Little Sweetheart

Unlike high school, which was overwhelming with homework, Gu Siyi's university vacation was filled with freedom. Aside from a few social practice assignments, the dreaded cultural course homework was nonexistent.

However, until the final exam results came out, the anxiety lingered.

When her classmates mentioned in the group chat that they could log into the educational affairs system to check their grades, Gu Siyi first indulged in a game.

After finishing the game, she checked with her roommates one by one about their results. Learning that they had all passed, she felt half relieved.

They had battled together, studied together, and even used the same set of materials. It couldn't be that only one of them failed, right?

With a trembling heart, Gu Siyi logged into the system.

Looking at the results one by one, she saw that for several courses she felt were precarious, she had barely scraped by, either right at the passing line or just a point or two above. Her English score was decent, relying on her solid foundation, and her P.E. score, as expected, was high.

After reviewing everything, Gu Siyi lay back on her bed and let out a long sigh of relief. Finally, she could relax.

She hadn't failed any courses, hadn't lost face, and hadn't reverted to her underachiever persona.

University was indeed more relaxed…

Gu Siyi happily picked up her phone and sent a message to Xia Zhijun: "The grades are out~ How did you do~?"

Xia Zhijun replied: "Seems like you did well?"

Gu Siyi: "[Grinning teeth][Grinning teeth] You have so much faith in me?"

She had intended to follow up with: "Yes, I'm just that reliable, that trustworthy."

Xia Zhijun replied: "If you had failed, you'd be silently licking your wounds right now."

Gu Siyi: "…………"

Xia Zhijun: "Given your study habits and club activities, high scores are unlikely, except for P.E."

Gu Siyi: "[Unlucky face][Unlucky face]"

Xia Zhijun: "Your English should be alright, after all, you had a good foundation from high school."

Gu Siyi: "[Skull][Skull]"

Xia Zhijun: "So, apart from those two, you barely passed the rest? Long live 60%?"

Gu Siyi: "[Crying][Crying][Crying] I don't want to talk to you anymore!"

Gu Siyi: "I'm telling you, you're going to lose your friend like this. [Broken heart]"

Before he could reply, she sent a series of heartbroken and aggrieved emojis.

Xia Zhijun: "I was worried you'd fail, I'm happy for you that you passed everything."

Xia Zhijun: "My friend is so smart, passing everything with minimal effort. If you were serious, you'd be at the top of the class."

Xia Zhijun: "My friend is so amazing, you don't even need to study hard anymore."

Gu Siyi rolled around on her bed, laughing at her phone.

…Even a top student has such strong survival instincts!

Although it was a bit awkward, the forced flattery was satisfying!

After a while, having had her fill of amusement, she picked up her phone to send a message.

Gu Siyi: "Take a picture of your grades and send it to me."

Xia Zhijun: "[Picture]"

Gu Siyi: "…"

Xia Zhijun: "What's wrong?"

Gu Siyi: "[Crying loudly][Crying loudly] This underachiever knows her mistake, this underachiever won't be so arrogant anymore…"

After seeing Xia Zhijun's transcript, she understood what a gap meant, what an insurmountable mountain looked like. How did he achieve such high scores in those science and engineering subjects whose names alone gave her a headache?

Was he wholeheartedly devoted to his studies? Hardly…

He spent his days thinking about taking her to a hotel room, coming up with new ways to…flirt and tease her…

If it weren't for his excellent high school grades and reputation as a top student, she would have worried he was neglecting his studies.

But the reality was…he excelled in everything, both academic and extracurricular.

However, Gu Siyi didn't know that he devoted even more effort to deeper learning. He had already completed all the university-level content and often worked on research projects with graduate students.

Xia Zhijun: "You're great, you're not an underachiever."

Gu Siyi: "[Tears] You should rest early. I'm going to chat with Peipei. I need to find some solace."

Gu Siyi: "Us ordinary people aren't on the same level as a god like you…"

After sending the message, Gu Siyi immediately went to find Zheng Peipei.

And Zheng Peipei never disappointed. After a few sentences, Gu Siyi saw her wailing about failing two or three courses…

Gu Siyi: "[Smile] Every time I chat with you, I emerge from the haze of being an underachiever~"

Zheng Peipei: "See you later, loser! Blocking you!"

Gu Siyi: "Buddy, don't go~ It's all thanks to you that I feel like I'm doing alright~"

Zheng Peipei: "[Scoff][Scoff] I'm unilaterally declaring our friendship over!"

Gu Siyi: "I'm still yours. I'll help you study after school starts. [Pitiful face]"

Zheng Peipei sent a crying emoji.

Gu Siyi: "Hugs~ You'll be fine after the make-up exams~"

Zheng Peipei: "Biting handkerchief…I believe you…a friend of a top student…"

The next day at dinner, Gu Siyi happily told her parents about her grades. Of course, she embellished her barely-passing marks into "doing pretty well." Her parents were satisfied; not failing was good enough.

Indeed…this family had low expectations.

In the blink of an eye, the Lunar New Year was approaching. This year, Gu Zhiyuan took the family on a trip abroad.

Xia Zhijun went to his grandfather's house with his parents for the New Year. The entire Xia family gathered for a reunion.

Among the many younger generations of the Xia family, Xia Zhijun was undoubtedly the most outstanding and the one in whom the elders placed the highest hopes.

On New Year's Eve, Gu Siyi made sure to turn on the TV to watch the Spring Festival Gala.

Su Han was scheduled to perform this year. When the program list was announced, everyone was thrilled for him.

This was the annual gala with the highest viewership and hottest topics, a large-scale event that everyone watched habitually.

Su Han performed a duet with a popular young actress.

When the two appeared on stage together, the barrage of comments on the video websites exploded.

Their exchange of smiles and hand-holding immediately became a trending topic on Weibo…

Gu Siyi saw it while browsing Weibo and, worried that Zheng Peipei would be upset if she saw it, started a red envelope chain in their group chat to distract her.

Except when Su Han was on stage, everyone was either chatting in the group, grabbing red envelopes, or playing games together.

Zheng Peipei knew that with two popular stars sharing the stage, rumors and hype were inevitable.

To avoid feeling down, she chose to ignore it. As a fan, she had to learn to be understanding and magnanimous.

When their performance aired, Zheng Peipei took a picture with her phone and posted it on her WeChat Moments.

Gu Siyi privately messaged her, "Are you masochistic? Posting a picture of them together?"

Zheng Peipei: "No, I'm training myself, achieving inner peace."

Gu Siyi: "[Wide-eyed][Wide-eyed]"

Zheng Peipei: "Don't worry, I'm fine~ I'm overjoyed that he's on the Spring Festival Gala~"

Zheng Peipei: "The harder he works and the higher he climbs, the more freedom he'll have in the future. I'm waiting for that day!"

Gu Siyi: "Applause for the amazing you~!"

After the reunion dinner, Xia Zhijun sat quietly in a corner of the sofa, not participating in the family's conversations. He only looked up and responded when someone addressed him.

His younger cousin teased, "Brother Jun can't put down his phone. Looks like something's going on."

"You just realized? He's been all lovey-dovey with a girl since high school," said a female cousin who had attended the same school as him.

Their grandfather was quite open-minded, saying, "Zhijun is a sophomore now, about to graduate. Young people need to experience romance, otherwise their vitality will dry up."

Xia Zhijun smiled but didn't say anything.

Xia Guangyu changed the subject.

After learning that Gu Siyi and Xia Zhijun attended the same university, he knew that the two would inevitably become involved. However, the Zhang family had subtly indicated that Zhang Yin didn't like Xia Zhijun, and Zhang Yin herself refused to apply to Xia Zhijun's university, choosing a university in the south instead.

Xia Guangyu had become slightly more restrictive with Xia Zhijun.

Of course, his son was grown up now, and he couldn't control him completely. It was better to let him be. Unfulfilled desires always lingered. Forcing them apart would only strengthen their bond… Xia Guangyu understood these principles. His son was still young and had the opportunity to make mistakes; he would let him be.

At midnight, Gu Siyi took a picture of the night sky and sent it to Xia Zhijun.

Gu Siyi: "Happy New Year~"

Xia Zhijun: "What's your New Year's wish?"

Gu Siyi: "For next year to be as fulfilling as this year [Winking]"

Xia Zhijun: "It will be."

Gu Siyi: "I think so too~"

Gu Siyi: "Because I have you by my side! [Cute]"

Looking at the text and emoji on the screen, Xia Zhijun realized for the first time the power of words.

He could almost picture her beautiful, lively eyes, filled with clear water, shining brightly as she looked at him.

This was the first time he had formed such a close connection with someone, and the first time he felt so strongly about taking responsibility for someone.

The word "responsibility" grew silently in his heart, becoming an unbreakable belief.

After the New Year, Gu Siyi returned to City B with her parents.

Zhou Zhuo, upon learning of their return, visited them with generous gifts.

Gu Zhiyuan was delighted to see his former protégé. He had encouraged him to venture out on his own, and Zhou Zhuo had not only done that but had also achieved great success. They had stayed in touch over the years. Zhou Zhuo was a loyal person who hadn't forgotten his roots. After becoming successful, he had helped Gu Zhiyuan connect with certain capital projects.

The two men chatted animatedly in the living room, while Xu Jiahui went upstairs to find Gu Siyi.

Gu Siyi was playing games with her friends.

Xu Jiahui knocked and entered the room. "Your Uncle Zhou is here. Come downstairs and say hello."

Gu Siyi didn't even look up, "Can I finish this game first?"

Xu Jiahui glanced at her pajamas and said disapprovingly, "Change your clothes later. Don't meet guests looking so sloppy."

"Oh my, my head hurts, my head hurts, my head hurts…" Gu Siyi sang while playing the game.

Xu Jiahui was amused. "Hurry up."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

After finishing the game, Gu Siyi said, "We have guests, I'll be off now. You guys have fun."

She changed out of her pajamas and into a casual outfit before going downstairs.

"Happy New Year, Uncle Zhou," Gu Siyi greeted Zhou Zhuo with a smile.

Zhou Zhuo looked at her and was momentarily stunned…

The winter sun streamed in through the window, illuminating the girl's pretty face. When she smiled, her teeth were white against her rosy lips, and two small dimples appeared.

"…" Her sweetness gave him a fluttering feeling.

Zhou Zhuo composed himself and smiled. "Happy New Year, young lady."

He turned to Gu Zhiyuan and said with a smile, "Brother Gu and Sister-in-law have good genes. The little runny-nosed kid from back then has blossomed into such a graceful young lady."

Gu Siyi: "Hey, that's not very nice of you to bring up embarrassing stories."

Zhou Zhuo looked at her and smiled. "Is that embarrassing? I thought it was a compliment."

"Well, I don't want that kind of compliment," Gu Siyi huffed playfully.

Gu Siyi was called over by her father to sit on the sofa, and Zhou Zhuo inquired about her studies.

Gu Siyi felt a headache coming on. As an underachiever, she disliked talking about academics. It would be better to talk about extracurricular activities.

Zhou Zhuo was astute and quickly noticed Gu Siyi's lack of interest and attention. He switched the topic to her performance at the New Year's Eve gala, praising the Gu couple profusely for their wonderful daughter. The couple basked in the compliments.

When it was time for lunch, Xu Jiahui invited Zhou Zhuo to stay, and he accepted.

During the meal, Gu Siyi received a message from Xia Zhijun.

Xia Zhijun: "I'm about to arrive at the station. Coming to pick me up?"

Gu Siyi: "Ahhhhh? You're here?"

Xia Zhijun: "Yes."

Gu Siyi: "Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

Xia Zhijun: "I like sudden surprises."

Gu Siyi: "hhhhhhhh (laughter) Wait for me! I'll be right there!"

Gu Siyi didn't even finish the last few bites of her meal, putting down her chopsticks impatiently. "My top student is here, he's about to arrive at the station. I'm going to pick him up."

"So suddenly?" Xu Jiahui was also caught off guard.

Gu Zhiyuan said, "I'll drive you there."

"No need, no need! You guys enjoy your meal. I'll take a taxi, it'll be quick!"

Xu Jiahui asked, "Has he eaten lunch?"

Gu Siyi said, "I don't know. If he hasn't, I'll eat with him outside before coming back."

Gu Zhiyuan: "Alright, we'll entertain him properly tonight." Then he instructed Xu Jiahui, "Have Aunt Zhang clean his room thoroughly and change the bed linens."

Xu Jiahui: "Do I need you to tell me that?"

Zhou Zhuo: "…"

He hadn't known who "top student" referred to, but seeing Gu Siyi's excited and expectant expression, he could make a guess.

However, what he didn't expect was that the Gu couple valued their daughter's boyfriend so much.

Gu Siyi had already dashed upstairs. Moments later, when she reappeared downstairs, she had changed her outfit.

She wore a short skirt and a small jacket, a red checkered YSL lambskin bag, a red beret, and her long, slightly curled hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her cherry lips were painted, as if inviting someone to taste them.

Zhou Zhuo watched as the pure and sweet girl from moments ago transformed into a charming young woman…with a touch of flirtatiousness.

Xu Jiahui commented, "How many outfits do you plan to change into today?"

Gu Siyi made a face. "I'm going to see a handsome guy, of course I have to dress up."

With that, she ran to the entrance to change her shoes.

Zhou Zhuo: "…" So, he wasn't considered a handsome guy?

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