Chapter 25: See, Your Face Is Blushing

“Xiyu, hurry up and invite your classmate inside, let him cool off with the electric fan.”

Her aunt agreed wholeheartedly and supported her: “It’s too hot outside, you’ll get heatstroke if you stay in the sun too long…”

“How could you get heatstroke from just a little sun?” Lin Xiyu muttered quietly, rooted to the spot.

“What’s up with you today? You’re acting a little strange…” Her cousin’s sharp, shrewd eyes darted between the two of them, sensing something amiss. “You were fine a few days ago, but suddenly you’re talking so sharply—did he do something to annoy you?”

“No, not at all,” Gu Bin quickly defended himself, wearing a bitter expression. “I haven’t done anything terrible these past few days, I’ve just been staying at home, didn’t even dare go near her—how could I have offended her?”

“Maybe…” Her cousin’s eyes twinkled mischievously, and she burst out laughing: “Maybe you not going near her is exactly why she’s angry.”

“That’s not it, stop making things up.” Lin Xiyu was annoyed now, glaring at her.

“See? Look at her blushing.” Her cousin, convinced she’d uncovered the truth, laughed even more triumphantly. “I must be right—haven’t seen him in a few days, and now she’s upset, stewing in her own feelings.”

“You keep saying that…” This time, Lin Xiyu was genuinely upset. She stomped her foot in anger and ran back into the courtyard.

“Hey, aren’t you going to wait for the TV station reporters?” Her cousin moved a step too late, failing to catch her, and awkwardly withdrew her hand.

“Did your family’s housing issue get resolved?” Gu Bin couldn’t figure out what was bothering the girl, so he tried to shift the topic, thinking maybe the trouble with the relocation had made her upset.

“Housing? What housing?” Her cousin hadn’t expected him to change gears so quickly, and was momentarily left behind.

“I mean the demolition.” Gu Bin smiled, giving her a hint. “Aren’t you living in public housing? Did you sort out the dispute with your landlord?”

“She told you about that?” Now her cousin understood, her mouth dropping open in surprise.

“The landlord’s brother-in-law came to make trouble a few days ago. I saw it happen,” Gu Bin hurried to explain, not wanting her to misunderstand.

“Oh, so that’s it. I thought…” Her cousin had indeed misunderstood, touching her nose sheepishly, a little disappointed.

“Honk honk.”

As they spoke, a car horn sounded at the entrance to the alley. Two mid-sized buses turned in.

“The TV station people are here.” Gu Bin didn’t bother asking further; he pushed his mountain bike into the courtyard to clear the way for the vehicles.

“They finally made it.” Her cousin instantly perked up, rushing home ahead of him to deliver the news.

“This is the place.” The buses stopped in front of Courtyard No. 9. The doors opened, and Li Yan was the first to jump off, pointing at the house number.

The rest of the crew followed, hauling their equipment from the vehicle.

The commotion outside the gate attracted many neighbors, who laughed and fanned themselves with palm-leaf fans, gathering around the buses to watch the excitement.

“Yan, you’re here!” Gu Bin left his mountain bike under the noodle workshop window. When he came out to greet them from the courtyard, he was surprised to see that among the group getting off the last bus was the station director, accompanied by two people whose imposing presence suggested they weren’t ordinary officials.

“Bin, come here, let me introduce you…” Li Yan beckoned him over as the group approached. “These are Director Zhang from the Tourism Bureau and Director Li from the Municipal Propaganda Department. They’re here to cut the ribbon for the start of the documentary filming…”