Chapter 28 Gao Yan: Your Heart Only Has Room for Youhe…

Chapter 28 Gao Yan: Your Heart Only Has Room for Youhe...

"Sister-in-law, are you hurt?"

Before Lu Yingxiao could even begin to analyze why her heart had fluttered, Gao Youhe's worried voice pulled her attention away completely.

Lu Yingxiao: "I'm fine, it doesn't hurt."

Gao Youhe carefully cradled her right hand, meticulously examining each finger to see if it had been injured.

Gao Youhe's hands were soft.

Her skin was smooth.

When that soft skin touched her own, Lu Yingxiao felt a gentle, cotton-soft caress. Yet, after the earlier impact, the sensation in that hand seemed somewhat muted. Even though it was Gao Youhe touching her hand now, the back of her hand still lingered in the warm, enveloping sensation of being tightly protected by Gao Yan's solid palm moments before.

Thinking of this, Lu Yingxiao asked Gao Yan worriedly, "How is your hand?"

Gao Yan had already lowered his hand.

He placed it casually beside him. "It's fine, perfectly okay."

Lu Yingxiao wasn't entirely convinced. She gave Gao Youhe a meaningful look.

Gao Youhe was also worried about her brother and immediately reached for his hand. "Oh, brother, you've scraped your hand!"

Lu Yingxiao leaned over to look as well.

There were three scrapes, one particularly severe, with faint traces of blood seeping through.

"The mall upstairs should have a pharmacy. I'll go buy some medicine to treat the wound. I'll be right back."

Lu Yingxiao pushed the car door open to get out, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed.

Gao Yan: "It's just a minor scrape, no need for the trouble. We have a first-aid kit at home; applying some spray there is just as good."

He urged Gao Youhe to get in the car.

Gao Youhe also wanted to go with Lu Yingxiao to buy the medicine, but seeing Gao Yan's firm refusal—even holding her sister-in-law's hand to stop her—Gao Youhe had no choice but to listen. She walked around the back of the car and got in from Lu Yingxiao's side.

The back seat only had two seats.

As soon as Gao Youhe got in, it instantly became crowded. Lu Yingxiao's right arm and right leg were pressed tightly against Gao Yan's left arm and left leg. She could clearly feel his firm muscles, his warm body temperature, and the faint, pleasant scent of pinewood on him that she found particularly appealing.

Perhaps too immersed in that scent, Lu Yingxiao didn't even notice that Gao Youhe was already sitting beside her, blocking her way out, and her wrist was still held by Gao Yan.

Gao Yan glanced at Lu Yingxiao.

He reached out to push the car door open. "I'll sit in the front."

At the same time, he released his grip on Lu Yingxiao's wrist.

Lu Yingxiao instinctively grabbed his hand.

Gao Yan asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

"I..." Seeing Gao Yan about to get out, Lu Yingxiao had instinctively stopped him. Now that he asked, she was at a loss for words.

Gao Yan waited patiently.

Lu Yingxiao lowered her gaze to the "culprit" that had caused the trouble—her own hand, which was still holding onto Gao Yan's wrist.

A thought struck her, and she replied, "I just wanted to remind you to be careful and not scrape your hand again."

Gao Yan: "Alright, I'll be careful."

As he prepared to get out again, Lu Yingxiao didn't stop him. While letting go of his wrist, she also reached out to help push the car door open for him.

Gao Yan got out and sat in the front passenger seat.

With one less person in the back, it was no longer crowded, but a momentary emptiness settled in Lu Yingxiao's heart.

However, before she could fully dwell on this feeling of emptiness, Gao Youhe, sitting beside her, snuggled close, grabbed Lu Yingxiao's arm, and said happily, "Today is truly a wonderful day! Our family of three can ride home together in the same car. I declare today is my lucky day!"

Lu Yingxiao affectionately ruffled Gao Youhe's hair. "So easily satisfied? Just riding home together in the same car makes it your lucky day?"

Gao Youhe sighed with a helpless expression. "Well, it really is rare. Brother is always so busy, and now that sister-in-law is working, she'll probably be busy too in the future."

Lu Yingxiao: "No matter how busy, we'll try our best to give you many more lucky days."

"Didn't your brother tell you? We're taking you to the flower and bird market tomorrow to pick out mulberry trees."

Gao Youhe was surprised. "I didn't know! Is that true?"

Lu Yingxiao: "As true as it can be."

Gao Youhe cheered happily. "That's great! I've never been to a flower and bird market before! Sister-in-law, you're the best!"

Then, with a hint of complaint, she said to Gao Yan, "Brother, why didn't you mention this to me?"

Suddenly remembering something, Gao Youhe leaned forward, closer to Gao Yan in the front passenger seat, and questioned him in a somewhat accusatory tone: "Brother, you didn't tell me... you weren't planning on breaking the promise, were you?"

Gao Yan turned sideways, patted the head of his sister who was about to get worked up, and said with a smile, "It was my suggestion; how could I break the promise? Even if it rains knives from the sky, I'll be there on time." As he said this, Gao Yan was looking at Lu Yingxiao.

Lu Yingxiao couldn't quite withstand the intensity of Gao Yan's gaze and slightly turned her head away.

Gao Youhe suddenly understood. "So it was brother's idea to go to the flower and bird market! Why did you think of buying mulberry trees?"

Gao Yan explained nonchalantly, "Your sister-in-law's body may be at the company, but her heart is entirely with you. Before she even got familiar with her colleagues, she found out for you that the school might have students raise silkworms next semester. Your sister-in-law was worried that the silkworms might not have mulberry leaves to eat then, and you'd have to search everywhere for them. So she wanted to plan ahead and plant mulberry trees in the garden early."

Gao Youhe was so happy she swayed back and forth. "Sister-in-law is the best! She thinks of me no matter where she is."

Gao Yan said to Gao Youhe, "Your heart and eyes are completely filled with your sister-in-law. Is your heart so small it can only hold one person?"

Gao Youhe's eyes sparkled, and she asked Gao Yan with a grin, "Brother, are you jealous?"

Gao Yan: "Am I?"

Gao Youhe: "Yes, you are!"

Gao Yan: "I don't feel that way myself. Why don't we ask your sister-in-law? Does she think so?"

Gao Youhe turned to look at Lu Yingxiao.

Gao Yan also followed Gao Youhe's gaze, staring intently at Lu Yingxiao, waiting for her answer.

Lu Yingxiao: "..."

On the surface, this question seemed easy to answer, but she hesitated, not daring to reply.

When Gao Yan asked Gao Youhe if her heart was so small that it could only make room for one person, his gaze wasn't fixed on Gao Youhe; he was looking at Lu Yingxiao as he spoke.

Although it could have been her misunderstanding, perhaps he had just glanced at her unintentionally, Lu Yingxiao still went quiet.

Gao Youhe urged, "Sister-in-law?"

Seeing Lu Yingxiao pursing her lips tightly, looking quite troubled, Gao Yan spoke up, "Your sister-in-law has had a full day at work and is tired. Let's not disturb her."

Lu Yingxiao breathed a sigh of relief, seizing the moment to close her eyes.

Gao Youhe immediately stopped questioning her. She leaned back carefully against the seat, afraid of disturbing Lu Yingxiao.

The car went quiet.

Although Xiao Hu didn't have as much driving experience as Lao Wang, his skills were just as good. The entire journey was smooth and steady.

Maybe she really was tired. Without realizing it, Lu Yingxiao actually fell asleep.

In her dream, she seemed to have arrived in a pine forest. As far as the eye could see, everything was green, and her entire body was surrounded by a faint scent of pine.

She drank it in, breathing deeply.

The ground beneath her feet was also covered with a thick layer of pine needles, one after another, intertwined and packed tightly together. They looked prickly, but stepping on them felt only soft and cushiony. She lay down on them, her whole body sinking deep into the soft pine needles until they covered her completely, including her mouth, nose, eyes, and even her hair.

She woke up feeling well-rested.

Before even opening her eyes, Lu Yingxiao first smelled an unmistakable, faint scent of pine.

Had the scenery from her dream spilled over into reality?

She opened her eyes. It was pitch black.

Lu Yingxiao reached out and brushed it aside.

What was covering her head wasn't the pine needles from her dream, but a man's suit jacket.

Lu Yingxiao blinked, feeling as if she hadn't fully woken up.

Suddenly, she heard Gao Youhe's voice from beside her, "Sister-in-law, you're awake?"

Lu Yingxiao turned her head to look, "Youhe?"

Gao Youhe laughed, "It's me. You must have been deep asleep, you didn't even recognize me."

Lu Yingxiao pointed at the suit jacket covering her, "This jacket is..."

Gao Youhe: "Of course it's Brother's. Brother was worried you might catch a cold, so he went and took off his jacket to cover you. Good thing he thought of it. Sister-in-law, you don't know, while you were asleep, you kept burrowing into the jacket until your whole head was buried. You must have been cold. I was worried you couldn't breathe and tried to pull the jacket down, but Sister-in-law's grip was so strong, I couldn't move it at all."

After hearing this, a wave of heat flooded Lu Yingxiao's head.

Her delicate face instantly turned bright red.

Gao Youhe quickly reached out to touch Lu Yingxiao's forehead, asking worriedly, "Sister-in-law, why did your face suddenly turn so red? Are you sick?"

Lu Yingxiao was mortified.

She pulled down Gao Youhe's hand and said a little awkwardly, "No, I'm not sick."

The car was no longer moving. It was already parked steadily in the garage of the Gao family villa.

The driver, Xiao Hu, had gotten out at some point. Only Gao Yan remained sitting in the passenger seat.

Lu Yingxiao stole several glances at Gao Yan.

Seeing him with his eyes closed, apparently asleep too, Lu Yingxiao felt slightly relieved and had the presence of mind to answer Gao Youhe seriously, "It might be from sleeping in the car, from poor blood circulation."

Gao Youhe: "Sleeping in the car really isn't comfortable. You can't stretch your arms and legs properly. Let me massage you, Sister-in-law. That will get your blood flowing soon."

Lu Yingxiao: "Thank you, Youhe. I'll just move around a bit and I'll be fine."

Glancing at Gao Yan in the front seat, Lu Yingxiao casually asked, "Is your brother asleep too?"

Gao Youhe leaned over to look, "Huh, he really is asleep. That's rare."

Lu Yingxiao immediately handed the jacket covering her to Gao Youhe, "Your brother sleeping like this could easily make him sick."

Gao Youhe was also concerned about Gao Yan's health. She took the jacket and covered him snugly with it.

Lu Yingxiao got out of the car.

Seeing this, Gao Youhe asked, "Sister-in-law, where are you going?"

Lu Yingxiao: "I'm going to get something. I'll be right back."

Gao Youhe didn't know what Lu Yingxiao was going to get, so she obediently waited in the car for her return.

While waiting, feeling too bored, she observed Gao Yan's sleeping posture.

It was strange. Clearly, her brother wasn't someone who slept heavily, and she had never seen him fall asleep in the car before. Why was he sleeping so soundly this time?

And they were already home, yet he still hadn't woken up!

Worried that Gao Yan might be sick, Gao Youhe quickly reached out to feel his forehead.

The temperature seemed quite normal.

Gao Youhe was puzzled.

Not long after, Lu Yingxiao returned, carrying a first aid kit.

Gao Youhe asked anxiously, "Sister-in-law, is Brother really sick?"

Lu Yingxiao found the question odd, "No, he's not."

Gao Youhe: "Then why did you bring the first aid kit?"

Lu Yingxiao: "Didn't your brother scrape his hand? It's better to treat it early, to prevent bacteria from entering his body through the wound."

Gao Youhe felt relieved.

Lu Yingxiao originally intended to hand the first aid kit to Gao Youhe. However, Gao Youhe was in the back seat, making it inconvenient for her to apply medicine to Gao Yan. Moreover, since Gao Yan had lent her his suit jacket while she was asleep, she felt she should thank him. So, she gently opened the passenger door and stood outside, treating Gao Yan's wound.

When she left earlier, Lu Yingxiao had seen Gao Yan's sleeping posture: his left hand resting on his scraped right hand, making it rather inconvenient to treat the wound.

Now, looking again, his left and right hands had somehow swapped positions at some point. The scraped right hand was now resting on top of the left hand, making it very convenient for her to apply the medicine.

Lu Yingxiao didn't think much of it. She simply assumed that sleeping in the car was uncomfortable, and during the time she went to get the first aid kit, he had unconsciously changed his sleeping position.