Guo Ting wore a floral skirt today, her hair arranged into a neat bun, opting for a sweet and natural look. Her good looks and the pride from serving as a student representative for so long gave her a certain air of arrogance and distinction.
Unfortunately, all that distinction and pride seemed to fade in Han Luoli's presence, looking decidedly pale in comparison.
Upon hearing Guo Ting's words, Han Luoli merely hummed in response, not offering anything more as he continued on his long-legged stride toward the ward.
Guo Ting pursed her lips in slight embarrassment, the little pride in her heart causing her to hesitate about whether to follow the man's footsteps or not.
"Not coming?" Han Luoli paused midstride and turned to ask, though his tone was indifferent, the kind reserved for strangers without any particular fondness or disfavor.
Guo Ting thought she might have misheard, but seeing the man slow down, she quickly hastened her small steps to catch up and stood by Han Luoli's side, consciously maintaining a safe distance.
"Good afternoon, sir, I'm Xiao Er's classmate, Guo Ting. I've met you before at Xiao Er's home," she said.
"Mhm."
Guo Ting bit her lip, wondering if all men were this cold. In school, she had no shortage of admirers, she couldn't believe she lacked the charm to attract this man. If Gu Xiaoer could do it, why couldn't she?
"Sir, is Xiao Er feeling better? I came especially to see her." A clever girl wouldn't just throw herself at him but would find topics of interest to the man as the best approach.
True enough, Han Luoli turned his head, his gaze briefly settling on the girl who presented herself so gracefully and appropriately, and nodded, "Much better."
By the time they walked, they had already reached the door of the ward.
There was a clamor inside, and Han Luoli frowned before he pushed the door open with his large hand.
As the tall and imposing figure entered, the noise in the ward instantly hushed.
Xu Yanyan and Zhu Li, who had been arguing to the point of flushed faces, silenced immediately. They all looked towards the man at the door, their eyes unabashedly sparkling like stars, almost drooling.
The ward was quiet for a full ten seconds.
Until Guo Ting slowly emerged from behind Han Luoli.
She turned to Han Luoli with a slight bow, her tone cheerful, her smile cunning and sweet, "Thank you, sir, you're really kind," before she straightened and greeted the others in the ward.
Guo Ting? Why is it her?
The ambiguity in Guo Ting's words, though meant to thank him for leading the way, carried a confusing undertone to the five girls present, especially since Guo Ting's usually proud face was now suspiciously blushing.
Gu Xiaoer, with her mouth agape in surprise, was about to say, "Da Luoluo, you're back," but abruptly shifted to, "Director Guo, what brings you here?"
She was genuinely puzzled – what was the occasion today that everyone was coming to see her? The girls from the next room were one thing, but Director Guo, aside from joining her in the welcoming team once, had no further interactions with her.
Han Luoli didn't understand the little girl's thoughts, and within a few steps, he was by the bedside, planting a kiss on the girl's forehead, unmoved by the presence of so many onlookers.
…Blatantly showing off their love!
"Da Luoluo, there are people here!" Gu Xiaoer said bashfully, pushing the man away.
Accustomed to their daily couple's routine, Ai Le and Shen Mingyou stifled their laughs behind their hands.
Standing by the door, ignored by everyone, Guo Ting's face flushed with embarrassment. She hadn't even answered Gu Xiaoer's question when she was prematurely showered with affection, and the words she intended to say got stuck in her throat, her heart so sour it felt like it was fizzing.
"Ting Ting, why did you come?" Xu Yanyan and Zhu Li were also not pleased and shifted their gaze. Both of them started to wonder – why did Guo Ting come today, did she have the same idea as they did?