Chapter 35 "Against the Wind"

In the quiet café, only Gu Niancheng and Xia Xiran were whispering, which made her feel a little embarrassed, so she tugged at his sleeve.
Gu Niancheng understood and quickly helped her pack up the books. The two of them left, speaking softly. It was still the familiar tree-lined path, still the familiar her, but the person beside her was no longer him.
The campus is filled with memories of the two of them, and Xia Xiran couldn't help but feel a little sad when he saw them. He felt weak and powerless.
He looked at her, his heart clenched tightly. Despite having countless words, as they approached his lips, they only turned into one sentence, "Xiran!"
"Yes?"
Looking around, Xia Xiran finally realized that the two of them had already left the school gate and were standing on a crowded street.
"Oh! How did we end up here! Niancheng Gege, I have to go back. There are so many things I haven't done yet!"
While speaking, Xia Xiran suddenly felt weak and powerless, and her vision became blurry. She fell straight into Gu Niancheng's arms.
In a daze, she heard a constant noise around her, and she desperately wanted to open her eyes but felt a heavy burden, making it impossible for her to open them.
This room smells fragrant, and the bed is also soft. The surroundings gradually quieted down, and she stopped struggling to wake up and fell deeply asleep.
Half asleep and half awake, she felt a burning sensation between her eyebrows. Xia Xiran woke up abruptly, but she didn't dare to open her eyes. She knew someone was kissing her. This feeling was very familiar; it was Gu Niancheng.
Fine kisses not only convey warmth but also make her whole body tingly and numb, not knowing what to do. Xia Xiran intended to pretend to be asleep and avoid it, but she didn't expect his thick palm to cover her face gently.
They were so close, and Xia Xiran could feel the heat emanating from Gu Niancheng. There were some things she naturally understood, but she just didn't want to face them, nor did she want to accept them at this moment.
A thin blanket separated the two, bringing a sense of peace to Xi Xiran. However, as Gu Niancheng's hand gradually moved downward, she couldn't sit still any longer.
"What are you doing?!"
She yelled loudly, and it seemed like the air in the room had frozen. Gu Niancheng's face turned red, and sweat beads formed on his forehead.
"Xi Ran, I, I just wanted to hug you!" He struggled to utter these few words, and it felt like the whole world had disappeared, leaving only the two of them.
"You...Gu Niancheng, if you continue like this, don't blame me for not cherishing our past relationship!"
With slightly parted crimson lips, she uttered words full of malice one after another. At this critical moment, Xia Xiran had no intention to think about these matters, and Gu Niancheng's actions only made her more repulsed.
"No, Xiran! Don't do this! I really like you, and I want to be with you, and give you and our baby a home."
Home! That's what Xiaran had been longing for all these years, the small home she wanted to build with the person she loved...
As the person on the bed turned around and faced away from him, Gu Niancheng felt a little guilty. In that moment when he touched her, he could sense that she trembled slightly, and this subconscious rejection was even more disheartening.
"Even if you don't want to, you should still consider the baby. Even if you can make it through now, what about a few months later! After the baby is born, you definitely won't be able to go back to the dormitory. Besides, the child needs someone to take care of them, and they also need a status."
Whenever she thought of the baby, Xia Xiran couldn't help but touch her stomach and feel uneasy.
This child was the last thing Cheng Siqi left to her, and she couldn't bear to have an abortion. But just bringing him into this world without taking responsibility, Xia Xiran also felt guilty in her heart.
She slowly turned around, tightened the blanket around her, and only revealed her eyes.
"Xiran, marry me! I promise to only love you for the rest of my life and treat our baby as my own. Let me bear the mockery and ridicule from others, let me take care of you, okay!"
Four eyes meet, everything is understood without words.
She suddenly felt that he was amazing. How did he manage to do it after all these years?
In the past, he saw himself living in the shadow of his younger sister, saw himself knowing and loving other boys, saw himself carrying someone else's baby, and now he can still accept himself.
Xia Xiran really can't figure out what his feelings and love mean.
"I love Siqi so much, but I can't accept him having children with other women. How did you manage to do it?"
She put aside his feelings and only focused on this one point. In this situation, compared to pure love, Xia Xiran hoped that Gu Niancheng saw her as a substitute for Xia Xixi, so she was willing to endure such grievances.
But no.
"Actually, before reaching this point, I didn't even know what I would do myself. Xiran, I have loved you for many years. This love is a habit, an obsession, but not possession. If there is someone more suitable than me at this moment, and you are willing to follow that person, I won't say a word. But the problem is, there isn't!"
Speaking of excitement, there were tears shimmering in Gu Niancheng's eyes, but he held back in the end. He didn't want to lose control in front of her.
The room fell into silence, and something seemed to break in Xia Xiran's heart. Her heartbeat skipped a beat, and her brain went blank, not knowing how to reply to him.
This love, she does not want, nor can she bear.
"I have already told Uncle Xia that this child is ours, so that they will not have any burden in their hearts, and the barrier between us will be reduced. I only said that I possess you, and you always thought that this child belongs to Cheng Siqi. Since I have said this, I will find a way to cover it up. If you insist on confronting them, I have nothing to say. Not to mention these empty words, even if you want my life, I will give it to you. Just think about it yourself! Let me check if the porridge I made for you is ready!"
With the conversation over, Gu Niancheng rubbed his temples and discreetly glanced at Xia Xiran before leaving.
His heart was filled with uncertainty as he had said everything he could. He didn't know what she would choose next.
One after another, the sudden turns caught Xi Xi by surprise, and she couldn't agree with Gu Niancheng's approach. However, she couldn't think of a better solution herself, so she refrained from saying much.
Unrelenting love between Cheng Siqi and the irrefutable connection with Gu Niancheng, Summer Xiran could discern clearly in her mind, but emotionally she found it difficult to accept.
She knew he insisted that the child was his in order to pass his mother's test, even considering such small details, which made Summer Xiran feel sour.
She knew that she couldn't give the love that Gu Niancheng wanted, and agreeing to be with him would only be using him, so she couldn't bear it in her heart.
But he is right about one thing, the child needs to be taken care of, needs a legitimate status, and there is no more suitable person at the moment.
Summer hesitated to lie in bed when she thought about this, so she struggled to get up. With one hand on her belly, she slowly walked along the edge of the table and the wall.
The corridor was covered with red carpets, and some anti-slip mats were placed at the corners, which touched Summer a little.
This is Gu Niancheng's private villa. She used to come here occasionally but had never seen these things before.
Nowadays...
Going downstairs, Xia Xiran caught a glimpse of Gu Niancheng in a milk-white apron, tasting porridge with a small spoon by the stove, full of deep affection and tender feelings.