Chapter 22 Judging by Appearance

Chapter 22: Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

There was no parking available at Guoguo’s home, so they left the car in a nearby lot. On their way, they passed several fruit shops, but Fu Huan wasn’t satisfied with the quality of the produce. Instead of settling, he drove to a larger supermarket nearby and selected fresh, much higher-grade fruit.

Fu Huan handled all the fruit selection. Gu Shiying, who wasn’t usually so meticulous in daily life, couldn’t tell good from bad at all.

It was as if he was discovering a completely new Fu Huan, one entirely different from his previous impression.

He had always imagined Fu Huan as aloof, a sheltered young master who was out of touch with the mundane, like someone who couldn't tell one grain from another. While Fu Huan certainly possessed common sense, knowing how to pick fruit was a skill many people genuinely lacked.

Gu Shiying held an apple, unable to discern its sweetness, and asked Fu Huan, “How do you know so much about this?”

Fu Huan replied, “I lived alone for a while during high school.”

Gu Shiying: “Was it because your home was far from school?”

Fu Huan: “Yeah, I didn’t want to stay in the school dorm, so I rented a place off-campus.”

Gu Shiying: “Living on your own in high school—that’s pretty independent of you.”

Fu Huan offered a faint smile. “You’re the first person to ever praise me for being independent.”

Gu Shiying, expecting a different response, asked, “What would they say instead?”

Fu Huan: “Most people ask why I didn’t live with my family.”

Gu Shiying hadn’t considered that point, but he didn’t press further, wary of touching on something Fu Huan might prefer not to discuss.

He said, “I just think living alone takes a lot of courage. It proves you can be independent. It’s probably a dream for many boys—not having parents looking over your shoulder, being able to sleep in as late as you want on weekends.”

Fu Huan nodded. “True, living alone is very freeing. No parental restrictions.”

Gu Shiying: “But it still requires self-discipline.”

Fu Huan realized his self-discipline was indeed strong—Gu Shiying had been right in front of him for over a year, and he still hadn’t made a move.

As they chatted, they made their way to the checkout counter.

Cashier: “Hello, your total is…”

The last time they’d visited Guoguo’s home, they’d been in a rush. Gu Shiying had been sick himself and hadn’t had time to really observe the surroundings.

The area was filled with old, mostly self-built houses, none taller than three stories.

The alley was narrow—too narrow for vehicles—with old, dirty electric bikes parked on both sides. The ground was in disrepair, long overdue for maintenance. Gu Shiying and Fu Huan couldn’t even walk side by side; they had to go single file.

As they neared the front, they saw three young boys surrounding another child. One of them was tugging at the little boy’s clothes.

“Retard, retard, still wets his pants? Hahaha!”

“Retard, go get your grandma’s money, and we’ll help you find your Mom.”

The child, tugged by the taller boy, stumbled and fell to the ground. At the word “Mom,” he looked up at the boy.

The taller boy said to his friends, “Hahaha, he actually believes it!”

Gu Shiying, seeing Guoguo on the ground, rushed forward. “What are you kids doing?!”

The boys, seeing him approach looking angry, immediately scattered!

Gu Shiying helped Guoguo up while Fu Huan rounded up the three bullies—not a single one got away.

The three boys were around seven or eight years old, right at that age where they’re notoriously mischievous.

The taller boy struggled violently. “Let me go!”

Fu Huan stared at them coldly, and they immediately quieted down.

Gu Shiying brushed the dust from Guoguo’s pants and checked if he was hurt. Only after confirming he was unhurt did he relax.

He turned to the three boys. “Why were you bullying Guoguo? Who’s your homeroom teacher?”

The boys hung their heads in silence, shoulders shrinking at the mention of their homeroom teacher.

Fu Huan threatened, “We’ll call your parents and have them pay a ransom for you.”

He was tall, standing over them like an insurmountable mountain, startling the children.

“W-we promise we won’t do it again.”

Gu Shiying: “Then apologize to Guoguo.”

The boys, never expecting anyone to stand up for Guoguo, were properly scared and quickly apologized.

Fu Huan continued playing the bad cop. “If I catch you bullying anyone again, I’ll tie you up and throw you into the pond.”

The boys nodded frantically, terrified. “Okay, okay! We won’t dare again!”

Only after hearing their promises did Fu Huan let them go.

The three boys bolted away like rabbits, afraid the big guy would actually carry out his threat.

Gu Shiying picked up Guoguo, took his hand to listen to his thoughts. Just like last time, in his heart, he was still calling for his Mom.

Gu Shiying: “Did you come out because you miss your Mom?”

Sure enough, Guoguo showed a slight reaction at the word “Mom.”

Fu Huan: “Let’s take him back first. Grandma Lin is probably worried sick not seeing him.”

Gu Shiying: “Okay.”

He carried Guoguo home. Not far ahead, they saw Grandma Lin leaning on her cane, standing in the doorway and scanning the area anxiously.

“Guoguo!”

“Where did this child go?”

She turned and finally noticed Gu Shiying carrying Guoguo toward her.

Grandma Lin patted her chest. “You scared me! Guoguo, why did you run off? You gave your grandma quite a scare. Xiao Gu and Xiao Fu, what brings you here? Come in, come in.”

Fu Huan stepped forward to help Grandma Lin inside.

Grandma Lin wanted to get them some water, but Gu Shiying told her not to trouble herself.

Gu Shiying: “Grandma, please, have a seat. We’re not thirsty.”

Grandma Lin: “But guests should be shown proper hospitality.”

Gu Shiying: "We heard you took a fall, so we came to check on you."

Granny Lin: "It's nothing major; I just need to rest for a couple of days."

Gu Shiying: "Please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything from us."

Actually, Granny Lin was playing down her fall. The community had called Fu Huan because she had fainted after falling.

Granny Lin: "I couldn't possibly trouble you like that."

In fact, when Gu Shiying and Fu Huan entered, they noticed Granny Lin’s home was a lot more cluttered than usual. The dishes from lunch hadn’t been cleared yet, and the chili sauce she was going to sell hadn’t been refrigerated.

Gu Shiying: "It’s no trouble. I often volunteer at the welfare center, and I have a connection with Guoguo."

Granny Lin: "Then could you give Guoguo a bath? He loves being clean. I couldn’t bathe him after my fall yesterday, and he didn’t sleep well last night."

The grandmother and child were looked after by the community. They got meals delivered from the community canteen, but everyone was busy and couldn’t offer much more help.

Gu Shiying noticed Guoguo indeed had dark circles under his eyes.

"Then we’ll bathe him."

The small house had two rooms—one for Granny Lin and one for Guoguo. The small room had a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk with a family photo on it. The walls were decorated with childish drawings and rows of little red flowers, making it feel cozy.

Gu Shiying remarked, "Guoguo must have been raised with a lot of love. His parents must have adored him."

Fu Huan looked closely at the family photo on the desk. "Hmm, should I get his clothes?"

Gu Shiying: "Granny Lin said they’re all in the wardrobe. He likes light-colored tops and jeans."

Fu Huan grabbed a few pieces.

Guoguo didn’t resist Gu Shiying and Fu Huan bathing him, but since bathing inevitably involved touching his skin, Gu Shiying passed the job to Fu Huan.

Gu Shiying: "Will you bathe him? I’ll go help clean up."

Fu Huan wouldn't let him leave. "I’ve never bathed a child before."

Gu Shiying: "Neither have I. It’s probably similar to how we bathe, right?"

"Probably. Let’s do it together," Fu Huan insisted.

His dark eyes fixed on Gu Shiying, reflecting his figure, unwavering. Gu Shiying, unable to meet his gaze, looked instead at Guoguo, who was following them.

"Fine." Gu Shiying was not only afraid of hearing Guoguo’s sad thoughts but also of touching Fu Huan. The latter always seemed to find ways to touch him, making Gu Shiying suspect Fu Huan was planning ways to touch him. Yet, Fu Huan’s inner thoughts never revealed such intentions.

Wait—Fu Huan’s thoughts were entirely focused on him. His inner voice was like a foldable phone; no matter how you folded it, Gu Shiying was always there.

Gu Shiying picked up Guoguo. "Guoguo, let’s go take a bath!"

The bathroom was small but had separate wet and dry areas.

One person could stand inside, while another could stand outside. With two adults inside, it was pretty tight.

Fu Huan reached for the showerhead to adjust the water temperature. "Alright, bring him in."

Gu Shiying undressed Guoguo and carried him in.

"Fu Huan, wash his hair first."

"His head is so small, like a kiwi."

Gu Shiying laughed. "It really does!"

Fu Huan’s hands were large, completely covering Guoguo’s small head. He gently worked the shampoo into his hair, carefully keeping the foam out of his eyes.

Gu Shiying realized he saw Fu Huan differently now. Outwardly, he was a tall guy who seemed distant and indifferent to everything. But in reality, he was attentive, gentle, and even knew how to choose ripe fruit.

If someone had told him Fu Huan was like this before, he would have thought they were lying. But seeing was believing—he had judged Fu Huan by his appearance.

Guoguo was well-behaved and quiet, so the bath went smoothly. After Fu Huan finished washing and drying him, Gu Shiying passed Guoguo's clothes to Fu Huan, who dressed him one by one.

Clean and fresh from his bath, Guoguo smelled wonderful. Gu Shiying couldn’t help but smile and praise him, "So adorable."

Fu Huan picked Guoguo up under the arms and handed him to Gu Shiying. "The floor is wet. Take him out. I’ll clean up the water."

Gu Shiying took Guoguo, who was wrapped in a towel. "OK!"

As they handed Guoguo over, Gu Shiying couldn't avoid touching Fu Huan’s warm palm.

"I’d rather bathe Gu Shiying."

"..." Gu Shiying’s smile immediately disappeared.

Damn it, he should just go back to judging people by how they look.

Author’s Note:

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Fu Huan: [Dog head holding a rose]

Gu Shiying: [Angry]

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