Lin Nuan admired Yun Liuli's courage. At least… when she was at Yun Liuli's age, she wasn't as brave as her!

  Lin Nuan nodded. "Alright… Do you need the chef's help?"

  The young lady clutched her phone and shook her head. "For things that I give him, I want to make them myself!"

  Lin Nuan took Yun Liuli to the kitchen downstairs and told the chef to prepare the things required for baking a cake. The young lady then entered the kitchen and got to work.

  When Fu Huai'an and Gu Qingcheng finished their discussion and came down, Lin Nuan saw Gu Qingcheng with his coat hanging on his arm and holding leather gloves in his hand. She asked, "Are you leaving?"

  Her question was clearly directed toward Gu Qingcheng. Gu Qingcheng nodded, and his gaze passed by Lin Nuan, scanning the room. He didn't see Yun Liuli, and he didn't ask either.

  "Since you're back in the country, why don't you stay for a few more days? Why are you leaving when you've just arrived?"

  Fu Huai'an's hands were in his pockets, and he stood next to Gu Qingcheng. He immediately understood that Lin Nuan wanted to get Gu Qingcheng to stay for Yun Liuli's sake. He smiled lightly and didn't reveal her intention. "Qingcheng isn't leaving yet. He's staying at a hotel…"

  "Since you're back, then don't stay at a hotel, stay here! I've already had the servants clean up the room you stayed in the previous time…" Lin Nuan smiled, lying without turning red or having her heart pound.

  The Fu residence's servants were good at taking hints. When they heard Lin Nuan say that, they secretly sent people to clean up the guest room that Gu Qingcheng had stayed in previously.

  "Qingcheng's luggage is already at the hotel. Don't have him move it to and fro, just let him be…" Fu Huai'an said.

  Lin Nuan looked toward Fu Huai'an and nodded. She felt that she had let Yun Liuli down, failing to get Gu Qingcheng to stay for her sake. She harbored the intention of making things up to Yun Liuli and thus said to Gu Qingcheng, "Why don't you stay for lunch?"

  "I still have matters to deal with in the afternoon, so I won't be disturbing you!" Gu Qingcheng looked at Lin Nuan with his long and narrow eyes. "I'll have to trouble you to take care of Xiao Liuli during this time!"

  "It's something I should do!"

  Lin Nuan wasn't saying that out of courtesy. Gu Qingcheng had put his life on the line in that world for Fu Huai'an's sake. Even if it was at the risk of her life, Lin Nuan would also take good care of Yun Liuli.

  Lin Nuan and Fu Huai'an sent Gu Qingcheng out. Watching Gu Qingcheng get in the car and leave, Lin Nuan put her small hand into Fu Huai'an's, hugging his arm with one hand and saying, "The reason Gu Qingcheng isn't staying here is that he wants to avoid Xiao Liuli?"

  Not hearing Fu Huai'an's reply after a moment, Lin Nuan raised her head and looked toward him. He said slowly, "Tonight, Tang Zheng, Lu Jinnan, and Bai Jinyu will be coming over for dinner. Qingcheng will be bringing his girlfriend over as well!"

  Lin Nuan was stunned for a moment, and she blinked her eyes, feeling surprised, perplexed, and stunned.

  Fu Huai'an held Lin Nuan's small hand tightly, explaining to her, "Since there's no future with Yun Liuli, he should be more decisive. It'll do neither of them any good to let things drag on!"

  So, Gu Qingcheng was planning to cut off Yun Liuli's love for him!

  Lin Nuan couldn't help but frown. "Does he have to use this method? Won't it be too hurtful?"

  "It's not as if Qingcheng hasn't brought the matter up to Yun Liuli before, but it's useless. That's why he can only choose this method…"

  "Then does he like his current girlfriend? Isn't this unfair to that lady?"

  "Qingcheng plans on getting married," Fu Huai'an said.

  Lin Nuan's mouth opened slightly. She hadn't expected that Gu Qingcheng would go to such lengths…


  Getting married?

  Right. It was fine to let Yun Liuli meet his girlfriend if it was just to break off Yun Liuli's feelings for him. However, there wouldn't be a need to show her to Fu Huai'an, Lu Jinnan, and Tang Zheng.

  To think that he planned on getting married!

  To Gu Qingcheng, he would either stay single for life or find a wife so strong that she'd be able to protect herself, not becoming his weakness. There happened to be such a person, and she was extremely suitable for Gu Qingcheng.

  It was merely suitable.

  Lin Nuan subconsciously tightened her grip on Fu Huai'an's big hand. Her heart couldn't help but ache for Yun Liuli.

  The gathering that night was the last present that Gu Qingcheng would be giving Yun Liuli after she came of age.

  Yun Liuli stayed in the kitchen for the entire day, focusing on preparing a birthday cake for Gu Qingcheng.

  When Lin Nuan went to call Yun Liuli for lunch, she told Yun Liuli in a roundabout manner that Gu Qingcheng would bring his girlfriend over for dinner that night. Yun Liuli seemed as if she was immersed in her own world, nodding without even blinking her eyes. She focused on fighting with the cream.

  Lin Nuan's heart ached slightly when she looked at Yun Liuli's thin shoulders. She couldn't help but want to reach out her hand to stroke the young lady's long, beautiful hair. However, she drew back her hand and decided to tell Yun Liuli the brutal truth. This would give Yun Liuli time to mentally prepare, ensuring that she didn't end up unable to accept things when she heard the news later.

  "I heard from Huai'an that Gu Qingcheng is planning to marry the lady who will be coming tonight!"

  Those words were cruel.

  However, if Gu Qingcheng were the one to say it, it'd be even more brutal.

  Yun Liuli seemed as if she hadn't heard anything. She merely controlled her strength as she piped out the cream onto the cake's borders.

  The sunlight shone down brightly outside the windows, but Yun Liuli still lit up all the lights in the kitchen. The cold lighting drew out Yun Liuli's small figure, presenting a beautiful and lonely sight… It was cold, as if she wasn't tainted by any hints of the secular world.

  "Liuli…" Lin Nuan called out Yun Liuli's name softly

  Yun Liuli smiled, raised her head, and looked toward Lin Nuan. Her beautiful eyes were as clear as glass, and she asked, "Sister Xiao Nuan, do you think that the cake looks nice?"

  This was the first time that Yun Liuli had made a cake personally. It was surprisingly beautiful, like a display piece in a bakery's display cabinet.

  She pointed to the middle part between the white cream and removed the disposable gloves she was wearing. "I plan on using cherry jam to draw a heart shape in the middle, making it simple."

  Did Yun Liuli choose not to listen to things selectively whenever Gu Qingcheng brought up this matter with her?

  Lin Nuan smiled and nodded, not continuing this topic.

  Yun Liuli's smile became even cleaner and more beautiful. She took off her apron and hung it on the marble platform, appearing very excited. "There isn't any more cherry jam at home. I'll go out and buy some. I can also buy some candles and birthday items on the way. Can you get the driver to send me there?"

  "Alright, I'll get the driver to prepare the car…"

  "Thank you, Sister Xiao Nuan!" Yun Liuli smiled very sweetly, so sweetly that Lin Nuan's heart was aching.

  …


  Lu Jinnan and Tang Zheng arrived early in the afternoon. Tang Zheng even brought along his princess, Little Candy. It was just that their princess was a prickly one.

  Little Candy, Tuan Tuan, and Little Happy had a crazy time during the day, and now, two of the children met up again. When they heard that Yun Liuli was baking a cake in the kitchen, Little Candy grabbed Tuan Tuan's hand and ran over to the kitchen, wanting to eat cake.

  Before Bai Jinyu left his workplace, there was suddenly an additional surgery he had to do. Xu Wanwan gave Lin Nuan a call and told her not to wait for them for dinner. She had no idea what time Bai Jinyu's surgery would end.