Chapter 365 - 364: "Whose Idea Is This?

"You want me to be a tour guide? But I don’t know my way around either," Daya said in surprise.

"I’m just too busy," Xue Xingzhou told her. "Mr. Gu is returning to his unit in a few days. You could take him to the scenic spots you’ve already visited. It’s his first time in Beijing City anyway, so there are plenty of places he hasn’t seen."

Daya looked helplessly at He Lang.

At first, He Lang didn’t quite understand what Xue Xingzhou was getting at. But as he looked at Daya’s lovely face, he suddenly realized Xue Xingzhou’s true intention.

"Daya, go outside for now. We’ll talk about this later."

Once Daya had left the office, He Lang looked at Xue Xingzhou and asked, "Whose idea was this?"

Xue Xingzhou casually sat down. "What’s wrong? She’s just being a tour guide. You have a problem with that?"

He Lang snorted. "So you’re trying to play matchmaker now?"

"Hey, listen to you. Isn’t Gu Kai Zhi your family’s benefactor? What’s wrong with me having Daya show him around? I’m genuinely busy."

He Lang glared at him and snorted. "Keep up the act."

Xue Xingzhou laughed, then leaned closer to He Lang and asked in a low voice, "Don’t you think Gu Kai Zhi and Daya make a good pair?"

He Lang shook his head. "I don’t. How old is Daya anyway?"

Xue Xingzhou clicked his tongue against his back teeth. "Listen, man, Daya’s nineteen this year. Nineteen! You know what that means? She’s an adult. It’s perfectly normal to be dating at her age, isn’t it?"

He Lang froze. "Daya is nineteen already?" He had always seen Daya as a child. He’d noticed she had grown up over the past couple of years and could handle things on her own, but he had never really thought about her getting married.

Xue Xingzhou shrugged. "What do you expect? Dating isn’t the same as getting married. They can date for a few years. If they feel it’s a good fit, they get married. If not, it’s not like she can’t find someone else."

He Lang’s brow furrowed. "Is this just your idea, or is Gu Kai Zhi in on it too?"

Xue Xingzhou chuckled. "Of course Gu Kai Zhi is interested. That’s why I came to ask Daya. I’m not an idiot; I wouldn’t just push one of our own on someone for no reason. Gu Kai Zhi is already a platoon leader at his age. He distinguished himself again on our last mission, so his future is bound to be bright. The rare thing is, he’s a man of good character, which you know. If Daya really ends up with him, she’ll be well taken care of. Don’t you trust my eye for people?"

He Lang stared at Xue Xingzhou for a moment. What he said seemed to make sense, but something about it just didn’t sit right with him.

Xue Xingzhou continued to persuade him. "Don’t be so overprotective. Even if Daya doesn’t start looking now, she’ll have to in a few years. What kind of person are you hoping to find for her then? Someone we know through and through? There’s no one suitable in our circle. Someone well-off? But if we don’t know their character, we can’t rest easy."

No wonder Xue Xingzhou used to be a cop. His persuasive speech was actually starting to win He Lang over.

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alright, she can go. But only if Daya likes him. No one can force her, not even their benefactor."

Xue Xingzhou pursed his lips. "Tsk. To hear you talk, you’d think I was some kind of pimp."

He Lang glared, and Xue Xingzhou scrambled to his feet.

"I’ll go talk to Daya."

He hurried out, closing the office door behind him.

He Lang leaned back in his chair and started mulling over Xue Xingzhou’s words. ’Why haven’t Xue Yue and I ever thought about setting those two up before?’ At the end of the day, it was because they’d always treated Daya like a little girl. And without them even realizing it, that little girl had grown up.

Daya was very agreeable. As soon as Xue Xingzhou mentioned that Gu Kai Zhi was Shiyi’s benefactor, she agreed.

Still, Xue Xingzhou made sure to add, "Just treat him like a regular friend and show him around. Have your uncle reimburse you for any expenses."

Of course, Xue Xingzhou didn’t believe for a second that Gu Kai Zhi would let Daya pay for anything if the two of them went out.

Daya nodded.

「The next day」

Daya put on a casual outfit and went to the hospital.

Gu Kai Zhi had just gotten back with his meal. He and his comrade were about to eat when they heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Daya pushed the door open and entered, seeing two men in the hospital room.

"Sorry, am I too early?"

Gu Kai Zhi was taken aback for a second. ’Xue Xingzhou must have arranged this with her,’ he thought.

"Not at all. Please, come in and wait a moment. I’ll be ready in a second."

His comrade was baffled, unable to make sense of the situation. But seeing that their visitor was a pretty girl, he couldn’t help but blush.

Gu Kai Zhi quickly picked up his porridge and finished it in a few gulps, then took his lunchbox to go wash it.

When he returned and wiped his hands, he said to his comrade, "I’m heading out. You’re free to do what you want, but don’t leave the hospital."

Then he turned to Daya and said, "Shall we go?"

Daya nodded, then followed Gu Kai Zhi out of the hospital room.

The comrade, who hadn’t even taken a bite, was slow on the uptake. It finally dawned on him. ’That son of a bitch Gu Kai Zhi! He just ditched me to go on a date? Seriously? I’m still a patient, and he’s just leaving me here?’

His anger passed, and a new thought struck him. ’Hey, I’ve never seen that girl before. When did Gu Kai Zhi get a girlfriend? How come I didn’t know about it?’

As he walked out, Gu Kai Zhi sneezed. He frowned, thinking to himself, ’Which bastard is cursing my name?’

"Mr. Gu, shall we go to Beihai Park first?"

Gu Kai Zhi said to Daya, "I’ll follow your lead. Wherever you want to go, we’ll go. You’re in charge today."

Daya pursed her lips. "Okay."

The two of them boarded a bus heading to Beihai Park. They had left early, but it was rush hour, so the bus was packed with commuters. All the seats were taken, and plenty of people were standing.

Gu Kai Zhi scanned the bus as he boarded. Seeing no empty seats, he took a spot behind Daya.

Even more people squeezed on at the next stop, making the bus more crowded still. Gu Kai Zhi kept a close watch on the people around Daya. The driver suddenly accelerated, causing some unsteady passengers to nearly fall. Someone bumped into Daya, and even though she was holding onto a handrail, she stumbled.

Suddenly, a large hand steadied her at the waist. Daya managed to regain her footing and turned to look back, her gaze meeting Gu Kai Zhi’s.

Daya’s heart pounded in her chest, and her ears turned red. "Thank you."

"Steady yourself," Gu Kai Zhi said, finally pulling his hand back. He glanced toward the front of the bus; no one seemed to have noticed. The hand he had withdrawn was still trembling slightly. He curled his fingers, as if trying to hold on to the sensation from a moment ago—soft and slender.

They rode the bus until most of the passengers had gotten off and they had reached their destination.

Stepping off the bus, Daya breathed a quiet sigh of relief. They had been standing so close on the bus, she felt she could hear his every breath. Gu Kai Zhi’s presence was so intense, Daya found it impossible to ignore.

"Mr. Gu, this is Beihai Park. Shall we go inside?"

"Please, call me by my name. ’Mr. Gu’ sounds so formal, as if we don’t know each other. I’ll call you An Xin, if that’s alright?"