Strawberry Pop Pop Pop chapter 3

The rain finally fell, abruptly striking the lush green leaves, washing away the previous warmth in a hasty manner. The land, still carrying the remnants of summer’s heat, was instantly extinguished, leaving behind only grass covered in rainwater.

Gu Nuan even caught a whiff of that scent of rain and ashes, mixed with the fragrance of plants.

The half-open room window was being pelted by raindrops, and the moment Gu Nuan closed it, he received a message from Han Yang. With each drop of rain, his heart pounded like a drum.

He rushed downstairs in a hurry.

“dad, my brother sent me a message! He says he’s almost home!”

“dad, does my brother still like strawberry milk? Did we buy any?”

“Dad, did you remember to have Xu Aunty air out my brother’s blanket? He loves the scent of sunshine!”

“Dad—”

Ji Mu began to get a slight headache.

Aunty Xu happened to be nearby and helped Ji Mu respond to the endless questions, “I had it washed and aired it out a couple of days ago. We also bought some strawberry milk, but I couldn’t find the exact brand you mentioned.”

Like Uncle Zhang, Aunty Xu had worked for the Gu family for many years and was well-acquainted with the eating habits of the two brothers. She placed a cup of hot tea in front of Ji Mu. “Sir, here’s your tea.”

“Thank you,” Ji Mu said warmly. “It’s about time, let’s start preparing dinner.”

Aunty Xu glanced at the wall clock. It was 3:30 in the afternoon.

When the children were at home, the Gu family always had dinner promptly at 6:00. Today, with Han Yang returning home, they naturally had to prepare a sumptuous meal.

Ji Mu had personally gone to buy the ingredients, choosing dishes that both Gu Nuan and Han Yang enjoyed.

Ji Mu specifically instructed, “Gu Nuan recently had acute gastroenteritis and needs to eat lightly. Please avoid adding spice.”

“I understand, sir.”

The newly hired nanny, Xiao Meng, also joined Aunty Xu in the kitchen. She couldn’t resist her curiosity and asked, “Aunty Xu, why isn’t this Young Master surnamed Gu or Ji?”

“He’s a student who was sponsored by Mr. Gu and Mr. Ji in the past. Later, due to some circumstances, he came to stay here permanently. Although he doesn’t share the same last name and isn’t listed in the Gu family’s records, from the outside, he’s still considered the Young Master of the Gu family.” Aunty Xu reminisced about the time when Han Yang first came to the Gu family many years ago and smiled. “He was so young when he first arrived, and in the blink of an eye, so many years have passed.”

Xiao Meng couldn’t help but ask, “What circumstances?”

However, Aunty Xu focused on picking vegetables and didn’t intend to elaborate. “I can’t talk about what happened when the Young Master was young. Don’t ask about it. It’s all in the past.”

Her words only piqued Xiao Meng’s curiosity even more.

She understood that many wealthy people often sponsored underprivileged students for charity, but it was quite rare for them to bring the sponsored individual back home to live with them. Moreover, the Gu family already had Gu Nuan, who was quite likable. Wasn’t it troublesome to have another child?

Before Xiao Meng could wonder further, she heard Aunty Xu caution her, “Although the Young Master doesn’t share their last name, both Mr. Gu and Mr. Ji have raised him like their own son. You mustn’t neglect him because of this.”

“I understand, Aunty Xu, I’m not that foolish.” Xiao Meng said this and quickly joined Aunty Xu in selecting vegetables without asking any more questions.

That night’s menu was rich, and Xiao Meng and Aunty Xu worked for a while. Then, they heard Gu Nuan shout from outside, “Aunty Xu, is the strawberry milk in the fridge? I can’t find it… Ah! I found it…”

Before he could finish speaking, Ji Mu interjected, “Your stomach isn’t well; you can’t have anything cold.”

Gu Nuan reluctantly put back the strawberry milk he had just picked up and said with a bit of reluctance, “I was checking it for my brother; he likes it cold.”

Ji Mu replied, “You know very well who you’re checking it for.”

Gu Nuan grumbled, “Aunty Xu, do we have it at room temperature?”

Aunty Xu placed a bottle of room temperature strawberry milk on the kitchen counter, chuckling as she walked away. “As soon as the Young Master returns home, it always becomes lively around here.”

Xiao Meng agreed, saying she also enjoyed it when Gu Nuan came back home; it made the atmosphere much lighter.

…

Unable to drink cold milk, Gu Nuan didn’t have the one at room temperature either. He stood waiting by the French window. Ji Mu had given up trying to stop him and let him be.

However, perhaps due to the rain, the front gate of the villa remained closed. Gu Nuan was becoming impatient, his brows furrowing.

After about twenty minutes, a black private car finally drove into the front yard of the villa, much to Gu Nuan’s relief. Through the glass, he captured this scene, his heart pounding like thunder.

Using an umbrella, he rushed out to the car, his sports shoes getting wet from the rainwater on the ground, and even the hem of his pants appeared darker.

“Xiao Nuan, slow down, don’t slip!” Ji Mu shouted from behind, holding an umbrella as well.

Gu Nuan, urgently holding the umbrella, ran to the front of the car like a whirlwind. 

From a few steps away, the car door slowly opened.

Stepping out of the back seat was a tall and slender alpha male. He was dressed casually in light-colored clothing, and his exquisite facial features had become even more profound and handsome over the past few years. Sometimes, with just one look, Gu Nuan could become entranced.

Raindrops fell onto the alpha’s shoulders, making a crisp “pattering” sound.

Only now did Gu Nuan remember to hold the umbrella. He hurriedly approached. Facing the alpha, who was half a head taller than himself, Gu Nuan had to raise his hand slightly to avoid the umbrella frame hitting the alpha’s head.

At this moment, he felt clumsy, awkwardly holding the umbrella high in his hand.

Rainwater fell around him, on the stone path, and on the leaves of the flowers.

Suddenly, amidst the earthy fragrance, Gu Nuan’s nose detected a faint hint of mint. It was Han Yang’s pheromones, a scent that Gu Nuan had adored for many years.

The silence between them about their reunion was brief. Gu Nuan took the initiative to move a half-step closer to Han Yang, his lips trembling, filled with so many words that got stuck in his throat, hesitating, swallowing them again and again.

Gu Nuan suddenly didn’t know what the first thing to say was. There were so many things he wanted to say, and he wanted each of them to burst out first. They were all competing to come out of his mouth.

This unusual silence made Han Yang misunderstand Gu Nuan, thinking that two years of separation had made them strangers. So, it was Han Yang who spoke first. He looked at Gu Nuan, his dark eyes revealing the same color as always. “Long time no see.”

His words were mixed with countless thoughts, like new shoots breaking through the soil, quietly buried in a seed for many years.

“Gu Nuan, you’ve grown up.”

In just two years, Gu Nuan’s appearance and growth had undergone a transformation in Han Yang’s eyes.

He had changed from a little boy who used to follow him around to become an independent teenager. Time had washed away some of the childishness from him, replacing it with Gu Nuan’s gradually becoming cold and handsome appearance.

—Like a pure, mountain flower blooming on a cliff.

He thought this would be an awkward reunion, but unexpectedly, Gu Nuan adjusted his own state and spoke.

His tone was excited and passionate, like a flame that even heavy rain couldn’t extinguish.

“Brother, you look a hundred times better in person than in the magazine!”

This was the sentence that came out first from his mouth.