After a male student transmigrated into the body of a widow,

Gu Lin stepped forward with the apron, but encountered a problem when he raised his hand slightly.

A hint of surprise crossed his face as he asked, "Xiao Hao, have you grown taller?"

Having spent so much time together over the years, Gu Lin rarely noticed any changes in Zheng Hao's body. It was only now, as he was putting an apron on Zheng Hao, that Gu Lin realized something was amiss.

Previously, he could easily slip the apron around Zheng Hao's neck, but now that's no longer possible.

Actually, it's not surprising when you think about it carefully.

After Gu Lin transmigrated, he paid great attention to his diet. Except for the most difficult period, Gu Lin and Zheng Hao never missed a meal of eggs, meat and milk.

In addition, Zheng Hao himself never stopped exercising, no matter the weather. Even a short person can grow taller, let alone Zheng Hao who is not short to begin with.

Zheng Hao didn't pay attention to these things, but seeing the slightly excited expression on the young man's face, he said, "No wonder the school uniform has been a bit short and tight lately."

Gu Lin said, "It's a good thing that you can still grow taller; others would beg for that. Don't worry about the school uniform; I'll take your measurements later and we'll go buy it for you tomorrow."

Zheng Hao noticed Gu Lin's recent busy schedule and said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, I pass by a clothing store every day on my way home from the academy. I can just buy something there."

Apart from a few clothing shops in the prefectural city that sell school uniforms, no other clothing shops sell them. And since Good Fortune Tower is a bit far from the clothing shops that sell school uniforms, it's much more convenient for Zheng Hao to buy them there than to do it himself.

Gu Lin said, "Okay, I'll go buy you some casual clothes when I have some free time in a few days."

"Thank you, Uncle Gu."

Holding up the apron in his hand, Gu Lin gestured to Zheng Hao, "Lower your head, and I'll put the apron on you."

After putting the lid on the iron pot, Zheng Hao turned around.

He lowered his head slightly, and the young man stood in front of him, his beautiful face facing his.

Zheng Hao lowered his eyes, no longer looking directly at the other person's face, but his gaze fell on the other person's neck, on that small patch of snow-white skin exposed outside the clothes.

Zheng Hao knew that Uncle Gu was different from other young men who liked to wear makeup. He only washed his face with water every day, and even after he was no longer short of money, he still did not like to dress up.

While other young men used hairpins and hair ornaments to tie their hair up, Uncle Gu always used only a simple hairband to tie up his black hair.

Therefore, Sister Zhao advised Gu Lin: "I think the hairpins and ornaments in the Fucheng Silver Shop are extremely beautiful. You have no taboos now, so you should take advantage of your good age and buy more jewelry to adorn yourself."

First of all, Gu Lin is a man and cannot accept having his hair tied up with hairpins. Secondly, Gu Lin hates complicated things the most. He used to have a clean and neat short haircut, but now that he has come here with long hair, he cannot cut it because of the concept that his body and hair are given to him by his parents. He can only tie it up.

Even after three years, Gu Lin still found tying his hair up troublesome. Seeing that Aunt Zhao had cut Lin Xiaoyao and the others' hair short, he had the urge to ask her to cut his hair too. However, Aunt Zhao scolded him, saying, "Silly boy, you're talking nonsense again! Why cut perfectly good hair? I cut Lin Xiaoyao and the others' hair because they have fleas on their heads, and they accept the haircut. Otherwise, why would I cut their hair for no reason?"

Seeing that Zhao's wife was really angry, Gu Lin gave up his idea of ​​cutting his hair.

Zheng Hao's gaze lingered on that snow-white expanse for a long time without shifting. However, his vision was not limited to that; with each movement of Gu Lin, those pink and moist lips would catch Zheng Hao's eye.

The smoke from the cooking fire gradually thickened, and the temperature in the kitchen slowly rose. Zheng Hao felt a bit hot and his throat bobbed.

Gu Lin didn't notice anything amiss. After helping the other person put on the apron, he stepped back a few paces and said, "Turn around, I'll help you tie the straps."

Following the other party's instructions, Zheng Hao turned around and felt the young man behind him stirring his hands. His waist tightened slightly, and a moment later, the warmth left his body.

A few unreadable emotions flashed in Zheng Hao's eyes. After Gu Lin tied his apron, he took the food and left the kitchen. Zheng Hao ladled the stewed dishes out of the pot.

After the meal was finished, Sister-in-law Zhao and Brother Zhao still hadn't returned, so Gu Lin guessed that they must have stayed at the Mu family's house for dinner.

He first set aside food for the two of them, then said to Zheng Hao and Gu An, who were sitting at the table, "Let's eat."

Zheng Hao sat opposite Gu Lin, and Gu An sat next to Gu Lin. Because Gu An was young and only ate the food in his own bowl, he dared not take any food from others unless they put it in his bowl.

So, while eating, Gu Lin used chopsticks he hadn't used before to serve food to Gu An.

Seeing the scene before him, Zheng Hao's already deep eyes grew even darker.

Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu, Gu An is seven years old now. He should be able to take care of his own clothes and meals and should not trouble his elders."

When Gu Lin had Gu An examined by a doctor, he also asked the doctor to check Gu An's bone age. According to the bone age, Gu An should be seven or eight years old.

But because Gu An looked thin and small, Gu Lin assumed he was seven years old.

Gu Lin placed a piece of meat in Gu An's bowl, then turned to Zheng Hao and said gently, "An An is still young, so she won't need anyone else to serve her food in the future."

Zheng Hao said: "The Zuo Zhuan says, 'Evil is easy to spread, like a fire that spreads across the plains. It cannot be brought near, but can it be extinguished?' If bad habits are not corrected in childhood, they will be difficult to change later."

Gu Lin was speechless for a moment, then said, "He needs some time to adapt. I don't have time right now, but I'll teach him in a few days."

In the past, Uncle Gu had indulged him without Zheng Hao finding it inappropriate, but now that he saw Uncle Gu indulging other children, the fierce look in Zheng Hao's eyes grew stronger.

Zheng Hao said, "Since Uncle Gu is too busy to find the time, why don't I teach Gu An instead?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin's expression showed surprise.

Gu Lin found it strange that Zheng Hao took the initiative to bring up taking care of Gu An, but he thought that it was best to correct a child's bad habits when he was young.

Gu Lin hesitated and asked, "Won't this interfere with your studies?"

Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu, don't worry. Since I brought this up myself, it means that this matter will not affect me."

Gu Lin said, "Then I'll trouble you."

"No trouble."

After dinner, Zheng Hao went to wash the dishes, while Gu Lin helped Gu An take a bath in the warm room.

It was called helping, but in reality, Gu Lin stood aside and instructed Gu An on how to clean. Gu An was very obedient and did whatever Gu Lin told him to do.

Gu Lin said to Gu An, "Scrub your armpits, neck and the sides of your ears more. You haven't washed for almost half a month, and you can scrub dirt off your body."

Gu An took a handkerchief and washed her body as Gu Lin had instructed.

Seeing that Gu An had rubbed himself until he was covered in a layer of grime, Gu Lin pointed to the ladle in the bathtub and said, "Use some water to wash off the grime and mud."

Gu An did as instructed. Seeing that the other person had almost finished washing, Gu Lin quickly stepped forward, took a cloth and wrapped the other person in it, then carried Gu An to the bed and tucked him into the thick quilt.

"I've already ironed your clothes. Put them on in bed quickly so you don't catch a cold."

This set of actions wasn't an exaggeration by Gu Lin; rather, Gu An, like Gu Lin, was sickly.

In fact, because Gu An was young and physically weak, he got sick more often than Gu Lin.

Logically speaking, Gu Lin is frail and sickly, and if Gu An is frequently ill, then he too will inevitably be infected.

Indeed, this is true. Since autumn this year, the Gu family has been plagued by either Gu Lin catching a cold or Gu An developing a fever every day.

Whenever Gu Lin recovers, Gu An immediately falls ill, and vice versa; whenever Gu An recovers, Gu Lin falls ill.

For this, Gu Lin was scolded by Zhao's wife: "There are two medicine pots in the house, one big and one small, making people worry all day long. The younger one is obedient and stays at home well when he is told to take good care of himself. But the older one is sick and still dares to sneak out to drink iced drinks."

Therefore, ever since Gu Linfeng caught drinking iced beverages while sick and was discovered by Zhao's wife, no more iced beverages have appeared in the house.

They didn't even brew milk tea to keep warm in winter, just in case this guy didn't want hot milk tea to be enough, so they put it in the snow to chill before drinking it.

Compared to Zhao's seemingly scolding but actually caring words, Zheng Hao's patience was almost exhausted.

He already disliked Gu An, but when the broker revealed Gu An's background, Zheng Hao felt that the other person was too much like his former self.

As expected, Gu An's background successfully aroused Uncle Gu's pity, and Uncle Gu took him home.

Zheng Hao only wanted Uncle Gu's gaze to be fixed on him. He didn't like anyone taking away Uncle Gu's attention, but ever since Gu An moved into the house, Uncle Gu's mind had been entirely on Gu An.

Uncle Gu, who usually only served food to himself, started serving food to Gu An. Uncle Gu, who used to take walks and chat with Gu An during his leisure time after meals, was always busy helping Gu An take a bath.

In fact, Uncle Gu often fell ill because of him.

Zheng Hao wanted Gu An to disappear.

However, the methods Zhou Wan used to deal with Liu Sanlai cannot be used on Gu An, otherwise it will easily arouse Gu Lin's suspicion.

Zheng Hao is not a good person. He doesn't care what others think of him, but he hopes that Uncle Gu will see him as a perfect person.

Gu An is not worth the risk.

He needed to plan carefully how to send Gu An away without provoking Uncle Gu's resistance.

But situations are always changing.

A few days later, Gu Lin fell ill again.

Looking at the young man in front of him, who was catching a cold again and whose face was growing paler, Zheng Hao, who was usually the most emotionally stable, remained silent and gloomy.

However, due to the other party's illness, Zheng Hao could only keep his words to himself.

But Gu Lin's cold this time was unusual. That night, he had a persistent high fever, and his complexion kept fluctuating between rosy and pale, because he was sometimes high in temperature and sometimes low in temperature.

Zheng Hao then stayed in the outer room of Gu Lin's bedroom, taking care of him without closing his eyes for three days.

Three days later, Gu Lin recovered, and Zheng Hao could no longer hold back.

Zheng Hao said to Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, Gu An is young and sickly, so he is best suited for quiet recuperation. Buddhist temples are peaceful and quiet. Let's send him to a temple in a while."

Zheng Hao's words were extremely cold-blooded. Gu An is only seven years old, cannot speak, and has poor self-care ability. Sending him to a temple is tantamount to leaving him to fend for himself.

However, this was the result of Zheng Hao's patience for many days, which made Uncle Gu feel that he was heartless and ruthless.

He gently persuaded Gu Lin.

However, Gu Lin sat on the bed without saying a word.

A moment later, he looked up at Zheng Hao, his face pale and his eyes looking fragile from the continuous illness, and said, "Xiao Hao, I can't do this."

Zheng Hao had long known that Uncle Gu was kind and soft-hearted. He didn't speak, but lowered his head slightly, his dark eyes looking at the young man in front of him, thinking that he must persuade Uncle Gu today.

Gu Lin's pale lips parted slightly as he said, "An'an is different from many others to me. He carries the shadows of many old friends. Back in the brokerage firm, I couldn't ignore him."

“I knew he was different from other children before I brought him back, but I didn’t mind because I was prepared. Even if he is weak and sick and unable to take care of himself, I will not regret it because it was my choice and I should take on this responsibility.”

"Besides, people aren't plants or trees, how can they be without feelings? After spending several months together, I've already come to regard Gu An as a member of the family."

Zheng Hao's eyelids drooped slightly. Although there were candles burning in the room, he was standing with his back to the candlelight, so Gu Lin could not discern any changes in his emotions from his indistinct face.

After a moment of silence, Zheng Hao parted his thin lips slightly: "He's Uncle Gu's family, so what about me?"

Gu Lin was taken aback.

Zheng Hao looked up. His eyes were always darker than others', but at this moment, Gu Lin saw a slight redness in them.

Zheng Hao spoke, his voice slightly hoarse: "In Uncle Gu's eyes, Gu An is weak and innocent and needs someone to take care of him. As soon as I mentioned sending him away, Uncle Gu felt that I was heartless?"

Gu Lin felt a pang of pain in his heart. He had never seen Zheng Hao like this before. Even during the most difficult days after Zheng the Hunter's death, Zheng Hao had never acted like this.

Zheng Hao's eyes remained fixed on Gu Lin, as if seeking an answer.

Whether it was due to the illness or some other reason, Gu Lin's eyes welled up with tears.

His vision was blurry, but he could clearly see the slight redness in the boy's eyes.

Gu Lin said, "Are you trying to tear my heart out by saying that?"

Gu Lin hadn't felt such profound pain in a long time. The other person was none other than the boy who had been with him ever since he came into this world.

They had gone through the most difficult days together.

Zheng Hao's question was undoubtedly a torture for Gu Lin's body and soul.

Gu Lin lowered his eyes slightly, his eyelids covered with moisture in his eyes: "Gu An is too weak to be sent to a Buddhist temple."

Zheng Hao's heart sank.

However, the next moment, Zheng Hao heard Uncle Gu in front of him continue, "I will find a family without children and send them money every month. They should take Gu An in and take good care of him."

If Gu Lin had known earlier that Zheng Hao was so bothered by Gu An's existence, he wouldn't have brought Gu An home; instead, he would have found her a better place to go.

He never imagined that bringing Gu An home would push Zheng Hao to this point.

Gu An was weak and innocent, and Gu Lin knew he had wronged him by sending him away. But Zheng Hao meant something different to Gu Lin. If he could only make one choice, Gu Lin would choose Zheng Hao.

Looking at Uncle Gu, who was standing with his head half-lowered and refused to show his face, Zheng Hao felt a slight stirring in his heart. He thought that Uncle Gu still valued him the most, and no matter who it was, they would have to take a step back.

Zheng Hao opened his mouth slightly, and suddenly, his gaze fixed on the damp bedding.

Zheng Hao's usually calm heart was thrown into turmoil at this moment. Forgetting the proper separation between men and women, he took a few steps forward and gently lifted the young man's cheek with his large hand, saying in a hoarse voice, "Uncle Gu, don't cry."

Caught off guard by the sudden touch on his face, Gu Lin's face was covered in tears, and his eyes were brimming with tears.

Zheng Hao had a keen understanding of people's hearts from a young age, and as he grew older, his grasp of people's hearts became more and more skillful.

Although her words to Gu Lin contained genuine feelings of being hurt, they were mostly an attempt to gain sympathy and achieve her goal.

Zheng Hao should have been happy that he had achieved his goal, but when he saw Uncle Gu's tears, all of his scheming and calculations vanished.

At this moment, all he wanted was for Uncle Gu in front of him to stop being sad and crying, and for a smile to return to his fair, snow-white face.

When Zheng Hao saw Uncle Gu shed tears after being hurt by Uncle Gu's parents, he vowed that if anyone dared to make Uncle Gu cry in the future, he would do everything in his power to make that person pay a heavy price.

But now, the culprit who made Uncle Gu cry is himself. Looking at the tear-filled eyes on his face, even years later, when Zheng Hao recalls this scene, he still wants to kill himself at this moment.

[I'm so sorry, everyone, I was incredibly busy today. I only managed to revise the novel once in a rush. I'm taking the day off and will update again tomorrow. I'm really sorry!]