C33 The Big Brother in Her Memory

Niannian and her grandmother got into the car together. Through her tear-streaked vision, she watched the older brother figure in the front seat. He was silent, lips sealed, exuding a chill that matched the weather outside.

But when he reached out to help her, his hand was warm, hinting at the warmth that surely resided in his heart as well.

It was the same comforting warmth she had just felt.

Without thinking, Huo Niannian rubbed her cheek against Gu Tingshen's hand, like a docile kitten seeking solace.

The delicate sensation from his palm made Gu Tingshen's heart grow even softer. "Huo Niannian. Niannian," he whispered.

At last, she opened her eyes, brimming with tears, and looked up at Gu Tingshen. The image of the big brother from her recollections slowly overlapped with the man in front of her.

Suddenly, she sat up, threw herself into Gu Tingshen's arms, and hugged his neck tightly.

"Thank you," Huo Niannian murmured.

On that day, both she and her grandmother had been saved, yet she had never seen the big brother again. She was too young and too panicked back then, never even getting the chance to say thank you.

Gu Tingshen, oblivious to Huo Niannian's dream, was puzzled by her sudden expression of gratitude. He thought she was thanking him for coming to her aid just a moment ago.

He gently stroked the back of the young woman in his embrace. "Thanking your own hubby?" he said with a light chuckle.

Huo Niannian was jolted back to the present, her dream dissipating.

She quickly wiped away her tears and let go of Gu Tingshen.

"I was dreaming," she said softly.

"What did you dream about?" Gu Tingshen inquired, gazing intently into her eyes.

Initially annoyed by her earlier reference to him as 'big brother,' he refrained from pressing her, considering her recent ordeal and sickness.

Huo Niannian was about to recount her dream but stopped short as she looked at Gu Tingshen's face. Suddenly, she was struck by a memory.

The details of the big brother's appearance had faded over the years, but her dream seemed to have stirred the dust off a sealed memory.

The big brother from her past, she realized, looked remarkably like Gu Tingshen.

"About 12 years ago, did you ever save an elderly lady? On a snowy day?" she asked tentatively.

About twelve years ago, did you ever save an elderly woman on a snowy day?" Huo Niannian asked, prompting Gu Tingshen to narrow his eyes slightly in recognition. "Are you that little girl from back then?"

Huo Niannian hadn't mentioned the old lady's granddaughter, yet Gu Tingshen had immediately guessed she was that very girl. It confirmed that the 'big brother' from her memories was indeed him.

"So it was you," Huo Niannian said with realization.

Gu Tingshen's smile widened. "Seems like fate has a way of bringing us together."

A flush of warmth spread across Huo Niannian's face. She felt it too, this twist of fate.

Yet, people do change. The Gu Tingshen of the past exuded warmth.

As for the man before her now... How should she describe him? He wasn't entirely bad; after all, he had invited her for a meal and to stay in a spacious house. But his penchant for setting conditions whenever she asked for help, and having her deliver meals to his office as if she were a mere errand runner, was pushing it too far!

"Are you so touched that you're speechless?" Gu Tingshen asked, his smile teasing.

He was genuinely pleased. The girl he had rescued all those years ago had made a deep impression on him, especially on that day when his father had chastised him for being second best in school.

He had been so disheartened, but her gaze, shining with tiny sparks of light, had made him feel valued. It was a look of sincere gratitude and affection that he had never forgotten.

Now he knew why Huo Niannian held such a special place in his heart—it was undoubtedly those familiar, expressive eyes.

"I'm not moved! It's just a realization that people indeed change," Huo Niannian countered.

Gu Tingshen's eyes crinkled with a mix of amusement and curiosity. "Are you suggesting I've lost the charm I once had?"