The visitor was none other than Mr. He, who approached with a smile and gently patted Bo Xichen’s shoulder. "So this is your little friend?"
Bo Xichen, always particularly composed in front of his elders, turned slightly to introduce her. "This is Gu Anxi, my lab assistant and student."
Mr. He chuckled, looking at Gu Anxi. "I didn’t expect her to have such a status."
Gu Anxi respectfully greeted, "Mr. He."
The smile in Mr. He’s eyes deepened. "This young lady isn’t bad at all, very striking."
Gu Anxi did not respond.
Bo Xichen offered a slight smile. "You should thank Mr. He. He rarely praises anyone."
Mr. He seemed deeply touched. "Indeed, I rarely praise anyone! Xichen, you know I have a disciple—a young lady with a bit of a temper. I usually have to coddle her. That’s how I developed this knack for doling out compliments."
Bo Xichen smiled mildly.
Gu Anxi lowered her head. "Thank you, Mr. He."
"You’re welcome." Mr. He’s smile broadened.
Later, when Bo Xichen went off alone to fetch the car, Mr. He glanced at the person beside him. "Being naughty again?"
Gu Anxi lightly kicked the ground with her shoe. "Not at all!"
"Then why didn’t you say you were my disciple? Am I, your teacher, an embarrassment to you?" Mr. He tugged her ear, his grip quite firm.
It hurt quite a bit, but Gu Anxi didn’t dare resist. However, with people coming and going, Mr. He was restrained and let go quickly, primarily out of his deep affection for this little disciple of his.
Gu Anxi had begun studying painting with him when she was five, a fact hardly anyone knew. This child, gifted with immense talent, caused a sensation in the art world at the age of twelve with an oil painting titled ’Se’.
No one knew that the artist behind the painting was a twelve-year-old child. They only knew the painter went by ’Luo Lin,’ had studied under Mr. He from a young age, and achieved fame early. Despite this, ’Luo Lin’ remained incredibly low-key. After that first taste of fame, ’Luo Lin’ produced several more astonishing works, but there had been no new activity in the past two years.
Sorry, he doesn’t know.
Mr. He was visiting Qingcheng this time at Bo Xichen’s personal invitation, and he hadn’t even brought an assistant. He truly hadn’t expected to bump into his beloved disciple and was quite pleased about it.
Gu Anxi obediently stood beside him, listening as her revered teacher rambled on about how that naughty girl of his hadn’t been in touch for so long and where on earth she’d run off to.
Gu Anxi’s heart fluttered. Her lips moved, but no words came out; she could only look at Mr. He and offer a faint smile.
Mr. He chuckled, then scolded playfully, "You naughty girl! Try running away again, and I’ll break your legs!"
Although he spoke harshly, he loved her deeply. Moreover, he was intensely curious about how Bo Xichen and his beloved disciple had become... involved. Being the highly respected figure he was, Mr. He wouldn’t ask directly. Instead, he just stroked his nonexistent beard and gazed pointedly at his pupil.
Gu Anxi simply pretended not to notice.
(A quick aside: The dynamic between Mr. He and Luo Lin wasn’t the traditional ’benevolent master, filial disciple’ sort. In private, Mr. He called his disciple "naughty girl," while she called him "old undying one"—well...)
Mr. He wasn’t worried, chuckling as he watched Bo Xichen pull up in the car.
Bo Xichen personally got out to open the car door for the elder, then tilted his chin slightly, indicating for Gu Anxi to sit in the front passenger seat.
Mr. He chuckled inwardly again. That naughty girl, still playing coy! Just look at Xichen’s behavior; it’s obvious they’re involved. When has Xichen ever associated with women? There isn’t a single female around him—oh, wait, there’s Fengxi, but she’s just artificial intelligence.
Old Bo often complained to him that his Xichen was an emotionless medical machine, utterly cold. The Bo family was going to have no descendants at this rate!