Chapter 187: A Visitor

An Nan stood up but didn’t rush to open the door.

Chu Peipei had already gone out for her house calls, so An Nan was the only one on the 14th floor. Even if the person outside knocked for a while longer, it wouldn’t bother the neighbors.

She pulled up the security camera feed and, seeing the familiar figure outside her door, the smile on her lips deepened.

Sure enough, it was Gu Zhiyu.

The knocking outside started off gentle, but after a while, it grew more urgent, as if he was about to break the door down.

An Nan opened the door to 1402 and walked to the elevator lobby. She teased him through the corridor door:

“Who is it?”

She’d just finished over two hours of physical training, so her voice was a little weak.

The voice outside sounded anxious. “An Nan, it’s me. Are you alright?”

An Nan pretended not to recognize him. “And you are?”

There was a pause outside.

After three seconds of silence, he said, “Gu Zhiyu. Open the door.”

An Nan finally opened the door, a hint of laughter in her eyes. She asked, “What brings you up here today?”

Gu Zhiyu, looking serious, reached out to touch her forehead.

Only then did his tense expression relax. “You’re okay?”

His face was as exquisitely handsome as ever, but now there was sweat on his brow and his chest was rising and falling—clearly, he’d run up in a hurry.

An Nan suddenly felt a little soft-hearted. “Come in, let’s talk.”

Gu Zhiyu stared at her for a moment before following her inside.

The apartment was pitch black.

Gu Zhiyu asked, “Why didn’t you turn on the lights?”

An Nan curled her lips. “Fishing.”

Gu Zhiyu fell silent.

An Nan felt for the switch by the entryway and turned on the lights. The room instantly brightened. She turned around, just about to say something.

Gu Zhiyu reached out and turned the lights off again.

An Nan was startled. Looking up, she could only make out his shining eyes in the darkness.

“Did you catch anything?” he asked.

An Nan was confused. “What?”

Gu Zhiyu’s voice was low. “Your fish.”

They were so close that An Nan could clearly smell the fresh scent of his body wash.

She sniffed, and replied softly, “I caught it.”

Gu Zhiyu smiled and leaned in closer.

In the darkness, An Nan couldn’t see his expression—only his eyes, burning like a fire, fixed on her.

“An An, my mood today has been like riding a roller coaster.”

He called her An An again.

An Nan’s breath grew unsteady. “Why?”

Gu Zhiyu leaned in even closer. “Because of you.”

Just as An Nan felt their noses were about to touch, she suddenly sensed something odd beside her.

She turned her head and saw six big, shiny eyes staring at them—two of them even red.

Startled, An Nan instinctively reached out and turned on the lights.

There was the dog, standing curiously nearby, with the red-eyed rabbit behind it, and a rooster with spinning eyes perched on its back.

All three pets were staring at them, unblinking.

An Nan’s breath caught. She quickly pushed Gu Zhiyu away. “You’re too close!”

Gu Zhiyu: …

He sighed, giving An Nan a somewhat regretful look.

Then he walked into the living room, sat down on the sofa like he owned the place, and scooped up the dog, his long fingers slowly stroking its head.

An Nan poured him a cup of tea and asked, “Why do you keep flying your helicopter to our neighborhood?”

Gu Zhiyu looked up. “Don’t you already know?”

An Nan just looked at him, saying nothing.

Gu Zhiyu had to explain, “The outbreak in the city is so serious. I have to come check on you.”

An Nan pouted. “You can check on me, but do you have to make such a big scene…”

And every time, he never showed his face.

At first, she’d found it annoying. He’d make such a grand entrance, then leave without a word, leaving her completely baffled.

But as it happened more often, An Nan noticed a pattern—he always came at night.

For over two months, he’d come more than a dozen times, never once during the day.

Just now, when she looked up and saw her own lights, a thought struck her—was he watching for her lights?

Maybe if the lights were on, it meant she was home and safe; if not, something was wrong?

So she’d turned off all the lights in her apartment, just to see how he’d react.

Sure enough, the helicopter landed and Gu Zhiyu rushed upstairs.

Her suspicion was confirmed.

Still, she was curious. “Can you really see my lights from outside?”

Her windows were covered with privacy film, and the curtains were drawn.

Gu Zhiyu nodded.

An Nan was speechless. “So all that privacy film and curtains were for nothing!”

Gu Zhiyu glanced at the window and praised, “You did a good job. Very security-conscious.”

Then he reassured her, “Don’t worry, most people wouldn’t notice.”

An Nan looked at him skeptically. “Really?”

Gu Zhiyu said, “Mm. I have to look very carefully from the air to see a faint, blurry glow.”

It didn’t look like electric light—more like candlelight.

An Nan relaxed.

Then she asked, “Since you’re already here, why don’t you ever come upstairs?”

This time, Gu Zhiyu didn’t answer. He just stared straight into her eyes.

An Nan felt awkward and looked away, muttering, “Say something, will you?”

Gu Zhiyu’s expression was hard to read. “Do you want me to come up?”

An Nan didn’t know how to answer, but her mouth was faster than her brain. “No, I don’t.”

Then there was silence.

She suddenly realized she might have said the wrong thing.

Just as she was about to say something else, she saw Gu Zhiyu lower his eyes, looking a little dejected. “I know. That’s why I never came up to bother you.”

An Nan glanced at him hesitantly.

Was this really the cool, aloof, noble President Gu talking?

He actually looked a little hurt.

Her tone softened. “That’s not what I meant…”

Gu Zhiyu still kept his eyes down, saying nothing.

An Nan tried to make up for it. “Actually, having someone care about me this much makes me really happy…”

Gu Zhiyu’s phoenix eyes lifted. “Then I’ll come up to see you more often from now on.”

An Nan was caught off guard. “Huh?”

Gu Zhiyu’s eyes glinted with amusement. “I said, since it makes you happy, I’ll come see you often.”

An Nan: …

Was this guy a master of changing faces?

Where did that pitiful look from just now go?

Seeing Gu Zhiyu smiling slyly like a fox, An Nan felt completely tricked. “That’s not what I meant either!”

But Gu Zhiyu didn’t respond. He just leaned back comfortably against the sofa, lowering his head to look at the dog sprawled across his lap.

Fugui was happily enjoying his grooming, occasionally glancing up at the handsome guy’s face.

An Nan was speechless. This silly dog went all starry-eyed the moment it saw Gu Zhiyu, totally forgetting who its real owner was.

Following Fugui’s gaze, An Nan couldn’t help but study Gu Zhiyu’s sharply defined features.

Those long, narrow phoenix eyes, high nose bridge, and thin, lightly pressed lips—even slouched lazily, he still looked upright and elegant.

Suddenly, a phrase popped into An Nan’s mind: “as graceful as a jade tree.”"