up, and then stuffed the candied haw into her hands.
"Alright, go ahead, I can wash these."
In the instant their skin touched, both of them froze.
Ji Pianran blinked, a trace of embarrassment flickering through her beautiful eyes.
This man before her had once hurled abuse at her.
Indifferent.
But now, he was actually holding her hand.
He bought her a candied haw.
He told her he wanted to help her wash things?
He even told his daughter that she was his "little friend"?
Could she... really act like a "little friend"?
Gu Chen's hand was warm and dry.
Such an unexpected touch.
A mysterious warmth spread through her heart without reason.
Her emotions surged in that instant.
Her long, thick lashes curled into a beautiful arc.
Her dark eyes, as if hiding shards of crushed dawn light, fixed steadily on Gu Chen.
Her hand, which had been chilled by the cold water to the bone, was still in the palm of Gu Chen's hand.
It was February, the coldest time of the year.
She actually used such cold water to wash the sheets just to save coal?
Gu Chen felt an intense pang of distress.
He pursed his lips and squeezed her hand more tightly.
Sensing Gu Chen's gesture.
Ji Pianran suddenly withdrew her hand, her head bowed, her face tinged with a light pink, looking incredibly beautiful.
She smoothed the stray hairs in front of her forehead.
Her eyes flickered uncertainly.
She changed the subject in her fluster.
"Those... what are they?"
Hearing this, Gu Chen remembered he had brought home New Year's goods.
He hurriedly went over and brought all the items to her.
"These are our New Year's goods. This bag has rice and flour, and this one has meat; beef and pork. I'll earn some money tomorrow and buy some more things."
Ji Pianran followed Gu Chen's hand with her eyes.
When she saw that there was actually a can of baby formula in the bag, she was completely taken aback.
Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes filled with a storm of shock.
"That is... "
Gu Chen followed her gaze and realized she was looking at the can of baby formula he bought for Tangtang at the store.
He took the can of formula out of the bag and handed it to Ji Pianran.
"This is the formula. From now on, Tangtang will have formula every month."
The consecutive surprises she had experienced these past few days made Ji Pianran undergo quite a few changes inside.
She began to believe that the man before her genuinely wanted to be good to his daughter.
He had even bought baby formula for his daughter.
Perhaps he truly wanted to make amends.
Her eyes were slightly moist.
But at the corners of her mouth, there bloomed a faint smile.
"Thank you."
This was the first time since her rebirth that Gu Chen had seen Ji Pianran smile.
It was subtle, but it was truly beautiful.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred yuan.
He handed it to the Ji Pianran standing before him.
"It's not much, only a hundred yuan, but tomorrow, The Day After Tomorrow, I will earn more money and bring it back, can you give me some time?"
Ji Pianran looked at the hundred yuan in his hand, then at all the New Year's goods he had brought.
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Couldn't help but feel a bit worried.
These things would have to cost at least a hundred or two hundred yuan to buy.
Since Gu Chen doesn't have a penny to his name, how could he afford so many things?
"Did you go gambling again?"
She hesitated for a moment, but still cautiously asked.
Without waiting for Gu Chen to explain,
The child licking the candied hawthorn by her side couldn't help but start defending her father.
"Mom, Dad took me to sell vegetables today, so many people were rushing to buy them, it was so lively."
Hearing her daughter's words, Ji Pianran looked at Gu Chen in surprise.
Selling vegetables?
He actually went to buy vegetables?
Gu Chen nodded.
"Yes, I went to the market today and picked out some vegetables to sell. It went quite well."
Fearing Ji Pianran wouldn't believe him, he added another sentence.
"Don't worry, I didn't gamble. From now on, I'll go sell vegetables every day and give the money I earn to you. I will strive to give you and Tangtang a good life!"
His expression was extremely serious when he spoke.
Ji Pianran pinched the money in her hand, then reached her hand out again.
"You should keep it for yourself; you need money to buy the vegetables, right?"
Although she doesn't have money, she can work, earning twenty yuan on a good day, ten yuan on the less good ones.
By being frugal, they could still get by.
If Gu Chen wanted to sell vegetables, he would certainly need some capital to start with.
Gu Chen gently pushed her hand back.
"You keep it. It's only right for me to earn money and give it to you."
Only right?
He actually said that it was only right for him to earn money for her and Tangtang?
Ji Pianran blinked her eyes, not saying a word.
In her heart, however, a feeling she couldn't quite express welled up, carrying traces of warmth.
She had waited too long for these words.
So long that she had almost forgotten that in this home, she wasn't the only one trying hard.
Could she really trust this man in front of her?
Gu Chen smiled.
"Alright, go enjoy your candied hawthorn," he said.
After speaking, he himself sat down to start washing clothes.
The water in the stainless steel washbasin was groundwater.
The moment Gu Chen plunged his hands into it, he shivered.
Bone-chillingly cold.
He didn't speak, silently starting to scrub the sheets in the basin with all his might.
He didn't know how many times she must have washed clothes like this.
These years, life had really not been easy for her.
There were still four days to go—four days until Ji Pianran was due to run away from home.
He had to keep her here at all costs!
Ji Pianran was out in the yard with Tangtang, both playing with little wooden figures while eating hawthorns dipped in molten sugar.
The candied hawthorn was very sweet, a single bite, and the flavor of the hawthorn immediately burst forth.
And then it swiftly spread across the taste buds.
Sour and sweet—it was delicious.
It had been three years since Gu Chen had bought candied hawthorn for himself.
The last time he ate it, it was Ji Pianran's father who bought it for her when she was a child.
She was a bit dazed.
Seeing her unresponsive, Tangtang tugged at her sleeve.
Smiling, she said, "Mommy, does it taste good? Is it very sweet?"
Ji Pianran smiled back, "Yes, it's very sweet."
Pleased with the answer she sought, the little girl beamed with satisfaction.
"Mommy, Tangtang really loves Daddy."
The child's voice was tender and genuinely innocent.
Ji Pianran actually saw the happiness in Tangtang's dark, glistening eyes.
She laughed along.
As a mother, she always loved her child deeply; Tangtang's happiness naturally made her happy as well.
The little girl still held the unfinished candied hawthorn in her hand, looking earnestly at Ji Pianran.
"Mommy, do you like Daddy?"
Ji Pianran was startled; why would Tangtang ask such a question?
Does she, does she like Gu Chen?
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