Deep Fog Kiss

After dinner, Yuan Wei arranged a room for her. The Gu family home was so large that Jiang Li didn't know which room she was assigned to; she only knew that her room was particularly large and located in a very remote area.

Inside the Gu residence, each side room has its own living room, dining room, and kitchen.

Breakfast was alright; she was able to eat something after getting up.

But the Gu family always ate dinner together in the main hall. She lived far away, and a few times she got lost when she went to eat there. By the time she got to the main hall, dinner was already over.

For two days in a row, she didn't have dinner.

But she dared not utter the word "hungry." She tried her best not to cause trouble for anyone or make any extra requests, turning herself into a transparent person.

When I'm too hungry to sleep at night, I'll cover my stomach and force myself to fall asleep.

On the third day, she became a little smarter and went to the main hall half an hour before dinner time.

As soon as I arrived outside the main hall, everyone inside the restaurant was already seated.

"Where's that little girl? Isn't she coming for dinner again?"

Gu Yueze's voice came from inside the hall.

Jiang Li stood outside the hall. When she heard that she was being questioned, alarm bells went off in her mind, fearing that she would be scolded.

"The little girl is timid when she first arrived here and is afraid to come out to eat," Yuan Wei said with a smile. "It will probably take her some time to adjust, unlike our Xiao Rou, who is poised and confident and never shy about anything."

"She's from a small town, so it's understandable that she's timid," said Feng Suqin softly. "Since she's not coming, let's eat."

"We can't force her to come," the old lady advised. "But she is a guest who has come from afar, so we can't neglect her."

"Don't worry, Grandma, she'll have something to eat prepared in the kitchen of her room," Yuan Wei said with a smile. "We can't neglect anyone, can we?"

Jiang Li stood outside the hall, listening to the sounds of bowls and chopsticks being used for the meal inside, unsure whether to go in or not.

The restaurant was filled with laughter and chatter, which seemed completely out of place for her.

She pursed her lips and went back to her room.

Her dinner still hadn't arrived late into the night.

No one came over to ask her a single question.

She had been at the Gu family's house for three days, and apart from meeting the Gu family members on the first day, she hadn't seen anyone else.

At night, the autumn wind rustled outside.

Jiang Li obediently took a bath and lay in bed, her stomach rumbling.

Children in their developmental stage get hungry very quickly, so she tiptoed out of bed and left the room.

Wealthy people don't seem to like eating leftovers, and she couldn't find any cooked food to eat in the restaurant.

The huge refrigerator was empty except for the blast of cold air.

She was painfully hungry.

She clutched her stomach, pursed her lips, and poured herself a glass of hot water.

Outside the window, the evening breeze rustled the leaves.

She was all alone in the large room.

A tiny bundle, curled up on a single sofa, holding a cup of hot water.

At this moment, she wondered why such a big city, such a large family, was so cold.

She even wondered if it would be better if she were left in an orphanage.

As I thought about it, my vision blurred and tears welled up in my eyes.

She misses her father so much.

Why didn't Dad take her with him?

These past two years without her father have been incredibly difficult for her.

Jiang Li bit her lip, tears falling into the water glass.

Just then, a light footstep sounded, approaching from afar.

Her back stiffened, her nerves tightened instinctively, and her eyes widened in alarm.

She was about to flee upstairs and hide in her room when, as she turned around, a tall and imposing figure appeared in her terrified eyes.

The boy, dressed in black casual wear, stood on the porch by the living room door. The dim light shone on his handsome and striking face, making him look somewhat unreal.

Jiang Li stood there, stunned, staring blankly at him, her nose suddenly feeling inexplicably sore.

Gu Zhishen looked at her; she was wearing an old nightgown that was too short, her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were red.

It felt like being abused.

He frowned slightly. Why did they bring the person back and put them in such a remote courtyard?

"You live here?"

Jiang Li nodded, her throat tightening with emotion.

"Have you got a meal yet?"

Gu Zhishen didn't go in. He put his hands in his pockets and looked her over. He hadn't seen her for three days, and the little mushroom had turned into a dried mushroom.

As soon as he finished speaking, large tears fell from Jiang Li's eyes, but she forced herself to keep from crying and pursed her lips tightly.

For three whole days, in the entire Gu family home, he was the first person to ask her if she had eaten.

Jiang Li choked back tears, clutching the hem of her pajama bottoms tightly with both hands, gently shaking her head as tears streamed down her face.

Gu Zhishen, with his clear and sharp eyes, strode into the house.

As she got closer, Jiang Li noticed a faint scent of incense emanating from him.

It's the smell of incense from a Buddhist temple.

"Why aren't you eating?" Gu Zhishen glanced around the large room; there wasn't a single servant in sight. He then looked at the little girl; her small face was thin and pale.

He asked coldly, "They're not feeding you?"

Jiang Li didn't know whether to shake her head or nod. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at him, feeling incredibly wronged.

"So stupid."

Gu Zhishen said with a disdainful tone, then took out his phone and made a call, "Send some food over, um, to the Overseas Chinese Academy near the ancestral hall."

He fiddled with his phone, sat down, and looked at Jiang Li. "If you're hungry, just say so. You have to be able to order the servants around."

He glanced at the steaming water glass on the table. "Can you get full just by drinking water?"

Jiang Li shook her head, clenching her fingers as she looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Someone will bring you food later. After you eat, go to sleep. You have a mouth to talk, not to cry."

Gu Zhishen frowned as he looked at her. "In a place like this, crying is the most useless thing to do."

He doesn't come here every day, but today is the first day of the lunar month. As usual, he went to the ancestral hall to offer incense to his mother. When he passed by this courtyard, he saw that the usually uninhabited side courtyard suddenly had lights on, so he came over to take a look.

After he finished speaking and got up to leave, Jiang Li suddenly opened her mouth, "Brother..."

The moment she opened her mouth, her voice trembled with tears.

Gu Zhishen looked down at her for a few seconds, ignoring her casual way of addressing her, and knelt down on one knee, his gaze level with hers. "Do you have something to say?"

Jiang Li's fingers were tightly clenched, as if she wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say.

In this vast and unfamiliar place, she felt a deep sense of fear, and instinctively felt that only the person in front of her was safe.

Her throat tightened, and just as the boy thought she had nothing to say and was about to get up, she suddenly stepped forward and hugged the boy's neck.

Jiang Li, emboldened by some unknown source, tightly embraced Gu Zhishen and began to sob softly.

The sobbing gradually grew louder, then turned into soft weeping, and finally she desperately tried to hold back her sobs.

Her tears fell on his neck, soaking his collar.