No one understands rebirth better than me

Chapter 323 A Not-So-Romantic Romance

"Teacher Gu?"

Gu Wancheng turned around, her gaze calm, and slightly raised her chin to brush a strand of hair behind her ear:

“You don’t need to lie. I know you’re looking for Youli. It’s really unnecessary to pull this stunt after I’ve exposed you.”

"No, it's really not, Teacher Gu."

Guan Ren was both amused and exasperated. He involuntarily took a half-step forward, moving closer to her, and looked at her intently:
"Actually, I talked to Youli before I came here. I know she's going to the bookstore today, and I figured she's not home right now, so that's why I came to find you."

"..."

These words made Gu Wancheng's already clenched heart skip a beat.

I came to find you because I knew she wasn't there.

What... what nonsense is this person spouting!
Gu Wancheng recalled the text message he sent her in the car last night. Her face remained expressionless, but her heart was in turmoil.

"Here."

Just as Gu Wancheng's mind was in a brief state of confusion, Guan Ren picked up the bags he was carrying and grinned:
"I promised to teach you how to make cured pork and sausages last time. I see that Youli isn't here today, so it's quite suitable."

"…Um…"

Gu Wancheng paused for a moment upon hearing this, then slowly nodded.

Now it makes perfect sense for students to come to their teachers' homes.

Gu Wancheng opened the door and walked into the house by herself.

Guan Ren hurriedly pressed for an answer:

"Teacher Gu, may I come in?"

"Come in."

"okay!"

Guan Ren then came in.

Then, the first thing I felt was being enveloped by a gentle warmth.

"Oh, the air conditioning was on..."

Guan Ren stood on the doormat and closed the door.

Then, she skillfully opened the shoe cabinet and found the shoe covers hidden deep inside among all of Gu Wancheng's high heels.

"Teacher Gu."

Guan Ren rubbed his nose, walked over and knocked on Gu Wancheng's bedroom door:

"May I use the restroom?"

Gu Wancheng's muffled voice came from inside the bedroom:

"If I say no, are you prepared to suffocate...?"

"..."

It seems reasonable.

Guan Ren, feeling resentful, turned around and went to urinate.

Only a faint voice echoed from behind the door:
"What a stupid student..."

……

To be honest, it takes women a really long time to change clothes.

Guan Ren had finished urinating and had been busy in the kitchen for a while, but Gu Wancheng still hadn't come out.

Just as he couldn't resist going out and about to knock on the door again, Gu Wancheng's bedroom door finally opened.

Gu Wancheng emerged from inside, wearing a black turtleneck knee-length knit suit and a gray fleece jacket.

At first glance, it looks like just an ordinary winter outfit.

But Guan Ren couldn't help but stare, his eyes widening slightly.

Even though she was at home, Gu Wancheng was still wearing a pair of black pantyhose, around size 30D, under her skirt suit.

So this woman wears stockings at home too?
No wonder she wore it inside for so long…

"Guan Ren."

"?!"

"What are you standing there for?"

"Cough, no...it's nothing..."

To be honest, Gu Wancheng's outfit might be inconvenient for her to work later.

But considering that she was at home and was free to wear whatever she wanted, Guan Ren didn't offer any objections and quickly shifted his gaze away from Gu Wancheng's fluffy slippers.

……

Gu Wancheng's slippers for wearing at home in winter are quite interesting.

It's the style of sandals, but covered with a layer of beige warm fleece.

Although the purpose of this design is for reasons such as breathability.

But at this moment, Guan Ren thought the biggest advantage of this design was that even in his home during winter, he could still see her toes, which were covered by stockings, peeking out.

A few neat, slender, and beautiful toes stretched the reinforced toes of her black stockings slightly thinner, revealing elegant dark blue nail polish, like sweet blueberries dotting a cream cake, quite tempting...

……

"Um... Teacher Gu, I brought some meat and seasonings with me this time. It's not much, just enough to make a sample. That way, if you want to make it at home next time, you'll know how."

"Well, let's get started."

"Okay, first of all, let's talk about the ingredients. Look at the pork I used this time, isn't it beautiful with its three layers of fat and lean meat..."

Guan Ren began to recount his story in detail, with the same meticulous care he showed when teaching her to cook during the summer vacation.

"When pickling, the jar is too heavy and inconvenient. It is best to use a plastic bucket, preferably a thick, light-colored one."

"Does it have to be a light color?"

"Yes, because dark-colored plastic is more likely to be made from inferior scraps. Although it's generally fine for salting, it's still better to avoid it..."

Gu Wancheng studied very diligently. Even after frying the Sichuan peppercorn salt, when it came to the most important step of rubbing the salt on, Gu Wancheng only frowned slightly before she and Guan Ren carefully rubbed the ingredients with the salt.

"Otherwise, we have to apply it to every single spot. If we miss even one area, it...cough...it's very likely...uh...to get moldy and infested with bugs..."

Guan Ren's teaching began to falter.

It was because when the two of them were working together, his hand would occasionally touch Gu Wancheng's hand.

once…

twice…

The two seemed to be touching hands more and more frequently.

A strange and enchanting feeling also welled up in Guan Ren's heart.

But the fact that we're all in the same place curing bacon right now is rather strange.

She glanced up at Gu Wancheng discreetly.

She remained calm and composed.

Soon, in this rather unromantic setting, Guan Ren and Gu Wancheng's hands simultaneously reached for the last piece of unprocessed meat.

As a result, Guan Ren's generous palm covered Gu Wancheng's smooth, jade-like hand.

Both of their hands paused slightly.

The other movements also gradually came to a stop.

"..."

"..."

Regardless of Gu Wancheng's mood at this moment.

Guan Ren was both intrigued and found it somewhat comical.

So, does this... count as a kind of romance that's not very romantic?

--------

However, what Guan Ren didn't know was...

Meanwhile, far away in the Xinhua Bookstore.

A similar incident also occurred.

But it has absolutely nothing to do with romance.

"..."

"..."

On the bookshelf, a sign hanging from the ceiling reads in bold, bright characters: "[2013 College Entrance Examination School Selection Materials Collection]".

In front of the bookshelf, two girls' hands were simultaneously resting on a thick book.

A delicate and pretty one.

The other one is soft and delicate.

When their fingertips touched, the two girls stared at each other in surprise, and immediately withdrew their fingers after realizing what had happened.

"Class monitor, you're here to read too?"

……

Luo Xiaobei spoke first, a polite smile quickly flashing across her lips.

Actually, she was quite puzzled as well.

For some reason, she now feels quite guilty towards Gu Youli.

But for some reason, when the two met in person, Luo Xiaobei saw Xiaolihua's thin, soft lips that Guan Ren had kissed, her delicate face that Guan Ren had touched, her small shoulders that Guan Ren had put his arm around... and that cool and aloof temperament similar to Teacher Gu, Luo Xiaobei immediately forgot all her guilt and instinctively activated a certain alert mode.

……

"Ah."

Gu Youli nodded calmly, her ponytail swaying gently behind her head.
“I come here often.”

"Hmm...right, it seems that's true."

Luo Xiaobei looked up at the sky as if deep in thought, then casually said:
“Guan Ren told me a long time ago that you really like going to bookstores.”

"..."

Gu Youli's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this.

Then, intentionally or unintentionally, he puffed out his chest and raised his handsome chin:
"That was before. I haven't been to a bookstore in a long time now."

"That's it..."

Luo Xiaobei put her hands behind her back and browsed the bookshelf:

"Okay, I see couples everywhere on the streets during the holidays, you seem to be quite free."

"Yes."

Gu Youli turned to the side, picked up a book, and began to flip through it casually:

"The main reason is that Guan Ren and I don't need to specifically choose holidays for our dates. We often meet up on weekends. Shopping can be quite tiring, so it's been a rare moment of free time lately."

"..."

"Xiao Bei, what's wrong? You don't look well."

"It's nothing, take your time reading it."

Luo Xiaobei grabbed a college entrance exam information booklet, wrinkled her nose slightly, and left.

Gu Youli smiled slightly, a faint curve appearing at the corners of her lips.

---------

"Ah!"

On the other side, Guan Ren turned his head and sneezed violently, then lowered his head and continued working.

But gradually, when he and Gu Wancheng touched hands, the awkwardness between them seemed to lessen, while they became more natural and at ease...

(End of this chapter)