Chapter 19: Subtle Affection on the Journey Home

Gu Bin gave her no chance to argue, speaking first: "Whatever you want to ask, wait until we get there. It's not convenient in the car."

"Uh."

Lin Xiyu was stifled, swallowing her indignation with difficulty.

"Heh."

The more Gu Bin looked at her aggrieved little face, the more amused he became. Unable to help himself, he reached out again and patted her on the head.

"Stop that."

Already sulking, Lin Xiyu complained irritably, "Keep it up and you really will knock the sense out of me."

"Heh."

Gu Bin chuckled, deliberately teasing her, "You say that as if you’re so clever to begin with. If you really turn silly, don’t go blaming me."

"Who would ever blame you?"

Lin Xiyu was both embarrassed and angry.

"Actually, I wouldn’t mind if you did."

Gu Bin continued mischievously, "I wouldn’t mind taking care of a silly, adorable little lamb."

"You’re the silly one! You’re the lamb! Who wants you to take care of them?!"

Lin Xiyu was thoroughly exasperated, raising her fist and thumping him hard.

The blow was not light; it landed squarely on his chest with a heavy, muffled thud.

"Ouch."

Gu Bin cried out, clutching his chest and dropping his head in feigned agony.

"Did it hurt that much?"

Lin Xiyu's hand trembled, a pang of guilt surfacing. "Well, you started it. I didn’t even use much force. You’re really not very tough."

"How about you let me try hitting you once..."

Gu Bin laughed in spite of himself. "See if it hurts?"

"Go ahead,"

Lin Xiyu straightened her slender waist, stubborn as ever. "It’s just a punch, what’s the big deal? If you want to hit me, go ahead..."

"You said it yourself?"

Gu Bin couldn't stand her triumphant little expression and wanted to deflate her arrogance.

He instinctively curled his fingers and made a symbolic motion toward her chest.

At that moment, for reasons unknown, the taxi suddenly jolted. Lin Xiyu, caught off guard, pitched forward. Gu Bin had no time to dodge—his hand brushed against the soft curve of the girl’s chest, and as if scalded, he jerked his hand away at once.

"Ah...!"

Lin Xiyu was stunned too, a sharp scream escaping her lips.

From the rearview mirror, Gu Bin saw the cab driver's teasing glance. His handsome face instantly turned as red as a cooked crab.

—

After that ambiguous, unnameable incident on the way back, neither of them spoke once they got out of the taxi. When their eyes met, they quickly looked away in a fluster.

Gu Bin escorted her home, intending to leave by bike.

But once inside Lin Xiyu’s gate, he noticed the mountain bike, usually parked outside the noodle shop window, was nowhere to be seen.

"Where’s your bike? It’s gone—could it have been stolen?"

Lin Xiyu recalled how outrageously expensive that mountain bike was, and her voice rose in alarm.

"I’ll go make a call."

Gu Bin, calmer than she, stood in the walkway, glancing toward the phone booth outside the gate. He made a quick decision: "Ask Uncle Wang if anyone came to buy noodles while we were out."

"Do you think it was someone buying noodles who stole it?"

A wave of panic washed over Lin Xiyu. She couldn’t imagine something like this happening in her own yard.

"Forget it, maybe you’d better not ask."

Seeing how badly frightened she was, her face pale, Gu Bin set aside propriety and firmly gripped her shoulders, comforting her: "I’ll call the police and report it. They’ll be here soon. Let them handle sorting out suspects and catching the thief."

"I’m not afraid—just that the people who buy noodles from Uncle Wang are all neighbors."

Lin Xiyu’s feelings were complicated. "We see each other every day, everyone’s familiar. I really don’t want to believe it could be one of them..."