Chapter 223 - 222: Han Ning: Let’s Meet

Chapter 223: Chapter 222: Han Ning: Let’s Meet

After Su Qinghe finished the brown sugar ginger tea, she felt warm all over. The pain in her stomach eased, and some color returned to her once-pale cheeks.

Seeing this, Gu Yifan finally felt a little relieved.

He spoke softly and gently to Su Qinghe, "Hanhan, you lie down and rest for a little longer. I’m going to make some millet porridge. I’ll call you when it’s ready."

Feeling Gu Yifan’s tenderness, Su Qinghe’s heart grew even warmer.

"Mhm~"

She gave a small, obedient nod.

Gu Yifan gently tucked her in, then turned and went downstairs to make the porridge.

Su Qinghe watched him go, her eyes filled with gratitude and love...

DING~

"Congratulations, Host, on completing the System Mission: ’Public Display of Prowess’!"

In the kitchen, as Gu Yifan was making the millet porridge, the System’s crisp, mechanical female voice suddenly rang in his mind.

Gu Yifan stared, momentarily stunned, at the pair of fishnet stockings that had suddenly appeared in his hand. He’d almost completely forgotten about this.

At the same time, a formula for the Life-extending Potion, which resembled a traditional medicinal prescription, materialized in his mind.

[Note 1: Life-extending Potion. The Host can create the Life-extending Potion using this formula. Upon consumption, it activates new cell vitality, thereby extending one’s lifespan. It is effective as long as the person is still breathing. The exact results depend on the individual’s constitution, extending life by a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 30 years. It can only be consumed once in a lifetime; subsequent doses are ineffective!]

[Note 2: The Tear-Proof Fishnet Stockings are made from celestial silkworm silk. Apart from being more aesthetically pleasing than ordinary fishnets, they are warm in winter and cool in summer. Most importantly, their special material makes them impossible to tear!]"

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Gu Yifan.

He asked, "System, is the Life-extending Potion effective against menstrual cramps?"

System: "..."

Gu Yifan’s question rendered the System completely speechless.

Nevertheless, it answered his question.

"To answer the Host, the Life-extending Potion activates new cell vitality. As long as a person is still breathing, it can restore them. Menstrual cramps are merely a result of qi and blood stagnation in a woman’s body, so they can naturally be cured."

Hearing the System’s answer, Gu Yifan’s eyes lit up.

’Looks like I’ve underestimated the effects of this Life-extending Potion!’

he muttered to himself.

...

"I’m heading north, leaving our season behind, around the steering wheel, spinning with my..."

Just then, his phone suddenly rang.

Gu Yifan was puzzled when he saw it was an unknown number.

After a moment’s thought, he answered the call.

"Hello, it’s me..."

Gu Yifan froze for a moment, recognizing the familiar voice on the other end.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "What is it?"

As soon as he said that, the other end of the line went silent...

"Can we meet and talk?"

After a long pause, the voice came again.

Gu Yifan’s brow furrowed at the words.

Just as he was considering whether to refuse, the voice on the other end continued, "Just this once. After this, I’ll never bother you again."

"Alright."

After a moment of deliberation, Gu Yifan nodded. "What time and where?"

"Seven-thirty tonight. I’ll be waiting for you at the university’s athletic field..."

"Alright."

...

「Time flew by, and soon it was six-thirty in the evening.」

After Gu Yifan and Su Qinghe finished dinner, Su Qinghe started to clear the table to wash the dishes, but Gu Yifan stopped her.

"You’re on your period, so you shouldn’t be touching cold water. I’ll do the dishes,"

he said, looking at Su Qinghe.

"I... I’m fine. I’m feeling better now,"

Su Qinghe said in a small voice.

"Behave."

Gu Yifan’s brow furrowed, and his tone grew firmer.

Noticing his tone might have been too harsh, Gu Yifan softened it again. "Alright, be good. Go sit on the sofa and rest for a bit. I’ll take care of the dishes."

"Oh, okay."

Seeing his insistence, Su Qinghe didn’t dare to argue further and simply nodded obediently.

She wasn’t angry with Gu Yifan, though. She knew he was just doing what was best for her.

...

「Seven-thirty that evening.」

Jinling University.

On the university’s athletic field, aside from a few students out for an evening jog, there was no one else but Gu Yifan and Han Ning.

They walked slowly along the rubber track.

Han Ning suddenly stopped walking, turning to Gu Yifan. "It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?" she said softly. "A long time since the two of us have walked on the athletic field like this."

"Yeah."

Gu Yifan paused for a moment, then nodded, his expression calm.

"You know,"

Han Ning continued, "all this time, I’ve been imagining this moment."

She paused, then looked back at Gu Yifan and added, "I just never imagined it would be... under these circumstances."

Silence...

Gu Yifan didn’t respond. He had no idea what Han Ning was trying to say.

Seeing that Gu Yifan remained silent, Han Ning didn’t seem to mind.

She spoke again. "Gu Yifan, do you know what it feels like to like someone?"

Taken aback by the random question, Gu Yifan glanced at Han Ning. After a moment’s thought, he replied, "I do. And maybe I don’t. Liking someone is a different experience for everyone."

Han Ning paid his answer no mind and continued, "Mmm... Actually, I never used to know what it felt like to like someone, either."

"I don’t know when I started to like him. Maybe it was a long, long time ago, or maybe it was just recently. But my own prideful nature kept me from ever having the courage to tell him to his face."

"Back in middle and high school, there were a lot of rumors going around that he was interested in me, but I never thought about it like that. We grew up together; you could say we had almost no secrets from each other."

"But then, one day, he suddenly confessed to me in front of the entire school. I wasn’t the least bit prepared. I just panicked. I was nervous and scared, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to do. So, in front of all those people, I rejected him. I even said some things I didn’t mean. But the second I finished speaking, I regretted it..."

"But I had my pride to think about, and the college entrance exams were right around the corner. I didn’t want this to distract him from studying. So I told myself that once this stressful period was over, once the exams were done, I would talk to him about it in person."

"Only... by the time I’d waited, I suddenly realized he seemed to be drifting farther and farther away from me..."

Han Ning spoke softly and slowly, as if she were telling someone else’s story. Her tone was placid, as though she were both reminiscing and pouring out her own feelings.

Gu Yifan just listened in silence.

He said nothing, because he understood the meaning behind her words. He knew she was talking about him.

...