Chapter 20 Though She Never Touched Him, She Felt as If…

Chapter 20: Even Without Touching Him, She Felt as Though She Had Been...

When this thought surfaced, Lu Yingxiao herself froze for a moment.

How could this thought have come to her?

Her interactions with Gao Yan had all been brief and scattered. Only last night in the garden pavilion could be considered time they'd been alone together, and even that was only about half an hour.

Given how little time they'd spent together, how could that phrase pop into her head to describe him?

Was it because Xia Huaimeng had been chattering in her ear all day at work about how good a boss Gao Yan was?

Lu Yingxiao thought that must be it.

Because based on her observations, Gao Yan was indeed far better as a boss than the lousy ones she had encountered before.

Figuring out the source, Lu Yingxiao felt a lot more relaxed.

Her eyes returning to the table, the large hand that had been slowly moving toward her had now stopped.

It stopped in a strategic spot, right in the middle of the table.

This reminded Lu Yingxiao of the dividing line she used to draw with her deskmates in school, splitting the table in half. No one was allowed to cross it and encroach on the other's side.

Looking more carefully at Gao Yan's hand, she noticed his wrist, palm, and fingertips all remained strictly within his own half of the line, well-behaved, not the slightest urge to cross it.

Unconsciously, Lu Yingxiao let out a small sigh of relief and quietly waited for Gao Yan's next move.

Gao Yan looked up at Lu Yingxiao and, right in front of her, placed the little red paper flower he had been cradling in his palm onto the table. "Could you take a look for me? How's this little red flower?"

As soon as the flower was placed, Gao Yan withdrew his hand from the tabletop.

Lu Yingxiao also wanted to know if Gao Yan's little red flower only looked good from a distance or was genuinely beautiful up close as well.

As soon as his hand was gone, she reached out and picked up the little red flower.

She examined it meticulously from every angle. No matter where she looked, the flower was flawlessly beautiful.

She asked him matter-of-factly, "You helped Youhe with her kindergarten craft projects too, didn't you?"

Earlier, when Gao Yan came in and saw her folding the paper flower, he had asked Gao Youhe, "You're already in third grade, and the school still has paper-folding craft projects?" That statement was enough to show that despite being busy, Gao Yan kept up with Gao Youhe's schoolwork. Combined with the exquisite little red flower he had just made, it wasn't hard to guess how he had become so skilled at it.

Gao Yan didn't deny it. "I'd never done such delicate work before. I was terrible at craft projects and even got criticized by the teacher once."

Lu Yingxiao glanced sideways at her own ugly little red flower and immediately felt much more balanced.

See, it wasn't that she was bad at crafts; she just hadn't been given enough chances to practice.

Lu Yingxiao politely replied, "You've improved a lot now. The teacher would be nothing but praise."

Gao Yan smiled. "Thank you for your recognition."

Gao Youhe finished her homework.

Lu Yingxiao saw her and beckoned her over. "Perfect timing to put up the reward chart."

Gao Youhe said, "It needs to be put up high, but I'm not tall enough yet."

Lu Yingxiao said, "I'll get you a step stool."

Gao Yan stopped her. "No need. I can just lift Youhe up."

No sooner had he spoken, Gao Yan hoisted Gao Youhe up with one arm and settled her on his left shoulder.

Although Gao Youhe was only eight this year, she was the tallest among her peers, standing at a full 1.51 meters and weighing nearly a hundred pounds. Her height and weight were practically an adult's. Yet, with Gao Youhe sitting on his shoulder, Gao Yan didn't even seem to notice the weight, handling it effortlessly, as if he could bear another person sitting on his right shoulder just as easily.

Lu Yingxiao stared in amazement.

Gao Youhe patted the wall, searching for the right spot to put up the reward chart. She turned to Lu Yingxiao and said, "Sister-in-law, please hand me the reward chart."

Lu Yingxiao reminded her, "Don't move. Sit still. Be careful not to fall."

Gao Youhe patted Gao Yan's strong arm and said, "Don't worry, Sister-in-law. I used to sit like this often when I was little. It's very stable."

Following Gao Youhe's gaze, Lu Yingxiao glanced at Gao Yan's arm.

It was solid and powerful. Even though the entire arm was covered by his sleeve, the smooth lines of his muscles were still clearly visible.

He was planted like a tree, firmly rooted to the ground.

Lu Yingxiao no longer worried about Gao Youhe's safety and turned to get the reward chart.

"Here."

Lu Yingxiao handed the reward chart to Gao Youhe.

There was double-sided tape on the back of the chart.

Gao Youhe held the chart with one hand, peeled off the tape with the other, and smoothly affixed the reward chart onto the wall.

But since Gao Yan was quite tall, Gao Youhe, sitting on his shoulder, was also positioned quite high.

After sticking the top part of the chart, the bottom part required Gao Yan to squat down so the entire chart could be perfectly flush with the wall.

Just as Gao Yan was about to squat down, Lu Yingxiao said, "Let me handle the bottom part."

Even though she knew Gao Yan would definitely protect Gao Youhe on his shoulder and believed he had the ability to do so, squatting was inherently less stable than standing.

Gao Yan glanced at Lu Yingxiao and willingly stepped aside.

When Lu Yingxiao stood in front of the reward chart, she belatedly realized she had slightly underestimated how high the chart was placed.

She wasn't short herself, standing at 1.68 meters, but she found she couldn't quite reach the part that Gao Youhe hadn't fully attached at the top.

Just as she was feeling awkward, a tall presence suddenly closed in on her.

Before she could react to it, the figure quickly retreated, keeping a polite distance that put her more at ease.

Gao Yan said, "The top part is done."

Lu Yingxiao was about to turn around when Gao Yan's voice came from behind her.

Her gaze followed his words upward to look at the spot she couldn't reach earlier.

Sure enough, it was already in place, stuck on neatly.

Lu Yingxiao didn't look back and focused on attaching the remaining part.

Soon, the entire little red flower reward chart was fully up on the wall.

Gao Youhe had already slid down from Gao Yan's shoulders.

She patted the reward chart on the wall and said with a smile, "The teacher was right: unity is strength."

"Look at the reward chart we three put up together. How flat it is, without a single crease. It looks perfect!"

She then turned to get the two little red flowers she had made earlier for Lu Yingxiao, as well as the one Gao Yan had made for his own name.

As for the rather ugly little red flower Lu Yingxiao made, she threw it directly into the trash can.

Gao Youhe said, "I'll stick the little red flowers on now." She settled back onto Gao Yan's shoulders.

However, Gao Youhe ended up not sticking the little red flowers on, because she had forgotten to write the names on the reward chart.

Lu Yingxiao let out a soft laugh and handed a pen to Gao Youhe.

Gao Youhe was holding three little red flowers in her hand while writing on the wall, which risked wrinkling the flowers.

"Give them to me."

"I'll hold them."

Two voices said at the same time.

A broad, sturdy right hand and a pale, soft left hand both reached toward Gao Youhe at the same time.

Both held their palms up, open to her.

Gao Youhe laughed, "Brother, Sister-in-law, you two are always so in sync, always saying the same things and doing the same thing."

With three little red flowers, they couldn't be split evenly between two people.

So, Gao Youhe first stuck one of them on the wall, then placed the remaining two in Gao Yan's and Lu Yingxiao's hands.

Once the names were written, Gao Youhe first stuck the little red flower from Gao Yan's hand onto the chart. After all, Gao Yan was tall with long arms, so she could easily take it without turning around or looking down.

Seeing this, Lu Yingxiao said to Gao Yan, "You hold this one for me too."

That way, Youhe wouldn't have to turn around or look down.

She held out her palm, waiting for Gao Yan to take it.

Unexpectedly, Gao Yan also held out his palm.

Lu Yingxiao was momentarily stunned.

When she asked Gao Yan to take it, she had mentally prepared herself for the possibility of his fingertips brushing against her palm, but instead...

Lu Yingxiao glanced at him a few times, then picked up the little red flower from her left palm and gently placed it on Gao Yan's palm.

Gao Yan kept his palm perfectly still, letting her control the motion. This way, her fingertips wouldn't touch his skin, but perhaps because Gao Yan's body temperature ran a bit high, even with a distance of over a centimeter between her fingertips and the skin of his palm, Lu Yingxiao still felt as if she had been burned. She pulled her hand back quickly.

Gao Youhe, focused on sticking the little red flowers, didn't notice the little exchange between Lu Yingxiao and Gao Yan.

After sticking all the little red flowers, she pointed at the one under Lu Yingxiao's name and encouraged Gao Yan, "Brother, you better step it up. When we count the little red flowers at the beginning of next month, if your number still can't catch up to Sister-in-law's, I won't let sibling ties stop me—I'll punish you good!"

Gao Yan asked in detail, "What kind of punishment are we talking about?"

Gao Youhe replied, "It's a secret. You'll find out when you lose."

After answering, she pointed at the little red flower under Gao Yan's name and similarly cheered Lu Yingxiao on, "Sister-in-law, hang in there. Don't let your brother beat you in the number of little red flowers."

Lu Yingxiao said, "Okay, I'll do my best."

After all that work, it was almost time for dinner.

The three of them moved to the dinner table.

They could also get little red flowers for eating slowly at dinner.

Perhaps because they had just put up the reward chart, without Gao Youhe needing to remind them, both Gao Yan and Lu Yingxiao made a point to eat slowly and chew thoroughly, neither forgetting.

Gao Youhe said happily, "See? It's working already! After this, I'll give you each a little red flower."

But the little red flowers had to be made fresh each time.

They'd have to make fresh ones for today, tomorrow, and the day after that.

That was too troublesome.

So Lu Yingxiao said, "I'll check online to see if I can buy ready-made little red flowers."

Gao Youhe said, "But buying ready-made ones feels different in meaning."

"This afternoon, Sister-in-law even said yourself that receiving a little red flower I made made you happier than getting one from the kindergarten teacher."

Since the words were already spoken, they couldn't be taken back. Lu Yingxiao thought she should learn how to fold little red flowers herself, so that Youhe wouldn't have to spend all her free time folding them.

But before she could speak, Gao Yan said first, "I'll fold them. I can do it faster."

Gao Youhe had no objection. "Okay, let Brother fold them then."

Since Gao Yan had taken on this task himself, Lu Yingxiao naturally had no objections either.

After dinner, Gao Youhe took Lu Yingxiao for a walk in the garden to aid digestion.

Gao Yan took the living room trash can to his room, fished out the rather ugly little red flower Lu Yingxiao had made, and carefully placed it in the most prominent spot on his desk.

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