Chapter 32 Under His Gaze, Her Face Grew Increasingly…

Chapter 32: Under his gaze, her face grew increasingly flushed...

Once they'd seen the aquarium, the three of them headed to the pet area.

Gao Youhe spotted the myna immediately.

"Sister-in-law, look! A myna! Do you think Gege was a myna in his past life?"

"Mhm, I see it."

As Lu Yingxiao replied, she instinctively glanced toward Gao Yan out of the corner of her eye.

Gao Yan had also been looking at the myna. The moment Lu Yingxiao glanced over, he noticed it right away. He took a few steps forward, came to a stop behind her, bent down slightly to ask, "Youhe was talking to you about the myna, but you're looking at me. Are you seeing if I look like a myna?"

After saying this, he straightened up, stretched his arms and legs casually, striking a pose as if to say 'go ahead, compare.'

"...I can't really tell yet," Lu Yingxiao said, "but it feels like you talk more than the myna."

The real myna just tilted its head, quietly observing their arrival without uttering a word. But Gao Yan—she had only glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and he immediately started chattering away.

Gao Youhe had only seen mynas in books and videos, never seen one up close.

Finally getting the chance, she pressed her face against the birdcage, examining the myna back and forth, wishing she could examine every single feather.

"This myna looks so spirited. Its eyes are tiny, but they look sharp."

"But can it really talk?"

"The parrot at the shop across the way is already saying 'welcome,' but it hasn't said a word. Is it stupid, or can't it talk?"

Hearing Gao Youhe's questions, Lu Yingxiao went over to look at the myna too.

Just as she was about to squat down, the myna suddenly shot Gao Youhe an extremely disdainful look with its little eyes, then squawked, "I'm not dumb, and I'm not mute. You're the one who talks too much."

The two women in front of the cage: "..."

Only Gao Yan, standing behind them, chuckled softly.

Gao Youhe turned and glared at Gao Yan, grumbling indignantly, "Mynas really are chatterboxes! No wonder you said Brother was a myna in a past life, Sister-in-law. Brother, you really do talk a lot."

Gao Yan cried innocence, "I didn't say anything."

Gao Youhe argued righteously, "Silence speaks louder than words! Your laughter has already broadcast your thoughts loud and clear!"

She huffily pulled Lu Yingxiao away.

Lu Yingxiao soothed the ruffled Gao Youhe, "Alright, alright, let's not argue with the myna."

Catching the double meaning in Lu Yingxiao's words, Gao Youhe's mood immediately brightened. Happily linking arms with Lu Yingxiao, she continued to look around curiously.

After two hours of browsing, Gao Youhe grew tired.

Most importantly, she'd seen everything interesting in the flower and bird market and lost interest in continuing.

Lu Yingxiao felt the same.

The two of them looked at Gao Yan with a shared understanding.

Although they had no desire to keep browsing, Gao Yan might feel differently. They had to consider his needs too.

Gao Yan pointed ahead. "I see a few potted mulberry trees displayed at the entrance of that shop up front. From a distance, the seedlings look quite healthy. Let's go take a look."

Once we buy the seedlings, we can leave.

Lu Yingxiao and Gao Youhe followed Gao Yan.

When it came to flowers and plants, Gao Yan was the expert. Lu Yingxiao and Gao Youhe remained silent, quietly watching him make his selection.

Gao Yan picked three mulberry seedlings with well-developed root systems and sturdy trunks.

Seeing Gao Yan was knowledgeable, and intimidated by his fierce looks and imposing build, the shop owner naturally didn't dare to quote an outrageous price. Hoping to close the deal smoothly without haggling, the astute owner enthusiastically praised the two women with Gao Yan, complimenting Lu Yingxiao's beauty and Gao Youhe's quick wit.

Most importantly, he praised Gao Yan for his good fortune in marrying such an elegant wife as Lu Yingxiao and having such a lovely daughter as Gao Youhe.

Gao Yan listened quietly. After the owner finished, he corrected Gao Youhe's identity. "She's not my daughter; she's my sister."

The owner was skilled at reading people. Although the burly man before him didn't show obvious smiles like other customers under his flattery, upon closer observation, one could detect a faint hint of amusement in his eyes, and even his tone carried a slight softness. The owner immediately understood that his earlier compliments hadn't been in vain.

Smoothly changing his address for Gao Youhe, he then vigorously promoted to Gao Yan the flowers Lu Yingxiao had looked at and smelled, as well as the delicate small potted plants Gao Youhe had glanced at a few times.

"I noticed your wife seemed quite interested in these flowers. If you buy them, she'll surely be very happy."

"Your sister also has good taste. These small potted plants are bestsellers in my shop; kids love them."

Gao Yan knew this was all sales talk from the owner, but he ended up buying everything.

The owner was overjoyed, beaming with delight.

Gao Youhe wandered around the shop a bit. Finding nothing particularly interesting, she pulled Lu Yingxiao to the shop across the way to watch the commotion.

Returning after watching, seeing Gao Yan had already selected the mulberry seedlings, she asked him, "Brother, are you done buying?"

Gao Yan: "All done."

Gao Youhe: "Can the owner deliver the mulberry seedlings directly to our home? I don't want to go back now."

The owner nearby chimed in, "Your brother has already given me the delivery address. They'll be delivered this afternoon."

Having successfully closed a sizable deal with Gao Yan, the owner was quite pleased. Hoping to turn Gao Yan into a repeat customer, as he saw them off, he gifted Lu Yingxiao and Gao Youhe each a palm-sized, exquisite succulent, telling them that one symbolized marital happiness, the other academic success.

The owner likely meant well, but holding the succulent, Lu Yingxiao felt somewhat awkward.

Gao Yan stood in front of Lu Yingxiao and said to the owner, "We won't be home today. Please deliver the mulberry seedlings and other items tomorrow morning."

From the delivery address Gao Yan provided, the owner knew he lived in a high-end villa area. Even if they weren't home, someone could sign for the delivery. Suddenly changing the delivery date was clearly a deliberate diversion to stop him from continuing. Initially puzzled, but upon glancing at Lu Yingxiao, who looked shy and uncomfortable, the owner understood.

He knew his wife was thin-skinned and didn't want him to go on.

The owner smiled, smoothly shifting the topic along with Gao Yan's words. "Delivered before 10 AM tomorrow, is that okay?"

"Okay."

Stepping out of the shop, Gao Yan glanced at the succulent in Lu Yingxiao's hands and asked, "Do you want me to hold that for you?"

Without the owner's incessant chatter, the awkwardness in Lu Yingxiao's heart had mostly dissipated.

Suddenly hearing Gao Yan's question, she instinctively thought he simply wanted to help carry something. Considering the succulent was only palm-sized—even Gao Youhe didn't find it tiring to hold—how could she possibly hand it over to Gao Yan? So she shook her head and said, "No need."

As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes met Gao Yan's. Lu Yingxiao suddenly grasped the deeper meaning behind his words, and her face instantly flushed crimson.

Gao Yan asked to take the succulent from her, to spare her any awkwardness over it after hearing the shopkeeper's words.

Now that she had refused, didn't that mean...

Lu Yingxiao was so embarrassed she wished she could dig a hole with her toes and crawl right in.

As she hesitated, at a loss for how to salvage the situation, Gao Yan had already moved on to a new topic, asking Gao Youhe, "Where do you want to go next?"

Gao Youhe had made up her mind yesterday.

As soon as Gao Yan asked, she blurted out eagerly, "The amusement park! I want to go to the amusement park!"

After saying that, Gao Youhe shook Lu Yingxiao's arm and cooed, "Sister-in-law, let's go to the amusement park, okay?"

Lu Yingxiao, of course, had no objections. "Of course, like I told you yesterday? Wherever you want to go today, I'll go with you."

Gao Youhe cheered, "Sister-in-law, you're the best!"

She wanted to hug Lu Yingxiao's waist, but just as she was about to reach out, she realized her left hand was holding the succulent the shopkeeper had given her, which made it awkward to hug her.

Gao Yan chimed in at just the right moment, "Give it to me."

Gao Youhe handed it over without hesitation.

She also took the succulent from Lu Yingxiao's hand and gave it to Gao Yan.

Lu Yingxiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At least the succulents were out of her hands now.

Gao Yan carried the two succulents back to the car.

He set them down for the moment on the passenger seat.

Gao Youhe pointed to the dashboard in front of the passenger seat and asked Gao Yan, "Brother, why not put them there?"

If placed there, Lu Yingxiao, in the back, would have a clear view of them. But with the passenger seat's backrest blocking the view, and the succulents being so small, you'd hardly see them without leaning forward.

However, Gao Yan, of course, didn't explain his reasoning to Gao Youhe, simply saying, "Plants are living things too. Since there's space, it's only right to give them a proper seat."

Gao Youhe chuckled, "Then Brother should fasten their seatbelts, so we follow traffic rules."

Gao Yan: "You reminded me."

He bent over to fasten seatbelts for the two succulents on the passenger seat.

His expression was solemn, his movements careful, as though they were prized passengers. He fastened them meticulously, so that even in a collision, the two succulents on the passenger seat wouldn't be thrown out. After fastening them, Gao Yan, as if not to disturb them, gently stroked both pots with his well-defined fingers.

As his warm fingertip grazed the succulent symbolizing marital happiness, Lu Yingxiao, sitting silently in the back seat watching, had the feeling Gao Yan's finger lingered a little too long on this particular succulent.

The tips of this succulent's leaves were pink.

Perhaps the sunlight outside was too bright, or it happened to fall on this succulent. After Gao Yan's finger moved away, the sun seemed to bleach the pink tips to a deeper red.

It also seemed as if the warmth from Gao Yan's fingertip remained on the succulent, making the leaf tips burn and blush.

She had had physical contact with Gao Yan before, so she knew all too well just how scorching his touch was.

"Sister-in-law, why is your face so red?"

After watching with great interest as Gao Yan fastened the seatbelts for the two succulents, Gao Youhe sat upright back in her seat. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lu Yingxiao's face visibly reddening. Worried, she quickly reached out to touch Lu Yingxiao's face. "Sister-in-law, your face is so hot. Are you running a fever?"

Lu Yingxiao turned her head, avoiding Gao Youhe's hand. "No, it's just that the sunlight outside is too strong. I got a bit sun-kissed."

Gao Youhe glanced at Lu Yingxiao's position.

The sunlight was indeed shining directly on Lu Yingxiao.

She immediately offered to switch seats with Lu Yingxiao. "I don't mind the sun."

Lu Yingxiao: "It's fine. Once the car starts moving, the sun won't reach me anymore."

Gao Youhe then urged Gao Yan, "Brother, start the car."

Gao Yan glanced at Lu Yingxiao in the back seat through the rearview mirror. He noticed that under his gaze, her face was turning even redder. The corners of his mouth lifted in a pleased smile. "Okay."