Chapter 17: Gu Hanxiao said that he would never like her in this lifetime.

Gu Jinghuai’s persistent questioning left Gu Hanxiao in silence. The memory of the embarrassing scene at the guesthouse surged back, fueling a sharp sense of guilt. Su Nuann was nine years his junior—nearly a full generation apart—and he felt he had no face to act like an old ox grazing on tender grass. He said in a low voice, "I don’t like Su Nuann, and there is no possibility of me ever liking her in this lifetime."

"..."

These words were overheard by Su Nuann, who had just returned. For some reason, she felt a strange bitterness in her heart. It wasn't quite disappointment, nor was it anger; she couldn't even describe the feeling. She only knew that hearing Gu Hanxiao say he would never like her left her feeling stifled and even a little aggrieved.

She had always known the Gu family was of high social standing and that Gu Hanxiao held a low opinion of her reputation, but that did not make her feel inferior. Just as Li Man had told Su Xunan, whether they were good or bad people was not for outsiders to judge.

Thinking of this, Su Nuann walked over quickly and returned the jacket Gu Hanxiao had lent her to cover her legs in the car. "Thank you, Captain Gu."

"..."

Gu Hanxiao had not expected Su Nuann to appear. Looking at her young, charming face, a flash of embarrassment crossed his eyes. He dared not look at her again, snatched the jacket, and left without looking back. Such behavior left no doubt that Gu Hanxiao hated her again—hated her so much that he wouldn't even offer a single word of acknowledgment.

"Sister Su Nuann, this is some imported chocolate given to me by a teammate. I don't like sweets, so here, it's for you."

Gu Jinghuai’s voice pulled her back to reality. Su Nuann wanted to refuse, as she felt she shouldn't accept gifts without reason, but Gu Jinghuai had already pushed the chocolate into her arms. Seeing the bag of snacks Gu Hanxiao had given her still hanging from her wrist, Gu Jinghuai felt a pang of jealousy. However, he knew his cousin well; he knew Gu Hanxiao was a man of his word, and if he said there was no possibility between him and Su Nuann, then it must truly be impossible.

Thinking this, Gu Jinghuai immediately beamed, even mentally deciding that if he ever married Su Nuann, he would certainly give Gu Hanxiao a generous "matchmaker’s" red envelope.

"I have training this afternoon, so I have to head back to the basketball team. Goodbye, Sister Su Nuann!"

"Goodbye."

Su Nuann walked back to her room with the chocolate and snacks.

In the room, Song Niannian, who was applying a face mask, watched with eyes full of jealousy and resentment. She had been observing in secret ever since Su Nuann entered, knowing that both Gu brothers had given Su Nuann gifts while she had received nothing. She usually worked harder to please the Gu family, helping in the kitchen and cleaning diligently, so why did Su Nuann get all the rewards? She was unconvinced—not at all!

Yet, all her disdain instantly turned into envy when she saw Su Nuann open the imported chocolate. Song Niannian swallowed hard and couldn't help but ask, "Sister Su Nuann, is that chocolate good?"

"Oh, I don't know. Let me taste it for you."

"..."

That wasn't what she meant!

Ignoring Song Niannian’s eye-roll, Su Nuann broke off a small piece and popped it into her mouth. The dense, rich cocoa flavor spread across her tongue, making her eyes narrow in blissful satisfaction. Seeing Su Nuann’s look of pure enjoyment, Song Niannian’s desire was nearly overflowing. She hinted quite bluntly, "Sister Su Nuann, that chocolate must be delicious. Could you give me some..."

Before Song Niannian could finish, she saw Su Nuann tear open the rest of the packaging and lick the entire block of chocolate like a mother protecting her cub. This action not only stunned Song Niannian but also shocked Gu Hanxiao, who was passing by outside. He hadn't realized Su Nuann liked chocolate so much.

"How, how could you do that?!" Song Niannian shrieked in annoyance.

Su Nuann shrugged innocently. "It’s my own property. Why would I need Sister Niannian’s permission to eat it how I like?"

"..."

Song Niannian was rendered speechless by the retort, but she muttered indignantly, "Hmph, to be like that over a bite of food... what a stingy person!"

Su Nuann’s ears were sharp, and she heard every word.

"Oh, so Sister Niannian is so angry because you couldn't get any chocolate from me. Tsk, if you wanted some, you should have just asked. Given our relationship, would I really be stingy with a few pieces? Sigh, it’s really bad manners to badmouth me behind my back like that, Sister Niannian. Is this how Aunt Feng has been raising you?"

"You!"

Su Nuann’s words insulted both Song Niannian and her mother, Feng Lan, causing Song Niannian’s face, which had just begun to lose its swelling, to flush bright red again. These words backed Song Niannian into a corner; admitting to it would be bad, but denying it was impossible. She was caught in a dilemma.

Guiltily glancing away, Song Niannian caught sight of Gu Hanxiao standing in the courtyard. Fearing Su Nuann would make things difficult for her, she grabbed her handkerchief to cover her face and rushed out. "Brother Gu is looking for me, I won't talk to you anymore."

Of course, she was making that up. But Su Nuann took it seriously.

*"I don't like Su Nuann, and there is no possibility of me ever liking her in this lifetime."*

Gu Hanxiao’s words were like a curse, leaving Su Nuann with a sour feeling in her heart. Seeing the two of them huddled together whispering, she felt even more restless and agitated. To distract herself, she took out a shirt she hadn't finished mending from the cabinet, forcing herself to focus entirely on the work at hand.

The news of her repairing Zhang Ping’s skirt had spread among the neighbors, and in the last few days, people had been coming to the door with old clothes, asking Su Nuann for help. In the era of the Great Collective, materials were scarce. Most ordinary people's clothes were handmade, so tailors were just as sought after as carpenters. Even back in the garrison city, some people had ignored the rumors and asked Su Nuann to mend their clothes. Even the deputy factory director of the sewing factory had come to her, wanting her to make him a uniform for the upcoming employee commendation meeting.

At that time, Su Xunan had wanted to seize the opportunity to climb the social ladder, so he coaxed Su Nuann to focus on tailoring and even granted her permission to move out of the tiny seven-or-eight-square-meter kitchen and into Song Niannian’s spacious guest room. Moreover, besides a wooden bed where she could finally stretch her legs, Su Xunan bought her all kinds of snacks daily. Back then, Su Nuann felt incredibly happy.

Unfortunately, that happiness didn't last long, ending when the deputy director received a uniform with one sleeve cut in half. Su Nuann offended the director and ruined Su Xunan’s plans. From then on, Su Xunan never smiled at her again.

But back then, Su Nuann could never understand how the clothes she had carefully stored could have been shredded to pieces. It wasn't until now, seeing Song Niannian secretly cutting the clothes she kept in her nightstand, that the truth finally came to light.

Remembering the cursing face of Su Xunan from her past life and Song Niannian’s hypocritical comfort, Su Nuann felt a burning rage. She strode over and grabbed Song Niannian’s hand as she was in the middle of her sabotage.

"Song Niannian, what do you think you’re doing, cutting my clothes?!"