Chapter 51: I'm Paired with Yun Fu

Gu Zhishu watched as his cousin suddenly held his phone, lost in thought. The ever-composed and self-controlled Lian Hanqi, who always strategized with precision, hadn’t shown such an expression since childhood.

Gu Zhishu was certain it had to do with Yunfu.

He was just about to sneak around and take a peek when Lian Hanqi returned to himself, a rare, gentle smile softening his features.

Gu Zhishu had barely taken two steps before Lian Hanqi looked up and asked, “Do you still want that Bugatti?”

Gu Zhishu was momentarily stunned, then his eyes lit up. He pounced on Lian Hanqi’s desk. “Cousin, you’re finally willing to give it to me!”

“Of course I want it!”

Lian Hanqi retrieved a set of keys from his drawer and handed them to Gu Zhishu, whose eyes sparkled with excitement.

This was one of only five limited edition sports cars in the world. Gu Zhishu had never been able to buy one, but he knew his cousin owned one—and had never driven it. He’d coveted it for ages, but Lian Hanqi had never relented.

He hadn’t expected to receive it so suddenly today.

No! Gu Zhishu suddenly realized—it wasn’t sudden. It was because he’d arranged to meet… his sister-in-law?

Damn! His cousin really did value romance over brotherhood. Suddenly, he understood exactly how to win his cousin’s favor: he just had to please his sister-in-law.

Gu Zhishu clutched the car keys in both hands, grinning so widely his eyes nearly disappeared. “Thank you, cousin! I’ll get everything ready and make sure tomorrow is a wonderful day for her.”

Lian Hanqi glanced at him. Though he said nothing, Gu Zhishu could tell he had tacitly agreed.

—

The doorbell rang. Yunfu slowly rose from the sofa, walked to the door, then paused.

She backtracked to fetch a hat and put it on before finally opening the door.

Outside stood a man in simple sportswear, looking much younger than usual. When he saw Yunfu, he smiled. “Let’s go.”

From a distance, Gu Zhishu spotted the pair walking over.

Both were tall and long-legged, one in black, one in white. There was nothing overtly intimate in their manner, but their presence together carried a natural harmony.

Gu Zhishu hurried to open the car door and waved them over. “Cousin, Yunfu, hop in.”

The two settled into the back seat while Gu Zhishu played chauffeur. He noticed Qin Yi wasn’t present.

“Old Qin went ahead,” Yunfu explained with a nod, just as she was about to pull out her phone to play a game. The man beside her handed over a lunchbox.

“Have something to eat.”

“…Alright.” Yunfu set her phone aside and slowly accepted the lunchbox.

In the front, Gu Zhishu muttered under his breath. Damn, he hadn’t had breakfast either.

In the back, one was eating, the other browsing her phone. When she saw something interesting, she’d share it with the other.

After an hour’s drive, they arrived at a game park in the suburbs.

Yunfu arched a brow as she got out. “Live-action CS?”

“Mm.” Lian Hanqi watched her adjust her hat, then led her forward. “This field is pretty big, so we can really have fun.”

He glanced down, catching a rare glimmer of excitement in her eyes, and knew he’d chosen well.

“Come on, let’s go change.”

With that, he reached out and took her hand.

Yunfu glanced at their joined hands and wrinkled her nose slightly. This man was becoming more and more natural in his intimacy.

But she wasn’t familiar with the area, and the path was uneven.

Not far off, two figures approached. Yunfu recognized one—Qin Yi. The man beside him was muscular and broad-shouldered, even his clothes couldn’t conceal it.

When the burly man saw Lian Hanqi holding hands with a girl, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

The girl was tall and elegant, wearing black sportswear and a matching hat. She moved with a languid gait, but even at Lian Hanqi’s side, she seemed independent, never overshadowed.

As they drew near, the man caught sight of her face and was stunned all over again. He wasn’t a cultured man, but a line of poetry filled his mind: “A beauty from the north, peerless and alone.”

She truly was breathtaking.

“Brother Qi,” the burly man and Qin Yi greeted Lian Hanqi, their gazes shifting to Yunfu.

Lian Hanqi tightened his grip on the delicate hand in his own and made the introductions. “This is Yunfu.”

“Miss Yun, pleasure to meet you.”

“Miss Yun, we meet again.”

He introduced the burly man as well. “This is Lu Ting—you can call him Tingzi.”

Yunfu nodded, slipped her hand from Lian Hanqi’s grasp, adjusted her hat, and was immediately drawn to the equipment behind them.

Back during her training, she’d had a visceral aversion to such things. But after surviving countless life-or-death situations, she’d come to realize that these tools—and the grueling training that nearly broke her—were what kept her alive.

Lu Ting was inwardly awestruck. No wonder Brother Qi brought her along—she was so cool, truly one of a kind.

“Want to give it a try?” Lian Hanqi approached, handing her a set of gear and a replica firearm.

Yunfu took it, running her fingers over the surface. Her eyes lit up instantly, like a child receiving a cherished gift.

Her expression was so adorable that Lian Hanqi couldn’t help but smile.

“This is a replica, modeled one-to-one after the real thing. The only difference is the ammunition—it’s a bit heavy, so you—”

Before he could finish warning her to be careful, Yunfu was already handling it with practiced ease.

A memory flickered through Lian Hanqi’s mind, and he smiled at the others. “Go get changed, all of you. Yunfu and I will be on a team.”

“This…” Lu Ting thought it was a bit unfair: Lian Hanqi had a young woman on his team, while they were three grown men. He was about to protest when Qin Yi dragged him away.

“Don’t worry about fairness. Wait until Brother Qi wipes the floor with you—then you’ll understand.”

When Yunfu emerged in full gear, Lian Hanqi’s eyes lit up. The girl had her hair tied in a high ponytail, her face serious and striking—she looked every bit the valiant warrior.

As she approached, Lian Hanqi reached out and straightened her collar.

His voice was gentle, “If you ever feel in danger, stay behind me. If you’re tired, take a break—don’t push yourself, alright?”

Yunfu lazily glanced up at him. He was tall, his features sharp and handsome, and in this getup, his aura was all the more commanding.

He was certainly pleasing to the eye.

But a bit long-winded.

“Okay,” she replied, nonetheless.

Lian Hanqi patted her head. “Let’s go show them no mercy.”

Yunfu nodded again, looking so cute that Lian Hanqi, if not for the threat of retribution, would have reached out to ruffle her hair again.

“We should place a bet this time, just to make things interesting,” Gu Zhishu suggested slyly, cradling his replica gun.