Feng Yuxi was already completely defenseless against his smile, and hearing him express concern for her made her heart race even more, disordered and trembling...

Perhaps it was Feng Yuxi’s gaze that seemed odd, Gu Zixi couldn’t help but look over with curiosity.

A word, "You..." hadn’t even left his mouth.

Beside them, Feng Yuning, who was "visiting her maternal home," ran upstairs joyfully and, seeing Gu Zixi, called out happily, "So you’re here! I thought you were already waiting in the living room!"

Today, according to plan, Feng Yuning and Yu Yuanshen’s family were planning a winter outing to the botanical gardens, bringing along the younger members like Yu Family’s Youxuan and Cichu. But just halfway on their journey, Yu Yuanshen remembered that Gu Zixi would only be staying in the country for about ten more days before heading to the United States. After discussing with them, they decided to turn the car towards the Feng Family Villa, and they had already called Gu Zixi in advance to ask if he wanted to join them for some fun.

Gu Zixi, who rarely got to see Brother Yu, was naturally delighted.

At this moment, looking at the smiling face of Feng Yuning, he curved his lips and said, "I was just about to go downstairs for breakfast."

"Oh, forget breakfast, let’s just go and have a picnic," Feng Yuning enthusiastically invited Gu Zixi.

Finally, noticing Feng Yuxi was also there, she hesitated for a moment, and a few thoughts flickered in her lively big eyes.

Thinking of the Feng Family, she lifted her eyes and said, "Yu Xi? Do you want to join us?"

Feng Yuxi was momentarily stunned, her face turned solemn but she hadn’t spoken yet.

Feng Yuning smiled cheerfully and said, "Come on, let’s go together, I’ll bring along Yushan and Pitt, those two little ones too! Everyone together, it’ll be lively! So it’s decided then!"

Helping Feng Yuxi make the decision like this, Feng Yuxi was utterly unwilling inside!

With a serious face, Feng Yuxi almost shouted out, "I’m not going! If you want to go, you go! I want to find my little sister!"

But just as the words were about to spill out, her peripheral vision caught Gu Zixi’s gaze filled with smiles.

Her heart trembled instantly.

Clutching the key fob, she wished she could shout those words.

But faced with Gu Zixi’s distinctively moving, obsidian-like eyes that occasionally were so deep and penetrating they seemed to read one’s mind, she was somewhat afraid of overdoing it and letting Gu Zixi see through her again! 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

In addition to that, another voice within her began to say: Go! You don’t really like him, prove it to yourself, can’t you?

After a long time, she nodded heavily, awkwardly squeezing out a word, "Okay."

This kind of reluctance, Feng Yuning didn’t pay much attention to. She laughed and quickly headed towards another bedroom, saying, "Then you guys go downstairs first, I’ll go call those two little ones, who knows if they’re awake yet!"

Her joyful and graceful figure left.

Gu Zixi looked at Feng Yuxi and smiled warmly, "Let’s go."

Feng Yuxi’s legs felt as if they were filled with lead, facing Gu Zixi alone, having made the decision less than half an hour ago—feeling like her head was in agony like a mouse in a bellows...

She didn’t want to be with Gu Zixi!

But she couldn’t show it. She could only take a deep breath and follow...

...

They arrived at the botanical gardens.

Rong City’s southern maritime climate made their winters particularly short.

Sometimes, it could be frigidly windy one day and then sunny and bright the next.

This day, the eighth day of the lunar year, the weather was exceptionally good, and the botanical garden they visited was a high-end indoor one with glass houses. The pleasant temperature made everyone, who had endured over a month of cold, find walking inside very enjoyable.

Beautiful Phalaenopsis orchids, roses dripping with vivid colors, vibrant mint, and crystalline lily of the valley.

Yu Youxuan loved such places, running around like a little bird released, with Pitt and Feng Yushan happily following along with the household’s steward and nanny, asking about this and that...

Behind them, Pei Cichu was being held by the nanny, making baby sounds and taking a particular interest in a pretty butterfly.

Only the adults...

The ones with kids and those who love watching kids don’t need much mention, as they naturally surrounded the children.

Feng Yuxi and Gu Zixi, who had no children and hadn’t reached the age of being interested in kids, found themselves a bit bored after admiring the flowers and plants for a while.

After pausing for a bit, recalling yesterday’s conversation which didn’t go very well, and coupled with them both studying economics, Gu Zixi slowed his pace, waited for Feng Yuxi to catch up, and proactively started chatting with him.

"You seem to find it rather dull too, do you engage in these kinds of activities often?"

Feng Yuxi’s heart trembled and was almost filled with despair!

She intentionally slowed her pace to widen the distance from Gu Zixi, but she hadn’t expected Gu Zixi to stop and wait for her, and even talk to her!