Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared-Chapter 37 - A Feeling

37: Chapter 37 A Feeling

37 -37 A Feeling

The next day when she woke up, Su Hui felt a bit groggy.

She found herself in her room, fully dressed, and under her blankets, she tried to remember but couldn’t recall how she got home the previous night.

“You’re awake!” Gu Fan stood at the door, arms crossed, leaning against the door frame, with a look that was somewhere between a smile and a smirk, as if he was amused by something.

Confused, Su Hui asked, “May I ask, how did I get home last night?”

Gu Fan assumed a thoughtful expression, then replied, “Uhm, well, I can say I did what a friend should do, I stepped in to help when you needed it.”

Upon hearing these words, Su Hui furrowed her brows slightly, guessing what might have happened, yet not quite certain.

Having no recollection of the previous night made her feel rather vulnerable now.

Gu Fan wore a mischievous grin, “To be honest, you’re quite heavy.

I had to exert quite a bit of effort getting you into bed.

My arms still hurt from it.”

“That’s because you’re incompetent.

Can’t believe a man like you can’t even handle that kind of weight,” Su Hui said, simultaneously amused and annoyed, thinking to herself what he meant by ‘getting her into bed’.

It wasn’t incorrect, but it sounded weird.

They stared at each other, and the atmosphere fell into silence.

Yet, this silence carried an indescribable taste that seemed to stir something deep within their hearts.

Suddenly, Gu Fan broke the silence, “Sorry, I didn’t remove your makeup last night.

Not really my forte, so…” Before he could finish, Su Hui let out a loud shriek, jumping straight out of bed and dashing towards the bathroom.

“My God, my skin!” Su Hui fretted in panic, trying to salvage every ounce of her skin’s health, taking out so many bottles and jars of cosmetics that Gu Fan was left stupefied.

That’s a lot, he thought.

“You take your time.

I’ve made breakfast, come down and eat when you’re done,” Gu Fan suggested, only earning an absent-minded grunt of approval from Su Hui in response, as she was too busy attending to her face.

So, Gu Fan waited downstairs for what seemed like an eternity until Su Hui finally emerged, looking radiant even without makeup.

“My God, you’re so beautiful without any makeup, how do other women stand a chance,” Gu Fan genuinely exclaimed, chuckling.

Su Hui was flattered too, she laughed, “That’s your fault for not removing my makeup.

I could have been even prettier today.”

“Yes, yes, it’s all my fault.

Your Highness, please enjoy your meal,” Gu Fan said, his words causing Su Hui to burst out in laughter.

Then she started sampling the food he had prepared, and found it tasted pretty good.

Impressed, Su Hui couldn’t help but exclaim, “A man who cooks so well, are you truly male?”

Hearing her ungrateful words, Gu Fan felt indignant.

He retorted, “What’s wrong with a man cooking well?

Look at all the chefs in restaurants out there, aren’t they all men?”

Su Hui nodded her agreement, “Well said, I’m curious how you learned to cook so well.”

Gu Fan answered, “Before I started living on my own, my mom, fearing I might starve, wrote me a cookbook, taught me everything hands-on, even brought me to the farmer’s market to choose ingredients.

She left nothing out.”

“Hmm, your mother really went through a lot of trouble for you.” Su Hui nodded approvingly, which made Gu Fan curious.

He wanted to ask about her parents.

Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted their cozy breakfast.

Gu Fan wondered who it could be, couldn’t possibly be Lu Yi, could it?

When Gu Fan opened the door, he was taken aback.

Standing there was a tall, handsome man with a friendly smile, “Hello, I’m looking for Su Hui.

Is she here?”

“She’s here, but she doesn’t seem to be in a good mood, I’m not sure if she’s taking visitors today,” Gu Fan replied, grumbling inwardly about this man’s unexpected visit.

What did you do yesterday, and what are you planning now?

Yuan Cheng saw Su Hui sitting quietly at the table, having her breakfast.

He couldn’t help but sigh, “Su Hui, I’d like to talk with you, just for a little while.

Please give me some time, let me share my thoughts with you.”

Su Hui didn’t respond, which made the atmosphere quite awkward.

Gu Fan, wearing an apologetic face, said, “Sorry, looks like Su Hui isn’t taking any visitors today.

My advice?

Try again tomorrow.”

Yuan Cheng expressionless, replied, “So you’re Gu Fan.

Su Hui must’ve told you about me.

I don’t like to oppress others, and I don’t like others meddling in my business, so please don’t make things difficult for me.”

“Ha, of course, I don’t like people interfering in my matters either.

I can understand your perspective and support it.” Gu Fan was very courteous on the outside, yet he felt irked inside.

This fellow was using his influence to dominate.

At this moment, Su Hui spoke in a soft voice: “Gu Fan, please let him in.” Whether it was because she didn’t want Gu Fan to be in an awkward situation before someone powerful or just a longing for the past, it was unclear.

“Alright then, I hope you won’t mind our old house.” Gu Fan gestured an invitation, on which Yuan Cheng responded with a polite smile: “Thank you.

If it’s possible, I would like to speak with Su Hui alone.”

“I understand, I understand, I will give you space.” Gu Fan appeared very deferential, but his insincere obedience was evident.

As soon as Gu Fan left, Yuan Cheng shut the door behind him.

His domineering attitude irked Gu Fan; it was as if Yuan Cheng had banished him from his own home.

Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen…

Gu Fan waited outside, getting more anxious by the minute.

He was unsure about what Su Hui and Yuan Cheng were discussing.

He believed that the longer they spoke, the worse things would get.

If Su Hui had truly given up or lost hope, then the conversation would end rather quickly.

But if…

“It’s a woman’s nature, don’t be so foolish or quick to surrender.” Gu Fan found himself silently cheering for Su Hui.

After what felt like twenty-five agonizing minutes, the door finally opened.

Yuan Cheng, his face expressionless, stepped out and gave Gu Fan a slight nod in thanks.p>

His eyes showed no hint of joy or satisfaction, which led Gu Fan to surmise that the conversation did not go as attempted.

Hence, Yuan Cheng had to feign a calm demeanor.

Yuan Cheng left without looking back.

Out of the blue, he heard Gu Fan yell from the behind: “Be careful over there, that tile isn’t steady.”

“What!” Before Yuan Cheng could react, he had stepped on the tile.

Yi tilted downward and he was jolted by the sudden loss of balance.

Seeing Yuan Cheng’s brief disorientation, Gu Fan held in a laugh: “Sorry about that.

Our house here is quite old along with all its facilities, it’s bound to have some issues.

These fixtures are pretty bothersome to deal with.”

“No problem, I’ll get used to it.” Yuan Cheng replied with a facade of indifference, but after turning away, his face turned gloomy.

Gu Fan watched Yuan Cheng leave, then returned inside.

Su Hui was sitting calmly on the couch, her standoffish aura contrastingly attracting him.

Her eyes had a tinge of sadness and yearning, as if waiting for someone to thaw her frozen heart.

Gu Fan assumed that the conversation didn’t go well.

He was at a loss of how to start the conversation, but unexpectedly, Su Hui beat him to the punch, “Do you know what he just said to me?”

“Let me guess, he said that due to his family’s pressure, he had to pair up with the other woman.

But the one he truly loves is you.” As soon as Gu Fan finished, Su Hui looked at him, amazed.

Seeing Gu Fan looking ominously serious, she couldn’t help but laugh, “It seems men understand men better.

Do all men use this romantic bluff to deceive women?”

Gu Fan replied candidly: “Do all women love to hear men’s sweet nothings?”

Upon hearing this, Su Hui chuckled again, her laughter a mix of bitterness and amusement, trailed by an air of sadness and helplessness.

Finally, she took a deep breath, striving to appear reconciled.

“I’m off work today, and you’re not going to class.

That’s nice.” A single sentence from Su Hui threw Gu Fan into a sense of urgency: “Sister Su, what do you mean?

I never said I wouldn’t go to class today.”

“Skipping a few classes in university is perfectly normal.

It’s part of the university life.” Su Hui made it sound as if it were an unwritten rule, leaving Gu Fan befuddled, “Sorry, but since my time at university, I’ve never skipped class.

I’ve always strived for both academic and moral excellence.”

“Everything has exceptions; someone has to help break your mold.

Looks like that person is me.” After saying this, Su Hui stood up.

Despite her best efforts to cheer up, she looked visibly downcast.

“Alright, just this once.

But if I fail the class because of this, you’re responsible.” Gu Fan’s words made Su Hui nod in understanding, responding, “A truly excellent student wouldn’t fail because of missing class once or twice.

So, if you do fail, you can’t blame me.”

“You really are impossible to refute.” Gu Fan feigned a defeated look, making Su Hui laugh again, lifting her spirits ever so slightly.

Gu Fan followed up with, “So, what’s the plan for today?

Fancy doing some boxing?”

“No need, repeatedly beating you, a beginner, isn’t fun.

I won’t give you the chance to say I’m taking advantage of you.

Let’s go for a walk instead.

Take me to some interesting places.

I want to have some fun and then start my new life on a high note.” Su Hui’s words seemed to place all her hopes on Gu Fan.

Not wanting to disappoint his freshly heartbroken friend, Gu Fan confidently reassured her: “Rest assured, I can’t promise anything else, but if you want to have fun, you’ve come to the right person.”

“Great!” Su Hui laughed.

Seeing Gu Fan’s youthful, self-confident, dashing figure, she laughed genuinely for the first time today.

The feeling of warmth seemed to return, although it didn’t come from Yuan Cheng.